November 2009
Issue # 27
www.ScuppernongGazette.com
Cover Photo: Neli Lemme
Photo by Chuck Lemme
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PUBLISHERS: INGRID AND NELI LEMME
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Quote of the Month
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“Something makes you remember, a faint smell of a wood stove, back to a time when the house was whitewashed and the barn had a newly finished coat of engine red paint.” - R.H.F.
DEAR READER
Reader of the Month
Ingrid and Neli. My name is Ryan Furlough. I wanted to say that I think it is great the publication that you have put together. I really enjoy reading the Scuppernoug and Swan Quarter publication each month. It helps me to keep in touch with the community. I completed my entire education in that area before going off to college at NC State. Since 2003, my career has taken me to Atlanta Georgia and now to... ... Atlanta Georgia and now to Milwaukee Wisconsin. Even though, I am now 1200 miles away, I still count Tyrrell County and Columbia NC as home. I want to make sure I give back to a place that gave me so
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November is the month of Thanksgiving, most of the crop is harvested and the pretty cotton fields are gone. It is hunting season and soon our freezers will be filled for the winter and we might get lucky and get a turkey or two. Fishing and crabbing is still going strong. Miss Lottie much. So this past year, I started a laptop scholarship to a deserving senior. I plan to continue this in the coming year with hopes to expand what I can give as I am able to. I am interested in submitting an
Roughton recovered well from her operation and Arnette Parker’s life was spared during a tragic car accident, we sure have a lot to be grateful for. We wish you a serene, and peaceful holiday with your family and loved ones and stay healthy ya’ll. - Love Ingrid and Neli Lemme article or some writing that I have done about the area since I left...
www.IBXHomes.com
www.Twitter.com/InnerBanks
Kids of the Month!
Photo by Neli Lemme
...On the Board Walk... Babies of the Month
The twin girls Keansey and Lylah. Proud parents: Justin and Jennifer Westcott of Country Estates
DO NOT MISS EVENTS
Business of the Month
The new Scuppernong Millhouse Antiques Shop in the old Scuppernong Millhouse Coffe Shop on Main
October 31 4-H Fun Day Community
Kids of the Month
The wonderful group of of kids, here on the float of the Boy Scouts at the Scuppernong River Festival parade
November 7 Annual Ducks Unlimited
Good Friends of the Month
Organization of the Month
The Eastern 4-H Center for their neat float at the Scuppernong River Festival parade
November 14 Columbia’s 2nd Saturday
November 21 Mattamuskeet Decoy Festival
Book of the Month Taylor Reese, a NC author, describes his life from graduation from high school in Eastern North Carolina to retirement in 1989...
Barbara Fleming and Ingrid Lemme, as seen here at Flemz Market
Movie of the Month
"Disney's A Christmas Carol", a multi-sensory thrill ride re-envisioned by Academy AwardÂŽ winning filmmaker Robert Zemeckis etc .
Couple of the Month
Ashlee and Stephen King of Tyrrell County, what a handsome young couple they are indeed.
Lady of the Month: Monica Liverman
She teaches 7th & 8th grade Math at Columbia Middle School.
FAMILY BIBLE INFORMATION WANTED The Tyrrell County Genealogical and Historical Society is seeking to collect information from Family Bibles about families in Tyrrell County and surrounding areas. Once the information is collected, it will be compiled and published by the Society for sale to interested persons. Publication date for the book is scheduled for October 2010. However, persons are asked to submit their information as soon as possible and no later than December 31, 2009.
If you have questions or need a worksheet, please contact Arnette Parker at 252-796-1831. Also, if you have a family Bible in your possession but are unable to transcribe the information, let Arnette know and someone from the Society will do this for you.
