North Beach Sun Fall 2017

FA L L 2 0 1 7 • VO L . 1 2 2

FR EE!

A DAY I N TH E LI FE O F SI X U N I Q U E LO C AL J O BS HA RN ESSI N G POWER FROM TH E G U LF STREA M

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2016 FALL IS THE SEASON FOR

Corporate orders welcome!

If you’re going to indulge, why not indulge in the very best the Outer Banks has to offer? At Big Buck’s Homemade Ice Cream Shop they use the finest, freshest ingredients to handcraft small batches of creamy caramel-dipped pretzels, chocolate covered Oreos, mouthwatering pecan caramel turtles and—everyone’s favorite!—peanut butter cups. Or tempt your taste buds with a hot fudge sundae, banana split or a waffle cone with one of Big Buck’s 57 signature ice cream flavors made fresh daily.

Spoil the guests at your next party with a custom chocolate station from Big Buck’s Homemade Ice Cream Shop. Choose from over 70 delectable chocolates, or let their chocolate artists choose for you. Your guests will feel like kids in a candy store!

Want to send friends and family a sweet treat they’re sure to love? Shop for their chocolates online. Friends, clients, neighbors… everyone loves getting creamy, smooth and utterly delicious Belgian chocolate from Big Buck’s Homemade Ice Cream Shop!

Pre-order your own custom box of chocolates and fudge for the holidays!

Waterfront Shops Manteo 252-423-3118

Buccaneer’s Walk MP 4.5, Kitty Hawk 252-715-0779

Timbuck II Corolla 252-453-3188

106A Sir Walter Raleigh St. Manteo 252-423-3400

bigbucksicecream.com • distinctdelights.com 2

ORDER ONLINE!

Like us on Facebook for updates, store hours, specials, and more.

NORTH BEACH SUN FALL 2017

SINCE 1994

AP P LY the denver lindley art scholarship fund winston salem community foundation wsfoundation.org attn, edna barker 336.714.3466 NORTHBEACHSUN.COM

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NORTH BEACH SUN FALL 2017

NORTHBEACHSUN.COM

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38 16 18 28 fall 2017 9

BUT FIRST...

lifestyle

10 fall EVENTS CALENDAR

23 b.s. in parenting

Make good choices!

food & beverage

folks

14 amanda's kitchen

Leggo my Eggo

24 All in a day's work

A day in the life of six unique Outer Banks careers 25 Center Stage 26 On the Docks 28 Wild, Wild Horses 32 Fair Winds 34 Beach Builder 36 Shifting Sands

16 kombucha brewing takes root

Business booms for Ramblin' Root Kombucha

look back 18 the man and the myth: blackbeard

The story you don't know

outdoors 20 board banter

A guide to Outer Banks waves 22 shore science

Harnessing the Gulf Stream

REAL ESTATE

38 new kids on the block

Young entrepreneurs connect with one another

everything else under the sun 40 SHOW ME THE LIGHT!

Little-known lighthouse facts

about the cover: Legendary pirate Blackbeard immortalized by local artist Mark Russell. this page: Photos clockwise from top left courtesy of Ryan Moser, Lori Douglas Photography, Cory Godwin Productions and the Outer Banks History Center.

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NORTH BEACH SUN FALL 2017

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Publishers Adam & Cathy Baldwin

ILLUSTRATION Mark Russell

EDITOR Amelia Boldaji

Photography Trudy Austin Lori Douglas Photography Cory Godwin Productions Jordan LaRose Ryan Moser Outer Banks History Center K. Wilkins Photography

Art Director Dave Rollins Graphic Design Adam Baldwin Dylan Bush Writers Cathy Baldwin Amelia Boldaji Dawn Church Lindsey Beasley Dianna Catherine Kozak Laura Martier Amanda McDanel Jeffrey Myers Kelley Shinn Abby Stewart Kip Tabb

Sales Manager Helen Furr

�followthesun Account Executives Sue Goodrich Tori Peters

Distribution

@NO R T& H Glen B E A Baldwin CHSUN Bob

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

SPICES • TEAS • GIFTS LOCATED IN THE SCARBOROUGH LANE SHOPS 1171 Duck Road, D-4 | Duck, NC 27949 | 252-715-4500 | spiceandtea.com/duck CHECK OUR FACEBOOK PAGE FOR EVENTS & TASTINGS Facebook.com/TSTEDuck

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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NORTH BEACH SUN

115 West Meadowlark St. Kill Devil Hills, NC 27948

Best selection of oysters on the beach Full service lunch & dinner Award winning crabcakes, steaks, and Outer Banks Catch Don’t forget our Half Price Wednesday Oyster Special.

Check us out on Facebook for more Specials!

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NORTH BEACH SUN FALL 2017

Name: Coastal Provisions Oyster Bar & Wine Bar Café 1 Ocean Blvd. Southern Shores CoastalProvisionsOBX.com • 252-480-0023

Address: City: CC #:

State:

Zip: Exp.

Do you remember when...

NASA had a tracking station at the end of Old Oregon Inlet Road? This photo, taken by Aycock Brown in the 1960s, shows the station before it was torn down and the land was turned over to the National Park Service. Photo courtesy of the Outer Banks History Center.

BUT FIRST...

From the Publisher When I moved to the Outer Banks around 20 years ago, my family was convinced that I was spending all my time hanging out with friends on the beach, sort of like a modern-day Gidget. That wasn’t exactly the case.

The truth is I was working my butt off moonlighting as a cocktail waitress while teaching English classes at the College of the Albemarle and selling stories to local magazines on the side. It was exhausting to work around the clock, but I wasn’t alone. Most of my friends were juggling two (or more) jobs. My life today isn’t any less busy—only now if I’m up at two in the morning it’s to tend to a sick kid instead of giving last call to a bar full of people.

That’s the thing about living on the Outer Banks; you have to wear a lot of hats, not be afraid to hustle and keep at it until you find your calling, which may—or may not—take a long time. There are “dream jobs” here, but a dream job on the Outer Banks—more often than not—means doing what you love in a place you love. And that’s exactly what this issue’s all about.

In our feature “All in a Day’s Work” on page 24, we took a peek into the lives of six people who chose careers that are unique to the Outer Banks. We sat down with the herd manager for the Corolla Wild Horse Fund who monitors the horses’ health and educates the public; an Ocracoke ferryman who has spent the better part of his life navigating the shifting channels of the Pamlico Sound; a salty seafood broker who keeps local, fresh fish on restaurant menus; the project manager supervising the recent beach nourishment endeavor; the park superintendent for Jockey’s Ridge, the East Coast’s tallest sand dune; and The Lost Colony stage manager who oversees the longest running outdoor drama in North America. Their career choices are fascinating and unusual, yet integral to our particular way of life.

The Outer Banks entrepreneurs we interviewed on page 38 are also proof that where there’s a will, there’s a way. They’re growing home-based businesses selling goods that run the gamut from handcrafted jewelry to custom stationery. Using cross-collaboration, artisan markets and pop-up shops, they—and others like them—have created a network of like-minded business owners who support, empower and work with one another.

The Outer Banks is—and always has been—a place for those who work hard and dare to think outside the box. Here, the choice isn’t sink or swim—it’s sink or soar. I bet Wilbur and Orville would be proud.

Enjoy the issue!

-Cathy Baldwin

How Rare is Your Treasure?

Hunting for beach glass is a fall rite of passage. Between autumn’s storms and swells, the shifting sands of the Atlantic can unearth all sorts of treasure—much to the delight of local beach glass hunters. But just how rare is it to find an elusive red or coveted cobalt blue? We consulted Richard LaMotte’s book Pure Sea Glass to get the real skinny on the odds of finding your dream piece.

Happy hunting!

COL OR

ODDS

White 3:2 Brown 2:1 Kelly Green

5:1

Amber 25:1 Seafoam Green

50:1

Forest Green

50:1

Lime Green

50:1

Cobalt Blue

250:1

Opaque Milk Glass

250:1

Lavender 300:1 Aqua 500:1 Cornflower Blue

500:1

Pink 1,000:1 Gray 2,000:1 Black 2,000:1 Yellow 3,500:1 Red 5,000:1 Part of the collection at the Beachcomber Museum in Nags Head (photo by K. Wilkins Photography).

Orange 10,000:1

NORTHBEACHSUN.COM

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The Lost Colony Wine & Culinary Festival September 29 – 30

Fall 2017

events calendar

Currituck Heritage Festival September 16

Celebrate Currituck heritage at the Currituck Rural Center, complete with a BBQ competition and professional bull riding. visitcurrituck.com Outer Banks Triathlon September 16 – 17

Outer Banks Stunt Kite Competition September 8 – 10

Magnolia Market Craft Fair Tuesdays through September 26

Enjoy the open-air market and shop for quality handmade items ranging from local art to baked goods. townofmanteo.com WRV Outer Banks Pro August 30 – September 6

Top surfers from all over the country are set to compete in this annual showdown at Jennette’s Pier. wrvobxpro.com First Friday September 1, October 6, November 3

Downtown Manteo comes alive on the first Friday of each month from 6–8 p.m.

Ghost Tours of the Outer Banks Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays

Choose one of three haunted tours in downtown Manteo for a night of spooky fun. ghosttoursoftheouterbanks. com Acoustic Sunsets Thursday evenings in September

Sip local wine and listen to great acoustic bands on the north lawn of the Cotton Gin in Jarvisburg. sanctuaryvineyards.com

Whalehead Wednesdays Wednesdays through September 13

Listen to live music and drink local wine on the lawn of the Historic Corolla Park. visitcurrituck.com Manteo Farmers' Market Saturdays through September 30

Buy fresh, local fruits and veggies at this farmers' market every Saturday in downtown Manteo.

OBX Tribute Rock Concert September 2

Rock out to Slippery When Wet (Bon Jovi), Trial by Fire (Journey), and Pandora’s Box (Aerosmith) at the Roanoke Island Festival Park. roanokeisland.com Full Moon Climb September 6

Climb to the top of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse by the light of the moon. Children must be at least 42 inches to climb. nps.gov OBX Arts and Crafts Festival September 6 – 7

Browse the works of 25 local artisans whose specialties include painting, pottery, jewelry, photography, textiles and more at the Hilton Garden Inn. A portion of the proceeds goes to local charities. facebook.com/obxartfestival

Learn to fly stunt and power kites, watch live demos and enjoy a synchronized kite show set to music at the Outer Banks Event Site. kittyhawk.com 14th Annual Currituck Wildlife Festival September 9 – 10

This family-friendly festival at Currituck High School showcases many different forms of wildlife and wildfowl art. visitcurrituck.com Prayers for Those Who Protect Us September 10

In observance of the tragedy of 9/11, all police and fire personnel are invited to attend Sunday services at 8:30 and 10:30 at All Saints Episcopal Church for prayers of thanksgiving. allsaintsobx.org Day at the Docks September 15 – 16

Celebrate the heritage and living traditions of Hatteras watermen with seafood cooking demos, live music, contests, games and more in Hatteras Village. hatterasonmymind.com Kitty Hawk Surf Co. Kayak Fishing Tournament September 16

Cast a line in this catch-and-release style tournament. khsurf.com

Dinner Tuesday - Sunday 4 p.m. - 10 p.m.

