North Beach Sun Holiday 2019

Fresh tuna prep with a sushi master Stringing a million lights at the Elizabethan Gardens

E H T F F O l l a w

Holiday 2019 • volume 131

Teacher

Justin Paxton

and his students bring

big art to Hatteras

PERMIT NO. 15 MONROE, GA

NORTH BEACH SUN

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PAID PRESORTED STANDARD US POSTAGE

th i w r e t t e b re a s y a d i l o h The

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Why is Big Buck’s Homemade Ice Cream Shop’s chocolate at the top of everyone’s Christmas list?

It’s homemade daily right here on the Outer Banks by European -trained chocolatiers!

It’s a local gift that you can pick up!

It’s a perfect stocking stuffer (Starting at 99¢)!

Happy holidays!

Belinda

It’s available online to ship anywhere!

SHOP LOCAL

book your event chocol at statio e n ate corpor es x o gift b le b a il a v a

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The holiday season is upon us, an means it’s time to celebrate wi d that th chocolate! Let us help you sel ect the sweetest gift for everyone on your list – from teachers to grandparent s to coworkers. Pistachio-almond bark, pecan caramel turtles, peppermint pat ties…the selection is endless, and it ne ver disappoints.

While you’re out Christmas shopping, come in and warm up with an espresso – or grab some hot cocoa for you elves. Whether you stop in for r little ice cream on a hot summer day or wa rm caramel mocha on a bluster y winter evening, we love being a part of your sweetest memories throughout the Thank you for making Big Bu year. ck’s a part of your traditions, no matter what the season .

It’s delicious…obviously!

Stop in for a hot chocolate or hot mocha!

Dear friends and customers –

OPEN YEAR ROUND Waterfront Shops Manteo 252-423-3118

pre-order chocolate for the holidays

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

bigbucksicecream.com • distinctdelights.com HOLIDAY 2019

Timbuck II Corolla 252-453-3188

ORDER ONLINE!

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

WINNER! best ICE CREAm SHOP best chocol

ate shop

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

There’s no place like home.

That’s why I swim 8,000 miles.

I’m pulled back to the nesting grounds where I was born.

Seriously. We sea turtles follow Earth’s magnetic fields across the globe to lay our eggs.

From poaching to pollution, think of all the obstacles I face.

NORTH BEACH SUN

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r o f e p a c s e t c e f r e Ap

! n u f r e t win

White Doe Inn

Known for its excellent service, well- appointed rooms and outstanding innovative cuisine.

Perfect for getaways, relaxing escapes, honeymoons, weddings, celebrations and fun-filled vacations.

1 319 Sir Walter Raleigh Street 252-473-9851 • whitedoeinn.com

Charlotte’s Full-service ladies’ boutique specializing in fashions that are traditional with a contemporary flair.

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103A Fernando Street 252-473-3078 • shopcharlottes.com

Sisters Boutique & Gifts Women’s clothing, sandals, home goods and more!

3

207 Queen Elizabeth Avenue 252-305-8582 • @sistersofmanteo

Fresh cuisine with a southwestern flair, Ortega’z Grill brings spice to downtown Manteo. Open for lunch and dinner. It’s where everyone gathers!

4 201 Sir Walter Raleigh Street

252-473-5911 • ortegaz.com

December 6, 6 - 8 p.m.

Stroll the streets of Manteo enjoying food, live music, beer specials, book signings, local art and more.

TRISH MCEVOY HOLIDAY MAKEUP EVENT

December 6-7 Come to Charlotte’s for an opportunity to replenish your essentials and learn new techniques. Mini facials and full makeup lessons. Call 252-473-3078 or visit Charlotte’s Facebook page to sign up.

WINTER EVENTS AT DOWNTOWN BOOKS 11/30 12/6

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HOLIDAY 2019

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107 Fernando Street 252-305-8638

Love ‘N Life Arts & Crafts The only craft store located on the Outer Banks also offers an open crafting atmosphere and a full coffee bar.

6 600 US Main Hwy 64/264

Ortega’z

November 30, 12 - 8 p.m.

Come out for Small Business Saturday at the Waterfront Shops and enjoy free coffee, muffins, and other treats. Bring an item for the SPCA and fill a free bag of chocolates from the chocolate station. Get 20% off items during the event.

FIRST FRIDAY

A fashion forward boutique offering unique, high quality women’s clothing and accessories.

Pop in for a personalized enjoyable shopping experience.

252-473-2630 • lnlop.com

BIG BUCK’S OPEN HOUSE

Upcoming Events

Bloom Boutique

12/31

Authorpalooza!

7 local authors signing books from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Soulfire Woman book launch featuring author Dyanne Kelley 4:30 - 8:00 p.m.

Instagram Scavenger Hunt and New Year’s festivities

Blue Coral Studios For casual elegance, look no further. Art gallery, handmade jewelry, gifts and more.

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107 Budleigh St. Phoenix Shops 252-423-3300 bluecoralstudios@gmail.com

WINTER EVENTS AT AVENUE WATERFRONT GRILLE

Sip and Shop pop up shops - all through December 12/6 First Friday live music with Steve Houser 12/13 Christmas Queens are Coming to Town drag show and after-party with DJ Redman 12/20 Visit with Santa from 5 - 7 p.m.

Tacky Christmas Outfit party and Christmas Trivia with Burnley from 7 - 9 p.m.

12/31 New Year's Eve DJ Dance Party with fire dancing.

No cover. 10:00 p.m. - 1:00 a.m.

Avenue Waterfront Grille

Big Buck’s Homemade Ice Cream

Local seafood, all-natural proteins, specialty burgers and pizzas. Craft beers, wine and Outer Banks cocktails. Gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan selections. Come and play Carolina Keno and N.C. Education Lottery with us!

Sleeping In, Ltd. Stop in and enjoy one of Manteo's most pleasurable shopping experiences. Fashion, gifts, jewelry, home textiles and more.

Dozens of homemade ice cream varieties, smoothies, shakes, sundaes, handmade Belgian chocolates, fresh fudge and an Italian espresso bar. Chocolate boxes for the holidays. Open all year.

8 207 Queen Elizabeth Avenue

13 101B Fernando Street

252-475-1971 • Like us on Facebook

Outer Banks Distilling

11 207 Queen Elizabeth Avenue

252-473-4800 • avenuegrilleobx.com

252-423-3118 bigbucksicecream.com

Downtown Books

From molasses to glasses, visit the first legal distillery on the Outer Banks. Offering Kill Devil Rum tastings, distillery tours (reservations required) and a retail area. Open 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., Tuesday - Saturday.

Sam & Winston

The independent bookstore that puts the right books in the right hands. Large selection of Outer Banks titles, best-sellers, cookbooks and children’s books, greeting cards, gifts and more.

A southern family-owned shop with fine art, books, gourmet kitchen goods and high-design gifts for ladies, gentlemen, children and dogs. Come see our spacious new location opening January 2020!

9 105 Sir Walter Raleigh Street 252-473-1056 • duckscottage.com

14 510 Budleigh Street

252-423-3011 outerbanksdistilling.com

12 108 Sir Walter Raleigh Street

nest

252-475-9764 samandwinston.com

nest Distinctive clothing by CP Shades and Wilt and many other niche brands. Sophisticated accessories, jewelry and fragrances for you and your home.

PA

10 Magnolia Lane

252-473-5141

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Wreath Central - 20 minute pop-up class Mondays and Wednesdays 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Fridays Preschool Mornings 9:30 - 10:30 a.m.

12/ 7 Ornaments for Ocracoke - Join Avon’s Kinnakeet Clay to provide handmade ornaments for Ocracoke residents. 3 - 4:30 p.m.

12/12 The Tablescape Series - An evening of entertaining 101 fun 5:30 - 7 p.m.

Student Art Camps - Scheduled during school days off. Includes materials and light snacks.

December 6 -7

Celebrate Christmas on the OBX with a boat parade, tree lighting, town Christmas Parade and more. For more information, visit townofmanteo.com

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MARSHES LIGHT

NEW YEAR IN THE NEW WORLD FIREWORKS SHOW

December 31 Ring in 2020 on Roanoke Island at the 3rd annual downtown Manteo New Year’s Eve celebration. Live music starts at 3 p.m. and there will be a kid-friendly ball drop at 8:30 p.m. Then head to the docks for the largest New Year’s Eve fireworks show in North Carolina! Visit newyearnewworld.com.

NORTH BEACH SUN

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Holiday 2019 8

FROM THE DESK

11 BUT FIRST...

12 WINTER EVENTS CALENDAR LIFESTYLE

14 UNDER THE SUN Three brothers take their own route 16 FOUR IF BY SEA Grub theory: A guide for making life decisions 18 PLAYING WITH FIRE Burnt wood art by Emily Caffrey FOOD & BEVERAGE

20 A CUT ABOVE Turning tuna into sushi REAL ESTATE

24 TOWN REPORT What's happening all over the beach

26 BUSINESS BRIEFS 28 AT LAND'S EDGE The changing story of trees along our coastal wetlands 32 THE FUTURE OF COASTAL DESIGN The Coastal Studies Institute grows into its environment 34 HOME SPOTLIGHT The Flyway Club on Knotts Island 36 D.I.WHY NOT? Once upon a time 37 BABY, IT'S COLD OUTSIDE Winterizing tips for your beach home 38 MOOD BOARD Coastal Christmas 40 SUN SALUTATIONS 42 FIVE FACTS The legendary Croatan Inn

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

44 OFF THE WALL Justin Paxton and the Hatteras mural club 48 LET THERE BE LIGHTS Setting up WinterLights at The Elizabethan Gardens LOOK BACK

50 CHARTING THE WIND The first standardized wind force scale OUTDOORS

52 SNAPSHOTS FOR SCIENCE A crowd-sourced research project comes to the Outer Banks 54 SHORE SCIENCE Thar she blows!

56 THE LONG WAY ROUND Sailing the Great Loop THE LOCAL LIFE

58 STUART PARKS II Archivist, Outer Banks History Center

ABOUT THE COVER: Justin Paxton stands with a completed mural decorating a garage door in Hatteras Village (photo courtesy of Jenni Koontz).

THIS PAGE: Photos courtesy of Jenni Koontz, Elizabeth Neal and Ryan Moser (clockwise from left).

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HOLIDAY 2019

WINNER

2019 PARADE OF HOMES

JUDGES’ AWARD OF EXCELLENCE PEOPLE'S CHOICE AWARD

Let’s do...

LUNCH & DINNER HAPPY HOUR LATE NIGHT FUN FRESH LOCAL SEAFOOD BEER & SIGNATURE COCKTAILS STEAM BAR UNTIL 2AM

Photos © Milepost Living LOCAL'S FAVORITE JAZZY BRUNCH EVERY SUNDAY GOOMBAYS.COM FOR FALL & WINTER HOURS-CLOSED TUESDAYS

Experience the tranquility of Water Oak, Kill Devil Hills’ premier waterfront community nestled between Kitty Hawk Bay and the Wright Brothers Memorial. Showcasing artful design with diverse & functional architecture that inspires a connection with nature.

MODELS NOW OPEN Starting from the $400s

Goombays Grille & Raw Bar | Milepost 7 on the Beach Road 1608 N. VIRGINIA DARE TRAIL | KILL DEVIL HILLS | 252.441.6001 | GOOMBAYS.COM

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

PHOTO BY PIVOT VISUALS

Visit Duck’s favorite spot

252.441.9003 | HomesBySAGA.com

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

Yellowhouse Gallery FINE ART PHOTOGR APHY AMERICAN FINE CRAFT

THE

STORE

Sunset Ice Cream

CK DU ’S

GENERAL STORE

NORTH BEACH SUN

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FROM THE DESK

STAFF PUBLISHERS

Adam & Cathy Baldwin EDITOR

Amelia Boldaji The Holiday 2019 edition in development.

ART DIRECTOR

Dave Rollins

This magazine is our gift to you.

GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Dylan Bush

publishing a quarterly magazine has its seasonal cycles. But unlike more typical businesses on the Outer Banks that fluctuate with rising and falling visitor numbers, we don’t really have an offseason in this line of work. Stories are all assigned? Perfect, time to schedule the photo shoots. Layout’s done? Time to copyedit. The magazine’s at the press? Great, time to start the next one!

Publishing a quarterly is a bit like the holiday season, in fact. You spend a few steady months preparing for it – making to-do lists, picking up necessary items here and there, scheduling plans – and then, before you know it, it’s Christmas Day. You enjoy it, you celebrate. Sure, there’s a little lull before the New Year to relax, and then you celebrate again.

Our “Christmas Day,” though, is the day we finally send an issue to the press, and our traditional office celebration generally involves a couple rounds of drinks immediately afterwards. Same as the holidays, we usually have some downtime while the magazine’s being printed – and once it’s back in our hands by the thousands, we have a second reason to celebrate.

At this point, however, we’re almost always gearing up for the next season as well. It’s like the holidays, alright, except for the fact that it happens four times a year.

But you know that giddy feeling of anticipation that comes right before Christmas Eve, when you’re hanging stockings and wrapping presents and spending times with loved ones? It’s a little like that with us in the lead up to a new edition, too. Of course, we can get a bit stressed at times (who doesn’t?), but we also don’t take ourselves too seriously during that final crunch. We get fast-food and walk around the office barefoot and take breaks to look at memes and have semi-serious conversations about the possibility of adding winky-face emojis to certain pieces.

In short, we have fun.

We had a conversation about that while we were outlining this letter over some rice bowls and maybe a glass or two of rosé. At the end of the day, we know we’re lucky to enjoy what we do here at the Sun, and one of the main reasons we enjoy it so completely is because the magazine you’re holding in your hands right now is a labor of love. It’s not simply about how we make a living, but more about what we can give back – and ultimately, this magazine is meant to be our gift in return to you.

We feel tremendously blessed by the support and the vibrancy of our community all the time. Without the number of creative individuals here who both educate and inspire us, there would be no stories to tell, after all. So from our first new ideas meetings to the day a new issue arrives, we’re thinking about you as a reader, first and foremost – about all the things you might want to know or be interested in, and all the ways we can best share those stories in order to express our gratitude.

Thank you, to the Outer Banks and beyond – and, as always, we hope you enjoy this issue!

LIKE ALMOST ANYTHING ELSE,

WRITERS

Cathy Baldwin • Amelia Boldaji Brian Boutin • Steve Hanf Lexi Holian • Catherine Kozak Katrina Mae Leuzinger Dan Lewis • Fran Marler Amanda McDanel Chloe Williams Michele Young-Stone PHOTOGRAPHERS

Lori Douglas Cory Godwin Jenni Koontz Baxter Miller Ryan Moser Elizabeth Neal Outer Banks History Center SALES MANAGER

Helen Furr ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES

Sue Goodrich Tori Peters DISTRIBUTOR

Aaron Caswell 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.

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

Editor 8

HOLIDAY 2019

Publisher

editor@northbeachsun.com

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Italian comfort food, including vegetarian options

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HOLIDAY 2019

4

IT TAKES A VILLAGE TO PIECE TOGETHER EVERY EDITION of the North Beach Sun – and we’ve put in the (paper)work to prove it. To celebrate another great year we compiled some behind-the-scenes numbers in order to show you what it took to make 2019 one for the books.

BUT FIRST...

87

Issues of the North Beach Sun are published every year.

In 2019, as in every year since the summer of 1987, we published four quarterly issues, making this the 131st edition of the Sun.

Original pieces were created by 20 different writers.

Each piece averaged about three to four different drafts this year before making it to final layout, at which point every single page of the magazine was proofed or reviewed by no less than five people several times.

79,000

MORE THAN

Edited words published this year.

That's an average of about 19,800 words per issue – not including captions!