TYRRELL COUNTY GENEALOGICAL AND HISTORICAL SOCIETY Post Office Box 686 Columbia, NC 27925-0686 arnettecparker@hotmail.com ----------------October 22nd Mrs Arnette Parker was in a bad automobile accident, her vehicle was probably totaled and she has a broken hand. She is very fortunate to be alive, if she had not had on her seat belt, she probably would have been killed - the airbag came out. Praise the Lord and
Worksheets to help you compile this information are available at various locations in Tyrrell County: Register of Deeds Office, Tyrrell County Public Library, Visitors Center, and Pocosin Arts. Family information contained in these Bibles is an important way to document and preserve your family’s history and the heritage of Tyrrell County.
a speedy recovery from all of us. ----------------
You may submit a digital picture of the Bible and/or its contents. Family pictures may also be submitted for inclusion in the publication.
This bookshelf is currently the entire genealogy collection. Library director Doug Hoffman said that when a new addition to the building is completed, they hope to establish a separate room for the genealogy and local history collection and expand the collection
Photo by Chuck Lemme
WILDLIFE
TREASURES NORTHEASTERN NORTH CAROLINA IS A GREAT PLACE FOR THOSE SEEKING TO EXPLORE NATURE BY WILLIAM R. WEST
The Dare, Tyrrell, Hyde and Washington counties region in northeastern North Carolina are a mecca for nature enthusiasts. The rural area abounds in wildlife preserves, parks, waterways and an amazing variety of birds, animals, amphibians, reptiles, fish, peat bog and pocosin plants and wildflowers. Tens of thousands of snow geese, tundra swans, Canada geese, a wide variety of duck species, herons, egrets, ibises and huge flocks of mixed blackbirds visit the area in December and January, arriving in November and departing in February. A variety of warblers, woodpeckers and other birds are resident all year. Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge is the place to look for snow geese that roost on Pungo
and New lakes at night, leaving at dawn to fly to area fields to feed, and returning to the lake in late afternoon. White-tailed deer may be seen on the dirt roads in the preserve at any time of day and, with luck, the visitor may see a black bear, bobcat, raccoon, red wolf, coyote or other animals. Access to Pocosin Lakes may be made by turning off U.S. 64 on N.C. 45/99 at Plymouth, then onto N.C. 45 to the preserve. In December and January, when the snow geese are in the area, watch area winter wheat fields and harvested corn and soybean fields for feeding geese. On a recent mid-January trip to the area, Jack Sink, Lewis Parrish and I witnessed a “oncein-a-lifetime” spectacle. In a harvested corn field we observed and photographed an estimated 30,000 to 40,000 snow geese wheeling ’round and ’round the field for 20 minutes or more. Every time the geese attempted to alight to feed, three mature bald eagles attacked and flushed them into the air. Usually, one sees the geese feeding on a field or taking off to return in late afternoon to Pungo Lake. Seeing such a mass of birds in
the air for an extended period of time was an awesome experience, and three cameras worked overtime. South along N.C. 45 from Pocosin Lakes, the road junctions with U.S. 264, on which the traveler may drive east to access Lake Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge by turning north onto N.C. 94 several miles farther along. An observation platform just off N.C. 94 offers a sweeping view of the shallow 40,000-acre lake and a small, low-lying island with cypress trees. In summer, osprey or eagle nests may be observed in the cypress trees. During December and January, swans, Canada geese, herons, egrets, coots and a variety of ducks may be seen on the lake and bald eagles also appear. You may elect to turn off N.C. 94, before arriving at the observation platform, and follow a dirt road into the preserve. Observe swans, geese, a variety of ducks, herons, egrets, ibises, cormorants, nutria, muskrats, white-tail deer, and with luck, a raccoon, deer or otter on the roadside or in the expansive marsh. Drive
slowly and you should be able to observe and photograph the wildlife from just feet away from your vehicle. At the park office, turn left and cross over a canal bridge and then right onto another dirt road for access to another marsh area on the left
summers, the area soil really does burn when wild fires break out. Much of the area is comprised of pocosin land with peat soil, or soil rich in organic matter. Pocosin means “swamp upon a
some areas, the peat is 10 or more feet deep. N.C. 94 continues northward to Columbia and along the way, near Northwest Fork Bridge, a peat bog is a special place for plant and wildflower enthusiasts
Photo by Linda Lemme and on to an area of swampy woodland farther on. Native Americans called Mattamuskeet “Paquippe,” and they told European explorers the lake formed as the result of a fire that burned the earth for 13 moons. Preposterous, you may think, but during very dry
hill” in Algonquian. How could that be? It is now thought that originally swampy land had all drainages blocked by massive tree fall caused by a severe hurricane. Trees, branches, leaves, etc., falling into the swamp, deprived of oxygen when submerged, did not decay but slowly turned into peat. In
about mid-June. There, one may observe the yellow pitcher plant, purple pitcher plant, several other pitcher plant species, blue-eyed grass, star lily, yellow bladderwort, grass pink orchid, rose-fringed orchid, ladies’ tresses orchid and other bog flowers.
