CAROLINA shore
Spring & Summer 2017
EXPLORING COASTAL CAROLINA
MINDING THE
HERD
McQueen’s Interiors professionally trained designers work on all size projects and offer complimentary interior design services, either in our store or in the comfort of your own home. We understand that deciding on the look that is right for your room is something you will want to consider carefully, which is why we never rush you into a decision. Creating a room that flows with your lifestyle should be a positive experience and with the help of designers you can avoid costly mistakes. We want you to truly express yourself and create a room that fits the budget that is most comfortable for you.
Stop by Today and Meet our Staff of Designers!
MCQUEEN’S INTERIORS
4426 ARENDELL ST., MOREHEAD CITY 252.247.3175 WWW.MCQUEENSINTERIORS.COM
RO U N D YE A R O PE N
288 GUTHRIE DRIVE, HARKERS ISLAND, NC
LOCALLY OWNED AND OPERATED BY CHRIS AND KATHYRN CHADWICK
A family friendly RV resort now open. Fish, kayak, and swim right from the dock. A swimming pool, bathhouse, and boat ramp are just a few of the amenities in this gated resort. Waterfront and wooded campsites along with deep water boat slips are available to rent nightly, weekly, monthly, or annually.
252.725.0820 www.harkersislandrvresort.com info@harkersislandrvresort.com
Dedicated to Quality Service
Locally Owned & Operated • Wholesale Tires • Roadside Service for large Trucks and Tractors • Brakes • Mufflers • 4 Wheel Alignment • CV Axles • 24 Hour Towing
Days: 252.728.6960 Nights: 252.225.0194 688 Highway 70 East - Otway chadwickstire.com 4
CAROLINA SHORE • SPRING/SUMMER 2017
We care about things that fly!
Bird Stuff
Quality Kites & Windsocks
Kites Unlimited
Everything for the Bird Enthusiast!
Bird Feeders Seeds • Houses Supplies & More
Celebrating over
30 years
Thank you for shopping locally!
Flags • Banners • Toys Unique Games • Puzzles & More Friendly Knowledgeable Service - We’re Here to Help
kitesandbirds.com
Etc.
• Tilley Hats for Men & Women • Sloggers • Wind Chimes • Outdoor Decor
We feature “made in the USA!”
1010 W. Ft. Macon Rd. • Atlantic Station, Atlantic Beach • 252-247-7011 NCCOAST.COM
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CAROLINA shore EXPLORING COASTAL CAROLINA
Publisher: Allyson Sproul Director of Operations: Kim LaChance Managing Editor/Layout: Amanda Dagnino (editor@nccoast.com)
Sales Director Jamie Bailey 252.241.9485, (sales@nccoast.com) Sales Ashly Willis Graphic Design Morgan Davis, Kyle Dixon, Roze Taitingfong, Billy France Contributors Elizabeth DeVan, Cole Dittmer, Mike Wagoner Rasonda Clark
Production Director: Rudy J. Taitague Mail Center: Skip Hicks Pressman: Allen Henry Folder Operator: Jason Yates Bindery Operator: Rudy D. Taitague Pre-Press: Kyle Dixon
CAROLINA SHORE is published by
www.nccoast.com 201 N. 17th St., Morehead City, NC 28557 | 252.247.7442 • 800.525.1403
ON THE COVER: Horses roam Shackleford Banks, part of the Cape Lookout National Seashore. (Cole Dittmer photo) Carolina Shore is published twice per year and distributed at high traffic sites in Carteret, Craven, Onslow and Pender counties and is available in its entirety at nccoast.com. Entire contents, maps, advertisements and graphic design elements copyright 2016 NCCOAST. Reproduction is strictly prohibited without the publisher’s consent. Though every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of all advertising and editorial copy contained herein, the publisher may not be held responsible for typographical errors. NCCOAST and its employees, agents or representatives may not be held responsible for any actions or consequences derived as a result of following advice or instructions contained herein. NCCOAST reserves the right to refuse any advertising or editorial content deemed inappropriate, misleading or in violation of the law.
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CAROLINA SHORE • SPRING/SUMMER 2017
A RESTAURANT
AND MORE...
You can always expect fresh, delicious food made in-house daily
www.ruckerjohns.com 3 GREAT LOCATIONS Open daily 11am-10pm Emerald Plantation, Emerald Isle • 252-354-2413 Wilmington • 910-452-1212 Winterville • 252-215-0011
Compassion runs deep
Mineral Black Soapstone
GRANITE & MARBLE
“ Behind the Water Slide in Emerald Isle.” 203 Boardwalk Dr., Emerald Isle Phone: 252-354-7774
A
Taste
of the
South Indoor & Outdoor Dining for Lunch and Dinner • Outdoor Bar • Fire Pit • Live Music
252.727.1921
400 Bridges St., Morehead City, NC 28557 Find us on Facebook to stay updated on our current events.
Find our full menu at:
www.floyds1921.com
Floyd’s 1921 Restaurant & Catering
W
Catering & Special Events
hether you’re planning a wedding, family reunion, corporate event, fundraiser, or a luncheon for you and a few of your closest friends, Floyds 1921 can cater any occasion.
We’ve been active in the local community for years, catering events of every shape and size at the Crystal Coast Civic Center, North Carolina Aquarium, Big Rock, Southern Kingfishers Association, and the Morehead City Seafood Festival, just to name a few. We can create a custom menu for formal sit-down dinners, large buffets, intimate luncheons, and much more.
Accepting Most Insurances Including Blue Cross Blue Shield
Women’s
IMAGING
3D MAMMOGRAMS • ULTRASOUND VASCULAR SCREENING Now Accepting Appointments! Opening March 23rd 910-353-3759 • www.coastalradiology.com 1165 Cedar Point Blvd, Suite I, Cedar Point, NC 28584
Home of the BEST Shrimpburger on the Crystal Coast SEAFOOD SANDWICHES Shrimpburger Oysterburger Scallopburger Clamburger Crab Cake Sandwich Fresh Flounder Filet Sandwich Soft Shell Crab SANDWICHES Hamburger Cheeseburger Big Oak 1/3lb. Superburger Hot Dog Corn Dog Barbecue Chicken (Grilled or Fried) Bacon, Lettuce, Tomato Chicken Salad
Grilled Cheese Steak & Cheese
w/lettuce & tomato or peppers & onions
PLATES
Served with french fries, slaw, hushpuppies and tea
Fried Shrimp Scallop Flounder Clam Oyster Crab Cake Soft Shell Crab Combination of any 2 Seafoods Combination of any 3 Seafoods Barbecue BBQ & Brunswick Stew Fried Chicken (1/4) Dark or White BARBECUE TAKE HOME PACKS
1pt. BBQ, 1pt. Slaw, 2 doz. Hushpuppies
1pt. BBQ
SIDE ORDERS French Fries Onion Rings Hushpuppies Slaw (Pt.) Apple Stix Corn Stix (6) Brunswick Stew Chicken Bites Cheese Stix Fried Pickles Chicken Tenders Sweet Potato Waffle Fries BIG OAK CATERING Whole Pig (Cooked & Seasoned For Pickin) Whole Pig (Chopped & Seasoned) 1/2 Pig 1/2 Pig (Chopped & Seasoned) Bar-B-Que (By the Pint) Chicken - Fried (Whole) Hushpuppies (By the Doz)
252-247-2588
Corn Bread Stix (By the Doz) Potato Salad (By the Pint) Slaw (By the Pint) Baked Beans (By the Pint) Hot Dog Chili (By the Pint) Brunswick Stew (By the Pint or Quart) Gallon of Tea Banana Pudding (Serves 30-40 People)
BIG OAK HOT WINGS 6pieces 12pieces 24pieces
www.bigoakdrivein.com
©2017 Jarrett Bay
Located in the heart of Salter Path, NC
1pt. Brunswick Stew BBQ Tray with Slaw
Near the center of Bogue Banks, a barrier island off Morehead City, you pull into the parking lot of what looks like a 1960’s burger stand. There’s no dining room, just a small easy-to-miss brick building. At the window, you place your order (trust us, make it a shrimpburger). The server writes the order on a paper sack, which soon will be handed out with your meal inside: fried shrimp, tartar sauce, coleslaw, and ketchup, all piled on a steamed bun. Messy and totally yummy. - Coastal Living Magazine
Chart Your Course Front Street Beaufort & North Hills Raleigh | shop.jarrettbay.com
NCCOAST.COM
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H A N D M A D E
ONE-OF-A-KIND J E W E L R Y
contents spring/summer 2017
14 Celebrating NC Battleship
It has been 80 years since the keel was laid for the Battleship North Carolina
22 The Secret Lives of Bees
Stella couple continues the age-old practice of beekeeping
26 Mitchell Hardware
New Bern’s traditional catch-all hardware store has a history, and a future.
34 Exploring Swansboro
This quaint seaside town is the perfect place to spend and afternoon exploring.
38 Minding the Herd
The National Park Service’s Dr. Sue Stuska keeps watch over the wild horses of Shackleford Banks.
44 New Leash on Life
Rescue dogs are earning a new chance through this in-prison rehabilitation program.
52 As Southern as Sweet Tea
Sweet tea takes its place as the perfect summer beverage
58 Home by any Other Name
Our beach front is full of named cottages - but where does this tradition come from?
62 Strung Together
This New Bern based family band is taking full advantage of their time together.
68 Ferry System Milestone
The NC Ferry System turns 70.
76 Book Bites 78 What’s up Dock 81 Closing View
Admirals Celebrate State Battleship
S
everal historic milestones for the battleship North Carolina will be observed in 2017, and all are especially significant to the admirals of the North Carolina Navy and their descendants. It was 80 years ago that the keel of the North Carolina was laid in 1937 at the New York Naval Shipyard in Brooklyn, NY. She was to become the first of 10 “great battleships” to be built and join the American fleet in World War II. The North Carolina participated in every major US naval offensive in the Pacific area of operations and earned 15 battle stars, each awarded for “meritorious participation in battle.” Sailors aboard gave her the nickname of “Immortal Showboat.” After the war, the North Carolina served as a training vessel for US Naval Academy for a time but then was decommissioned in 1947 (70 years ago) and sent to the inactive reserve fleet. In 1958, the Navy announced the North Carolina would be scrapped and sold. James Craig of Wilmington, a television advertising executive, and many other North Carolinians pounced into action to form “Save Our Ship” in an effort to bring her home to the Tar Heel state. Craig envisioned the North Carolina could serve a higher purpose – a memorial for the 11,000 North Carolinians lost in World War II. He enlisted the aid of Hugh Morton, who was a developer in Wilmington. Morton had connections with Gov. Luther H. Hodges. Both men were all-in, and Hodges suggested “instead of taking the money for the ship from the state, why not get the people involved?” (Hold that thought.) Terry Sanford followed Hodges as governor, and he had connections with President John F. Kennedy. Both men were all-in. North Carolina’s Sen. Sam Ervin made a comment to a highranking Navy admiral: “It may interest you that we have 2,400 admirals in the North Carolina Navy.” That was a true statement. Part of Hugh Morton’s plan to raise the private funds called for the establishment of the North Carolina Navy. Any individual who contributed $100 or more would be awarded the rank of “admiral” in the NC Navy and also receive “lifetime free admission” to tour the battleship. And 2,400 people did just that. School children all across the state were asked to pitch in as well. Every child who brought in 10 cents got a free pass to board the vessel. Of the 1.1 million North Carolina students at the time, 700,000 gave at least a dime, according news media reports at the time. The “Save Our Ship” campaign raised nearly $330,000, exceeding
by Mike Wagoner the goal by a wide margin. It proved to be pure patriotic public relations genius, creating statewide recognition for the project. Meanwhile, the North Carolina’s final resting place had been narrowed down to three locations, and the finalists were Morehead City, Southport and Wilmington, reported Brandon Sneed in his article for Our State magazine in 2010. “Southport and Morehead City were beautiful, and the ocean provided a gorgeous natural backdrop,” wrote Sneed. “But the beauty hid a curse: Their proximity to the ocean would make the ship vulnerable to hurricanes. So, officials decided to berth her at the safest location, the one farthest from the sea. Wilmington (in the Cape Fear River).” Ben Steelman of the Wilmington Star-News shared more of the story: “On Aug. 28, 1961, the Navy and the State of North Carolina signed a contract, turning the battleship over to the state on permanent loan. The government reserved the right to ask for the North Carolina back, in case of national emergency.” On Sept. 25, the North Carolina began her final voyage from Bayonne, NJ, as nine tugboats hauled her to North Carolina. The battleship arrived off Frying Pan Shoals, near Bald Head Island, on Sept. 30. Steelman said: “Capt. Bertram M. Burris of Southport, an experienced Cape Fear River pilot, was put in charge of steering the North Carolina, employing a ‘task force’ of 11 tugboats to nudge the battleship along. A crowd estimated at 125,000 lined the river banks to watch the arrival in downtown Wilmington.” She arrived in her current berth on Oct. 2, and opened to the public on Oct. 14. More than 5,000 people walked the ship’s decks on opening day, the press reported. The North Carolina memorial was formally dedicated on April 29, 1962. All NC Navy admirals … and all citizens of the state … can celebrate the 55-year anniversary of the North Carolina memorial on April 29, 2017. Steelman commented: “To this day, the battleship memorial has functioned without a cent of taxpayer dollars.” The memorial is administered by the Friends of the Battleship North Carolina and relies on its own revenues and donations. The Friends organization has various levels of participation, corresponding to Navy ranks from Chief to Commodore. Learn more at www.battleshipnc.com. Touring the battleship is a doable daytrip. It’s about a 100-mile drive from Morehead City to the site in Wilmington, which also offers a great riverfront to grab a meal before the journey home.