EDITION

Oh, the Places We’ve Been!

40

Separate photo shoots were handled by more than a dozen photographers.

With hundreds of supplied photos gathered from individuals and organizations such as the Outer Banks History Center and the Outer Banks Visitors Bureau, we also combed through an average of nearly 500 professionally commissioned photos per issue this year to select the cream of the crop – which resulted in publishing approximately 50 stunning images every edition.

Original publishers Rex Peters and Bob Furr started the North Beach Sun out of a small office in north Duck.

BARRIER ISLAND STATION, DUCK (LATE 1980S)

NAGS HEAD-MANTEO CAUSEWAY (EARLY 1990S – LATE 1990S)

For a few years in the mid-1990s, the North Beach Sun called the causeway home.

VIRGINIA DARE TRAIL, KILL DEVIL HILLS (LATE 1990S – FALL

The North Beach Sun shared a location on the beach road with the Outer Banks Beach Club Visitors Center for a handful of years in a building that has since been demolished. The roof caved in during a hurricane, flooding computers, paperwork and – most devastatingly – the Sun’s server.

2003)

MILEPOST 3, KITTY HAWK (FALL 2003 – DECEMBER 2011)

Once the floodwaters subsided, the North Beach Sun moved to an office building on the bypass in Kitty Hawk, where it stayed until Cathy and Adam Baldwin took over the Sun in January 2012.

SEA DUNES SHOPPES, KITTY HAWK (JANUARY 2012

For the first three issues of 2012, the magazine was based out of an office in the Sea Dunes Shoppes. When the ocean breached the dunes during Hurricane Sandy on October 29, 2012, the office took on 16 inches of seawater.

– OCTOBER 2012)

THE BALDWIN HOME, KILL DEVIL HILLS

The staff temporarily relocated to the Baldwin house for the month of November to put together the holiday 2012 edition.

(NOVEMBER 2012)

MEADOWLARK STREET, KILL DEVIL HILLS

In December 2012, the magazine relocated for the seventh time to its present location near the library in Kill Devil Hills.

(DECEMBER 2012 – PRESENT)

New Chapters AFTER A COMBINED 45 YEARS AS INTEGRAL MEMBERS of the North Beach Sun staff, we bid a fond farewell to Tori Peters (left) and Sue Goodrich (right). It seems that just about everyone on the beach knows “the twins,” and we are sad to see them go. But don’t tell them they’re retiring…Tori says that’s a word their father, Colonel Leonard L. Lewane of the United States Army, never wanted them to use. “As my dad always said, we don’t believe in the word retire,” says Tori. “If you retire, you expire!”

Both Tori and Sue are looking forward to spending more time with their grandkids and travelling Europe this summer to celebrate their joint 60th birthday.

Photos by Ryan Moser.

NORTH BEACH SUN

11

winter events

2019-2020 HATTERAS ISLAND CHRISTMAS PARADE

OUTER BANKS JINGLE JOG CHRISTMAS RUN

This hometown parade spreads holiday cheer throughout Hatteras Village, and you can catch a glimpse of Santa as he rides through town on a fire truck.

Warm up on a winter morning with a Christmasthemed oceanside run through Southern Shores. theobxrunningcompany.com

December 14

116TH ANNUAL CELEBRATION OF THE WRIGHT BROTHERS FIRST FLIGHT December 17

NOVEMBER

This milestone will be celebrated at the Wright Brothers National Memorial, the same place the very first flight occurred. firstflight.org

TIPSY TURKEY 1-MILE BEER RUN

HANGIN’ WITH SANTA & KITES WITH LIGHTS

Kick off the holiday break with this Thanksgivingthemed beer mile that starts and ends at the Outer Banks Brewing Station. theobxrunningcompany.com

Take the kids by Kitty Hawk Kites across from Jockey’s Ridge in Nags Head on Friday or Saturday for pictures with Saint Nick. While you’re there, watch the night sky light up as enormous kites with festive lights soar above Jockey’s Ridge. kittyhawk.com

JANUARY

WINTERLIGHTS PRESENTED BY SOUTHERN BANK

January 25

November 27

24TH ANNUAL ADVICE 5K TURKEY TROT November 28

Start your Thanksgiving off right by burning calories in the annual 5K Turkey Trot in Duck.

Proceeds go toward the Advice 5K Turkey Trot Fund, a permanent charitable endowment managed by the Outer Banks Community Foundation. advice5kturkeytrot.com THANKSGIVING DAY 5K November 28

Begin Thanksgiving Day with a 5K at historic Whalehead in the shadow of the Currituck Lighthouse. theobxrunningcompany.com

November 29 – 30

November 30 – January 19 (selected dates)

Stroll through an illuminated winter wonderland at The Elizabethan Gardens this holiday season.

Check their website for dates and times. elizabethangardens.org THE BIG CURRI-SHUCK November 30

Enjoy all-you-can eat steamed oysters, steamed crabs, barbeque, local wine and live music from 12-5 p.m. at Sanctuary Vineyards in Jarvisburg. sanctuaryvineyards.com

December 6

Downtown Manteo comes alive on the first Friday of each month from 6-8 p.m. April through December.

MANTEO CHRISTMAS CELEBRATIONS December 6 – 7

Watch the Grand Illumination in front of the historic Manteo courthouse on Friday evening, and then enjoy the Christmas parade through downtown Manteo on Saturday. townofmanteo.com OUTER BANKS HOTLINE FESTIVAL OF TREES December 6 – 7

This multi-day event at the Village Beach Club in Nags Head includes a visit with Santa, a Polar Express movie night, a bazaar and an auction of donated decorated Christmas trees to benefit the local nonprofit Outer Banks Hotline. obxfestivaloftrees.com

WINGS OVER WATER WILDLIFE FESTIVAL December 6 – 8

HOLIDAY 2019

HATTERAS ISLAND OYSTER ROAST

Enjoy oysters, chowder, corn bread and bake sale desserts at Oden’s Dock from 1-4 p.m. Proceeds from this event will benefit the N.C. Coastal Federation’s oyster reef restoration programs. nccoast.org

MARCH

DUCK’S YULETIDE CELEBRATION

March 7 – 8

December 7

Enjoy live music from Just Playin’ Dixieland and carols from the First Flight High School choir while waiting for Santa to arrive via a fire truck and light the town’s crab-pot tree on the Duck Town Green. townofduck.com HOLIDAY FEAST & WINTERLIGHTS COMBO December 7

Tour the festive WinterLights and enjoy a delicious holiday feast at The Elizabethan Gardens. elizabethangardens.org

DINNER WITH SANTA December 21

Join Santa himself for a meal and a tour of WinterLights at The Elizabethan Gardens elizabethangardens.org NEW YEAR IN THE NEW WORLD December 31

Celebrate the New Year in a family-friendly atmosphere in downtown Manteo, including fireworks and live music by The Rhondels. nyemanteo.com

AFTER DARK AT ALL SAINTS January 27 – February 28

A variety of classes on everything from cooking to crafts are held over the course of several weeks at All Saints Church in Southern Shores. Registration is required, and the proceeds are distributed to the community through the church’s outreach programs. afterdarkallsaints.com

FEBRUARY

This encore session of the Wings over Water Festival focuses primarily on migratory birds and waterfowl. wingsoverwater.org

VIRGINIA SYMPHONY February 29

One of the nation’s leading orchestras, the Virginia Symphony will grace the stage of the First Flight High School auditorium for an evening of enchanting music. outerbanksforum.org

2020 WEDDING WEEKEND AND EXPO

31ST ANNUAL ST. PATRICK’S DAY PARADE

Meet local wedding professionals, take a tour of venues and restaurants, and register to win wedding giveaways at this two-day expo at First Flight High School. obxwa.com

One of the largest St. Patrick’s Day parades in the state starts at 1 p.m. at milepost 11.5 on Virginia Dare Trail and continues north to Driftwood Street.

4TH ANNUAL OUTER BANKS BEER MILE March 14

Join the Outer Banks Brewing Station crew for a leprechaun-themed beer mile and a backyard after-party. theobxrunningcompany.com

TRIO HOLIDAY MARKET

RUNNING OF THE LEPRECHAUNS

Featuring a variety of local artists and artisans, this holiday market also offers plenty of edible goodies to sample while you shop. obxtrio.com

Lace up your shoes for this Irish-themed race, complete with a “Get Lucky” costume contest and an after-party. obxse.com

December 7

12

Hailed by The Washington Post as “the premier American ragtime ensemble,” Peacherine recreates the sounds of ragtime, dance music and theater selections while offering a silent film accompaniment at the First Flight High School auditorium. outerbanksforum.org

February 1

DECEMBER FIRST FRIDAY

PEACHERINE RAGTIME ORCHESTRA

December 21

March 14

March 15

OBX SHAVE RIDERS FOR ST. BALDRICK'S March 15

Come out to donate or shave your head in order to raise money for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation’s fight against childhood cancer. This event will be held at Jack Brown’s immediately following the 31st Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade. facebook.com/OBX-Shave-Riders-for-StBaldricks-Foundation OBX TASTE OF THE BEACH March 26 – 29

This four-day event sponsored by the Dare County Restaurant Association features tapas crawls, wine tastings, brewery tours, cook-offs and much more. obxtasteofthebeach.com

MONDAY

unl imited top pings burger nig ht TUESDAY

tapas & hal f off win e nig ht WEDNESDAY

go urm et tac o nig ht

Gather at the Duck Town Park for holiday music by Just Playin’ Dixieland, tasty treats from local Duck businesses, and the lighting of the Crab Pot Tree in preparation for Santa’s arrival on the Duck Fire Engine. Learn more at townofduck.com or by calling 252.255.1286.

p t h is ie’s THURSDAY wa r m u n sus r hi wit h mil o e b & ram en b ow l nig ht w in te r at

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 7 3:00 – 5:00 p.m.

Don’t miss the Great Yuletide Elf Hunt, presented by the Duck Merchants Association. From 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. doducknc.com

7th Annual EASTER EGG HUNT

252-261-1008 BAREFOOTBERNIES.COM

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NORTH BEACH SUN

13

UNDER THE SUN

ROUTE TAKING THEIR OWN

PHOTOS BY CORY GODWIN STORY BY FRAN MARLER

A

pattern begins to emerge as you fix your gaze upon the walls. Given enough time, letters and numbers slowly start to match up with a variety of colorful holds – some chunky and inviting, others smooth and demanding.

From floor to ceiling, it’s a space that beckons to those who enjoy a bit of problem solving.

The facility is called Deadpoint – which is a common rock-climbing term that describes catching a hold at the apex of a dynamic lunge. It’s also the moment before your body begins to fall backwards, when, just for a split second, you experience a feeling of weightlessness.

“We caught the climbing bug after visiting our brother Aaron in Asheville,” explains Neal Barnes, who co-owns Deadpoint with his other two brothers, Sammy and Dylan – all of whom grew up here on the Outer Banks. “Dylan was in the Philippines at the time, so when he got back, we pitched the idea of opening a climbing space. At that point, Dylan had never climbed before – now he’s better than all of us!”

While there are a number of different forms of rock climbing, the one that piqued their interest the most was bouldering. Unlike other forms of climbing, bouldering is done without the assistance of any ropes or harnesses on routes that are often short and tricky.

Business model? Check. Name? Check. Remodeling a new space? That was going to require all hands on deck.

Located just over the bridge in Powells Point, the brothers set out to transform a former insulation warehouse into a fully functioning bouldering gym – all while keeping their full-time jobs.

“We knew from the beginning we would be building pretty much everything,” Neal says. “And that we would be working around the clock.”

Neal and Dylan also own a tile business, so doing some general set up work and installing the safety flooring was a breeze. But when it came to actually designing the walls, they called in the pros.

“We enlisted the help of Leading Edge Climbing out of Vermont,” Neal says. “The owner, Cory Jones, actually came down and worked with us until we got our walls exactly how we wanted them.”

While Cory designed and hand-welded the original structure that gives the walls their distinctive shape, the Barnes brothers worked closely with him as construction assistants – and when the basics were in place, the brothers buckled down to do all the painting 14

HOLIDAY 2019

WORLD FAMOUS SEAFOOD BUFFET

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Sammy Barnes braces himself before attempting a dynamic lunge on the bouldering wall at Deadpoint in Powells Point (left).

Deadpoint is co-owned and operated by the Barnes brothers, pictured left to right: Sammy, Dylan and Neal (above).

and other finishing touches, including drilling holes and patiently installing T-nuts inside about 6,000 hold spots.

Once the walls were up in all their geometric glory, the next task was ordering and setting the hand holds themselves – and when the colorful grips finally arrived it was like Christmas had come early. With a little more than 1,500 square feet of climbable wall space, the floor of the gym quickly turned into a multi-faceted rainbow with 1,000 holds of every size, color and shape stretching from one end of the building to the other.

The task at hand seemed slightly daunting, so they reached out to Travis Riegle, a professional route setter based out of Virginia Beach who still pays a visit to Deadpoint every three weeks to change a third of the routes at a time – which is no simple task. Coming up with new challenges within a specific space is both an art and a skill, and it also requires a thorough understanding of the V Scale, which is the American bouldering industry rating system.

At Deadpoint, each route is color-coded, and they’re marked from V0 (easiest) all the way to V10 (mind bender), though some routes in the industry can go up to V16 or higher. The goal is to begin your chosen route and traverse it until you reach the top of the wall – without falling on one of the soft safety pads below, of course.

Which is actually much harder than it may initially sound.

With up to as many as 45 routes available at any given time, Deadpoint has been gathering an impressive following of members who enthusiastically arrive every time the routes change – some of whom will even attempt to climb all the routes in a single day.

Three of those die-hards are the brothers themselves, who regularly coordinate their day-job schedules so that one of them is always available to man the gym solo from open to close six days a week.

“I think it’s safe to say we have a very dedicated staff,” Neal jokes with a laugh.

That doesn’t mean you won’t ever find all three brothers in the gym together, though. Virtually every Monday, the only day the gym’s closed, they use their downtime to climb alongside other family members such as Dylan and Sammy’s four young children.

“Clearly climbing is a main motivation,” Sammy says. “But we also want to share this with our kids and other people. It’s pretty amazing to see folks light up and cheer each other on as they progress.”

“There’s an intent to each route, but not everyone climbs the same way,” adds Dylan. “Getting to the top is the point – and that takes a community effort."

A native of South Carolina, Fran Marler earned a B.A. in English from Coastal Carolina University. With a love of travel and all things water related, she and her husband have been residents of Kill Devil Hills for the past 13 years. Always keen for a good story, Fran is sure to be found wherever she is with a pen in hand, sharing her passion for writing.

Shop Local • Support Local Artists Works from more than 75 local artists Original art Hand-blown glass Handcrafted jewelry & gifts

OBX

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O R I G I N A L S

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good vibes coming spring 2020 osprey landing • duck nc • www.eventideduck.com NORTH BEACH SUN

15

FOUR IF BY SEA

Grub Theory A Guide for Making Life Decisions

I GREW UP IN THE ERA OF RABBIT EARS AND GIANT WOOD-ENCASED

When Saturday mornings were a ritual because it was the only time cartoons were actually broadcast on TV. When you chose between channels seven, 10 and 13, and if there was nothing on, you were forced to go outside and climb a tree.

That said, being part of the Xennial micro-generation (which is broadly defined as those of us who were born between the late ‘70s and early ‘80s – and who grew up before the rise of the internet, but were exposed to it in our late teens or early adulthood), I’ve seen some things. So, while I can tell you all about the rapid development of media during my lifetime, I still have clear memories of being about four years old when I saw The Buggles debut on a station that was crazy enough to exclusively broadcast music videos. (Bonus points if you can name the song!)

