OUTER BANKS MILEPOST: ISSUE 11.1

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Issue 1 1.1

E F I L r o FIT f

Relaxing SINCE 1974

HANDCRAFTED IN NC WITH RECYCLED & SUSTAINABLE MATERIALS FASTER DELIVERY • BETTER SERVICE ASK ABOUT OUR LOCALS DISCOUNT KILL DEVIL HILLS

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startingpoint intervention. Just a series of logical if-then statements: If I choose that line of work, then I can’t live here; and if I can’t live here, then I won’t be happy.

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Crab pots beat cubicles any day of the week. Photo: Daniel Pullen

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What I didn’t realize at the time were the long-term health risks of a thankless desk job. As we discuss in this issue’s “Fit for Life” feature, sitting and slaving all day isn’t just bad for the soul, it’s bad for the body, leading to a list of ailments so serious, experts call it “the new smoking.”

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MOSTLY, I RECKON gosurfOUTER BANKS THE outthere LIVES IN THE PAST. graphiccontent

Clinging to trends and technologies the rest of the world discarded decades ago.

From fashion — “Who’s got my Uggs?” — to transportation — “Forget Lyft, call Lady Jane!” — to retail outlets. (RIP K-Mart and Radio Shack.)

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But over the past two years — for the first time ever — our stubborn little community feels shockingly ahead of its time. In fact, I often wonder if we’re actually living in the friggin’ future. It happens every time I hear the phrase “Great Resignation.”

Surely, you’re aware of this phenomenon. In the wake of COVID, rattled Americans are quitting dead-end jobs in record numbers.

Corporate suits are cashing in early. Fast food workers are screaming, “F@#k Dennis Taylor!” (Google it; it’s a classic.) Casting off their chains or a love of mammon to make brand new lives, chalking it up to one magical realization: life’s too short to do something you hate.

No need to tell us. Here, that’s no grand epiphany — it’s everyday existence. Has been for centuries. From the pirates who posted up between plunders to the fishing captains and boatbuilders who created an industry to the college kids who came here to party and play all summer then couldn’t bear to leave paradise for just a paycheck.

My first stint here after graduating I was shocked — and later inspired — by the number of new friends and co-workers who’d bailed on potential six-figure careers.

Future engineers who decided to build houses. Would-be bankers who opted to tend bar. All of them meeting every day with a smile. Not because of the work itself, but the flexible schedules that freed up whole days — and the priceless wonders that awaited between shifts. Miles of waves.

Pounds of fish. And a culture that didn’t judge you for putting your passion before your profession.

It didn’t take a pandemic or some mystical

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Maybe that’s why, thirty years later, some of my healthiest friends are the ones who stuck to their guns, rods or surfboards — then forged their own career paths. Many of them now run their own businesses, reaping the kind of financial success to make the planet their playground.

LIFE’S TOO SHORT TO DO SOMETHING YOU HATE.

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And the ones who didn’t? Well, the ones who chased only dollars instead of dreams are carrying baggage — and not just around their waistlines.

Of course, now it seems America’s picked up on our little secret formula. Retirees and telecommuters are taking root everywhere, ditching a few extra shekels for the coast’s endless riches. Whether they’ll adopt our other heartier attributes remains to be seen.

But as a fellow desk jockey — one who’ll start typing at midnight so he can paddle out at dawn — I hope this issue encourages them to find and sustain an outdoor pursuit that gilds their days in infinite ways, and to knock off early as often as possible.

Because the quickest path to a healthy worklife balance is to lighten up on the work — and go heavy on life. — Matt Walker

Thank you for reading Outer Banks Milepost. We hope you enjoy it. If not — before chucking this issue into the nearest dumpster — please consider one of the following equally satisfying ways of expressing your disgust: create a paper Bagua circle, then trod all over them; steal a whole handful, then rip them in half like Randy Savage mutilating a phonebook. Or simply toss it on that six-month stack of newspapers you’ve yet to recycle. (Trust us, you’ll feel better.) Then, send any and all feedback — positive, negative or just plain confused — to: editor@outerbanksmilepost.com. We promise to find some way to re-purpose them.

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“People don’t die of old age, they die of inactivity.” – Jack LaLanne “We like to move it, move it!” – King Julian

Issue 11.1 Spring ’22 Cover: Strength in Numbers Photos: Ed Tupper

Reader You Brushes & Ink Carnell Boyle, John Butler, George Cheeseman, Marcia Cline, Carolina Coto, Kim Cowen, Cloey Davis, Michael J. Davis, Fay Davis Edwards, Mary Edwards, Laine Edwards, Marc Felton, Travis Fowler, Adriana Gomez-Nichols, Amelia Kasten, Chris Kemp, Nathan Lawrenson, Dave Lekens, Alex Lex, Tim Lusk, Elisa McVearry, Ben Miller, Dawn Moraga, Ben Morris, Holly Nettles, Stella Nettles, Rick Nilson, Barbara Noel, Holly Overton, Stuart Parks II, Charlotte Quinn, Willow Rea, Meg Rubino, Shirley Ruff, Noah Snyder, Rob Snyder, Janet Stapelman, Alyse Stewart, Kenneth Templeton, Stephen Templeton, George Tsonev, Christina Weisner, John Wilson, Mark Wiseman, Bri Young, Mike Zafra Lensfolk Nate Appel, Matt Artz, Chris Bickford, Russell Blackwood, Mike Booher, Don Bower, Aycock Brown, Mark Buckler, Jon Carter, Garnette Coleman, Rich Coleman, Marc Corbett, Kim Cowen, Chris Creighton, Mere Crockett, Jason Denson, Amy Dixon, Susan Dotterer Dixon, Lori Douglas, Julie Dreelin, Tom Dugan/ESM, Roy Edlund, Bryan Elkus, Ben Gallop, Cory Godwin, Chris Hannant, Katie Harms, Bryan Harvey, David Alan Harvey, Ginger Harvey, Bob Hovey, Biff Jennings, Jenni Koontz, Mike Leech, Anthony Leone, Jeff Lewis, Jared Lloyd, Matt Lusk, Ray Matthews, Brooke Mayo, Mickey McCarthy, Nic McLean, Roger Meekins, D. Victor Meekins, Richard L. Miller, Dick Meseroll/ESM, David Molnar, Rachel Moser, Ryan Moser, Elizabeth Neal, Rob Nelson, Candace Owens, Anne Snape Parsons, Crystal Polston, Daniel Pullen, Ryan Rhodes, Terry Rowell, Cyndi Goetcheus Sarfan, Katie Slater, Tom Sloate, Wes Snyder, Aimee Thibodeau, David Thomas, Ed Tupper, Eve Turek, Chris Updegrave, Dan Waters, Kati Wilkins, Cyrus Welch, Jay Wickens Penfolk Ashley Bahen, Madeline Bailey, Sarah Downing, Laura Gomez-Nichols, Jim Gould, Steve Hanf, Dave Holton, Sarah Hyde, Catherine Kozak, Katrina Leuzinger Owens, Dan Lewis, Terri Mackleberry, Fran Marler, Matt Pruett, Mary Ellen Riddle, Peter Graves Roberts, Arabella Saunders, Corinne Saunders, Sandy Semans, Shannon Sutton, Kip Tabb, Kathleen Wasniewski, Hannah West, Clumpy White, Sharon Whitehurst, Natalie Wolfe, Michele Young-Stone Pointing/Clicking Jesse Davis Sales Force Laurin Walker Big Mouth In Chief Matt Walker Blame It All On Suite P Inc. PO Box 7100 • KDH, NC 27948 Office: 252-441-6203 • Sales: 949-275-5115 editor@outerbanksmilepost.com • sales@outerbanksmilepost.com Outer Banks Milepost is published quarterly (sorterly) by Suite P Inc. All contents are the property of Suite P Inc. and do not reflect the opinion of advertisers or distributors. Nor do their contents reflect that of the creative types (who would never, ever sell out). Comments, letters and submissions are usually welcome. Please include SASE for return delivery of all snail mail, however, Milepost and Suite P Inc. still aren’t responsible for any unsolicited materials. And don’t expect much else to move much faster than IST (Island Standard Time).

Oh yeah: if you reprint a lick of this content you’re ripping us off. (Shame on you.) To discuss editorial ideas, find out about advertising or tell us we blew it – or just find out what the waves are doing – call 252-441-6203 or email: editor@outerbanksmilepost.com; sales@outerbanksmilepost.com. www.outerbanksmilepost.com milepost 4

roadmap gokite “DIY or Die”

By Elisa McVearry @misselisamakes

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03 StartingPoint We quit!

06 U pFront Federal handouts, local generosity and our latest photo giveaway.

18 QuestionAuthority Looking forward with the Outer Banks Community Foundation.

23 Pictures of Health Four unorthodox embodiments of an active lifestyle.

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32 GraphicContent Fitbit tidbits.

34 Fit For Life The secret to long-term health waits just outside.

47 FoodDrink The juice is loose.

48 G oORV Valerie Stump is off to the races.

50 ArtisticLicense Crochet PSAs.

THE ORIGINAL Since the 60’s

52 SoundCheck Ever hear Stereo in Words?

55 OutThere Random acts of sweetness.

56 EndNotes A buff selection of future events.

“All my work is pretty message based. With sculpture or painting, you can leave a lot of room for interpretation — not so much with textiles. And while I’d like to say this piece was some big metaphor, really, I just wanted it to look cool, and a heart with “DIY or Die” seemed pretty punk rock at the time. [Laughs] But I guess I do try to do everything myself. I like to fix and reuse things instead of buying them new. My husband and I have a big garden and chickens, so we DIY a lot of our food. I just gave myself a DIY haircut — that was a bad idea. But I guess that’s why I like knitting and crochet more than sewing. Sewing, you start with someone else’s fabric; knitting and crochet, you start with just one string that you can make into anything. All by yourself.” — Elisa McVearry

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upfront soundcheck MAKE IT RAIN?

DC and Raleigh are fixin’ to flood NC with dollars.

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For anyone fed up with political gridlock, this past winter brought a pair of welcome surprises. (Not to mention a whole lot of new dough for North Carolina.)

a total of about $9 billion from the bill, in addition to the potential to apply for more.

startingpoint But it will likely take a

In mid-November, Congress passed the $1 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, promising billions for every state. Mere days after President Biden signed that bill, NC’s legislators finally managed to overcome partisan politics to pass the first state budget since 2017, with the biennial spending plan providing $25.9 billion in fiscal year 2022 and $27 billion in 2023.

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For the more optimistic, two back-to-back bipartisan acts might herald hope for a more cooperative future. But for the less altruistic, the more immediate question is: What’s in it for us?

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Depends on where you look. For the state funds, the answer is somewhere between “a lot” and “nothing at all.” And as for the federal dollars, it’s still too early to guess whether infrastructure dollars will flow or dribble — or where they’ll be directed.

while for the dust to settle before we learn what, when and where funds will be directed.

“Honestly, we don’t know that information, and that allocation hasn’t been officially shared,” Sterling Baker, state Department of Transportation Highway Division 1 division engineer said in a January interview.

“So, we don’t have those numbers.”

graphiccontent Division 1 covers 14

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According to information released earlier by the White House, NC will eventually receive

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As far as future Outer Banks projects that could use an infusion of funds, Baker said

that his division is focused on the Lindsay C. Warren Bridge — what most folks call the Alligator River Bridge. Best known for its creaky swing span that opens for boaters transiting the Intracoastal Waterway between Dare and Tyrrell counties, the 60-year-old bridge, Baker said, has been rehabilitated recently and is in fair condition.

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The 10-year plan, which is updated every

two years, scores projects according to criteria such as need, population and location. Bridges are mostly funded through a separate program, unless they are included in STIP as part of a highway project.

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Baker said he expects that some of the funds will be available for the division through grants, but the “lion’s share” of the money will be allocated through NCDOT’s State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP).

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The Biden administration announced on January 14 that it will start distributing $5.5 billion of the infrastructure funds to states this fiscal year, with the first of $2.7 billion allocated in a program to improve the country’s 15,000 highway bridges.

counties in the northeast, including Dare, Currituck and Hyde.

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But DOT can patch it together only so many times.

Baker said that the new bridge design has been funded, and “we’re looking for some creative ways from our bridge funding” for the estimated $225 million for construction. The 2-lane replacement, he said, would have a high-rise span and include an underpass by the US 64 tie-in for animal crossings.

Plans for the controversial and long proposed Mid-Currituck Bridge are on hold, with funds “shifted” for two years, Baker said. But the project has not been scuttled. When and if the process is restarted, he continued, it would take about 18 months to contract, permit and finish designing it. Although the estimated $460 million bridge is still planned to be tolled for a yet-to-be-determined amount, according to Baker it would also require gap funding to cover costs.

It’s worth noting that two long delayed projects in Dare County will actually start soon.

Various kinds of “structural preservation” work, including resurfacing the Washington Baum Bridge — which connects the beaches to Roanoke Island — are expected to be contracted by the end of February and completed by September 2025.

And resurfacing of the US 158 bypass from Kitty Hawk to Nags Head has already been contracted (but not yet started) and is

expected to be completed in April 2023.

With the grace of additional funding being allocated, the remaining portion from Nags Head to US 64 in Manteo would be contracted this spring.

But the infrastructure bill is funding more than just roads and bridges.

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FOR THE LESS ALTRUISTIC, THE FIRST QUESTION IS: WHAT’S IN IT FOR US?

According to a press release from US Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC), the bill also provides $440 million over the next five years for clean water projects in North Carolina; $100 million for broadband services for about 424,000 underserved NC residents in the first year; a share of the $7 billion total allocation to the US Army Corps of Engineers for coastal resiliency projects that provide protection from storm damage; and a share of a total of $4.5 million in Federal Emergency Management Agency funds for flood mitigation activities.

Tillis and US Senator Richard Burr (R-NC) and US Representative G.K. Butterfield (D-1st District) voted for the infrastructure bill, but US Representative Greg Murphy (R-3rd District) voted against the bill.

The National Park Service also would receive about $1.7 billion over five years for bridge and road repairs and for projects that protect wildlife and motorists, according to the National Parks Conservation Association.

Bestoafcthhe 2019 2020 Be

But again, it’s too soon to know which parks will benefit. So far, National Parks of Eastern North Carolina Superintendent Dave Hallac said he has no details.

“We’re still waiting for more information,” Hallac said.

Meanwhile, funds from the state budget are already making their way into local coffers.

Dare County was allocated $35 million to construct essential housing, which has already been appropriated and will be available under the statute once conditions are met.

“We have to pick a private partner, then negotiate with the partner,” Dare County Manager Bobby Outten said, adding that there have been ongoing discussions about a project in Manteo.

Other funds in the budget for the Outer Banks, according to info from NC Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Berger include: — $4.2 million for installation of permanent exhibits at the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum in Hatteras village.

— $4.2 million for the NCDOT Ferry Division to build two new ferries.

— $900,000 for expansion of DARE Challenge treatment facility.

— $1.5 million to the NC Wildlife Resources Commission for removal of abandoned boats.

— A $22,000 grant for capital improvements at Wanchese Marine Industrial Park.

— A $425,000 grant to Dare County for

— Salary raises, supplements and/or bonuses for state employees, including teachers, community college staff, and law enforcement officers.

— An additional magistrate in Dare County.

— $300,000 to replace lost ticket sales at Roanoke Island Festival Park due to the pandemic, and $500,000 to Roanoke Island Historical Association to cover lost ticket revenue for The Lost Colony.

But there could be more dough in the pipeline if the proposed Build Back Better bill ever manages to get through the US Senate. The legislation includes significantly increased funding for mitigation and adaptation of climate impacts, such as erosion and more intense and frequent storms. It also would allocate millions of dollars for child care for North Carolina children, expand access for more than 150,000 children in the state to preschool, boost rent support, and expand health care for uninsured folks.

An especially exciting goody for champions of the First Amendment? The bill would provide up to $25,000 for one year for each journalist working for an eligible local news operation — and up to $15,000 in each of the next four years.

Of course, that’s all hypothetical. With both parties still butting heads over Build Back Better, we won’t know what gets funded — if ever. Until then, we still have millions coming to the Outer Banks. And we can’t wait to see some real bucks do some real work back home. — Catherine Kozak

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Griffith, Stick, Greene and Crocker. Clipping courtesy of Coastland Times/Outer Banks History Center

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“TELLING SECRETS…Andy Griffith, David Stick, Edward Greene and George Crocker were photographed as they met recently to confer on a special project…When asked for details they would only say that the project will make a major contribution to the lives of Dare County citizens for generations to come.”