Two For Tuesdays 2 meals for one price including 2 salads, 2 entrees, 2 desserts and live music $39.95 Sunday Ribeye steak night salad, entree, and dessert for $21.95 Live Music Wednesday - Sunday

Early Bird Special

Largest martini list on the beach!

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NORTH BEACH SUN FALL 2017

BREAKFAST AT ARGYLE’S!

Fri, Sat and Sun 8 a.m. -12 p.m.

Fresh crepes, famous Cinnamon roll french toast and more!

20% OFF

Any Entree

Valid from 4 p.m. -5 p.m. Not good on any specials.

MP 2.5 on the Bypass Kitty Hawk

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This USAT-sanctioned event in Manteo features Olympic distance, half distance and sprint distance. outerbankstriathlon.com ESA Easterns Surfing Championships September 17 – 23

Surfers compete in the ESA’s “grand finale” at Jennette’s Pier. surfesa.org Surfalorus Film Festival September 21 – 23

This 3-day celebration of coastal marine culture showcases the year’s best surf films and ocean documentaries. surfalorus.com OBX Pridefest September 22 – 24

This 3-day gay pride festival features a sunset cruise, live music, parties, a drag show and much more in this all-inclusive event. obxpridefest.com Crabdaddy Seafood and Wine Festival September 23

Enjoy all-you-can-eat steamed crabs and drink local wine at this annual festival at Sanctuary Vineyards. sanctuaryvineyards.com OBX Storm Fall Fundraiser September 29

Come out for the annual fall fundraiser at the Outer Banks Brewing Station and enjoy music, a silent auction, a dunk tank, kids’ activities, soccer demos and more from 4–7 p.m. obxstorm.net

Enjoy a vintner’s dinner Friday night at Duck Woods Country Club, or sample wines from around the world on Saturday at the Grand Tasting held on the grounds of the The Lost Colony’s historic Waterside Theatre. tlcwinefest.com 8th Annual Get Pumped for Pink 5k & 10k September 30

This run is one of the official events in the Outer Banks Hospital’s "Get Pinked! and More" campaign to raise awareness about critical cancer services available to the residents of Dare County and outlying areas. theobxrunningcompany.com Island Farm’s Pumpkin Patch Saturdays in October

Take an ox-drawn wagon to the pumpkin patch to find the perfect pumpkin. Kids can play games, pet farm animals, participate in scarecrow stuffing and more. theislandfarm.com Bryan Cultural Series Invitational Art Show October 2 – 28

Twenty influential Outer Banks artists will have works on display at the Glenn Eure Ghost Fleet Gallery in Nags Head during this art show. bryanculturalseries.org United States Navy Band – Pickin' on the Porch Concert October 3

Join the men in blue on the porch of Bluegrass Island Trading Co. in downtown Manteo for an evening of patriotic tunes. bluegrassisland.com Outer Banks Bluegrass Festival October 4 – 7

Bluegrass stars from all over the country will be on hand for this 4-day outdoor jam at Festival Park in Manteo, featuring Rhonda Vincent, The Isaacs and more. bluegrassisland.com

Save Date! the

Friday, Dec. 8, 2017 6:00-9:30 p.m.

Duck Woods Country Club Southern Shores

Tickets go on sale October 1 st

BeachFoodPantry.org 252-261-2756 Each ticket includes appetizers, Chefs’ Creations and two beverages (Select beer, wine, and soft drinks)

Tables of 8

call for pricing

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Fall 2017

events calendar continued

Parade of Homes October 5 – 8

Tour a select group of new, remodeled or green homes all along the Outer Banks. obhomebuilders.org Kill Devil Hills Historic Landmarks Open House October 6

Take a self-guided tour through Kill Devil Hills homes registered by the Historic Landmarks Commission. kdhnc.com Oink & Oyster Roast October 7

First Flight Rotary sponsors this oyster roast at Longboard's in Kitty Hawk. Proceeds benefit non-profit organizations in Dare County. oinkandoyster.org

11th Annual Duck Jazz Festival October 7 – 8

This free event features national, regional and local acts at the Duck Town Park. duckjazz.com Manx on the Banx October 9 – 15

This week-long event is the premier East Coast fiberglass dune buggy gathering. manxonthebanx.com Wings Over Water Wildlife Festival October 17 – 22

This several-day event features nearly 100 programs on subjects ranging from wildlife photography, natural history, kayaking and more. wingsoverwater.org

Outer Banks Seafood Festival October 21

Enjoy fresh, local seafood, cooking demos, live music and more at this family friendly event at the Outer Banks Event Site in Nags Head. outerbanksseafoodfestival.org 4th Annual Century OBX Ride for Life October 21

This bike race features a fullcentury, metric, half-century and 30-mile rides through Dare and Currituck counties. Proceeds from the ride benefit autism research and bikes for children at Christmas. outerbankstrisports.com Tenth Avenue North with Brandon Heath and Jon McLaughlin: I Have This Hope Tour October 22

Come out for an evening of uplifting Christian music at the First Flight High School Auditorium. hisgen.org Kelly’s Annual Charity Golf Tournament October 23

Outer Banks Brewtag October 28

Trick or Treat Under the Sea October 26 – 27

Come in costume to trick or treat at the N.C. Aquarium on Roanoke Island. ncaquariums.com/roanokeisland Halloween International Film Festival October 26 – 28

View scary films from all over the world and meet the filmmakers at RC Theatres in Kill Devil Hills. obxentertainment.com Blackbeard’s Pirate Jamboree on Ocracoke Island October 27 – 29

This 3-day event celebrates the pirate way of life with Scallywag School for kids, sword fighting, live music and a 3-ship pirate battle on Silver Lake.

OBX History Weekend October 27 – 29

Tee up at Nags Head Golf Links for a worthy cause—the Outer Banks Community Foundation. kellysrestaurant.com

Harvest Hayday Presented by TowneBank October 28

Try the hay bale maze or take a hayride through The Elizabethan Gardens during this family-friendly, harvest-themed afternoon. elizabethangardens.org Wooden Boat Show October 28

This boat show at the Maritime Museum is open to all wooden boats, new or restored. townofmanteo.com The Beer Witch Project October 28

Enjoy historic tours and presentations at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife facility on Roanoke Island on recent advances on the fate of the 1587 lost colony. firstcolonyfoundation.org

ROANOKE ISLAND HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION PRESENTS

Watch teams launch handcrafted keg-driven flying machines from a flight deck while enjoying live music and tasty grub at the Outer Banks Event Site in Nags Head. obxbrewtag.com

Join zombies and ghouls for a Halloween-themed beer-fueled mile run followed by a backyard party at the Outer Banks Brewing Station. theobxrunningcompany.com

MONDAY

bu rger nig ht TUESDAY

tapas & wine nig ht WEDNESDAY

GRAND TASTING

Sept. 30, 2017

er t n i w & l l a a l l f b e rn i e’s at

go ur me t tac o nig ht THURSDAY

su shi wi th mil o

1PM-5PM On the grounds of The Lost Colony Roanoke Island, NC

Wine, food and fun on the Roanoke Sound Sponsored By

3730 N. CROATAN HWY KITTY HAWK, MILE POST 4 1/2

252-261-1008 • BAREFOOTBERNIES.COM www.tlcwinefest.com 252.473.2127 12

NORTH BEACH SUN FALL 2017

ALL THE GAMES!

16 BEERS ON TAP

The Big Curri-Shuck November 25 Black Opal Masquerade Ball October 28

This costumed spectacular at Pirate’s Cove Pavilion is a music and culinary event hosted by the Dare County Arts Council. darearts.org 4th Annual Outer Banks Parade of Costumes October 29

This family-friendly event features trick-or-treat stations, costume contest, great prizes and more. obxentertainment.com Roanoke Island Maritime Museum Haunted House October 31

Take a spooky tour of the maritime museum on Halloween night. townofmanteo.com Evening Lantern Tours: Draped in Black; Victorian Death Rituals November 3 – 4

Take this haunting tour into the home of a grieving widow during Victorian times at the Island Farm. theislandfarm.com

Womanless Beauty Pageant November 4

Contestants representing Outer Banks charities compete to raise money in the fun and bawdy “Last Dance” sponsored by Brindley Beach Vacations & Sales at Kelly’s Restaurant & Tavern. facebook.com/Womanless.

Beauty.Pageant/ Annual Outer Banks Shrimp Cook-Off November 5

Local restaurants compete to prepare the best shrimp dish in this tasty cook-off to benefit the Outer Banks Center for Dolphin Research. obxdolphins.org TowneBank Outer Banks Marathon and Southern Fried Half-Marathon November 10 – 12

This 3-day event over Veteran’s Day weekend includes a marathon, half-marathon, 8K, 5K and a family fun run. outerbanksmarathon.com

Feast on all-you-can-eat steamed oysters, crab and BBQ and sample local wine while jamming out to live country music at Sanctuary Vineyards in Jarvisburg. sanctuaryvineyards.com Small Business Saturday November 25

Support local businesses and visit the boutiques, galleries and shops of downtown Manteo. townofmanteo.com WinterLights December – January, select nights

Get into the Christmas spirit with a tour of WinterLights presented by Southern Bank at The Elizabethan Gardens. elizabethangardens.org

BREW ENJOY EMPTY REPEAT

4th Annual Beach Food Pantry Holiday Chefs Challenge December 8

Vote for your favorite local chef at Duck Woods Country Club at this fun event with live music, tasty appetizers, raffles and more to benefit the Beach Food Pantry. beachfoodpantry.org

Where the Boardwalk Ends and the Fun Begins R E STA U R A N T Amazing Sunsets Happy Hour Daily Waterfront Dining Live Music

SPA Manicure / Pedicure Massage & Facials Skin Care Products Monthly Specials

OUTER BANKS BREWING STATION AMERICA’S FIRST WIND POWERED BREW PUB ENJOY LIVE MUSIC WITH AWARD-WINNING CRAFT BEERS AND FOOD IN OUR OUTDOOR BEER GARDEN.