Man of the Month Columbia’s Nice Pharmacist Mr. Dana Outten IN THE NEWS: Specialists Serving Columbia Medical Center Columbia Medical Center has four specialists serving patients each month. They are: Dr. William Respess, Podiatrist, Greenville, Dr. Jan McDonald, Dermatologist, Elizabeth City, Dr. Michael Smith, Surgeon, Oncologist, Williamston, Dr. Eduardo Safille, Cardiologist, Elizabeth City and Edenton. Patients can call the Columbia Medical Center at 252-796-0689 for an appointment
Looking for that Perfect Holiday Gift? Visit www.liasophia.com Please call Erica Holden at 765-430-1136 Photo: or email her Neli LemmePhoto by Linda Lemme
at erica@blevinsins.com
Do not step off the roadside onto the bog, into which one may sink up to the waist or even deeper. Also in the area are swamp laurel, Zenobia, swamp rose, swamp magnolia (sweet bay), titi (cyrilla) and many other shrubs. The roadside ditch, bog pools and nearby river also contain several special species of bladderworts, which are carnivorous plants.
The birds nest communally with the breeding pair plus a few of their mature, non-breeding offspring roosting in a “cluster” of three or more den trees. Eggs may be laid in any one of the cluster trees in any given year with the non-breeding birds roosting in other den trees. The non-breeders assist their parents in feeding the nestlings.
Continue on northward along N.C. 94 to Columbia and stop at the Visitor’s Center and adjacent Walter B. Jones building, which houses Partnership for the Sounds and headquarters for Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge. There is a shop/museum with exhibits, information and gifts. Walk the nearby half-mile, wooden-walkway loop through cypress/tupelo gum swamp to observe a variety of birds and plants. The Visitor’s Center offers maps, brochures and friendly personnel give directions.
It usually takes two years for the birds to excavate a new den. They drill through the living wood and into the dead heart to excavate a nest cavity. The bark around the entrance hole is pecked so that resin flows and covers the area to prevent access by tree-climbing snakes. The dead heart wood does not produce resin. Visitors in the preserve may see deer, bear, bobcats, raccoons and a variety of birds.
At the Visitor’s Center, ask for directions to Palmetto/Peartree Preserve, located on the south shore of Albemarle Sound, a few miles northeast of Columbia. The preserve is dedicated to the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker, a small species that nests only in living mature pine trees that have a dead heart.
Spend a week at Columbia in Tyrrell County and from there, to the East, you can visit Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge in Dare County and Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge, Bodie Island Lighthouse, Cape Hatteras National Seashore, Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, Ocracoke, Fort Raleigh, the Elizabethan Gardens, the N.C. Aquarium near Manteo and the Wright Brothers’ Memorial, all on the Outer Banks.