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How four beloved local fixtures gave life to the Outer Banks Community Foundation.

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The Outer Banks Current newspaper ran an intriguing photograph on October 7, 1982. It featured four men — a Hollywood actor, an author/historian, and two community business leaders. The visual stunt was meant to garner publicity and arouse curiosity for a forward-thinking, far-reaching idea. The caption read:

The project caused great speculation and rumor around town. So much that eight weeks later, on November 30, 1982, 250 people made their way to the Marine Resources Center on Roanoke Island — the precursor to the North Carolina Aquarium.

That night marked the inaugural public meeting of the Outer Banks Community

Foundation, where David Stick and company unveiled a new organization that would “create long-lasting benefits for the Outer Banks area.”

As a long-term participant in local affairs, Stick recognized the need to raise money and distribute it for projects and causes on the Outer Banks “not ordinarily within the province of other charitable organizations, religious institutions or government.”

As he wrote in his history of the founding of the Outer Banks Community Foundation in 1990:

“For those of us who found ourselves involved increasingly in local government and community activities, [it was clear that] a small cadre of hard-working and forward-thinking individuals seemed to be involved in just about every project… [and] that it became necessary, every time there was a new problem to start out from the beginning and devise a new organizational structure to address it. At that point, some

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of us started talking about the possibility of forming some sort of [permanent non-profit organization] to identify needs on the Outer Banks and take care of them.”

for him to give something back to the area. Stick, always the intrepid pitchman, proposed the idea of a community foundation.

Early in 1980, Stick had read a newspaper article about the Elizabeth City Foundation in the Daily Advance, after the organization made several grants for community improvement. He contacted Executive Director Dewey Wells, who provided him with background information and whetted Stick’s desire for more knowledge and to follow suit.

“Let’s go with it,” Griffith replied.

The opportunity to finally act came in June 1982, when Stick interviewed actor Andy Griffith. Long before becoming America’s favorite small-town sheriff on TV’s The Andy Griffith Show, the North Carolina native played Sir Walter Raleigh in Paul Green’s The Lost Colony. Griffith liked the area and kept a waterfront home on Roanoke Island.

Following their official talk, Griffith mentioned that he wished there was a way

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SINCE 1982, THE OBCF HAS DISTRIBUTED $12,000,000.

They agreed to enlist the talent and insight of two other community visionaries who regularly gave back to the Outer Banks with time and creative ventures: Edward Greene and George Crocker. Greene — who passed last December and was also a Lost Colony alumnus — owned Manteo’s legendary Island Gallery and Christmas Shop. Crocker’s Galleon Sportwear shop in Nags Head was a one-of-a-kind shopping mecca that delighted customers with its fashion shows, creative displays, and unique merchandise. (It was Greene who had the foresight to recognize the importance of their meeting and hired a photographer,

thus preserving the moment with that iconic image of the four-founders.)

In addition to Stick, Griffith, Greene, and Crocker, attorney Martin Kellogg, accountant Jack Adams, and banker Ray White were brought in to help. The seven men formed the first board of directors of the foundation. Kellogg dubbed the original organizers “the Odd Man Quartet,” which was misprinted in the Coastland Times as “the Old Man Quartet.”

The community more than supported their effort. According to their first annual report in 1983, “By the end of the initial fiscal year…431 [individual, patron and patron sponsor] members provided more than $40,000 for the Foundation’s permanent endowment fund.”

Additionally, four grant-making memorial funds totaling $12,000 were created that first year.

Now in its 40th year, the Outer Banks Community Foundation has touched the lives of thousands of people by distributing grants to local non-profits, scholarships to high-school seniors, and disaster aid in times of need. Currently over $25,000,000 in wealth is managed through 200 funds.

Since 1982, the foundation has distributed $12,000,000 — dispensing $1,800,000 in 2020 alone. Every penny has gone toward a single mission: “maintaining and improving the quality of life in the Outer Banks area.”

— Sarah Downing Ed Note: For more on the OBCF’s function and future, see this issue’s Question Authority on page 18.

Sources: “Community Foundation Established by Dare Men,” Coastland Times, Nov. 2, 1982; Outer Banks Community Foundation, David Stick, unpublished manuscript, 1990. Outer Banks History Center; Outer Banks Community Foundation Annual Report, 1983; “Remembering Andy Griffith, Roanoke Island’s Most Famous Resident,” Molly Harrison, Outer Banks This Week, July 3, 2012.

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upfront soundcheck getactive startingpoint roadmap gokite A cheering, jeering look at recent events and their potential milepost impacts.

HATCHET JOB “Knock knock! Who’s there? Gerry! Gerry who?

Gerrymander!” In Nov., the latest congressional maps made a joke of democracy by splitting Dare County into two separate districts. Should they stand, most of Kill Devil Hills through Duck will have a different DC rep than Colington, Nags Head, Roanoke Island, Hatteras, and Mainland Dare — along with a tiny fraction of KDH. While the architects say it might be advantageous to have two politicians on the Hill, local officials know it’s more likely to pit neighbors against each other on local matters — and keep Outer Bankers from speaking with one voice on national issues.

MR. MOJO RISIN’ Local bluesman Mojo Collins just earned an extra feather for his velvet brim. In Nov., a documentary of his life, Mojoman: The Blues Journey of William “Mojo” Collins, won the Down East Film Festival’s Sweet Pea Award for retelling his legendary story from the Air Force to the Bay Area to his Outer Banks home, via archival footage and some damn fine music.

MISS VIRGINIA FOREVER The whole Outer Banks mourned the loss of longtime county commissioner and board of education chair Virginia Tillet in Oct. But her colleagues made sure we’d never forget the community fixture. Since Ms. Tillett was instrumental in founding the Dare County Center, the board renamed the multi-generational learning center in her honor. Now even those who don’t know her good works firsthand will feel her long-standing impact in their daily lives.

JUNKYARD OF THE ATLANTIC? Our coast started looking like a drydock this winter, as boat after boat washed ashore. It began in late Nov., when a shrimp trawler got briefly stuck in Frisco. Barely a week later, the Bald Eagle II landed on the beach in Southern Shores, filling social media feeds with daring rescues and failed retrieval efforts. And, in late Jan., a 55-foot pleasure boat spent a week in the Ocracoke swash. Is it angry waters?

Failing equipment? Whatever the cause, clearly staying at sea is not in everyone’s wheelhouse.

HEALTHY GLOW How do you help an endangered species?

Install special lights! In Nov., several beach accesses surrounding Nags Head’s Gallery Row got new amber LEDs. The bulbs’ special wavelength and color help ensure sea turtle hatchlings move toward the ocean, and keep local skies darker, both of which sound like bright ideas to us.

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REAL ESTATE REALITY CHECK You know a market’s overheated when the sales pitches come with this kind of sizzle.

In Dec., a KDH realtor made the Raleigh papers for describing a beat-up beach box as “uglier than your 3rd divorce.” (He even shared pix of a shredded interior as proof.) Still, the borderline teardown got the full $199k asking price, officially cooking lots of locals’ dreams of owning their own homes.

BREAKERS TO BREAKERS Our Coastal Studies Institute is already recognized as a scientific powerhouse.

Now, it’s on the verge of becoming a literal one — or a “littoral” one — as ECU’s Wanchese campus is now a founding partner of the new Atlantic Marine Energy Center (AMEC). This DOE-funded consortium of prestigious colleges will work to expand renewable ocean energy — studying underwater tech like wave powered pumps and

tidal turbine farms — to help to turn our ocean currents into green electricity while supercharging a new “blue economy.”

signal — and a 20mph speed limit — is bound to bend a few bumpers. (And rattle a whole bunch of nerves.)

TONS OF LOVE Who’s a good boy? Operation Feed Our Pets, that’s who! With COVID putting financial hurt on local pet owners, Feline Hope, Friends of Felines Hatteras Island, and the Coastal Humane Society teamed up to pour out their hearts — and a whole bunch of kibbles. As of Jan., they’d distributed more than 10,000 pounds of free food and cat litter via various food banks, helping local fur babies survive this hairiest of times.

THERE GOES THE UNIVERSE It would take Carl Sagan to tally last year’s astronomical visitation stats. In Jan., we learned that, for the first time ever, Cape Hatteras Seashore welcomed more than 3 million humans in 2021 — beating 2002’s previous record of 2,923,984. Meanwhile, Jockeys Ridge alone saw 1.8 million visits — the most of any state park. Can’t say we don’t appreciate folks exploring brave new worlds — not to mention the associated revenue — but we’re starting to wish a few peeps would boldly go someplace else for a change.

MAY THE CIRCLE BE UNBROKEN Pray for Down South drivers this spring, as they navigate the roundabout at the base of Rodanthe’s new “Jughandle Bridge.”

We’re not sure how exactly the paved circle ties into the span or serves to tame traffic, but anything with sharp curves, no

For detailed reports on these stories and breaking local news on a daily basis — plus plenty of local discussion — visit www. outerbanksvoice.com, www.islandfreepress. org, www.obxtoday.com, and www. thecoastlandtimes.com.

SMART-ASS COMMENT OF THE MONTH “The colonists and Wrights had a nice dark place, now you see Kill Devil Hills from Outer Space!”

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“New Nags Head Lights to Protect Sea Turtles”, Nov. 19, 2021, OuterBanksVoice.com.

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upfront

WHADDYA RECKON?

soundcheck

We got questions — you got answers.

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Scott Krueger, 56 Retail Manager Powell’s Point “I cut out sugar and sodas, and I’m carrying around a gallon of water to finish every day.”

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WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO STAY HEALTHY? Reilly Keltonic, 32 House Cleaner Kill Devil Hills “I’ve been swimming laps at the YMCA to stay fit.”

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Jack Gibbs, 21 Kite-flying Specialist Corolla “I’m focusing on eating a whole lot better by avoiding fast food as much as possible.”

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Matt Seidel, 37 Master of Puppets (and other toys) Kill Devil Hills “I cut out the Dunkin’ breakfast and started eating at home more. Luckily, my fiancée is an amazing cook!”

Kelsey Dudash, 17 Fashion Advisor Kill Devil Hills “Not long ago, I started going to the gym, and I’ve actually been able to drop around 35 pounds.”

Ray Bowser, 49 Corrections Officer Colington “I quit drinking beer — and started eating more fruit and salads.”

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rearview Johnny Keltonic, 32 Graphic Designer Kill Devil Hills “I’m doing more yoga and stretching every day to stay loose.”

Patsy Denson, Timeless Adventure Clothing Retailer Nags Head “I just gave up good Southern panfried chicken, and it’s been one of the hardest things ever for me. I still got pork chops though!”

Interviews and images by Tony Leone milepost 13

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Maintaining Kitty Hawk’s Centennial of Flight monument is one of dozens of long-term gifts making a lasting difference. Photo: Avery Ayter

CHRIS SAWIN: The most important way to distinguish community foundations is that they are public charities that tend to concentrate on well-defined geographic areas. For us, that includes all of Dare County, Ocracoke Island and the Currituck beaches. But, when you look at 1982, it was a real inflection point. When I moved here in 1974, we had something like 10,000 residents. By 1982, it was in the mid-teens.

So, I think David Stick sensed the fact that there was a looming, growing collection of community needs that weren’t maybe present 15 years before. But the overall theme that was established in 1982 and continues to this day is “tackling unmet needs.”

soundcheck getactive startingpoint roadmap gokite THE GIFT THAT milepostON GIVING KEEPS Two Outer Banks stereotypes never change. One: we’re community minded as all get out. (See backyard benefits and GoFundMe’s to help locals in need.) Two: we’re slack AF.

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At least when it comes to volunteering free time to tackle systemic crises before they happen.

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Just ask David Stick. Forty years ago, the local leader realized that, when it came to activism, “a small cadre of hard-working and forward-thinking individuals seemed to be involved in just about every project…[and] that every time there was a new problem…a new organizational structure [had] to address it.”

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So, in 1982, he rallied a crew of equally committed individuals to form the Outer Banks Community Foundation. (You can find that full origin story on page 8.) The idea was to create a way for local philanthropists to give back to the community. Not just by soliciting endowments and bequests from wealthy bigwigs — but encouraging everyday residents to donate to favorite causes.

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“Any one of the founders could’ve stated private endowment,” says recently hired OBCF President and CEO Chris Sawin. “But it was very important to the founders to involve the entire community. That includes not only donors from every economic background — from folks with modest means to those who are milepost 18

MILEPOST: What exactly is a community foundation? And what prompted Stick and his cohorts to start one?

Were there any specific projects they put out there?

After 40 years, the Outer Banks Community Foundation continues to fund causes and solve problems.

more able to give — but it also includes the recipients. They wanted to include everyone.”

Four decades later, the non-profit boasts more than 200 funds worth $25 million and has distributed $12 million in grants, scholarships and disaster relief, supporting everything from arts programs to environmental groups, and tackling issues from food insecurity to feral felines. Moreover, they’ve emerged as a guiding force and network link for other area non-profits. Putting donors together with causes, providing training for local charities, and rallying the public in times of need — be it a landfalling storm or a global pandemic.

“So far, we’ve distributed $350,000 to help with issues related to COVID,” says Sawin. “And we raised $1.5 million for Dorian recovery.”

It’s that combination of community awareness, long-term connections and quick action that’s kept them successful since day one. We sat down with Chris Sawin, Scholarship Administrator Nandy Stuart, Development and Communications Manager MaryAnn Toboz, and Grants Administrator Scout Schillings to find out how the funds work, who all can get involved — and what the next forty years of community stewardship looks like.

— Matt Walker

CS: I know the first grant was to Hotline; and I believe the second gift was a scholarship award.

NANDY STUART: It was the Inez Daniels Austin Scholarship Fund. And scholarships are still a huge part of what we do. In fact, 62 of our 200 funds are scholarship funds, which have awarded more than $2 million to local students over the years.

And how does the funding work?

CS: The most traditional fund is an endowment fund, where the principle is established and every year there is a spendable amount. So, you’re spending a good amount of money every year, but the principle grows at the same time.

That’s a hallmark of a lot of foundations, not just community foundations. Then we have organizational funds for nonprofits, too. For example, Hotline has one; so do Beach Food Pantry and the Dare Education Foundation. And those funds are established so every year a payable goes back to that organization for whatever expense they need it for.

We also have Donor Advised Funds, where the donor will let us know every year how they want those dollars to be invested. My favorite, from a newcomer’s perspective, are Field of Interest Funds,

where someone has a general idea of how they want to help but then they trust the community foundation and its leadership — which is primarily board members — to figure out that year, that moment, what the biggest needs are. We’re talking with a donor right now about establishing an education fund. It would be a bequest, so this person won’t be around to dictate how funds are distributed, but he trusts that the board will have their finger on the pulse.

to these causes by any means. But the vast majority of funds we have available for any given year is unrestricted. So by the end of the year, we’ve spent it all.

MARYANN TOBOZ: But the largest fund we have is the Community Fund, which supports all the grants we write.

What about disaster relief? Does that come from unrestricted funds? And how do you get that into the right people’s hands?

“

How do those grant funds get allocated?

THE THEME THAT CONTINUES IS ‘TACKLING UNMET NEEDS.’”

— CHRIS SAWIN CS: So, every quarter we accept applications for grant funding from non-profits, and we have a committee that sits down and reviews all the applications.

And they have a certain limit they can spend in that quarter. And they spend it all. I think the unspent dollars was something like 86 cents this year. So, our DNA is not to sit on anything. We’re trying to get the money out.

Can any non-profit make a request? And what do the funds do?

CS: Yes. And if you look at the applications, there are all sorts of categories we can choose from. Just since I got here in August, we’ve helped fund a symphony to play at the local schools, we’re going to be providing money to dolphin research next year, we’ll be funding Interfaith Community Outreach for new computers. We’ll be funding Beach Food Pantry for a new freezer. We bought a generator for a church in Avon for their food pantry.

NS: We moved a building for Chicamacomico Lifesaving Station — and purchased the lot to move the building to.

SCOUT SCHILLINGS: We have a fund that helps maintain the Icarus monument at the Century of Flight memorial. And one for the band at the Manteo High School.

CS: And we’re not always the only donor

In every case, you have to have a nonprofit to get the dough. But you don’t have to create a new fund to donate. You can donate to any of the existing funds you manage.