NCCOAST.COM
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Catch the Fun
On-Soiditeer y
Grouper • Snapper & Much More
Embr
Receive $25.00 of free merchandise with each ticket purchase Baby
apparel
She’s back!
Year-Round Headboat • Deep Sea Bottom Fishing Half, Full, 18 Hr, & 24 Hr Trips Heating & A/C • Full Galley On Board Multi-Passes • Private Charters (800) 682-3456 (252)726-5479
6th Street, Morehead City Waterfront www.carolinaprincess.com
437 Front Street • Beaufort 252.838.0059 • 877.369.4999 Monday–Saturday 10-6 • Sunday 12-5
Destination For Fine Art
www.fineartatbaxters.com 323 Pollock Street • New Bern, NC 28560 • Mon-Fri 10-6 Sat 10-5 • 252.634.9002
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CAROLINA SHORE • SPRING/SUMMER 2017
International Building Code (IBC) Approved Florida Building Code 2007 (FBC) Approved Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) Approved Miami-Dade (HVHZ) Approved
RESIDENTIAL & RESORT SALES VACATION RENTALS
Traditional, Nautical and Equestrian Jewelry. Made and designed in our Emerald Isle Store.
Custom Jewelry is our Specialty.
800-317-2866 www.cannongruber.com ATLANTIC BEACH, PINE KNOLL SHORES, EMERALD ISLE, MOREHEAD CITY, NEWPORT, & BEAUFORT
Established 1876
www.churchwells.com
Veranda Square 7901 Emerald Drive, Suite 6 Emerald Isle, NC 28584
252.354.7166
TIERRA FINA 415 Front Street
Handpainted Pottery Ceramic House Number Tiles Great greeting cards, body care, lamps, cookbooks, cool kid gifts, rugs, candles, and fun things for your home and garden
415 Front Street, Beaufort 252-504-2789 www.415front.com 18
CAROLINA SHORE • SPRING/SUMMER 2017
Carteret County’s Coastal Tradition for More Than 30 Years! “You’ve Got Friends at the Beach” Our REALTORS Offer a Strong Knowledge Base of the Crystal Coast and Surrounding Mainland Areas. Let Us Provide You with Professional, Dedicated and Exceptional Service.
Al Williams 252-726-8800
Pam Bird 252-241-0160
Alicia A. Nelson 252-241-0402
Terry Rogers 252-342-3617
Bob Daves 252-723-3649
Ellen Byrum 252-971-4794
252-726-8800 / 888-846-1888 www.alwilliamsproperties.com 300 Atlantic Beach Causeway • Atlantic Beach, NC
American-Made Furniture & Accessories!
520 Hedrick Street, Beaufort 252.728.3201 beaufortfurniture.com
On Middle Lane in Historic Beaufort 252.725.3201 beauforthomestore.com NCCOAST.COM
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Pirate’s Landing at Olde Beaufort Village Featuring 2 New Duplex Townhome Plans Come visit our model home at 1102 Pirates Landing Drive. Stop by our office on the way to pick up a copy of our floor plans and option
Ocean & Farm to Fork
selection sheets at Beaufort Realty on 325 Front Street. Beaufort 3 Model
Beaufort 2 Model 1022 SF
1332 SF
Cuisine in a Casual, Historic Setting Located in the Historic Dill House
119 Q ueen Street, Beaufort, NC 252.728.5800
$139,900 Storage
Storage
Covered Porch 11-8 X 9-0
Bath 2
www.bluemoonbistro.biz Open for Dinner at 5:00, Monday-Saturday Stop by our cafe on the Morehead City waterfront: Full Circle Cafe: 708 Evans Street
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Hall
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Great Room 11-4 x 17-6 Great Room 11-4 x 22-10 BR 2 11-4 x 13-0
BR 2 11-4 x 14-0
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Porch 16-0 x 6-0
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Bath 3
3BR, 3 Full Baths for only $154,900
BR 3 11-4 x 13-4
Creative Cuisine using the Highest Quality Locally Sourced Ingredients Wood-Oven Pizza, Noodle Bowls, Salads, Small plates, & Daily Seafood Features Dinner Monday-Saturday
All ABC Permits, Comprehensive Craft Beer & Wine List
252-773-0703
708 Evans St., Morehead City 20
CAROLINA SHORE • SPRING/SUMMER 2017
325 Front St., Beaufort Call for showing and sales assistance: 252-728-5462
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2014 Marvin Windows and Doors. All rights reserved. ®Registered trademark of Marvin Windows and Doors. © ®
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©2017 Marvin Windows and Doors. All rights reserved. ®Registered trademark of Marvin Windows and Doors
Bees
The Secret Lives of
C 22
ompact wonders of nature, bees are one of the more misunderstood insects we encounter. What we see at first glance is their annoying tendencies – that buzz in our ear while enjoying an afternoon at the park and the fear they cause in anyone who has experienced a sting. But however frustrating they may be these fascinating work centered creatures are as interesting as they are necessary. It’s commonly said among agriculture specialists that one of every three bites of food we take require the work of bees. Needless to say, nuisance and all, these little powerhouses play a critical role in our food options, especially fruits, vegetables and nuts. Pollination happens in a variety of ways. Some plants are fine with windblown pollen, others can self-pollinate, however, even these plants, produce a wider crop if pollinated by insects. In flies the honeybee, transferring pollen from the male plants to females of the same species, thus fertilizing the flower’s eggs and allowing it to produce seeds. It’s a mutually beneficial arrangement. The plant gets the pollination it needs to produce, while the bee harvests nectar from the flower that can be taken back to sustain its hive. A variety of other animals can aid the pollination process, including beetles, flies, butterflies, even some birds, however, none are as efficient as the hard-working bee. With the onset of organized farming, so came the need for
CAROLINA SHORE • SPRING/SUMMER 2017
by Amanda Dagnino
organized pollination. And for some farmers in Eastern North Carolina, that’s where Scott and Julie Taylor of Stella come in. Beekeeping has been something of a family tradition. Julie’s father raised bees in Rockingham County when she was a child, so she learned early on how to handle them. After developing an allergic reaction, her dad moved away from the practice. But when Julie began dating Scott in high school, he noticed a few abandoned hives and began asking questions. After years of not being maintained, one of the hives was still active and Scott found a lifelong love. “I get in the bee hive and everything else in the world just melts away. You have to pay attention to what you’re doing, but it’s also relaxing,” he said as he gingerly pried a wooden frame out of place revealing the mass of bees, nary a glove in sight. How often does he get stung? “Every day,” he answers quickly, smiling.
Now Master Beekeepers through NC State University, the couple owns Triple S Bee Farm – named after Scott, Stephanie and Sarah, the couple’s daughters – which provides pollinating services in nine coastal counties. When not at work, their 600 hives are stored in three separate locations so the bees aren’t all foraging for the same food, Julie explained. The season, however, starts early in the year. By the end of February the bees are hard at work in White Lake pollinating blueberries. Then it’s on to cucumbers, then perhaps squash. Like the sticker on the side of Scott’s truck announces “No bees, no farm, no food.” Like all things related to agriculture, beekeeping is now a science, from defending the hive against the invasive varroa mite to queen management. But it’s also somewhat primitive. Beehives are created from wood, nothing fancy, no electronics attached. When provide with the right environment, the bees do exactly what they were born to do. Inside the hive, everyone has a job. There are drones and workers, guards, cleaners, foragers and fanners. Fanners? “Year round bees keep the hive between 93-95 degrees by fanning their wings,” said Julie. “They create the correct temperature for nectar to form into honey and to keep it cool during the summer. It’s really fascinating.” Oh course the most important member of the hive is the queen – all other members live simply to serve her so she can continue to reproduce. Each of the Taylors’ hives hold about 60,000 bees – that’s a lot of attention for one queen. A good queen means a strong hive, but when something happens to her, the rest of the hive work hard to develop a new leader. If she dies, or becomes ill, the workers can no longer sense the pheromones she produces and begin the process of raising a new queen. The
bees build queen chambers for 10 to 20 female larvae, which they then feed royal jelly, a special secretion from worker bees, in hopes that one will develop into a fertile queen as opposed to a worker. One article notes that the first potential candidate to fully develop ovaries to lay eggs, will emerge from her chamber and sting the other candidates to death before they have a chance to hatch. The byproduct of the pollinating work done by Triple S Bee Farm is a rich gold honey that is hard to compare to the mass marketed version sold in bear cut outs on grocery store shelves. Dark, flavorful and sinfully sweet it makes it easy to understand why it was referred to as the Nectar of the Gods in ancient Greece. According to Scott, a good hive, in a good year, can
Not only can it serve as a natural sweetener, reducing the need for processed sugar, but there is an array of additional benefits to unpasteurized organic honey. Antibacterial/Antifungal: Studies have shown that honey, which contains hydrogen peroxide in its unprocessed form, as antimicrobial agents making it helpful when it comes to fighting infections. A few hospitals in Europe even use honey to fight staph infections and it has been noted for its wound healing qualities. Digestion: Raw honey contains bifidobacteria, which have been connected to digestive health and building immunity. In addition, the honey coats and soothes the esophagus, reducing inflammation. Good source of antioxidants: Unfiltered honey contains phenolic compounds, better known as antioxidants, which help prevent chronic diseases, including cancer and heart disease. Allergies: Because of its antiinflammatory properties, local honey, created with local pollen spores, can help seasonal allergies like a natural vaccine. Cough suppressant: Everyone has seen those honey flavored cough drops – well there is some truth to that selling point. Honey coats and soothes raw airways, which helps reduce coughing.
(Continued on page 24) NCCOAST.COM
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(Continued from page 23)
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produce 80-150 pounds of honey. “Now that’s a good year,” Scott is quick to repeat. “Everything has to hit just right and there are always things that can work against you.” One bee expert notes that it takes about 60,000 bees visiting up to two million flowers to make one pound of honey. And it varies greatly in consistency and color, from white to golden brown, depending on the types of flowers the nectar comes from. Honey is generally harvested in late summer, when hives are filled with honey. The bees naturally cap off each of the wooden frames with beeswax, which must be removed to access the honey. The capping wax itself is often sold for making beeswax candles. Once uncapped, the frames are placed in a honey extractor, which spins, allowing centrifugal force to remove the honey. Both electric and hand cranked extractors are available. Remaining honey is left on the frame for the bees to clean up. Early on the Taylors realized they had more honey then they knew what to do with, so they began canning it and selling at local farms and stores. Honey has received a lot of attention lately for its health benefits. It first came to our attention for its benefit for people with seasonal allergies. It makes sense that feeding yourself local pollen on a daily basis can help build an immunity, limiting symptoms when pollen is at its heaviest, leaving a yellow dust over everything. But it seems its benefits go far beyond that – from building the immune system to helping fight infections. The healing properties of honey were documented as early as 384 BC, when it was mentioned by Aristotle, and the Bible contains several mentions. Yes, it is technically a sugar. But that can be a good thing, too. Honey can provide a healthy alternative to over-refined sweeteners, which have no nutritional benefit. To enjoy the health benefits it is important to eat honey in its raw CAROLINA SHORE • SPRING/SUMMER 2017
natural state, that has not been heated or filtered. It’s important to note that natural honey looks very different from the thin, clear liquid generally found in larger grocery stores. It is often thick, maybe even granulated like sugar, which can make some people nervous. One taste, however, and most are swayed. “It is the only food that does not spoil,” said Julie. “They found some in Kind Tut’s tomb.” Locally, raw honey can be found at local farmer’s markets, Garner’s Farm and The Friendly Market.
Experience charcoal grilling at its best Locally Family-owned and operated
252.648.8298 | soundsiderestaurant.com 500 HWY 70 W. Suite 112, Morehead City, NC
New Bern’s
Mitchell Hardware
T
here are two entrance doors to Mitchell Hardware in downtown New Bern. Set at the far sides of the storefront, one door leads to the hardware section while the other door leads to the old timey general store. Regardless of which door they enter through — whether it’s a local handyman looking for galvanized bolts or visiting tourist looking for a Mitchell Hardware souvenir — they all end up at the same counter. Mitchell Hardware owner Greg Smith wouldn’t have it any other way. “I thinks its pretty cool that at the counter right now there could be a little old lady that has bugs in her house, and then the person standing next to her owns a million dollar Hatteras yacht … and they are all equal to my staff and me,” Smith said. Thomas J. Mitchell opened Mitchell Hardware in 1898 as a livery stable and specialized in selling horses, mules, wagons and harnesses. It was located in a long, narrow building across Craven Street from the current Mitchell Hardware location. As time passed the store transformed itself into more of a general store, and up until 1987 a member of the Mitchell family ran the business.