The many waterways in Tyrrell and nearby counties offer excellent opportunities for fishermen of large-mouthed bass, crappie, bream and other fish species and miles of boating, canoeing and kayaking waters. Ten or 12 miles west of Columbia are Somerset Place State Historic Site and Pettigrew State Park, both on Lake Phelps, where swans and snow geese congregate in winter. During a period of exceptionally low water during a summer drought some years ago, 30 sunken Native American dugout canoes and many other artifacts were found in Lake Phelps. About 32 miles west of Columbia is historic Plymouth and across Albemarle Sound in Chowan County lies Edenton, another historic town. The area bounds in natural history and historic towns.
BILL WEST IS A TYRRELL NATIVE (CHS, 1950; UNC, 1954) NOW LIVING IN BURLINGTON, NC.
The GTCCC board sponsors a 50/50 raffle fundraiser  The drawing will be held at the end of Second Saturday.
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All are invited to attend the Veteran's Day Program at 11:00 am in front of the Tyrrell County Court House.Â
Photo: Neli Lemme
A Trip Around the Sun All things change with time, some good, some bad, some not even noticed. Little brothers and sisters are not so anymore. Instead they are replaced by nephews and nieces are running around the room and with scream of excitement. Out the window one sees a bulldozer pushing over the barn down the road that looked as if a gentle breeze would have accomplished the same. On the way in you noticed the new homes that were not there when you and your brother would ride your bikes for hours without ever getting tired. Something makes you remember, a faint smell of a wood stove, back to a time when the house was whitewashed and the barn had a newly finished coat of engine red paint. The tin roofs on both shone so bright one could not look up on a sunny day. In the pastures were animals that were raised for food. You know that you must be getting tired
because the last logs were burnt long ago. All that is left are the few chips of paint that cling to the grayed wood siding like a frightened child to its mother’s leg. The last pane of glass was broken many seasons before. The pasture is now overgrown and only a few posts still stand but with those few post one can see the way of life that once was. Progress pushes us forward but with it comes loss. Each movement forward takes something with it.
A Trip Around the Sun Head down east and the four lanes turn to two. Big trucks fly by hauling crops of tobacco, cotton, and potatoes. Load after load of pine is carried out to an unknown destination. These resources may travel the globe and they started right here. You shake your head and think back to when you thought this was the world. You were born here, went to elementary, middle and high school. You had best friends for life and crushes on pretty girls. Friday night football, hanging out on the weekend, trips to the beach.This was everything and provided everything you needed. As you continue to where the sun rises, trees so large it takes three adults to go around guard the traditions and a simpler way of life. As you pass through a town you spot an old theatre that seems to be waiting for it next premiere even thought the lights and the rest is boarded up. As the sun finishes its daily trip across the sky, a heavy darkness begins to take hold. The road than seems as if it will run out at any minute because you can only see as far as you headlights illuminate. The faint outlines of trees slowly disappear and the sky lits up with a millions stars. There are no street lamps to show you the way only the yellow and white lines that cause to remember you not dreaming and the road is there. Time move without assistance whether you want it to or not. Summer turns to Fall, Fall to Winter, Winter to Spring, and Spring to Summer.
BY RYAN H. FURLOUGH furloughryan@yahoo.com
I love Fall...