CS: Absolutely.

CS: Some of that’s grant money. And some we fundraise for a specific need. But it all goes through non-profits like the ICO and Cape Hatteras Methodist Men, who have case workers to determine the recipients.

So, we don’t fund individuals; we fund the non-profits who serve the individuals.

MT: Yes. Because they know how to do the people work. We’re just the money.

[Laughs] Why wouldn’t people just donate to the causes directly?

MT: One reason is we can accept more complicated gifts, such as a gift from a will, or a gift of stock, or automobiles, or art collections, or property, that can help their bottom line — like bequests. Right from 1982, the founders knew that bequests were going to be a great solution to getting funding. And to this day, bequests are a third of our assets. It’s a way for people who love the Outer Banks to make a lasting difference. And it also helps a non-profit’s donors understand that they’re in it for the long haul.

NS: And there’s the stewardship of the funds that goes along with that. We have a finance person who really keeps track of that and makes sure the moneys are well invested.

So how has the purpose changed over the years? If the early days were sort of “we’re going to help fund local causes and give it some structure.” What’s different today?

CS: I think the “why” of who we are hasn’t really changed. But we’ve developed different capacities. Grant-making has always been there. Disaster relief has taken a bigger

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role. I think Hurricane Dorian was a real watershed moment, because we learned we had a different kind of capacity than we thought we did. More than a million dollars quickly went into the organization — and quickly went back out to people who needed it.

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So why Dorian? What made this storm different than, say, Matthew?

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MT: Well, I think we knew the storm was going to hit, so we started fundraising ahead of time. [Previous director] Lorelai Costa and the board did a really great job of staying on top of that. And as soon as it hit — as soon as it hit — they were on the phone, everyone together, formulating a plan, looking at who to talk to about big financial donations, where that money needed to go, and who was going to give out that money for us. And it just took off.

I think $100,000 was the amount of money that we raised and distributed in Matthew.

In Dorian, the very first Facebook fundraiser we did hit $100,000 — just like that.

donations for disaster relief in Dare County, but [Interim Director] Bob Mueller really helped us close that chapter with an exclamation point by signing agreements with these three partners to create a brand new program.

NS: We learned so much from Dorian; it allowed us to do rapid response grants. So, when COVID started, a lot of these small non-profits couldn’t support themselves.

But now we had an instrument where, if an entity asked for assistance, we could take care of it in two weeks. That started with people getting buildings repaired after Dorian.

startingpoint So, what sort of stuff did you fund

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And then, from there, it’s a matter of picking partners to distribute the funds.

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NS: Well, we had already identified that the partners in Dare County would be ICO and the Cape Hatteras United Methodist Men. So, the Dare County beaches were covered. Ocracoke was the big issue for us. But Lorelei did an amazing job going to Ocracoke. We spent a couple of days there, meeting with people, creating this new non-profit. We took ICO down there to help make sure everything went in the right direction. And everyone came together and formulated a plan and a way to funnel the money. And now they have the Ocracoke Interfaith Relief and Recovery Team in place. So, they’ve got boots on the ground.

during COVID?

NS: A lot of it was childcare. Food for Thought. Internet access for students. A lot of parents had to work, so the YMCA created a great program so parents could put their kids there, and we offered financial aid. Mustang Outreach Program did something similar and we supported them.

We supported Community Care Clinic with cleaning and supplies. Beach Food Pantry, Meals on Wheels…

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CS: We actually just had a trip to Ocracoke.

There was a woman who had Dorian knock down a full wall of her business. And she said, “You guys provided the funding to rebuild our business.” And I didn’t have anything to do with that, but it was super cool to see our work in action.

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So, if this happens again, there’s a system in place — money comes in here, and the action goes out there.

CS: Yes. And we were already the recommended non-profit recipient of

“

SS: We started focusing on food, education and childcare.

And once that was handled, we pivoted. We gave a lot to Room at the Inn to make sure everyone had a place to stay that winter.

“HURRICANE DORIAN WAS A REAL WATERSHED MOMENT.”

It’s interesting to think that 40 years ago, this group came along and said, “We need an organized group to tackle these issues.” Today, we have tons of groups, and OBCF says, “Let’s help these groups do better work.” It’s like an evolution. A necessary one, I’d imagine.

NS: It is, because today there’s over 100 non-profits on the beach.

MT: And hopefully as we evolve, we can increase the capacity of local non-profits to serve.

Well, it seems to me there’s two ways to help a local cause you care about through the OBCF: support an existing

In times of disaster, the Cape Hatteras United Methodist Men turn OBCF donations into immediate relief. Photo: Daniel Pullen

other. Or if they just want to be sure that their gift is going to address the most urgent needs or most promising opportunities.

What if you have no money at all, but you still want to help? Can people volunteer?

NS: Every one of our non-profits needs volunteers. So, unless you want to shred paper for us or file paper for us, we’d direct you to one of those causes. But one thing we like to challenge people with is, even if you don’t have money, there are ways to get your community excited about giving. We have a scholarship that was totally funded that way. Nancy Gray raised $25,000 like that with a fish fry, getting $10 and $50 at a time. Her community showed up for her. So, we tell people that, too: you may think you don’t, but you have this power to get other people excited to give.

So what do you see moving forward?

More problems? More money?

fund, or start a new one. So, is there a gap in services you see where you say, “I wish we had a fund for that?”

CS: It would be wonderful if we had a substantial fund that could help address elder care. Another one is mental health.

We’ve had so many overdoses and suicides this winter. And we have a smaller fund that supports Dare CASA, but I wish we had something larger for mental health as a whole.

What about affordable housing? I know Room in the Inn helps homeless people get on their feet, but what if there was a fund that, say, bought and maintained houses to make sure dishwashers and prep cooks could live here year-round?

It might get some generous donations.

CS: Well, we did just give a grant this past quarter to Room in the Inn, specifically for transitional housing. But the challenge for that particular issue is you could take every asset under our management and multiply

it by 10 and still not make a dent in the problem.

But if Oprah was reading this right now, and Oprah wanted to drop a billion dollars, Oprah could start a fund and start stockpiling property.

MT: Well, she would have to start a nonprofit first [laughs], because we can only make grants to charities. But someone could potentially do that.

Or if someone wanted to start a nonprofit where they would accept donated homes and manage them as workforce housing, you could help it receive more houses. But you couldn’t manage the actual properties or process.

CS: Correct. Because we don’t manage causes.

NS: Or we could possibly pair them with an existing foundation, like ICO. Or, someone could start a non-profit that helps with rents and mortgages

instead of medical bills. I just keep thinking about how everyone says, “Someone should do something.”

And this feels like a way that a private citizen with the means could help.

CS: Yeah, absolutely. So, I think it may end up being something where we play a role, not necessarily [solve the problem outright].

And I think this is a great segue for what the current leadership wants the next chapter to be. And that is to get involved in some larger systemic issues that are impacting the Outer Banks. Because right now feels like another one of these inflection points, like 1982.

So how much does it take to start a fund?

MT: You can start a fund here for as little as $5000. That’s less than many larger community foundations. And the initial investment could be $1000, then you get three years to come up to the $5000 amount. But the community fund is a great place for people to make a gift if they don’t want to decide on one non-profit or the

CS: Well, we just did a two-day offsite meeting. Beforehand, we asked past board members and major donors: “We’re at the precipice of 40 years, what’s the next chapter?” And coming out of that event, a couple of big pillars were put down. The first and most important was that we can’t stop being excellent at what we do: we’ve got scholarships, grant-making, non-profit support, disaster relief, the stewardship of our donors’ most valuable resources — that’s who we are; we cannot stop doing that.

But we do want to be more involved, in some capacity, in the big, endemic problems in our community — housing, addiction, mental health services, health and human services in general, aging. And I think handin-hand with that is the idea we need to reach out to as many people who want to help as possible. We’ve got to find more people, we’ve got to tell our story and explain what we do, and we’ve got to give them every opportunity to help.

For more on the OBCF’s different funds, ways to donate, or how to start one, go to www.obcf.org.

Ed. Note: The previous interview was edited for space, clarity and flow. For a full transcript of the conversation — including more on its roots and how funds function — go to www.outerbanksmilepost.com. milepost 21

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m or swim Her exact title is “Aviation Survival Technician.”

The more familiar term is “Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer.” But folks who know Jaime Vanacore just call her “bad ass.”

How else could you describe someone who’s spent more than a decade jumping out of helicopters into heaving seas at a second’s notice — or making sure the next generation of service members is up to the challenge? Both of which require either handling — or inflicting — intense mental and physical stress in the most punishing conditions, from a pool that recreates Cat-1 hurricanes to notoriously intense workouts known as “The Grinder.”

“That’s when you line up for the physical training,” says the 37-year-old KDH mom. “All the burpees, the push-ups, the sprints. And a lot of people, that’s where they hang it up. They either physically can’t do it, or they decide they don’t want to take it anymore.”

For Jaime Vanacore, sinking is not an option.

training class was teenage boys — not a 27-year-old mother of two. And yet, Jaime says, she never felt singled out.

“That kind of environment levels the playing field,” she says. “Because you’re all suffering.”

So what’s suffering? Well, some days they might add a weighted vest to The Grinder’s non-stop list of workout tortures. On others, it means swimming laps until you can’t breathe, then have an instructor jump on your back and flail like a panicking victim. In every case you either overcome the situation — or you sink under the pressure.

“The entire training is building up for you to rescue someone,” Jaime says. “It’s also meant to mentally test you to make sure you won’t quit. Because you never know what’s coming next.”

WHAT IF SHE MISSED THE ROPE? OR EVEN WORSE, WENT UNDER?

Of course, the whole process is designed to weed out the weak — resulting in an 80 percent attrition rate for the Coast Guard’s elite branch of special forces. Yet Jaime not only survived; she thrived. In fact, out of the 13 people in her class, just she and one other finished. When she graduated, Jaime became only the sixth female rescue swimmer in the history of the Coast Guard. But then, the South Florida native was basically born and raised for the job.

“I grew up in the ocean,” says the lifelong surfer. “And I grew up fit. My mom was an aerobics instructor. My dad coached all my sports teams. Even my daycare was called Court Sport.” [Laughs].

By high school, Jaime was a star athlete, playing volleyball, soccer and softball. In fact, she was shopping colleges for scholarships when it struck her that she was done with desks. Her solution? Enlisting in the Coast Guard.

Except the idea backfired.

“I spent my first 10 years on administrative duty,” she recalls. “I hated it. But in hindsight, it worked out well because they won’t let you fly pregnant. So, I had my two kids, and six months after my daughter was born, I put my name on the list to change jobs.”

And that’s when things really got tough. Most of her

Once on duty, swimmers rotate 24-hour shifts, waiting to hop in a helicopter and race out to sea. A lot of times it’s as mundane as pulling a sick passenger off a cruise ship. Others, it’s as dangerous as diving headfirst into a freezing Nor’easter in the middle of the night.

“When I was stationed in New Jersey, a sailboat got into really rough weather,” Jaime recalls. “One of the guys onboard cracked his head open and needed a hospital. They couldn’t put me down on the boat, because of the pitching and the masts, so they put me in the water, and I swam.”

Jaime literally chased down the sailboat and snagged a trailing rope to climb aboard. Then she grabbed the passenger and plunged back in the maelstrom, where the waiting chopper could hoist them up.

And what if she missed the rope? Or even worse, went under?

“Well, there’s only one rescue swimmer on board, so nobody’s coming after you,” she laughs. “But that’s

why training is so tough. Because once you go, you’re on your own.”

These days going to work is a lot less dangerous. In fact, it’s been three years since she’s performed a rescue, thanks to a stroke of bad luck while scuba diving on her day off.

“I got a bubble in my spinal cord,” Jaime explains.

“By the time I got to the dock, I was fully paralyzed from the waist down. It took six months before I could walk again. I’m still in physical therapy. I can do all my swimming responsibilities, but I can’t run; my calf strength won’t propel me forward.”

So, instead of jumping from choppers, she drives to Elizabeth City, where she “brings the stress” to the next class of would-be rescuers, whittling down dozens of would-be heroes to the final few who can handle the job.

“There’s totally a personality type,” Jaime says. “You can see the ones who are circling the drain. They’re just waiting for us to blow the whistle so they can get out of the pool. And then you see ones where a switch goes off like, ‘I got this. I can do this.’”

Jaime had just that switch. But, this fall, she’ll retire with 20-years. When she does, it will be a sad moment for the entire Coast Guard, as she’s the last female rescue swimmer left in the service.

“It’s a real bummer,” she says. “When I started, there were three of us out of 300 active rescue swimmers.

Now I’m the only one. But it’s hard, because females are naturally smaller. I’m 5’5” and I’m the smallest you can possibly be, because you have to be able to put your arms around and tow a 200-pound person.”

While she’s confident more women will come along to make the cut, Jaime won’t be there to see it. In January, the aviation school moved west to Petaluma, California. Jaime? She says she’s staying right here on the Outer Banks, where she and her family love to surf, spearfish and go to CrossFit. And while she’s not sure what her next career will be, she’s got one pressing job: to get her body back working 100 percent.

“I really want to run again,” she says. “Maybe I’ll get there; maybe I won’t. But there’s no way I’m quitting.”

— Emerson Atwater milepost 25

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Khalel Sibugan combines brains and brawn to beat his competitors.

Khalel Sibugan doesn’t say a whole lot — at least during press interviews. Like most seventh-grader grapplers, he’d rather wrestle or workout than talk about his record. But under all that humility lurks the quiet confidence of a lethal competitor. Last November, the Corolla teen traveled to Las Vegas’ International Brazilian JiuJitsu (IBJJF) Con Kids tournament, where he took third against foes from around the globe. Prior to that? He can’t remember the last time he tasted defeat.

So, Rick puts Khalel in situations where he should be in over his head — older competitors, heavier weight classes. He may not always win, but he always comes back.

“Before [Las Vegas], I did the Fuji [BJJ tournament] in North Carolina, I was 13 and zero,” says Khalel, who’s now 13. “I didn’t have any losses, and I got five gold medals.”

Rick grew up in Manteo, was homeless for a while, and credits wrestling with saving his life.

He excelled on the mat, too, placing second in the state his senior year of high school. After graduating, he joined the military, where he fought in Afghanistan. In 2012, he returned home with a Purple Heart — and a vision of what to do next.

But, then again, Khalel excels at most martial arts.

He started with kickboxing when he was around eight. Today, he focuses mostly on Jiu-Jitsu and wrestling. And while the initial goal was to “learn about self-defense,” he’s finding the long-term rewards ripple across everyday life. Like the camaraderie that comes from training with friends. Or the mental strength that stems from working toward goals.

“I’ve thrown that kid to the wolves so many times,” Rick laughs. “And each time I’m like, ‘Dude, how did you survive?’ And he’s like, ‘I don’t know. We’re just supposed to keep working.’”

Rick opened OBX Martial Arts studio five years ago to help kids like Khalel learn this very lesson.

HE MAY NOT ALWAYS WIN, BUT HE ALWAYS COMES BACK.

“Trying to focus on stuff helps me in school,” Khalel explains. “Grades are like workouts and staying in good shape — you’ve got to keep studying.”

The results are apparent at Corolla’s Water’s Edge Village School, where he brings home As and Bs. Even better, nobody has to tell him to do it.

“I don’t have to hound him about homework, because he has discipline,” says his father, Trinity Yanez.

“I was thinking I would try to heal up and be a wrestling coach, because wrestling was something I really enjoyed,” Rick recalls. “One of my best friends, Shane Brinn, who won the state title for Manteo the year after me, was training for a fight. And he asked me to come help him.”

One problem: Rick didn’t think his prior injuries would allow him to participate.

“I broke my elbow. I broke my knee. I destroyed pretty much my entire left leg,” he says.

He’s also got drive. It’s that combination that makes Khalel such a strong competitor.

His friend, though, insisted, and it changed everything.

“The way he approaches things, it’s phenomenal,” says Khalel’s coach and mentor Rick Bateman, founder of Nags Head’s OBX Martial Arts. “He’ll take any challenge, and he’ll hit it head on.”

“He took me to a Jiu-Jitsu practice, and it was like I never left,” Rick says. “Without Jiu-Jitsu, I wouldn’t be able to walk correctly. I definitely wouldn’t be able to grab things.”

