North Beach Sun Summer 2017

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NORTH BEACH SUN SUMMER 2017

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24 29 36 48 30

TH

9

BUT FIRST...

10 summer EVENTS CALENDAR 14 30 years in the sun

A look back at our first three decades

nature 18 capturing lightning

What happens when lightning strikes the sand?

20 shore science

Researchers turn their eyes to the sound 22 mysterious carolina

The enigma of Carolina Bays

feature 24 riding the wind

Francis Rogallo, inventor of the flexible wing

REAL ESTATE outdoors 29 building boats with soul

The handmade boats of Harrison Boatworks 32 board banter

Educated etiquette

ANNIVERSARY SUMMER 2017

food & beverage 34 amanda's kitchen

Picnic perils 36 a fish tale

A step-by-step guide to cleaning your catch

lifestyle 38 30 at 30

We asked – you answered 44 b.s. in parenting

I didn't do it 46 pack and go!

Fill your suitcase with locally made goodies

arts & entertainment 48 getting lost

Shooting a spooky short film in Buffalo City 50 a new road

The redemption of local rocker Matt Meekins

everything else under the sun 52 gone but not forgotten

Remembering four long gone local businesses

about the cover: Beta tests of the "Fleep" (flying jeep) that was developed by the U.S. military using Rogallo's flexible wing design, circa the early '60s. Inset photo of Francis Rogallo gearing up to hang glide off of Jockey's Ridge in the early '70s. this page: Photos clockwise from top left courtesy of the Outer Banks History Center, Ryan Moser, Raymond Wallace and K. Wilkins Photography.

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NORTH BEACH SUN SUMMER 2017

Improvements today for a better beach tomorrow.

While the Outer Banks coastline is beautiful, it is also very delicate. Storms, high winds, and tidal changes contribute to beach erosion. To restore and preserve our fragile coastline, the towns of Duck, Southern Shores, Kill Devil Hills, Kitty Hawk and Dare County are implementing critical beach nourishment projects in 2017.

For more information, interactive project maps and video updates visit MoreBeachtoLove.com.

SEAFOOD • RIBS • CHICKEN Fresh Produce From Our Secret Garden

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FOLLOW THE SUN ALL YEAR LOOKING FOR

THE LOST COLONY ON HATTERAS ISLAND

LOCAL

HUNTERS TREASURE SHARE THEIR FINDS

millss&hine moon

117 SUMMER 2016 | VOLUME

MAGAZINE INSIDE!

of the legoacy y buffal cit

Photography Cory Godwin Productions Ryan Moser Outer Banks History Center K. Wilkins Photography

Writers Cathy Baldwin Amelia Boldaji Dawn Church Lindsey Beasley Dianna Pete Erickson Catherine Kozak Katrina Mae Leuzinger Amanda McDanel Jeffrey Myers Abby Stewart Kip Tabb

Publishers Adam & Cathy Baldwin EDITOR Amelia Boldaji Art Director Dave Rollins Graphic Design Adam Baldwin

FOLLOW US

NORTH BEACH SUN 115 West Meadowlark St. Kill Devil Hills, NC 27948 252.449.4444 phone 252.715.1303 fax

Sales Manager Helen Furr Account Executives Sue Goodrich Tori Peters Distribution Bob & Glen Baldwin @northbeachsun

The North Beach Sun is published quarterly by Access Media Group. All works contained herein are the property of the North Beach Sun and/or its contributors.

Opinions, responses, and inquiries are always welcome. You can email us directly at editor@northbeachsun.com or sound off at NORTHBEACHSUN.COM.

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I make a big deal about birthdays. I always have. And this one feels particularly momentous.

This year the North Beach Sun turns 30. For an Outer Banks business (and a print publication, at that!), it’s a helluva long time to be around.

I was only 11 years old when Rex Peters and Bob Furr formed a plan to publish a real estate newsletter. The first issue of the North Beach Sun debuted in 1987 at just 16 pages. Bob would later tell me that he finished the layout for the first paper in Rex’s van in the parking lot of The Daily Advance where it was to be printed. Talk about creating on the fly.

The paper was an instant success, with the second issue tripling the page count of the first. Bob and Rex were on to something – although no one could foresee the North Beach Sun lasting into its third decade.

My tenure with the North Beach Sun began 15 years ago when I scored a freelance writing assignment about hang gliding on Jockey’s Ridge. So it seems fitting to me that Francis Rogallo, the man who invented the flexible wing, takes center stage on the cover of this issue. (It also happens to be an anniversary for him – Kitty Hawk Kites is commemorating the 35th anniversary of the Rogallo Kite Festival this June.)

In this issue, we celebrate the past three decades – our milestones, our goofs and our random trivia – on page 14. We spent hours poring over 30 years’ worth of yellowed North Beach Suns, marveling at some of the familiar faces (much younger then!) and getting a kick out of retro ads (Birthday Suits gets special props for a particular Lost Boys-looking ad from 1990). It was also eye-opening to realize how many businesses have been advertising with us since the beginning. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

And thanks, too, to all the folks around town who participated in our “30 Questions” spread on page 38. That piece was a beast to compile, between the countless responses and sheer number of people involved. You guys were generous with your time – allowing me, Amelia and Kati to ambush you with questions and cameras in restaurants, shops and even while driving (Ryan Rhodes, thanks for pulling over!) – and you had us cracking up at your answers (Jeff Myers and Kevin Cherry, I’m talking to you!).

This year we celebrate a milestone, but it’s not ours alone. We share it with the community – the people we write about, the people who advertise with us and the people (like you) who pick up the paper and read it. I, personally, don’t take a single issue of this paper for granted. I’m thankful for each and every one, and I promise to keep bringing my best – our best – to the table each time.

Whether you’re reading the North Beach Sun for the first time or the 120th time, we thank you for making this journey our joy ride. Here’s to another 30 years and all the twists and turns in the road along the way!

,P in y Baldw

Age is just a number – unless it’s yours. Then it’s a big deal.

C a th

From the Publisher

,P ho tog r a p h er

a M s e len F , Sal u rr

The North Beach Sun has come a long way in 30 years, as has our staff (top, photo by Ryan Moser). Just look at where we were in 1987 (above).

NORTHBEACHSUN.COM

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Summer

2017 Faire Days Summer Festival Series June 7 – August 30 (Wednesdays only)

20th Annual Mollie Fearing Memorial Art Show April 30 – May 30

Talented local artists display their works in this annual art show at Dare County Arts Council Gallery in Manteo. darearts.org Acoustic Sunsets May 11 – September 28 (Thursdays evenings)

Soundside Live Sunset Concert Series May 25, June 1, June 8

Enjoy free concerts on the sound, live performing arts and local artisan vendors at the Soundside event site in Nags Head. soundsidelive.com 80th Anniversary of The Lost Colony May 26 – August 19

This fascinating drama—the longest running outdoor historical drama in the United States—brings to life the mystery of the first English colonists that happened right here on the Outer Banks. thelostcolony.org

Sip local wine and listen to great acoustic bands on the north lawn of the Cotton Gin in Jarvisburg. sanctuaryvineyards.com Manteo Farmers' Market May 13 – September 30 (Saturday mornings)

6th Annual Cupcake 5K May 28

Roanoke Island Running Company hosts this fun event with cupcake stations at miles one and two. roanokeislandrun.com

Buy fresh local fruits and veggies at this farmers' market every Saturday in downtown Manteo. townofmanteo.com Ghost Tours of the Outer Banks Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays

Memorial Day Beach Blast May 28

Get spooked by local legends and lore during these 90-minute walking tours in Manteo. ghosttoursoftheouterbanks.com

Shake a leg on the lawn of Historic Corolla Park to the music of Blackwater Rhythm & Blues Band and the Aquarium Big Band in this free outdoor concert. visitcurrituck.com

Ghost Tours of the Outer Banks DISCOVER WHAT THE LOCALS KNOW…IT’S HAUNTED!

“We wrote the book on ghosts.”

Our 90 Minute Original Tour departs Wednesdays at 8 pm Meeting at Manteo Town Kiosk • Corner of Budleigh St. & Queen Elizabeth Ave. in Manteo RESERVATIONS REQUIRED • 252-573-1450 ADULTS $13 • CHILD 10 & UNDER $8 No credit cards accepted Active Military Discount with Proper ID

Celebrating 11 Years ghosttoursoftheouterbanks.com Visit us on Facebook

Magnolia Marketplace Craft Fair May 30 – September 26 (Tuesdays)

Shop local artisans’ booths at this open-air market in downtown Manteo. townofmanteo.com Whalehead Wednesdays May 31 – September 13 (Wednesdays only)

Sample local wines and listen to live music on the lawn of the Historic Corolla Park. visitcurrituck.com Lighthouse 5K May 31 – September 15 (on select Wednesdays)

Vacationing runners will enjoy this fun 5K series through the Historic Village of Corolla. Check the website for exact dates. theobxrunningcompany.com Currituck Cornhole Tournaments May 31 – September 13 (Wednesdays only)

Compete in weekly games at Whalehead in Historic Corolla for a chance to win a beach vacation donated by Brindley Beach. visitcurrituck.com Wind Voyager Triple-S Invitational June 1 – 9

World-class kiteboarders compete in this multi-day event at REAL Watersports, complete with bands and parties. triplesinvitational.com First Friday June 2, July 7, August 4

Downtown Manteo comes alive on the first Friday of each month from 6–8 p.m. townofmanteo.com Dare Day Festival June 3

Dozens of vendors and artisans line the Manteo waterfront during this outdoor, family-friendly festival. The event kicks off with a performance by the original Rhondels. townofmanteo.com Storm the Beach June 4

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NORTH BEACH SUN SUMMER 2017

Outer Banks Sporting Events presents this team-oriented, family-friendly race full of obstacles and adventures on the beach by Jennette's Pier in Nags Head. stormthebeach.org

Enjoy live music, spin art, glitter tattoos, face painting and more in the tree-lined courtyard of Scarborough Faire Shopping Village. scarboroughfaireinducknc.com Pickin’ on the Porch June 9, 16, 30; July 14; August 11, 25; October 3

Listen to live music on the porch of the Bluegrass Island Trading Co. in downtown Manteo. bluegrassisland.com 35th Annual Rogallo Kite Festival June 10 – 11

This free kite festival at Jockey's Ridge honors Francis Rogallo, inventor of the flexible wing, and features stunt kites, kite displays, kite instruction, kite making and more. kittyhawk.com Brew & Arts June 12 – August 28 (Mondays)

Kids can make crafts or play on the pirate ship while adults shop the artisan booths in the backyard of the Outer Banks Brewing Station at this free event to benefit the Children at Play Museum. obbrewing.com Children’s Interactive Theater June 13 – August 8 (Tuesday mornings, excluding July 4)

Bring the kids to weekly interactive shows at the Duck Amphitheater, featuring animals from the North Carolina Aquarium, performers from The Lost Colony and more. townofduck.com 6th Annual Outer Banks Sunrise 5K and Little Kids Crab Crawl June 15

Rise and shine for this early morning, family-friendly running event at Jennette’s Pier in Nags Head. theobxrunningcompany.com BIC SUP One Design Series June 15; July 6, 20; August 10, 17, 31

All skill levels are encouraged to participate in this free paddleboard event held at various locations throughout the summer. kittyhawk.com 2nd Annual Soundside Fun Fair June 15 – 18

Kick off summer with carnival rides, a giant Ferris wheel, cotton candy and more at the Soundside event site in Manteo. outerbanks.org

SUPtastic June 17, August 12

Put your paddleboard skills to the test at the Manteo Waterfront in June or at Waves Village in August. kittyhawk.com 4 Corners OBX Basketball Camp June 19 - 23

Locals and visitors are welcome at this weeklong youth basketball camp. obx4corners.com Rock the Cape Festival June 19 – 23

This three-day celebration of local and regional music and art offers a full slate of activities from Rodanthe to Hatteras Village. rockthecapeobx.com Movies on the Sound June 20 – August 15 (Tuesday evenings, excluding July 4)