LUNCH • DINNER • BAR • SPA 1174 DUCK ROAD • DUCK RESTAURANT 252-261-9700 • SPA 252-261-9709 AQUAOBX.COM • FACEBOOK.COM/AQUAOBX

252-449-BREW OBBREWING.COM MILEPOST 8.5, KILL DEVIL HILLS NORTHBEACHSUN.COM

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amanda’s kitchen

Leggo My Eggo A Tribute to America’s Most Forgotten Appliance

By Amanda McDanel

As a bride-to-be, one of my most anticipated pre-wedding events was going with my fiancé to create our registry. When I was younger, I pictured us strolling

through the aisles of a major department store, testing knives for ergonomic quality, lying on mock displays of bedding, and debating the merits of bone versus porcelain china – all while giggling, canoodling and sipping cold champagne.

As a grown woman, I had slightly different expectations: I did not want fine china. Everything else pretty much still held true.

Having fortified my culinary chops from several years of watching the Food Network during graduate school, I had a realistic idea of the appliances I wanted to complete our new marital kitchen. Fiestaware provided durable daily dinnerware while infusing a pop of color and fun.

Basic white “china” from Crate and Barrel was easy enough for every day, but also fine enough for fancy guests – and it was dishwasher safe!

Essential to the equipment list were quality pots and pans, knives, a blender, a food processor, a fondue set and a waffle maker.

I felt as though I had enough sense to weed through some of the other more typical registry items – rice cooker, juicer, electric kettle – and only list the essentials. While pots and pans, knives, blenders and food processors may get a pass from you, dear reader, I can sense some snarky eye rolls over the fondue set and the waffle maker. Allow me to explain.

I don’t know how or why the tradition began, but before we got married, Mr. McD and I would drink champagne, eat cheese fondue and

Waffle Hacks

Tips: Always make sure your waffle maker is well greased. Spray with a layer of nonstick cooking spray before starting (and after each batch) to ensure easy release and clean up. Also, be careful not to overfill the waffle pan!

French Toast Sticks

Whip up your favorite french toast recipe, and soak bread in it overnight. In the morning, fire up the waffle maker, insert your bread, and close the lid. Once the bread’s cooked through, cut them into sticks and serve them with syrup.

Waffle Omelets

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.

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NORTH BEACH SUN FALL 2017

Instead of busting out an omelet pan, combine all your ingredients in a bowl (I suggest peppers, ham, cheese and eggs), and slowly pour your mix into the waffle maker. Close the lid and let it cook through.

decorate our Christmas tree together while listening to classic country carols from my childhood. It became a favorite tradition in our house, and not a single ornament can adorn the ol’ fir tree until the champagne is cold and the cheese is bubbly. For that reason alone, we needed a proper fondue set. [Side note: I have since decided that no matter how I try, I cannot get the gosh-darned thing to be at the proper temperature – too hot, and it’s boiling; too low, and it’s congealed cheese – and have since passed it on. I am currently in search of a vintage avocado green or flame orange one from the 1970s, since I’m convinced those are far superior to modern technology. But I digress.]

Now, ahem…the waffle maker. Admittedly, I saw this one through the bright shiny eyes of a bride-to-be – picturing lazy Saturday mornings making waffles and lounging over fine coffee on the veranda. In real life, the waffle maker’s fate was more like the actual experience of creating a registry with an impatient man who despises shopping while being dragged around by a woman who touches everything within reach and repeatedly asks, “What do you think of this one?” Needless to say, everyone usually ends up frustrated and/or in tears, hungry and spewing obscenities.

Essentially, waffle makers serve one purpose: making waffles. They are cumbersome, often hard to clean, and do not get enough street cred in the kitchen. I was determined to make use of this appliance in more ways than its original purpose, so I created a few different waffle hacks you can whip up for your sweetie after a long day of shopping. You might even put one on your Christmas list this year, because even Santa gets tired of cookies!

Cinnamon Waffles

Open a can of premade cinnamon rolls, place one on each waffle quadrant and close the lid. Top with the included icing when they’re done.

Blueberry Muffins

Pour your favorite blueberry (or other flavor) muffin mix into the waffle maker and close the lid to cook through.

Queso Waffles

Place a tortilla on the waffle pan, then pile on your favorite toppings (such as black beans, cheese and peppers) before topping everything with another tortilla and closing the lid. Slice and serve once it’s cooked through.

Waffle Pizzas

Place premade canned biscuit dough on the waffle pan. Top with marinara sauce and cheese (plus pepperoni or any other desired extras). Top with another biscuit and close the lid to cook through. Serve with marinara dipping sauce.

Cornbread Chili Topper

Pour your favorite cornbread mix into the waffle maker and cook through. Serve as a topper on a bowl of chili.

There’s always something going on at

G r e at F o o d f r o m a r o u n d t h e w o r l d

Happy Hour from 3pm til 6pm Wing & Shrimp Specials Daily!

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MONDAY ~ Pasta Night! - Build Your Own Pasta -1/2 Price Wine Bottles TUESDAY ~ Pupusa Night - Great Specials on Tacos & Pupusas!

WEDNESDAY ~ Pizza Night - Personal Artisan Pizzas and Endless Salad THURSDAY ~ Tapas! Food from around the World (*Starts Oct. 26th) FRIDAY ~ BURGER NIGHT! Gourmet Specialty Burgers SUNDAY ~ Brunch... “Voted BEST brunch on the Beach” by The Virginian-Pilot

$7.99 Lunch Specials Daily!

Chilli Peppers Catering

Great Food for Great Events ChilliPeppersRestaurant

ChilliPeppersOBX

TAPAS

OCT. 26th!

@chillipobx

MP 5.5, Bypass, Kill Devil Hills • 252-441-8081•chilli-peppers.com UNIQUE WOMEN’S CLOTHING & JEWELRY, & FALL FASHIONS FEATURING LOCAL ARTISANS

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NEED MORE? THE OUTER BANKS FAMILY YMCA IS HERE FOR YOU

Add more fun for everyone with over 75 different group exercise classes, an indoor pool open year round, two outdoor pools and complimentary two-hour child care while you’re at the Y. Owner Becky Nolan is ALWAYS All Ducked Out!

Day and week passes available.

Call 449-8897 for more information or visit www.obxymca.org to join us!

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Where the Outer Banks woman finds her

OUTER BANKS FAMILY YMCA 3000 South Croatan Highway, Nags Head, NC 27959 P 252 449 8897 W www.obxymca.org

LOBLOLLY PINES SHOPPING PLAZA • 1187 DUCK ROAD • DUCK, NC NORTHBEACHSUN.COM

15

FOOD & BEVERAGE

Photos by Lori Douglas Photography Story by Laura Martier

closed or very early in the morning before it opened.

When trying to come up with a name for his new business, Jason hung a large poster board up at home where the kids, friends or anyone else who came over could write down names and contribute. Because Jason loves ginger root, he knew he had to have ‘root’ in the name – and there were more than 100 names on the board before Ramblin’ Root made itself known.

With time constraints and limited space at Avenue, coupled with increased demand, it soon became apparent to Jason that he needed room to grow.

“I could only make small batches, like 10 to 15 gallons at a time,” Jason says. But that's when Paul Charron stepped in. Owner of the Lost Colony Brewery in Stumpy Point, the two friends had talked about Jason's growing business while watching their sons’ football games.

That was all that was needed to seal the deal. This past March, Jason moved Ramblin' Root Kombucha into a small shop adjacent to Charron's brewery. Jason's one-man production finally had its own home.

The process of brewing Ramblin' Root Kombucha starts with green tea. Beginning with one of his favorites, Jason brews the tea, adds some sugar and the SCOBY, and then transfers the batch into seven-gallon glass fermenters. “They’re really cumbersome, but it’s a good size,” Jason says.

“A lot of bigger companies use giant stainless vats, and maybe I’ll get there someday, but I have the timing down with this size.”

After the initial fermentation, the brew is transferred to five-gallon soda kegs. Jason uses this type of keg because unlike a beer keg (which requires a $5,000 keg washer), these can be manually washed – and Jason hand washes each one before brewing a new batch. The initial fermentation in the soda kegs takes three weeks, and then three to five days of flavoring after that. Once the kombucha is flavored, a sample of every batch has to be sent to a lab.

The Department of Agriculture requires testing for four things: the level of pH, the concentration of acids, the sugar content, and the alcohol content, which must stay below .5% alcohol by volume (ABV) to be sold as a nonalcoholic beverage. The SCOBY must also be lab-certified, and it has to come with paperwork that identifies what bacteria and yeast it contains.

While bigger companies have their own microbiologist on hand, Jason currently uses a lab at Appalachian State College.

Samples can be tested and approved in a day. In the meantime, Jason is onsite almost every day bottling and sealing batches, labeling the bottles, and tasting the kombucha to make sure that his product is flavored perfectly. Going forward, he plans to enlist his 70-year-old father to help with deliveries, and Jason’s sons already give him a hand at the Manteo Farmers’ Market on Saturday mornings while Courtney manages the books and their social media accounts.

In one year’s time Ramblin' Root went from a small home business to having its own production facility, which serves a growing number of restaurants and other other businesses, and can also be found seasonally at several local markets.

In fact, Jason is already wondering if he’ll outgrow his present location.

His vision includes a bigger space with seating and a bar with a brewery in the back where people can go to fill growlers, buy bottles or have a glass... all in a one-stop shop.

“I’ve been really lucky,” Jason says. “But I'm already dreaming about what I'll do next.”

Kombucha Brewing Takes Root Jason Schultz began making kombucha out of his home in Manteo about eight years ago

because he liked it – and also because it was cheaper to brew his own. He did his research, bought a starter kit online and began experimenting.

“It took a long time to make it taste good,” Jason says. “I would brew it and then forget about it, and if you wait too long it tastes like apple cider vinegar.”

Jason’s wife, Courtney, and their three children, Wolfgang, Louden and Finn, wouldn't drink it if it was too sour. “I wanted to make it taste good so the kids and Courtney would drink it, so I started making it that way,” Jason says. Little did he know that his home starter kit would grow into a thriving local business.

Kombucha starts with a SCOBY, which stands for Symbiotic Colony of Bacteria and Yeast – and it looks like a beige jellyfish or a science experiment. When it’s placed in sweetened tea, the yeast and the bacteria work together to create an environment in which the yeast digests the sugar it produces to create a range of organic acids, amino acids, enzymes and vitamins that result in kombucha.

Kombucha is said to be good for digestion and enhancing immunity, and with every batch made the original SCOBY grows. Soon the Schultz's family kitchen looked like a mad scientist’s lab.

“You should have seen my house before I moved the operation,” Jason says with a laugh. “Courtney decorated for Halloween with gallon jugs full of SCOBYs all around the house. It was ugly!”

When the operation outgrew their home, Jason moved into the kitchen at Avenue Waterfront Grille in downtown Manteo. The owner and family friend, Maria Williamson, asked Jason if he could brew kombucha for the restaurant because she wanted to put it on the menu. After doing some research and learning that he had to produce his kombucha in a commercial kitchen first, per the Department of Agriculture, Jason became certified to brew at Avenue, and he began bottling his kombucha in the evenings after the restaurant

Jason Schultz pours a fresh glass of kombucha from the tap at Avenue Waterfront Grille in Manteo (above). You can find Ramblin' Root in jars at a number of locations on the beach (right).

