FROM THE DESK

Photo courtesy of the Outer Banks Visitors Bureau.

Th e space between seasons is a gift .

SPRING ON THE OUTER BANKS CAN APPEAR VERY DIFFERENT COMPARED TO OTHER PLACES. It isn’t often particularly gentle, for one, and it tends to seem more like a brief period of transition than a season with distinct characteristics – blink, and you might miss it.

But that’s okay. Given all the ways we’ve had to think and talk about change over the past few years, there’s something rather refreshing about the idea that one thing can become something else without too much fanfare – that life can simply be that seamless at times, or at least feel that way.

The thing is that we can get so caught up in the glaringly big things. That record-breaking storm, or the sweeping epic with its multitude of grand gestures. It’s understandable, really; these are the types of situations that announce themselves, that demand the most notice by stomping in and making the most noise.

But this also means that there will always be a number of quieter things, smaller instances of turning points and transformations that live in the space between other more attention-grabbing events.

These smaller things are also what often make up each issue of the Sun. Like any other creative endeavor, a quarterly magazine is a genre that has certain allowances as well as certain limitations. We’ll never be in the position of being the fi rst to cover breaking news, for example, but we can take the time to listen to an oral history or pause to pinpoint the moment where several narratives overlap. And we won’t ever be a source for local traffi c and weather, but we will always be a place that considers multiple perspectives – and a place where we can be thoughtful about the stories we want to tell and why.

The seasonal space we have between issues is our largest gift. It allows us time to feel our way around our stories, and even (sometimes) gives us breathing room to delve into an idea without knowing beforehand what the story is exactly – to let fi nally fi nding it come as an unexpected surprise. A journey is only considered heroic once it’s complete, after all.

So whether this spring on the Outer Banks arrives like a lion or a lamb – or something entirely less memorable – this issue contains some of the stories we most hope will be remembered. Not because they make the biggest or fl ashiest headlines, but because they illustrate the many ways – both large and small – that this community exists well beyond the sum of its parts.

As always, we hope you enjoy it.

Publisher Editor staff staff

PUBLISHERS

PUBLISHERS Adam & Cathy Baldwin Adam & Cathy Baldwin EDITOR EDITOR Amelia Boldaji Amelia Boldaji ART DIRECTOR ART DIRECTOR Dave Rollins Dave RollinsWRITERS CONTRIBUTORS Cathy Baldwin Amelia Boldaji Jonathan Clark Catherine Kozak Cathy Baldwin • Amelia Boldaji Steve Hanf • Catherine Kozak Katrina Mae Leuzinger Amanda McDanel • Maggie McNinch Arabella Saunders • Corinne Saunders Katrina Mae Leuzinger PHOTOGRAPHERS Maggie McNinch Jonathan Clark

Elizabeth Neal Cory Godwin • Sara Ladley

Arabella Saunders Trevor Lawson • Terry Karlson

Corinne Saunders Ryan Navazio • Elizabeth Neal

Kati Wilkins Ryan Noble • Arianna Stewart

GRAPHIC DESIGNER Kate Sutherland • Kati Wilkins Dylan Bush GRAPHIC DESIGNER SALES MANAGER Dylan Bush Helen Furr SALES MANAGER ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Helen Furr

Faith Turek ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE DISTRIBUTOR Faith Turek Donna Roark DISTRIBUTOR Donna Roark

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

The views expressed in the articles contained herein the property of the North Beach Sun. do not necessarily refl ect the views of the publisher, editor or Access Media Group. The published material, advertisements, editorials and all other content is published in good faith. Access Media Group and North Beach Sun cannot guarantee and accepts no liability for any loss or damage of any kind caused by errors, omissions or the accuracy of claims made by advertisers. The views expressed in the articles contained herein do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, editor or Access Media Group. The published material, advertisements, editorials and all other content is published in good faith. Access Media Group and North Beach Sun cannot guarantee and accepts no liability for any loss or damage of any kind caused by errors, omissions or the accuracy of claims made by advertisers.

NORTH BEACH SUN

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