Story & Photos by Cole Dittmer When Thomas Mitchell, IV retired from the business, ownership of Mitchell Hardware passed to longtime Craven County residents Harold and Pat Talton. It was at that same time that the Talton’s nephew, Greg Smith, was leaving his career in the nonprofit world and planning to attend ECU for a master’s degree in teaching. “I always wanted to be a teacher, so naturally I have a hardware store now,” Smith said, chuckling. Both Smith’s aunt and uncle had other careers and could not run the store, nor did they have the necessary time it would require to bring Mitchell Hardware back to its former glory. In 1987, Mitchell Hardware was in a slump and needed new life breathed into it. “[The Taltons] knew that for a store to last in New Bern it would take somebody that liked to be surrounded by humanity and people, and that is what I enjoy more than anything else,” Smith said. Smith accepted the challenge and took over the management of the store. For the first few years Mitchell Hardware remained in the (Continued on page 28) NCCOAST.COM
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same location. However, when the print shop across Craven Street closed and the large building was vacated, Smith and the Taltons took a leap. “My uncle recognized the fact that for us to make it in the business world we needed to expand or bring it back to what it was, and the building across the street that we are in now became available,” Smith said. If we were ever going to make the leap it was the time.” For anyone that has visited Mitchell Hardware recently, hearing Smith describe how empty the store was inside the new, larger space seems unimaginable. “When we moved the store looked empty … back where the Country Store is now there was a curtain and that whole section was empty because I didn’t have anything to put back there,” he said. For anyone that has met Smith or has experienced downtown New Bern on a busy Saturday afternoon, hearing him describe how slow business was during the early years also seems unimaginable. “That was when New Bern was just coming back, and it was quiet,” he said. “On a Saturday 30 years ago we were only open from 8am to 1pm and I would bring a book to read. It was just a quieter
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CAROLINA SHORE • SPRING/SUMMER 2017
downtown community — that is just how much it’s changed.” While the warm, inviting feeling of Mitchell Hardware has not changed since Smith took over, the inventory has constantly evolved since 1898. Now, Smith and his staff have stopped trying to count just how many items are in the store — one salesman estimated 40,000 but staff contest that it’s more likely to be double that amount. “If you compared what we have in the store right now to what we had when we got the store, there is no comparison and it continues all the time,” Smith said. “Part of it is what changes in the hardware industry … so the store has evolved from a livery stable to what it is now, and that is part of the fun of it — that Mitchell’s itself changes as New Bern changes, or as the community changes.” A typical day at Mitchell Hardware begins before 6am for Smith when he opens the doors, brings out the plants for sale, and gets the store ready for another day. “I like mornings,” he said. “I probably shout ‘hello’ to 20-50 people, wave at every car, and I watch the town come alive. Then, during the day I get to talk to people of all walks of life. I have never thought that anybody deserves any more than anyone else.”
Smith said he hires employees who feel the same way he does about their customers. “New Bern has known all of my staff as if they were family, and it really is true,” Smith said. “The town knows my employees by name and they are all walks of life from college students to retirees. Each part of the spectrum adds to the personality of the store.” Through years of working at Mitchell Hardware, each employee learns his or her own special way to get around the store. Smith said sometimes using the side aisles and back aisles to make your way around the merchandise and the customers is the only way to get from one end of the store to the other. “That is part of the fun of it, it is always at various stages of organized chaos,” Smith said. “You end up having to run to the back but on your way there you talk to four or five customers, answer two or three questions, and by the time you get back there you don’t know what you went for. I wouldn’t have it any other way.” For Smith the success of Mitchell Hardware is synonymous with the success of downtown New Bern. Each of his favorite memories from the 30 years he has owned the store are rooted in something that happened for both Mitchell Hardware and the downtown community. The resurgence of New Bern’s downtown has brought more life and more visitors from out of town. While he never wants to become the “tourist store,” Smith said he is always honored when customers want to take one of the Mitchell Hardware branded items home. They have even sent Mitchell Hardware T-shirts across the country to people who visited New Bern but left without one. “I am proud that people who visit New Bern love to come to the store and say, ‘Cool, an old hardware store,’ I love that,” Smith said. “I am the opposite of someone that wants you to come in and buy something with our name on it, but that’s what people want because they enjoyed their visit. So if we are a part of their visit and they are proud of it, then that is great.” From the assortment of Mitchell Hardware T-shirts and mugs, to vintage glass bottle hummingbird feeders, hacksaws, hammers, and all the nuts and bolts you could want, Smith said there is not any one thing that a majority of customers come looking for. “Even the out of town visitors … the wife goes here and the husband goes there, and they come to the checkout counter with a mug, shirt, and a hammer because they’ve been looking for that special hammer for years,” he said. “They say, ‘Yep, we’re here from Mississippi and we bought a tool.’” While Mitchell Hardware has evolved over time, Smith said the people make the atmosphere and that will always remain. “I’ve had families that walk in after a few years away and say, ‘It hasn’t changed a bit, but it has,’” Smith said. “It is both — you walk in and it has that warmth of an old general store but then you walk around and see new things everywhere. That will never change as long as I’m alive.” NCCOAST.COM
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HIDDEN Treasures
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CAROLINA SHORE • SPRING/SUMMER 2017
Exploring
J
Historic Swansboro
oseph Rhue comes from a long line of Swansboro originals. He grew up on Front Street where he now owns a business and has watched Swansboro evolve and change from a quaint seaport town to a dream vacation spot for tourists. With a prime location right off Front Street, he and The Poor Mans Hole have seen it all. In small town America fashion, Rhue explains what it is like to grow up in Swansboro. “My father was part owner of Ru-Walston Five and Dime. During my parents’ era, Swansboro was a small fishing village and things improved with the growth of the military and tourist visiting the beach. My mother and father raised five children and we were all expected to follow in their footsteps. My mother would always prepare lunch for my cousins and neighborhood friends during the summers. Many of her customers at her hair salon were schoolteachers. She would usually know if us children caused any trouble in school before we even got home. My father sold seed, feed and fertilizer at Rhue Hardware Store. He sold supplies for fishermen such as boots, rain gear, rope, anchors and tools. When we were young there were pool halls on Front Street, Webb’s Grocery Store. Capt. Joe Webb would often deliver groceries right to our kitchen table.”
by Rasonda Clark Five and Dimes, large families, beauty shop gossip and hand delivered groceries are the epitome of the disappearing small town America. While Swansboro has seen many changes there is a small town feel that will always be there, and will always keep people coming back. Quaint is the perfect word to describe this little coastal spot in Onslow County. Filled with a rich history, great local restaurants and cozy shops, Swansboro isn’t your typical small, seaside town. Founded in the early 1700s, it was originally know as Weeks Wharf, then Bogue and New Town until it was finally named Swansboro in honor of Samuel Swan. Shipbuilding quickly became Swansboro’s major industry. Capt. Otway Burns, the town’s most infamous shipbuilder, was a local hero that brought a lot of honor to Swansboro and its people. The port area thrived until the Civil War came to an end and with it, so did the need for ships. Always ready to overcome adversity, the townspeople found other ways to survive. They turned to the sea where they found fishing could be a thriving industry as well. Swansboro is known for its historic downtown waterfront district, (Continued on page 36) NCCOAST.COM
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HIDDEN Treasures
(Continued from page 35)
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where there is something for everyone. Before hitting downtown, a stop at Bicentennial Park is must for visitors. It is not the grandest park in area, but it is definitely the most scenic. With competing views of the White Oak River and the Swansboro Harbor it is peaceful retreat for any day wanderer. Tour the boardwalk or take the opportunity to enjoy some fishing. It is not uncommon to walk along the boardwalk and see fishermen enjoying a picnic accompanied with some refreshing boardwalk style cocktails. This spring and summer is a perfect time for a visit to the Ward Cemetery. Listed on National Register of Historic Places, the Ward Cemetery is a great place for history. Dating back to the 1800s, this graveyard has a surprisingly peaceful vibe. It is the perfect spot for a quiet walk among the majestic oaks, junipers, magnolias and beautiful dogwoods. There are around 250 marked graves each with their own story to tell. If it is in the plan to venture to the cemetery, keep it a day trip as many locals warn about visiting the cemetery at night. In addition to the cemetery, there are plenty of other places for history buffs to see. Stop into the Tucker Littleton House, which is now also the visitors center and grab a walking tour pamphlet to get a full behind the scenes glimpse into historic Swansboro. Established in 1839, the William Pugh Ferrand’s Store, or the Old Brick Store, is the oldest brick structure in the county. Ferrand purchased this lot in 1819 from Captain Otway Burns for $400 with big plans for this investment. According to Jack Dudley, who wrote “Swansboro, A Pictorial Tribute,” “the existing building was built by brick brought to Swansboro on sail ships and the foundation was constructed of ballast stones.” The Old Brick Store has had many titles over the years. At one point, it served as a church and school, in the early 1900s it was a post office and drug store. Today it houses Lovely’s Boutique, an upscale clothing store. Whether the Old Brick Store is a retail space, church or school it is a forever a character filled building that truly represents the beauty and history of this charming town. Built around 1893, The James Bartley House is another local treasure listed on the National Register of Historic Places. While the Bartley is adorably charming and full of rich history, to many the true gem is the Bartley House Privy. According to the Swansboro Historical Association brochure, “older residents suggest that the building once served as a post office. An architectural historian remarked on its similarity to milk houses. Note the guilded-age ‘vents.’ Privy, post office or milk house, this building is a Swansboro conversation piece.” You can truly feel the history standing near this tiny building, and while it may be small, if walls could talk it would have large tales to tell. While downtown, it is hard to pass up a trip Yana’s Ye Old Drugstore. Meet Elvis out front then step inside to a completely different era. This local, beloved diner has a vintage 1950s vibe that visitors love. Along with the old-fashioned memorabilia and kitschy décor, the classic breakfast and lunch menus keep customers coming back. Yana’s is known for their secret batter recipe, which goes into everything including pancakes, onion rings and their infamous fritters. While residents and visitors alike love the food and atmosphere, locals CAROLINA SHORE • SPRING/SUMMER 2017
love the memories more than anything. Kimberly Rouse Ciamello fondly remembers growing up in Swansboro, especially moments at Yana’s. “When I was in elementary school, I would sometimes walk to Yana’s for an ice cream cone. It was a fun place for me, being the Elvis fan that I am and because I loved the nostalgic décor. Swansboro and all its many treasures make it the hometown that dreams are made out of.” As with most places in Swansboro, the Church Street Deli and Pub feels like a step back in time. It was originally opened as a coffee shop, then expanded to a deli complete with a full bar. Delicious burgers, sandwiches and a plethora of beers flowing on tap make this the perfect pit stop for a meal, however, the excellent service makes it feel as if you are visiting a friend’s house where everyone knows your name. Located in the heart of downtown Swansboro, the Harry C. Puliese Jr. Pavilion, is where the crowds will be thick in the heat of summer. Take a blanket and snacks and soak up the sense of community and great music during SwanFest, a free concert series, held each summer. Across the street from the pavilion is another local treasure. From a frosty glass of craft beer, to a scoop of ice cream, or a creamy latte Bake, Bottle and Brew has it all. In addition they offer, wine and beer selections to go, wine and brews kits, teas, gifts and many choices of milkshakes. There is a reason why BB&B is known as “drinks with a view.” If you wander to the front porch there are wooden chairs to relax while you watch the hustle and bustle of downtown Swansboro. It is the perfect spot to enjoy the sounds of summer down below. Head out back and watch the sun set over the harbor from the cozy porch. From the back porch of Bake, Bottle and Brew the shrimp boats