It was the beginning of an age with 57 channels and nothing on.

Beyond television, home video systems soon led to Blockbuster chains, frozen food aisles offered families alternatives to cooking with an increasing variety of pre-packaged meals, corn flakes gave way to magical marshmallow stars in seven different varieties, and the Sears Wishbook practically entranced children during the month of December as they started their lists for Santa. Even today, I still have an album full of pictures I cut out of said catalogs and fell asleep dreaming of 30-plus years ago.

In short, life quickly became an overabundance of choices. And while that can be enticing, it can also ignite its fair share of anxiety.

Reflecting on this generational context, it’s probably not all that surprising that I became a research nerd early on. With the expansion of the internet, millions of life choices are now literally at our fingertips.

Take, for example, the time I was planning our first vacation with my husband, Johnny.

“Where do you want to go?” I asked, to which he shrugged impassively. Four months later I had fallen down a long rabbit home of research on possible destinations. And once we finally decided on a location, the task of booking accommodations, planning recreational activities, and even deciding on the best dining options occupied all of my time until we went on the actual trip.

Stuck staring at a computer screen for hours on end, I became unable to make a decision – any decision – without first exploring all the possible options. Sure, it makes total sense given my upbringing and the explosion of accessibility and choices. But sometimes I just wish I had to choose between broccoli or cauliflower without the added pressure of standing in a produce department stocked with broccolini, romanesco and violet queens.

TELEVISIONS.

16

HOLIDAY 2019

By Amanda McDanel

Enter a life lesson learned in the most unlikely of places: At a bait and tackle store.

When I asked Johnny for a Christmas list several years ago, he had a few of the usual requests: a cooler, a new reel and some fishing tackle – grubs specifically. At the time, I knew very little about fishing equipment or the difference between inshore and offshore tackle, so it felt a little like sending him into Ulta to purchase liquid gel eyeliner for me.

Overwhelmed with the task, I asked him how on earth I was supposed to know which grubs to buy – and his answer inadvertently changed the way I’ve made life decisions ever since.

“Just look at the shelves and see what’s low in stock,” he replied calmly. “That’s how you know what the fish are biting.”

Mind. Blown. So easy, so simple. The only question left was whether or not I could put this theory to use in my everyday life.

Turns out, I could, and it immediately simplified everything. Let’s say you’re at the grocery store, and you see that Pringles has launched a new type of potato chip. There are several different flavor varieties to choose from, but which one’s the best? Pick the one that’s been scooped up the most; it’s likely the crowd favorite. This same line of thinking can be applied to everything from cereal and ice cream to yogurt flavors and all of the endless goodies you encounter in a grocery store.

Thinking of buying a gift for someone, but don’t really know their style? Walk into a clothing store and zero in on an item, whether it’s a sweater, hat or t-shirt. Next, look for a style and/or color with the least available stock, as it’s likely the most popular and bestselling piece.

Attending a festival or an event where there are multiple food options? Gauge the crowd and follow the patrons that are standing in the longest lines. Yes, the wait might be longer, but it often means they have the best offerings, and it’ll be worth it in the end.

But for me, the most practical and beloved use of what I like to call grub theory takes place in the wine aisle. While you may know a type or varietal of wine you like, you might not recognize every brand or winery. Add in all the pretty labels and the frou-frou language, and it’s almost impossible to make an educated decision on your own.

Almost. Use your newly found grub theory powers to peruse the aisle, and nab the very last bottle of something that virtually promises to be a winner. Then go home, pop the cork and enjoy having yet another decision made for you thanks to an otherwise unremarkable request for some fishing tackle.

Just don’t forget to raise an extra glass to Johnny – my husband and unexpected life coach, who has a knack for casting certain lessons straight from the sea. Cheers!

Amanda McDanel has lived on the Outer Banks for more than 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 is a successful entrepreneur.

Legendary wild horses, extraordinary golf courses

Future golf legends play two courses a day on the Currituck Outer Banks and Mainland, NC. Corolla’s wild horses roam and soon-to-be-champions hone their skills here, where variety of play tests both old pros and newcomers alike. With one remarkable course on the Outer Banks and five distinctive courses on the mainland, golfers can easily play multiple unique courses on the same day.

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NORTH BEACH SUN

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LIFESTYLE

P L AY I N G W I T H

FIRE Photos by Lori Douglas / Story by Lexi Holian

T

he heat emanating from the tip of the pen is almost undetectable as it glides across the smooth surface of basswood.

An unbroken black line appears, like charcoal on paper, but the scent in the air is of scorched timber, and someone watching closely may spot the occasional wisp of smoke.

Deft markings slowly give shape to a sea turtle, a hogfish, an octopus – artist and environmentalist Emily Caffrey has endless inspiration when it comes to her ocean-minded creations – but perhaps the most fascinating part is the way in which she chooses to bring them to life.

“I just got hooked on it,” the 25-year-old says of her wood burning technique, which led to the creation of her fast-growing artistic venture, Burn Baby Burn, last year. “I like that it’s different. It’s really unique compared to a lot of other art I see nowadays.”

The technical term for what she does is pyrography, which has been around for centuries, but she would call herself a burner – someone who sears her designs into wood with the help of a Razertip SS-D10 burner console, a variety of metal-tipped pens and a steady hand.

Her subjects themselves are almost always marine life, and a look through past burnings will reveal everything from blue crabs to sand dollars and spotted eagle rays.

Between working as a dive safety technician at the North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island and spending her free time exploring the many waterways of the Outer Banks, Emily is constantly surrounded by underwater life – part of the natural world she aims to protect by sparking conversations with her art.

“Each one of the animals has really cool adaptations to their environment,” she says.

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HOLIDAY 2019

“I like to showcase them so people can learn more about them.”

In a way, all her life experiences to date led her to Burn Baby Burn.

An environmental science major in college, she was always fascinated by the natural world, and she spent her summers away from school working on the Outer Banks as a kayak guide. After obtaining her degree, she went on to Cozumel, Mexico, to become a certified divemaster among the vibrant coral formations and sea life of iconic dive sites like the Palancar Gardens Reef.

She found a position with the aquarium upon returning stateside – a career that regularly sees her in the dive tanks interacting with both fish and visitors, and accompanying certified divers who want to swim with tiger, sandbar and nurse sharks. But more than that, her job allows her to participate in conservation projects such as the aquarium’s lionfish mitigation initiative, in which the dive team helps remove the invasive species from shipwrecks off Hatteras Island.

It was the distinct lionfish that became the focal point of Emily’s first ocean-inspired wood burning. She was taking time off from work during the slow winter season – normal for many year-round employees on the Outer Banks – and decided to revisit the artistic technique she had first discovered in college.

Although her formal education centered around the sciences, she had a long-standing passion for art and was captivated by wood burning after a friend lent her a burner console to play around with.

“Everybody was going crazy over it,” she says, remembering the sudden influx of requests for holiday orders after she posted a photo of the lionfish on social media. “A lot of people started asking me to make original stuff for them. After that, I let it roll.”

“EACH ONE OF THE ANIMALS HAS REALLY COOL ADAPTATIONS TO THEIR ENVIRONMENT. I LIKE TO SHOWCASE THEM SO PEOPLE CAN LEARN MORE ABOUT THEM.” -ARTIST EMILY CAFFREY

A selection of artist Emily Caffrey’s marine-inspired wood burnings (left). Emily with one of her recent creations at the North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island (above).

She upgraded her inexpensive starter tool to the Razertip, which has a dual output power supply and more precise temperature controls that allow her to work more efficiently. But long before the pen ever touches the wood, Emily does a lot of research in order to portray her subjects as realistically as possible. A number of the interesting information she discovers even tends to wind up on her social media pages alongside her artwork – like the fact that red drum have black spots near their tails that act as false eyes to fool potential predators.

“I try to show a little bit of movement in all my pieces,” she says while reflecting on several of her latest burnings, including a funky alligator gar that appears to move in and out of the frame. “It gives them a personality or a certain behavior.”

The soft and light basswood is o ften her canvas of choice. (More grainy woods such as plywood can catch the pen, creating uneven lines.) Each creation is free-handed in pencil before they’re burned, a process that can take anywhere from one to seven hours depending on the size of the piece. Lately, she’s even been experimenting with watercolor pencils to add pops of color after the burning is complete.

“If it gives it a bit more life or makes something easier to understand, then I’ll add it,” she says, pointing out the soft oranges and yellows of her recent oyster shells and the brown scales of the alligator gar.

While Outer Banks residents and visitors will recognize many of her subjects, Emily doesn’t exclusively showcase local marine life – as evidenced by pieces depicting a whale shark and a queen angelfish that are more commonly found in warmer waters. Her first diving experience was in Honduras, after all, and she feels innately connected to the diverse ecosystems of Mexico.

“As I go to new places, there’s always something cool to see,” she says. “But my main goal is to inspire people to think differently about the world and the conservation of wildlife.”

NORTH BEACH SUN

19

FOOD & BEVERAGE

A Cut Above

T

fish musculature is much less defined, and there can be little to no delineation between one muscle and another. With tuna, there are essentially four loins – two top loins and two bottom, or belly, loins. When it comes to sushi, it’s the bluefin belly loin that contains the choicest grades.

Photos by Ryan Moser / Story by Dan Lewis

he Outer Banks is world renowned for its fishing industry, both recreationally and commercially.

And as any fan of National Geographic’s Wicked Tuna: Outer Banks can tell you, there’s virtually no fish more sought after here than bluefin tuna.

In fact, some of our local catch can wind up halfway around the world mere hours after landing at the docks – and at places such as Tokyo’s famed Toyosu Fish Market, bluefin can fetch prices as high as $5,000 per pound.

Maguro, as it’s known in Japan, is especially prized on the booming sushi market worldwide – but not every cut of tuna is the same. Bluefin in particular is considered a delicacy that can be broken into three different basic grades according to their fat content: akami, chutoro and otoro. Similar to cuts of beef, the marbling alone can tell you a lot about the grade of a cut…but it takes an artful hand to get it from fin to table.

The final presentation by Art Maliyam at Single Fin in Nags Head (above) includes several slices of akami, chutoro and otoro served sashimi style with sliced lemons. The akami, chutoro and otoro nigiri sushi slices are garnished with tobiko (otherwise known as flying fish roe caviar), gold leaf flakes and wasabi.

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HOLIDAY 2019

Using the forward quarter of a bottom loin from a nearly 180-pound tuna, you can immediately see two distinct colors: the pale pink of the belly and the deep bright red of the inner part of the loin (above). Between those extremes, there are seemingly infinite color gradients, and a chef has to be able to read the tuna’s muscle structure, size and the various hues in order to determine the best spots for separating the three sections of akami, chutoro and otoro.

The akami is the first portion taken off the part of the loin farthest from the skin (above). This is the reddest cut, and it’s also the leanest – providing hemoglobinrich slices with high minerality and a bright, bold flavor that that makes it especially well-suited for a number of popular raw dishes, including everything from crudo to poke.

akami

The chutoro lies in the middle section of the portion, and it has a medium level of fattiness in comparison with the other two cuts (right). With less minerality and a touch of richness from the intermuscular fat that begins in that area, it’s soft on the palate, but slightly more care has to be taken while cutting this portion because of the increased space between the muscles.

otoro chutoro The most sought-after cut is the otoro (right), and it’s only found on bluefin tuna. This portion is found on the outside of the loin nearest the skin, and has very well-defined layers of individual fatty muscle separated by filaments of connective tissue – making it the most delicate part of the loin and also the choicest. Extreme care has to be taken in order to make uniform cuts parallel to the skin without having it fall apart.

Each of the three sections are cut into several approximately two-finger-wide strips (left) so they can be used for either sashimi or sushi. Sashimi-style cuts are served raw without any accompanying rice, while sushi-style cuts can result in strips of tuna rolled in rice and nori (maki sushi) or simply involve slices of tuna atop a thin mold of rice (nigiri sushi). The sashimi-style cuts are approximately 3/8-inch thick, while the nigiri sushi is sliced much thinner – roughly 1/4-inch – so they can be easily molded by hand over rice.

NORTH BEACH SUN

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HOLIDAY 2019

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REAL ESTATE

town report

WHAT’S HAPPENING IN YOUR TOWN? HERE’S A REPORT FROM ALL OVER THE OUTER BANKS.

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Kitty Hawk

Currituck County Construction of a new maritime museum at Historic Corolla Park officially kicked off with a groundbreaking ceremony in October. The attraction, to be built by Sussex Development Corporation, will display and interpret historic boats and artifacts that have been the centerpiece of Currituck County lifestyles, heritage and livelihoods. The Historic Corolla Park currently encompasses the Whalehead Club, the Currituck Beach Lighthouse and the Outer Banks Center for Wildlife Education. The maritime museum is expected to be completed by the fall of 2020.

Duck In August, the Duck Town Council unanimously approved a five-year $148,125 contract with Axon Enterprise Inc. to provide cutting-edge law enforcement equipment that automatically integrates officer body cameras, police vehicle cameras and service weapons, and can even accept photos and live-stream video from the community.

Police Chief John Cueto said that the Axon Officer Safety Plus Plan includes equipment upgrades and access to evidence.com, a system that is suitable for court. Cueto explained that the Axon program dovetails with the town joining FirstNet, an independent authority within the U.S. Department of Commerce that was authorized in 2012 to build a nationwide broadband network to equip and connect first responders. The network also gives the department access to mobile satellite units to use during power outages.

Through the Axon plan, officers’ body cameras automatically switch on 24

HOLIDAY 2019

when an officer engages their vehicle emergency lights, arrives at an emergency scene, or uses a weapon – and includes auto redaction, which edits out visual information unsuitable for public view, such as the interior of a police vehicle. An officer’s cell phone can also sync video to relay to fire departments.

Cueto said Duck’s 12 police officers, himself included, each have body cameras. The department also has a forward and rear camera in each of its 12 police vehicles.

Southern Shores After learning that the town would have to come up as much as $9 million for additional beach nourishment, the Southern Shores Town Council voted to hire a consultant with DEC Associates Inc. for $35,000 to provide financial advice on funding a future project. The town was advised by Aptim Coastal Planning & Engineering of North Carolina in September that the northern and southern ends of its beach requires nourishment that’s estimated to cost as much as $16 million. If Dare County picks up the maximum of $7 million it can provide through its shoreline protection fund, the town would still be responsible for the remaining cost.

As part of an earlier coordinated nourishment project Aptim conducted in Duck, Kitty Hawk and Kill Devil Hills, the town of Southern Shores completed a beach nourishment project that cost $879,200 in 2017.

According to town officials in Kitty Hawk, the current police station off Kitty Hawk Road is subject to flood damage and needs to be replaced. In a proposal presented to the Kitty Hawk Town Council in September, costs for a new police station and a separate fire/emergency medical services station would be about $2.6 million. Town manager Andy Stewart said that 65 percent of the cost would be covered by budgeted reserve funds. The new stations are expected to be approved before the next fiscal year.

Kill Devil Hills As residents and town officials continued to grapple with concerns about the impact of developing very large oceanfront houses this past October, the Kill Devil Hills Board of Commissioners voted against proposed amendments to its zoning ordinance that would have required additional buffers and parking on event-sized house lots. But the board also agreed to add a discussion to its January meeting agenda about what type of changes the town should make to address the development of event houses.

In recent months, the issue of large houses came to a head again in Kill Devil Hills with approval of a 28-bedroom house on the oceanfront and pending proposals for three other large oceanfront houses.

Nags Head The Nags Head Board of Commissioners voted against an ordinance that would approve accessory dwelling units this past September. Considered by some to be an option for addressing the lack of affordable housing, accessory dwelling units are small detached residential living spaces built on the same lot as larger structures. But the ordinance failed due to public concerns over enforcement and about units being permitted in westside neighborhoods.