Bring the whole family for a free evening of movie watching under the stars on the Duck Town Green. Donations are appreciated to benefit the Children at Play Museum, the films’ presenter. townofduck.com Under the Oaks Arts Festival June 20 – 21

This two-day free art festival features talented artisans on the waterfront grounds of Historic Corolla Park. visitcurrituck.com For King & Country – Presented by His Generation June 21

Spend the evening enjoying the sounds of acclaimed Christian pop bands For King & Country and We Are Messengers at the Festival Park on Roanoke Island. hisgen.org 6th Annual Sunset 5K and Carolina Pig Pickin' June 22

Pirate’s Cove Realty presents this family-friendly running event at Jennette’s Pier in Nags Head. theobxrunningcompany.com Concert on the Duck Town Green June 22 – August 24 (Thursday evenings)

Enjoy a free live concert with music ranging from modern indie rock to bluegrass on the Duck Town Green. townofduck.com East Coast Grom Tour June 24

Watch the newest crop of groms shred the waves at Jennette’s Pier in Nags Head. eastcoastgrom.surfsignup.com

NORTHBEACHSUN.COM

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Summer

Town of Manteo 4th of July Celebration July 4 Nags Head Beach Race Series June 29; July 13, 20, 27; August 3, 10, 17

2017 Knotts Island Peach Festival June 24 – 25

Children can enjoy free programs on birds, frogs, butterflies and bugs from 11-12 p.m. on select dates this summer. elizabethangardens.org Family Magic Show June 28 – August 16 (Wednesday mornings)

Illusionist Clive Allen of OBXtreme Magic performs incredible illusions and mind-bending tricks at the Duck Amphitheater. townofduck.com

13th Annual 4th of July Parade and Community Celebration July 4

Cheer on this festive parade in downtown Duck followed by a celebration with live music and watermelon at the Duck Town Park. townofduck.com

Enjoy live music, crafts, and—of course—peaches! knottsislandonline.com Children’s Programs at The Elizabethan Gardens June 26 - August 17

Village Realty presents this 5K series on the beach in Nags Head at Jennette’s Pier. theobxrunningcompany.com

Kids’ Day in the Park at Whalehead June 29 – August 31 (Thursdays only)

Bring the kids for a day of fun in Historic Corolla Park, including a special children’s tour of Whalehead. visitcurrituck.com Splash and Dash Run-SwimRun 5K June 29; July 20; August 3

Join Outer Banks TRI Sports for the fourth year of this run-swim-run event at Jennette’s Pier. theobxrunningcompany.com

Freedom 5K, 1-Mile Run and Fun Run July 4

Get the whole family into the race with these three events presented

by Sun Realty at the Town Hall in Kill Devil Hills. theobxrunningcompany.com 25th Annual Festival of Fireworks Independence Day Celebration July 4

Marvel at fireworks on the lawn of Historic Corolla Park while listening to live music. visitcurrituck.com

Commemorate this national holiday with day-long festivities and evening fireworks in Manteo. townofmanteo.com Outer Banks Independence Beer Mile July 5

Love running and beer? Try the Outer Banks Independence Beer Mile presented by the Outer Banks Brewing Station, and join in on the fun after-party, too. theobxrunningcompany.com Wright Kite Festival July 15 – 16

Learn to fly stunt kites and watch large kite displays during this kiting event at the Wright Brothers National Memorial in Kill Devil Hills. kittyhawk.com Outer Banks Skim Jam July 15 – 16

Watch talented skimboarders compete on the beach at Jennette’s Pier in Nags Head. skimusa.org ZoSo, The Ultimate Led Zeppelin Experience July 29

Led Zeppelin fans will love this classic rock music experience at the Festival Park in Manteo. zosoontour.com Outer Banks Watermelon Festival August 2

There’s plenty for the kids to do at this summery event at the Kitty Hawk Kites store in Nags Head, including a bounce house, dunk tank, a watermelon seed spitting contest and more. kittyhawk.com Sandbar 5K August 6

This beach run in Kitty Hawk benefits the Outer Banks Relief Foundation. outerbanksrelieffoundation.com New World Festival of the Arts August 9 – 10

Artists from all over the East Coast participate in this 36th annual juried outdoor art show in downtown Manteo. townofmanteo.com Surfing for Autism August 12

This autism awareness surfing event at Jennette's Pier partners two surfers and a therapist or teacher with an autistic child. surfingforautism.com 4th Annual Youth Fishing Tournament August 12

Hook a big one at this annual fishing tournament in downtown Manteo. townofmanteo.com 12

NORTH BEACH SUN SUMMER 2017

Outer Banks Pirate Festival August 16 – 17

Learn pirate lore, meet Blackbeard’s crew and enroll the little ones in Scalawag School during this fun festival at Jockey’s Ridge Crossing in Nags Head. kittyhawk.com Virginia Dare’s 430th Birthday August 18

Celebrate the 430th birthday of Virginia Dare, the first English child born in the New World, at The Elizabethan Gardens with cake, children’s programs and reduced admission prices. elizabethangardens.org Virginia Dare Faire August 18

The Lost Colony and The National Park Service join forces in this free and family-friendly Virginia Dare Faire on the grounds of the Fort Raleigh National Park Site. thelostcolony.org Rip Curl Grom Search August 18 – 19

Watch young surfers compete at this Rip Curl event at Jennette’s Pier in Nags Head. ripcurl.com Outer Banks Summer Send-Off August 23

Say goodbye to summer with a rockin’ party and concert featuring musical performances by JJ Grey & Mofro and more at Festival Park in Manteo. obxsummersendoff.com OBX Wedding Fest August 27

Mingle with local wedding vendors at this laid-back wedding expo held at the open-air Pavilion at Pirate’s Cove. obxwa.com WRV Outer Banks Pro August 30 – September

Top-rated surfers from around the world compete at this WSL QS1000 Event at Jennette’s Pier. wrvobxpro.com Outer Banks Triathlon September 16 – 17

Participants can choose from Sprint, Olympic or Half in this annual test of endurance. outerbankstriathlon.com The Lost Colony Wine Festival September 30

This year’s festival features wines from around the country, fine foods, entertainment and seminars – all with a dramatic view of the Roanoke Sound from backstage at The Lost Colony. thelostcolony.org

NORTHBEACHSUN.COM

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1988

1994

2002

2006

Compiled by Cathy Baldwin and Amelia Boldaji

There must be several thousands of pages in 30 years’ worth of a quarterly newspaper. So it was no small task to pore through all of them – one page at a time – to find the best nuggets worthy of an anniversary issue. Some hilarious, some historical and some downright nonsensical, we’ve compiled these gems that span the past three decades.

Take a trip down memory lane with us….

2011

2014

Wherever they are now, hopefully these two guys still look this cool.

(Summer 1990)

"Quag's is slated to be one of those places you hang out on the oceanfront." Sounds like this ad for the upcoming Quagmires was just right. (Spring 1996)

Do You Remember When?

“President Bush to Attend Wright Memorial Rededication” – The advent of flight is a pretty big deal around here, ya’ll. (Spring 1998) “North Beach Residents Unite to Save Wild Horses” – In an effort that still continues to this day, locals banded together to protect the wild Colonial Spanish Mustangs. (Holiday 1989) “Seamark Foods to Open Kitty Hawk Store” – In our big-box chain store era, you’ve gotta miss the days of locally owned and operated grocery stores. (Holiday 1992) “Hatteras and Manteo to Vote for Toll-Free Calling” – In the mid1990s, a person could finally make a phone call from the northern beaches to Hatteras and not have to pay for long distance (Fall 1994). And in other phone news, in the Holiday 1988 issue we reported on the first public payphone in Carova. How quaint!

14

NORTH BEACH SUN SUMMER 2017

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15

Claims to Fame “Guy Fieri Comes to the Outer Banks” – Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives made a few stops at some beloved local joints. Even to this day if you turn on the Food Network late at night, you might stumble upon Scott Foster of Cravings or Jason Smith of the Black Pelican in syndication. (Fall 2012)

Best of the Worst Titles “What’s Cookin’, Outer Banks? Sex with Crustaceons and Vegetables” – WHAT? And the kicker? Crustaceans happens to be misspelled. (Fall 1993) “Gone-A-Rama” – A bad pun on the torn down Tan-A-Rama motel. (Fall 2006) “Understanding Metaphysics: A Book Review” – Because metaphysics can easily be explained in an 800-word article. (Spring 1993) “Life is Fatal” – This one’s just a bummer, man. (Spring 1995)

“Close Encounters of the Hollywood Kind” – Richard Gere and Diane Lane, immortalized in the romantic film Nights in Rodanthe, were also immortalized on the pages of our Holiday 2008 issue. Take that, Hollywood.

“Duck Property Owner Seeks Presidential Bid” – One of our own (or at least someone who owned property here in the ‘80s), Dick Gephardt, ran for president in 1988, and the story was front-page news in our very first issue (Summer 1987). Not to be outdone, Rex Peters, then-owner of the North Beach Sun, announced his faux bid for presidency on the cover of the 10th anniversary issue (Summer 1997).

No, Cathy will not be announcing her candidacy!

North Beach Sun founde rs Rex Peters (on hood) and Bob Furr (at the wheel).

Weird Coincidences Sometimes we repeat ourselves. “The View from Above,” a story on tandem hang gliding, ran in the Holiday 1991 issue. Twenty-five years later in our Fall 2016 issue, Amelia Boldaji wrote an article about tandem hang gliding with the similar-sounding title, “The Ground from Above.”

Seeing Things for the First Time “Kitty Hawk Kites Brings Rollerblades to the Area” – Rollerblading, the iconic ‘90s sport, arrived on the Outer Banks scene in the Fall of 1990, bringing biker shorts and side ponytails into vogue .

“Town of Duck Incorporates” – Duck made it official 15 years ago, and we recorded the occasion in our Summer 2002 issue.

“Bluegrass Busts Out at Outer Banks Bluegrass Festival” – Our Holiday 2012 paper celebrated the festival premiere as well as the first Outer Banks Seafood Festival.

“Weeping Radish Introduces Christmas Beer” – Everyone’s favorite Christmas drink (no, not egg nog!), made its debut. (Fall 1994) 16

NORTH BEACH SUN SUMMER 2017

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nature

Capturing Lightning The Powerful Force Behind Fulgurite Photos by K. Wilkins Photography Story by Kip Tabb

The tower

on the south end of Kitty Hawk Kites at Jockey’s Ridge Crossing in Nags Head is one of the highest points around. It’s a dangerous place to be in a thunderstorm – but a great location to watch distant storms march across the Outer Banks.

And when bolts of lightning strike sand, they can create more than just dramatic light shows.

The searing electrical energy superheats the air to temperatures that range anywhere from 8,000 to 30,000 degrees Celsius. When those bursts of heat and energy make contact with silica – the most common mineral found in sand – the result (often, if not always) is fulgurite.

Oddly shaped, and often dull in appearance, fulgurite is nonetheless a favorite find of beachcombers because it’s so unique.

“They are glassy tubes that lightning forms below the ground as it tears through the soil. The lightning melts the sand, which solidifies again when it cools to form the hollow glassy material.” That’s the description University of Florida researchers gave in 1997 during the excavation of what is still considered the largest single piece of fulgurite, according to the Guinness Book of World Records.

That piece of fulgurite consists of two branches, which look almost like tree roots. One branch is almost 16 feet long. The other is 17 feet.

Astonishingly enough, scientists were able to excavate that entire specimen of fulgurite intact. The fragile nature of the mineral is well documented, and the scientists who worked on the project made note of the fact that if a regular citizen had tried to dig it out of the ground, they probably wouldn’t have succeeded.

With no shortage of sand or lightning storms, the Outer Banks has all the right conditions for fulgurite. But finding the twisted lumps and tubes of zapped sand can be challenging.

It’s the outside color in particular that can be deceptive. The inside of fulgurite is a hollow tube of glassine material. The exterior is usually dull and grayish brown in color.

18

NORTH BEACH SUN SUMMER 2017

Fulgurite specimens on display at Jockey's Ridge State Park range in shape from spindly tubes (left) to rock-like blobs (above).