Today, Rick sees the sport as a key to helping kids succeed in life, because it is more than walking on a mat and defeating an opponent. It’s about teamwork, building character — and teaching them important life skills.

“In order to grow, to get your next belt, you have to be a good partner,” Rick explains. “I don’t care how good you are — if your partner is not getting better, you’re doing it wrong. It’s not good enough to be the best person in the room if you can’t bring people with you.”

Rick must be doing something right. Nine of his 10 students are ranked first in North Carolina. His daughter, Ryder, who turns nine in May, recently placed number one in her group at the Fuji BJJ tournament in Virginia. And there’s Khalel, who’s not only Bateman’s first internationally ranked student, but a top wrestler as well.

In fact, according to Trinity Yanez, his son may be even better at traditional wrestling than he is at Jiu-Jitsu — partially because he’s faced so many challenges.

“He went to a really good wrestling school and he was getting smashed everyday,” Trinity recalls.

“But he said that level of competition makes you better. And it did.”

We’ll see how that strategy plays out this fall.

Khalel’s family is moving to Dare County so he can enroll at First Flight Middle School to take advantage of their wrestling program.

But if history is any indication, facing a bigger talent pool will only make Khalel stronger. After all, he may not have won at the IBJJF Con Kids tournament in Vegas, but his just getting there is what put the rest of the world on notice. And from international competitions to local workouts, he’s learned one valuable lesson: “You only get better with better competition.”

— Kip Tabb milepost 27

forwa

milepost 28

rd motion Everybody can have a better life if they move their bodies more. That’s Rita Ayers’ philosophy.

“I’m a firm believer in the benefits of exercise,” Rita says. “You can’t get away from genetics, but the next biggest factor is how hard you exercise.”

A 70-year-old with an athletic build, visible muscles under tan skin and a vibrant, ever-present smile, Rita is an active participant in the Outer Banks Silver Riders cycling club, runs and walks daily, practices HIIT and weight training, plays golf, and standup paddleboards. She’s medaled in 20k and 40k bike races in the Senior Games National Olympics and will compete in the national games again this year. She’s run dozens of half marathons and ridden her bike across North Carolina and Missouri and around the Big Island, Hawaii. In 2018, she biked from San Diego to St. Augustine, more than 3,000 miles, in 53 days.

It would be an impressively active life for anyone of any age, but Rita has the added challenge of doing it all with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Not that you can tell.

Rita Ayers only has one exercise routine: just keep moving.

want it to impact my career. I didn’t want people to make judgements about me or to remind me that I might be sick. I did what the doctors told me to do (which included a daily injection of medication and getting more sleep) and otherwise ignored the fact that I had it.”

Mostly, Rita kept moving. Unable to play some sports or practice aerobics due to her vision problems, she took up running, competing in fourto-five half marathons a year, and, at 57, running her best time. In her early 60s, she turned to cycling. She met Jack McCombs, de facto leader of the Outer Banks Silver Riders, who took her under his wing and taught her to race. (It was McCombs who brought up to Rita riding across the country and also suggested that she go public with the fact that she has MS.)

IN 2018, SHE BIKED FROM SAN DIEGO TO ST. AUGUSTINE IN 53 DAYS.

“Some days for me [being active] is getting up and getting dressed,” she says. “But fortunately, there are not many of those.”

Rita had always been preternaturally energetic, playing volleyball, softball, and tennis and practicing aerobics until, at age 42, she started having strange episodes with her vision and handeye coordination. Jumping to spike a volleyball or swinging a bat at a softball, she would completely miss. When she started experiencing numbness in her limbs and torso, involuntary muscle contractions and fatigue, she knew something was wrong.

Doctors suspected Rita had MS, but she wasn’t officially diagnosed with the disease until age 51.

And since her form of MS is relapsing-remitting, not progressive, it was easy for her to hide her symptoms.

“I kept MS a secret for years,” she says. “I didn’t

“I’m pretty fast on a bike and I love riding,” Rita says. Her racing strategy, whether running or biking, is to push hard, then pull back and rest, then push hard, over and over again.

In 2018, Rita decided to truly push her limits by cycling across the U.S. She joined a group of 46 riders ranging in age from 53 to 79 for a fully supported ride with Bubba’s Pampered Pedalers.

The pampering included hauling gear and breaking down and setting up tents, so all the bikers had to do was ride — an average of 65 miles a day. They started the trip with their rear tire in the Pacific and ended with their front tire in the Atlantic. Inbetween, Rita blogged and posted on social media daily, raising $15,000 for MS research.

Rita says she was the last to leave the campsites in the morning and the last to arrive at night, due to her need to warm up longer in the morning and rest more along the way. Some days she felt great, and others were tough.

“At some points I honestly didn’t know if I’d make it or not,” she says. “Some days were so physically hard and painful I just had to stop and cry for a while.”

But she never complained and kept pushing herself to the end, where her fellow racers voted to have her lead the last mile to the beach. “It was a huge honor for me,” Rita says.

In May 2016, after more than 20 years of living with MS, Rita asked her doctor if she could go off her daily medication. She had permanent damage in her body and occasional fatigue, but the disease was not progressing with new symptoms.

“I admit I was partially motivated by going on Medicaid, and my medication expense was going to rise tenfold,” she says. The doctor agreed to let her try it and come back for an MRI in six months.

She’s been off the medication ever since.

Rita credits her high level of movement to keeping new MS symptoms at bay. So, instead of spending her money on prescriptions, she spends it on new equipment and adventures. She has six bikes, one for every possible riding opportunity, a couple of SUPs, and a puppy to paddle, walk and run with.

She also makes sure she gets at least eight hours of sleep each night.

“If I don’t get enough sleep,” Rita says, “it’s hard to get up and move and exercise.”

Still, staying active remains her foundation for physical health and stress relief. (“It’s a way to get rid of the negatives.”) Which is why her number one piece of advice for others is to do something physically hard every single day: “It doesn’t matter what you do as long as it pushes you physically — even if it’s just walking around the house.”

As for the future, she doesn’t have a bucket list of activities, just a single mantra — keep moving, no matter what.

Whatever comes up, she says, “I just say yes.”

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y of work Each morning as the sun rises over the horizon, Al Bailey stands at the ocean’s edge. Barefoot, he walks a circle — repetitively, purposefully — putting one foot down, then the other, his mind immersed in the rhythm of his breath and the bottoms of his feet. Bailey is practicing Bagua QiGong, or circle walking meditation.

It’s an ancient art he learned in China in 2002. Bagua is not only a mental and spiritual exercise, but also a physical one.

“Ba represents the number eight in Mandarin, and that’s related to the human structure and eight gates in the body — jaw, neck, shoulder, elbows, wrists, hips, knees, and ankles,” he says. “When you walk the circle, those gates open, releasing inflammation and stiffness in the joints.”

The location is as important as the practice. Because sand moves constantly, slowly walking on the beach activates his core muscles, requiring balance, building strength and bringing up memories stored in his body, which he has taught himself to breathe away. Also, “Being near the ocean is purifying. Negative ions help repair and replenish the elixirs and essences of what we need to grow and heal.”

Al Bailey brings together mind and muscle to practice physical and spiritual fitness.

to an insurance sales school in Chicago, the William Clements Stone School of Positive Motivation — “a success system that never fails due to a positive mental attitude.”

Al didn’t sell insurance for long, but the skills he learned soon became extremely useful. In 1980, he was driving on a rainy night when his vehicle hydroplaned and hit a tree. He was blind for 20 minutes and could not walk.

While he recovered from his head injury, he used the tools from the School of Positive Motivation to heal himself.

“I watched my old self die in that wreck,” he says. “All my wild partying stopped. I still have a piece of glass in my left ear from the situation. I call it a situation, because it wasn’t an accident. I understand it now.”

ONCE HE WAS ON THE PATH OF HEALING, DOORS FLEW OPEN.

Al is muscular, lithe and smooth-skinned with clear, bright eyes. Even with his graying hair and beard, he barely looks 40 — much less 65.

“It’s the practices,” he says. “My philosophy is to be in the moment. The more you’re in the moment, the more you stunt the aging processes, because you’re not being bound or influenced by time.”

Al is well-known on the Outer Banks as a healer, body worker, massage therapist, breath coach, doulo (birth assistant), life coach, and general wise one. But he sums up what he does differently: “I introduce people to the natural rhythm flow that their body remembers but their mind forgot because of their distractions.”

Growing up as the fourteenth of 14 children in Elizabeth City, Al was a farm boy, fisherman and athlete. He was a Junior Olympian race walker, ran low and high hurdles, competed in high jump, and played football.

After graduating high school in 1976, he was playing soccer, partying and struggling to find meaningful work when, in 1978, a brother-in-law talked him into going

One of the gifts from the experience was a newfound appreciation of breath.

“The breath is related to all thoughts and movement,” Al says. “It started in the ambulance when I was aware of the power of my breath and how I could use it to calm my body. Without watching the breath, my movement was in pain.”

Al recovered, moving to Norfolk then the Outer Banks and working in various jobs, from construction to the corporate world to food service. He helped open a restaurant at the Village at Nags Head, where his employer loaned him the money to go to massage school.

Once he was on the path of healing, doors flew open. Al met one of his early teachers, a West African shaman named Malidoma Patrice Sumé, and then was invited by a client to learn Bagua in China. He discovered a gift for playing digeridoo and other instruments and began incorporating sound into his healing work. Then he was invited to travel to Peru to the study the plant medicine of ayahuasca.

After a trip deep into the Peruvian jungle and two days of preparation, he drank the “mother vine” under the guidance of a Peruvian shaman.

“That was the deal for me,” Al says. “Ayahuasca slowed down the rhythms for me to see something greater than myself.”

He did not want to leave the peace of the jungle, but back at home, the purpose of the experience became clear.

“She [ayahuasca] locked it all in — integrated the breathwork, the massage, the bodywork, the Bagua,” he says. “And everything took off. I started witnessing healings that were happening to myself and my clients.

It motivated me to do more.”

Al bounced between the Outer Banks and Asheville, then spent three years in Elizabeth City caring for his ailing father. He came back to the Outer Banks permanently during COVID. He lives and works in a small house on Colington Island, helping others through bodywork (his practice is called Nowon), teaching, coaching and training people to “breathe about life rather than thinking about life.”

“Thinking repels life,” he says. “Worried and stressful thoughts repel solutions. Breathing about life is where the healing is.”

He’s also developed a retreat system known as LITRON, which stands for Living in the Rhythm of Now. It’s a three-hour online class, then a three-day retreat followed by a 21-day coaching period.

“It’s a Re-Treat, not to get away, but to treat yourself to your own personal rhythm that your body remembers before all the stress,” Al explains.

He plans to develop a school based on LITRON. “I’m a healer, but I don’t do the healing for people,” he says. “I introduce people to a way they can develop their own response practice that will begin to heal them from the inside. Through practicing and doing their own work they become self-motivated, self-inspired and selfreliant.”

And to keep helping others heal, Al practices Bagua, walking the circle, to heal himself.

— Terri Mackleberry milepost 31

PERSONAL BEST HYDRATION CALORIES

CASTING JUDGMENT. PUNCHING THE CLOCK. SWIMMING IN RED INK. DODGING CREDITORS. HUNTING FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING. TREADING WATER. BENDING BUILDING CODES. RUSHING TO JUDGMENT. POSING. CLIMBING THE SOCIAL LADDER. SKIPPING WORK. FLIP-FLOPPING. WAIT TRAINING. BOXING TO-GOS. HIKING MENU PRICES. ROLLING OVER. THROWING OURSELVES AT THE MERCY OF THE COURT. TWELVE STEPS. TIPPING. GRAPPLING WITH REALITY. FLIPPING HOUSES. SLIDING GLASS DOORS. STRETCHING SURF REPORTS. WRESTLING FISH. WIND SPRINTS. WALKING ON EGGSHELLS. PUSHING UP DAISIES. REELING IN THE YEARS. FIGHTING THE CULTURE WARS. POLITICAL POSTURING. CATCHING COVID.

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FEEL THE BURN!

Don’t let anyone tell you Outer Bankers are lazy! Here’s all the ways local folks sweat day-to-day.

CATCHING BUZZES. THROWING SHADE. FLEXING ON OUTSIDERS. SKATING THROUGH LIFE. MINDSURFING. HAULING BUTT. RUNNING RED LIGHTS. PUMPING BREAKS. LIFTING TRUCKS. ROLLING COAL. TWISTING FATTIES. BEAU HUNTING. BUMPING UGLIES. CYCLING THROUGH ROMANTIC PARTNERS. DODGING EXES. PEBBLE TENNIS. BARHOPPING. POUNDING DRINKS. PLAYING EIGHT-BALL. SHEET KARATE. DRIBBLING. HURLING. SWEATING THE COPS.

KICKING HABITS? PUSHING BUTTONS. FISHING FOR SYMPATHY. BACKHANDING COMPLIMENTS. PUSHING TEAM SPORTS ON TODDLERS.

FIT for E F I L milepost 34

t n e m u g r a s u o A vigor ’ s k n a B r e t u for the O e. s i c r e x e o t r e answ

WORDS BY MATT WALKER PHOTOS BY ED TUPPER

I don’t have a Fitbit.

A smart watch. A gym membership or even a scale.

My cholesterol’s high, but that’s mostly genetic. Otherwise, I’m in relatively good shape for 50. Far from ripped — or buff. Just a normal BMI, with the ability to do most things I want without losing my breath.

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Part of it is a healthy metabolism. But the other part is just lifestyle, which, although relatively active, isn’t all that regimented either. It goes something like this: “I surf as much possible — and I make sure I’m able to surf as much possible.”

Perhaps you know someone with a similar routine? Maybe you have your own AMAP Program. Could be Fishing as Much as Possible. Kiting as Much as Possible.

Occasionally, you might supplement your number-one addiction with a secondary fix — say, SUPing or Skateboarding or even Cycling as Much as Possible.

For decades, that ability — no, that need — to frolic outdoors was the driving force behind folks living on the Outer Banks.

It certainly wasn’t day jobs, much less careers. We flocked for what existed outside the 9-to-5, chasing whatever particular thrill Ma Nature had generously scheduled that particular day.

It’s what some might call the “Outer Banks Lifestyle.” Yet, you’d be surprised at how unorthodox this behavior is when you look nationwide.

According to action sports researcher, kinesiologist, and California State University Professor, Dr. Sean Newcomer, “Only 30 percent of our general population is meeting the requirements we want them to for physical activity.”

“70 percent of American adults report never exercising during leisure time.”

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Furthermore, Harvard Anthropologist Daniel E. Lieberman notes that “70 percent of American adults report never exercising during leisure time.”

It’s all part of a continuing trend toward a more sedentary world — and a whole range of health issues. But here on the Outer Banks, our lineups keep expanding with robust surfers of all ages and sexes. Fishing piers and swash zones can be standing room only. On windy days, soundside horizons flutter with kites — and the silhouettes of kayaks and SUPs whenever it’s calm. Bike paths and skateparks bustle year-round.

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Is it us? Partially. But it’s more about the passions we’ve chosen to pursue — and how we perceive them in terms of exercise.

As Newcomer points out: “In our surveys, we always ask, ‘Is surfing exercise?

Is skateboarding exercise?’ And many times, they say, ‘No, because exercise is not fun.’ And that’s the thing about these non-traditional sports that makes them appealing — you’re out there getting exercise without thinking of it as exercise.”

WHAT is FIT? To be clear, nobody’s suggesting that the Outer Banks lifestyle is 100 percent healthy. Most of our fishing piers double as watering holes. Fried seafood platters are haute cuisine. And late-night parties are an extreme sport of their own. But,

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Fishing piers are the 24-hour gyms of our coastal world. Asher Hunt squeezes in a final set before dark.

then again, bad diets and worse habits are basically national pastimes. So, let’s just focus on what’s considered the bare minimum level of activity to yield some cardiac benefits.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, “The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommend that adults get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity, or an equivalent combination each week.”

That breaks down to less than a half-hour of brisk walking per day — or 15 minutes of jogging.

Sounds easy enough, right? Most folks still won’t do it. Even when it’s clearly framed in such an easy-to-grasp manner.

Are humans just inherently lazy? Apparently. But we shouldn’t necessarily blame ourselves.

After all, Lieberman says wanting to exercise “requires overriding deep natural instincts.”