Mayor Ben Cahoon, however, suggested that further discussion could fine-tune the proposal. So far, the towns of Duck, Kitty Hawk and Manteo, as well as Dare County, have approved some standards for accessory dwelling units.

Manteo The former Hotel Fort Raleigh on Budleigh Street in downtown Manteo was torn down in September, making way for the proposed Manteo Town Common. The old building, most recently used for offices, is owned by Dare County, but in October the county agreed to lease the land to Manteo for $1 a year for 25 years. The town’s goal is to create an area for public green space and recreation, as well as provide sorely-needed visitor parking by adding a minimum of 65 spaces. With the building now razed, details in the conceptual plan are expected to be hammered out over the coming months, and the town will be financially responsible for any construction and maintenance costs of the improvements.

Dare County The new Outer Banks SPCA animal shelter, planned at the site of the current dog park adjacent to Airport Road on Roanoke Island, is expected to cost as much as $1.5 million more than the county’s earlier estimate of $3 million. In an announcement made by Dare County Manager and Attorney Bobby Outten this past October, Outten also added that the additional cost can be covered by county funding without a tax increase. The existing shelter across from the Dare County Emergency Operations Center has long been plagued by flooding during storms, and, as currently proposed, construction of the new shelter could potentially start by this year’s end.

When the new facility is complete, it will also include a new dog park located in front of the shelter.

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REAL ESTATE

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Nags Head Restaurant to Be Sold to Tourism Bureau The Dare County Tourism Bureau has made a deal to purchase Pamlico Jack’s restaurant from owner Mike Kelly for use in conjunction with The Soundside event site, which is managed by the Outer Banks Visitors Bureau and the town of Nags Head. The event site is located on about 10 acres along the Roanoke Sound off U.S. 158, and the Visitors Bureau is currently considering adding an event center and hotel on the Pamlico Jack’s property after it’s acquired. At a meeting in October, the board voted to pay $3.1 million to Kelly, subject to the approval of the Dare County Board of Commissioners.

Gardens Recover After Dorian The Elizabethan Gardens on Roanoke Island suffered some damage during Hurricane Dorian in September, which left more than a dozen major trees downed, including a tree that fell on one of the three greenhouses.

There were also substantial impacts to fencing, electrical systems and numerous plantings. Although the 65-yearold gardens were closed for a short while, they reopened in October. The Outer Banks Community Foundation provided a $7,000 grant to help with clean-up and recovery, and will continue to assist the gardens through a donor fund dedicated to recovery efforts.

Fire at Currituck’s Historic Cotton Gin The iconic Cotton Gin in Jarvisburg lost all but one section of the building in a massive fire that started during the afternoon of October 12. No one was injured, and officials with the Lower Currituck Volunteer Fire Department said the cause of the fire is undetermined and under investigation.

The sprawling building on Caratoke Highway first opened as a general store in the 1960s. Owned by Currituck County natives, the Wright family, the flagship Cotton Gin was filled with an eclectic mix of items. The Wright family owns three other Cotton Gin locations that remain open on the Outer Banks in Corolla, Duck and Nags Head, as well as Sanctuary Vineyards in Jarvisburg, which was unaffected by the fire.

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A winning entry by the Neal Contracting Group. Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Neal.

Winners Recognized for 2019 Parade of Homes

Judges’ Award of Excellence Winners Finch & Company Neal Contracting Group SAGA Realty & Construction Sandmark Custom Homes

This fall, the 2019 Parade of Homes once again showcased the best in design and construction on the Outer Banks.

People’s Choice Award Winners Compass Edge Construction Forrest Seal, LLC LDS Construction & Design Mancuso Development Premiere Coastal Contracting SAGA Realty & Construction Sandmark Custom Homes

Progress Made on New Bridge At a community meeting in October, the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) reported that the construction of a new 2.4-mile bridge on N.C. 12 in Rodanthe is about 20 percent complete. Known as a “jug handle” bridge because of its distinctive shape, it will extend from the southern end of the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge over the Pamlico Sound into Rodanthe, bypassing the section of N.C. 12 in Mirlo Beach that’s subject to frequent overwash during storms. The $145 million bridge, which is part of phase II of NCDOT’s Bonner Bridge replacement project, is expected to open in early 2021.

Fishing Piers Take a Beating in Storms Three of the beloved wooden fishing piers on the Outer Banks were significantly damaged during recent storms.

According to Avalon Pier’s Facebook page, nearly 300 feet – about half of the pier – was lost during a brush with Hurricane Dorian in September. The owners plan to rebuild, and are trying to raise $100,000 for repairs with a GoFundMe page. Nags Head Fishing Pier also lost about 80 feet off its end in the same storm, according to its website. After it was capped off, it was reopened for fishing, and the pier’s owners are seeking assistance in hopes of rebuilding.

Several sections of the Avon Pier were extensively damaged during Tropical Storm Melissa in mid-October as well. About 300 feet of the pier has been reopened, and a “Save the Pier” campaign has been launched to raise funds for repairs. The pier is owned by the National Park Service and managed through a concession contract.

Two other wooden piers on the Outer Banks – the Outer Banks Fishing Pier in Nags Head and the Rodanthe Fishing Pier on Hatteras Island – were not significantly damaged during the storms.

REAL ESTATE

market snapshot Listings that are under contract are the highest they’ve been since 2017, according to the Outer Banks Association of Realtors’ September 2019 MLS Statistical Report. In September 2018, there were 367 properties under contract, a 17 percent decrease over 2017, when there were 442 under contract. But in September 2019, the numbers under contract rebounded to 430, a 17 percent jump over the previous year.

Overall sales from January through September 2019 also showed a positive trend with an increase of three percent. Residential sales in particular are up five percent, while single-family detachedhome sales also increased a healthy seven percent.

Overall inventory is up three percent as well, although residential inventory has dropped two percent. While condominium sales are down 23 percent, and lot and land sales have dropped eight percent, inventory for lots and land is up 12 percent for the third month in a row, and commercial inventory is up 17 percent.

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REAL ESTATE

AT L A N D ’ S E D G E

The trees tell a story of dynamic change along our coastal wetlands PHOTO COURTESY OF BAXTER MILLER STORY BY AMELIA BOLDAJI

IN NORTH CAROLINA’S COASTAL REGION IT CAN BE HARD NOT TO

– and one phenomenon that’s seen more recent national coverage is the appearance of ghost forests. While starkly beautiful, these declining forested wetlands are created as saltwater intrusion becomes more prominent along coastal habitats, which can have huge implications for both wildlife and the people who live in these areas.

Although descriptions of ghost forests have been documented since at least 1910, scientists also agree that they’ve become more common over the past several years.

“You don’t necessarily notice when it happens slowly,” says Kinston-based Ryan Stancil who has been studying ghost forests with his partner, photographer Baxter Miller, for the past several years. “You can see things and not really know what you’re seeing.”

NOTICE INDICATORS OF ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE

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By working with environmental organizations, scientists and other coastal community leaders, the pair debuted RISING in 2018 – a collaborative multimedia exhibition that combines oral histories and photography to highlight topics related to coastal change, such as ghost forests. The traveling exhibit features 15 oversized images, including the one pictured here, which was taken from a helicopter along Juniper Bay in mainland Hyde County.

“We’re captivated by visuals, and we wanted the images to provide a striking experience,” says Baxter, while explaining how important it was for her to physically be there for the aerial shot. “It gave us a distance that allowed us to see things differently.”

The impetus for making RISING more narratively driven came from a personal connection as well. Baxter’s family history on Hatteras Island dates back to the 1700s, and they still own a cottage in Buxton Woods. Her father, who’s now 83, has witnessed massive changes on the Outer Banks during his lifetime – and Baxter herself can relate to having seen a number of ghost forests well before she knew what they were.

And scientists are taking note, too. As ghost forests are becoming more widespread, it’s prompted some cutting-edge research into saltwater intrusion at institutions like Duke University and N.C. State. Graduate fellows funded by N.C. Sea Grant are now even using more than 30 years’ worth of satellite photos and data provided jointly by NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey to study areas such as the Alligator River basin in order to better understand how and why ghost forests form as well as how they impact our current environment.

Baxter and Ryan agree that these questions are important to our scientific understanding of coastal change, which is why they also wanted RISING to engage a variety of people in an accessible way that goes beyond statistics – and serve as a positive conversation starter about how we can make our communities more resilient to these changes in the future.

“On a fundamental level, these are our communities,” Baxter explains. “We want to be part of the conversation – and consider solutions more so than problems.”

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COROLLA – WESTSIDE – One of the most impressive homes in Monteray Shores! This 6BR/5.5BA former showcase model home was built with state-of-the-art designs, materials and appliances. $548,900 SSR#8604

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Seacrest Village – 3 lots from the oceanfront Canal front lot in Southern Shores Great neighborhood, schools and shopping nearby Desirable X-zone, canal front in Chicahauk X-zone ocean view potential!

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$310,000 $180,000 $129,500 $162,500 $159,000 $159,900 $149,000

SSR#8731 SSR#8756 SSR#8767 SSR#8774 SSR#8800 SSR#8812 SSR#8833

$79,500 $109,000 $59,900

SSR#8298 SSR#8606 SSR#8755

$350,000

SSR#8311

The Outer Banks Expert

DUCK – OCEANSIDE – Enjoy all that Duck has to offer from this 4BR/2FBA/3HB home in Caffey’s Inlet Hamlet! X flood zone; and fully furnished! $499,000 SSR#8722

COROLLA – OCEANSIDE – This 5BR/3BA home in Ocean Sands is fantastic! The classic, coastal reverse floor plan is well-suited for vacations and time with family in this well-maintained property. $338,000 SSR#8733

DUCK – WESTSIDE – This roomy 3BR/2BA condo is well-suited for most families and features a spacious open floor plan with outstanding sound views. As a bonus, this property has a garage to keep your vehicle or your water toys in. $279,000 SSR#8735

MARTIN’S POINT – CREEKFRONT – Well maintained 4BR/3.5BA home with amazing water views of Jean Guite Creek and the open sound! Energy saving features. The storage in this home is amazing. An absolute MUST SEE! $668,500 SSR#8749

MARTIN’S POINT - SOUNDFRONT - Spacious, sound front home in Martin’s Point! This 4241 square foot home has an open floor plan everyone can enjoy! Detached three car garage has a spacious one-bedroom apartment above. $995,000 SSR#8794

SOUTHERN SHORES - OCEANSIDE - This 4BR/3BA elevated ranch home in Sea Crest Village! This floor plan accommodates comfortable spacious yearround living. The crow’s nest offers a view of the ocean and adjacent pond! $449,000 SSR#8795

DUCK - WESTSIDE - 5BR/3BA in Jay Crest Village X-zone! Includes access to the Ocean Crest amenities! Home has been well-cared for and gently used as a second home with some rentals. $399,000 SSR#8797

COROLLA-OCEANSIDE-This 5BR/6.5BA in Corolla Light subdivision is extraordinary! Enjoy ocean views from the private deck of this X-zone home!

Take an online virtual tour of this home today! $995,000 SSR#8802

HARBINGER – CURRITUCK – 3BR/2BA in beautiful cypress point. This home has a huge 3 car garage and a fantastic floor plan! Built in 2005 with carpets that look brand new and bright and open spaces! $320,000 SSR#8829

COINJOCK - CURRITUCK - 3BR/2BA home conveniently located between OBX beaches and the VA border! This home features a large lot with single level living and an open floor plan. Schedule a showing today! $195,000 SSR#8822

DUCK – WESTSIDE – Beautiful 3BR/3BA home in Jay Crest! This home features beautiful, bright hickory floors and spacious bedrooms. Located in a high elevation area it is in the desirable X-Zone! $424,900 SSR#8824

SOUTHERN SHORES – OCEANSIDE - One of the few remaining flat tops homes in Southern Shores! This 6BR/3BA sits on a large lot in a quiet area and has stunning views! The beach here is wide, stable, and clean! $1,350,000 SSR#8828

Charlie Byrne

Janet Owen

Mike Ross

Jim Stone

Cory Taylor

John Wojcik

Manny Medeiros

Jim Forrest

Terry Zeigler

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Visit our offices at 5 Ocean Boulevard, Southern Shores and 2005 South Croatan Highway,NORTH Kill Devil Hills BEACH SUN 31 17

REAL ESTATE

The Future of

Coastal Design Seven years since opening, the Coastal Studies Institute campus thrives as one of the greenest structures in the area.

O

PHOTOS BY ELIZABETH NEAL STORY BY CATHERINE KOZAK

ne of the most striking buildings on the Outer Banks doesn’t necessarily look as if it belongs here. But although Roanoke Island’s Coastal Studies Institute (CSI) has a number of architectural features that seem to set it apart from many other local structures, it was actually designed by incorporating wisdom learned from decades of coastal development.

Modern and bold, the long rectangular edifice of concrete and glass is oriented to the south, with one end facing an expansive view of the Croatan Sound. Located in the village of Skyco in between Manteo and Wanchese, and elevated off the flat landscape on concrete pilings, it perfectly showcases what greenminded building design can do when it’s deliberately meant to complement its natural setting.

But it took a lot of effort to make CSI a reality. In 1994, a University of North Carolina task force identified the need for a marine research and education facility in the northeast part of the state. Nine years later in 2003, the fledgling institute worked out of an office in downtown Manteo with a mere handful of staff.

Construction of a CSI campus was authorized by the state in 2007, with initial plans placing it on land-locked property near the regional airport on Roanoke Island that had been donated by Dare County. But when a 200-acre parcel in Skyco became available, the institute decided that the site was a much better location for coastal research – leading to an $8.25 million deal with a private developer in 2009.

A year later, architects with the firm Clark Nexsen saw the opportunity to blend cutting-edge design and technology with long-standing local building styles – which led to CSI’s simple lines and other features that were inspired in part by the classic Southern Shores flat tops pioneered by Frank Stick and the rugged durability of the cottages found in Nags Head’s oceanfront historic district.

“The firm gave a presentation about Outer Banks architecture to our board of directors,” recalls Robert McClendon, CSI’s assistant director for administration. “Basically, they integrated a lot of things used in coastal architecture, like raising the building on pilings.”

By utilizing sustainable, local materials, minimizing the disturbance of natural resources, and maximizing water conservation and energy efficiency, the $32 million coastal research campus earned an impressive gold-level Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification from the United States Green Building Council when it opened in late 2012.

The project has since won numerous other accolades, including the council’s North Carolina Sustainability Award in 2013 and the Chicago Athenaeum International Architecture Award for Best New Global Design in 2014.

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A variety of native plants line the entranceway to the CSI campus, which is a research partnership led by East Carolina University along with several other N.C. universities (above). A sleek design and features such as concrete pilings and large windows help CSI blend well with its natural setting (below).

And construction of a LEED-certified building was the plan from the beginning, even though it added about $350,000 to the project’s overall costs, according to an estimate done in 2007.

“LEED isn’t just about energy efficiency and the environmental footprint,” Robert explains about their decision to move forward despite the increased budget. “It’s also about the health of the occupants.”

Inside, the space is open, airy and remarkably merged with the marsh outside – a view of which is visible from a number of different perspectives thanks to the high ceilings, transparent corridor walls and the clerestory windows. Steel and cable rail stairwells also seem to float up three stories that lead to classrooms, research labs and offices, and the building was designed so that at least 95% of its occupiable space is exposed to daylight.

Beyond obvious highlights such as a bicycle storage area and reserved onsite parking for energy-efficient vehicles, however, the building’s green features aren’t always immediately evident. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t there – including a geothermal HVAC system that utilizes untreated water provided by Dare County, an 8,000-gallon cistern for rainwater reuse, hard roof and patio surfaces that reduce solar heat, and a fire-suppression system created with environmentally safe materials. Even construction products such as paints were selected for their low-emission qualities.