“Most people don’t even know it’s there,” Scott Coffman, an advanced ranger at Jockey’s Ridge State Park says. “They might see the tip of it in the sand but not know what it is. Some people mistake it for wet sand.”

There’s also the shape of it to contend with.

Not all fulgurite is the same, and there are differences between Jockey’s Ridge fulgurite and beach fulgurite.

“The sand in the park is a little more smooth and fine,” says park ranger Justin Banks. “There's also a lack of shell matter that you find in beach sand.”

Moisture also influences the appearance of fulgurite.

Nellie Myrtle Pridgen found one of the largest examples of local fulgurite, and it’s housed at the Outer Banks Beachcomber Museum in Nags Head.

Found on Jockey’s Ridge, it’s a massive piece of hardened sand that’s somewhat squat, flat and amorphous in shape.

There are a few other samples housed in various places around the Outer Banks, including the Jockey’s Ridge State Park visitor’s center, which has a collection of fulgurite on display. Other than the oversized specimen in Nellie Pridgen’s collection, however, most of the local examples of fulgurite are relatively small – averaging two to four inches in length and perhaps an inch or an inch and a half around.

But those smaller pieces often do more than simply live in a museum box. Ginny Flowers, owner of Cloud Nine in Nags Head, is a talented artist and jewelry-maker who likes to work with fulgurite.

“It’s just beautiful,” Ginny says. “It’s like you can see glass happening when you look at it – but it’s not everyday jewelry. I make sure people know that when I do custom designs. It’s just too delicate.”

Not every lightning strike creates fulgurite, so it’s still somewhat rare – although the search for it can be part of the Outer Banks experience.

A large piece of fulgurite found on the beach in Corolla graces Terri KirbyHathaway's home as a doorstop. For Terri, who's the environmental educator at the University of North Carolina Coastal Studies Institute, it’s all part of the magic of exploring the wonders of our shoreline.

“I don’t claim to be an expert on fulgurite,” says Terri. “But I do claim to be an expert on beachcombing finds.”

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shore science

Sound learning Studying the Ever-Changing Dynamics in the Albemarle-Pamlico Estuary

By Catherine Kozak

Some of the most significant ocean shoreline research in the world has been conducted for decades at the Army Corps of Engineers Field Research Facility, known locally as the Duck Pier. Now the brainy scientists who work right in our backyard have added equally important research on Currituck Sound to its growing list of interesting studies.

The $1.3 million project, launched in late 2015, is intended to help understand the changing dynamics in the Albemarle-Pamlico estuary, the second largest in the country, behind the neighboring Chesapeake.

Currituck Sound, 36 miles long, and only three to eight miles wide, flows into Albemarle Sound on the northeast corner of the estuary.

Although it may seem like just another environmental study, this project is actually a unique effort to fill a critical gap in scientific knowledge. Thanks in large part to the long-term data collected from the Duck facility, tons of information is known by scientists worldwide about erosion rates and expected impacts of sea level rise on the ocean side. But – amazingly – very little similar research has been done on the sound side.

The Currituck Sound study is the first monitoring project of its kind in an estuary – especially considering its commitment to long-term data collection, its scope and the large number of measurements taken within a relatively small area.

Special instruments and video technology on five monitoring platforms in the sound have been collecting data on hydrodynamics, sediments, salinity, pH levels, contaminants, seabed elevation, light attenuation, and wind and water temperature. Eventually, the project will provide enough data for scientists to be able to discern trends in the estuarine system.

“Everything is installed, and everything is talking,” says Heidi Wadman, a research oceanographer at the oceanfront facility on the north end of Duck, which is part of the Corps’ Engineer Research and Development Center’s Coastal and Hydraulic Laboratory. “And we weathered the past winter really well – no damages to the platforms and only minor damage on instrument mounts.”

Some Facinating Finds The Outer Banks’ notorious weather did not disappoint in terms of providing some great data collection opportunities almost as soon as the equipment was operational. No less than five tropical storms passed within 50 nautical miles last year, Wadman says. That distance is more or less the unofficial threshold scientists use to study storm impacts.

Initial analysis of the data shows that each of those storms affected the Currituck Sound in completely different ways, she says. For instance, a couple of the storms caused localized flooding, but others did not. A few of the storms even caused the sound to flush and fill with fresh, clearer water driven from the south.

“To me, that’s fascinating,” Wadman says, “because sometimes the estuary gets flushed out, and more murky water comes in.”

Even with the teeny bit of data they’ve collected so far – relative to the scope of the project – Wadman says it is obvious that the sound processes are more complex than previously realized.

Not much is understood about the movement of sediment and water in the sound and how – or to what degree – fertilizers and other nutrients are impacting the ecosystem. Scientific studies of the Currituck Sound have been done before, but they’ve been inconsistent and incomplete. This Corps project is the first comprehensive look at the processes that impact the estuary.

The monitoring is similar to long-standing work done in the Chesapeake Bay by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, but the Corps’ project has more stations collecting more data with higher resolution technology. Future plans include the installation of an additional five platforms beyond the Currituck Sound.

Each platform consists of a deck attached to pilings. Solar panels and a box containing the “brains” sit on the platform, and long “arms” extend into the water to hold the instruments.

The data will help fill large gaps in understanding how to predict and mitigate storm surge and, eventually, the effects of rising seas on wetlands and sounds, Wadman says. Signs of shoreline erosion and saltwater intrusion are already starting to change the ecosystem, but it will take decades of data before sea level-related trends are evident.

Understanding the Effects The shallow and wind-driven waters of the Currituck Sound were once world famous for the phenomenal numbers of waterfowl it attracted. When the Currituck Inlet closed in 1828, the sound water became fresher, and freshwater grasses proliferated. Within no time, a staggering number of ducks and geese were feasting and resting on the sound – followed almost as quickly by enthusiastic hunters. For more than a century, waterfowl hunting fed the economy of Currituck County, but the sport has since been blamed for the eventual decrease in the vast numbers of birds.

Even after hunting of migratory waterfowl was regulated in 1918, duck hunting in Currituck maintained its popularity, but on a more modest scale, and large numbers of birds have continued to visit. According to the National Audubon Society, in the 1970s, one in eight waterfowl who transited the Atlantic Flyway, and half of North Carolina’s total waterfowl population, wintered on the Currituck Sound.

But today environmentalists are concerned that fewer birds are coming and that grasses in the sound are not thriving as well. It might be because of changes in salinity or increases in pollution. No one is really sure.

That’s the type of knowledge that the Corps’ study is designed to find out. It will also help property owners near the sound better understand what is going on with their shoreline, and allow recreational boaters and fishermen to learn more about water quality and weather impacts.

In the near future, the preliminary processed data will be posted online every hour, with more refined data posted a week later. A contractor has been hired to create a more user-friendly website so the general public (or, as Wadman says, “my mom”) can understand what the data means.

Ultimately, the more we know, the more we’ll be able to mitigate or adapt to change.

“We’re still learning as a community about the best ways to restore marshes and protect wetlands,” Wadman says. “It’s a good thing – and we’re just trying to keep that going.”

One of the monitoring platforms used to collect data on the Currituck Sound (photo courtesy of Patrick Dickhudt).

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nature

M ysterious

Carolina

This enhanced satellite image shows subtle surface variations along the Currituck peninsula.

Oval shaped indentions indicate shallow Carolina Bays (image from Google Earth). Below: Salter and Jones Lakes as seen from above in Bladen County, N.C. (image courtesy of the North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation).

Carolina Bays – An Unsolved Natural Phenomenon in Our Own Backyard

By Catherine Kozak

The phrase might be rarely heard because what it’s meant to describe, in reality, has almost nothing to do with Carolina – or bays, for that matter. These strange, egg-shaped depressions, which are found along much of the Atlantic coast and Nebraska, are as common as they are inexplicable. You could be on top of one (or even in one) and not have a clue – unless you were alert to their telltale-raised rims.

Which might explain why Carolina Bays are rarely mentioned as an unsolved natural phenomenon. Which, by the way, they are. No one really knows what created them – in short, they’re the geologic version of crop circles.

Barring a few astute explorers, the existence of Carolina Bays was unknown until land surveyors in the 1930s first took aerial photographs of the ground and noticed a slew of what

separate bodies. They often don’t even have water in them.

Many have been found in North Carolina – and most of them are located in Bladen County (in fact, half the county is covered in them). One of the largest Carolina Bays identified is known as Lake Waccamaw in Columbus County, and it is estimated to be at least 30,000 years old.

There are a few other significant Carolina Bays: Lake Phelps, a clear, large natural lake; Lake Pungo, a blackwater lake; and Lake Mattamuskeet, the state’s largest natural lake. All of these examples are located in Tyrrell County, not far from Columbia. But they’re not generally known, or described, as Carolina Bays.

John White, the mapmaker for the 1584 to 1587 Roanoke Voyages, and the governor of the ill-fated Lost Colony, even included drawings of Lake Mattamuskeet in one of the maps he made during those early New World expeditions under Sir Walter Raleigh’s direction.

scientists have mostly concluded that these depressions show no evidence of an extraterrestrial high-speed impact (which would likely have melted material in the soil and disturbed bedrock).

appeared to be craters. To the amazement and continued bafflement of scientists, there are literally hundreds of thousands of perfect elliptical-shaped depressions on the Atlantic coastal plain in all different sizes. These odd formations were first spotted over South Carolina, hence the name.

Simply put, Carolina Bays are shallow elliptical indentations in coastal wetlands that are fed by groundwater or rain, and they range in size from one acre to thousands of acres.

Typically, they’re rimmed with white sand. Studies have shown that they weren’t all formed at the same time, but that they’ve been around for centuries.

The “bays” in the name may be related to the bay trees and shrubs typically found around these depressions. It could also be that they were mistaken for bays, which is a coastal water body connected on one end to a larger water body.

Carolina Bays may overlap, but, generally speaking, they are

Far Out Theories Folklore says that Lake Mattamuskeet was created after a peat fire burned a crater in the ground that filled with water. Other speculations indicate that it was formed by a meteor strike – or that glaciers possibly plowed it out.

At least one online site, scientificpsychic.com, (which, despite its dubious-sounding name, does actually cite legitimate scientific references) notes that there are about 500,000 Carolina Bays – all of which are located in sandy soil, and all of which point to the Great Lakes. According to the site, the so-called Carolina Bays located on the East Coast have a northwest/ southeast alignment, and the ones located in Nebraska have a northeast/southwest alignment.

There have been lots of proposed ideas about the origins of Carolina Bays, ranging from spawning fish (lots of them!) to ancient giant beavers (!), to sink holes, to various kinds of meteor showers, and even to a catastrophic comet strike.

Many sources theorize that the bays resulted from a big dramatic event (or a number of events) that moved a lot of wind and/or water around.

One of the more recent proposals is that these bays were formed by ice that was ejected from a glacier as it smashed into the earth. Carolina Bays have even been compared to thermokarst lakes, shallow water bodies that form with the thawing of permafrost. But those theories don’t account for the distinctive shape and alignment of the bays.

Setting this wide variety of theories aside, a majority of

Learning From Caolina Bays It takes cool heads like Dr. Mike Piehler, who has studied Carolina Bays, to sensibly step away from the disagreeable origin discussion. To Piehler, a professor of Marine Sciences and Environmental Sciences and Engineering at The University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill and the program head of Estuarine Ecology and Human Health at the UNC Coastal Studies Institute in Wanchese, the lakes are a golden opportunity to study their paleolimnology – the science of tracing the origins of a lake and other inland waters by analyzing their sediments.

As far as hypothesizing about what created them? Nope, Piehler says. That’s not his bailiwick. Although the debate about the origins of Carolina Bays is not quite up there with Big Foot, it’s far from settled science.

That’s part of the reason why Piehler is concentrating on addressing Mattamuskeet’s declining water quality and other environmental issues – rather than asking why it’s there.

“Mattamuskeet’s a little different,” he says. “It looks as though it could potentially be two Carolina Bays.”

Piehler says that the science of these lakes has been fascinating to study. Despite their close proximity, he notes, they don’t have the same lake trophic status – that is, the level of nutrients that affect clarity differ. Long ago, they all likely had equally clear water.