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LOOK BACK The Man While there’s no doubt that a person known as Blackbeard actually existed, many people are surprised to learn that the verifiable facts about him and his exploits during what’s now known as the Golden Age of Piracy barely amount to more than a historical footnote.

Over the years, various scholars and other writers (many of whom were decidedly inclined to take creative liberties in place of known facts), have suggested that Blackbeard hailed from places as far-flung as England, Jamaica and Philadelphia – but the truth is that there’s no conclusive evidence to support any of those theories.

Not only are his origins obscure, but even his supposed original name is dubious at best. Though numerous present-day accounts insist that he was There is absolutely known as Edward Teach before his reputation no evidence that earned him the moniker he killed, or even “Blackbeard,” his first historically documented harmed, a single appearance is as Edward “Thatch” in 1716. person prior to that Bearing in mind that standardized spelling fateful, final battle was virtually nonexison Ocracoke. tent at the time (Samuel Johnson’s A Dictionary of the English Language, the first widely accepted dictionary, wasn’t published until almost four decades later in 1755), it should come as no surprise that several other forms of that surname (including “Tach” and “Thache”) exist – and many people have since suggested that all of those variations could have simply been other aliases anyway.

And as for Blackbeard’s bloodthirsty reign of terror?

Truth be told, the historical records only support the fact that his piratical career lasted less than two years (from late 1716 until his death on November 22, 1718) – and there is absolutely no evidence that he killed, or even harmed, a single person prior to that fateful, final battle on Ocracoke.

If you’ve ever heard a pirate story, you know Blackbeard.

The Man AND The Myth

Blackbeard

By Amelia Boldaji

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NORTH BEACH SUN FALL 2017

In fact, that name alone probably conjures up a specific image: something woodcut, ferocious and timeworn.

Blackbeard, depicted onboard a ship, or with the sea just behind him – complete with a cutlass in hand, his signature long, dark beard and a defiant glare.

You also probably know Blackbeard’s story specifically – or at least some version of it. One of (if not the) most fearsome pirates of all time, he amassed gold (and, reportedly, wives) with impunity in the Caribbean and along the shores of colonial North America during the 18th century, until he was beheaded by British navel forces in the Pamlico Sound near Ocracoke Island – leaving behind an enormous treasure that’s still mysteriously missing.

It’s a compelling account for many reasons, not least of all because it smacks of daredevil adventures on the high seas mixed with a dash of romance and plenty of intrigue.

But perhaps the most interesting thing about Blackbeard and these types of enduring narratives – which appear to be more fictional than anything else – is that they’ve inspired a public fascination with him that’s been ongoing for 300 years now.

The Myth The stories about Blackbeard are legion. From books to movies, his life has been immortalized in a countless number of ways. But while it may be tempting to chalk that up entirely to modern-day amusements, the fact of the matter is that Blackbeard was already in the process of being mythologized during his lifetime.

Some of this can almost undoubtedly be attributed to the Boston News-Letter. Though the News-Letter wasn’t the first newspaper printed in the North American colonies, it does have the distinction of being the first continuously published American newspaper.

Albeit with a limited circulation, the News-Letter was printed on a weekly basis from 1704 to 1776, and it was one of the very first publications to make Blackbeard’s name headline news – particularly after publishing an account of his sensational death at the hands of British forces led by Lieutenant Robert Maynard.

Then, just as now, a thrilling story of piratical battles was enough to spark people’s imaginations – enough so that even a then-teenaged Benjamin Franklin subsequently penned a ballad about Blackbeard’s downfall to (profitably) sell on the streets of Boston.

And that’s only the tip of the iceberg in terms of the stories that have accumulated (for monetary reasons and

otherwise) around Blackbeard over the years – particularly on the Outer Banks. Ask nearly anyone who’s lived in this area long enough, and you’ll hear tales that Blackbeard’s headless corpse inexplicably swam around Maynard’s ship three to seven times before it sank, and more than a few locals will swear to having seen a ghostly light lingering on the waters off of Ocracoke (which is said to be Blackbeard’s soul restlessly searching for either his treasure or his head – take your pick).

As for that treasure: Whether it’s ultimately real or imagined, there’s no record that anything remotely matching that description has ever been found. According to

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Blackbeard never sat for a portrait, so artists have been imagining his image since the early 1700s (left). An artist's rendering of the battle between Blackbeard's crew and British navel forces on Ocracoke (above). Images courtesy of the Outer Banks History Center.

some of the lore, that’s because Blackbeard made a pact with the Devil stating that only the two of them would know where it was hidden – and only the one who lived the longest could claim it as his due prize.

In the Deep: Another Footnote But just when it seems as though we should be able to close the case on Blackbeard, another chapter comes to light. In 1996, a private salvage company based out of Florida discovered a shipwreck in the waters near present-day Beaufort, North Carolina.

Almost from the start, there was speculation that it could be Blackbeard’s short-lived, 40-gun flagship, the Queen Anne’s Revenge (which he reportedly sailed for less than a year before he ran it aground in June of 1718, six months before his death on Ocracoke).

Although divers from the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (NCDNCR) began excavating the wreck in 1998, and the site was placed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 2004, it wasn’t officially authenticated as Blackbeard’s Queen Anne until 2011.

So far, hundreds of thousands of artifacts have been recovered from the Queen Anne, including apothecary weights, a copper-alloy sword guard, small amounts of gold mixed with lead shot, medical syringes, cannons and one of the ship’s nearly 3,000-pound anchors.

To this day, joint research and further conservation efforts are still ongoing under the direction of the NCDNCR, and 2018 not only marks the 300th anniversary of the Queen Anne’s demise, but Blackbeard’s as well.

While that’s almost certainly a less-than-satisfactory ending, it may also be a fitting one. Perhaps the real lesson we can learn from Blackbeard is that a book comprised of sagas both real and fanciful, which combine both myth and man, can’t ever truly be closed.

At least, that is, for now.

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M

board banter

Wily Waves An unofficial guide to Outer Banks waves

Photos by Bob Hovey / Story by Jeffrey Myers

There are endless reasons why we are drawn to the Outer Banks – but for most it's our aquatic playground, or what I like to call "Mother Atlantic." And although we live on a sandbar that provides the most consistent surf on the East Coast, no two days on the sea are the same, nor is each wave that rolls through.

First things first, your shore break waves are the initial waves you encounter when entering the ocean. More often then not, these are the most powerful waves that break in the shallowest part of the water. These waves can be both steep and hollow, and they're not for the faint of heart!

The big brother of the shore break waves are the double ups. A double up wave has double the strength of shore break waves since it's literally two waves stacked on top of one another. These are usually sought out by experienced surfers and boogie boarders alike – but are only recommended for experts.

Next up we have what's called mid-break waves. These are found out past the shore break, and occur before the outer sandbar. These only break during certain tides and can

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Some of the best surf on the East Coast can be found on the Outer Banks. Photos courtesy of Bob Hovey.

be a bit of a novelty since most of the surf here is focused on the outer sandbar or in the shore break zone. These waves pack less power and are great waves for beginner to immediate wave riders to enjoy. The zone these tend to break in is usually a bit deeper than those located closer to the shore or near the outer sandbar, so take that into consideration when seeking these out!

Aside from shore break waves, our second most popular waves here break on the outer sandbar. These outer bar waves break through the deeper trough and back onto the shallower waters located on the sandbar, especially during low tide. These waves are usually a hair less threatening then the shore break – but depending on the size, tide and the energy these waves carry, they can also pack a mean punch so approach them safely!

And let's not leave out the backwash wave. This is the playful type of wave you see that seems to be lost and heading back out to sea. These waves are usually produced when there is a steep incline on the shoreline so the waves have to trek uphill and then roll back down to form waves that break and crash into other oncoming waves. Backwash

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waves are extremely hard to catch, but they can put on quite a show.

Regardless of the wave types you encounter on the Outer Banks, there are plenty of other conditions that that should be taken into consideration – such as rip currents, drifts, undertows, sea life, crowds, gusty winds and varying water temperatures. So if you’re a beginning wave rider, please make sure you are at least a competent swimmer.

With that in mind, a beach access with a lifeguard on duty is always recommended – and if the conditions seem questionable, appreciating the sea from the shore can be just as rewarding.

In short, be safe out there as you enjoy all the things Mother Atlantic has to offer!

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21

SHORE SCIENCE

Coastal Studies Institute researcher Mike Muglia and the crew of the research vessel the Neil Armstrong deploy an Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler, which uses acoustic signals to determine current speed and direction. Photo courtesy of John McCord.

THE GULF STREAM

harnessing

By Kip Tabb

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NORTH BEACH SUN FALL 2017

When we consider renewable energy sources, there’s a tendency to think primarily in terms of wind and solar power – but the research being done at the University of North Carolina Coastal Studies Institute (CSI) on Roanoke Island may one day change the way the world thinks about where we get our power.

The Gulf Stream passes Cape Hatteras about 15 to 20 miles offshore at an average speed of five miles per hour near the surface, and the amount of water it funnels through that area is conservatively estimated by scientists to be 30 times greater than the flow of every river on earth.

The energy possibility that could represent is stunning. According to CSI’s website, “Harnessing just .1% of the [Gulf Stream’s] available power would yield 300GW of power, the equivalent of 150 nuclear power plants.”

Be that as it may, statistics like that can be slightly misleading to the layperson – a fact that Mike Muglia, the lead researcher at CSI for the Gulf Stream Power Assessment (which is part of the larger North Carolina Renewable Ocean Energy Project), is quick to point out.

“It probably is a viable resource,” says Muglia, who’s been studying the variability of the Gulf Stream off Cape Hatteras in order to assess its usefulness as a potential energy source for at least the past five years. “But some of the questions we have to ask first include: How are we going to get at it? How are we even going to think about this?”

The challenges of harvesting energy from the Gulf Stream are extraordinary. Although the Gulf Stream is often depicted as a huge river flowing through the ocean, the reality is that its flow is more like a garden hose that can shift from side to side. In short, the flow is constant and powerful – but determining precisely where that flow is going to be is still somewhat unpredictable.

This is what makes the waters off Cape

painstakingly collect onsite data.

Nonetheless, as the quality of Dr. He’s computer model increases and data continues to be compiled, more thought is being given to how exactly the Gulf Stream’s energy could be captured.