Native landscaping is another significant feature of the 213-acre campus, which includes the 90,000-squarefoot main building and an 18,000-square-foot marine operations and field research facility. But before the site became home to CSI, it was used as a place to deposit dredge material removed from nearby Shallowbag Bay. As a result, the elevation was raised, and a salty sand cover left the area devoid of vegetation.

“When we built it, this was basically a no-man’s land,” Robert says. “It was just flat.”

Jeff Lewis, CSI’s horticultural specialist, has since restored the landscape with native plant species, which are labeled for the public to view. Upland grasses, beach pea, loblolly pine, cedar and wax myrtle have also returned to the higher and dryer elevations on the property.

“It’s taken time, but it’s really growing up beautifully,” Robert says. “The campus itself is now part of the educational process.”

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HOME SPOTLIGHT

STEP BACK IN TIME The Flyway Club on Knotts Island PHOTOS BY ELIZABETH NEAL STORY BY MICHELE YOUNG-STONE

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I

n the early 1900s, flocks of migrating A few Knotts Island natives still remember the waterfowl on the Outer Banks were Flyway in its heyday as well. In some written memories, increasingly attracting wealthy sportsmen Janet Grimstead Simmons, who was the niece of and business tycoons from more northern Flyway’s main caretaker, recalls working at the Flyway cities, prompting grand hunt clubs to spring with her cousins during summer vacations in the early up all along the Carolina coast. One such retreat was 1960s. They cooked and cleaned and helped with the Flyway. childcare in order to earn the first real money any of In 1920, Ogden Mills Reid and Helen Rogers Reid them had seen. Later, Janet’s father took them all the purchased 426 acres of sound-side property on a way to downtown Norfolk so they could go shopping – remote part of Currituck County known as Knotts which was a very big deal at the time.

Island. As well-known New York publishers who The history-rich Flyway stayed in the Reid family eventually acquired a second newspaper to form the until December 2013 when The Conservation Fund vastly profitable New York Herald Tribune, the Reids purchased the property for $2,400,000. Most of the were friends with fellow publisher, philanthropist and land was subsequently sold to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife waterfowl hunter, Joseph P. Knapp, who owned an Service, but 26 acres encompassing the main building astonishing 7,000 acres on neighboring Mackay Island. and the barn were reserved for a private buyer.

Though the Reids may not have had quite as many In 2016, former Charlotte residents Michelle and resources as Knapp, they spared no expenses when it Paul Dowdey became the new owners of the Flyway. came to building the Flyway Club as a family get-away Though the buildings had fallen into some disrepair, the – starting with a 5,500-square-foot residence, and Dowdeys have been slowly restoring them as their main adding an 11,000-square-foot farm building between residence and a wedding venue. Though they’ve added 1928 and 1930. some more modern touches, By all accounts, the Reids such as an HVAC system, loved their home away from they’ve also been working home, and they were just as closely with Preservation concerned with protecting it North Carolina to ensure that as they were with enjoying it. the exterior of the buildings Along with Knapp and other remains true to its historical like-minded friends such as J.P. beginnings.

Morgan, they played a role in And in many ways, walking creating the More Game Birds inside the buildings is like in America Foundation in 1937, taking a step back in time. The which has since evolved into main lodge features solid oak Ducks Unlimited, one of the paneling with rustic, exposed country’s largest conservation wooden beams and antique A vintage steamer trunk left at the Flyway still has Ogden Reid’s luggage tag attached to it. nonprofits dedicated to the leaded glass windows, plus preservation of wetlands and a working wind vane that’s other waterfowl habitats. connected to the ceiling The Reids also had three children who grew up of the ground-floor living room with a round metal vacationing at the Flyway, but their youngest son, reader that allowed hunters to simply look up from the Ogden Rogers Reid, had a special fondness for the enormous brick fireplace to check the wind direction property. When he married his wife, Mary Louise and decide on the day’s best spot to set up a duck blind.

Stewart, in 1949, his mother gave the young couple the Assorted furnishings that belonged to the Reids club as a wedding present. remain as well, including artwork, decoys, a pool table An accomplished man in his own right, Ogden and two tables that were originally used as copy desks Rogers spent a few years working for the family at the New York Herald Tribune. In the U-shaped barn, business in New York before being appointed as which was once used to house livestock and serve as the United States ambassador to Israel and later the staff quarters, a vintage steamer trunk is tucked served as a four-term member of the U.S. House of away in the corner of a room with Ogden Reid’s luggage Representatives. Because of his political connections, tag still attached to it. the Flyway hosted a number of famous dignitaries over Ultimately, there’s a peacefulness to the Flyway the years, including British Prime Minister Winston that makes it easy to understand why so many people Churchill and U.S. presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower traveled there throughout the years to get away from the and Herbert Hoover. busyness of everyday life. An oak-lined drive still leads to Ogden Rogers was so proud of the Flyway that the property, and a variety of huge old trees tower over when the main residence burned down on Christmas the grounds – including magnolias, cedars, pines and two Eve in 1958, he immediately insisted on having it impressive California redwoods. As the story goes, the replicated. Nelson Rockefeller, who had also once been first Mrs. Reid was so enamored of the redwoods that a guest at the club, reportedly obliged by sending his she had them shipped directly to Knotts Island from the own personal architect to Knotts Island – and using the West Coast almost 100 years ago. Like the Flyway itself, original plans, the structure was fully rebuilt by 1960. they continue to endure to this day.

The 11,000-square-foot farm building was added to the Flyway Club sometime between 1928 and 1930 (top left).

Architectural details include a working wind vane reader on the ceiling of the main residence, a pointed spire on the farm building, and a staircase leading to the second-level staff quarters (bottom, left to right).

NORTH BEACH SUN

35

D.I.WHY NOT?

BY AMANDA MCDANEL

Once Upon a

I BELIEVE HEAVEN IS A BOOKSTORE. It’s filled with every book you ever read and loved – and it’s also teeming with books that are patiently waiting to enchant you with their stories for the first time.

Books have always played an important role in my life, and ever since I can remember, I’ve had one nearby. From storybooks at home to those at grandma’s house, I have a collection of children’s books with the names and dates of all occasions scribbled on their front pages: Happy Valentine’s Day 1981 – Love, Dad. Merry Christmas, Amanda 1983 – Love, Annie. Happy 5th Birthday – Love, Grandma.

I remember some books so vividly that I can almost see my grandma’s hands turning the pages – and my mom even lovingly boxed up my childhood collection and stored it for me until I had my own girls to share them with. Unboxing that collection when I set up our nursery almost 10 years ago was one of the most emotionally rewarding experiences ever – I shrieked in awe, I laughed and I cried as each book brought back a new memory and connected me to my loved ones.

While most of those books are now stored on shelves in my daughters’ room, several special ones were silently calling out for me to do more.

I pulled a few select pages from some of my favorites and had them framed and hung on the walls of the girls’ room. I created stencils, used old book pages to cut out the letters, and threaded them along twine to spell out both my daughters’ names. But I still hadn’t quite created the piece my inner bookworm was yearning for.

Then I came across a piece of art I had picked up years ago at a gallery. It was a slice of wood that had an old book page affixed to it with hand-painted details along the edges. I recognized the page immediately from a Rain or Shine reader that I once kept at my grandma’s house.

Using this piece for inspiration, I began designing wallpaper made entirely of children’s book pages. While I take deep delight in storybook illustrations, you could just as easily replicate this with sheet music, maps from sentimental places, menus, playbills, the dictionary or nature guide pages – the options are as endless as your collection and your imagination.

TO START, FIRST SELECT A WALL THAT YOU WANT TO HIGHLIGHT.

Use those old books to create a one-of-a-kind wall treatment

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This can be an accent wall in a bedroom, bathroom, entryway or even a closet, and I chose to wallpaper the slanted ceiling of my daughters’ playroom. Clean the wall using a damp sponge and warm water mixed with few drops of dish soap. Allow the wall to dry completely.

Next, assemble your pages and start designing a theme and a layout. I affixed my selections directly to the wall with painter’s tape, which made it easy to remove and rearrange the images until I was satisfied with the layout, but if you have room, you can also measure the wall size and mark that space off on the floor in order to move the pages around. As you work, you’ll likely start to see themes or groupings – whether it’s because of the size of the text, the colors or the subject of the pictures on each page. Some images may not fit cohesively, so don’t force an image in if it isn’t playing nicely with the others. I suggest leaving the layout for a couple of days to ensure you’re happy with the overall placement before beginning the next step.

Once you’re confident in the layout, the fun part begins. On a clean, dry wall, apply a very thin layer of Mod Podge with a foam brush to the section you’re starting at. Working quickly, apply a similarly thin coat to the back of your first page and then affix the page to the sticky wall. Smooth the paper down firmly with the flat edge of a spatula or a credit card to ensure there are no air bubbles. Move on to the next page, and continue applying Mod Podge in thin coats to both the wall surface and the back of the paper, smoothing after each step, until the wall is covered. Wait approximately an hour for the entire project to dry.

Mod Podge functions as both a glue and a sealer, so it comes in a variety of finishes, including glossy, satin, flat and more. Be sure to select the finish you want because you’ll also be using this as a sealer for the finished work. Starting at the top of the wall, apply a thin coat of Mod Podge over the surface of the wallpaper. You’ll be painting over each page in its entirety, so while it may appear cloudy at first, rest assured that it will dry clear as long as you use a light hand. Continue working until the wall is fully covered. Allow to dry for 48 hours.

At this point you can go back and reseal any loose edges with a small brush. In order to protect your work even further, I also highly recommend spraying the wallpaper with a second coat of clear acrylic sealer. This will enhance the durability of the project and reduce any tackiness. Be sure to choose a sealer spray with the same finish as your Mod Podge to achieve the same glossy, matte or satin final effect – and remember to keep some on hand for easy touch-ups of your masterpiece at any point down the road!

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WINTER ON THE OUTER BANKS IS TRULY ONE OF A KIND. And while many people enjoy slowing down from the bustle of summer and savor the occasional snowfall, the combination of salty winds and icy evenings can take a toll on your home.

But have no fear! There are a number of simple things that year-round residents and vacation homeowners alike can do to keep the cold out and the comfort in.

It all starts during the last warm spell of autumn, when humidity disappears and the breeze carries a crisp scent of leaves. On days like those, nothing feels quite as good as leaving the windows wide open – but once the temperature drops for good, we tend to simply close them without another thought. Make sure, however, to lock all your windows in place in order to provide a tighter and more efficient seal against the frigid winter winds. Sliding draft stoppers under your front and back doors will add a similar level of protection – and your power bill will thank you.

Also don’t forget that while the summer months are a gardener’s delight, winter doesn’t exactly provide the same nurturing environment as its seasonal predecessor.

Since you won’t be using your outdoor hose hardly at all during this chillier period, unscrew it and make sure it’s thoroughly emptied before putting it away in order to prevent any residual water from freezing and damaging the rubber. Unscrewing any other nozzles or sprayers you might have will also keep them from potentially rusting in place – and will ensure that you can hook up your sprinklers or fill your kiddie pool the moment that spring brings the island back to life.

Other outdoor items can pose tricky problems, but are just as easily solvable – and even though you probably don’t have the room (or the desire) to drag your grill inside as soon as you finish your last fair-weathered barbecue, that doesn’t mean you should neglect it. Preserve the life of your grill by buying a durable cover, and think about removing the grill plates and storing them indoors. They don’t take up a ton of space, and you’ll save them from months of exposure, plus possible rust and corrosion. If your grill has a battery-powered igniter, pop out the battery as well in order to avoid rupture.

Grills are just one of many outdoor fixtures that aren’t necessarily designed to survive a seaside winter. Many Outer Banks vacation homes feature outdoor televisions mounted to bars or tiki huts. While homeowners always have the option of simply unplugging those sets and placing them under covers, consider unmounting them entirely and storing them in an under-used guest room. Newer television models are more lightweight and easier than ever to handle – so moving them indoors is a small fix that can save big in the long run.

Hopefully, these tips will give you some ideas for bracing your home against the colder winter weather – because while the outside may turn somewhat gray and dreary this season, it’s what inside that counts.

NORTH BEACH SUN

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MOOD BOARD

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Marjie Blassey specializes in helping people add a seasonal shine to their homes. But for her, a Christmas on the coast doesn’t necessarily require ornaments galore or a blockbuster budget – instead she suggests focusing on ways to combine natural elements and everyday items for a look that’s both functional and fun.

AS A PROFESSIONAL HOLIDAY DECORATOR,

For beach boxes with an open-floor plan, she also suggests adding extra touches to particular spots in the room – and a mantel is the perfect place for binding fresh-cut greenery with nautical rope (1) to make a unique garland. Stockings (2) in soft, coastal colors can then be hung above to complement the theme.

Changing out the items on your sofa with a few seasonal pillows (3) and a matching throw (4) is another easy way to incorporate some holiday spirit. Placing similarly hued candles (5) near driftwood or putting leftover sprigs of greenery in vases (6) on your coffee table will provide some additional fresh texture without overwhelming things.

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HOLIDAY 2019

8

COM P IL ED BY AM EL IA BOLDAJI

These items can also be used to create a dining room centerpiece – but if you have any outdoor lanterns (7), you might consider bringing them inside and filling them with some string lights (8).

You’ll probably also want to place lights on the holiday highlight of the room, and Marjie’s first choice for this is a whimsical flocked Christmas tree (9). With its durable branches, it can even hold heavier items such as treasured family photos in gold and silver frames (10).

To complete the look, try repurposing a beach blanket (11) instead of a traditional tree skirt. Not only are you sure to have an extra one lying around, but it will definitely be put to good use well after the New Year – and it’ll also remind you that even on the shortest, chilliest days of winter, spring is just around the corner.

Happy Holidays from all of us at Urban Cottage!

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39

Salutations Beach Realty & Construction Beach Realty & Construction / Kitty Hawk Rentals is pleased to announce that Laurel Bartlett Heisey has joined the sales team in the Kitty Hawk office. Laurel transitioned to the Outer Banks from Richmond, Va., where she enjoyed a successful career in real estate sales. Laurel’s clients benefit from her years of experience, strong negotiating skills and excellent customer service. Contact Laurel Bartlett Heisey at laurel@beachrealtync.com.

Coldwell Banker Seaside Realty Welcomes Daria Vlasenko to the Firm

Daria Vlasenko has joined the Coldwell Banker Seaside Realty sales team in the Elizabeth City location. A native of Russia, Daria moved to the Outer Banks in 2010 with a degree in information technologies.

“I know the time and energy it takes to buy or sell a home, and I can help take the stress away from you,” says Daria. She can be reached at daria@cbseaside.com or (252) 305-4645.

Coldwell Banker Seaside Realty Welcomes Brook Sparks to the Kitty Hawk Office

Coldwell Banker Seaside Realty

Howard Hanna

The VanderMyde Group Named Coldwell Banker Seaside Realty Top Producers

Howard Hanna Real Estate Services on the Outer Banks welcomes Lori Rosser as its newest agent. Lori retired from Dare County as a critical care paramedic and is excited about her next career in real estate with Howard Hanna. Lori can be reached at (252) 305-0896 or lorirosser@howardhanna.com.

Brad Beacham Group Named Top Producing Team for the Kitty Hawk Office

Brad Beacham, along with team members Cameron Griggs and Brook Sparks, led the way in sales volume year-to-date through September to earn the firm’s Top Producing Team Award for the Kitty Hawk location. “Our priority is to consistently provide quality service, marketing and results to our clients,” says Brad.