Carolina Bays may be an enduring geologic mystery, but when it comes right down to it, they are as vulnerable as any other body of water to external forces – from pollution and invasive species to sea level rise and erosion. And recent science has shown that even close neighbors like Tyrrell County’s Carolina Bays are really not that much alike.

“They can be profoundly different,” Piehler says. “So it’s a really interesting example of how natural systems can change according to the human activities around them.”

You may never hear anyone talk about Carolina Bays – unless you’re a geologist or a fan of fabulists. But they’re all over the place.

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feature

Riding the

Wind

Nearly a half century after the Wright brothers made history on the Outer Banks, Francis Rogallo’s invention of the flexible wing revolutionized aviation once again.

Photos courtesy of the Outer Banks History Center and the Rogallo family / Story by Amelia Boldaji

This story starts on the day Francis Rogallo saw his first airplane.

The plane was dropping leaflets, and Rogallo, who was only seven years old at the time, was transfixed. From that moment on he knew not only that he wanted to fly, but that he wanted to know everything about the mechanics of flight – and eventually, to build something capable of that.

“He thought, ‘Boy, that’s for me,’” says Billy Vaughn, who’s currently working on a comprehensive biography about Rogallo in cooperation with the nonprofit Rogallo Foundation. And while Billy can tell stories about his subject 24

NORTH BEACH SUN SUMMER 2017

Clockwise from top left: Rogallo stands atop Jockey's Ridge in the mid '70s; Rogallo and his daughter, Carol Sparks, test out tethered flight in Southern Shores, circa 1967; NASA performs tests on the Ryan "Fleep" (flying jeep) in a wind tunnel at Langley Research Center in the early '60s; The Fleep, shown mid-flight, was a potential military application of the flexible wing.

for days, some of his favorites include the near hits and misses (in terms of flight) that Rogallo experienced during his lifetime.

Take, for example, the fact that Rogallo tried to join the Army Air Corps (a precursor to the Air Force) as a pilot on three separate occasions, but was never admitted due to the fact that he’d lost two toes on his right foot in an accident when he was younger.

He received a degree in aeronautical engineering from Stanford University instead, and went to work for the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) in 1935.

A little more than a decade later, at the age of 34, Rogallo took flying lessons over the course of several days, and finally logged enough hours to qualify for his first solo flight. But

when he arrived at the field that day, another aspiring pilot had gotten there first. On that ill-fated flight, the plane malfunctioned and crashed.

Despite all his attempts, Rogallo never got the pilot’s license he dreamed about. And, ironically enough, the first time he ever soloed any type of aircraft wasn’t until he was 49 years old – and it was with a flexible wing modeled after a prototype he had created more than a decade earlier.

Early Career & Experiments When Rogallo was first hired as a junior aeronautical engineer with the NACA at the Langley Research Center in Hampton, Va., he was tasked with conducting experiments and doing research on wing design.

Continued>

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Above: This photo series depicts a NASA paraglider drop test in the mid-'60s.

This kept him busy, especially during World War II, but once the war was over he had more time to pursue his own projects. Broadly speaking, he had become more and more interested in the idea of personal aircraft – and he didn’t think they should only be available to the military and millionaires. Instead his vision was something simpler, less expensive and more widely accessible.

“Essentially he was dreaming about flying cars,” Billy says. “He figured that birds can fold their wings up, so why couldn’t we?”

Personal aircraft design was mostly just a side project for Rogallo, but in 1948, at age 36, he and his wife, Gertrude, developed a prototype for a flexible wing that could produce lift with no rigid structures. It was constructed from their kitchen curtain windows, hand sewn by Gertrude and tested in a wind tunnel Rogallo custom built inside their house.

Rogallo took his revolutionary design to the NACA, but since they saw no use for it, they granted him permission to pursue a patent on his own time – and, perhaps more importantly, with his own money.

Without the financial backing of the NACA, it seemed as though the only practical way to move forward was to market the flexible wing as a kite. Although the Rogallos described a number of potential uses for the design in their patent application, the primary purpose listed was for a toy called the “Flexikite.”

A Rough Ride Rogallo had been promoted to section head at Langley by this point, so the kite business was increasingly a side gig. In fits and starts, and for roughly the next ten years, the Rogallos tried to market the Flexikite – with varying degrees of success.

There were several issues to contend with. One was the price point. People were accustomed to buying 10-cent kites made out of tissue and sticks. The Rogallos’ Flexikite (at least after 1952) was made with Mylar – a vastly superior material, but also one that made their kites more expensive.

The second problem was simply the fact that the Flexikite didn’t look like anything unless it was up in the air – an issue that Rogallo famously once tried to get around at the New York City Toy Fair in the early ‘50s. The night before the fair,

Left, top to bottom: Rogallo poses for publicity photos for his Flexikite. Middle, top to bottom: NASA tests the wing for space capsule recovery. Above: Rogallo examines his wing design in a wind tunnel, circa the early '60s.

26

NORTH BEACH SUN SUMMER 2017

Right: Rogallo and Kitty Hawk Kites owner John Harris on Jockey's Ridge in the mid-'70s.

he built a small, but functional, wind tunnel out of cardboard and snuck it in even though it was against regulations.

While the fair organizers almost certainly didn’t care for the subterfuge, others loved it. Though no known pictures exist of the event, that was the year Yul Brynner brought all the children performing in The King and I to the fair – and they were especially thrilled by the opportunity to fly Rogallo’s Flexikite onsite…makeshift tunnel and all.

The Race Was On Though it had been a bumpy ride in terms of finding a market for Rogallo’s wing, things were about to change once again. The Space Race (1957 to 1969) was on in full force, and in this new climate, unconventional ideas weren’t only welcome – they were being sought out.

While the NACA, which was now known as the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), hadn’t seen any use for Rogallo’s flexible wing almost a decade earlier, there was more at stake now – which in turn led to a renewed interest in the potential military applications of his invention.

One of the main things that government officials began to realize was that Rogallo’s design opened up the possibility of deploying a parachute-like device that could glide in a controlled fashion. Suddenly the ideas began to pour in.

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Clockwise from far left: A series of Rogollo testing his design on the beach in Southern Shores, circa the mid to late '60s; Rogallo, circa the early '80s, on Jockey's Ridge; NASA performs model wing testing in the early '60s; On his 80th birthday, Rogallo took his final hang gliding flight over Jockey's Ridge.

Some of top ideas included using a flexible wing to recover rocket boosters, to stealthily deliver army personnel and equipment into hostile territories, and to use paragliders as landing tools for astronauts.

But as promising as these ideas sounded, there were a number of snags involved in the testing processes that had virtually nothing to do with the wing itself. And once the U.S. landed on the moon in 1969 the race was effectively “won.”

Funding subsequently dried up, and Rogallo was on his own again.

Drawn to the Land of Flight Rogallo could read the writing on the wall, so he chose to take early retirement shortly thereafter at the age of 58. The Rogallos had been visiting the Outer Banks for several years by that point, and they even bought a summer home here in 1968. Once Rogallo officially retired in 1970, they built a house in Southern Shores and moved to this area permanently.

It wasn’t lost on Rogallo that he came to the Outer Banks 28

NORTH BEACH SUN SUMMER 2017

for many of the same reasons as the Wright brothers (in fact, in the late 1930s Rogallo once briefly met Orville Wright, who was a founding member of the NACA). Not only was the wind good, but Jockey’s Ridge was also an ideal spot for Rogallo to continue experimenting with his flexible wing.

By all accounts, the Rogallos truly enjoyed being a part of the community here. They were extremely active in the grassroots campaign that led to the creation of Jockey’s Ridge State Park in the mid- to late-‘70s, and Rogallo was an outspoken advocate for building a local wind research facility in Dare County around that same time (which, unfortunately, never came to fruition).

Rogallo was also a bit of a local celebrity. Since at least the mid-‘60s, high-profile articles and pictures of his work had begun appearing in magazines such as Time and Popular Science. This slew of publicity had a profound effect, and as early as the 1970s the hang gliding bug had officially caught on – which was almost entirely inspired, and made possible, by

Rogallo’s flexible wing design.

“He never profited from this in any way,” Billy says. “His patent had run out by then, but he was just excited to see people doing further research in the field.”

John Harris, owner and founder of Kitty Hawk Kites, agrees. “People would ask endless questions, but he was really patient with that,” John continues. “In some ways, our business model was, and continues to be, the embodiment of Rogallo’s dreams. One of his favorite mottos was, ‘simplify, simplify, simplify’ – he was a terrific problem solver like that.”

Although Rogallo passed away in 2009, he and John were friends since at least 1974, and John loves recalling those early days when Rogallo (at age 62, no less) enthusiastically took up hang gliding for the very first time.

“We’d be out on the dunes teaching groups of people to fly,” John says, “and we could point over the ridge and say, ‘Look over there: That’s Mr. Rogallo, the father of hang gliding.

He’s right here.’”

outdoors

Boat Building with

Soul Photos by Ryan Moser Story by Katrina Mae Leuzinger

Patrick Harrison says that what he does is modern custom boat building. He is, of course, correct in calling it modern. But if a casual observer walked into his shop in Wanchese, they couldn’t be blamed for thinking that what they saw there was perhaps centuries away from modern.

At Harrison Boatworks, and other shops like it on the Outer Banks, the equipment used is almost staggering in its simplicity. The shop is scattered with small hand tools, saw blades, and lumber, and everything is covered in a halfinch layer of sawdust (despite Harrison’s insistence that they just cleaned).

Parked inside the cavernous space are five boats in various stages of completion. Before the fiberglass and paint are applied, the hulls are just bare, beautiful wood, a framework of boards carefully curved and shaped and then covered with planks. The process is the end

continued>

A 41-foot sportfisher that's ready for side planking.

NORTHBEACHSUN.COM

29

Top to bottom: A 28-foot center console sportfisher in the final stages of completion; Patrick Harrison, owner of Harrison Boatworks in Wanchese; A 23-foot center console (left) and a 20-foot tunnel skiff (right); Harrison Boatworks employee, Ed Clarke fairing the bottom planking on a sportfisher.

“I could make a mold and invest some money, but what's the point? It’s not like I'm in it to make money.

I'm in it to learn and enjoy myself.”

-Patrick Harrison

30

NORTH BEACH SUN SUMMER 2017

result of centuries of improvements in boat building and woodworking techniques, passed down by each generation of boat builders.

Boat building has been a tradition on the Outer Banks since the 1880s. Our state boat, the shad boat, was invented right here on Roanoke Island by George Washington Creef (the great-great-grandfather of Buddy Creef, owner of the Pioneer Theatre). Back then, boats were needed for commercial fishing, but as the sport-fishing tourism market on the Outer Banks began to boom in the 1940s, the desire arose for quality, custom-built sport-fishing boats – the same desire that’s still keeping our boat builders busy today.

Harrison says he’s been particularly busy of late. He has gradually built his business over the past 20 years, and he’s excited about the variety of boats he’s building right now.

Why, this year he may finish two whole boats.

Building boats by hand is a slow process. It’s especially slow compared to factory-made boats – the kind some local boat builders not so affectionately refer to as “plastic boats.” Instead of spending 13 to 15 months crafting a boat out of wood, fiberglass is sprayed into a mold, and out of the mold pops a boat. Of course, the argument could certainly be made that there’s nothing wrong with a “plastic boat.” They can be constructed faster and cheaper, and you can catch fish from them just fine.

So what is it that makes people like Harrison prefer to do things the slow way?

“I’m a woodworker,” says Harrison, with a conviction that makes it sound less like a description of what he does for a living, and more as though it’s a part of his identity. “I like wood. I want my tools to go through Spanish cedar and fir, rather than all the nasty stuff that’s involved in production boat building. I could make a mold and invest some money, but what's the point? It’s not like I'm in it to make money. I'm in it to learn and enjoy myself.”

Harrison could no doubt talk for hours about the merits of exotic and local woods, or about how

the prettiest stage of the boat building process is just before the planking goes on to the expertly hand-shaped frame. He has an obvious passion for the beauty of what he does.

It’s hard to imagine anyone getting equally excited about spraying fiberglass in a plastic mold.