Lieberman’s 2021 book, Exercised: Why Something We Never Evolved to do is Healthy and Rewarding, got big headlines for breaking down all the factors that make Americans more likely to be couch potatoes. For example, the natural genetics we received from our primate ancestors — who were designed to sit on their butts and stuff their faces to conserve energy for migration, sex and other matters of life and death. Or the evolving tribes of human societies who had to burn massive calories in day-to-day life, from Middle Eastern nomads to Middle Age serfs to middle 20th century farmers.

All these behaviors left us wholly unprepared for a modern world where, as Lieberman writes, “Instead of walking, carrying, digging and hunting…we sit for most of the day in ergonomically designed chairs, stare at screens and press buttons.”

A world so lazy that, “according to a 2018 study, more than half of adults don’t reach a base level of 150 minutes per week.”

The book is an enlightening read, filled with forays into jungles to document the lazy habits of chimps and gorillas. Travels to Africa to monitor the daily patterns of isolated, uber-active huntergatherers. And a lot of domestic reporting from the opposite side of the spectrum, where city dwellers voluntarily ride desks for 50 hours a week — then either force or trick themselves to work out for 45 minutes a day. Many pages are also devoted to admonishing the whole exercise industry for making working out feel too much like work.

Of course, Lieberman never embeds himself in any coastal communities. Which is sad. He might have saved himself a few hundred pages. Because, in the end, he comes up with a fitness program that I think every active Outer Banker would recognize without breaking a sweat: “Make [exercise] fun, socially, emotionally worthwhile, and something we willingly commit ourselves to do.”

FUN for SPORT Sound familiar? Walk outside on any given day, you’ll find someone who fits the good doctor’s description.

Folks like Victor Berg. Between working as a duck hunting guide, and playing as a surfer and fishermen, this self-proclaimed 66-year-old hunter-gather stays moving year-round.

“I guess I’m a pretty good example of an old guy who’s in good shape just by the fun stuff I do,” says the artist/outdoor enthusiast. “I go from surfing — where I get all my aerobics and upper body strength. And then I go hunting and all those muscles don’t apply, and I have to work on my lower body — the walking, hiking and all that kind of stuff. But I refuse to exercise for the sake of exercise.” milepost 37

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From riding paths to roller rinks, the Outer Banks has paved plenty of different ways to cruise around town.

He doesn’t have to. Because the second hunting season’s over, Berg’s paddling out on February 1 to get his arms back in shape, no matter how cold. Just like scores of diehard waveriders willing to wrestle into thick rubber all winter. Ditto for the fishermen who flock to Cape Point when the sea’s frothing.

Now contrast that to Lieberman, who admits he must “struggle to head out the door” to jog “on miserable cold mornings.”

Truth is, while Lieberman promotes the idea of having fun to get fit, he rarely makes exercise sound all that enjoyable. In fact, outside the discussion of tribal dancing, and the occasional running high, most of his examples sound like pure torture — from watching Ironman competitors wheeze across the finish line to his own experience running the Boston Marathon.

And, on the rare occasion he enjoys breaking a sweat, it’s rarely because of the actual exercise.

After one particularly painful outdoor workout, he notes that the “the planks, squats…and burpees and sit-ups were hard.”

“What I really enjoyed,” he continues, “was the camaraderie, the beautiful setting, the highfiving, and even the music.”

I’d argue that’s the appeal of almost any quintessential Outer Banks activity. What’s a dolphinfilled dawn if not a beautiful setting? What’s the washing of the sea if not a form of music? And how many shitty surfs have been saved by the smiling banter of a bunch of old salts?

More importantly, how many good ones have been achieved by the gentle prodding of a close bud telling you to just get out there — or just your own sheer fear of missing out?

“I fish more than I used to,” admits native waterman John Joyce. “But I always surf the good days, because I know all my friends are gonna be ragging on me if I miss it [laughs].

More than any environmental factor, it’s this last element — the community — that remains the most effective motivator. When I straw poll my friends who fish, kite, skateboard, or cycle, they

say it’s the social bonds that keep you active and engaged as much anything. And, actually, so would Lieberman.

“We have been selected to enjoy doing activities in groups…and to care what others think of us,” he writes. “Physical activities like exercise are no exceptions.”

It’s why so many experts promote working out in groups. It’s why Crossfit, bootcamps and Zumba classes are so popular. Even better, all that camaraderie promotes more activity. Surfers start to skim on small days — or kite when it’s windy. Fishermen start to ride waves when it’s firing. Not by coercion, but through pure osmosis.

“Just growing up here, you’re surrounded by people with different passions,” says Joyce, who skimboards in addition to surfing and fishing. “You see how they find happiness and start trying it out. Some things you enjoy, some you don’t. It’s just finding out what works for you.”

These days, “what works” goes way beyond the waterline, as counties and towns have installed miles of multi-use paths, from Corolla to Rodanthe. Skateparks exist in almost every municipality.

Renegade bikers carve their own courses. Hell, Dowdy Park even put in a pickleball court. It all runs together to create a collective culture that self-selects for staying active.

“I think people don’t stay very long here if they don’t participate in the things that we do,” says longtime waterwoman and physical therapist, Casey Patterson. “They get bored because we don’t have enough for them to do. But the ones who stay never get bored, because every day it’s like, ‘I’m gonna go surf, I’m gonna go fish, I’m gonna go on a bike ride or take the dog to the beach.’ It’s not even exercise, it’s everyday life.”

BUT is it EXERCISE? We can hear the naysayers from here. No way walking dogs and riding waves burns as many calories as running a mile. And fishing and hunting can look an awful lot like just a bunch of sitting around. These naysayers, however, are failing to consider that each thrilling moment milepost 39

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milepost 40

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“Every duck I shoot, I have to hike at least 200 yards through waist-deep water,” says Berg.

“That can be up to 24 times in a day if I’m guiding. And if I shoot a deer, I have to walk to it and drag it back. Then you’ve got to take it home and process the thing. Even cleaning fish, you’re standing up over a table for two or three hours.”

It may sound like nitpicking, but all those little steps consume some amount of energy. Even Lieberman cites a study that found fidgeting can consume 20 calories per hour, while “light activities like cooking and slow walking can boost your heart rate to between 40 and 54 percent of maximum.”

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Now consider the spearfishermen who swim out to wrecks then tread water for hours. Or all the other kayak anglers who’ll rack up miles of paddle-time for every catch they put in the boat. Or the guys who do a little bit of everything.

“I do a lot of kayak fishing, but I’m even more on the paddle board,” says Joyce.

“Some days I’ll paddle five or six miles in a day no problem, just exploring, and I don’t even notice. Skimming is brutal, because half the time I might be standing on the beach, but the other half is a full-on sprint. But you’re not out there to work out — it just turns into that.”

And that’s the trick to all these passions: the goal may be a solid wave — or trophy fish — but the exercise is what happens between catches.

Even surfing a tiny day has the potential to really get the blood pumping. Over the past 20 years, Sean Newcomer’s monitored the hearts of thousands of waveriders, from teenage shortboarders looking to turn pro, to aging weekend warriors who’ve just learned to stand up.

His findings?

Even those trips to and from the bar have unintended benefits.

“Across all different age groups and all different levels of experience, we saw that surfers obtained heart rate responses that meet or exceed the CDC’s recommendations,” Newcomer says. “And in many cases, we saw heart rate responses that were really high. And it’s not this continuous moderate heart rate response you might see from going for a walk. It’s more like High Intensity Interval Training, where you push it and you stop, you push it and you stop.”

More like paddle, then float. Paddle then float. Or in the case of skating or skimming, riding then resting, riding then resting.

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In either case, Newcomer says, “The benefits are amazing.”

And just what are those benefits? Plenty.

Google “High Intensity Interval Training,” you’ll find experts from dieticians to weight trainers who see it as a way to increase metabolism, build muscle and burn extra calories. In fact, Lieberman says HIIT “can substantially elevate aerobic and anaerobic fitness, bring down blood pressure, lower harmful cholesterol levels, burn fat, improve muscle function and stimulate the production of growth factors that help protect the brain.”

Of course, there’s variables. For every frother fighting for the tiniest ripples, there’s a guy out the back just flapping his gums. Likewise, not every fisherman is paddling a kayak against the current — plenty are at Avalon Pier putting away beers. But they still have to lug a cooler up and down the boards. Maybe reel in and toss a couple of rays. Even those trips to and from the bar have unintended benefits.

“People ask me all the time if fishing is exercise,” says University of Virginia Sports Medicine’s Dr. Brian Werner. “And it all depends on what you do while you’re fishing. I’d imagine that fighting waves and big fish on the Outer Banks is different than sitting in a beach chair by a

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The health benefits of fishing range from honing balance to relieving stress. No wonder so many locals stay hooked.

little creek in Charlottesville. But a lot of this conversation depends on what you compare it to. If you’re comparing things like fishing and surfing to marathon running, you’re not going to burn as many calories — but you’re certainly burning more calories than just sitting still.”

JUST do SOMETHING And how bad is sitting still? Bad. Really, really bad.

Which is why Lieberman’s book devotes a whole chapter to the dangers of not moving at all.

Among his most worrisome is that “sitting more than three hours a day is responsible for nearly 4 percent of deaths worldwide and that every hour of sitting is as harmful as the benefit of 20 minutes of exercise.”

Furthermore, fresh research shows that “hours of sitting may trigger our immune systems to attack our bodies through a process called inflammation,” which “steadily and surreptitiously damages tissues in our arteries, muscles, livers, brains and organs.”

He even cites a study from England where the drivers of double decker busses suffered twice as

many heart attacks as ticket collectors who spent their days pacing the aisles.

But you don’t need to visit Big Ben for a firsthand take on the dangers of non-stop sitting. Just talk to Ben Sproul.

For two decades, our KDH mayor was the stereotypical Outer Banks bar and restaurant owner: borderline nocturnal but still plenty active. Fit enough to “run up and down stairs three steps at time” with tons of energy — and daylight — left over to still go surf or skim. Then he took a 9to-5 office gig with a commute to Norfolk tacked onto the beginning and end of every workday.

“After three or four years, my back started giving out on me,” Sproul recalls. “I had multiple bouts of being in tons of pain. I went to chiropractors and massage therapists just trying to figure it out.

But the lower back just atrophied because I was sitting all day. And it’s hard to go surfing when you get home after dark.”

Fact is, whether you’re changing jobs — or changing diapers — the older you get, the less leisure time you have to stay active. Even worse, your time off might not match up with when the waves turn on, the wind blows, or the fish start biting. A good chunk of my peers respond by mixing things up. On windy days they kite. On flat days they dive. The happiest seem to be the milepost 43

When Jockeys Ridge is your mountain, every pooch is part Sherpa.

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fishermen, who can always squeeze in an hour, even at night. But even they can’t always line everything up.

“The downfall of fun for exercise,” notes Berg, “is you have to wait for certain conditions in order to have fun.”

That’s why my fittest friends all have back-ups to their back-up. I got buddies who swim laps.

Others take spin classes — or teach them. A few even pump iron. But what separates them from the average, urban gym-nut is their motives: it’s not about a buff physique, it’s pure desire to stay primed for their real passion.

“Cold water and I don’t get a long so much anymore,” laughs Patterson. “So, in the winter, I go to the gym after work. I have to maintain a certain level of fitness for when I get back in the water, so I’m able to catch waves and perform.”

REAL GAINS Of course, not all Outer Banks thrill seekers are worried about “performing” — they’re still just having fun. (And they have the waistlines to prove it.)

Plenty won’t meet the CDC ‘s minimum 150 minutes inside of month — much less get some six-pack abs. But that doesn’t mean they don’t feel any tangible benefits.

In fact, Lieberman’s research shows that even a little exercise beats none at all, helping stave of a wide range of afflictions, including diabetes, cancer and heart disease. It also bolsters the immune system against communicable diseases, lowers stress levels, eases depression, and can even keep Alzheimer’s and dementia at bay.

Furthermore, he cites long-term studies showing that men and women “who were initially out of shape but started to exercise halved their age adjusted mortality rate.” And that just “replacing an hour or two of daily sitting with light activities…can lower death rates by 20 to 40 percent.”

In other words: “The more you exercise, the more likely you are to live and the effects of physical activity on longevity become vastly greater as we age.”

The trick is to get moving — and keep moving.

But then that’s the hardest part isn’t it?

FUN • FRESH • LOCAL

The trick is to get moving — and keep moving. But then that’s the hardest part isn’t it?

“It’s the individuals who’ve never exercised that we need to reach,” notes Newcomer. “And beach culture and water sports are great, but I don’t care what you do as long as you have fun doing it. Because if you’re not having fun doing it, you’re not going to stay on it.

And you’ll never be healthy.”

So, what’s fun for you? My wife splits her week between morning workouts and afternoon beach forages — always with friends. Our designer likes to bike 100 miles at a clip all by himself — but he’s a psycho. And that’s where the Outer Banks shines most of all: here, there are endlessly fun ways to mix it up. Don’t like riding waves? Try paddling the sound. Scared of the water? Go hit the skatepark – or the disc golf course — or just walk the dog up Jockeys Ridge. Run out of decent weather or daylight? There’s always the gym.

For me, flat spells and crap surf are reason to smash a buddy in badminton — or pedal the bike down Bay Drive. The rest of the time I’m out in the water, riding waves — wiping out — and loving every second. I’ll never be Mr. Universe — and sure as hell won’t run a marathon.

But I’m not gonna keel over in a cubicle either.

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Aendnotes GOOD, HEALTHY SQUEEZE Juicing delivers a full spectrum of benefits.

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The mixture is cleansing, detoxifying and helps flush out the system. While the maple syrup is merely to add a bit of sweetness, the alkaline water is the most important ingredient.

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“You have to use good water,” Landes says, enthusiastically.

“We use a water ionizer to wash our veggies and fruits to ensure that everything going into your body is of the highest quality. It really is the essence of life.”

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The earthiness of fresh kale, romaine and parsley. The bright acidity of fresh lemon, rounded out with the sweet tartness of a green apple. Sounds like the ingredients for an epic salad bowl, right? But, in this case, it’s puréed and served in a morning juice glass.

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Or, perhaps should be.

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“The benefits of juice actually start before you even taste it,” says certified raw food chef Amy Landes. “Think about how you feel when you look at bright colors — just seeing them makes you happy!”

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If that’s your brain’s reaction to seeing a line-up of coldpressed juice, imagine the response your body will have once the goodness starts coursing through your system.

But why not just eat a whole piece of fruit or a handful of raw veggies?

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“It’s like eating the spectrum,” continues Landes, who owns KDH’s Shine On Juicery. “By consuming whole, unaltered foods, you’re getting the full benefit of what the item has to offer.”

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To be clear, juicing is a great addition to your normal diet, not a replacement. In other words, it’s a good way to get a variety of vitamins and minerals into your system without having to chew your way through an entire bowl of produce.

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Their combo of essential B-vitamins will provide a natural source of energy and offer an opportunity to give the coffee cup a rest. Your blood pressure will also thank you for this anti-inflammatory concoction.

“Another great addition to your day,” says Landes, “is an alkaline lemonade which consists of cayenne, lemon, maple syrup and alkaline water.”

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Landes recommends starting the day with a green juice: “Green apple, celery, lemon, kale, spinach, romaine, and parsley are really great together.”

A rainbow of fruit flavors — without all the sugar. Photo: Cory Godwin

“When you drink juice, you get all the nutrients without having to do the work of digesting fiber,” Landes explains. “This is a means of giving your digestive system a rest and hitting the reset button at the same time.”

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IT’S A TASTY OPTION TO JUMP START YOUR SYSTEM.

But this is more than just pouring your whole vegetable drawer into a Cuisinart. There are specific combinations of plants and fruits to yield best results.

“If you want to make your own,” Landes says, “start by keeping it simple!”

But first things first: you need a juicer. At her shop, Landes uses a commercial grade machine, but there are many home varieties that will work just as well. The important part is that it’s a cold press.

“The concept is that the fruit goes through the hopper at such a slow rate of speed that no heat is created,” she explains. “Thousands of pounds of pressure ensure there’s no loss of vitamins and that your juice will be good for days.”

Once you’ve got your station set up, it’s time to let the experimenting begin.

Other fun concoctions include nut milks, which can be made from everything from cashews to pumpkin seeds to almonds. They’re creamy and satisfying without the dairy.

Immune juices made from apples, lemons, ginger, and cinnamon are also a tasty option to jump start your system.