Team leader, Brad Beacham, can be reached at (252) 202-6920 or brad@bradbeacham.com.

The Heather Sakers Team Earns September Team Award for the Kitty Hawk Office

Coldwell Banker Seaside Realty is pleased to announce that Heather Sakers, along with team members Charles Gill and Ann Taylor Lusk, earned the Top Producing Team Award for the month of September. A recent five-star review said, “Heather exhibited a patient and calm approach on all aspects of the selling process. Our questions and concerns were answered promptly, and we would recommend Heather highly to anyone who is buying or selling on the Outer Banks.” Team leader, Heather Sakers, can be reached at heather@cbseaside.com or (252) 599-6814.

Chelsea Jordan Earns September Agent of the Month for the Kitty Hawk Office

Coldwell Banker Seaside Realty congratulates Chelsea Jordan on earning the Agent of the Month award for the Kitty Hawk office.

This award is based on individual closed sales volume for September 2019. “Chelsea is the best realtor we have ever used. She made us feel as though we were her number-one priority,” said a recent fivestar review. Chelsea can be reached at chelsea@cbseaside.com or (252) 207-6659.

Jane Plante Earns September Agent of the Month for the Kill Devil Hills Office

Coldwell Banker Seaside Realty congratulates Jane Plante on earning the Agent of the Month award for the Kill Devil Hills office. This award is based on individual closed sales volume for September 2019.

“I love all of what the Outer Banks has to offer,” says Jane. “I look forward to helping you realize your dream!” Jane can be reached at janeplante@cbseaside.com or (757) 407-0929.

HOLIDAY 2019

Stephen Smith has joined the Coldwell Banker Seaside Realty sales team in the Kill Devil Hills location. “I spent 20-plus years working in the tech arena, so I bring a unique set of skills and experience when it comes to marketing your home,” says Stephen. He can be reached at stephen@cbseaside.com or (252) 216-9230.

Also joining the sales force at Beach Realty & Construction is the sales team of Ed and Myrna Duffey. The Duffeys were previously affiliated with a large Virginia firm and have relocated permanently to the Outer Banks. They are both well qualified to represent buyers and sellers. Myrna has a background in management in the home improvement industry and Ed served in the United States Air Force. You can reach Ed and Myrna at ed@beachrealtync.com and myrna@beachrealtync.com.

Coldwell Banker Seaside Realty is pleased to announce the VanderMyde Group as the Top Producing Team. Heather VanderMyde, along with team members Kiirsten Farr, Will Gregg and Kasey Rabar, continue to rank number one in the firm in sales volume, units sold and new listings year-to-date through September.

“Thanks to Heather and her team, this was the best experience we've had selling property,” said a recent five-star review. Team leader, Heather VanderMyde, can be reached at (252) 202-2375 or hvandermyde@gmail.com.

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Coldwell Banker Seaside Realty Welcomes Stephen Smith to the Kill Devil Hills Office

Brook Sparks has joined the firm as a member of the Brad Beacham Group. “During my many years as a property manager, I worked to help clients expand their portfolios based off data and projections,” says Brook. “My goal is to now help buyers understand a home's full earning potential while realizing the most on their return.” Brook can be reached at brooksparks@cbseaside.com or (252) 619-1177.

Congratulations to Mike and Stacy Siers of the Siers Real Estate Group, and to Randy Jones and Lynn Sherman of the Jones Group, for achieving Champion's Club status. This award is given tri-annually for distinguished success in listings and sales. Both teams have received this award for each tri-annual period since joining Howard Hanna.

Both teams are also 2019 recipients of the prestigious National Sales Excellence award and will be honored at the annual Howard Hanna awards ceremony.

Joe Lamb Jr. & Associates Patrick Lamb Promoted to Property Services Manager

Patrick will be the manager of the newly remodeled and improved Support Services building located at 5101 North Croatan Highway in Kitty Hawk. The maintenance and inspections department will be open and ready for calls on October 31, 2019, in the new location. Over the past two years, Patrick has managed the Inspections Department and helped to create an online inspections process that improved services to vendors and owners. He is looking forward to applying those same processes to the Maintenance Department.

Joey Lamb IV Promoted to Guest Services Manager

Joey Lamb IV is joining the current management team of President and General Manager Dan Hardy, Vice-President and Operations Manager Kim Dubec, Reservations Manager Susan Pruitt, and Assistant Operations Manager Jeffrey McGee. Over the past several years, Joey has been working across all departments, evaluating and making improvements to overall guest and owner communications and services via digital forms and information services for both the Inspections and Maintenance Departments. He has implemented these changes through staff training and consolidated them by developing a guest application in an effort to make the company paperless. He will be working closely with the management team and reservations staff to ensure that all guest services provided are above standard.

Joe Lamb Jr. & Associates Announces the Relocation of Maintenance and Inspections Services Departments

Joe Lamb Jr. & Associates will be moving two of their integral service departments, Maintenance and Inspections, to the newly renovated and improved Support Services building located at 5101 North Croatan Highway in Kitty Hawk. The staff of those departments will be relocating and open for business in the new location on October 31, 2019. Vendors, owners and those who wish to meet with the team will find them there. They can also be reached by phone at (252) 261-4444 and at their respective emails.

Resort Realty Resort Realty Announces Tom Stewart as New Chief Operating Officer

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Resort Realty is pleased to announce that Tom Stewart will take the lead of the company as chief operating officer and broker in charge. Tom was formerly the general manager, and prior to that was the director of rental management at Resort. Tom came to Resort from the vacation rental market in Savannah/Tybee, Georgia. Before that, he spent considerable time in the hospitality sector in North Carolina. Tom’s focus will be on heightened owner and guest care and rental performance as Resort Realty continues to grow.

Southern Shores Realty Southern Shores Realty congratulates Mike Ross on being named Agent of the Month for October 2019.

Sun Realty Sun Realty announces Agents of the Month for the Third Quarter of 2019

The M&M Team of Madonna and Michael VanCuren again earned top honors for July. The M&M Team specializes in old-fashioned service and commitment to their clients. This team works out of the Kill Devil Hills office and has earned Sun Realty’s Agent of the Year award 13 times. The M&M Team can be reached at (252) 202-6702.

The August Agent of the Month for Sun Realty was Hugh Willey of the Willey Real Estate Group. Working out of the Kill Devil Hills office, Hugh “Scooter” Willey has been building and investing in real estate since 1985.

He and his wife, Gerri, are a top-producing team, empowering clients through education, stress-free transactions and excellent service. Reach the Willey Real Estate Group at (252) 489-8491.

Sun Realty’s Agent of the Month for September was Michael Davenport.

Michael has 32 years of experience in Outer Banks real estate. He currently serves on realtor associations on the state and local levels and was recently recognized by Outer Banks Association of Realtors with a Career Achievement Award. Michael can help navigate through a sea of listings to find the right fit for any buyer’s needs and budget. Contact him at (252) 202-6113.

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NORTH BEACH SUN

41

FIVE FACTS

the croatan inn

By Katrina Mae Leuzinger

Photo courtesy of the Outer Banks History Center.

YOU MIGHT REMEMBER IT AS QUAGMIRES OR PAPAGAYO,

but long before the old cedar-shake building became a popular hangout spot for locals, it was the Croatan Inn, providing accommodations for some of the first beach-going vacationers on the Outer Banks. From the time it was built in the early 1930s to day it was demolished in 2006, the Croatan Inn saw six different owners, three operational changes and countless visitors all drawn to the same thing – good food, good company and a spectacular view of the Atlantic.

1

The times were a-changin’ The early 1930s brought a flurry of new developments to the Outer Banks.

There were dance halls, soda fountains, bowling alleys and a casino. Gas stations went up to support the steadily growing automobile industry, and the Coast Guard station in Nags Head even installed a telephone.

Virginia Dare Trail was also newly completed, prompting oceanfront property to sell like hotcakes. Quick to jump on the trend, Bernie and Russell “Skipper” Griggs opened the Croatan Inn near milepost 7.5 in what would later become the town of Kill Devil Hills. As owners of the already-established Hampton Lodge at Waterlily in Currituck, it wasn’t hard to convince their primarily sportsmen clientele that they should get a taste of the beach life just a few miles down the road.

2

Built to blend

While other vacation destinations focused on lavish décor and the latest amenities, early Outer Banks tourism industry pioneers like the Griggs understood that a rural, “roughing it” vibe was part of the area’s appeal.

Because of this, the Croatan Inn followed the trend of other nearby beach hotels and business, with an unpainted cedar shake exterior, shuttered windows and a simple, wood frame design. In many ways, the hotel was an over-sized beach cottage, with small guest rooms and juniper-paneled walls. People came to enjoy a life that was a little more rustic, and no one minded if you tracked sand in on your bare feet.

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HOLIDAY 2019

3

Put on your dancing shoes

4

Eating it up

5

A piece of history

The Griggs were also savvy about picking out their parcel of land, and they selected a stretch of beach right beside the shipwrecked Irma. The ship, which ran aground as it was bound for Georgia with a shipment of lumber in 1925, was famously turned into a makeshift dance hall while it deteriorated on the beach – which made the location fairly nostalgic for many people from the start. Over the years the remains of the Irma have drifted some, and been covered and uncovered by sand and water. As recently as 2012, Hurricane Sandy tossed up a piece of its bow at the Bonnet Street beach access, where it stayed until the ocean claimed it yet again.

Long before it was primarily a restaurant, people were raving about the food at the Croatan Inn. Dinner was served in the oceanfront dining room, and guests could enjoy a cocktail upstairs at the Wheelhouse Bar while the chefs cooked up their catch of the day. The menu changed to Mexican fare when it became Papagayo restaurant in 1981, which was a bit of a novelty at the time and tremendously popular. And that popularity didn’t fade when the building eventually became home to Quagmires in 1996. Fondly referred to simply as Quags, it became the spot to unwind with friends after work while enjoying their famous queso dip and their signature Bushwacker— a boozy chocolate coconut milkshake that can still be found on the menu of a number of local hotspots.

Developers bought the property in 2005, and on May 16th, 2006, the 70-yearold structure was bulldozed to eventually make room for a condominium complex called the Croatan Surf Club. A month before demolition day, an auction was held to sell off the remaining contents of the Croatan Inn. Restaurant owners swooped in to buy up equipment, but locals and other visitors also turned up to bid on mementos like signs, murals, chairs and shutters. Still more came out to watch the actual demolition, and to snatch up a stray shingle to remember the iconic building by.

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43

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Off the Cape Hatteras teacher Justin Paxton is enlisting students to bring public art to the community

PHOTOS COURTESY OF JENNI KOONTZ STORY BY MICHELE YOUNG-STONE 44

HOLIDAY 2019

Wall The work of the Hatteras Island mural club adorns a VW Bug (top left) and a walk-in cooler (lower left) amongst other locations. Justin Paxton at work on the mural adorning Jeffrey's Seafood in Hatteras (right).

ON A BRISK FALL DAY, JPAX & CREW MEET AT

where one of their many brightly colored murals adorns the side of a carwash.

While it isn’t the group’s official name, the tag serves as their personalized group signature on each of their works of art – with “JPax” standing for Justin Paxton, Dare County School’s current Teacher of the Year, and the “crew” referring to a diverse group of Cape Hatteras Secondary School (CHSS) students who make up Hatteras Island’s mural club.

After graduating from CHSS along with his future wife, Alex, Justin tried majoring in science in college, but it just didn’t stick. Following his passion, he eventually graduated from East Carolina University with a double major in fine arts and art education, and returned to Hatteras where he was hired as CHSS’s art teacher in 2014.

THE BP GAS STATION IN AVON

Since then, Justin has demonstrated an astounding commitment to his role as a teacher. Not only is he an art instructor for grades sixth through 12th, but he also leads a student travel club with plans to tour Italy this spring and heads an after-school Nerd Night video gaming club.

And, for the past two years, he and his students have been making the island richer and more colorful by creating large-scale murals in Avon, Buxton and Hatteras Village.

Inspired by a trip to Europe a few years before the club began, Justin admired the art he found walking through the streets of Barcelona, and returned home determined to learn more about it – particularly as it related to adding to the vibrancy of a community.

“I saw what other towns were doing with murals and art walks, and I thought, ‘Why can’t we do this in Hatteras?’”

Justin explains.

After seeking approval from the Hatteras Village Civic Association, Justin began working independently on his first two murals in 2017. One was of sports-related items inside the Fessenden Center’s gymnasium and the other was a triptych of fish on three garage doors at Hatteras local Bill Balance’s automotive repair shop. A few friends helped out when they could, and from there word spread.

Local students in particular wanted to pitch in, and in early 2019 the club officially began.

“The mural club has an open-door policy,” Justin says.

“If students have sports or other commitments, and they can’t make it one day, it’s no problem. People come out when they can.”

Students who participate in the club are generally in the ninth through 12th grades, and many of them have a variety of artistic interests – from wanting to help with small things NORTH BEACH SUN

45

A few of the 13 murals that currently dot Hatteras Island include (top to bottom): The inside of the Fessenden Center’s gymnasium, the side of the historic Burrus Red & White supermarket, and the side of the Askins Creek general store in Avon. In the bottom picture, art student Emma Koontz poses by a mural she helped paint at Jeffrey’s Seafood.

46

HOLIDAY 2019

like filling in colors to playing bigger roles in ink work and design. And CHSS has also been an enthusiastic supporter of the club by allowing members time during school hours to meet and plan, and also supplying some materials when requested.

While street art is most commonly found on the exterior walls of buildings, Justin likes thinking outside the box, and lately there’s been no shortage of interest in the club’s creations. Sometimes business owners approach him with an idea, and sometimes he’ll reach out to an owner directly if he sees a space he thinks is ideal – because, ultimately, the artwork is intended to both enrich and connect the community as much as possible.

“Scratchmade Snackery in Hatteras Village was the first one we did when the mural club came together,” Justin says. After seeing octopus tentacles along the interior walls of the bakery, Justin sketched a purple octopus devouring muffins and cupcakes with the idea of painting it on an old Volkswagen Bug parked outside, and the owners loved it. Though some overzealous visitors occasionally scratch the paint while posing for pictures with it, Justin seems unfazed. “I just stop by and touch this one up with teal paint whenever I have some leftover,” he adds.

The murals are made with a mix of interior and exterior paints, plus acrylics, spray paint and graffiti ink, and many of them are intended to pay homage to the area’s rich maritime history. In the case of the Nedo True Value Shopping Center in Hatteras Village, the owners wanted a mural that represented how their ancestors arrived on the island – and, as legend has it, they were shipwrecked while rum-running at sea, so their first family member had to ride a barrel to shore. As a result, the mural depicts wooden barrels of rum floating on an angry, white-capped sea surrounded by wreckage and lightning.

“I often meet one-on-one with the business owners at first,” Justin says. “Sometimes a student will join me, and we’ll talk ideas. Since the island is so close-knit, we want to bring something to them that they’ll appreciate, something they’ll want to show off that speaks to both the business and the area.”

The club even had the largest number of students inside the smallest space when they painted the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse inside the Buxton post office.

A total of 15 students signed the piece when it was complete, but it was a tricky project.

“Painting the grass was really hard,” says Maria Luna, an Art Three student who worked on the post office mural. “At one point, the sky looked avocado green, and the sand looked like barf.”

“In the artworld, you have to be able to take criticism,” Justin says with a laugh. “It’s a learning process for all of us.”

To date, there are 13 murals dotting the island, with several other ones either in the planning stages or underway. Although JPax & Crew don’t charge for their work other than funds for the paint, donations are welcomed, and so far, the club has managed to raise $2,500. At this point, the group plans to use this money either to take an art trip or to paint a mural off the island.