The people who buy custom sport fishing boats tend to be rather passionate about it themselves. They have to be, when buying one is a process that may involve spending years on a waiting list before production on their boat even begins.

But, with a custom design, the end result is that it’s your boat, and there will be very few (if any) others like it.

“It's a niche market,” says Harrison. “But I now have a personal relationship with almost all my customers. People who come to me are going for something that stands out, that other people know is not a production boat. They're making a statement that says, ‘I had the patience and the wherewithal to have this custom boat built.’ There's a reason you don't recognize it – it's because there's not many of them, and there won't be many of them.”

The boats take so long – from a 2D design plan to a vessel that’s ready to hit the water – that builders come to expect that some of the people who order one will back out before it’s finished. There’s a sub-section of the custom boat market that’s filled with people looking to snatch up those abandoned projects, lacking the time or the patience to start the process from scratch.

Custom boat building is a lengthy process, requiring highly skilled labor, and customers may wait years to receive their boat. But the labor (and the history behind these long developed, passed down techniques) is what makes them special.

They may be functionally comparable to a manufactured boat, but boat builders on the Outer Banks know there’s really no comparison in terms of the way their boats run, the way they catch fish, and the way they look.

These boats have soul.

GHOST TOURS OF THE OUTER BANKS SAYS

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31

board banter

BREAK

Educated Etiquette BREAK

BREA

By Jeffrey Myers

With oh-so-welcome sunny weather and warming water temperatures finally here, both seasonal surfers

Another recommendation – especially for beginner surfers – is to fly under the radar a bit. Don't show up and be too loud and rambunctious. Now, I’m not saying that one and diehard locals who have just said goodbye to another long, harsh winter are chomping shouldn't have fun and enjoy their time in the sea, just try and blend in rather than attracting heaps of attention – especially when surfing a spot heavy with experienced surfers! at the bit to embrace all the Outer Banks has to offer – especially in the surf department!

When paddling back out while a surfer is riding a wave, it’s always safest to cross beWe are blessed with the most consistent and the very best surf on the entire East Coast, hind them on the part of the wave that’s already broken (below right). Avoiding any and as a result surfers pour in from all over en masse this time of year. A bit of a seasonal type of collision is always important. Fiberglass boards ding very easily, and those fins can “feeding frenzy” if you will.... have you in the emergency room getting stitched up in no time flat!

Amongst this chaos, some (perhaps) unspoken rules apply that help us protect ourRip currents on the Outer Banks can also be beasts. selves, our equipment and those surfing around us.

When surfing the beaches that are We’ll begin with a basic question: Who's best positioned to catch a BREAK not guarded always keep an eye wave when it begins toB break?

REAK BREAK on one another. Whether it's the There are two very basic and simple “buddy system” with a sibling, rules that apply. The surfer who is sitfriend or a complete stranger, surfting the farthest out the backBand BREAK REAK ing is a brotherhood and we must all closest to the wave before it breaks respect and embrace one another in has first dibs (left). our time of need. This rule is espePlease note that self-control applies cially golden, my friends! here. If you become “that guy” by selfishLast but not least, simply enjoy ly paddling back outside in order to take this gift. Surfing will help you achieve every wave, this is unfair to those around an incredible workout every time you – and can lead to verbal altercations you go for a paddle, bond with Mother Nature and make new friends. and poor vibes in the line up.

So regardless of what draws you to the surf, keep the peace, be respectful of those In most cases, what’s known as “back paddling” is around you, and don’t forget to always leave the beach cleaner than you found it! also unacceptable. This is when a surfer persistently

paddles around others who are waiting their turn (center). This one is very frowned upon at point breaks, but not so much at beach breaks since they have Btend R EtoA Kpeaks that shift around with very little rhyme or reason.

My next topic is about being respectful to others in the water. Aggression on the visitB aRgreat EA ing surfer's behalf is highly frowned upon, and wayKto, well, not make many friends.

Instead, smile! Encourage those around you, and when that set rolls through, it always looks good if you let the local folk have the first dig.

Jeffrey Myers is a professional surfer who has spent the last 20 years circling the globe in search of perfect surf. He divides the remainder of his spare time between freelance writing and co-running two fine art/photo galleries that are located in Santa Fe, New Mexico and Kill Devil Hills.

It's an Outer Banks party wave! Follow our educated etiquette to protect yourself, your board and others surfing around you.

(Photo courtesy of Bob Hovey.)

32

NORTH BEACH SUN SUMMER 2017

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33

amanda’s kitchen

By Amanda McDanel

Picnic Perils shower outside. leave crabby behind. shed your shell. expect company. You may have seen those cute piec-

es of artwork in gift stores that give advice about how to live at the beach. Maybe you even have one framed in your home or beach house. While cute, colorful and kitschy (my decorating M.O.), they do not teach you one of the most important lessons about living at the beach in the summertime: how to avoid that dreaded four-letter word.

Salt? No, I actually love the feeling of coming home from the beach all salty and warm. Sand?

After six months of living here, I became resigned to the fact that everything I own will at some point be covered in sand. Crab? Fish? Nope, love to eat them both. Waves? Well yes, I’ll admit there is a whole lesson to be learned about being a surf widow, but that’s for another day.

Guessed it yet? Mayo. Yes, mayonnaise. Miracle Whip. Duke’s. Salad dressing. Whatever name you use to refer to that god-awful creamy white stuff.

Let’s back up a bit. My mom grew up in a tiny country town with five brothers and sisters and about 2,543 cousins, great-aunts and step-uncles, all of whom liked to get together every summer at the community center for a reunion picnic. In the dead heat of July, I’d run around and play on the monkey bars with people I’d only just met, but was somehow related to, until it was time to chow down on the potluck lunch. Waiting in line with my paper plate ready, my aunt would pull one of us aside, and thus would begin the yearly game of telephone. (“Don’t eat the stuff in the green bowl. Aunt Reeby left it on the counter overnight. Tell your cousins.”) By the time the message got through the queue, you had no idea which old lady’s Tupperware dish you were supposed to avoid. Therefore, you just ate cake.

Cake is always safe.

I don’t know if that family tradition began my abhorrence of mayonnaise, but I do know that every time I hear the word “picnic” or “cookout” I shudder. Summers at the beach are all about eating outside. I love summer. I love eating outside. Yet, most people’s idea of a picnic/cookout involves burgers, hot dogs and a variety of perfectly good foods

How to Avoid That Four-letter Word

tossed in a bowl with copious amounts of mayo: eggs, potatoes, macaroni, tuna, chicken, pasta, shrimp, broccoli, ham, cheese…the list of atrocities never ends. I love every one of those foods alone, but the minute you add even a smidge of mayo, I’m sitting that one out.

My husband jokes that at a picnic all I eat are the chips and dessert. He’s not far from the truth, as I don’t eat red meat or anything white and creamy (which not only includes mayo, but also ranch, sour cream, yogurt and milk). Though that sounds picky, I’m truly one of the most adventurous and open-minded eaters, just not in the typical red-blooded American sense. Oysters. Blue cheese.

Mushrooms. Tofu. Brussels sprouts. Sushi. Beets.

Line them up. Hamburger with mayo? Back away.

Now please don’t disinvite me from your gatherings or feel the need to provide “alternative foods,” because I really do enjoy a good chip and cake meal.

I attend get-togethers for the company first and foremost, and in the summer I always stock my fridge with ingredients to whip up this quick dish to share with anyone who wants to go beyond the typical picnic fare.

This recipe is amazing because with a few pantry ingredients and a quick stop to see Ed at Tarheel Too Produce, I can make three variations of this dish: 1. Light Bite You can prepare the sauce alone, and serve it as an appetizer dip with chopped veggies such as peppers, carrots and broccoli.

2. Side Salad The recipe on its own makes a fantastic salad or side dish to serve with your host’s main course.

3. I’m a Weirdo Who Brings Her Own Food If you want to make it a complete meal, add shredded rotisserie chicken or unseasoned steamed shrimp.

Bonus! This recipe is even gluten-free if you are one of those weirdos who doesn’t eat bread. (Says the weirdo at her own table eating this rice salad out of a green Tupperware bowl.) Happy summer picnicking, y’all!

Amanda McDanel has lived on the Outer Banks for over 15 years, is married, has two beautiful daughters and a dog that walks backwards. A collector of the unique and different, she has an MS in Child and Family Development, has taught cooking classes and loves to create new recipes.

34

NORTH BEACH SUN SUMMER 2017

Thai Cashew Rice Salad With Ginger Peanut Sauce For the coconut rice: 1½ cups dry jasmine rice 1 (15 oz) can unsweetened coconut milk 1 clove garlic, minced 1 teaspoon salt 1 cup water For the salad: 2 red bell peppers, finely chopped 1 red cabbage, shredded 1½ cups shredded carrots 1 small red onion, finely diced 1 cup cilantro, chopped ¾ cup green onions, thinly sliced 1 cup cashews, finely chopped For the ginger peanut sauce: ⅓ cup peanut butter 2 tablespoons honey 3 teaspoons freshly grated ginger 2 tablespoons rice vinegar 2 teaspoons sesame oil Water to thin Lime wedges

DIRECTIONS Rinse the dry rice well until the water runs clear.

In a medium-sized pot, mix together the rice, coconut milk, garlic, salt and water. Cover and bring to a boil.

Once the pot reaches a rolling boil, reduce heat to low and let simmer for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, turn off heat and let sit (with lid on) for an additional 10 minutes.

In a small, microwave-safe bowl, combine the peanut butter and honey. Microwave for 15 seconds, or until the peanut butter thins. Stir well. Add the ginger, rice vinegar and sesame oil. Stir again. Thin as desired with water.

Fluff the rice and combine it with the chopped vegetables and cashews. If opting to make the dish a complete meal, add shredded rotisserie chicken or unseasoned cooked shrimp. Drizzle with a bit of the ginger peanut sauce to taste – you most likely will not need to use all of it. Serve with lime wedges.

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food & beverage

step by step

a fish tale Photos by K. Wilkins Photography Story by By Amelia Boldaji & Pete Erickson

the outer banks is an angler’s paradise,

and you don’t have to be a fishing fanatic to enjoy casting a line every now and again. But if you are a relative beginner, you may not know what to do with your prize once you’ve caught it. Have no fear: Cleaning a fish is easy – although it might take a bit of practice at first.

The following is a step-by-step guide to cleaning your first fish. While cleaning methods can vary depending on the type of fish you’ve caught, our resident expert Pete Erickson chose to give his demonstration with a speckled trout (an extremely common fish that can be found in this area year round). In addition to trout, a large percentage of other common catches (including puppy drum, blue fish and striped bass) can be cleaned using this method, so it’s a good starting point.

Pro Tools Tip: You won’t need much, but the absolutely essential key to getting good fillets is a very sharp knife that’s the right size for your fish. If you only keep one in your arsenal, an eight- to 10-inch-long blade is a good standard size.

Step One: This is the prepping stage.

Gather your supplies, including your knife and a container of some sort so you have something to put the fillets in once you’re finished. Rinse the fish well.

Step Two: Make a diagonal cut at an angle behind the pectoral fin that goes all the way down to the fish’s spine.

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Step Three: Turn the blade horizontal and run the blade down the length of the fish – stopping right before you reach the tail.

Step Four: Flip the fillet back (like

opening a book), then insert your blade between the meat and the skin, starting at the tail end where it’s still connected.

ThE

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Step Five: Run your blade back

to the original cut, being careful to separate the meat from the skin.

Step Six: Voila! You now have your first skinless fillet. If you care to debone it as well, place your blade behind the ribs and slice out the belly section. Turn the fish over, and repeat the process on the other side.

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lifestyle

30 at 30

30 Questions about the Outer Banks to Celebrate Our Big 3-0 Compiled by Cathy Baldwin and Amelia Boldaji Photography by K. Wilkins Photography

Kym Bath

Ashley Lackore

1

What’s the most unusual item you’ve found washed up on the beach?