that belong to the Clyde Phillips Seafood Market can be seen. This bare basics fish house looks charmingly dilapidated on the outside with its coral clapboard siding and vintage vending machine. Inside the concrete floors and old sinks serve their purpose and old fisherman tell stories way past closing time. Opened in 1954, the small seafood market is the essence of this town, which is centered on family and community. Delicious seafood is an obvious staple, but great conversation and old stories can be heard as well. Near Clyde Phillips Seafood Market, is one of the most popular restaurants in downtown Swansboro. Today it is the Icehouse restaurant, home of craft cocktails, fish tacos and live music, and it has come a long way from its former roots. From the 1930s to the 1940s the Codfish was a “local juke joint that served ice cold beer and offered lots of dancing for locals.” While the downtown waterfront is full of great shops, The Poor Mans Hole definitely requires a visit. When you walk into this little shop is feels as though you are stepping on board an old boat. Also with great views of downtown and the water, it is more than just a place to shop. Complete with unique vintage nautical items it is the perfect to spend hours taking in the breathtaking art. Rhue’s son is a “custom furniture maker and wood turner. He attended the NC School of the Arts and the Art Institute of Chicago.” Other popular events like Arts by the Sea, the Fourth of July fireworks, Mullet Fest and the many live music options are some of the things that keep people coming to Swansboro, however, it is also great place to just relax on the beach or enjoy a leisurely lunch overlooking the water. No matter what your plans are, Swansboro is a great place to refuel that sense of small town community that you may be missing. NCCOAST.COM
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Minding the
Herd
by Elizabeth DeVan
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CAROLINA SHORE • SPRING/SUMMER 2017
“
Wild” is not the word that comes to mind when you first meet Dr. Sue Stuska, wildlife biologist at Cape Lookout National Seashore. The petite, calm, welcoming, soft-spoken National Park Service employee dressed in the usual brown uniform takes her work seriously. She is a highly trained scientist and teacher, but there is nothing particularly wild about her. And yet … for the past 18 years, Dr. Stuska has had the unique job of helping manage the herd of wild horses on the 9-mile-long Shackleford Banks. Spend time with Dr. Sue, listen to her life history, watch her in her office and on the muddy salt marshes of Shackleford Banks, and “wild” may start trotting into your thoughts with regularity. Ride the ferry with Stuska on one of her Horse Sense and Survival walking tours, you begin to experience some of that wildness for yourself. The park service schedules these tours one or two times a month from June through November, departing by ferry from either Harkers Island or Beaufort. On a recent summer day, I joined a group of 14 adults to experience one of these amazing adventures, leaving from Harkers Island. We were warned of the conditions in advance, in the tour description: “The horses roam far and wide so we’ll be walking to find them. We will be climbing dune hills, walking in loose sand, ducking through shrubs and winding through prickly needle rush. Trips from Harkers Island will likely include wading in salt water to our knees and slogging through heavy black marsh mud to our ankles. We walk at a moderate pace and then stand or sit to watch the horses.” Our group slogged through heavy mud at low tide and were
Cole Dittmer Photography rewarded with the sight of 17 wild horses, including two foals spread out over a wide area near the east end of the island, grazing peacefully on smooth cord grass, which grows in the marsh. We watched with Dr. Sue, asked questions, admired the beautiful animals from a distance of about 200 feet. Then we witnessed first-hand how quickly a quiet scene can turn wildly active, and potentially dangerous. One minute, the herd is barely moving; a still life. You might think, “They look so tame, and wow, there’s a darling foal! I think I’ll go closer.” The next minute, two stallions are prancing toward each other with purpose. They rub against each other, paw the ground, make high squealing sounds, swing around and rub nose to nose. Then one walks away. Stuska explains, “The guy on the left lost that encounter and walked away. The strikes were for show. They weren‘t trying to hurt each other.” Twice more in the next two hours, we see stallions challenging each other with little or no warning, at times escalating to more serious behavior. We soon appreciate the true wildness of these herds, and the importance of carefully watching and maintaining distance. But why do they fight? “It’s like playground hierarchy,” Dr. Sue explained. “You know where you fit in the hierarchy. The guy on the right initiated this confrontation. Notice the guy on the left, pushing mares with his head down, to separate them from the winner. They didn’t need to fight to the death, going just as far as to make a point. Just as on the playground, when it really matters later, they’ve already established a hierarchy and they’ll know when to ‘say uncle’ so they don’t have (Continued on page 40) NCCOAST.COM
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(Continued on page 39
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to fight to the death.” It is thrilling to watch the wild horses interact, and to have their behavior interpreted by an expert. It is also sobering to realize how quickly wild horse behavior can change from peaceful coexistence to aggression. One of Stuska’s chief goals – which she shares with the Foundation for Shackleford Horses – is to educate the public on how to safely view the horses, and how important it is to do so. “Horses can injure,” Dr. Sue stated. “Wild animals don’t move fast unless they need to. People assume they will keep standing still, but they can move quickly at any time. If you’re observing, and a stallion prances toward you, turn sideways so they can recognize that you are two-legged, not a horse; they probably won’t feel threatened then, but keep your eye on them.” Visitors to Shackleford Banks are required by law to keep at least 50 feet between themselves and the horses. Picture the length of a standard-sized school bus; that is the minimum distance for you to maintain safety. When stallions are fighting, or mares are protecting newborn foals, or there are other stressful conditions present, visitors are wise to leave 100-200 feet (2 to 4 bus lengths) between them and the horses. Safe viewing is not just about protecting people from injury by the horses. It is also about protecting the wild status of the horses. “Power and beauty and speed and wildness – isn’t that what we love in these horses? We take that away if we start to approach them too closely and acclimate them to people,” said Stuska Recently, Cape Lookout reminded the public via social media after some visitors to Shackleford were caught letting their dogs run loose on the island, causing disturbances with the horses. Dogs must be kept on 6-foot leashes at all times, for the protection of horses, CAROLINA SHORE • SPRING/SUMMER 2017
people and dogs. Horses have been on Shackleford Banks for centuries. DNA testing has confirmed that they are related to horses that originated in Spain and Portugal. There are speculations and legends that suggest the horses swam ashore from sinking Spanish ships, but no proof has been found. It is likely that the Shackleford horses are related to the horses on the Rachel Carson Reserve, directly across Taylors Creek from Beaufort’s waterfront. Because Congress has set a limit of 120-130 horses for Shackleford Banks, birth control is used on a handful of the mares each year. An extract made from pig ovaries is delivered via dart. “You have to follow a mare around patiently, waiting for the right moment,” Stuska said. “One of our rangers can actually do it from 55 yards away, using a dart ‘rifle.’ I use a smaller dart gun that I can keep out of sight, and manage to get much closer – 15 yard distance. You sit a lot, wait a lot. You have to know where the stallion is at all times.” Birth control appears to be prolonging mares’ lives, perhaps because of the hormones involved. “It’s unusual for the stallions to live past 20,” Dr. Sue said. “We may have one 20-year old male. We have several mares past 20, and one mare who is 33 now.” Shackleford horses are managed, but they are wild. They do not receive any immunizations or routine veterinary care. The horses take care of themselves during storms, find their own fresh water, eat the native grasses in the marshes and dunes. In the winter they grow thick coats with a dense, oily under layer that keeps rain and snow out. If a horse has a serious injury, treatment is decided on a case by case basis, according to Stuska. “We have euthanized two horses in 17 years for a broken leg,” she added. How did Stuska from her Colorado birthplace to the muddy
marshes of North Carolina’s Southern Outer Banks? Her lifetime journey included some wildness. For a start, Stuska was wild about horses. “I was always horse crazy. My parents gave me riding lessons, and then I got free lessons in return for assisting the instructor a half day per week with younger riding students – helping them saddle their horses, get on their mounts, and such.” She was also wild about teaching, from a young age. “My mother was an educator, and wrote curriculum for the State of Colorado. I always knew I wanted to be a teacher.” After she observed college students taking P.E. courses at the barn where she rode, Stuska realized she wanted to aim for college teaching. She chose to attend a small midwestern college, William Woods College, in Fulton Mo., where she earned a bacherlor’s degree in equestrian sciences. One might think that wanting to work in the horse industry is a wild idea. But Stuska saw it as full of possibilities. “It’s a huge field,” she said. “Racing, showing, private ownership, all kinds of specialties. The racing industry, for example, needs nutritionists who specialize in taking care of mares and foals.” There was no shortage of summer jobs for Stuska, during college and after. For 13 of those summers she worked at Latigo Guest Ranch, a family camp in Colorado, becoming head wrangler, working in a barn with 10 staff members and 55-65 horses. Stuska studied and taught at Murray State University in Kentucky for a year, then moved on to Virginia Tech, teaching horse riding and stable management while earning a master’s degree in agriculture with a concentration in horses. The bridle path then led to Virginia Intermont College in Bristol, Va., where she wrote curriculum on equine nutrition, genetics and reproduction while teaching. There must have been some free time along the way – the path became “bridal.” Stuska met and married her husband, Neil Murphy, while at Intermont, a community college administrator, now retired. She returned to Virginia Tech to get her doctorate in education, with a concentration in equine education. Her thesis was, “Objectives Based Curriculum for Community College Horse Science.” In the 1990s, Stuska and her husband helped to run an intern/ exchange program with Russia, focusing on environment and education. Somehow, the chief of interpretation at Cape Lookout National Seashore (CALO) heard of the exchange program and requested an intern. Neil Murphy visited to discuss the request, and when he returned home to his wife, he told her she must see Cape Lookout! Stuska fell in love with the Cape and its wild horses, and eventually became a volunteer. A year later, in 1999, Cape Lookout created a new position, wildlife biologist to manage feral horses, because congress had mandated a partnership between the park and the Foundation for Shackleford Horses. The Foundation is a private, local, nonprofit organization which partners with the park service to manage the Shackleford Banks horses. Some of Stuska’s work takes place in her office, which has a certain wildness of its own. It’s a small room with no windows in the Cape Lookout Visitor Center on Harkers Island, packed full of books on every imaginable aspect of horses; colorful charts showing family lines of all 114 horses currently on Shackleford; stacks of papers; a medium-sized desk behind which Stuska sits on a large exercise ball. Management of the wild herd requires a lot of paperwork. The horses are identified by seemingly mysterious numbers, letters and descriptions, and by groupings called harems. An alpha stallion will usually have from two to 10 mares, foals and young males in his harem, although the members can change associations. One alpha stallion, for example, is identified on a March 2016 “Harem Summary” as, “4H bay, very narrow star, low set ears, very small snip, 18 yrs, visible brand, may charge people.” This indicates the fourth horse born in “Year H,“ 1998. Bay: red-brown with darker/ black mane and tail. Star refers to the white on the forehead. Snip: white near nostrils. The animals are marked with freeze branding on
the left haunch (a cold brand which destroys the color follicle so the hair grows back white). Stuska carried a copy of the “Harem Summary” with her during our horse tour to help identify the horses we were observing. These are not, however, just numbers on a chart to her – they are beautiful living, unpredictable, exciting wild animals. When the stallions show off their wild “playground” behavior Stuska interprets the action like a sportscaster calling the plays on ESPN: “OK, it’s not over yet! They’re nose to nose, sniffing at each other. If they bite the back of the other’s hind leg with intent to maim, that’s higher escalation than back-kicking. The highest escalation would be rearing together face to face, going for the jugular. The males have very sharp canine teeth – that’s their ultimate weapon. Now, look! That stallion leaves his dung to signal his territory. Stallions never just poop – they mean something with it.” In her office, recording a description of the latest foal born on Shackleford, or in the field, bringing her tour participants up to date on the latest drama, Dr. Sue Stuska continues to be wild about horses and teaching. Stuska started out as a “horse crazy” girl in Colorado, who not only loved horses but also knew early on that she wanted to be a teacher. Following her heart as well as her mind, Stuska has made choices throughout her life which eventually led her to a job she couldn‘t have imagined in her wildest dreams: co-managing wild horses on a national seashore and teaching people to know, respect, and protect them. To learn about the upcoming “Horse Sense and Survival” walking tours on Shackleford Banks, call Cape Lookout Visitor Center, Harkers Island, at 252-728-2250, ext. 3001. NCCOAST.COM
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New Leash on Life Eastern North Carolina correctional institutions rehabilitate men ... and man’s best friend.