The recipes and combinations are seemingly endless.

(For some great recipes, check out Goodnature.com and JuiceRecipes.com.) Ultimately, though, she says just follow your gut.

“Your best guide is your health and taste,” she explains. “Is what you’re putting in your body going to harm or heal you?”

To be sure, there will be some juices you experiment with that will probably have a funky texture or turn your taste buds inside out. But that’s also part of the journey and what makes it fun.

“It’s always a practice of moving forward,” says Landes.

“What your body needs will change over time. The goal is to ensure that what you’re putting in your body should leave you feeling good and energized.”

In other words: make it colorful, simple, and tasty, and your body will reap the benefits. And if you still need some guidance, Landes has a variety of tasty ideas and seasonal blends to help get you on track.

“I’m here to share my passion for food,” Landes says with a smile. “I’m creating what I want to see in the world by being a pillar of health and sharing the pleasure of community and eating to raise our vibration as a whole.” — Fran Marler milepost 47

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THE OFFROAD LESS TRAVELED Hatteras Island’s Valerie Stump prepares to tackle Baja Mexico’s most prestigious race.

Life takes you down many paths, but the best ones lead to the beach.

Some of life’s most important moments happen on impulse. In 1994, Valerie Stump spent Spring Break in Rodanthe and was totally smitten. Three weeks later, the then-23year-old came back to wait tables for the summer — and never left. That single move changed the Ohio native’s whole life. It ignited her love for the beach, introduced her to her husband of 23 years, and led her toward one of her greatest passions: offroading.

“It was something that I just thought was amazing, especially coming from the north,” Stump says. “Just a neat way to get out there and get away from everything.”

Now, nearly three decades later, she’s about to jump on a whole new adventure. This April, Stump and a team of three other women will embark on a five-day, roughly 1,000mile journey down the Baja Peninsula for the National Off Road Racing Association’s Mexican 1000 — one of the most prestigious races in the world.

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Founded in 1967 by Ed Pearlman and Don Francisco, the NORRA Mexican 1000 begins in the town of Ensenada, sending drivers south through the cities of San Felipe, Guerrero Negro, Loreto, and La Paz, before crossing the finish line in San Jose Del Cabo.

“It’s interesting because it’s offroad, but it’s also on-road,” says Stump. “You’ll be driving down what you think is the race trail, and all of a sudden there’ll be a minivan with a family next to you. Sometimes you’re driving through people’s farms and there’s cattle everywhere. Other times you’re along these cliffs, looking down at the sea.”

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Although it’s her first time racing through the desert, the life Valerie’s built for herself on the Outer Banks has prepared her well. In fact, Stump’s team will be racing a Meyers

ORV XTC. Photo: Daniel Pullen

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hours. Stump’s husband and son, both skilled mechanics, will be in the crew car as well.

Because the majority of the course takes place on clay soil or sand, Stump and her team will wear helmets equipped with an air filtration system. Another requirement is fire-proof shoes and fire-resistant suits.

Best Day Ever was originally set to race in April 2021, but those plans got derailed by the pandemic. Just as race dates have shifted, so has the makeup of the team. Murray and one other member of the OG crew are no longer racing.

Although there have been bumps along the way, the mission driving Best Day Ever forward has remained consistent: breast cancer awareness. Stump and her team have been raising funds for their race, a portion of which will go to the National Breast Cancer Foundation. In addition, there will be stickers of the names of people who have battled breast cancer plastered on Best Day Ever’s vehicle.

“SOMETIMES YOU’RE DRIVING THROUGH PEOPLE’S FARMS. OTHER TIMES YOU’RE LOOKING DOWN AT THE SEA.”

The team estimates the total cost of the race to be $21,885.67. They’re aiming to raise that money through sponsorships and donations before the start of the race on April 29.

Besides funding, Stump says one of the biggest challenges leading up to the race has been preparing as a team while being spread out across four different states. They met last in October 2021 for a training day in Salvo, where they practiced taking their gear on and off and getting the vehicle unstuck from the sand. In March, the team plans to gather in Arizona to drive on a terrain more similar to the Baja Peninsula.

Manx II in the Legends League division, meaning they’re driving a buggy made between 1976 and 1982 — very similar to the kind Valerie and her husband, Eric, used to drive when they first began dating.

“When I met Eric, he had a couple VW Bugs, and one had a simple ‘Baja kit’ on it,” Stump recalls. “That basically means the fenders are cut so bigger tires can fit, the headlights are inset on the front apron (as opposed to sticking up off the top of the fenders), it has Nerf bars on the side for body protection, and the rear engine compartment is cut/modified.”

In 2006, the couple opened Island Cruisers, a 4x4 rental business in Salvo. Today, they’ve expanded their business to include golf carts and beach buggies.

But while Stump’s spent years driving offroad, her racing partners are all comparatively new. She met all three women through the Manx Club — an international dune buggy enthusiasts club that she and Eric joined in 2010. In June 2020, Stump received a call from fellow Manx Club member Robin Murray, who told her it was her dream to have an allwoman team race the NORRA 1000 — and she wanted Stump to join.

“At first, I thought, ‘Who’s voice is this and why are they punking me?’” Stump says. “And then I heard the other two girls who I was familiar with in the background. I was like, ‘Wow, I just can’t believe this’ — I was quite honored.”

They decided to call themselves “The Best Day Ever” team. The four women will race in shifts. Inside the Meyers Manx will be a driver and a navigator, while the two other team members will ride behind them in the crew car to rest. They’ll switch roles about every four

At press time, Stump still had never driven a buggy offroad anywhere but the Outer Banks. Still, she says she’s looking forward to getting in the driver’s seat.

“One thing that’s reassuring to me — because I am pretty nervous about it — is it’s really a race that you could go slow and steady in and still win it because you’re not going to blow your car up by pushing it to the limits,” she says. “You’re not gonna hit something out of the blue that you don’t see because you’re going so fast.”

Still, while the first-time racers likely won’t drive more than 90 miles per hour (the more experienced racers hit speeds up to 140), that won’t put her team out of the mix, as even the fastest car can be foiled by mechanical or other troubles.

“If we can finish, we will be super stoked,” Stump says. “If we place, that’s awesome.”

So, what would that 23-year-old, seize-the-day version of Stump say if she could see herself now?

“I think she would say, ‘Go for it. You can do this. You’ve got nothing to lose.’”

— Arabella Saunders

Ed Note: Wanna help fuel the Best Day Ever team’s Baja adventures — and support breast cancer research? Find their “2022 Baja 1000” page on www.gofundme. com. A percentage of all donations will go directly to the National Breast Cancer Foundation. Then follow their progress on the “Best Day Ever Road to NORRA 2022” Facebook page. milepost 49

artisticlicense Bright colors, big letters, and bold statements. For thousands of years, humans have used outdoor surfaces to broadcast perspectives — from Neanderthals’ cave paintings to ancient Greeks etching walls to modern artists tagging buildings. So much so that we barely blink when someone sprays “Stop the War” on a street sign.

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But when a string of knitted fabric PSAs turned up at the Martin Street beach access this fall, screaming “FILL IN UR HOLES” and “KEEP OFF THE DUNES” in eye-popping, all-capital colors, the community quickly took notice.

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“It’s awesome,” says local surfer Clark Brown, who lives in the neighborhood. “It sends a great message: ‘Pick up your trash,’ because, well, pick up your trash! It’s a colorful piece that jumps in your face. I say put up more!”

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The freehand pieces are the work of 37-year-old Elisa McVearry, a lifelong knitting fanatic who never really considered herself an artist until she discovered the act of “yarn bombing” — aka “yarn graffiti” or “yarn installations.”

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“Or as my husband calls it, ‘granny graffiti,’” laughs the mother of two.

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There are certainly parallels. Both graffiti and yarn art are generally put up without prior permission. Both can send political or humanitarian messages, or simply be acts of self-expression. Unlike graffiti, though, yarn pieces are easily removed, be it a tree sweater, a bench cover or a wall wrap.

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While yarn bombing has feminine roots, its origins are harder to pinpoint. Did it officially start in Texas in 2005 with a shop owner knitting a cozy for her store’s doorknob? Or during the Crimean War in the 1850s with the knitted head coverings that sweethearts sent their soldiers to wear under their helmets? Perhaps someplace in-between?

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POINTED MESSAGE graphiccontent Forget spray cans — this local artist expresses public opinions with knitting needles.

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Pitches get stitches.

Photo: Cory Godwin

Whatever the history, McVearry is likely the Outer Banks’ first yarn bomber — at least on a large scale. She started knitting

Voted BEST AUTO REPAIR SHOP 10 years running! in high school, when a family friend taught her, and has added to her repertoire ever since, with crocheting, quilting and more. She’s also a big fan of “found art” — whether it’s the painted rocks people hide around town, or paintings or quilts intentionally left for others to find.

So, when she saw an online call to contribute to street artist Olek’s largescale crochet project covering the King Neptune statue in Virginia Beach, she immediately wanted to try.

“I just love people putting things out there in public,” she says. “Not for profit, but just beautifying the world a little bit.”

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McVearry’s favorite artist is Banksy, a British street artist who keeps his identity secret and whose work “always makes a statement.” So, it’s no surprise that some of her public pieces have a political vibe. The past two elections, she draped the horse statue near Kill Devil Hills’ polls with a colorful, striped crochet reminder: “VOTE.” (She removed it after folks finished casting ballots.)

“MY HUSBAND CALLS IT ‘GRANNY GRAFFITI.’”

Another piece from 2020 took a more committed stance. She wrapped a light pole across from Trump Headquarters in Nags Head with a piece that sent several messages: “86 45,” a BLM (Black Lives Matter) logo, pride flag colors, and trans flag colors.

Every day as she drove by, she was surprised it stayed up. Then, after the election, she took it down and installed all but the “86 45” bit at the Bonnett Street beach access as a way to raise consciousness around Black, queer and trans rights.

Sadly, it was gone within 24 hours.

“It’s kind of heartbreaking when something you work so hard on gets taken,” says

McVearry. “I know people have a lot of feelings about stuff like that. I don’t want to upset people, but I feel like, especially in this area, we’re kind of sheltered. It’s not the most diverse community and we’re not thinking about those issues as much.”

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Of course, any piece of art will have its critics. Even the Martin Street installment.

She posted “DON’T BE A KOOK,” to remind aggressive, beginning or out-oftown surfers to remember their manners when enjoying our waters. But not every non-local took it that way.

“Some people from Virginia asked me, ‘What’s wrong with eccentric people?”’

McVearry laughs. (She messaged them back explaining the sign’s surfing connection.)

But otherwise, the piece keeps getting glowing reviews. She says she’ll leave the installments up “until they start looking bad.” At that point, she’ll take them down, wash them, then reinstall them next summer. (While the “cheap, acrylic yarn” she uses is too itchy for garment-making, it holds up well outdoors.)

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In the future, she’d like to go bigger and put something higher and out of reach, like graffiti artists often do. She’d also like to do a big, city-sanctioned installation, potentially at a park, which would require help because of the time commitment.

“It would be really fun to beautify one area with a ton of yarn.”

Until then, she’ll keep working smaller ideas. (Follow @misselisamakes on Instagram for a range of works, from fashionable pins to business signs.) And while she says she’s always felt creative, she’s never felt more like an artist than she does right now.

“Living here and working in the Manteo fabric store and being surrounded by people that are also creative — it just exploded in me,” she says. “I have to make stuff all the time now. I think it just has to do with the beauty of the area. People are just inspired.” — Corinne Saunders

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Some dramatic moments just come naturally.

Conery, Saltzman, Stockley, and Mitchell nail another performance. Photo: Chris Bickford

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Two songs channel quirky Hollywood films. A few more depict fictional memories with real-life detail. At least one reads like a letter to some younger self to get their shit together. But no matter the subject or tone, each Stereo in Words effort shares similar qualities — rippling guitar riffs and melodic structures, dynamic movements and tight changes, heartfelt lyrics illustrated with multidimensional imagery. And a distinct vision of how each note, beat and movement should sound.

“I’ve always been more of a songwriter than instrumentalist,” says guitarist and lead singer, Ben Saltzman. “But whenever I milepost 52

Stereo in Words’ wild ride is just getting started.

bring in an idea for a song, everyone helps arrange it, and I love that, because it always comes out way better than I had in mind. But I definitely want the sound to be intentional.

We all do.”

Along with Saltzman, that “all” includes Ian Conery on lead guitar, Nate Stockley on bass, and Ted Mitchell on drums. All four have been playing music since they were teenagers. Two you’ve already heard in other bygone area favorites: The Running Club (Stockley) and The Hot Signals (Mitchell). But they’d never jammed together until September 2020, when they quickly forged a relationship based on a

shared love for indie rock — then spent the next ten months in the garage woodshopping their own unique style.

“The best thing about COVID is it allowed us to not worry about playing out and really focus on songs,” says Mitchell. “And every time we got together, every song Ben wrote, I kept going, ‘Oh I hear this 90s band, and this band…’ Not the pop bands, but the college rock scene. The alternative scene.”

When they finally emerged to play out last June, they sprang forth with a collection of twelve finely crafted original compositions.

By October, they’d honed a three-hour set that channels the best elements of an era

where the Smiths and Frank Black crossed paths with Pavement and Wilco, layered with all the New Wave influences that lie underneath.

“Nick Lowe and Elvis Costello are huge influences of mine,” says Saltzman. “And Tom Petty. I love sneaky chord progressions.”

At first listen, you might even think they were covers of alt-rock songs you’ve never heard. Maybe a favorite acts forgotten B-side — or running behind the credits of a never released indie flick. “How Could you Understand?” leans Pixies, while “Barrel of a Gun” rides into Spaghetti Western territory, full of spooky arpeggios and swaggering

changes à la Sergio Leone — or more likely, Quentin Tarantino.

As to their true origins? The motives and muses are as varied as Saltzman’s mood.

“Some songs, I have something very specific in mind, like a guitar line,” says Ben. “Some are more textural. Sometimes I just like the way the words come together to create a vibe. Like ‘Daddy got the Bear.’ It’s not about anybody I know. I’d just come back from the Smokey Mountains with this image of a young kid who hates growing up there, and his dad tells the same f$%kin’ story every time he gets drunk.”

Whatever the plotline or protagonist — melancholy or manic, overjoyed or overwhelmed — the words and notes work in unison, so that each song feels organic and whole from beginning to end. Harmonies combine forces to build momentum. Guitar melodies rise and fall to create moods. With plenty of dramatic moments that rise and fall in unison, instead of improvised solos that just ramble over each other.

“We can stretch things out,” says Stockley.

“And we’re big on dynamics that swell and then bringing everything back. But it’s not just four people jamming over the same chords.”

In fact, even the dirty descents into chaos come off perfectly timed — without feeling planned. Part of it’s a byproduct of a collective century of playing experience.

And part is just the benefit of good practice habits, as most weeks, they meet for two hours to fine-tune and create.

At a recent session, Saltzman walks in with four sheets of paper and a brand-new idea. He offers up a bit of direction — “It’s intentionally legato” — and plays it once.

Then they all start brainstorming.

“What if we all come in at the same time?…”

“The ending should feel sort of unresolved…”

Then they run through it again. And again.

And again. Feeling out chops and finetuning grooves. After four or five passes,

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another rough cut’s ready to play out — or at least to polish on stage.

EVEN DIRTY DESCENTS INTO CHAOS COME OFF PERFECTLY TIMED — WITHOUT FEELING PLANNED.

“Ben is definitely prolific,” laughs Mitchell. “But we’re at a point now where we know what everyone else’s jam is, and we can communicate with each other on instruments without it being overt. Either, ‘Hey, we want to keep this thing going,’ or, ‘Let’s end it right now.’”

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Maybe it’s the name, but it’s almost as if the whole band behaves like one of those four-band equalizers on an old-school Walkman. Four separate levers that move independently — guitar, bass, drums, vocals — each adding or subtracting in individual increments to create a much larger sound.

Building here, reducing there — sometimes even dropping all the way out.

“Some of the new songs, we start out with a lot of stuff going on, and then we gradually subtract,” says Conery. “Which isn’t always intuitive. But with four people and so many ways to fill out, it becomes more about doing less.”

Except when it’s about doing more. With the coming season heating up, the goal is to play out at least once a week. (A bimonthly stint at Jack Brown’s is set in stone.) They’d love to push into Raleigh and Hampton Roads — perhaps even record an album.