A pallet of Doritos from a cargo ship washed up in Frisco – Sarah Spurling Dentures, paintball mask or a dolphin beak. It's a toss-up! – Krista Barkley A seal back in the ‘80s—he was still alive and we were able to save him – Nicole Peters Fred Fijn

Military MRE (meal ready to eat). My hubby even ate the crackers from it! – Ivy Ingram I once found the contents of a shipwreck—it was a little unnerving because there were personal items like prescription bottles and clothes – Janell Downing

Capt. Cole Yeatts

Jeff Myers

The old Kitty Hawk Lifesaving Station’s brick cistern—sometimes it’s covered and sometimes it’s exposed, but I love that it’s literally history on the beach – Captain Cole Yeatts

2

What’s the perfect OBX day look like for you?

Almost all of your minds went straight to temperature and waves!

80 degrees, sunny, my friends, all day at the beach – Kendra Bednarek

Molly Marks

85 degrees, sunny with a light breeze – Jeff Hill 78 degrees, 5 mph wind, 65% humidity, and not a cloud in the sky – Debra Sinkage Sun shining, light wind 75ish, no traffic and clear beautiful ocean – Ricki Stewart

Sam Powell 38

NORTH BEACH SUN SUMMER 2017

Sun, light breeze, uncrowded beach after a storm so treasures can be discovered – Glen Baldwin

In honor of the North Beach Sun’s 30th birthday, we canvased the streets, ambushed folks at work and reached out on Facebook to find the answers to 30 Outer Banks-specific questions. The responses were all over the map – some thoughtful, some nostalgic, some hilarious – and we loved getting to know each and every one of you who participated. Read on!

Beautiful weather and empty beaches – Ashley Vigil

Don't even bother with the beach umbrella – Shannon Kinser

Head-high, glassy sets – Ashley Lackore

Alaskan crab legs aren't local seafood – Ryan Moser

3

What’s your funniest hurricane memory?

Returning from our escape city, Richmond, to find a half-full beer can on the hand rail where we left it.

Guess it never got that windy after all!

– Daryl Law Watching Jim Cantore getting blown off the beach access steps on The Weather Channel – Ricki Stewart Putting all of our electronics in the bath tub of our two-story house. I’m not really sure why we did this! – Ryan Moser When my fiancée learned that his truck can’t swim – Kym Bath

Y'all have got to go visit Downtown Manteo – Jessie Etheridge Wait 15 minutes and the weather will change! – Nicole Peters

5

What’s one local dish/food item that you can’t live without?

Bad Bean Bloody Mary! It's my favorite liquid lunch – Molly Marks Happy hour shrimp at Fish Heads – Glen Baldwin Fresh Fish from O’Neals in Wanchese – Brian Taylor

Having to crush coffee beans with a hammer – Laura Martier

Outer Banks Brewing Station’s carrot cake—like the menu says, it’s “the real reason Eric married Tina” – Debbie Taylor

4

6

What’s one thing you always tell a first-time visitor?

Come see us in September and October – Kendra Bednarek Be ready for it! This place is majestic! – Sarah Pringle Read the Sun – Ben Reilly Don’t go to the beach in a west wind! – Tami Montiel Virginia Dare Trail is the beach road – Alex Vigil

What’s the most adventurous thing you’ve ever done on the OBX?

Staying at Kelly's past midnight and risking the lights being turned on – Mark Russell 120 dives in N.C. Aquarium shark tank – Daryl Law When I first moved here, I swam out to a wreck in Salvo, at night, under a full moon. At that time, it was pretty daring—and slightly foolish! – Valerie Stump

Stay OFF the dunes! – Paul Dillon

A sunset sail on the Downeast Rover. I sound like an old woman – Ryan Moser

Get up early and watch the sunrise while sitting on the beach – Brenda Davis-Williams

Swam with and filmed a white marlin while fishing on the Rigged Up – Ryan Rhodes

Naked cocktail party in the sound using body boards as tables – Laura Martier Crossing the bypass during the summer – Jennifer Lowe I’d tell you, but you can’t print it. Use your imagination! – Sam Powell

7

what's the Most challenging part of living here?

Courting – Jeff Myers Rust – Nancy Seitz Sand in the cracks...of my car – Frankie Vincent Summer traffic. Hurricanes pale in comparison! – Glen Baldwin Not being able to go to the beach in the summer because I’m working – Andrea Johnston

8

What’s your best celebrity sighting on the OBX?

While working at the Sanderling, John Travolta called up and asked for a massage at midnight. We scrambled to get someone, but eventually he got one! – Krista Barkley Ty Pennington at Food Dudes – Molly Marks

I was working at the YMCA and Ed O'Neill walked in. I had to photocopy his driver's license to allow him entry!

– Paul Dillon

Wanchese Wampus – he lives in the marshes of Wanchese and looks like a cross between Bigfoot and the trash heap from Fraggle Rock. You better be good or he’ll get you! – Ricki Stewart

Taylor Swift on the beach in Carova— I’ve heard that she comes down here for a week every summer – Kati Wilkins

That Bodie Island is pronounced “body” because the currents would carry bodies from shipwrecks there – Valerie Stump

9

That Target and Olive Garden are opening here – Debbie Taylor

What business or restaurant would you like to see resurrected?

Quagmires won hands down, but a few of you mentioned other favorites from the past.

The Galleon Esplanade – Debra Sinkage The Atlantis to see Widespread Panic – Eliot Jones Mrs. T’s Deli – Captain Jeremy Wilkins The roller rink, The Big Kahuna, MexEcono – Ryan Rhodes

10

Sandy Williams

11

Ryan Moser

what's your Favorite local tradition/ celebration?

Going to see the Poulos family Christmas lights every year – Kerry Raskin

The return of fall – Herman Hall Ladies Night, Outer Banks Brewing Station – Jeff Myers

What’s your favorite local superstition/ legend?

Goatman (the legendary boogieman of Nags Head Woods) was the leading answer by far, but here are a few other answers.

The Deadliest Catch guys—they bought us shots of whiskey at Jolly Roger – Kym Bath

For a while in late ‘80s, there was black magic scare in Nags Head Woods and they did a full moon exorcism – Daryl Law

My mom checked in Darius Rucker at the Oasis Hotel and didn't even realize it was him – Markee Fuller

Virginia Dare as the White Doe of Manteo – Maggie Bryson

Laura Martier

The night before the Duck Jazz Festival­­—The Blue Point hosts all of the musicians for the Live Improv Jazz Jam. Between the October weather, the drinks, the view and the music, it's the perfect night! – Leigh Raskin

Alex Concilus

12

What's your Favorite way to do an OBX staycation?

We get it… you guys love Ocracoke. The island won by a long shot, but here are a few other close-to-home answers.

Kevin Cherry

As someone who grew up in the area, it's nice to occasionally see the area through a visitor's eyes by visiting the local landmarks – Katelin Kight Having a seafood boil with friends and family by the water – Krista Barkley Scott Smith

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Drinking at Lost Colony Brewery, then a movie at the Pioneer Theatre – Alex Concilus Eliot Jones

Day drinking! Beach! Eating out! Pretty much every day is a staycation! – Jessie Etheridge

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what's your Favorite piece of OBX history?

Shannon Kinser

Whalehead Club—paranormal activity in Mrs. Knight’s bedroom sounds saucy – Debbie Taylor I love the history of the homesteads in Nags Head Woods—there are recorded interviews with locals that are now gone, explaining how they loved and lived in the woods – Kate Jones

Markee Fuller

Blackbeard the pirate, because he was a bad ass – Ashley Vigil I'm a descendant of the Freedmen's Colony on Roanoke, so my roots here go back to the 1800s. It's a shame that not many people know about one of the first, functioning communities of freed African Americans. – Markee Fuller

Ryan Rhodes

That the town of Kill Devil Hills was named after a rum that was so strong it could kill the devil – Vicki Moulson

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What's your Favorite local saying?

Jessie Etheridge

Didn't you used to date her? – Jeff Myers We're a drinking village with a fishing problem – Alex Vigil You didn't lose your girlfriend, you lost your turn – Kevin Cherry

Jennifer Lowe

Do you have a local’s discount? – Kym Bath Ain't nothin’ sweeter than a Kinnakeeter Peter! Haha, just kidding.

Don't use that! – Anonymous mom to almost four

Glenn Eure

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what's your Favorite local landmark?

Jockey's Ridge—when you're between the dunes and all you can see is sand, it feels like you're on another planet – Lex Lowe Outer Banks Beachcomber Museum – Molly Marks Barry Price 40

NORTH BEACH SUN SUMMER 2017

Any and all of the lighthouses – Jeff Hill

Bonner Bridge—when I'm southbound on it, I feel the stress rise off my shoulders. When heading northbound, I'm always on a mission, which my mother refers to as “the grocery store gauntlet” – Valerie Stump Wright Brothers National Memorial—I can see it from my house! – Shannon Kinser

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what's your Favorite OBX neighborhood?

First Flight Village. Best Halloween around! – Tom Ferguson Ocean Acres because you get to hang with Rohde and Delbert – Herman Hall Chicahauk because it reminds me of Wilmington. I love the tree-lined streets, and it's a nice quiet place to walk. Plus they have the best yard sales! – Krista Barkley

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what's your Favorite local view/place to go for a photo op?

The fields in Currituck – Nicole Peters Behind Bodie light – Scott Smith Pea Island National Refuge – Rachel Moser Old Oregon Inlet Coast Guard Station – Jessie Etheridge Colington Beach Park – Tina Mackenzie There's a sound access with a gazebo off of West Third Street in Kill Devil Hills that I love to walk to at sunset – Leigh Raskin

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who's your Favorite Wright brother?

South Nags Head and Manteo because that’s where I live and work, respectively. It's the greatest commute in the world! – Nancy Seitz

Orville barely edged out Wilbur, but a few of you had more creative ideas.

Bay Drive—I love watching the sun set on the sound – Katelin Kight

Papa Milton for siring the rascals – Jeff Myers

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Katharine, their sister, is my favorite.

She gave up her dream of being a teacher to manage her brothers’ affairs and take care of them. The brothers were notoriously shy, so Katharine traveled with them around the world to help them promote their invention. – Leigh Raskin

what's your Favorite local unexplained phenomena?

The weather – Ben Reilly The Lost Colony—where’d they go? – Ashley Vigil The Kitty Hawk mountain lion – Sarah Spurling Seneca guns—WTH is that sound? – Shannon Kinser

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what's your Favorite holiday to spend on the OBX?

July 4th was the overall crowd favorite, but a few of you had other ideas.

The wrong brother – Barry Price

The leftie – Alex Concilus

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What’s the strangest question you’ve ever been asked about the OBX?

Who's your favorite Wright Brother? – Maggie Bryson What are the mileposts for? – Fred Fijn What time is the dolphin show? – Tami Montiel What ocean is this? – Sandy Williams

Thanksgiving—the weather is usually still warm and we spend the day sitting outside eating oysters and being with family – Krista Barkley

What do your kids do for school? They didn't know we had schools here! – Heather Rollins

We live in paradise, so every day here is like a holiday – Cameron Copeland

Are the hush puppies in season? – Vicki Moulson

Halloween—I live on First Street, so it's kind of a big deal – Katelin Kight

“How do you live down here? There is nothing to do in the off season.” Like after work they go to the symphony and theater all the time back where they live – Kevin Cherry

Valentine's Day—it’s radically inexpensive – Jeff Myers

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Mandy Henderson

A breaking news alert for Hurricane Matthew flashed on our TV screen saying that North Carolina had declared a state of emergency. The family I was serving began asking each other, “Are we in North Carolina?”

When no one knew the answer, they turned to me – Leigh Raskin

22 Mark Russell

What's the Tallest fish tale you’ve ever heard?

That a great white shark named Katherine was cruising the sounds.

Oh wait, that actually happened – Kate Jones It was this big! – Cameron Copeland

Capt. Jeremy Wilkins

Alex Vigil

That a dolphin discovered the channel that goes from the Oregon Inlet Fishing Center to Oregon Inlet – Jessica Taylor

Kate Jones

Jim Wiliams

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NORTH BEACH SUN SUMMER 2017

25

what's the Strangest thing in your beach bag?