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Story & Photos by Cole Dittmer he lock clicks and a security officer opens the door to the yard. Outside there is a basketball blacktop, exercise equipment, a couple of benches and a barbed-wire fence surrounds the space. It is a typical prison recreation yard, but for intermittent hours throughout the day, this yard is for the dogs. One by one dog and trainer file out the door into the gloomy November day. The gloom soon dissipates, however, once the four rescue dogs that are part of the New Leash on Life program are let off their leashes and playtime ensues. Roscoe, Jill, Carter and Tobias immediately take off in pursuit of each other and the trainers are only too happy to let them get out some energy. “A tired dog is a well-behaved dog,” said Gary Goldman, an inmate at Craven Correctional Institution and the longest acting trainer within the New Leash on Life program at the facility. Goldman has been training dogs for the program for 11 years and has amassed a brag book of some 35 dogs he has trained. The New Leash on Life program in Craven and Pamlico counties has now been running for more than 15 years in some form or another. Its mission is to take dogs from the Craven-Pamlico Animal Services Center, put them through an intensive eight-week training program with inmates at Craven Correctional Institution, and find forever homes for each dog. (Continued on page 46)
CAROLINA SHORE • SPRING/SUMMER 2017
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The N.C. Dept. of Corrections program partners with the local nonprofit Pals for Paws, which operates out of Craven county and surrounding areas. Marilyn Durci is the current Pals for Paws coordinator for the local New Leash on Life program. She and Pals for Paws president Jennifer Knight reestablished the program in 2016 after a nearly yearlong hiatus due to turnover in staff at the prison, and they have sent four new dogs into the program every eight weeks since that time. While some dogs in rescue shelters may go months or years without being adopted due to any number of circumstances, dogs in the New Leash on Life program often have several potential adopters. Durci said adopters are able to find the dogs on websites like Pet Finder, where they are labeled as New Leash on Life dogs. “Right now we have a chocolate lab (Carter) in the program and I have 14 applications on him, and he has only been in the paper once or twice,” Durci said. “People that are familiar with or hear about the program know they are getting a well trained and well mannered dog.” Training begins the day each new batch of four dogs enters the program and continues seven days a week for the entire eight weeks. Durci said Trinity Smith, Craven County Animal Control supervisor, carefully selects dogs for the program, keeping an eye out for aggressive behavior, medical issues or temperament concerns. “We have no idea what kind of experiences they might have gone through so they are held at the shelter and temperament tested with other dogs and people so we know we don’t have a dog that will have an issue at the prison,” Durci said. “There isn’t too much [Trinity Smith] doesn’t catch with a dog.” Just like the dogs are hand picked to enter the program, the inmate trainers are also carefully selected based on certain criteria. Elizabeth Engle, New Leash on Life coordinator for Craven Correctional Institution, said it is difficult to find inmates that will stick with the program because of how much work the trainers put in. Engle said inmates devote 90 percent of their day, seven days a week, no matter the weather, to care for and train the dogs. T hey have little to no personal time, no individual recreational or free time like other inmates, and never have any days off. Each potential trainer also must complete a veterinarian technician program to qualify for the program. “The criteria to be a part of this program is very strict,” Engle said. “You have to be infraction free for an extended period of time, your offense has to fit, and you have to have at least enough time in to CAROLINA SHORE • SPRING/SUMMER 2017
complete one cycle. Usually they start on a Tuesday and by Monday morning they are standing in my office ready to quit.” The program is designed to have four trainers and two assistants, but now only has three trainers and one volunteer. However, those three trainers are dedicated to their jobs and the dogs they are responsible for. Jason Cade, who entered the prison system when he was 18 years old and, after bouncing around between prison jobs, remembers it did not take him long to realize he loved the New Leash on Life program. “Being in here for a while you get tired of all the stupid jobs like the clothes house, kitchen and cleaning floors, so I wanted to try something else,” Cade said. “I started and now I don’t want to quit. It helps kill the monotony of being in here day in and day out, and it is something to look forward to.” Darryl Cobb always owned dogs on the outside and said he knew he had to be involved with the program as soon as he found out about it. “Being with the dogs helps me with the stress of being in here because this is my first time in prison and the stress that comes with dealing with people I never would have dealt with on the outside is very present,” he said. “When you deal with these dogs you have to put all that aside because when you hold that leash in your hand, whatever your emotional state is, it transfers to the dog. It keeps me
in a good mood because you look at that dog and they are so happy, and they want to please you, even the ones that are stubborn.” Every day training begins at 6:30am once the prison count clears, and does not end until the last walk at 10pm. When a new batch of dogs enters the program they are shampooed, groomed and started with simple obedience training. “The biggest challenge is time and patience, and making sure we have the dog matched with the right trainer,” Cobb said. “Basically, by the end of the training the adopters are getting a whole new dog because when they come in they are wild, unruly, and most have never walked on a leash or had a collar on their neck.” From obedience and socialization training the dogs move on to agility training toward the middle of the program. Craven Correctional Institution has agility equipment that, like all the dog food and supplies, was donated by private citizens that support the program. At the end of each eight-week training period the trainers show off what all the dogs have learned in a graduation ceremony that ends with the dogs leaving with their new families. After spending all day with the dogs for eight weeks, each graduation ceremony is bittersweet for the trainers. Cade freely admits to becoming emotional during graduations, especially when it came to Venus, a Rhodesian ridgeback mix and recent graduate. “Look at this picture and tell me you wouldn’t too,” Cade said after proudly producing a photo of Venus from his binder. Along with receiving a well-trained dog, every adopting family receives a journal of the dog’s progress that is written by the trainers themselves and includes all commands — totaling more than 30 — and important characteristics. “You know a car comes with an operating manual and these dogs do too,” Cade said. Sharon and Ed Busch adopted Remi, a beagle and hound mix, from New Leash on Life after their weimaraners passed away, and said they were thrilled with the process. “It is a win-win,” Sharon Busch said. “I have gone to five of the graduations since June and I just love seeing what they have accomplished. Just seeing the men interacting with the dogs … they are just proud with what they have accomplished and they should be.” Elizabeth Engle said the prison likes to say the program makes better men, one dog at a time. While the dogs receive training that will make them very desirable for potential adopters. In addition, the inmates also receive training in a skill that can lead to a career once they are released like Cade, who received his Certificate of Apprenticeship in dog training from both the N.C. Dept. of Commerce and the U.S.Dept. of Labor. “When I came in I never really had a job and didn’t care about working but I learned work ethic through this program … I don’t want to come back in here,” Cade said. “It gives us a chance to learn to be a better person, and not take the little things for granted. You learn responsibility and you are doing something to help this dog, but at the same time you are doing something to better yourself.” With several potential adopters for each dog lined up, Marilyn Durci said the process of selecting the right home for the dog is just as intensive as the training itself with multiple interviews and home visits all aimed at finding a forever home. “We want the people to be happy but we are more interested in finding the forever home for the dog because we don’t want to see them back and rehome them,” Durci said. Once the dogs are with their new families, Cobb and Goldman said they live for the day when they receive photos of the dogs happy in their new homes that they can add to their binders. “That makes all the work worth it right there,” Cade said. “It really feels like you are doing something good, like you are giving back.” By mid January 2017 Engle said Craven Correctional Institution was back to full staff for A New Leash on Life trainers and assistants. Carter the chocolate lab mix was adopted Jan. 10, and is on his way to becoming a service dog. NCCOAST.COM
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As
Sasouthern Sweet Tea
by Rasonda Clark
There are only a few things that truly encapsulate life in the South – porch swings, Sunday barbeques, biscuits and gravy and true sweet tea are the staples of Southern life. While they are all essentials, nothing says “the South” quite like an ice-cold glass of refreshing sweet tea. While the sweet tea concoction seems fairly simple; water, tea bags and sugar, no Southern household’s recipe is exactly the same. Sure, they all differ slightly here and there but fortunately for us it isn’t rocket science. It may take time to whip up a flavorful batch of shrimp and grits, or smoke the perfect pork shoulder, but anyone can make a deliciously sweet pitcher of iced tea. Knowing the history behind this sugary cocktail isn’t key in enjoying, but being able to tell the story could potentially make you a hit at the next after church luncheon. The debate of the true origin of sweet tea has certainly waged on throughout the South. Obviously America is no stranger to tea as it has been around since the colonial days. In the United States, tea originated in the South Carolina. According to What’s Cooking America, “Most historians agree that the first tea plant arrived in this country in the late 1700s when French explorer and botanist Andre Michaux (1746-1802) imported it as well as other showy varieties of camellias, gardenias and azaleas to suit the aesthetic and acquisitive desires of wealthy Charleston planters. He planted tea near Charleston at Middleton Barony, now known as Middleton Place Gardens.” However, to make iced tea, ice was a necessity that not everyone had, especially in the South. With the turn of the 19th century, ice became more accessible to the southern states. Ice entrepreneurs from the North started sending ice down South and refrigerators made it more affordable to maintain. With its lower prices and increasing availability it became
commonplace, and so did iced tea. However, instead of going straight for sweet iced tea, boozy cocktails were tested and tried. Iced tea punches spiked with different liquors became increasingly popular, while sweet tea was still patiently waiting to be discovered. So where, when and how did that first hero stumble upon this sweet nectar of the Gods? The official answer is still unknown, but the first documented recipe comes from an 1879 cookbook called “Housekeeping in Old Virginia” by Marion Cabell Tyree. So while this may technically prove nothing, we feel it’s plenty safe to go ahead and award credit to the South. Now that a history has been established and the South has claimed its rightful origination of this classic beverage, lets examine why this simple drink is so beloved. Maybe that’s it – because it is homemade, yet so simple. Three simple and handy ingredients are all it takes to make a utilitarian drink that can be served to anyone at any event. Maybe it’s more than that. The fact is that sweet tea is more than a drink. While the physical division between the North and South may be the Mason Dixon Line the true boundary is the sweet tea line. In John Shelton Reed and Dale Volberg’s “Holy Smoke: The Big Book of North Carolina Barbecue,” food historian John T. Edge points out that for Southerners, sweet tea is “a kind of culinary-cultural Global Positioning System, an indicator of where we are and, yes, who we are.” You know you are in the South when you order a glass of sweet tea and the waitress knows exactly what you are talking about. Whereas, if you are anywhere above that line and you order a sweet tea, you may end up with a glass of weak tea with a few dreaded packets of sugar. While the North tries their best, bless their hearts, it is widely known that sugar packets just don’t do the trick.
While most Southerners know if something isn’t broke you don’t try and fix it, but if you are feeling frisky pay tribute to our ancestors and try one of the infamous punch recipes. Or experiment with modern day sweet tea recipes that feature different fruits and herbs.
Fruit and Herb Infusions Mint Ginger In a large pot, combine six ounces of ginger, four bags of mint tea, and eight cups of boiling water. Let steep eight minutes. Pour through a fine-mesh sieve into a large container; discard solids. Stir in two tablespoons of honey. Let cool to room temperature, about two hours. Serve over ice with mint sprigs.
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Classic Recipe The 1879 cookbook, Housekeeping in Old Virginia, by Marion Cabell Tyree: “Ice Tea. – After scalding the teapot, put into it one quart of boiling water and two teaspoonfuls green tea. If wanted for supper, do this at breakfast. At dinner time, strain, without stirring, through a tea strainer into a pitcher. Let it stand till tea time and pour into decanters, leaving the sediment in the bottom of the pitcher. Fill the goblets with ice, put two teaspoonfuls granulated sugar in each, and pour the tea over the ice and sugar. A squeeze of lemon will make this delicious and healthful, as it will correct the astringent tendency.”
CAROLINA SHORE • SPRING/SUMMER 2017
Strawberry Basil Bring four cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add eight black tea bags, and let steep for five minutes. Place one pound of diced strawberries in a bowl. Bring water and ¾ sugar to a boil in a small saucepan, stirring until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat, add one cup of basil, and let steep for 10 minutes. Strain over strawberries; discard basil. Toss to coat. Let stand until cool, about 25 minutes. Combine strawberries (with syrup) and tea in a pitcher. Refrigerate until chilled. Serve over ice, and garnish with basil.
For some people, sugar packets on the side may be considered worthy of jail time ... or worse. In fact, in 2003, Georgia State Rep. John Noel introduced the Sweet Tea House Bill 819. This proposal would require all Georgia restaurants that serve tea to serve real sweet tea, or face the dire consequences. Much to the dismay of many, it was an April Fools’ Day prank with the best of intentions. Houston Chronicle writer Allison Glock noted in Garden & Gun magazine that sweet iced tea “isn’t a drink, really. It’s culture in a glass. Like Guinness in Ireland. Or ouzo in Greece.” And lucky for us, North Carolinians get the best of the best, if sweet tea is known as the house wine of the South; we are living in a proverbial Tuscany. For most people sweet tea is a favorite because of what it represents. It is home, it’s the house you grew up in, it is the small town that raised you. It is the South, with expansive farms, rolling fields, tall pines and true neighbors. Sweet tea is family and friends, it’s weddings, picnics and days at the beach. There is distinct smell when tea is brewing that can transport you right back to childhood, sensory triggers that take us to a simpler time. Memories and reflections that are included with every glass are the things that make sweet tea taste so great. Southern cookbook author and North Carolina native Sheri Castle describes sweet tea as “a rite of passage. Being offered a glass of sweet tea instead of milk is how Southern children know that they’re growing up.” While most of us cannot wait to grow up, once we do we are ready for time to stop. The beauty of sweet tea is that with one sip we can be 13 again, shelling peas with grandma from a porch swing on a peaceful summer day.
Basics Place eight teabags of choice in a pitcher. Bring eight cups of fresh tap water to a rolling boil. Pour boiling water directly over teabags and allow to steep for six minutes. Add 3/4 to 1 1/2 cups sugar, depending on the sweetness desired. Stir briskly until fully disolved. Remove teabags and add water and ice to make a full gallon.
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A
nyone who meets Gerardo Rodriguez, owner of Pullmann’s Landscape Associates and the new addition, Seventy West Landscape Supply, can surely tell that he didn’t grow up in Carteret County. But for Rodriguez, it was love at first sight when he arrived on the Crystal Coast. He loved the environment, he loved the people, and he knew this was where he wanted to build a life and carve out his own American Dream. Born and raised in Costa Rica, Gerardo came to the United States at the urging of a local friend, Michael Farrell, who had traveled to Costa Rica to surf. In turn, Gerardo came to the Crystal Coast to visit his buddy and check out the local surf environment and instantly felt at home along our shores. He returned to the United States to attend college in Florida, mowing lawns along the way, like any college student might, to help put himself through school. It was a career choice that stuck with him. It was the Crystal Coast, however, that remained in the forefront of his mind. In 1991 he opened Pullmann’s Landscape Associates – a curious name for a Costa Rican transplant. But Gerardo explains he was having trouble with his American accent during those early years. Some folks would even tease him by calling him Ricky Ricardo, because his accent was so similar to the beloved “I Love Lucy” character. It made him feel that the business name should have a more English ring to it – so, on his late father’s advice, Gerardo opted to use his mother’s maiden name, Pullmann. On Aug. 26, 2016, Gerardo returned to San Jose to marry Andrea, who he has welcomed into the family fold, along with stepson Julian. It has been more than 20 years since Gerardo arrived in the United States. Now a proud United States citizen, he also owns Seventy West Landscape Supply, which offers an array of products for landscapers and homeowners. There were plenty of naysayers at the beginning, he remembers. There were those who said he couldn’t do it. But there were also plenty of people cheering him on. Through it all, he said, he stayed focused and worked to provide the best customer service possible for his client – customer service that would keep his clients coming back for more. And service that allowed him to see his own American Dream come to fruition.