“When I first started this, I didn’t know where it would lead – I just wanted to have fun on some walls,” Justin says. “But it’s a different feeling to go out and do something that stays there for years. It’s given us a chance to work with the community, and it’s brought my students closer together, too. We’re like family.”

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47

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Lights Photos by Ryan Moser Story by Katrina Mae Leuzinger

F

or a holiday light display as elaborate as the one put up every year at The Elizabethan Gardens on Roanoke Island, work begins as early as…always. In fact, there’s no exact start time for WinterLights, and there’s no real stopping point either.

During the spring and summer, staff members at The Elizabethan Gardens concentrate on planning, ordering, designing and securing funding for the display. Setup is ongoing throughout the fall, finishing just in time for the holiday season.

Winter is spent running around the completed display, resetting and replacing lights on the fly if they short out.

After the season is finally over, there’s a tear down, and the staff gets a whole minute to raise a cup of cocoa to another successful year – before they start all over again.

“We’re always planning and thinking about what we're going to do next,” says Executive Director Carl Curnutte III. “We’re constantly ordering, researching products, and looking at reviews to make sure that we're spending our money wisely. We want things to last for more than one year.”

What they order also often depends on what they can get a good deal on. If a vendor has a bunch of extra blue lights on discount, blue lights will likely become the theme for a section of the gardens that year. But Carl makes a point to spend a portion of their budget on items from local stores each year as well – even if it’s more expensive.

48

HOLIDAY 2019

“We get a grant through the Outer Banks Visitors Bureau,” Carl says. “So I try to take a portion of that and put it back into our community.”

Local businesses have started to expect him each year and stock a little extra, otherwise they might not have any lights left on the shelf for future customers. Other decorations are donated to the gardens by businesses who are updating their annual holiday displays and townsfolk who have been cleaning out their attics.

“Someone might have so-called ‘Christmas junk,’ but we can do wonderful things with that,” Carl explains. “You can always tear something apart and redo it, or repurpose things to make them work.”

WinterLights was originally Carl’s idea to bring in more business during an otherwise slow December. During their first year in 2010, it got off the ground with a little over $30,000 and a pile of donated or borrowed decorations, including seven of Carl’s own artificial Christmas trees.

“I think the Outer Banks deserves to have the gardens decorated,” says Carl. “And every year we've been able to build on the electrical capacity, too. A year or two ago we hit a million lights, and now we’re well over that – this year alone we added 70,000 lights just outdoors.”

Though not all of The Elizabethan Gardens’ sprawling 10 acres is decorated, its main loop of a little over a mile is completely lit for WinterLights, with many stops to explore along the way – including Santa’s home base in the newly redone Children’s Garden. Thanks to some new grants, even the new butterfly house and the Sunken Gardens will be fully lit for the first time this year.

And as one might imagine, putting up a display of this magnitude has to happen in layers.

Things normally start coming out of storage and going up in the gardens as early as August.

(This year, they got a late start thanks to Hurricane Dorian, which took out a greenhouse, some electrical boxes and 14 large trees.) But working that far ahead also means that they have to carefully consider the patrons who still want to enjoy the gardens.

“We decorate while the gardens are open,” says Carl.

“The workers actually have a very small footprint. They'll come and decorate an area.

They don't stay too long. Then they move on to the next one without leaving much behind.”

But first, Gardens Manager Daniel Hossack kicks things off with some trimming and pruning before he gives each section a green light for decorations. Until the big Harvest Hayday celebration in October, it’s strings of lights and positioned laser lights only. Since the green strands blend right into the foliage, the lights are barely noticeable to people strolling through the gardens.

“In early October, we have one foot in the fall and one foot in the winter,” says Daniel. “It’s like a dance.”

Daniel also has to make sure that none of the decorations damage the plants. To ensure that, they only wrap lights and use a lot of zip ties, and nothing is ever nailed or stapled in.

Employees also have to take care that the lights don’t exceed the capacity of the outlet they’re plugged in to. During one memorable mishap several years ago, a new employee plugged a long series of short extension cords together – creating a perfect line of fire all the way through the gardens. Fortunately, it was easily contained.

WinterLights decorations begin to come out in earnest at The Elizabethan Gardens during the early part of November (top left). Volunteers and staff members such as gardener Olivia Pratt all pitch in to put together the impressive displays (above). The gardens' statue of Queen Elizabeth II overlooks lights nestled among the greenery (inset).

And when it gets down to the last few weeks before opening night, the decorations really come out in earnest.

A small drove of dedicated volunteers joins the gardens’ staff to decorate trees, put up large three-dimensional decorations like the nutcracker soldiers, and to string still more lights until everything’s ready for the premiere at the end of November.

“Every day I walk out into the gardens, and I can see it literally growing a little bit more with lights,” Carl says.

“There’s a lot of pieces to the puzzle that just come together.”

But Carl also stresses that WinterLights wouldn’t be possible without so many helping hands – from the gardeners to the gatehouse staff and the countless community volunteers who keep the show running throughout the season. Because of their hard work, WinterLights has become a family tradition for many, and it’s transformed what was once their slowest time of year into the gardens’ busiest.

“It’s my favorite time of year,” Carl says. “We’ve been blessed with such a rich history in this area, and attractions like the gardens are our treasures – they belong to us as a community. Plus, it’s absolutely beautiful.”

NORTH BEACH SUN

49

LOOK BACK that people were more concerned with physically using wind than knowing much more about it.

THIS BEGAN TO CHANGE WITH AN ENGLISHMAN

CHARTING THE

WIND The history behind the first standardized wind force scale

BY AMELIA BOLDAJI

“Sea like a mirror.”

Those are the first words of the Beaufort Wind Scale, or category zero. The numbers, and their corresponding descriptions, go up to 12, which is hurricane force – and at that point, the Saffir-Simpson scale takes over to categorize the observable effects of wind at increasing intensities.

The Saffir-Simpson Scale was created collaboratively in the 1970s, however, while the Beaufort Scale has a much longer lineage that’s often traced back to one man: Sir Francis Beaufort.

Born in Ireland in 1774, Beaufort’s main career was spent as a sea captain and a hydrographer – a person who draws the physical features of coastlines and other waterways, as opposed to a cartographer, who maps land – with the British Royal Navy in the early part of the 19th century.

As the story goes, Beaufort was an inquisitive and dedicated man who longed for an adventurous life at sea from childhood. Famous for keeping incredibly detailed personal logs in addition to his captain’s logs, Beaufort quickly rose to the rank of commander in 1806, and that was when he first spontaneously penned a journal entry using the numbers zero through 13 to estimate the force of wind from “calm” to “storm.”

A year later, Beaufort copied this list into the flyleaf of a new journal, but this time he took it a step further. Ending the scale at 12, Beaufort added brief descriptive sentences about the effects of each category of wind that could be observed by anyone onboard a sailing ship. With entries such as, “That which will enable a man of war to steer,” attached to category one’s light breeze, Beaufort’s genius was giving sailors a replicable way of gauging the wind’s force simply by looking around them. Thus, the Beaufort Scale – which is still used to this day – was born.

The only problem is that this story isn’t entirely true.

50

HOLIDAY 2019

BUT TO UNDERSTAND THE COMPLICATED HISTORY OF THE BEAUFORT SCALE – and Beaufort’s relationship to it

– you first have to understand its context. During Beaufort’s time, in the mid-18th and 19th centuries, what we now know as modern science was still being invented (the term “scientist” wasn’t even coined until 1840). Technologies in mapping were also still being invented, and most people in Britain were only roughly aware of about four continents.

It was a period that led to an intense passion for categorizing things, and exploration was essential – but if your intention was to learn more about the world, that meant sailing around it. And in order to do that, you needed wind.

That said, the practice of naming the wind had Sir Francis Beaufort. been around for centuries.

And finding ways to scale the wind wasn’t all that new either. As early as 1582, the Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe made a series of meteorological observations that resulted in a chart for wind force in 11 different increments. With descriptions such as “rather strong wind” and “rather hard wind,” they weren’t terribly useful, but it was a start.

Over the decades there were many other attempts to number the wind, but there were a couple of important stumbling blocks. One was that scientific knowledge spread even more slowly then than it does now, and another was

named John Smeaton. Born in 1724, Smeaton was a natural genius at designing things, and one of the things he was most enthralled by was windmills – to the point that he conducted some ground-breaking experiments on the use of wind and water to turn mills in the mid-18th century.

In the paper he subsequently published to much acclaim, he included a table that broke the wind into 11 categories according to their force and velocity.

It might have seemed like a footnote, but unlike earlier attempts, Smeaton’s wind measurements became both well regarded and well known. The fact that his numbers were slightly off wasn’t even discovered until Otto Lilienthal used them in an attempt to fly the first airplane – and it was the Wright brothers who figured out what the problem was during some experiments in 1901.

But long before that, Smeaton was a member of the British Royal Society, where he met and befriended Alexander Dalrymple. Nearly 20 years before Dalrymple was named the first hydrographer to the British Admiralty, he was also the first hydrographer for the East India Company – and in 1779 he published a seemingly insignificant pamphlet that was distributed to all the company’s ships. In addition to recommending specific ways for captains to keep their log books, Dalrymple also included a copy of Smeaton’s wind scale.

Along with some of his maps, Dalrymple gave a copy of this pamphlet to Beaufort when they first met in 1805 – a mere year before Beaufort penned his own scale.

There’s no doubt that Beaufort owed a great debt to the uncredited Smeaton, but even though he didn’t exactly invent it, Beaufort did play a sizeable part in shaping what we now know as the Beaufort Scale. For starters, he adapted it to be descriptively useful to sailors in particular, and he did so at a time when sailing was one of the largest industries in the world.

And, quite simply, Beaufort was also instrumental in making sure that it actually got used. After Beaufort eventually succeeded Dalrymple at the Admiralty Hydrographic Office in 1829, he undertook a search for a naturalist to accompany Captain Robert Fitzroy on a five-year surveying expedition aboard the HMS Beagle in 1831. The man that Beaufort found for the job was Charles Darwin – and because of the 17-page-long list of instructions Beaufort sent the men off with, that expedition also marked the first use of the Beaufort Scale to officially gather and bring back data about the weather.

OBSERVATIONS AND INFORMATION ARE ONLY

if there’s a way to organize and communicate them, after all, and few people understood that more than Beaufort. During his nearly 25-year tenure at the Admiralty Hydrographic Office, Beaufort transformed the way detailed information about things such as water and wind was gathered and passed on tremendously – and in 1838 the Admiralty formally adopted the Beaufort Scale, citing its “general utility of recording with clearness and precision.”

While it still wasn’t the only wind scale in use at the time, and, eventually, the advent of steam ships made certain aspects of Beaufort’s scale obsolete, the Meteorological Office in London issued an updated version of the scale in 1906, almost 50 years after Beaufort passed away. It was titled “The Beaufort Scale,” and it was a fitting legacy to the scale’s biggest champion.

The Beaufort Scale was eventually adapted and codified by the World Meteorological Organization in 1970, but it continues to evolve and change to this day – much like the wind itself. But even now, there’s a tribute to the Beaufort WIDELY USEFUL

Discover What’s New

TH E B EAU F O R T SC A LE NUMBER

DESCRIPTION

SEA CONDITIONS

0

Calm

Sea like a mirror

1

Light air

Ripples with appearance of scales are formed, without foam crests

2

Light breeze

Small wavelets still short but more pronounced; crests have a glassy appearance but do not break

3

Gentle breeze

Large wavelets; crests begin to break; foam of glassy appearance; perhaps scattered white horses

4

Moderate breeze

Small waves becoming longer; fairly frequent white horses

5

Fresh breeze

Moderate waves taking a more pronounced long form; many white horses are formed; chance of some spray

6 7

8

Strong breeze

Large waves begin to form; the white foam crests are more extensive everywhere; probably some spray

High wind, moderate gale, near gale

Sea heaps up and white foam from breaking waves begins to be blown in streaks along the direction of the wind; spindrift begins to be seen

Gale, fresh gale

Moderately high waves of greater length; edges of crests break into spindrift; foam is blown in well-marked streaks along the direction of the wind

9

Strong/severe gale

High waves; dense streaks of foam along the direction of the wind; sea begins to roll; spray affects visibility

10

Storm/whole gale

Very high waves with long overhanging crests; resulting foam in great patches is blown in dense white streaks along the direction of the wind; on the whole the surface of the sea takes on a white appearance; rolling of the sea becomes heavy; visibility affected

11

Violent storm

Exceptionally high waves; small- and medium-sized ships might be for a long time lost to view behind the waves; sea is covered with long white patches of foam; everywhere the edges of the wave crests are blown into foam; visibility affected

12

Hurricane force

The air is filled with foam and spray; sea is completely white with driving spray; visibility very seriously affected

Scale in virtually any and every book about the weather. It’s in the Farmers’ Almanac, no less, and the United States Navy teaches it along with almost any respectable sailing course.

A lot of that might have to do with the way language works.

Descriptive scales such as Beaufort’s don’t only present us with statistics as much as they ask us to experience and observe the world around us. They require, above all, our interactive presence with natural forces. “[The Beaufort Scale] took something well worth measuring, but for which there were not yet accurate – or useful – metrics,” writes Scott Huler in his seminal book, Defining the Wind, “and used instead of a mechanical device that greatest of all meters, human perception.”

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OUTDOORS

SNAPSHOTS for SCIENCE

A crowd-sourced research initiative found worldwide makes its U.S. debut in Nags Head PHOTO BY LORI DOUGLAS / STORY BY LEXI HOLIAN

PROTECTING OUR BEACHES IS A PRIORITY FOR MANY OF US on the shifting sands of the Outer Banks, so it’s no surprise that a new opportunity to contribute to shoreline research at Jennette’s Pier is beginning to attract a lot of curiosity – and you don’t even need a scientific degree to participate.

It’s called CoastSnap, and the concept is simple: You place your cellphone on a metal mount located on the north side of the pier, line it up as instructed, and snap a quick shot of the shoreline. Then you can either post your picture on a designated social media site with the hashtag #CoastSnapJennettes or email it directly to the local U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Coastal and Hydraulics Laboratory Field Research Facility, which is more commonly known as the Duck research pier.

If it sounds easy, that’s because it is. But a few minutes of your time adds up when it’s paired with hundreds of other virtually identical images – and it can do wonders for measuring the changing shape of our coast.

CoastSnap is a crowd-sourced beach monitoring program that started in Australia in 2017, and in the Land Down Under thousands of submitted photos have already given scientists insight into how many of their beaches respond to environmental factors such as weather patterns, wave energy and storms. The simple but highly effective idea was created by researchers at the University of New South Wales in order to record erosion and recovery cycles, as well as any long-term

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coastal changes, and it wasn’t long before the program expanded internationally – with CoastSnap sites found in places as far away as Fiji, Brazil, England, France, the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain.

This past August, Jennette’s Pier became the first CoastSnap location in the U.S. “We have a dynamic coastline here that can really benefit from more frequent measurements,” says research oceanographer Dr. Ian Conery, who heads the local CoastSnap initiative from the Duck Field Research Facility. “This is a way to involve the community so they’re not just learning about the science behind coastal management strategies, but they’re also contributing to it.”

Jennette’s Pier was chosen as the first U.S. CoastSnap location for several reasons, including its high foot traffic, the site’s focus on science-based classes and children’s summer camps, and the fact that a beach nourishment project was recently completed there in Nags Head.

“We also have a monitoring site just north of the pier where we do some terrestrial laser scanning,” Ian adds. “The laser scanning allows us to build 3D models to examine dune dynamics and evolution, so the images will be a nice complement to that as well.”

Because the phone mount at Jennette’s Pier is set in a fixed position, photos submitted by a wide variety of beachgoers are generally taken in the same frame.