BY ASHLEE SPRUILL KING I love fall! Thank You, Lord, for the relief of cooler weather after a long, hot summer! I love going to the Garden Center and getting mums and pumpkins to decorate the front of my house. And I just love Halloween (Happy Birthday to me!) and Thanksgiving (turkey and chocolate pie, yum)! Most of all, I love fall for the harvest. Tyrrell County farmers have watched their crops grow for months, waiting for this season, and finally, they get to see some results. A good farmer has a general idea of how his crops will yield, but he never knows for sure until the combine starts rolling. That’s an exciting day for us on Scuppernong Farm, whether we’re harvesting wheat in June, corn in August, or soybeans in October. We all know that something good is about to happen, and we’ve got to work together to get it done, especially this year, since we’ve got nearly 2,100 acres of soybeans to pick! Once harvest is finished, we collectively breathe a sigh of relief. Another crop is in, and we’re just as excited to finish as we were to start. Over the next few months, I hope to take you on a tour of Tyrrell County agriculture. I want you to see, up close, how we grow the food and fiber that keeps our nation running. The United Sates has the cheapest and safest food supply in the world, and Tyrrell County farmers are doing their part. Right now, most farmers are picking soybeans and hoping for outstanding yields. Tyrrell County farmers averaged 41 bushels of soybeans per acre in 2007, according to the NC Department of Agriculture. Some years, when the management and the weather work out just right, farmers see yields up to an outstanding 60 bushels per acre! Tyrrell County farmers plant more acres in soybeans than in any other crop. Of course, soybeans share the spotlight with corn and wheat. In 2007, Tyrrell County ranked second in North Carolina for soybean production, third for wheat, and fourth for corn, according to NCDA records. That’s something to be proud of ! What we do, we do well, but we’re actually pretty diversified when it comes to crops grown here. According to the 2007 Census of Agriculture, Tyrrell County has 68 farms that cover roughly 22% of the land in the county. Yes, most of these acres are soybeans, corn, and wheat, but if you look closely, you might see cotton and Irish potatoes, plus snap beans, cucumbers, grapes, sweet corn and sweet potatoes, oats, rye, and hay crops. Out of all the crops grown in Tyrrell County, only about 4% are actually intended for human consumption. The cotton goes to the mill to be made into t-shirts and pillow cases. Some of the soybeans are “seed beans” meaning after harvest, the seed beans are cleaned and stored to be planted for next year’s soybean crop. But we’ll talk more about that another time. Most of the corn, soybeans, and wheat are ground to feed chickens, hogs, turkeys, and beef cows.
Community Fun Day The Eastern 4-H Center will sponsor a Community Fun Day on Saturday, October 31st from 10:00 am- 3:00 pm. Join in for a day filled with fun and food! Activities for the entire family! All ages are invited to attend! Youth participants must be accompanied by a n a d u l t . Fo r i n f o r m a t i o n c a l l (252) 797-4800
New Community Bulletin Board The Town of Columbia is creating a new community bulletin board for residents' and visitors' convenience. It will be located in the Town Municipal Building to your left after you walk through the outer door. Notices, flyers of events and other items of interest will be posted. Check it out!!!
Photo by Ashlee Spruill King
...I love Fall. Speaking of hogs and beef cows, Tyrrell County has a small livestock industry as well as crop land. Eight or ten of our farms raise a few beef cows (beef, as opposed to the dairy cows that send milk to the grocery store), and the county is also home to a 10,000-sow hog farm run by M2P2 of NC, formerly known as New Colony Farms.
Special thanks to Tyrrell County Farm Service Agency and Tyrrell County Cooperative Extension.
I’d love to hear your comments or questions. Send me an email at ashlee@songsouthphoto.com. www.songsouthphoto.com
STORY AND PHOTO BY ASHLEE SPRUILL KING Couple of the Month Ashlee and Steven King Although not all of our crops are harvested this time of year, many of them are. Harvest is a time for reflection, a time to look at the past year and remember what has brought us to this point. It’s also a time for re-evaluation, where we reflect on where we are and compare that to where we should be. And it’s a time for thankfulness. It doesn’t matter if we’re finishing a bad year or the best year we can remember. We all must be thankful for the crops that are harvested, because farmer or author, banker or teacher, we all have to eat! So here’s to fall and to the harvest. May we be harvesting crops in Tyrrell County for years to come!
Eastern 4-H Center Community Fun Day and Blood Drive! Saturday, October 31, 2009 10:00 am - 3:00 pm All donors receive a free “scaredy cat” tee shirt! Don’t forget your ID!
The Community is Welcome!
The Scuppernong River Festival 2009 This Year’s Columbia High School’s Prom Queen and King are Meredith Reynolds and Michael Combs Thank You to One and All!
Photo by Neli Lemme Photos: Neli Lemme
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