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Home by any other name
W
illiam Shakespeare started it back in 1597 … the eternal discussion about “What’s in a name?” When Romeo told Juliet: “What’s in a name? A rose by any other name would smell as sweet” … drama critics tried to explain “the reference is often used to imply that the names of things do not affect what they really are.” But lo. Naming one’s dwelling, especially vacation rental beach homes and cottages, offers certain advantages. The more clever and quirky the name of the place, the more the curiosity is piqued among potential renters. Vitamin Sea and Sanctuary Much work for me. House naming is a practice that is believed to have started in Great Britain with the gentry naming their manors, estates and castles, according to a post by Gerry Dunlevy, owner of a company in the United Kingdom that manufactures reflective signs for people’s homes. “The custom gradually spread to the masses, and everyday folk began naming their homes as well,” he said. The utilitarian value was that house name signs were helpful to visitors, an aide to locating a particular house during the time period before there were streets with names and houses with assigned numbers, Dunlevy pointed out. (It took an act of Parliament in 1765 to require street names and house numbers, making it easier for the postal service or emergency personnel to find houses.) It has taken a while for word of the requirement to get all around the UK, and Dunlevy shared a personal story about having moved in 1995 to “a lovely sleepy village by the Sussex coast where most
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CAROLINA SHORE • SPRING/SUMMER 2017
by Mike Wagoner homes did not have house numbers – just names.” “Our house was called simply ‘The Warren.’ I used my signmaking skills to make us a brand new hardwood house name sign,” he said. “The sign was lit up by an automatic security light that turns on when someone walks up the drive. “One dark December evening, we had to call out the local doctor for our youngest son who was having chest pains and breathing difficulties. The doctor complained bitterly that he wasted a lot of valuable time trying to locate our home in the dark and had to drive up and down our road shining his flashlight looking for the correct house name for 15 minutes. The good doctor suggested I make my house name more visible in case I need a doctor again. The security light only comes on when you are walking up the path; it could not be seen from a car.” “That’s when my wife, Julie, came up with the clever idea of making a reflective house sign for our home” and that led to the birth of an entrepreneurial venture. Dunlevy’s growing business, Yoursigns Ltd., is in Sandown, Isle of Wright. “Dunroamin’ or Dun-something are quite popular house names ordered with us,” Dunlevy said. Others that amuse him include Costa Fortuna and plays with words like LLAEMDLOS (read this backward). Annie Stevens works with Domain Group, a major real estate company based in Pyrmont, an inner-city suburb of Sydney in the state of New South Wales, Australia. She tells her clients: “There’s something both mysterious and telling about the names people
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Together story & photos by Cole Dittmer
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CAROLINA SHORE • SPRING/SUMMER 2017
Ellen LeRoy Photography
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This is the one where Abigail jumps on the couch,” said George Oliver, a New Bern lawyer, proud father of three and, most interestingly, head banjo player in his family’s folk band — Strung Together. “We were sitting around playing one day during that recent flurry of snow and in a moment of cabin fever Abigail just jumped on the couch when we started playing this song.” George, his wife Dare, and their three children Catherine, 16, Abigail, 13, and Mason, 9, make up Strung Together, the family band they started in 2015. The formation of the band arose from the kids’ growing interest in music, and from George and Dare’s lifelong love of music — the high school sweethearts met in marching band. “We both came from very musical families,” Dare said. “We heard three beautiful voices coming out of these kids so we got Abigail a guitar for her 9th birthday and I would say that was when it started.” The same year, George picked up a banjo and the family would often find themselves playing out on the front porch in their downtown New Bern home. “Part of it was moving downtown, because it is a front porch kind of place,” George said. “Abigail and I started playing together on the porch, Cat started taking lessons and played bass and she also sings a lot, and we all play piano.” Prior to their first music gig, the children grew accustomed to performing in front of audiences through theatrical performances at
school and the Rivertowne Players, one of downtown New Bern’s theater troupes. “We have all been in the community theatre,” George said. “That is a great way to get over your stage fright.” The family’s neighbor, Nelson McDaniel, who is involved in almost every major committee and foundation in downtown New Bern, heard the Olivers performing on their porch over several months and asked them to perform at Christ Episcopal Church’s 300th anniversary celebration. That was the family’s first gig as a band. “That kind of kicked us in the butt a little and pushed us to play more because we had a really good time with that,” George said. “We all used our talents to pull the band together,” Dare said. “I did all the marketing and design stuff, the kids are in so many different musical groups, and we just grew from there. We have played at a million different types of venues now.” The name of the band, Strung Together, was suggested by a friend of the family after Dare put out a request for band name ideas on Facebook. “It’s Strung Together, but then people also say Strong Together and some even say Strange Together,” George said, laughing, with band mates reaffirming that all those names could fit. (Continued on page 64) NCCOAST.COM
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(Continued from page 63)
Strung Together classifies itself as mostly a folk and Americana band. The band also converts pop songs from artists like Beyoncé, John Mayer and Taylor Swift to fit the folk gene. Recently, George wrote the band’s first original song, “Sweatin’ in the Shade,” about living through the humid eastern North Carolina summers. “They keep telling me that not all songs are banjo songs, and I’m just not sure that’s true,” George said. Along with the playing the banjo, George sings, plays harmonica and ukulele. Everyone joins in on the singing, and Dare also provides all the marketing and communications for the band. The children have all become stand up musicians. Catherine plays bass, piano and ukulele; Abigail plays guitar, piano, fiddle, dulcimer, mandolin, bass and saxophone; while Mason plays piano, is learning guitar, and serves as the band’s roadie when needed. Playing at home on the porch is one thing, but when it came to playing on stage for a crowd Catherine and Abigail adjusted to it in their own ways. “I had stage fright until we first played and I was a little fifth grader, but then I got on stage and realized it’s just a stage,” Catherine said. Abigail said she never had stage fright, and Catherine reminds her that Abigail was given the leading role in her first audition at the theatre. “That is one of the main reasons why I have encouraged them to do this, because I always wanted to sing but I was terrified,” Dare said. “So as soon as they had a little bit of interest I was behind that. It is such a good skill to have and it is helping them already.” Catherine, Abigail and Mason all love performing on stage and playing the gigs Strung Together has booked, from MumFest and concerts at the City Laundry in New Bern to the Christmas program at Carteret Community Theatre. Like any skill or craft,
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it takes many long hours of practice for the band to sound as good as it does and every member of the band admits it’s not always easy. “It is definitely not always what we want to do with our time,” Dare said. “There are days when somebody comes downstairs and you can tell they don’t want to practice so it gets to be a little bit of a job after a while. But then again I was working at the movie theatre when I was their age though so I think it’s a little more fun than that.” George chimes in that he was washing dishes in a restaurant when he was a teenager. “I think it’s always fun … well some practices are not,” Abigail said. “The gigs are always fun, but the practices can get into the late hours of the night.” Abigail hopes her love of music may translate to a career one day, she said, noting her admiration for music teacher Bonny Choo. “My music teacher is really someone who I look up to and that is something I want to do when I get older,” Abigail said. “She is really nice, plays gigs — she got me a wedding gig and I played with her — and she is just someone I would like to be.” Catherine loves playing music but is planning on pursuing a career in the arts and animation. “But I think being able to play more and more instruments is a great thing to know how to do just in case you need to pull it out
sometime,” she said. “Also, just doing this with my family is pretty fun.” Each band member takes something different away from their experiences as a family band. While George and Dare like playing in the band themselves, their favorite songs are the ones that allow them to sit back and watch their children perform. In turn, the children all love sharing the time together as a family in a unique setting. “My mom also sings with us some and we played all three Christmas shows at the Carteret Community Theatre last year,” Dare said. “That is so unique, having three generations of us up there together.” Strung Together will be recording an album soon and while that will be nice for their family, friends and fans, George and Dare admit the main reason is to have something to listen to after Catherine, Abigail and Mason all grow up. “My fear is what is going to happen when they all grow up … what am I going to do with [George],” Dare asked. “That is the only reason we are recording a CD, so we can listen to it later because they are all growing up,” George said. For now, Strung Together is looking forward to gigs at festivals throughout the year, weekly, late night practices with their deaf cat and two dogs and many long jam sessions playing on the front porch. NCCOAST.COM
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Summer is Served
Ahhh, summer days – the warmth of the sun on your face, a light breeze in your hair and a little sand between your toes. In mid-March, it’s hard not to romanticize a Crystal Coast summer, especially since a fresh one is right around the corner. Nothing tops off a great summer afternoon better than a nice summery cocktail. cool and refreshing, yet not overbearing. A little fruit is always nice to make it seem more seasonal. Fresh strawberries, blackberries and melons are an ideal base for a warm weather adult beverage. Just be sure to drink in moderation as these can go down as smooth as a cool glass of lemonade. 66
CAROLINA SHORE • SPRING/SUMMER 2017
Events in Downtown Morehead City Alive at Five
Free public summer concert series held the 1st and 3rd Fridays each month from Memorial Day to Labor Day at Jaycee Park on the Morehead City Waterfront May 26
Connect Carteret Fundraising Concert
Tonez (Swashtones) Connect Carteret Fundraising Concert May 26 The Pleasure June 2 Liquid The Tonez (Swashtones) June 162 Bounce Liquid Pleasure June
July 16 7 Punch Bounce June July 21 Jim Quick & Coastline Band July 7 Punch August 4 Mikele Buck July 21 Jim Quick & Coastline Band August 18 Jan Michael Fields Band August 4 Mikele Buck September 1 North Tower Michael Fields August 18 JanMorehead Downtown CityBand Revitalization
May 26
NO OUTSIDE BEVERAGES ALLOWED IN ROPED OFF AREA Association promotes, Tower enhances and September 1 North
Connect Carteret Fundraising Concert The Tonez (Swashtones)
Mint Julep w/Blackberries 1/4 cup blackberries 2 tbsp mint leaves 1 tbsp sugar 1 1/2 ounces bourbon In a shaker, combine blackberries, mint leaves, sugar, bourbon with a few ice cubes and shake. Strain into glass, pressing to release all fluid. Use blackberries and mint to garnish. Watermelon Margarita 4 1/2 c. seedless watermelon, cubed 1/4 tsp. kosher salt 3 oz. fresh lime juice 3 tbsp. St. Germain liqueur 3/4 c. silver tequila Add watermelon, salt, lime juice, St. Germain and tequila to a blender and puree smooth. Makes three drinks.
June 2 June 16
preserves the downtown community by NO OUTSIDE BEVERAGES ALLOWED IN ROPED OFF AREA fostering economic growth
Liquid Pleasure
4 Point Strategy
Bounce
Organization
July 7 Punch Establishes consensus and cooperation by buildJuly 21 Jim Quick & Coastline Band ing partnerships among various groups that have August 4 Mikele Buck a stake in the commercial district August 18 Jan Michael Fields Band
Design
September 1 North Tower Getting Main Street into top physical shape and NO OUTSIDE BEVERAGES ALLOWED IN ROPED OFF AREA creating a safe, inviting environment for shoppers, workers and visitors
Promotion DOWTOWN
CITY The goal MORHEAD is to create a positive image that will rekindle community pride and improve consumWATERFRONT er and investor confidence in our commercial district crystalcoastboatshow.com Economic Vitality
our community’s existing economic Crystal CoastStrengthens Boat Show assets while diversifying our economic base
Family-friendly event featuring new and used boats in the water and on land, Sail Carteret demonstrations, displays and free Crystal Coast Boat Show Morehead City Antique Auto Club of sailboat rides, 44th Annual Downtown Morehead Revitalization America Carand Show, Morehead City After Hours RotaryCity Club CornFamily event that features new used boats in the water and on land, Association promotes, enhances and hole Tournament, “Float Your Boat” Art Exhibit and more. Extra ARTrageous juried art show, Sail Carteret events, Antique Car Club preserves the downtown community by added with Boating Education Day Workshop and Art Walk. Show and Rotaryday Cornhole Tournament and a new addition, Carolina
Coconut Mango Mojito 6-8 fresh mint leaves 2 1/2 oz. of simple syrup fostering economic growth Saltwater Fishing Academy 1 oz. coconut rum 1 1/2 oz. club soda 1-2 oz. of mango puree Dash of lime juice Combine 1 peeled and chopped mango with the juice of one 4 Point Strategy Alive at Five lime in a blender until smooth. In glass, add 1 ounce of simple Free public summer concert series held the 1st and 3rd Fridays each Promotion Organization syrup and mint and muddle. Add ice, rum, remaining syrup, mango month from Memorial Day to Labor Day at Jaycee Park on the Morepuree and lime juice and top with club soda. Garnish with mint. The goal is to create a positive image that will Establishes consensus and cooperation by build-
Upcoming Events:
Small Business Saturday, November 25
Classic Rum Punch 1/2 oz. lime juice 4 oz. pineapple juice 1 1/2 oz. light rum Mix ingredients and pour over and a cherry. Serves two.
4 oz. orange juice 1 1/2 oz. dark rum Splash grenadine ice. Garnish with orange slice
head City Waterfront rekindle community pride and improve consuming partnerships among various groups that have er and investor confidence in our commercial a stake in the commercial district Other Important Events district
Design
“Christmas in Downtown” Saturday, December 2:
Christmas In Downtown * Chowder & Cheer * Small Business Saturday Economic Vitality Getting Main Street into top physical shape Breakfast and with Santa Business Socials * Big Rock Fountain Pavers * Façade Incentive Grantexisting economic Strengthens our community’s creating a safe, inviting environment for shoppers, Chowder and assetsCheer while diversifying our economic base workers and visitors
Christmas Tree Lighting DMCRA, Inc. Raspberry Lemonade Flotilla DMCRA is a 501(c)3 Main Street America Crystal Coast Boat Show 1001 Arendell Street 2 oz. Triple Sec 2 oz. Limoncello Community in North Carolina since 2000. Saturday, December 9:Morehead City, NC 28557 Family event that featuresMain newStreet and used boats in thecommunities water and on land, 1/4 c. raspberries Juice of two lemons America helps 919-808-0440 develop downtown economic ARTrageous juried art show, Sail Carteret events, Antique CarParade Club Club soda Raw sugar Christmas development strategies that improve the www.downtownmoreheadcity.com Tournament and a new addition, Carolina Add raspberries and a pinch of sugar to glass. Use a muddlingShow and Rotary Cornhole function of downtown Lisa Rueh, Director tool or wooden spoon to smash your fruit until it has the appearanceSaltwater Fishing Academy Amy Suggs, Assistant Director of jam. Add Triple Sec, Limoncello, lemon juice and ice. Top with club soda. Garnish with raspberries and lemon slices. Alive at Five Pineapple Punch 3/4 c. boiling water 1 1/4 c. sugar 3 c. pineapple chunks, diced 1 1/2 c. dark rum Juice from 6 to 8 lemons 1 1/2 c. sparkling water 6 lemon wedges Mix hot water and sugar until sugar dissolves. Add pineapple chunks and stir, mashing pineapple lightly. Let sit at room temperature 2 hours, or refrigerate overnight. Transfer mixture to large pitcher and add rum, lemon and sparkling water. Stir gently. Serve over ice. Garnish with lemon and pineapple.