A nine-volt battery, dirty sock, pink sidewalk chalk and a golf ball – Elizabeth Hudspeth I work hard not to carry anything to the beach – Eliot Jones Extra toddler underwear and a stick of glue – Mandy Henderson The North Beach Sun and a warm, sandy PB&J – Kati Wilkins Meat tenderizer for jellyfish stings – Lex Lowe Baby powder—it helps to get the sand off your legs – Rachel Moser

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what's the Strangest street or locale name?

Good Luck Street in Manteo – Cameron Copeland

One thing most people might not know about the OBX is…

With the exception of Hatteras, we're not an island—we're a peninsula connected to Virginia – Debi Des Roches We were the second municipality in the United States to implement a single-use plastic bag ban – Ivy Ingram

Random Street – Jessica Taylor

The speed limit is 45 to 50—not 35 – Britton Ricketts

Wingina in Manteo—it's just funny to hear it pronounced – Ryan Moser

How great it is to raise your family here – Jason James

Chicamacomico, an Algonquin word supposedly meaning “sinking down sand” – Ryan Rhodes

The part of N.C. Highway 12 in Kitty Hawk that constantly washes out sits atop an ancient riverbed – Debbie Taylor

Funk Street – Jim Williams

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what's the Strangest odd job you’ve ever done here?

Stand-up comedian at New York Pizza—for one night only. We raised exactly $37.50 for the Rotary Club. – Glenn Eure I didn't do it, but a friend got paid to sit at the Carova access and inflate/deflate tires for a property management company – Alex Vigil

Katelin Kight

Secret shopper for Belk – it only lasted a week! – Tina Mackenzie

Every fishing story Charles Kirchmier has ever told me #charleslies – Kevin Cherry

Tuckahoe Drive because we used to change the name when we were kids.

I wonder how much they spent on repainting that sign over the years! – Colin Cox

Rachel Moser

I used to be a blacksmith at Festival Park in Manteo – Markee Fuller

I gave 10 silver dollars to people on the beach who agreed to tour First Flight Village—and there were no houses there yet! – Vicki Moulson

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One practical thing I’ve learned by living on the OBX is…

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What’s your favorite beach access?

We should’ve known better than to ask Outer Bankers to give up their secret spots!

Cantellya Street—it's right next Nunyas and Hushmouth Creek – Ryan Rhodes My private one – Laura Martier Not telling – Tina Mackenzie If I told you, I’d have to kill you – Shannon Kinser The hidden access just before Coquina…don’t publish this! – Ryan Moser

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Create a new slogan for the OBX (i.e., “First in Flight”).

Where Summer is Like 100 Days of Christmas – Nina Foster The OBX—Where the Middle Lane is Just a Suggestion – Mark Russell Bike More, It's Flat – Kate Jones Come on Vacation, Leave on Pro...wait that's been used – Kevin Cherry You Have to Go Right to Go Left – Britton Ricketts ROBD—Run Over By Delbert – Barry Price We Will Exceed Your OBXpectations! – Jim Williams

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Give the OBX a perfect hashtag.

#obxlivinthedream – Mark Russell #lovewhereiliveOBX – Brenda DavisWilliams

Always have a flashlight handy – Kendra Bednarek

#youwishyoulivedhere – Heather Rollins

Deet is a necessity – Jeff Hill

#beachplease – Sarah Spurling

Tinder is only viable in the summer – Alex Concilus

#donotturnleftontothebypass – Barry Price

The direction of the wind has a lot to do with the air temperature (and the water level in the sound) – Jessica Taylor

#beerme – Alex Concilus

Be flexible. You'll wear many different hats! – Paul Dillon

#bestplaceonearth – Rachel Moser #staysaltymyfriends – Markee Fuller #justtryandleave – Laura Martier

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The cat did it.

She said I could.

The wind blew it over.

I don't know.

Her mom said it was OK. Yes, they're clean.

The dog did it.

I don't have any homework today.

I didn't hear you.

It's nothing.

It was like that when I found it.

I didn't touch anything.

I'm not sleepy.

A bird flew in and took it.

I thought you said to.

The fish did it.

It wasn't me. b.s. in parenting

I Didn’t Do It A Case of the Creative Truth-Tellers

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NORTH BEACH SUN SUMMER 2017

By Lindsey Beasley Dianna

I hear a bloodcurdling scream, followed by an alarming silence.

Quickly, but cautiously, I approach the room – I am ready to take care of whomever or whatever is responsible for the massacre happening in my kitchen while I dared to use the bathroom. Instead, all I see are three cherubs, each sitting suspiciously on separate pieces of furniture while making zero eye contact and having eerie conversations with one another about the status of homework and the weather. I'm no Matlock, but something's fishy around here.

At first I sigh with relief that my children are unharmed – until I inspect for damage, only to find wrappers from last year's Halloween candy (I swear I threw that out) and a nice trail of either blood or Red Dye No. 40 mysteriously decorating my kitchen in an apparently victimless crime. Whodunnit?

Since I had child number three, I’ve confidentially declared that age four is the official kickoff to a lengthy fibbing season. By then they've finally caught on that I do not actually have eyeballs in the back of my head, and they’re beginning to question the existence of the Tooth Fairy. And the suspicion becomes mutual – a game of cat and mouse truth-telling.

There’s a lot of pressure to know everything, and let's face it, sometimes you want to impress someone so you embellish a little, like one does in dating websites (which is a SUPER special treat for the over-40 single mother club, but that’s a whole other series). So, with the desire to impress and ingratiate ones selves to others, lies are born.

Fact or fiction? This is the beginning to most conversations with beloved preschool teachers upon hearing suspicious information. I have to ask, because just when I think I’m right, of course I'm not. Oh, it's your share day at school today and also pajama day and your snack must be yellow? And your entire class is going to Busch Gardens on a field trip without permissions slips, which is, coincidentally, also today? These things bring new meaning to the term “alternative facts,” and we’re just getting started. (Where did they get this from? Oh wait….)

As family legend has it, I made life rather interesting for my parents and teachers right from the start, and I still blame little orphan Annie. After seeing that classic, I was so inspired that I decided to spin my own yarn, mortifying my mother and moving the preschool teachers to tears. In my version, my father had abandoned us (perhaps because he was in the Coast Guard and at sea, but facts schmacts!), and my mother had allowed an evil man to move in with us, making our lives wretched and unbearable. My lucky mother was greeted at preschool pickup by weeping adults offering support and

hugging her against her will. To this day I’m reminded of that precious memory at most family gatherings, but since I don’t remember it maybe it didn’t happen? Yes, I’ll employ kid-logic at it’s finest for that one.

In the first grade, we were asked to stand up and share something exciting with the class. Rarely smooth when put on the spot, I shared an enchanting tale that involved sharing a pu-pu platter with my family at a Chinese restaurant when a monsoon struck, forcing us to spend the night there. This one I most definitely remember – but don’t worry, the fallout was minimal since that natural disaster inexplicably only impacted my family.

My attempts at being unshakeable while trying to solve these mysteries are tested to the max with my youngest child – far more apt in the tall-tale department than her older siblings – and that’s when a combination of body language and boundary pushing begins to unfold.

I’m steady at first. (“I made that chin, and its fake quivering is not going to work on me, missy.”) Then the lip comes out, the eyes grow big as saucers, and by the time the crocodile tears start coming I’m holding back laughter with all my might. (“HONEST, mama, I’m NOT LYYYYYYING! If grand-daddy was here this never would have happened!”) When we reach the point of lying about lying and trotting out my dearly departed father whom she never even met, I’ve clearly had it up to here.

I’ve shut down like Congress on my kids’ butts for this recently, because they know I hate lying more than the most annoying, messy mess they can make, or the most precious thing they can break. They may try to play me like a fiddle, but I’m not going out like that – SOMEBODY did it, plain and simple, and I WILL get to the bottom of it. From watching Murder She Wrote and Perry Mason as a child, to every last episode of Law & Order at least once, I’ve seen enough crime shows to have a variety of approaches at my disposal. In the end, allowing them to work out the chain of confessions in a room without me present and zero options for fun usually does the trick.

“Just you wait, Lindsey,” my parents said. “One day you’ll have kids of your own, and I hope they turn out exactly like you,” they said. I’ve made my creative truth-telling bed, and we’re all lying in it now. This column is called “B.S. in Parenting” for a reason after all.

Touché, parents. Touché.

Lindsey Beasley Dianna is a full-time mom to three who currently resides in Kitty Hawk. She’d like to be a writer when she grows up.

NORTHBEACHSUN.COM

45

lifestyle

Pack & Go!

2

1

3

Photo by K. Wilkins Photography Compiled by Amelia Boldaji

Ready to leave the beach (but not really)?

Don’t worry. The Outer Banks is chock full of locally made things that will remind you of everything you love best about this area – and most of them are just the right size to fit in your suitcase. Turns out, sand in your shoes isn’t the only thing you can take home with you…

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1

Treat yourself to Beach Glass Candy, a hard candy that comes in a variety of tropical flavors.

2

Filled with rice and dried herbs, Hot Mess’ hand sewn eyepads will help you relax and rest easy.

3

Protect your skin with BANXblock, a locally developed, mineral-based sunscreen.

4

Linen and cotton tea towels by A Good Catch feature local art that you can take anywhere.

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5

Manteo Blacksmith transforms old railroad spikes into one-of-a-kind bottle openers/ oyster knives.

6

Add some flavor with Outer Banks SeaSalt that’s been hand harvested from the Atlantic Ocean.

7

Handmade on Ocracoke Island, Milk Street Soap may be habit forming...but with so many scents to choose from that’s not a bad thing.

8

You’ll want to hang these Wiggly William driftwood ornaments up all year round.

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NORTH BEACH SUN SUMMER 2017

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9

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Outer Banks Brewing Station’s four-packs of Thank You Sir, May I Have Another Pale Ale let you have as many as you have the space for.

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HiFive Handplanes’ meticulously shaped cypress handboards are perfect for body boarding enthusiasts.

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Aye, that’s authentic Kill Devil Rum – distilled and bottled right here on Roanoke Island.

12 Featuring some of the best food this area has to offer, Food as Art on the Outer Banks is a full-color cookbook that lets you recreate favorite local dishes from afar.

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Shake (and grind) things up with a hand painted peppermill from Spinfinite Designs.

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Colorful hand-sewn pouches by MLB Designs come in a variety of shapes, sizes and prints.

15

15 Written by Cristina Francis and illustrated by her son Torin, Goodnight Beach is a clever new take on a classic children’s book.

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Hollow Daze Surf Designs’ Dog Daze is an all-natural soap for your four-legged friends (available only at Made in the OBX).

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Style meets function with Opus Stone Concrete’s handmade concrete coasters (set of three).

18 Soundesign Works has a full line of hand-painted children’s wear – including t-shirts, onesies and rompers.

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Give your lips some love with Changing Vines’ all-natural chamomile lip balm – available in coffee butter, too!

20

Nothing’s quite as sweet as pure raw honey harvested by Outer Banks Bees in Wanchese and Hyde County.

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Special thanks to Made in the OBX and Modern Beach House for providing most of the items featured.

To learn more about where to find these items, visit northbeachsun.com.

NORTHBEACHSUN.COM

47

Arts & Entertainment

Are there ghosts in Buffalo City?

Getting

Lost A new short film puts a ghostly spin on the abandoned mill and moonshine town of Buffalo City

By Katrina Mae Leuzinger

The now all-but-vanished town certainly has the makings of a haunted ghost town – if you believe in that sort of thing. Buffalo City was once a thriving community of about 3,000 people who eked out a living from the mill that brought them there, and later, from a boisterous moonshining operation. They had their own hotel, a country store, a schoolhouse, and their own ways of maintaining the law of the land, including (reportedly) at least one execution by fire.

But once the mill folded for good and Prohibition ended, the town’s residents slowly left. Over time, the swamp took the town back – leaving almost nothing behind to indicate the area’s colorful past. Yet there are still a few hints that remain, tucked away in the Alligator River Wildlife Refuge in mainland Dare County. And, as with any ghost town, there’s always the thrill of possibility that if you go looking, you might be the one to find some hitherto unknown artifact.