But no matter what happens, the plan is to keep writing new songs — and making new fans.

“Really, we just want to be a band that people know of and want to hear,” says Saltzman. “Because, honestly, when you create music with your friends, and you play it in front of people — and they like it — that’s next level for me. It blows my mind.” — Leo Gibson

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Mollie Fearing Memorial Art Show - May 1-28 Artrageous Kids Art Festival at Dowdy Park- May 7 Rock The Cape on Hatteras Island - June 2 40th Annual New World Festival of the Arts - August 17 & 18 Surfalorus Film Festival - September 19-21 The Great Art Heist Auction - October 7-28 Outer Banks Veterans Week and Writing Workshop -November 4-13

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BAKED GOODS I’ve lived from the West Coast to the East Coast and a lot of places in-between. The Outer Banks is the only home I’ve known where a stranger gave me a box of money.

It was one of those Saturdays where I woke up with so many things to do that I almost went back to bed. Instead, I spent the morning freezing casseroles and organizing clutter — settling details and recruiting babysitters — all while trying not to contemplate the crushing weight of how to handle the next 12 months.

Halfway through cleaning the fridge, a Jeep with yellow balloons tied to both mirrors pulled into my driveway.

As I walked out, the driver rolled down her window. The whole car smelled like vanilla — so did the woman inside.

She greeted me with a cardboard box filled with $1,066 in small, crumpled bills.

She also brought me a stack of cheesecakes.

All this from a woman who lives five doors down from me — a woman I’d never met. Who somehow knew that I was facing spinal fusion surgery. And who inherently

understood that my biggest worry wasn’t the surgeon filleting me from neck to tailbone like a bluefin tuna — but how to pay for the gas to drive out to Duke. How to cover a hotel room so my husband could stay nearby. And how to replace the missing wages while I spent months focusing on regaining the ability to tie my own shoes.

But that’s what Nora does. She recognizes a person in need, then she helps the only way she knows how: by cooking a rash of sweets and converting the results into cash.

Art by Stella Nettles

good thing. Around here it seems like every weekend crowds turn out in droves for backyard causes — eating oysters, running beer miles, catching flounder for some needy soul. Where after big hurricanes, the whole community turns out to help clean up the mess.

“

THE WHOLE CAR SMELLED LIKE VANILLA — SO DID THE WOMAN INSIDE.

She threw a bake sale for one neighbor who needed a kidney transplant — and another to benefit the angel tree program. (She’s a real a favorite of the volunteer fire department, who’s appreciation for Nora’s financial generosity is exceeded only by their love of her boozy blueberry banana bread.) She’s an Angel of Colington, winging around the Harbour with a trunk full of treats, selling pineapple Bundt cakes like they were ice cream truck popsicles.

And where, if your grocery bag splits, someone will inevitably kneel down and help chase the cans that have rolled all over the parking lot.

The thing is that Nora’s unrestrained generosity may be commendable, but it isn’t all that exceptional. And that’s a

Today, I’m baking an apple cake for Nora. I sure hope she sells it. — Katrina Mae Leuzinger

Last year, my kid’s kindergarten teacher bought her a brand-new pair of sparkly Skechers because she noticed her current sneakers had been worn to death. Who does that? We do, apparently.

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FOUR FILMS FOUR SUNDAYS, FOUR FILMS M O V I E S W I T H I M P O RTA N T M U S I C A L S C O R E S INTRODUCTION AND COMMENTARY BY CHRISTOPHER PALESTRANT PROFESSOR, MUSIC AND VISUAL ARTS, ELIZABETH CITY STATE UNIVERSITY

MARCH 6 • 4 PM

endnotes Holly Overton is just one of three artists sharing “Her Ironic World,” with DCAC, Mar. 4-26.

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startingpoint There’s lots of ways to break a sweat. You can take a long walk with your life partner — or make a bunch of big, stressful decisions. Or you can do both! From Mar. 4-6, the Outer Banks Wedding Weekend and Expo lines up open houses at seven local venues — Keepers Galley at Haven on the Banks, Pine Island Lodge, Sanctuary Vineyards, Whalehead, Kitty Hawk Pier House at the Hilton Garden Inn, The Sanderling, and Jennette’s Pier — and introduces you to top local vendors, so all you have to worry about is saying “I do.” Learn more at www.obxwa.com. • Or you could race across the new jughandle bridge before it opens to traffic. At press time, the Rodanthe-Waves-Salvo Civic Association and NCDOT announced a tentative Mar. 5 date for a new Run the Rodanthe 5-Mile and 5k Run/Walk. The actual date might shift depending on when construction finishes, so follow the usual Facebook channels for updates. • These colors don’t run — they revolt. On Fri., Mar. 4, head to Dare County Arts Council’s Courtroom Gallery for “Her Ironic World,” a group show by Dawn Moraga, Holly Overton and Jasmin Miller that tackles challenging social topics, from climate change to consumerism.

Meanwhile, the Vault Gallery will reveal new paintings by 2021 Frank Stick “Best In Show” winner, Kinga Rojek. Opening reception starts at 6pm; both shows hang through Mar. 26. Full details at www.darearts.org. • On Mar. 5, purple fingertips help prevent poo water at Outer Banks Surfrider’s Freezin’ for a Reason. This first annual winter plunge is raising funds to start a Blue Water Task Force to test swimming beaches for contaminants.

All you gotta do is donate some bucks and dive into the shorebreak at KDH Bath House at 8am, then go chill at Jack Brown’s Beer & Burger Joint for a Kegs & Eggs breakfast, raffles and other fun times. Stay tuned to the OBX Surfrider Facebook Page for latest updates, future causes, and ways to take a leadership role. • Green thumbs join hands to keep the Elizabethan Gardens beautiful when volunteers and staff team up for Mar. 5’s Spring Fling Clean-Up Day. They provide the snacks and beverages; you bring your own gloves — and be sure to dress for weather. 9am-11pm. Get all the dirty details by going to www. elizabethangardens.org. • Soundtracks take center stage, Mar. 6, when The Bryan Cultural Series brings ECSU professor and composer Christopher Palestrant to the R/C Kill Devil Hills Movies 10 theater to break down the music score backing the award-winning period drama Enchanted April. And come back Mar. 13 when he similarly dissects the sci-fi stereophonics of Bladerunner. Discussions start at 4pm; movies at 4:30. $10. Tix and info at www.bryanculturalseries.org. • Keep quality tunes coming all spring as Ascension Records

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releases Gordon Kreplin’s Simple Gifts, where the classical guitarist performs original compositions, plus the works of Pan-American composers Augustin Barrios (Uruguay), Villa Lobos (Brazil), and Bob Powell (US). Streams on Spotify, iTunes and other services starting in Mar. More at www.gordonkreplin.com. • Drench those tastebuds in deep-golden goodness when Rundown Café’s Fried Chicken Night sizzles every Mon., starting at 5pm.

Come back Fri. nights at 6pm as Greg Smrdl’s Trivia Night serves up tantalizing brain teasers. End dates TBD. Get the latest on their social feeds or www.rundowncafe.com. • You don’t have to be the smartest kid in school to secure a local scholarship. The Outer Banks Community Foundation has scholarships that fund higher education for future careers, from building boats to drawing blood to traditional four-year degrees. Ask your school guidance counselor for details, then submit applications and recommendations at www. obcf.org by 11:59pm on Mar. 7. • Word nerds run amok at Glenn Eure’s Ghost Fleet Gallery’s Literary Open Mic Night every second Thurs. of the month. On Mar. 10, Apr. 14 & May 12 come hear local writers read copy and share feedback in a supportive setting.

Even better, come volunteer your own verbiage. 6:30-8:30pm. Learn more at www.darearts. org. • Have an aging loved one dealing with dementia? Nobody around to help you manage? Perhaps Gentle Expert Memory Care can lighten the load. Every second Fri. — Mar. 11, Apr. 8 & May 13 — they bring the Harmony Café to KDH’s Baum Center to support families facing this most challenging time. Attendees must register three days in advance. For details email gsonnesso@gmail.com. And monitor www.obxcommongood.org for more community events. • Chase away your worries — and chug a few beers — when the 6th Annual St. Patrick’s Beer Mile returns to the Outer Banks Brewing Station, Mar. 12. This Leprechaun-themed mad dash pits 21+ runners in a battle of 1/4-mile sprints and 10oz. drafts — with costume prizes going to the most creatively dressed. Starts at 2pm. Late registration and check-in from 1-1:45pm. More at www.obxrunning.com. • On Mar. 12, give your innards all sorts of “green” goods at Secotan’s Winter Market in Wanchese, where vendors serve everything from grass-fed beef to organic produce to home baked bread to handmade arts and crafts. 10am-12pm. Come back for a second helping on Apr. 9. And May 7 sees the return of the Summer Market, every single Sat., 8am-12pm. Find a list of vendors at www.secotanmarket.com. • Who needs to eat healthy when you can have pizza?!

On Mar. 12, be at Sanctuary Vineyards for Leprechaun — where tasty wine, hot slices and Celtic music combine forces to create a magical St. Patrick’s-themed event. Full details at www.sanctuaryvineyards.com. • Get all the dirt on growing local without leaving your desk when the 2022 Dare Extension Master Gardener’s Library Series goes virtual with spring workshops. On Mar. 16, hear from experts about Using Native Plants to Attract Wildlife; then, on Mar. 30, Controlling Pests - Bad Boys on the Outer Banks teaches how to identify and subdue your growing environments’ natural enemies. Presentations start at 11am and last roughly an hour. For registration assistance, call the KDH Library any weekday at 252-441-4331. • On Mar. 19, furry friends steal the show at Elizabethan Gardens’ Peace Love & Dogs, as pooches compete for costume awards in categories like Best Hollywood Look, Best OBX Look, and Best 60s Groovy Look. Other treats include food trucks and activities to keep both humans and hounds wagging their tails. 10am2pm. Find full deets and tix for this weather-dependent event at www.elizabethangardens.org. • There’s fun and prizes for every species of runner at Outer Banks Sporting Events’ Running of the Leprechauns. On Mar. 19, be at Nags Head’s Satterfield Park for festive 5k and 10k races that reward the top three male and female finishers. Dash to www.obxse.org for registration and updates. • On Mar. 19, tack on 220 more steps — and hike an extra 150 vertical feet — when Currituck Beach Lighthouse hosts a Free Climb Day to open their season. After that, it’s $12 a pop to see from here to the horizon. 9am-5pm. More at www.obcinc.org. • Pound some pavement — or just a few cold ones — when the 31st Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade returns, Mar. 20.

From 1-3pm, an oddball collection of festive floats and merry marchers — from derby queens to do-gooder non-profits, speeding Shriners to screaming sirens — moves north up the Beach Road between Nags Head Pier and Driftwood St. Meanwhile, the sidelines

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endnotes teem with swilling day drinkers, and nobody judges except this year’s marshals — The Outer about groundbreaking aviators and inventors such as the Wright Brothers, General Billy Mitchell, and Francis Rogallo. Most symposium sessions will take place at Fort Raleigh Banks Hospital and Coastal Humane Society — who’ll crown the Best Float, Best Band/ National Historic Site. Reserve your spot at www.firstcolonyfoundation.org. • As part of Music, Best Unit, and Best Overall. Follow Facebook for any updates. • The Nature the weekend, Dare County Arts Council will also host a “Searchers of New Horizons” Conservancy is asking folks to tread lightly when they visit Nags Head Woods Preserve.

Art Exhibit. From Apr. 1-9, see photos and artifacts depicting the explorers and dreamers Thanks to COVID, visitation spiked to 60,000 hikers last year. For an optimum experience who traveled the Outer Banks. Be sure to come out for the they suggest folks avoid the hours of 10am to 3pm; carpool opening reception at 6pm, then pop downstairs to The Vault when possible; drive extra slow; stay on designated hiking to see Valerie West’s latest ceramics pieces, which will stay trails; and use their maps — not an app. (Apps don’t always put through Apr. 30. More at www.darearts.org. • Glenn represent public spaces accurately.) Also: only ride bikes on Eure’s Ghost Fleet Gallery’s 27th Annual Artist Selfthe roadway, never on trails; no drones or commercial Portrait Exhibition invites creative rogues of every stripe to photography; and no dumping, including yard debris. submit their own legendary likeness, be it wildly cartoonish or Leashed dogs are welcome on pet-friendly trails. More traditionally tame. Show opens Apr. 1, when awards will be details are online at www.nature.org/nhw or email announced. Work will stay up through May 5 and is available nagsheadwoods@tnc.org. • And the 2022 Taste of the for viewing Tues.-Sat., 10am-4 pm. For additional information, Beach is on for Mar. 25-27! This year, organizers are call 252-489-0722 or 252-441-6584. • Want to make your eliminating the large-scale gatherings to put the focus back own wearable piece of art — while fighting social woes? Take on individual restaurants, where area chefs from Corolla to an Endless Possibilities weaving class at the Hotline Too Hatteras will show off their tastiest chops via special ticketed Thrift Store in Nags Head, where all fees support the Crisis events like multi-course dinners, wine and beer pairings, and Intervention and Prevention Center in Manteo. (Call 252tapas tours. Keep tabs on www.obxtasteofthebeach.com for Offshore wrecks reveal deep secrets at The Graveyard of The Atlantic 441-1244 for more information.) Also, Outer Banks Hotline delicious deets. • From Mar. 30-Apr. 2, the First Colony Museum, Apr. 2. Photo: Marc Corbett will be marking Sexual Assault Awareness Month with a Foundation’s OBX History Weekend serves up fresh facts series of displays and programs, including a Stalking Awareness training sometime this about our collective past under the theme: “Searchers of New Horizons.” Learn spring. Learn more details at www.obhotline.org. • Go deep on the story behind our new information about Roanoke Colonist Thomas Harriot; hear varying English and Native perspectives of Carolina Algonquians and Sir Water Raleigh; experience the latest countless offshore wrecks when Hatteras’ Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum hosts its Underwater Heritage Symposium on Apr. 2 — COVID-permitting. From 10am–5pm, discoveries about the fate of the fabled Lost Colony — plus enjoy discussions

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20 years of community, progress, and fun!

Year after year, visitors have enjoyed our walkable village, top-notch restaurants and remarkable shops. Discover community events, walking trails, a kayak launch, and the boardwalk at the Town Park in the heart of Duck.

Find it all in

Join us in 2022 as we celebrate 20 years of the Town of Duck!

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professional divers, historians and underwater archaeologists present programs on shipwrecks, technology, sea life, and maritime history. Admission is free. Explore www. graveyardoftheatlantic.com for details. • Can’t stand to leave Hatteras Island? Why drive home when you can pop a tent at the National Park Service’s Cape Point and Frisco Campgrounds? Both open for the season on Apr. 2. To make reservations and payments, go to www.recreation.gov. • What’s the catch? Find out at Jennette’s Pier when they expand their hours twice this spring. Staring Apr. 2, folks can fish or walk the planks from 7am-9pm; and beginning Apr. 30, they stretch the day from 6am-10pm. More news at www. jennettespier.net. • On Apr. 5, Roanoke Island’s favorite wayback machine — Island Farm — restarts for the season. Join interpreters as they recreate 1850s Outer Banks life via live blacksmithing, self-guided house tours, cooking demonstrations, and friendly livestock, every Tues.-Fri from 9am5pm. $10. (Free for kids 3 & under.) And come back Apr. 20, when Homeschool History Day caters to DIY educators with specialized demos, activities and demonstrations from 9am-3pm. Visit www.obcinc.org for more info. • Or discover modern-day critters, Apr. 5, when Town of Duck’s Nature on the Boardwalk Series invites a NC Aquarium educator to lead small groups on informative explorations of our soundside ecosystem. 9:30-11am. Tours are totally free, but space is limited — and registration is required. Miss the cut? Come back Apr. 27 (7:30-9pm), May 10 (7:30-9pm), and May 24 (9:30-11am). Complete deets at www.townofduck.com. • Spoiler alert! Kristy Woodson Harvey has a new novel coming out. On Apr. 6, get a peek behind The Wedding Veil when Manteo’s Downtown Books toasts the author at 11am.