Free public summer concert series held the 1st and 3rd Fridays each month from Memorial Day to Labor Day at Jaycee Park on the Morehead City Waterfront
Other Important Events
1001 Arendell City, NC 28557 Christmas In DowntownStreet, * ChowderMorehead & Cheer * Small Business Saturday Business Socials * Big Rock Fountain Pavers * Façade Incentive Grant 252-808-0440 | www.downtownmoreheadcity.com Lisa Rueh, Executive Director Amy Suggs, Assistant Director DMCRA is a 501(c)3 Main Street America Community in North Carolina since 2000. Main Street America helps communities
DMCRA, Inc. 1001 ArendellNCCOAST.COM Street Morehead City, NC 28557
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NCDOT photo
Ferry System Marks a Milestone
N
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early 10 percent of North Carolina is underwater, and most of those 5,200 square miles of water are in the Coastal Plain in the form of inlets, sounds and rivers. Early settlers were challenged to cross these waters by boats, and some ferries were established to transport people, wagons and livestock. Eventually, as automobiles began to roll off assembly lines in the early 20th century, people wanted to take their motorized vehicles with them on these ferries. One of the true pioneers in North Carolina’s ferry industry was J. B. “Toby” Tillett, a commercial fisherman, who in 1924 started a tug and barge service from Wanchese on Roanoke Island to Oregon Inlet on the Outer Banks, between Bodie and Pea islands in Dare County. Tillett’s barge was capable of transporting two cars at a time. According to an article written by David Stick that appeared in the June 1949 issue of Our State magazine, Tillett asked his passengers CAROLINA SHORE • SPRING/SUMMER 2017
by Mike Wagoner to hoist a flag up the staff at the ferry landing when they were ready to cross. He would see the flag and come get them. Stick’s story said Tillett was running a regular schedule of seven round-trips a day by 1928. Tillett built and launched the Barcelona in 1931, which could handle 14 cars at a time. He charged $2 per vehicle one-way, Stick wrote. In 1934, the North Carolina Highway Commission began subsidizing Tillett’s business, and the fee was reduced to $1 each way. The North Carolina ferry system was created in 1947, when the state purchased a ferry service operated by Thomas A. Baum that ran across Croatan Sound in Dare County, connecting Manns Harbor and Roanoke Island. This became the first “official” route operated by the state ferry operation. Hence, 2017 marks the 70-year anniversary of the establishment of the North Carolina ferry system.
NCDOT photo
In 1950, the state bought Tillett’s ferry business as well. In 1957, the state began running regular ferry service between Hatteras Island in Dare County and Ocracoke Island in Hyde County. Ferry access came to Carteret County in 1959, when a private company began service between Ocracoke and the Town of Atlantic in the Down East section of Carteret County. This run was abruptly halted the following year because of damage done by Hurricane Donna. The state purchased the operation in May 1961 and soon thereafter resumed service to Ocracoke. This became the first toll ferry in the state system. In 1964, the southern docks were moved from Atlantic to Cedar Island, cutting the crossing time by 75 minutes. The next route to be added crossed Currituck Sound between Currituck and Knotts Island in Currituck County; the route from Southport in Brunswick County to Fort Fisher in New Hanover County was established in 1965; and the Bayview-Aurora route crossing the Pamlico River in Beaufort County was added in 1966. Beginning in 1973, service across the Neuse River was added, connecting Minnesott Beach in Pamlico County with Cherry Branch in Craven County. The Swan Quarter-Ocracoke route was the last to be added in 1977, finally providing the residents of Ocracoke with a direct link to their county seat (Swan Quarter) in Hyde County. Over the years, certain routes became obsolete as bridges were built, providing even easier transport to and from the islands. The original Baum route was replaced by the Manns Harbor Bridge and later the Virginia Dare Memorial Bridge, while the original Tillett route was discontinued in 1963 upon the grand opening of the Herbert C. Bonner Bridge. Today, the NC Ferry Division is a unit of the NC Dept. of Transportation (NCDOT). There are 22 vessels in the fleet with more than 400 ferry system employees. North Carolina’s ferry operation is the second largest state-run program in the nation. Only Washington state’s is larger. NCDOT has calculated that the economic impact of the state ferry system is about $325 million a year, contributing to the state’s travel and tourism economy. North Carolina is the sixth most-visited state in the nation, and tourism is the state’s third most important industry, after agriculture and the military. Total tourism expenditures by domestic travelers in North Carolina are expected to exceed $22 billion this year. This economic impact is likely to increase dramatically due to new signage that was installed in the spring of 2016 along the route of the Outer Banks National Scenic Byway, which includes U.S. 70 and N.C. 12 in Carteret County. Officially, the byway is 137.8 miles in length. (For the benefit of international travelers, that translates to 221.8 kilometers.) The scenic byway includes both the Ocracoke-Cedar Island and the Ocracoke-Hatteras ferry runs. Only 150 routes across America have attained the distinction of being labeled National Scenic Byways. The official guidebook says:
“Leave the mainland behind and come to the most romantic byway in North Carolina – the Outer Banks Scenic Byway … a must for any traveler looking to escape to a time of front porch talks and simple maritime living.” The North Carolina ferries travel about 1,200 miles each day. On an annual basis, the ferries transport nearly 1 million vehicles and more than 2 million passengers across five separate bodies of water – the Currituck and Pamlico sounds and the Cape Fear, Neuse and Pamlico rivers. The longest ferry rides are the 26.4-mile crossing from Ocracoke to Swan Quarter (2.5 hours each way) and the 22.6-mile route from Ocracoke to Cedar Island (2.25 hours each way). Fares are charged for these routes as well as the Southport-Fort Fisher run. The other four state ferry routes are free. A little known fact is that each state ferry is affiliated with a college or university within the State of North Carolina and is painted in the respective school’s colors and displays the school logo. Perhaps the most colorful ferry in the fleet is the Pamlico. It’s partnered with the University of North Carolina School of the Arts in Winston-Salem (school colors are Bahama blue, apple green & seance purple) – and one would not expect less from a school with a “Fighting Pickle” as its mascot. Ferry boats don’t come cheap. The newest vessel, the Sea Level, had a price tag of nearly $15 million in 2012. Last year, the NC General Assembly agreed to set aside $3.65 million for the purchase of a passenger ferry that will carry pedestrian traffic only from Hatteras directly into Ocracoke, to help alleviate traffic and summertime congestion on the Hatteras Inlet vehicle ferries. Additionally, there was $2.3 million appropriated in the budget to expand the state shipyard in Manns Harbor to allow for ferry restoration. Every now and then, the idea of privatizing North Carolina’s ferry service pops up and gets batted around in the General Assembly. Bills filed in past legislative sessions called for the state to charge for concessions and Internet service on the ferries as well as sell souvenirs and offer advertising/sponsorships on the boats. (There’s a lot more surface area on a ferry boat for NASCAR style logos and decals than on a racecar.) Most of the North Carolina ferries are named for “places,” but five are named for “people,” including Governors Daniel Russell (1897-1901) and James B. Hunt, who served twice (1997-85 and 1993-2001). Another is named for W. Stanford White, who was a state legislator from Dare County, who was responsible for siting the ferry maintenance facilities at Manns Harbor. Two others are named for citizens – Floyd J. Lupton, who served 26 years as chief of staff for US Rep. Walter Jones, Sr., and Thomas A. Baum. They share a distinction as “nonpoliticians” who have both ferries and buildings named in their memories. Lupton’s building is (Continued on page 72) NCCOAST.COM
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(Continued from page 69)
NCDOT photo
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CAROLINA SHORE • SPRING/SUMMER 2017
the federal post office in his native Belhaven in Beaufort County. Baum’s building is the Dare County senior center, which was built and opened in Kill Devil Hills in 1987 on land that was donated to the county by the Baum family. Interestingly, three state ferries operated for about 10 years in western Carteret County, transporting people and vehicles back and forth between Cape Carteret to Emerald Isle (beginning in 1961), before the B. Cameron Langston Bridge on NC Route 58 was built and opened in 1971, to cross from western Carteret County to Bogue Banks. These ferries were named the Governor Cherry, the Sandy Graham and the Emmett Winslow, all of which were built in 1957 by Barbour Boat Works, Inc., of New Bern. The shipyard on the Trent River was founded by Herbert W. Barbour in 1933 and closed in 2001. R. Gregg Cherry was North Carolina’s governor from 1945-49. Graham served twice as chairman of the State Highway Commission, first in Gov. Cherry’s administration then again under Gov. William B. Umstead from 1953-57. Winslow was a highway commission member during the Umstead administration. The Sandy Graham was operating in Virginia in 1998, when it was purchased by the Canadian government to begin serving the native Canadian population who are members of the Beausoleil First Nation (BFN), which has a reservation on Christian Island in the southern tip of Georgian Bay in Ontario (east of Lake Huron). The 800 year-round residents on Christian Island are descendants of Chippewa people who were first placed there in 1856. The Sandy Graham has been their lifeline from Christian Island to Cedar Point on the mainland, capable of transporting 28 vehicles. It’s a about a 30-minute ride each way. However, after nearly 60 years of operation, the Sandy Graham is barely limping along. She is experiencing mechanical breakdowns and “metal deterioration,” caused by battering waves, wind and ice in Georgian Bay, according to Transport Canada. BFN’s former Chief Roland Monague said that’s another way of saying the “hull is rusting.” The vessel needs extensive repairs that could take it out of service for up to four years. It’s feared repairs may prove to be cost prohibitive. A new replacement ferry, which would be able to break through the ice, will cost $23 million plus another $10 million in upgrades to the dock. BFN has agreed to come up with $10 million. That still leaves a considerable gap for the province and the national government to cover. Whatever is the ultimate fate of the Sandy Graham, she has lived a long and productive life on the water, having journeyed from Emerald Isle to Christian Island. Back in North Carolina, the NC Ferry Division has ferry operations down to a science, with daily operations that rarely skip a beat, completing hundreds of trips safely every day. Not part of the Ferry Division, but ferries nonetheless, are three other river, cable ferries at inland locations. These ferries are overseen by the NCDOT highway division offices. Each cable ferry can carry two vehicles at a time while traveling along a cable that stretches across the river and is tethered to the ferry itself. One of these cable ferries is the Elwell Ferry, which crosses the Cape Fear River in Bladen County, between Carvers Creek and Kelly. It dates back to 1905 and is included in the NC Highway Historical Marker Program. The other two ferries remain “markerless,” but they may be even older. Parker’s Ferry crosses the Meherrin River near Winton in Hertford County, and the Sans Souci Ferry crosses the Cashie River south of Windsor in Bertie County. Motorists are advised: If you pull up and the ferry is docked on the other side of the river, just honk your horn to get the attention of the operator, and he will pull the ferry over to get you. Be patient. Sans souci is French for “carefree.” That’s a good word to apply to all the ferry rides in North Carolina. Happy 70th birthday to the North Carolina ferry system. Officials with NCDOT say a 70-year anniversary celebratory event for the ferries later this year is “definitely in the works.” When details are available, information will be posted on the NCCOAST website, www. nccoast.com.