So far, one of the possibilities CSI has exHatteras such an ideal study site, however, plored is utilizing turbines. While they would since it’s the only place (besides the Strait of perhaps be similar to wind turbines, there are Florida, which flows between Florida and the significant differences between capturing Bahamas) that the Gulf Stream is situated so wind and ocean current energy. close to land and also remains relatively conOne important difference to bear in mind sistent in terms of its location. is the fact that (so far at least), the most powMuglia’s research so far has been focused erful currents seem to occur closer to the on making onsite observations with a few different instruments, including land-based ra- surface – and yet there are a number of readars. And although the data they’ve been ac- sons why placing some type of energy harvestcumulating at CSI is certainly valuable in both ing instrument at a greater depths would be the long- and short-term, there are also a num- advantageous.

“You can’t place a staber of limitations to tionary turbine too close these methods – some Although the Gulf Stream to the surface off of Cape of which are purely is often depicted as a huge Hatteras, because when practical. you have a hurricane or river flowing through the “Making onsite observations is both time ocean, the reality is that its a nor’easter it would likely get destroyed,” Muglia consuming and exflow is more like a garden says. pensive,” Muglia says. hose that can shift from One line of thought This, he explains, is why side to side. that CSI researchers are they’re working with currently exploring ina number of other excludes tethering turbines to the seafloor at a perts in various fields, including Dr. Ruoying He of North Carolina State University and Dr. depth of 800 to 1,000 feet. The tethers could John Bane of the University of North Carolina then serve multiple functions, such as carrying instructions to the turbines and transmitting at Chapel Hill to assess the energy resource.

In conjunction with CSI, Dr. He has devel- energy that could eventually flow to a landoped a computer model that attempts to fore- based energy grid.

These technical issues are part of what cast where the Gulf Stream is located off of Cape Hatteras at any given time. By compar- makes it hard to say when (or if) our lights ing CSI’s onsite observations with the comput- might eventually glow with power supplied by er model’s predictions, Dr. He has been able the Gulf Stream.

“Science isn’t an exact thing,” Muglia says. to slowly refine the model so that the predictions are increasingly accurate – and the hope “You have to think really creatively about how is that at some point there will be little need to this could happen in the future.”

Thank You, Sir, May I Have Another e r u t a e r c r e r h e t o h n t A o e s v n a o a H a I h d y a c e t M e opankseYoi u oSrir, , d a i adTh becau

b.s. in parenting

i adopted another creature because i adore chaos e r u t a e r c r e h t o n a d e t d s o n a i adop M h a c e d r o d n a i i e s u a y c e b M t s o L Back e

t I t I'v n a W t ' n o ID I've Lost My Mind and I Don't Want It Back d n a d n i M y Change is coming.

I've Lost M nt It Back I Don't Wa

! s e c i o h C d o o G e k a M

By Lindsey Beasley

In this case, I’m changing my sheets, since it's hard to compose these incredibly deep and eloquent thoughts when the kitten be shittin’ the bed.

What's that, you ask? Yes, a kitten – and no, I don’t have the time or desire to justify the absurdity of adding an animal to our family circus at this particular juncture.

Hence, I have a new favorite quote and life motto: “I am under no obligation to make sense to you.”

But back to the kitten perched on my laptop…

He’s a miniscule orange tabby fluffball who meowed his way into our lives while I was at work one evening. In a short-lived experimental stint, I worked long nights and gave all my dollars to our beloved sitter, Grace, who actually threw her BODY in the path of an oncoming car to save my daughter’s life one day this summer, so I kind of owe her. Grace got him from a SPCA adoption drive, and her plan was to bring him home to her mother for company when she went to college this summer.

[Author’s unsolicited advice: My sister did this, too.

Kids, I’m not the boss of all of you, but you might consider holding off until you find out if your parents actually want a pet to fill their empty nest.]

After her mom broke out in hives immediately upon their introduction, Grace was beside herself at the idea of having to take the kitten back. Too weak to resist, I called him our “temporary houseguest” for a few days before I finally caved.

“FINE, YES. He can stay. Yes, forever. Mayla, you now have your own cat. All of you do. And there’s a spare dog for me. Now take care of them and help me, or I swear…”

[Full disclosure: I WILL swear, excessively, now more than ever – and yell and laugh and cry, but I simply cannot turn away needy beings, even if they eat my pillows, rob me blind and poop on my comforter. Plus, if pets relied solely on children to feed, water, clean up after and

love them, this would be a horror story, not a humor column.]

The last time I added to the family circus was years ago on the first Father’s Day after my separation, because kittens are way cuter than divorce and more fun to pay attention to, obviously. I have a thing for dressing up the chaos and parading it around like we meant for everything to turn out this way.

At the height of summer’s relentlessness, faced with more changes afoot, I waffled between drastically simplifying my life (hahahaha!) and inserting some more chaos, the kind that I could control (again, hahahaha!).

This year, my youngest goes to kindergarten, mid-kid to fourth grade, and the eldest to middle school. I'm not sad they're growing up – am I? I researched the stages of celebration and acceptance, and it turns out that's not a real thing. So I guess I must be grieving normalcy (which we never had in the first place), because the Kübler-Ross model seems to work pretty well here: 1. Denial: Pffffft, I am NOT getting another pet.

That would be ridiculous.

2. Anger: This isn’t fair. I want a St. Bernard puppy named Boomer and everybody knows it. I am a DOG person, dammit! They can’t even work off their cost of living in chores, for heaven’s sake.

3. Bargaining: Maybe I can get a puppy AND the kitten, and the kids will be so overcome with gratitude that they’ll get super-responsible and surely remember this when I’m in my golden years?

4. Depression: Vet bills. Kitten food. Litter boxes.

Oh, why, God, why?

5. Acceptance: Well, if he’s staying I’m calling him POTUS or Mr. President, because even though I don’t think he has a Twitter account yet, he’s orange, and it’s also super fun to say, “Mr. President, stop licking

Dianna

yourself!” or “Mr. President, get off the counter! Don’t make me grab you by the…oh, never mind!” If you need me, I’ll just be over here under a pile of kid- and pet-inflicted responsibility and alternate uses for money and free time, thanks.

I attempted to interview the children about their thoughts on change and our current life path, but they seemed mysteriously distracted. A thrilling overview for you: Mayla, age 5 “Because actually, he’s actually really cute. I feel really good with him, but I don’t feel good without him.”

[The word “actually” is extremely popular with the fiveyear-old crowd. Also, I asked about 25 questions. This is what I got. Actually.]

Marina, age 8 “We definitely made a good choice on adopting another cat – we saved a life! I’m still thinking about the tiny kitty in the background that not enough people got to see…I would have adopted him. Maybe can we…? [I interrupted with a shrill NO, while also considering tracking down the tragically underappreciated tiny kitty and saving it from a fate worse than my house.]

Michael, age 11 [Shrugged his shoulders and returned to texting his friends, thus ignoring four pets, two sisters and one mother successfully.]

So, there you have it. We make good choices over here, just like we were taught. Welcome to the jungle, Mr. President! We’re actually glad you’re ours.

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

23

FOLKS

ALL IN A

DAY’s work A DAY I N T H E L I F E O F s i x U N I Q U E O U T E R B A N K S J O B S

What we do doesn’t necessarily define us – except for those rare instances when it does. The Outer Banks has

long been a magnet for creative individuals, so it should come as no surprise that the ways people make a living here are often diverse, unconventional and fascinating. But even that only begins to scratch the surface. So if you’ve ever wanted to know what a day in the life of some of the most quintessential onlyon-the-Outer Banks occupations is like, we’ve got you covered.

From sand to sea: These are their stories.

Pictures by Lori Douglas Photography (top), Jordan LaRose (middle), and Ryan Moser (bottom).

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Jennifer Gregory oversees a preshow rehearsal of The Lost Colony.

ALL IN A NAME JOB

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Jennifer Gregory Stage Manager, The Lost Colony

ALL IN A NAME JOB

Meg Puckett Herd Manager, Corolla Wild Horse Fund

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Center Stage “Is there any reason why we shouldn't begin?”

It’s 7:44 p.m., and Jennifer Gregory, the stage manager for The Lost Colony (America’s longest-running outdoor symphonic drama), is settled in the light shack, a structure that resembles a large tree house in the back of the theater. Headset in place, she shares the tiny space with a master electrician and three spotlight operators. After radioing her question to the entire cast and crew, she waits a beat – and then the show begins.

Fight Call Prior to that moment, Jennifer’s been busy on set since Fight Call at 5:30 p.m. During Fight Call, all the big battles in the show are rehearsed, and it technically marks the beginning of her workday. Jennifer, who’s certified in unarmed and knife combat, says that the daily rehearsals are necessary for the actors’ muscle memory, and even understudies run through the fights in case they need to fill in at the last minute.

Cast members are scattered about the theater, rehearsing moves onstage and casually chatting in the seats. Music is cued and a fight begins. Like a mother with eyes in the back of her head, Jennifer takes note of a girl wielding an ax before turning her attention to an understudy – while simultaneously making sure everyone stays focused because the torches that the actors are swinging will be on fire during the actual production.

She mostly looks out for things in Fight Call that she won’t necessarily see later. “This is normally when the burning girl

DAY ’ s wo r k

DAY ’ s wo r k

Julien Devisse Project Manager / Engineer, Coastal Planning & Engineering of North Carolina

Photo by Ryan Moser Story by Laura Martier

enters,” Jennifer says at one point. “I have to watch these fights carefully now, because when we’re live it seems more important to watch a girl who’s on fire.”

Last Minute Business After Fight Call ends at 6 p.m., Jennifer hangs out backstage near the costume shop and the concession stand. She fields text messages from cast members and takes extra performance notes to make sure there are no surprises during that night’s show. She is constantly on her radio answering calls and questions while costumed cast members warm up in unison and a long line of cast and crew wait for coffee, candy and other pre-show sustenance at the concession stand. It’s crowded, loud and seemingly chaotic, but it’s business as usual for Jennifer.

Jennifer graduated with a theater degree from Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas. Ever since high school, she was involved in managing school productions, but she didn’t know she had found her calling until a teacher told her that stage managing was an actual job.

Before joining The Lost Colony, Jennifer mostly managed smaller productions in Chicago, and she says that she still sometimes feels that “first time” nervousness before a performance. “I've never done a show quite like this before,” Jennifer says. “So I'm still learning what it takes to manage a production of this size for this length of time.”

Because The Lost Colony is such a seasoned production, however, Jennifer has a strong team of people supporting her. “They are all really good at their jobs,” she remarks happily. “And that makes my job so much easier.” Dennis McGinnis,

a 14-year veteran of the production and the current assistant stage manager, agrees. “We’re a very good team,” he says.

Lights, Camera, Action!

Jennifer’s voice fills the empty theater. “Half hour call, the house is open, and don't forget that we’re on heat protocol two. There are ice chests on either side of the stage.” Heat protocol two means it's too hot for cast members to wear heavier costume items such as hats, furs, capes and petticoats, and extra water and ice are placed throughout the theatre to help the cast and crew cool down. After this, it's finally time to move to the front of the house.