That’s what drove local filmmaker Raymond Wallace into the swamp. He was working on a documentary about Buffalo City for Dare County’s Current TV (formerly GovEd TV), and he decided to wade out into the overgrown marsh alone.

He got lost.

It was only for a little while, and once he found the main road again it was easy for Wallace to attribute perfectly logical explanations to every panic-filled moment he had just experienced.

The scent of vanilla that seemed to follow him everywhere like a spectral woman’s perfume was probably just some flowers he happened to (repeatedly) pass by. And those strange sounds he heard – the ones that sounded like a woman screaming? That was probably just some birds.

“When you're lost and you're scared, I think your mind starts making up things that are probably...well, it can make things seem like a bigger deal than they probably are,” says Wallace.

So if there are ghosts in Buffalo City, Wallace insists he didn’t see any. But his experience wandering around the ghost town inspired him to make a very different film about Buffalo City than the documentary he was originally working on.

The 30-minute featurette is called “Lost in Buffalo City.”

“It's about this reporter, John Miller, who initially comes to town to do a story on a local retired sheriff, and while talking to him, Miller learns about the mystery of Buffalo City,” says Wallace. “Like me, he decides to go out there, gets lost in the woods, gets stuck in the mud, and starts hearing and seeing some ghosts, and then….”

And then, you’ll just have to see it for yourself in order to find out what befalls John Miller.

It’s an Outer Banks ghost story that wouldn’t have been possible without a great deal of effort from our community. Wallace first envisioned it as a small personal project, but it soon spiraled out into the biggest commercial undertaking he’d ever attempted.

“Once my writing partner, Todd Densmore, and I had the script and we started going through it, we started adding scenes here and there. Suddenly, we were going to need more people, and in order to do the thing right we

Shooting scenes on location in the marshes surrounding Buffalo City with actor Jeff Ronan (left). Photo courtesy of Carolyn Blomberg.

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NORTH BEACH SUN SUMMER 2017

needed to house those people and feed them. What originated as a 10-minute YouTube video quickly turned into a 30-minute if-we're-gonna-do-it-let's-do-it-right short film, and we put our full effort and money into it,” says Wallace.

Wallace pulled on resources from a variety of different directions, and the final result is a cast and crew list that’s about half locals and half visitors, including executive producer credits for Baldwin Video Productions and Access Media Group. Theatre of Dare got involved when Kate Davison stepped in as the production designer and Daniel Ziegler did the set construction, and all of the actors are local save for the main character, who’s played by New York-based actor Jeff Ronan. The folks at Kitty Hawk Surf Co. were even kind enough to provide the kayak used in the film. Wallace and Densmore rented a house in Kill Devil Hills, got all the cast and crew to come together, and filmed the whole thing over a period of seven days this past March.

Unfortunately, that was during one of those unseasonably freezing weeks in March.

“It was rough,” admits Wallace. “It was a lot of trudging through the mud, carrying equipment in, keeping people fed, and dealing with the elements as they came. When it rained we took a break and waited it out – when it was cold, we couldn’t necessarily put the actors in the water. So we had to come up with other plans and adapt.”

If this film is successful, Wallace hopes he’ll be able to tell other Outer Banks ghost stories next – perhaps even a whole series of them.

There’s really no shortage of local history and lore to choose from. And Wallace sees visual ghost stories such as “Lost in Buffalo City” as not simply a way to tell good stories, but also as a way to delve into history.

“What we're hoping we’ve created is a different and interesting way to bring attention to Buffalo City and what it once was. From my background experience I know ghost stories tend to do that. They bring an audience that's interested in knowing more about the local history of a place,” Wallace says. “Plus, a good ghost story is always entertaining – and I think we’ve made a good one.”

Of course, the best ghost stories are the ones people really believe are true.

So, are there ghosts in Buffalo City?

“I don't know whether or not there are actual ghosts running around, but I can tell you that if you're out there by yourself and you start to hear bird calls that sound like screaming… it can be scary,” Wallace says.

“Lost in Buffalo City” can be viewed at LostInBuffaloCity.com for $1.99. Parents should note that the film is family-friendly and does not contain cursing or gore. Just a few things that go bump in the night.

“What we're hoping we’ve created is a different and interesting way to bring attention to Buffalo City and what it once was.”

-Filmmaker Raymond Wallace

Scenes from the short film "Lost in Buffalo City" might look familiar to Outer Banks locals (right).

NORTHBEACHSUN.COM

49

Arts & Entertainment

Matt Meekins stands on the lawn at Roanoke Island Festival Park with a photo of himself in his former life.

A New

Road None of us know what the road of life has in store for us. Sometimes it’s a smooth ride, and other times it can be

much rockier, but hopefully – no matter what the terrain may happen to be – we’re able to turn it into something beautiful. Born and raised on the Outer Banks, Matt Meekins is doing just that by using his life experiences to bring positivity, unity and hope to the community he calls home.

“When we can get out of the way of ourselves, we can do amazing things for those around us,” Meekins says. “When it becomes less about ‘me’ and more about ‘you,’ we can all benefit from that.”

After graduating from Manteo High School, Meekins went to East Carolina University on a baseball scholarship. But music was still a longtime passion of his (he began playing guitar when he was 14 years old), so he later joined a rock band called Mullet Roe. A legendary local band that drew crowds from all around, Mullet Roe spent the next 10 years performing in venues that ranged from Port O’ Call to Manhattan-based dives to battle of the band-style gigs in Panama City during spring break. And, as Meekins became increasingly immersed in the rock and roll lifestyle, he ultimately also got caught up in the substance abuse culture.

“I found myself in a place where I felt trapped,” Meekins says. “I wanted to change, but I just didn’t know what to do. And God met me in the middle of that.”

Calling his story one of grace and mercy, Meekins says that his life was changed at a youth convention (ironically enough, at the age of 34). After seeking help to overcome his substance abuse, he met someone who had a similar passion for music, and that person took him to the last place he ever thought he’d want to go: a Christian concert.

“When I first got there, I was like, ‘This is going to be terrible. What does 'Christian concert' even mean?’” Meekins recalls. “I went in to do security, and came out a different man.” Impressed by the skill level of the musicians, Meekins’ viewpoint began to change.

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NORTH BEACH SUN SUMMER 2017

Photo by Cory Godwin Productions Story by Abby Stewart

“I had an experience that, to this day, I’m not really sure how to explain other than to say that God was made real to me there,” Meekins says. “It changed my life.”

Meekins found himself going to concert after concert. Perhaps because the musician in him would have rather been on stage, he soon realized that he needed to be more involved somehow. From there, it wasn’t long before he began to wonder why Outer Banks residents had to travel hours away to enjoy those kinds of experiences. Why not bring them to this area?

That’s where the idea for His Generation was born, and two years ago it came to fruition. His Generation is now an established local nonprofit group that focuses on bringing Christian music to the Outer Banks.

“I believe music transcends so many of our differences – in the church and in the world,” Meekins says.

“Although people can have different opinions and motives, I’ve found that music – or what we call in the Christian genre, ‘worship’ – can transcend our differences, and that allows us all to unite.”

Meekins is also quick to point out that His Generation isn’t a church, but rather a para-ministry.

“Our goal is to be more of a resource so that all churches can come together,” he explains. “We hope that

Rocker Matt Meekins Paves the Way for Another Generation

we’re doing what we’re called to do.”

Holding their main events at Roanoke Island Festival Park in Manteo, His Generation has hosted big names in the Christian music genre, such as Crowder and Kristene DiMarco, and what they’ve seen with a number of the artists is that they fall in love with the area and the unique venue. According to Meekins, His Generation is also humbled by the response they have received by local business owners and churches from different denominations that volunteer their time to make those events successful.

Appealing to multiple generations is important to Meekins and His Generation. “That’s a huge part of it as well, to be able to have family-friendly events where everyone from 70-years-old down to 10 are able to come together,” Meekins adds. “I believe that music can do that.”

This summer, His Generation welcomes For King & Country and We Are Messengers to Roanoke Island Festival Park on June 21st, in what will more than likely be their biggest event to date.

“I would like to see people come out and give it a chance,” Meekins says. “The message is positive, it’s a clean environment – and the people are full of joy and love.”

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224 W. Satterfield Landing, Nags Head (Next to the bowling alley) innerfitobx.com innerfitobx@gmail.com 252.305.6612 Andrea Johnston, Director *For locals with ID

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Agent *North Carolina Farm Bureau® Mutual Insurance Co. *Farm Bureau® Insurance of North Carolina, Inc. *Southern Farm Bureau® Life Insurance Co., Jackson, MS *An independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association

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EVERYTHING ELSE UNDER THE

Sun

e n o G

n e t t o g r o F t o N But na s , N . C a r o li O u te r B a n k

By Dawn Church I’ve been lucky enough to live on the Outer Banks for nearly 30 years, so it’s only fitting for me to help celebrate the North Beach Sun’s 30th anniversary with a short list of things that you never knew used to be here. Let’s take a short, but funky, walk down memory lane to see what we’re missing from those long-gone days!

Sweat it out Cap’n Jacks, affectionately known by locals as the “Frisco Disco,” was a sweet party shack on the soundside down in Frisco in the late ‘80s. I (sorta) remember cold, canned beer, cheap wine, great music and the fact that everyone in town was there on a Saturday night. Local bands played in the big center room while we all danced and sweated, crammed into that space with NO air conditioning. When it got too hot and crowded, you just danced your way out the open doors and onto the wrap-around porch to cool off.

Stuck at the gate From the seventies until the late ‘80s you couldn’t drive unimpeded up the road to Corolla. The story goes that developers of Ocean Sands and Whalehead Beach put up a guard gate on the Currituck County line (just north of Sanderling) at the urging of the developer of Pine Island, who was a little miffed that they had paved the road. Only property owners with a pass were allowed through the gate, but of course, many a smart and sassy local knew that they could just drive up the beach in Duck and avoid the gate altogether. The gate came down when the North Carolina Department of Transportation took over the road, and it became part of Highway 12.

From top to bottom: The welcome sign at the Ocean Sands gate (courtesy of Teresa F. Matchette), advertisements for Atlantis and the Surf Slide (courtesy of Outer Banks Vintage Scrapbook page on Facebook), and kids frolicking at the Surf Slide (courtesy of Marc Feldstein).

Jam on The Atlantis was an oceanfront club in Nags Head, and the only place I knew that you could literally walk off the dance floor and out the back door onto the beach. I don’t know if the Atlantis had air conditioning, but it sure never felt like it, so we often ended up out on the beach.

Tucked in between the old Foosball Palace and the Nags Head Pier, it was usually stuffed to the rafters with locals and visitors alike. Somehow the place attracted crazy great artists like Burning Spear, 311 and Dave Matthews, despite its increasingly shabby condition.

Stories of the ever-overflowing ladies’ room toilets were matched only by legends of the giant trough in the men’s room. Good times!

Slide over In Nags Head, across from what is now the Outer Banks Sports Club, there was once a big hill lined with four bright yellow fiberglass flumes, a low-tech version of today’s super-slick water rides. You could stay all day at the Surf Slide, chugging up the concrete sidewalk to the top with your colored mat. By all accounts, the slides were a lot of fun, but also a wee bit dangerous, and many folks recall bruises and scrapes (and the occasional collision in the pool at the bottom) – which didn’t stop kids from going right back up and doing it again. The slide was torn down around 1999.

Hidden Outer Banks is the lovechild of longtime local Dawn Church. She reminds locals and visitors alike to explore the rich history and local color that exists beyond the bright lights of the Bypass. If you are into old school OBX stories and pics, check out the Outer Banks Vintage Scrapbook page on Facebook. You can find HOBX at hiddenouterbanks.com, on Instagram, Twitter @hiddenobx and facebook.com/hiddenouterbanks.

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NORTH BEACH SUN SUMMER 2017

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PHOTO BY PIVOT VISUALS

Visit Duck’s favorite spot

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NORTH BEACH SUN SUMMER 2017

for shopping, dining, yoga… and Aw�so�e Sunsets!

DUCK, NC At the north end of the Duck Village Boardwalk

CK DU ’S

GENERAL STORE

THE

STORE

Sunset Ice Cream

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NORTH BEACH SUN SUMMER 2017