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CAROLINA SHORE • SPRING/SUMMER 2017
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book bites Random Road Thomas Kies
I
t seems a little misleading to simply write a critique of Thomas Kie’s first novel without providing a little bit of backstory. Tom isn’t a stranger to us – he previously worked here at NCCOAST and continues to be a professional contact, mentor and friend. At the end of the day, we’re pretty fond of him. So it was with personal excitement and a smudge of professional trepidation that led me to the opening lines of “Random Road” (Poisoned Pen Press, May 2017, $26.95), his first novel. Protagonist Geneva Chase is at the end of the line when we meet her. After a rocky career and even rockier love life she finds herself back in her hometown along Connecticut’s Gold Coast. She has made some bad choices, both with men and with vodka tonics, and she’s struggling to find a foothold and rebuild her reputation. She’s a journalist, so this writer certainly identifies with that aspect of the character, however, it’s her very human struggles that make Geveva so likeable. She’s familiar, and Kies does a great job of quickly developing her voice within the first few pages of the novel. Intelligent and opinionated, she always comes from a good place. It just seems that Geneva can’t get a break. While trying to prove herself to editors at the Sheffield Post she is sent to cover a shocking multiple murder in a ritzy gated community. “Six bodies … all nude ... hacked to pieces” as the Deputy Police Chief Mike Dillon describes it. She dives right in, doing just enough detective work on her own to keep the reader on the edge of their seat while striving to maintain the trust of the paper’s managing editor. Along the way, she exposes the sordid underbelly of the rich and entitled that often goes unseen by ordinary citizens. From privileged teenagers whose indiscretions are wiped away with a check, to swingers clubs in beautifully restored mansions, this coastal playground harbors a lot of secrets. Despite her misgivings,
Living at the Water’s Edge Barbara Garrity-Blake & Karen Willis Amspacher
W
e were delighted to receive a copy of “Living at the Water’s Edge – A Heritage Guide to the Outer Banks Byway” (UNC-Press, April 2017, $22) by Barbara Garrity-Blake and Karen Willis Amspacher, two powerhouses in preservation, especially in our rural Down East region. The book delves into the rich heritage of the communities that dot the landscape along the Outer Banks National Scenic Byway. Designated in 2009, the byway stretches from North River Bridge, just outside of Beaufort, to the ferry landing on Cedar Island, then up Highway 12 to Whalebone Junction. In numbers, it encompasses 138 driving miles, 25 ferry miles, two national seashores and 21 coastal villages. But numbers don’t do this region justice. What it really entails is some of the country’s most beautiful scenery, quiet marshes teeming with wildlife, miles of untouched beaches, small fishing villages where the tide and the season still dictate the day’s chores and three of the state’s most prominent light houses. The newly-released guide is much more than a point A to point B rundown of this picturesque drive. It lets folks know, as Amspacher mentioned, that this is more than just a road. It is a region marked not only by its beauty, but by its people and its culture as well. The authors have gathered a wealth of information broken down into categories: Water, Land, People, Change and Crossings, of which there
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Geneva Chase is just the person to sort through the facts. Kies is delicate in his presentation – providing enough of the salacious details for readers to grasp the depravity of the situation, but never crossing the point of no return. There is only so much about a murder scene that is necessary to divulge. Too much and you have a horror novel on your hands. That isn’t the case here. The author walks the line carefully, building suspense as Geneva tackles what might be the biggest story of her career and manages a complicated love triangle with a married ex and a friend from the past. Can she overcome her reckless reputation and rebuild her career, or will she sink into a pit of alcohol and regret? It’s a page turner, quick to draw the reader in as they search for answers alongside the dysfunctional, yet remarkably endearing, Geneva Chase. Kies’ jump to action is reminiscent of Lee Childs’ Jack Reacher series. But where Child has a terse, choppy literary style, Kies gives us a little more depth, similar to that of oft overlooked Jonathan Kellerman, who has written more than 30 books featuring detective Alex Delaware. This isn’t a murder mystery with little substance. Instead, layers of Geneva’s plight are carefully intertwined, creating a character readers will be eager to follow. Those along the Crystal Coast who know Kies might note a well-played shout out to his late four-legged friend, Tucker, who continues on as Genie’s roommate. Overall, Kies has crafted a great first novel. A perfect toes in the sand summertime read. And that would be the consensus even if we didn’t know him. After leaving NCCOAST, Kies served as director of the Downtown Morehead City Revitalization until accepting the role of president at the Carteret County Chamber of Commerce in 2016, where he continues to serve. Learn more about this new release at thomaskiesauthor.com.
are several. This broken byway is connected by North Carolina’s state ferry system, from Cedar Island to Ocracoke and Ocracoke to Hatteras. What stands out most about the new release, however, is the nearly 50 sidebar articles that bring insight and history to this rural region. From stories of the old mail boat and the Shackleford horses to Christmas in Rodanthe and Henry Pigott’s romance with Portsmouth, these snapshots of life along the byway, many highlighted by period photographs, draw the reader to a deeper understanding of these once isolated villages and seaports. It is a testament to the tenacity and resilience of the region’s residents and makes us fall in love with our Down East communities all over again.
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he Inn at Pine Knoll Shores is nestled in the middle of Bogue Banks. The Inn has 102 newly renovated guest rooms which all feature fabulous oceanfront views. The Clamdigger Restaurant located on property serves fresh local seafood, as well as, certified Angus Beef. We also feature the Cutty Sark lounge for enjoying your favorite beverage, watching our big screen TV’s, or simply enjoying the scenery.
Hotel Features ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆
102 Guest Rooms Every room has an Oceanview Outdoor Pool Hot Tub Beach Service Pool Bar Clamdigger Restaurant Cutty Sark Lounge Bogue Room accommodates 100 people Ocean Room accommodates 120 people Outdoor Oceanfront Lawn area for events Complimentary WiFi
The Inn at Pine Knoll Shores
511 Salter Path Road, Pine Knoll Shores, NC P: 252-247-4155 F: 252-247-2670 info@theinnatpks.com www.theinnatpks.com
Cutty Sark Lounge
RESTAURANT
DJ Weekends & Holidays Daily Drink Specials
Boats on Parade Whether you’re a boating enthusiast or prefer to keep your feet on dry land, the 43rd annual Wooden Boat Show has activities for you. The show, organized by the NC Maritime Museum, takes over Front Street in downtown Beaufort from 10am to 4pm on Saturday, May 6 and is the longest ongoing wooden boat show in the Southeast. This free event celebrates the art of wooden boat building, the sport of boat racing and the culture and history that surrounds these works of arts. Dozens of handcrafted wooden boats, full size and model, will be on display, polished and shined, for all to see. The kick-off reception for the 43rd annual Wooden Boat Show will be held at the Harvey W. Smith Watercraft Center on Friday, May 5. The event includes food and live music from 5:30 to 7:30pm. Tickets are $10 per person and are available at the museum store. To learn more about the Wooden Boat Show or the NC Maritime Museum, call 252-728-7317 or visit www.ncmaritimemuseumbeaufort.com.
Returning to the Rock
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For 59 years, the Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament has drawn droves of spectators and media to the Morehead City waterfront. Visitors and residents visit shops and restaurants downtown while waiting for an angler to catch the top prize, a blue marlin. While prizes are still awarded for game fish such as mahi mahi, tuna and wahoo, the blue marlin weigh-ins are what draws the crowds to the bleachers and the streets to see who is at the top of the leader board and in the running for the purse, which annually tops $1 million. This year’s tournament is scheduled for June 9-17. Events kick off with the Lady Angler Party from 6-8pm on Friday, June 9 at the Crystal Coast Civic Center. The Big Rock Lady Angler Tournament runs from 8am-1pm on Saturday, June 10, followed by the Captain’s Party at the Civic Center from 7-11pm. Tickets can be purchased at tournament headquarters or at the door. Can’t make it downtown? Keep tabs on all the action with the tournament’s live feed on thebigrock.com. CAROLINA SHORE • SPRING/SUMMER 2017
Boat Show in Downtown Morehead Celebrating a milestone this year, the Crystal Coast Boat Show returns to downtown Morehead City May 19-21. With additional dock space this year near Jaycee Park, the show has the ability to stretch out and accommodate a growing number of vessels, both on land and in the water. Which is great news for this 10-year-old celebration of all things nautical. The show features both new and used boats and showcases a variety of marine products and services, outdoor gear, fishing tackle, brokers and resource conservation groups. The boat show is free and open to the public from 9am5pm on Saturday, May 20 and 9am-4pm on Sunday, May 21. This year, the Boating DIY program is being offered on Friday in partnership with Carteret Community College featuring a variety of boat-oriented classes. Learn more at www.crystalcoastboatshow.com.
Beach Jams From much loved traditional beach music to something a little more funky, it’s time to dust off those dancing shoes along the Crystal Coast and get ready for the rhythm of summer. From music festivals to concert series, there is a constant playlist along our shores, setting the tone for our warmer months and putting everyone in good spirits. Always a favorite, the Beaufort Music Festival returns May 19-20 for its 29th event in this picturesque seafront town. The festival, now held at the Beaufort Historic Site on Turner Street and cozy Middle Lane, provides a great opportunity to enjoy rousing sets of free music over the course of two days. Things kick off around 4pm on Friday, May 19, and run from 11am to 10pm on Saturday, May 20. This year’s lineup includes Big Sam’s Funky Nation, The Low Counts, Muddy Magnolias, Polyrhythmics, Elise Davis, Kristin Diable, Quiet Hollers, L-Shape Lot, Dark Water Rising, Frederick the Younger, Blue Cactus, Carolina Dare, 4EverAll and Sarah Shook & the Disarmers. On Saturday, May 20, music lovers with have a second option for great free music. The Atlantic Beach Beach Music Festival brings classic shagging music to the shoreline. From 11am to 6pm, the beach will fill with beach music enthusiasts to watch Jim Quick & Coastline, Fantastic Shakers, Band of Oz and the Mighty Saints of Soul perform. Return to Atlantic Beach on Saturday, June 3, for the Crystal Coast Music Festival headlined by Christian rock band from South Carolina Needtobreathe. Supporting acts include Dr. Dog, Shovels
& Rope, Bombadil, Los Colognes and Rebekah Todd & the Odyssey. Tickets are $30, plus fees, for general admission and can be purchased at www.crystalcoastmusicfest.org. Beyond the music festivals, the region is home to a variety of summer music series. Downtown Morehead City Revitalization’s Alive at Five program holds concerts two Fridays a month at Jaycee Park on the Morehead City waterfront and begin at 5pm. Also using Jaycee Park as the backdrop is the Morehead City Parks and Recreation Dept., which holds a concert each Saturday night through August. The Friends of Fort Macon bring music to the fort at 7pm on various Fridays evenings throughout the summer. At the other end of Bogue Banks, Emerald Isle’s EmeraldFest music series takes full advantage of those ocean breezes at the Western Ocean Regional Beach Access. Music runs from 6:30-8pm each Thursday through mid-August. And neighboring Swansboro holds its own concert series, aptly named SwanFest, from 6:30-8pm Sunday evenings through September.
Prepare for Invasion Each August, historic Beaufort by the Sea provides the perfect backdrop for the scourge of the sea to strut their stuff, bringing with them live reenactments, music, sword fighting, costume contests and much more. The Beaufort Pirate Invasion, slated for Friday and Saturday, Aug. 1112, highlights the rich history of pirates that have pillaged and plundered along the east coast and includes a reenactment of an actual historical event. Enjoy the sea invasion on the downtown waterfront as pirates overflow into the streets to terrorize the citizens and try to take the town. Then join the townsfolk, farmers and the militia in a parade as they march from the pirate encampment to the waterfront battle to win the town back from nefarious pirates. The two-day event includes activities for just about everyone in the family. Aspiring young pirates will enjoy magic shows and costume contests while the Buccaneer Dinner and Revue is sure to bring out the pirate in everyone. And don’t overlook the Yo Ho Ho and a Bottle of Run, held Saturday morning. Visit beaufortpirateinvasion. com.
Beaufort’s Historic Homes
A variety of homes in Beaufort’s historic will welcome guests June 23-24 for the Beaufort Historical Association’s annual Old Homes Tour. The tour features an array of prive homes, gardens, artists’ studios and the restored buildings of the historic site. Held simultaneously, the Antiques Show & Sale has grown to encompass more than 40 dealers from throughout the Southeast displaying furniture, silver, crystal, jewelry, linens, dolls and much more. Held at the Crystal Coast Civic Center in Morehead City from June 23-25, the show offers three days of great antiquing to fit any budget. Tickets for the homes tour, the antique show and combination tickets for both events can be purchased by calling 252-728-5225. NCCOAST.COM
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Capt. Otway Burns, Jr., who hailed from Queen’s Creek, keeps watch over the water from his prestigious perch at Soundside Park in Swansboro. (Amanda Dagnino photo)
More THAN A VILLAGE - it’s a lifestyle.
A spectacular location nestled along historic Beaufort’s waterfront. This boaters’ paradise offers guests panoramic views of Shackleford Banks, a glimpse of Carrot Island ponies & amazing sunset views on Taylor’s Creek. Front Street Village provides the lifestyle any boater can enjoy with full dry stack facilities and docking, along with The Chandlery ship’s store - with the coldest beer & finest selection of wine along the Crystal Coast. Treat your guests to the lofty, historic charm of our unique location in The Marlin Room. The Boathouse at Front Street Village provides full on-site catering for your next great event.
Don’t just visit, stay awhile. Front Street Village - a casual walking community - offering a collection of resort cottages and bungalows, creating an elegant and comfortable lifestyle on the Crystal Coast.
Dry Stack | Marina | Ship’s Store | Event Menu | Real Estate
252-838-1524 www.frontstreetvillage.com
BY LAND: 2400 Lennoxville Rd, Beaufort, NC 28516 BY SEA: On Taylor’s Creek next to the new NC Wildlife Ramp
How About Oceanfront?
The Crabs Claw Oceanfront Caribbean Restaurant
The Only Oceanfront Restaurant on the Crystal Coast Fresh Local Seafood & Mouthwatering Steaks Margaritas, Cold Beer, & a Great View Next to the Beach. We are the Main Attraction
crabsclaw.com
252-726-8222
201 West Atlantic Blvd Oceanfront Facility on the Boardwalk in Atlantic Beach
Keep Calm...Fry On! Fresh battered foods from the sea
Burgers • Sandwiches Local Favorites
7801 Emerald Drive, Emerald Isle |252-424-8203| www.islefryseafood.com NCCOAST.COM
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From the Crystal Coast to the World’s Best Beaches Fly EWN!
Book your next vacation at flyEWN.com Close • Convenient • Connected Just off Highway 70 in New Bern
252-638-8591