Learn more at www.duckscottage.com. • Lookin’ for a good buckin’ time? On Apr. 9, Currituck County Rural Center hosts the Bulls & BBQ Rodeo, a full afternoon of tasty food, axe throwing, beer and wine — plus a craft market and a genuine robo bovine (aka “a mechanical bull”). Gates open at noon with the real-bull riding kicking off at 3pm. Find

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details at www.visitcurrituck.com, or call 252-435-2947 for more info and tix. • Fancy something a little more sophisticated? April 9’s 4th Annual Lost Colony Wine, Art & Culinary Festival floods the historic soundside theatre with old- and new-world flavors, including an international assortment of 100 wines, regional craft beers and savory fare by ten local restaurants — plus a silent auction, regional art show and live music. 2pm-5pm. $75. ($95 VIP tix get you in at 1pm; $35 for designated drivers.) Rain or shine event. Proceeds support future performances. Prices go up by $10 on Apr. 2. Get tix and deets at www. tlcwinefest.com. • Then go see how the real locals lived! On Apr. 10, the Frisco Native American Museum restarts their regular biz hours of Tues.-Sun., 10:30 am5pm. Follow their Facebook feed for updates, including new displays, kids classes, and more. • Love fashionable clothes — and furry critters? Head to The Waterfront Shops in Duck on Apr. 15- 16 for the Barr-ee Station Tent Sale, where weekend deals fund the OBX SPCA’s daily work. Find the hairy details at www.barreestation.com. • Skies mesmerize — and ground scores surprise — when Kitty Hawk Kites’ Flying into Spring & Easter EGGstravaganza returns Apr. 15 & 16. Celebrate National Kite Month with massive 30-to 100-foot, fluttering displays flying high over Jockey’s Ridge State Park. Then head back to the KHK store for photos with the Easter Bunny and the annual Jockey’s Ridge Crossing Easter Egg Hunt. More at www.kittyhawk.com. • The good times keep rolling over at Elizabethan Gardens Easter Extravaganza on Apr. 16. From 9am-4pm, search for sweet prize-filled eggs on a “scavenger” hunt style throughout the gardens — plus music on the Great Lawn, local vendors and take-home crafts. (All weather-depending.)

Find full deets, then register in advance at www.elizabethangardens.org. • Wright Brothers National Memorial never felt freer than Apr. 16, as they celebrate the first of National Parks Week by killing the entry fee. And if you want a loftier experience, keep your eyes peeled for Bodie Island Lighthouse Climbs to begin in mid-to-late Apr. Visit www.nps.

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endnotes gov/caha for updates. • From Apr. 16-24, fly over the bridge to Harbinger where Outer Banks Harley-Davidson will celebrate the 20th Anniversary OBX Bike Week with stunts, vendors, food, beer, babes and BBQ — plus a bunch of live music, including tribute acts like Battery and Nighttrain, and original music by Anthony Rosano & the Conqueroos. Full sched at www.outerbankshd.com. • Meanwhile in Mann’s Harbor, the Dare County Motorsports Group’s Outer Banks Bike Rally turns Vertigo Tattoo into five days of mayhem, Apr. 19-23, with live bands, BBQ cook off, bikini contest, plus an Apr. 21 Poker Run. Proceeds help buy needy kids gifts come the holidays. Follow the DCMG Facebook Page for details — including a TBD bonus location! • Silver streakers perform feats of strength and speed for a shot at gold medals when the Outer Banks Senior Games runs Apr. 18-30. At press time, organizers weren’t sure if events will be virtual, in person or some combination of the two, so get the latest at www. darenc.com. • And local actors stretch their vocal limits when the Theatre of Dare finishes the season with Next to Normal, a Tony Award-winning musical about a family traumatized by death and struggling with issues related to mental illness. Apr. 22, 23, 29 & 30 (7:30pm); Apr. 24 & May 1 (2:00pm). Visit www. theatreofdareobx.com for location, tix and other deets. • Then the running games continue Apr. 23-24 when OBX Sporting Events presents the Outer Banks Flying Pirate Half Marathon. Warm up with Sat.’s First Flight 5k & Fun Run before taking on Sun.’s 13.1-mile trek, where costumed buccaneers blaze from Kitty Hawk to Nags Head Woods for a Pirate Jamboree finish line party featuring live music, food, fun, beer, and frilly sleeves. Register at www.obxse.com. • Hop a boat to earn extra miles when the Ocracoke Island 5k/10k & 1/2 Marathon races around our favorite getaway island Apr. 23-24. Just be sure to carve off a couple hours for the Ocracoke Waterfowl Festival on Apr. 23, where the Ocracoke Island Decoy Carvers Guild invites artisans and collectors to celebrate a time-honored art. More at www.visitocracokenc.com. • Why not throw a bike in the mix? On

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Apr. 24, Corolla’s 9th Annual Outer Banks Duathlon blends cycling and jogging into a single sweaty event. Find details and registration at www.obxrunning.com. • On Apr. 27, find out which First Flight High School seniors got free dough for future degrees at Scholarship Awards Night, where local non-profits encourage long-term dreams with cold hard cash. That means Manteo High and Cape Hatteras Secondary Schools awards nights can’t be too far off. Learn more at www.daretolearn.org. • Calling all shutterbugs! The 2022 City Nature Challenge wants your help shooting wild critters — metaphorically speaking, of course. From Apr. 29- May 2, photograph all the flora and fauna you come across in daily life, then submit the images to www.citynaturechallenge.org, so researchers can keep tabs on native species. Need some inspiration? Head over to Jockeys Ridge State Park for specially themed hikes and programs. And follow the OBX City Challenge Facebook Page for updates and results. • Did you know that, every year, NC State Parks picks an educational theme? And that 2022 is The Year of the Tree? Learn more at Jockeys Ridge as they branch out their children’s activities and programs in months to come. Until then, enjoy spring’s Full Moon Night Hikes and Ghostly Haunts - Soundside Campfires. Dig into their Facebook page for the latest. • Celebrate classic Outer Banks architecture when the Southern Shores Historic Flat Top Cottage Tour returns Apr. 30. From 1-5pm, visit ten examples of our favorite one-story, cement structures that once defined the local landscape. Find $10 tix on the day of the tour, beginning at 1pm at 156 Wax Myrtle Trail or at the Outer Banks Community Foundation’s HQ at 13 Skyline Road. Proceeds will benefit the Flat Top Preservation Fund. See the Southern Shores Historic Flat Top Cottages Facebook Page for updates. • On Apr. 30, salute spring’s arrival — and enjoy some fine vino — via Sanctuary Vineyards’ Wildflowers Rosé Release and Gallery Weekend. Sample the award-winning winery’s newest creation, featuring an original label

by Elena Johnston, then browse or purchase additional works by the Baltimore artist and

streets roar with vintage wheels and modified designs when the OBX Rod and Custom fellow creator, D’Metrius Rice. More at www.sanctuaryvineyards.com. • Ready to blow out Festival rolls into town, May 6-7. Look for this annual celebration of car culture to post up at some candles for Dare county’s youngest municipality? The Town of Duck’s 20th Anniversary Celebration is set to throw down on May 1. Deets are still TBD, so watch local venues like Nags Head’s Soundside and Mann’s Harbor’s Vertigo Tattoo. Plus, the Dunes Restaurant will host a Cruise-in Breakfast both days, 7amwww.townofduck.com for all the festive updates. • Then meet some 11am, and a Beach Road Cruise is also in the works. Proceeds fuel of the county’s freshly built babies later this spring, as they plan a Fundraising stays fashionable at Couture by funds for local charities. In fact, last year, they donated $25k to nonseries of Ribbon Cuttings for recent constructions, including: the Shore, May 7. Photo: Lori Douglas profits like the Children & Youth Partnership for Dare County; Manteo’s new College of the Albemarle Building; a new Health Dare County Motorsports Charity Group; Food for Thought; and Human Services HQ; the new dredge, “Miss Katie”; and the Hatteras United Methodist Church Toy Drive; Roanoke Island new Rodanthe “Jughandle” Bridge. There’s also plans to dump a Food Pantry; Hyde County Christmas Cheer Fund; and the boatload of fresh sand on our little ribbon of coast. Find details Virginia Tillett Scholarship Fund. For the latest, vroom over to about all these projects at www.darenc.com/projects. • Celebrate a www.obxrc.com. • On May 7, Couture by the Shore returns to Duck quarter-century of quirky creativity at Dare County Arts Council Woods Country Club to raise funds for the Outer Banks Relief when the 25th Mollie Fearing Memorial Art Show fills the Vault Foundation. Area fashionistas strut the runway — wearing styles Gallery with eclectic works in every style, from May 1-28, with an donated by Birthday Suits, Gray’s Sportswear, Untucked, Zen & opening day reception from 2-4pm. And from May 6-28, the Vault Zip, and others — while attendees enjoy a lavish luncheon and silent Gallery showcases landscape and nature photography by Chip auction, all under the theme: Derby Day: The Race for Relief.

Freund, with an opening reception on Fri., May 6 at 6pm. Then be at 11am-3pm. For details and ways to sponsor go to www.obrf.org. • Dowdy Park, May 7, for the return of Artrageous! This annual Southern-fried fish is always in fashion. On May 7, juke west to family-friendly, free favorite promises art, music, food, and fun from Jarvisburg for Sanctuary’s HOOKD Fish Fry & Wine Fest, where 10am-3pm. Updates at www.darearts.org. • Let’s hope big blue fresh, local catches get served up with all the fixins, plus fermented delivers solid surf to Jennette’s Pier for the Eastern Surfing grapes and sizzling hot tunes by Trae Pierce & the T-Stones. More Associations’ Mid-Atlantic Regionals. From May 6-8, this spring at www.sanctuaryvineyards.com. • Got a hankering for blue marlin? qualifier narrows down the gnarliest waveriders from VA to SC, as Hook into the fight of your life, May 10-14, when the 28th Annual Hatteras Village they battle for fall’s premiere ESA Eastern Championships. Heats start at 8am daily, so go Offshore Open kicks off the NC Billfish Series. Proceeds support the Hatteras Village cheer the home team. And if you’re looking for a shot at next year’s title, the first comp of Civic Association in their mission to continue providing scholarships to college bound the ESA Outer Banks NC district is on Sat., May 21. Register at www.surfesa.org. • Local

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1608 N. VIRGINIA DARE TRAIL | KILL DEVIL HILLS | 252.441.6001 | GOOMBAYS.COM milepost 61

endnotes village residents, as well as supporting charitable causes within the community. Find a full featuring men’s doubles, women’s doubles, and mixed doubles. Learn more at www. itinerary at www.hvoo.org. • On May 13, salute the sailors who lost their lives off our coast in outerbanks.org. • And the summer race season heats up May 25, when the 11th Annual World War II, when Ocracoke Island’s British Cemetery Ceremony and Reception Lighthouse 5k/1 Mile Race Series starts doing laps around Corolla’s Whalehead every commemorates the sinking of the H.M.T. Bedfordshire in 1942. Four sailors from the Wed. through Aug. And Thurs.’ weekly Sunrise 5k/1 Mile Beach Race Series brings joggers Bedfordshire are buried on the island in a small plot of land that is “forever England.” to Jennette’s Pier, May 26, June 2 & June 9. Both start at 8am. Get the deets and future Representatives from the U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Navy, British Royal Navy, Canadian dates at www.obxrunning.com. • Or just sit on your butt and watch actors sweat when the Royal Navy, and Ocracoke High School students participate in the ceremony, which 85th season of The Lost Colony opens on May 27. Runs every Mon.-Sat. until Aug. 20.

8:30pm. Tix start at $25. Free for ages five and under. Find details at www.thelostcolony.org. includes a reading of the crew list, the playing of bagpipes, and a 21-gun salute. Latest • Then make Memorial Day even more memorable by dashing south to join in the 9th details at www.visitocracokenc.com. • Did someone say “garden party?” On May 14, the Annual Shore Break 5k & Tide Pool Fun Run on May 30. The yearly race loops around Coastal Gardening Festival celebrates the 20th Anniversary of The Outer Banks Avon, with a finish line party of live Arboretum & Teaching Garden. tunes and libations, all to raise From 9am-2:30pm, be at the funds for the Hatteras Youth Thomas Baum Senior Center, Education Fund. Watch www. where 70+ vendors offer a variety hatterasyouth.com for the latest — of plants, art, handcrafted goods, and register by May 1 if you want refreshments and children’s to make sure you get a shirt. • Did activities. Proceeds benefit the you know one in eight women will outreach programs of the Dare be diagnosed with breast cancer County Extension Master during their lifetime? Don’t take a Gardener Volunteers in chance. If you’re uninsured or association with Dare County underinsured and live in Dare, Center of the North Carolina Hyde or Currituck County, the Cooperative Extension. For Outer Banks Hospital’s Get more information, call 252-473Pinked! Campaign supports Free 4290. • No growing season would Screening Mammograms on June be complete without a visit to 1, 7am-7pm. Pre-screening and Manteo’s Downtown Market. appointment required. Call 449This perennial favorite for fresh 5918 for details. • On June 1, produce and homemade goods celebrate the birthday of America’s happens every Sat., from May 14 favorite small town sheriff when to Sept. 17, 9am-1pm. (Except for Downtown Books launches John June 4.) Learn more at www.

Railey’s new title, Andy Griffith’s manteonc.gov. • Outer Banks Manteo: His Real Mayberry. And abstract artist Doug Brannon fills come back for Dare Day, June 4, as Glenn Eure’s Ghost Fleet Railey, Kimberly Brock, Angel Gallery with one-of-a-kind color Khoury, and other writers sign from mid-May through mid-June. books under the Author Tent.

Follow the gallery’s Facebook More at www.duckscottage.com. page for firmer details. • • Are you ready to Rock the Celebrate a high-flying halfSteel Pulse lights up Roanoke Island Festival Park as part of the Good Vibes Summer Tour, June 12. Photo: Patrick Niddrie Cape?! Head on over to Kitty century of soaring displays, May Hawk Kites’ Waves Village 19-22, as Kitty Hawk Kites’ Watersports Resort in Rodanthe, June 2, as Dare County Arts Council celebrates all Hang Gliding Spectacular turns 50 this year. Not only is “The Spec” the longest running forms of creative expression on Hatteras Island with a full day of lit local artists and live tunes. hang gliding competition in the world, it’s totally free to the public. The aerotow Bob your head to www.darearts.org for details. • What if ending hunger in Dare County competition will take place at the Cotton Gin in Jarvisburg, and the dune competition will could be as simple as raising your glass? That’s the goal behind the 1st Annual Outer Banks be held at Jockey’s Ridge State Park. Other activities include a vintage glider display and Rum Festival on June 11. From 3-8pm, be at Pirates Cove, as this mix of tastings and tunes fly-in; a historic film, photo, and T-shirt display; a film festival; and the Woody Jones Street turns into one tasty fundraiser for the Beach Food Pantry. For specific session details and Dance. Fly to www.kittyhawk.com for scheds and more. • And on May 21, jam over to the ticket prices, please visit www.beachfoodpantry.org. • And finally, on Sun., June 12, spark-up Soundside, for the 5th Annual Dare2Care OBX Shred Fest. From 2-8pm, watch the high season with good friends and top reggae when VusicFest brings The Good Vibes skateboarding and roller derby riders rip the half-pipe, along with BMX demos from Chain Summer Tour 2022 to Roanoke Festival Park, featuring the hot, modern rhythms of So Reaction Action Sports. Meanwhile, live acts rock two stages, including The Resilient — Cal’s Rebelution, the social activism of UK legends Steel Pulse, and the next generation of composed primarily of wounded US combat veterans — and The OBX Shredders, NC’s Jah ambassadors, DENM. Plus, DJ Mackle will be spinning positive vibes in-between sets. only inclusive rock band. Fill out the day with food, beverages, and a community corner Tix start at $45. Rain or shine. PS: depending on municipal and/or state requirements at the showcasing area non-profits, plus an art village, family fun zone, and Renate’s Raffle time of the event, attendees may be required to present proof of full vaccination status or a Hut. Check out Dare2CareOBX on FB for more deets! • Sweet wins and sour losses season negative COVID-19 test. Stay tuned for the latest updates at www.vusicfest.com. the weekend of May 21-22, as the OBX Pickleball Classic comes to KDH Rec Park,

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s w eats h irts 252.441.7889 • MamaKwans.com

Lunch 11:30 AM & Dinner 4 PM • Call for Closing Times • Closed Mondays milepost 63

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B U P D OL NEW TRICKS.

GREAT BREWS, UNIQUE FOOD & LIVE MUSIC SINCE 2001.

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