Once the images are received, researchers at the Field Research Facility timestamp and geo-rectify them in order to give each picture a set of real-world map coordinates. Then they can use automated software to position the images and extract the shoreline based on control points like roof edges and walkways.

KITCHEN OUTER BANKS, NC Dr. Ian Conery takes a test photo of the shoreline at Jennette’s Pier in Nags Head – the first CoastSnap location in the U.S.

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The result is a wealth of information on our ever-evolving shoreline, which can help scientists better understand things such as the effects of hurricanes, the effectiveness of beach nourishment projects, and even the impacts of activities like beach driving during the off-season.

“It’s an innovative, low-cost citizen science project,” Ian explains. “And the proliferation of smartphones and social media has made it possible.”

Scientists at the Field Research Facility in Duck have partnered with their colleagues at the University of New South Wales on a number of coastal imaging projects over the years, but some of those efforts can be expensive and difficult to maintain. Because of cost and time considerations, detailed seafloor surveys and fine-scale land-based GPS measurements can only happen so often – which is exactly why the ability to harness continuous data from the public via CoastSnap is so exciting.

“The quality of cellphone images is good enough now that we can actually use them for scientific analysis,” Ian says, while noting that this can be particularly beneficial for communities that conduct beach nourishment projects. “It’s comparable to other imaging efforts.”

With almost no advertisement other than an informational CoastSnap sign at the pier, an average of one photo per day was submitted during the first month and half of the pilot project – and researchers at the Field Research Facility feel confident that their numbers will grow as the public becomes more aware of the program.

“We’ve just started, so we’re still learning a lot ourselves,” Ian says. “But a project like this has tremendous potential to expand – both here on the Outer Banks and regionally.”

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SHORE SCIENCE

Thar She Blows!

BY BRIAN BOUTIN, PH.D.

NOR’EASTERS ARE A FACT OF LIFE THIS TIME

– and you can pretty much count on at least a handful of them to keep us indoors and bundled up from October through about March. But these slow churners can be more than just a few-dayslong hibernation inducer, however. Road flooding, ocean overwash, a roof leak here or there, and (sometimes) a general sense of malaise are not all that uncommon.

When it comes to winter weather, nor’easters sit at the top of the heap.

The Oxford English Dictionary traces the term nor’easter back as far as 1837, attributing the phrase to a few poets and writers, while its rise in popularity was likely due to its heavy usage in the New England presses at around the same time.

While the exact origin of the contraction remains a mystery, most agree that the spelling originated somewhere in late 16th or early 17th century England in reference to compass points and the direction of wind while sailing.

A nor’easter, according to the modern National Weather Service, is an extratropical cyclone that forms offshore, usually in an area between Georgia and New Jersey. As the jet stream drops south, and cold, arctic air makes its way down from Canada to meet the warm waters of the Gulf Stream, the stark difference in temperature fuels the development of these intense low-pressure systems.

Nor’easters, as their name implies, pack strong northeast winds accompanied by very heavy rain or snow.

In many cases, you can expect either coastal flooding, shoreline erosion, tropical storm to hurricane-force winds and/or blizzard conditions – or worse, all of the above. And because nor’easters frequently tend to form off the coast of the Outer Banks, they can have significant impacts on our community.

OF YEAR ON THE OUTER BANKS

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HOLIDAY 2019

HOW S NOR'EASTER FORM

Perhaps the most infamous nor’easter to ever impact the Outer Banks was the Ash Wednesday Storm of 1962, considered by the U.S. Geological Survey to be one of the 10 most destructive storms of the 20th century. Hitting during a period of higher than normal perigean spring tides in early March, the storm hung around over the course of five tidal cycles, causing extensive flooding and erosion. After the storm finally passed, a total of 60 structures were destroyed, more than 1,300 were damaged, and a new inlet was cut between Avon and Buxton.

Longtime residents will tell you that this storm, along with Hurricane Hazel in 1954, were the two that shook them to the core the most. More recently, Subtropical Storm Melissa, considered a nor’easter by the National Weather Service, impacted our region in October 2019. This storm paled in comparison to the Ash Wednesday Storm, but it still caused significant overwash just north of Rodanthe at a popular local surfing spot known informally as the S-turns and also caused extensive damage to the Avon Fishing Pier.

While nor’easters can tremendously impact the lives and livelihoods of today’s Outer Banks residents, they’ve also helped shape and reshape this area into its present form. Throughout history, the islands themselves have responded to storms like nor’easters by eroding and accreting in different areas due to prevailing wind and wave directions. Inlets have opened and closed, while driving winds have deposited sand on the sound side of the islands, expanding marshes and parts of the shoreline westward.

In turn, the dynamic nature of these islands has influenced the ecology of the resident flora and fauna. Marsh grasses like our saltmarsh cordgrass (Sporobolus alterniflorus) are surprisingly resilient, rapidly colonizing overwash fans in

Nor'easter waves lash Nags Head Pier (above).

Photo courtesy of Baldwin Video Productions.

less than a year. Those of us who were here during Hurricane Irene in 2011 may also remember how relatively quickly the New Inlet on Pea Island turned from a channel into saltmarsh – and some species of terns actively seek out areas such as those filled with newly deposited sand as nesting spots during the summer months.

Our human residents are similarly resilient – just look no further than the disaster relief response of our community in the aftermath of Hurricane Dorian. I like to think it’s in our blood. If and when we’re impacted by a storm, we learn, we adapt, we grow stronger and we come together. Maybe it’s our pirate history. Maybe it’s our stubbornness. Either way, nowhere else does it better.

Brian Boutin is a coastal scientist who lives and works in Kill Devil Hills along with his wife, two kids and a 18-month-old Plott hound. He’s also an avid surfer and fisherman who enjoys all of the natural beauty found on the Outer Banks.

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The Long Way Round

By Steve Hanf

For dedicated mariners, the Great Loop can be the adventure of a lifetime.

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MIAMI, FL

K E Y W E S T, F L

T

he average landlubber would likely consider them loopy. But for plenty of boaters actively taking part in the Great Loop, there’s nothing crazy at all about taking a several-thousand-mile journey that spans the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, the rivers and canals of the Northeast and Canada, the Great Lakes, the mighty Mississippi and the Gulf of Mexico.

BLAME IT ON LEWIS AND CLARK, perhaps, but America’s fascination with traveling the country by land and sea is centuries in the making. And for modern-day explorers, there’s a special challenge for that: The Great Loop.

Kim Russo has served as director of the America’s Great Loop Cruisers’ Association (AGLCA) for 10 years – the organization celebrated its 20th anniversary in August – and she spearheads a group that contains upwards of 8,000 people. The association has a website loaded with info for those curious about the adventure, hosts various informational meetings (including one in Norfolk each year) and keeps tabs on all the folks making their way around the Great Loop – which is a continuous system of waterways that encircles a vast portion of the eastern U.S. and a section of Canada.

The full journey averages some 6,000 miles and takes six to 12 months to complete.

Part of the payoff? Anyone who has completed the loop in its entirety can officially call themselves a “Looper.”

“They’re a really fun group of people to work with, and there are a lot of characters,” Kim says. “A good bit of them are more in the dreamer or planning category, and they haven’t taken off on a trip yet. At any given time, our database says there are 400 or so people in progress and about 150 or so who complete the Great Loop in any specific year.”

Kim hasn’t done the Great Loop herself, but she has enjoyed shorter trips on parts of the route thanks to generous members who have taken her out. She also enjoys living vicariously through the stories the Loopers tell.

“One gentleman had ancestors who came over on the boat that carried the torch for the Statue of Liberty, and he got to see the statue from the New York Harbor,” Kim says. “I hear those kinds of stories quite frequently. It’s the people who really make the trip for most of us.”

BILL AND AMY DENISON OF HERTFORD have been boating since 2006 and have enjoyed some long-range cruising, but they had no intention of doing the Great Loop. Then, as often happens on cold, damp December days, they had a crazy idea to beat the winter doldrums.

“Let’s order up some cruising guides,” Bill recalls thinking. “It takes a lot of planning to go on a year-long cruise. Eating, medical appointments, banking, mail – the list goes on and on.”

They explained their adventure to their grown children and friends and even set up an Instagram account so they could share their travels. Most folks who do the Great Loop all at once head north in the summer so they can make their way south by winter, and that’s just what the Denisons did. They headed out June 15, 2018, and returned home March 27, 2019.

They weren’t in any hurry. Some Loopers go a hundred miles a day just to cover ground, but the Denisons often only made hops of 30 or so miles so they could anchor and explore little towns. Using websites such as ActiveCaptain and the huge Waterway Guide books, they found great places to eat, stores to visit, museums to enjoy and other hidden gems along the way.

“There’s a camaraderie with people who are doing the loop,” Bill says with a smile. “We’re kind of like a roving band of gypsies.”

The Denisons loved boating through the Hudson Valley – they lived in New York for years – as well as traversing the old locks on the Erie Canal. All told, they passed through about 100 locks over the course of their journey.

“The trip is so varied. Each part of it had some attraction. Amy and I would agree that being in the Great Lakes for a little over a month was probably the most spectacular,” Bill says. “Lake Huron in Michigan was absolutely as clear as the water in the Bahamas. You could see 20 feet down. That was pretty special.”

TACKLING THE GREAT LOOP ALL AT ONCE offers quite a logistical challenge, which is why some Loopers pick and choose certain segments. Mike and Renee Glover of Manteo are one such couple who are currently in the process of doing three months each year to complete their full loop.

“There are a lot of ways you can do it,” Mike explains. “Some people do it all at once, and others have done it over five years. Once you start talking to people, you realize everybody has their own loop. It’s constantly referred to as ‘my loop’ while you’re doing it. It’s your loop – do what you want, go where you want. Once I figured that out, it was just a matter of logistics.”

Mike is a retired orthopedic surgeon, while Renee continues to work as a dermatologist.

So far, he has cruised from Fort Pierce, Florida to Manteo, then from home to Sandusky, Ohio.

“Everybody’s got Renee joins Mike about one week a month, and a different story. he plans to have friends fill in on the rest of the trips. This coming spring, he’s going to venture Everybody knows downriver toward the Gulf of Mexico. different things “You’re trying to avoid ice in the North and hurricanes in the South,” Mike says. “Because about parts of the of those barriers, people often end up in loop.” the Great Lakes in the summer and Florida in the winter. People also tend to cluster at -Mike Glover, certain places because they’re trying to get Great Loop mariner somewhere at a particular time of year.”

One time, the Glovers were part of a Great Loop flotilla of some 40-odd boats in the northern Hudson River as they waited to get into the canals.

“Everybody’s got a different story,” he adds. “Everybody knows different things about parts of the loop.”

Mike started boating at the age of nine and has been a serious hobbyist since 18, but he still hadn’t heard about the Great Loop until meeting a few Loopers in the Bahamas three years ago – a chance encounter that planted the seed for his own trips.

The Glovers still keep in touch with two of those Loopers to this day. In fact, the companionship between fellow Loopers and the interactions with countless others – anchoring in Montreal, stopping at a Mohawk reservation, visiting with members of the Canadian park service – have been highlights for the Glovers thus far.

“You can see it on a map, but it means nothing until you get there,” Mike says.

Amy and Bill Denison aboard their boat, the Mar-Kat during their trip on the Great Loop (left).

The Mar-Kat passes through locks on the Erie Canal (above). Photos courtesy of Amy and Bill Denison.

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TEX GALLOP IS A FIFTH-GENERATION

OF WANCHESE. After spending most of his life as a commercial fisherman from Alaska to Nova Scotia and up and down the East Coast, Tex now serves as a ferry boat captain on the Hatteras-Ocracoke route. So it only makes sense that he and his wife, Janet Jordan, are now hooked on the idea of doing the Great Loop.

They’ve been to association meetings. They’re saving for a boat. They’re plotting which “mini loops” they can knock out here and there while he’s still working.

Thankfully, there are four less-daunting loop experiences that are ideal for trial runs, such as a Florida Loop, two others in New York and Canada, and even a Carolina Loop.

The more local loop can be done in a couple of days, as it’s just 150 miles through the Albemarle and Currituck sounds, the Dismal Swamp Canal and the Pasquotank River – a distance that’s more or less the same as going from Kitty Hawk to Chesapeake.

Whenever he can, Tex also looks for Looper flags on boats docked in Manteo and reaches out to those visitors in order to offer them rides or to simply listen to their stories. Above all, he and Janet are looking forward to the day when their own AGLCA banner flaps in the breeze as they make their way from marina to marina on their own Great Loop.

“We love being on the water and spending the night on a boat,” Tex says. “You can just get up in the morning, have your coffee and wait for the sun.”

“It’s a lot of fun,” Mike adds. “The best explanation is that there’s always something unexpected around the next turn: people, a boat, a town. Every day, there’s something new you thought you’d never see.”

RESIDENT

NORTH BEACH SUN

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THE LOCAL LIFE

I I s k r a P t r a u t S Center ks History n a B r e t u O Archivist,

Photo by Ryan Moser • Story by Amelia Boldaji

BY DAY, YOU’LL OFTEN FIND HIM BEHIND A DESK AT THE OUTER BANKS HISTORY CENTER on Roanoke

Island where he’s likely answering visitors’ questions, processing photo orders, or preparing presentations on everything from theories about the Lost Colony to post-World War II government projects.

But by night, Stuart Parks can be found almost anywhere, and chances are you might not even recognize him. Though he’s officially an archivist and historian, Stuart is also an actor, author, illustrator, screenwriter and a director with outfits like Rayolight Productions and the Theatre of Dare. Whether it’s facts or fiction you’re after, Stuart is a local source for stories that come in all shapes and sizes – and he can even carry a (show) tune.

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How did you get into history?

In high school I had a teacher, Mr. Harsell, who was a farmer and a historian, and he was very animated – he made it a story as opposed to a recitation of dates and locations, and that’s what makes it interesting to me. I originally went to college at East Carolina University for theatre, but switched to history and then ended up double majoring in English and history. After I got my master’s in creative writing, my wife and I moved to the Outer Banks, and a position opened up at the history center a few months after we got here. During grad school I had worked for three years in the special collections at Joyner Library, so it made sense.

Did you know much about the history of the Outer Banks before you moved here?

I knew about the Lost Colony and the Wright brothers when I first moved here, but that was about it. I was born in Kinston and grew up in the swamps of Deep Run, which has a proud tobacco history, and not much else. Here it’s more of a melting pot, but a lot of the history isn’t standard unless this is where you went to school.

And there are a lot of different stories that go into the story of the Outer Banks – so I still learn new things about the area every day.

In addition to your day job, you’re also a writer and an actor – do you feel as though all those things intersect?

I like acting because it gives me the ability to be someone else for a while, and when I’m writing on my own time I tend toward sci-fi, fantasy and horror because it’s fun to make things up…and you don’t have to fact-check when you’re creating a world. For me, it’s all about storytelling, honestly. I get more out of the lessons of history than the dates and names – it can tell you so much about the continual progress and de-progress of people, both socially and technologically. History is the story, the only story in the big picture of things – it’s all right here.

What’s the strangest thing you’ve ever been asked at the history center?

Some people like to come in and tell me ‘facts’ about the area I might not be aware of – like that there’s a missile under the Wright memorial or that there’s a secret CIA facility in Nags Head Woods where Lee Harvey Oswald trained…and every few months we meet another direct descendent of Virginia Dare. [Laughs] But this past summer, someone came in and asked if we had pictures of pirates. I thought they meant pictures of the old Pirate Jamborees in the ‘50s and ‘60s, but they said, ‘No, I want real pictures of pirates.’ Selfies with Blackbeard, I guess? I get asked a lot of things, but that was definitely the weirdest!

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