As the stage manager, Jennifer is the focal point of communication for the entire production, and the show runs smoothly onstage and backstage because it’s in her apt hands. But it can be hard to describe what she does because she does so many things. During the show she calls light cues, sound cues and other random cues from her perch in the light shack.

Working from a complicated flowchart on a clipboard that never leaves her hands, Jennifer follows every scene with a hawk’s eye and a complete sense of what should be happening at all times. Part of her job also includes maintaining the artistic integrity of the show by making sure the correct lines are spoken and that actors are where they’re supposed to be onstage – and she spends a lot of time filling the needs that arise when actors and technicians call in sick or have to leave because of contractual obligations.

In short, Jennifer is in many places at one time. She laughs, “That's why I have three pens.”

NORTHBEACHSUN.COM

25

N.C. Dept. of Transportation

ALL IN A NAME JOB

Mark Vrablic Seafood Broker, Willie R. Etheridge Seafood Co.

ALL IN A NAME JOB

DAY ’ s wo r k

Jennifer Gardner Stage Manager, The Lost Colony

ALL IN A NAME JOB

JOB

DAY ’ s wo r k

Meg Puckett Herd Manager, Corolla Wild Horse Fund

ALL IN A NAME

DAY ’ s wo r k

DAY ’ s wo r k

Julien Devisse Project Manager / Engineer, Coastal Planning & Engineering of North Carolina

On the Docks It’s seven in the morning, and the phones are already ringing at the Willie R. Etheridge Seafood Company in Wanchese – all five of them at

that, plus the company’s vice president and longtime seafood broker, Mark Vrablic’s, personal cell phone.

“From at least seven to 12 they’re nonstop everyday,” Mark says as he picks up two calls back-to-back without missing a beat. “People asking what you got, what you want for it.

We try to get on and off quick, because there’s no voicemail here. If someone’s calling, they want to talk to a live person, not a machine.”

Of anyone, Mark would know. This business isn’t just in his family; it’s in his blood.

Mark started working on the water when he was 13 years old, and by his 20s he was fishing full time alongside his uncle, Captain Will Etheridge – who inherited the fish buying company from his father, Willie R. Etheridge, Sr., but preferred being out at sea rather than staying tied to the docks.

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NORTH BEACH SUN FALL 2017

Photos by Ryan Moser / Story by Amelia Boldaji

“Captain Will was a legendary fisherman,” Mark explains.

“He thought like a fish, and he’d go out when no one else would. When he retired in the ‘80s, he turned his boat over to me – but that was like me trying to play basketball in Michael Jordan’s shoes.”

By the early ‘90s, Captain Will’s son (who, unlike his father, preferred the docks to the open waters) had reopened his grandfather’s local seafood selling operation, and Mark was also looking for a change.

“At first it was just something to do,” Mark says. “I worked the floor, making boxes and packing fish. Will wanted me upstairs, but I said I didn’t want to learn the business like that. It wasn’t until ‘93 or ‘94 that I realized I had the knack, and I came up to the office.

“I knew I could talk and that I was good with numbers,” Mark adds with a grin. “Plus, it was hard for me to stay still.”

These days, Etheridge Seafood is still one of the biggest direct-source seafood companies around – which is remarkable not only because of their longevity, but also because of their relative size. At any given time, there are only seven

full-time people on the floor (with two to three part-time helpers), who do everything from unloading, weighing and icing each catch to making deliveries. In the upstairs office, there are three brokers (including Mark) who spend most of their time keeping a roster of local restaurant owners in the loop about what’s fresh off the docks and making arrangements for bulk loads of fish and other seafood to be sent north to cities such as New York, Baltimore and Boston.

In addition to this, Etheridge Seafood doesn’t own a single boat. Instead, they buy everything on consignment from independent fishermen, and as Mark points out, that means they must be doing something right.

“A lot of times you can get stuck right in the middle,” Mark says. “The boats might think you’re giving them too little money for their haul, and then the customers think you’re charging them too much. But I don’t want to have any enemies in this business, so I have to build that trust with people.

Most of the time no one even asks me about prices anymore.

They know I’m hands on, and not many salesmen can say, ‘I’m here right now looking at this catch in the cutting room.’”

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Mark’s job not only requires him to always be on call, but he can easily go nine to 11 months without a day off – and an average workday for him starts around six in the morning and lasts until about six in the evening‌and that’s only if nothing goes wrong. “It’s work, plain and simple, and there’s a lot to it,â€? Mark says. “When all the boats are out, you don’t know anything.

You’ve got an idea, sure, like knowing that certain times of the moon make the fish bite – but you can go from zero to hero, or hero to zero like that. It’s a gamble, and there are no guarantees. I’ve got to be prepared for whatever.�

Over the years, Mark’s seen a bit of everything – from brutal winters when it was all he could do to keep the crew’s morale up on a daily basis to unloading more than 140,000 pounds of fish from one boat – but the bottom line is that he loves the business he’s in. “I’ll put it to you like this,� Mark says. “The main part of my job is making sure this place is successful. Even if I hit the lottery I’d still probably be here – I wouldn’t do it any other way.�

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27

The Lost Colony

ALL IN A NAME JOB

Meg Puckett Herd Manager, Corolla Wild Horse Fund

ALL IN A NAME JOB

DAY ’ s wo r k

DAY ’ s wo r k

Julien Devisse Project Manager / Engineer, Coastal Planning & Engineering of North Carolina

Clockwise from far left: A mother horse and her foal grazing; Two horses cool off in the water on a hot summer's day; Meg Puckett keeps watch over the herd.

Wild, Wild Horses There is no such thing as a typical day in the life of Meg Puckett,

the Corolla Wild Horse Fund’s (CWHF) herd manager. Since July 2016 she’s be on-call 24/7, and she splits her time between being with the roving herd in Carova and overseeing the CWHF’s farm in Grandy. As she explains the details of her position, she’s simultaneously fielding texts about the creatures that depend on her most – and on this particular day, she happens to be focused on a wild Spanish mustang with his fate in question.

This particular horse has been getting into fights lately and has a giant abscess on his hip. Although he’s been under careful observation, the decision as to whether or not to remove him from the wild herd in favor of the farm weighs heavy on her mind. Removal from the herd is the last alternative; once

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NORTH BEACH SUN FALL 2017

they go, they can’t return, and with precious few roaming free, each life has a singular impact on the herd as a whole.

Some are brought to the Grandy farm due to an injury and their inability to survive in the wild, while others have become overexposed to humans or roam out of bounds consistently.

Seven horses currently reside on the farm with a daily caregiver and a trainer who tries to meet with Meg at least once a week to talk about what’s been going on with the horses and make treatment plans. Their approach varies with each horse, depending on their needs and their nature. Some are food-driven, most are very eager to please, and they all just want some attention. A local 4-H club even set up an obstacle course for one horse that loathed the saddle, and giving him a sense of purpose has helped channel his energy in a positive direction.

The end goal is finding good homes for those suitable

Photos by Cory Godwin Productions Story by Lindsey Beasley Dianna

for adoption when they’re ready to leave the farm – and in the past decade about 60 horses have been adopted. CWHF stays in touch with the adopted horses for life, and have first right of refusal if an adoption isn’t working out. If a horse is brought back, they may join other horses that didn’t qualify for adoption due to medical or behavioral issues.

“Depending on the individual horse, that can all change with the right person,” Meg explains. “But if it’s not a good fit for whatever reason, they have a home with us for life.”

In the four-wheel-drive area of Carova, Meg has many tasks. She stays familiar with the harems and their shifting dynamics (i.e., “who’s hanging out with who”), and she keeps an eye on their health, body conditions and behaviors. Each horse has an individual file, and Meg makes daily notes on

continued on page 30>

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Starting Friday, Sept 15th Fall Friday Night Prime Rib Special ($19.99) Meg takes pictures of the horses out in the field (top).

A newborn foal sticks close to her mother (bottom).

where she sees them, what they’re doing, and the day’s temperature. She’s also certified to administer PZP (contraceptive vaccinations) via a dart gun or even blow darts in some instances. This summer only two foals were born, which is a sign that their efforts for population control are working successfully towards targeting those horses best suited to healthy reproduction.

Much of her job consists of educating people in the field about what CWHF does and explaining the guidelines people need to follow when they come into contact with the horses. In addition to this, she also answers numerous inquiries about the condition of the horses from the public (who often call the fund to report seeing behaviors such as a horse favoring one side, which they think might indicate the fact that the horse has a broken leg). These calls come in waves, but she always encourages them, and would much rather go check out a concern that turns out to be normal behavior than not be aware of an emergency situation.

On Fridays, she brings horses from the farm to the fund’s office in Corolla so people can meet them, but traffic and heat can make that difficult – and the safety of the horses is always her number one priority. She’s also taken horses to the Outer Banks Children at Play Museum, Mustang Music Festivals and other community events. She loves watching the public’s emotional reactions to certain horses; one horse named Amadeo is blind, and watching his intimate and up-close encounters with humans is especially moving.

Her favorite part of job? The horses themselves. “I can get emotional when I talk about it, but that’s because they mean so much to me. I’ve been around horses my entire life, but being this close and this exposed to them in their natural habitat is just incredible,” Meg says. “They humble me every single day.”

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Jockey’s Ridge State Park

ALL IN A NAME JOB

JOB

Ocracoke Ferryman, N.C. Dept. of Transportation

JOB

Seafood Broker, Willie R. Etheridge Seafood Co.

DAY ’ s wo r k

Jennifer Gardner Stage Manager, The Lost Colony

ALL IN A NAME JOB

JOB

DAY ’ s wo r k

Meg Puckett Herd Manager, Corolla Wild Horse Fund

ALL IN A NAME

DAY ’ s wo r k

Mark Vrablic

ALL IN A NAME

Ben O'Neal waits dockside on Ocracoke.

Ben O’Neal

ALL IN A NAME

DAY ’ s wo r k

DAY ’ s wo r k

Julien Devisse Project Manager / Engineer, Coastal Planning & Engineering of North Carolina

Fair Winds

Photo by Trudy Austin / Story by Kelley Shinn

As a child, I witnessed relatives tucking dollar bills into my grandmother’s hands at her funeral. My father, who is of Greek descent, explained that

my grandmother needed toll money to pay the ferryman, and that if she didn’t have enough he wouldn’t let her cross the River Styx into Hades, the underworld inhabited by departed souls. I’ve had nothing but respect for ferrymen since, which is a benefit since I live on Ocracoke Island, and like all islanders living here, I am dependent on the ferry.

Ben O’Neal, an Ocracoke native, has worked on the water his whole life. His eyes, like many Ocracoke natives, are the same shade of blue that occurs when you can’t differentiate between the sky and the sea. As he talks about his life on the ferries, his eyes constantly scan the canal and the horizon before us, a habit borne from daily ritual.

“Most of the time,” Ben says, “it’s boring.”

From the 1920s through the 1940s, many Ocracoke men found that their waterman skills were in high demand on the East Coast, and many left the island for long stretches of time to help support their families. Around 1950,

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NORTH BEACH SUN FALL 2017

the North Carolina Highway Commission bought out routes that were operated by local captains, and the ferry division began to run regular routes. This not only made off-island luxuries and medical appointments easier for locals, but it also brought increased visibility to the remote island, and began the influx of tourism that is now a keystone to the island’s economy.

In 1973, at 19 years old, Ben took his first official job with the Army Corps of Engineers working on the hopper dredges that helped maintain and create ferry routes.

“We got picked on a bit when we started,” Ben says. Many local watermen, independent and somewhat indignant toward the politics brought in by the state-run ferry, considered it a sell-out for the local men to take a job with the state. But by 1979, Ben had married his wife, Christine, and they were raising their daughter, Shannon, so the long-term stability of income, health care and the promise of a pension appealed to the young family man.

Ben finally retired from crossing the waterways last year, but his retirement was short-lived. Now he works the ferry line on Ocracoke, taking tickets and making sure tourists are headed onto the correct ferry.

All told, Ben has worked for the ferry system for 37 years, and has made approximately 12,500 round-trips across the Pamlico Sound, covering roughly 600,000 nautical miles.

On a typical day, Ben is up at four in the morning in order All told, Ben has to report to work by 6:30, and worked for the ferry often doesn’t return home until seven that night. Despite system for 37 years, the long periods of monotony and has made apon the boat, ferrymen have to proximately 12,500 remain alert. Ben has seen his round-trips across the share of storms, but only one Pamlico Sound, cover- crossing in 70-mile-an-hour ing roughly 600,000 winds made him wonder if he’d make it home. nautical miles.

Ferry workers have one week off and one week on, and on Ben’s week off, he is far from idle. For as long as anyone can remember, Ben has been cutting grass for family and friends. He’s also an avid clammer – a clam-whisperer, in fact – who brings home a bounty of them in a short amount of time in order to feed the island. Beyond that, Ben drives the fish truck for the local fish house and has been stocking the grocery shelves of Ocracoke for 50 years. In his spare time he’s also a “closet” reader, and he has a great interest in the history of the civil war and the genealogy of the island families.

When I ask Ben how a man with so many varied interests has endured the dull, repetitious hours of a ferryman (approximately 62,500) over the years – through storms, changing technology, crowds and other hardships – he doesn’t hesitate. “Christine and Shannon got me through it,” he says.

“There’s no doubt.”

Ben’s cousin says that no one takes better care of his family than Ben. Besides his wife and daughter, Ben has long looked after aging relatives, stopping in on them regularly, running errands for them, and engaging them with his cheeky humor. When Ben’s cousin says this, both of their eyes well up and over. An egret flaps its wings suddenly, taking flight across the marsh on the other side of the canal.

Ben changes the subject. “Once, this tourist woman asks me where I’m from, you see. I told her, Ocracoke. Then she asks me have I lived there all my life. I said, not yet.”

I want to give Ben a dollar as a symbolic token for paying my toll; I want to tell him about my grandmother needing toll money to pay the ferryman. Instead, we crack one more Bud Tall Boy and tell a few more jokes.

Safe crossings are a blessing. And I still have nothing but respect for the ferryman.

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Corolla Wild Horse Fund

ALL IN A NAME JOB

DAY ’ s wo r k

Julien Devisse Project Manager / Engineer, Coastal Planning & Engineering of North Carolina

Beach Builder Photo by Jordan LaRose Story by Catherine Kozak

Julien Devisse stands on Avalon Fishing Pier in Kill Devil Hills as bulldozers and other pieces of equipment buzz around the beach behind him. In the midst of the commotion, his demean-

or is engaged and friendly – making him a natural magnet for curious people.

Julien is the project manager and engineer for Coastal Planning & Engineering of North Carolina (CPE-NC) – the engineering contractor in charge of this summer’s beach nourishment in Dare County’s northern beach towns – and he’s been one of the public faces for the multi-million dollar project by giving presentations and addressing concerns at public meetings. In addition to this, he also serves as a font of information for people when he’s out at the job site.

Onlookers keep stopping to chat, and Julien cheerily

answers questions, explains what’s going on, and laughs over tidbits of gossip.

One woman delights in showing Julien an image on her phone, which shows a Star Wars-like character photo-shopped onto a picture of the Coastal Research Amphibious Buggy (CRAB), the very tall, three-legged vessel that surveys the elevation of the ocean floor before and after the sand is placed.

“People come up to me all the time,” Julien says. “They’re definitely curious, and that’s fantastic."

Public engagement is just one part of a job that involves not only keeping many balls in the air, 24 hours a day, but which also takes years of planning and design work before the first cubic yard of sand is moved.

As the project manager, Julien divides his time between the CPE-NC’s Wilmington office and the Outer Banks’ job sites. Simply put, his company has been handling the engineering design, bidding and contracting, permitting and the implementation of nourishment projects in portions of Duck, Southern Shores, Kitty Hawk and Kill Devil Hills this year – while construction contractor, Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Company, has been responsible for mining sand offshore and pumping it onto the beaches.

According to Julien, combining each town’s nourishment under one project has saved an enormous amount of money.

“This is one of the largest, locally-funded beach nourishment projects ever in the U.S.,” he says.

A graduate of the University of Florida (with an undergraduate degree in civil engineering and a master’s in oceanographic and coastal engineering) Julien, 31, has worked for CPE-NC since 2009.

Construction oversight, as Julien describes part of his job, is hands-on, comprehensive and intense. There’s no set time for the end of his day – especially when he’s onsite, which means that he’s on call around the clock.

Approximately 10 people work 12-hour shifts on the beach crew, operating two to three bulldozers and the CRAB around the clock. There are also about 20 people working on the dredge, including species observers. As a safety precaution,

Great Lakes also employs security guards at the temporary project fences and a lifeguard to follow the CRAB. Great Lakes is paid by the amount of sand placed on the beach, so part of the review process includes daily surveys, which allow Julien to calculate the amount of sand that’s been moved, approve pay applications and update construction plans as necessary.

Generally, after checking out the site, Julien sends an email to everyone involved with the project, detailing where the active construction area is, what the plan is for the day, and whether or not there are tasks to do such as moving lifeguard stands or closing off beach access points.

That might be the extent of his predictable routine.

“After that, every day is different,” Julien says. “I love that.”

A lot of what he does involves coordinating with the towns in order to provide information to the public. As part of that, he may meet in person with concerned homeowners.

“Anytime one of the towns receives a question, I help them respond, or I respond,” he says. "The towns here have been really proactive, and we want to help them get as much accurate information out as possible."

At the end of each day, Julien writes a detailed report – comprised of text and photos, including drone shots – that’s sent out to the towns and other agencies. “It keeps everyone up-to-date, and it shows that the project is following all the requirements,” Julien explains.

All told, people have been very understanding, Julien says, particularly because location-specific work has been completed fairly quickly.

More often than not, the comments and questions he fields are, “Hey, that’s really cool,” and, “What is the boat doing?”

People’s main question, however, is: “Why do this during the summer?” When he explains that the unpredictable winter weather makes it too dangerous – and expensive – to do offshore work, everyone seems to get it.

“Overall, people have been great,” Julien says. “I think they understand why this project is so important.”

Julien Devisse stands watch over the beach nourishment project.

34

NORTH BEACH SUN FALL 2017

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ALL IN A NAME JOB

Joy Greenwood Superintendent, Jockey’s Ridge State Park

ALL IN A NAME JOB

JOB

Ocracoke Ferryman, N.C. Dept. of Transportation

JOB

Seafood Broker, Willie R. Etheridge Seafood Co.

DAY ’ s wo r k

Jennifer Gardner Stage Manager, The Lost Colony

ALL IN A NAME JOB

DAY ’ s wo r k

Mark Vrablic

ALL IN A NAME

DAY ’ s wo r k

Ben O’Neal

ALL IN A NAME

DAY ’ s wo r k

DAY ’ s wo r k

Meg Puckett Herd Manager, Corolla Wild Horse Fund

Superintendent Joy Greenwood on the grounds of the East Coast's tallest active sand dune system – a.k.a., her office.

Shifting Sands

ALL IN A NAME JOB

DAY ’ s wo r k

Julien Devisse

Project Manager / Engineer, Coastal Planning & Engineering of North Carolina

Walking around the grounds of Jockey’s Ridge State Park,

Joy Greenwood, the park superintendent, greets visitors with a smile, answers questions, guides guests and welcomes newcomers, all without breaking her stride. To take a peek at a day in the life of a Jockey’s Ridge park superintendent is like looking through a moving kaleidoscope: It’s colorful, dynamic and ever changing.

“No two days are the same,” says Joy. “It’s not a boring profession; it keeps you on your toes.”

Beginning in the morning, much like with any business, it’s time to open up shop. At Jockey’s Ridge that means unlocking the soundside and main gates and opening the visitors’ center. The next matter of business is to make sure the grounds are in good shape, and then prepare for the day’s park programming, which includes both fun and educational programs that cover everything from short guided hikes to learning about native wildlife on the ridge. “We try and mix it up so that it’s good for all ages,” Joy says.

Joy and four other rangers staff the park year-round, with additional volunteers and an intern during the busy summer months. She considers herself a park ranger that oversees 36

NORTH BEACH SUN FALL 2017

Photo by Lori Douglas Photography Story by Abby Stewart

park operations and administration – and in all North Carolina State Parks, park superintendents are required to be generalists, meaning that they need to be certified law enforcement officers, first responders, be able to develop and implement environmental education programs, have a good background in natural resource management, and be able to perform park operations such as opening and closing duties. Her typical work week is Monday through Friday from eight a.m. to five p.m., but sometimes Joy will stay until closing at nine p.m. or cover holiday or weekend shifts depending on events and staffing. On any given day, there are two to three rangers on duty at all times.

“We’re the people that work when other people play,” she says with a smile.

Once the park opens to the public, the kaleidoscope begins spinning. At all hours of the day, Joy and her rangers can be found patrolling the sand dunes and answering visitors’ questions. “Having the ability to talk to a wide variety of people from the young to the elderly and everyone in between is essential,” Joy says.

Another ongoing duty is monitoring safety, which usually involves attending to heat-related incidences. Since all North Carolina park rangers are first responders, Joy and her

rangers play the role of firefighters, policemen and emergency medical providers. “A park ranger wears all kinds of hats,” she says. “You have to be capable of thinking on your feet.”

As the “usual” day progresses at Jockey’s Ridge, Joy will occasionally tend to small things like a missing wallet while also overseeing larger resource management projects – including tasks such as prescribed burning and building a living shoreline to re-establish the oyster population.

Since the 420-acre park is essentially accessible on all sides, it’s nearly impossible to tell exactly how many people are in the park at any given time. Sometimes 2,000 people show up just to watch the sunset, and during the summer season there can be up to 10,000 people in the park, making Joy’s job a non-stop operation. “The biggest thing about being a ranger is the ability to move flawlessly from one task to the next,” she explains. “Our staff has to have flexibility and bravery – from knowing about broken bones to how to use a compass.

“We are here to help our visitors enjoy this place,” Joy adds. “We lean more toward the educational side, but safety is our primary concern – both for our visitors and for the natural resources we are trying to protect.”

Upgrade your point of view.

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Take aaawalk in Historic Corolla Park Take walk in Historic Corolla Park Take walk in Historic Corolla Park Takeon a walk in Historic Corolla Park the North theCurrituck CurrituckOuter OuterBanks Banksin NorthCarolina.

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With Whalehead Historic Corolla, the Currituck Beach Lighthouse and With Whalehead inin Historic Corolla, the Currituck Beach Lighthouse and the OBX Center for Wildlife Education allCurrituck within reach, youLighthouse won’t wantand to With Whalehead in Historic Corolla, the Beach the OBX Center for Wildlife Education all within reach, you won’t want the OBX Center for Wildlife Education all within reach, you won’t want toto miss any of the unique attractions the Northern Banks haswant to offer. the OBX Center for Wildlife Education allNorthern within Outer reach, you won’t to miss any of the unique attractions the Outer Banks has offer. miss any of the unique attractions the Northern Outer Banks has toto offer. miss any of the unique attractions the Northern Outer Banks has to offer.

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37

FOLKS

new kids on the block photos by ryan moser story by amelia boldaji

A growing number of local entrepreneurs have been taking the beach by storm lately with creative start-up businesses that aren’t necessarily tied to any one physical location – and they’re exploring a variety of ways not only to connect with their customers…but also to connect with each other.

It’s a sunny morning in historic Corolla Village, and at least a half-dozen local

artists are already setting up tables in the grassy courtyard adjacent to Lovie’s Salon & Spa. There’s an eclectic mix of everything from home furnishings to beauty products, jewelry to dream catchers. And for most of these vendors, this is an invaluable opportunity to network with each other and their customers in person – perhaps even for the very first time.

“Not everyone has a storefront, and this allows them to reach a whole other type of clientele they might not see otherwise,’” Alicia Arranz says about the twice monthly Corolla Village Artisan Markets she started this past summer with her business partner, Kelly Ives. “We love connecting with people and

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NORTH BEACH SUN FALL 2017

encouraging them to do what they love – it’s really empowering and inspiring. How can we not keep rolling with that?”

Alicia, who owns Lovie’s Salon and co-owns Lovie’s Wellness, knows this from years of experience. When she first moved here from New York, she traveled up and down the Outer Banks as a freelance hair stylist for years before she had the chance to open up her own brick and mortar salon.

“I actually met a lot of these artists because I’ve been doing their hair for a while now,” Alicia says with a laugh. “It feels really full circle, and I’m so thankful for that.”

One such client is Katelin Kight, a Currituck native who started a line of small-batch skincare products called Moon Tide Botanicals this past winter. “I had all these ideas,” Katelin says. “But at first I was just playing with formulas for myself.”

Besides sharing some of those ideas with Alicia, Katelin hadn’t necessarily put much thought into starting her own business until last Christmas when some family members suggested making the holidays a DIYonly gift exchange.

Working with her longtime friend Ariana Barnes (who was also experimenting with handmade laundry products strictly for her own personal use until she began to do business as Wild Sage), the two made a pact to continue making their products together this year.

With the help of some friends, the duo embarked on the time-consuming process of creating logos and labels…and bottling enough of their products to set up a shared booth at the annual Currituck Flower and Garden Show this past spring.

While they both freely admit that taking their product lines public was a scary step (“It’s so much easier to sell Katelin’s things than it is to sell my own,” Ariana says half-jokingly), they were overwhelmed with positive support from the very beginning. Surprisingly enough, that support came not only from family and friends, but also from a thriving community of like-minded local entrepreneurs.

In fact, making those types of personal connections was how they met Sarah Fredricks of Goldielockes jewelry. After Sarah contacted Ariana to see if she wanted to barter some laundry detergent for earrings, the

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FIRST CLASS recently founded her line of marbled stationery and other goods. “I didn’t realize that there was such an extensive creative community here until a friend encouraged me to start doing art shows at Sweet T’s in Duck a few years ago. From there I began meeting all these amazing local artists that inspired me. A lot of us have other full-time jobs in addition to this, but so far it feels as though things are falling into place at the right time.”

Businesses with physical locations also started contacting some of the smaller start-up vendors with new wholesale opportunities. To date, some Moon Tide and Blue Moth Studio products can be found at Altwood, while Modern Beach House carries nearly a full line of Wild Sage products, and Sarah now keeps a number of local shops from Corolla to Kill Devil Hills (such as Zen & Zip, Barree Station, Foxy Flamingo and Mom’s Sweet Shop) stocked with her distinctive hoop earrings.

This energy has also led many of them to think even more creatively about how they can all work together going forward – whether that means coming up with new products based on the feedback they’re receiving or if it means embarking on entirely new ventures. (An example of the latter involves a planned collaboration between Lauren Evans of Wana World Market – a small, internationally inspired home décor business – and Ariana, who will use her sewing skills to make pouches out of fabric Lauren collects from her travels abroad.)

“It feels more encouraging than competitive overall,” April says thoughtfully. “I can hardly keep up with all the opportunities and unique spaces people are creating here anymore. I love that. The main thing is that we’re all supporting one another – and who knows what that will lead to in the future.”

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three women got together in person for a trade – which prompted Sarah to ask them if they wanted to be part of a promotional group giveaway.

That giveaway, which ran on Instagram in time for Mother’s Day, included items not only from Goldielockes, Moon Tide and Wild Sage, but also goods from Lindsay Dilworth and Andrew Carnill of Altwood, Shannon Parra of The Shabby Dream Shop, Jennifer Yell of Love Beauty Balm and April Forbes of The Blue Moth Studio.

Prior to that giveaway, most of the artists involved only knew each other’s names in passing – but that began to change pretty quickly afterwards when they all began meeting each other face-toface at local markets and other pop up events at places such as Outer Banks Brewing Station, Secret Spot Surf Shop and Modern Beach House.

“It all kind of happened at once,” says Sarah, who started Goldielockes six years ago when she was living in San Francisco, but has seen her business grow exponentially in the past five months – which she chalks up largely to having so many opportunities to cross-collaborate with other independent artists and shop owners on the Outer Banks. “That giveaway was a nice array of things that complemented each other. It caught people’s attention.”

It also led to a flurry of direct messages, in-person meet ups and new cross-promotional ideas that only widened the circle. Shabby Dream Shop featured Moon Tide’s serums on one of her Instagram stories, while Jennifer Yell began to encourage her loyal customers to check out Blue Moth Studio after she commissioned April to design new labels for Love Beauty Balm.

“At first I was just doing it for fun,” says April, who has a background in graphic design and has always enjoyed a number of artistic pursuits, but only

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39

EVERYTHING ELSE UNDER THE

Sun

Show Me the

Light!

a few things you probably didn’t know about outer banks lighthouses

By Dawn Church

lighthouses are part of life on the outer banks, what with this being the Graveyard of the Atlantic and all. The Outer Banks actually boasts five lighthouses from Corolla to Ocracoke, and while these sentinels may be old-fashioned, they will never go out of style! Statistics and the basic history of all the local lighthouses abound at most gift shops, so we thought we’d shine a light on a few lesser-known nuggets here.

Missing something?

The Currituck Beach Lighthouse (left) in historic Corolla Village is different from many other lighthouses because it has no paint job. It was completed in 1875, using one MILLION red bricks and the same design as the Bodie Island Lighthouse.

The Currituck Beach Lighthouse was the final major brick lighthouse built on the Outer Banks.

200ft 150ft

Movin’ on.

Towering above all the other lighthouses in the United States, most folks know that the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse (top) has 269 steps and is 198 feet from the ground to the top of the lightning rod. But some may not be aware that this impressive structure went for a bit of a “walk” back in 1999. The Hatteras light was originally located on the beach in Buxton until, because of shoreline erosion, it and seven accompanying structures were moved 2,900 feet inland. Amazingly enough, it only took 23 days to move the lighthouse to the safer spot it occupies now.

Leaning tower.

The Bodie Island Lighthouse (right)resides slightly south of Whalebone Junction – and Bodie is pronounced “body” – as in the human body. While local folklore might have you believe it’s called this out of respect for the number of bodies washed ashore from the treacherous Graveyard of the Atlantic, it’s actually just named after the Bodie family who once owned the land there. The current lighthouse is actually the third one to bear this name; the first one was built in 1848, but it had a faulty foundation that caused it to lean (yikes!), and it was abandoned in 1859 in favor of newly constructed one that was destroyed only two years later during the American Civil War. Small but mighty!

Ocracoke Lighthouse (center) is only 75 feet tall, but it has staying power, and it’s North Carolina’s oldest operating lighthouse. It was built to last in 1823, with walls that are five feet thick at the base and its exterior is still coated with an interesting whitewash of lime, salt, ground rice, whiting and clear glue. It also boasts a fourth-order Fresnel lens that was dismantled by Confederate troops in 1864 but later restored by Union forces. Electricity came to the lighthouse in the early 1900s, and it was automated in 1955. Today you can see its steady beam for 15 nautical miles.

Wait, that’s a lighthouse?

The Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse (bottom) on the Manteo waterfront doesn’t really look like a lighthouse at all. That’s because it’s a screw-pile light; basically a square cottage with a light on top of a platform, which stands on piles that are literally screwed into the sandy bottom of the Roanoke Sound.

Screw-pile lights were popular after the Civil War because they were cheap, easy and quick to build. The Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse is actually a replica of the original one, which was built in 1877, decommissioned in 1955 and purchased by a private citizen – who then cut it from its foundation and placed it on a barge to move the lighthouse to a new location.

Unfortunately, a storm came along during transit and tossed the lighthouse into the sound, where it sank and was never retrieved.

100ft 50ft

The height relationship of Marshes Light, Ocracoke, Bodie Island, Currituck, and Cape Hatteras Lighthouses (left to right).

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NORTH BEACH SUN FALL 2017

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. Find HOBX at hiddenouterbanks.com and facebook.com/hiddenouterbanks.

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PHOTO BY PIVOT VISUALS

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

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Hello Fall! Hello Locals!

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