OUTER BANKS MILEPOST: ISSUE 5.1 by Matt Walker

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Fogging up the windows never goes out of fashion. Photo: Roger Meekins/Outer Banks History Center

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Nobody gets “just gohunt married” anymore. rearview

At least not in our destination wedding Shangri-La. Whether it’s popping crystal cathedrals behind million-dollar mansions — or doing shorebreak back-flips in full bridal regalia — the days of a simple church service followed by a cozy reception are finished. Here, celebrations don’t last for hours — they go for days. Guests don’t show up a few minutes early — they pre-game all week. And the party never ends, tying every beach-access in knots come sundown and rocking oceanfront porches ’til dawn. In a whirlwind romance of just 25 years, the Outer Banks has gone from the occasional couple saying “I do” to being utterly, hopelessly intertwined with the wedding biz.

But why here? Why now? And why so huge? Why now? That’s just another byproduct of our modern world. Instead of spending our lives in the same small town, we’ve scattered like rice all over the globe. When it comes time to get hitched, the most private to-do becomes a destination wedding for some BFF. Why huge? Well, once you make people buy plane tickets — and bring gifts — you better be sure they go home happy. Fine food. Stunning décor. Lavish lodging. Add about five decades of high-gloss magazines and a few billion Pinterest posts, and the big day is only bound to get more super-sized.

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Why here? That’s a little more personal. Sure, it’s super affordable. (Time it right, you get a service, reception and vacation for under ten grand.) It’s centrally located. (Something like half the country lives within a day’s drive.)

Add a few billion Pinterest posts, the big day is bound to get super-sized.

But more than anything, the Outer Banks is a community built on bonding people. We live to bring folks together, watch them have fun and send them home happy. Not just happy — but blissful. And we’ll bend over backwards to do it. In the process of building this issue, we made grown men wear dresses in ice-cold water; watched caterers hold frozen poses for hours; asked the most reserved officiants to act the fool. Not one balked for a single second. In fact, they added details we’d never have noticed, from keeping the dance floor airtight to making sure every prop’s paint job was super fresh. They weren’t doing it for some silly bride or demanding monster-in-law — they were doing it for a dumb-ass photo.

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Actually, they were doing it for themselves. Because they — and the hundreds of professionals they represent — have a real passion for what they do. They understand that we’re not just flirting with the wedding biz anymore; we’re married to it. For better or worse. Richer or poorer. And they know that what makes every relationship last is hard work and undying commitment. And a whole lotta of love. — Matt Walker

Thank you for reading Outer Banks Milepost. We hope you’ve enjoyed it. If not — before chucking this issue in the nearest dumpster — please consider one of the following equally satisfying ways of expressing your disgust: chop it up into wedding confetti; fold it into a Chinese lantern then set it on fire; or just roll it up and crack your future husband over the head. Then, send any and all feedback — positive, negative or just plain confused — to: editor@outerbanksmilepost.com. Or light us up on Facebook with your opinions and ideas. We promise to find some way to re-purpose them. milepost 3

“Many people spend more time in planning the wedding than they do in planning the marriage.” — Zig Ziglar “Fools in love – are there any other kind of lovers?” — Joe Jackson

M ak e M e m ories !

Discover the Other Side of the Outer Banks! Sail the Albemarle Sound

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Issue 5.1 Spring 2016 Cover: Let them eat cake. Artwork: Fay Davis Edwards

Reader You Brushes & Ink Carnell Boyle, John Butler, George Cheeseman, Marcia Cline, Carolina Coto, Jesse Davis, Fay Davis Edwards, Laine Edwards, Travis Fowler, Dawn Gray, Amelia Kasten, Chris Kemp, Dave Lekens, Ben Miller, Ben Morris, Holly Nettles, Rick Nilson, Stuart Parks II, Daniel Pullen, Charlotte Quinn, Meg Rubino, Shirley Ruff, Stephen Templeton, Two Tipis Under One Sun Lensfolk Nate Appel, Matt Artz, Chris Bickford, Russell Blackwood, Aycock Brown, Mark Buckler, Rich Coleman, Chris Creighton, Amy Dixon, Lori Douglas, Julie Dreelin, Tom Dugan/ESM, Roy Edlund, Bryan Elkus, Chris Hannant, Bryan Harvey, Ginger Harvey, Anthony Leone, Jeff Lewis, Jared Lloyd, Matt Lusk, Ray Matthews, Brooke Mayo, Mickey McCarthy, Roger Meekins, Dick Meseroll/ ESM, Ryan Moser, Rob Nelson, Crystal Polston, Daniel Pullen, Ryan Rhodes, Terry Rowell, Tom Sloate, DJ Struntz, Aimee Thibodeau, Eve Turek, Chris Updegrave, Cyrus Welch, Jay Wickens Penfolk Ashley Bahen, Amelia Boldaji, Hannah Bunn, Sarah Downing, Paul Evans, Laura Gomez-Nichols, Jim Gould, Sarah Hyde, Catherine Kozak, Katrina Leuzinger, Dan Lewis, Fran Marler, Matt Pruett, Mary Ellen Riddle, Sandy Semans, Julie Southard, Shannon Sutton, Michelle Wagner, Clumpy White, Natalie Wolfe, Michele Young-Stone Design/Production 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 252-441-6203 editor@outerbanksmilepost.com • sales@outerbanksmilepost.com

Reservations by calling: 1-877-359-8447 Visit our website: sailingouterbanks.com • obxsail.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

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“Friends” by Carnell Boyle “I’ve always doodled. When I was a banker, I’d sit during meetings and draw dots and circles. Now I do zentangles, which are basically the same thing: using patterns to create art. They’re all fun and fanciful. I make frogs, dragonflies, flowers, mermaids, fish — anything simple. I fill in the basic shape with triangles, tear drops, paisley, checkerboards then add bright, bold watercolors. It’s like making your own coloring book. And from an art standpoint, you’re not going very deep — you don’t have to stand there and study them. But they’re pleasing to look at and relaxing to do. And they keep your mind busy while you do them.” — Carnell Boyle 03 StartingPoint For richer and for richer. 06 UpFront Pooling costs, outdoor schools and rocking busses. 18 GetActive Filthy hands make light work. 21 FirstPerson Way of the native cultural warrior. 22 QuestionAuthority See tomorrow’s sunset today.

24 N ot Just Married When it comes to weddings, practice makes perfect. 32 GraphicContent We really, really shouldn’t have. 40 T rue Grit Outer Banks bike culture gets down and dirty. 48 FoodDrink Every percolator tells a story.

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THE FORTY DOLLAR getactive QUESTION soundcheck

How would you make life on the Outer Banks better? And would you help pay for it?

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Wants versus needs. Anyone who’s watched Dare County’s commissioners tackle a tight budget knows this phrase. It’s the much-touted, philosophical compass by which they decide what to fund. (See dredging the inlets.) What to forgo. (See county pay raises for the past seven years.) And when to split the difference. (See nearly a decade of school budget compromises.)

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But one interest group’s want is often another’s need. Or, more aptly, one politician’s potential revenue stream is another’s financial crisis.

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Never was this more obvious than last year. All summer, the county sweated a potential state budget move that would’ve redistributed sales tax revenue to help fund needy communities — and left the Outer Banks wanting for cash. In fact, the most extreme of several proposed plans would’ve meant a nearly $11.5 million hit to the county coffers — 11 percent of the total budget — and a roughly 7 percent shortfall for every municipality.

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In that situation, property tax bills on a home located in unincorporated Dare County with a tax value of $400,000 could increase $360. And towns would have their own increases to tag on, too. Talk about a tax hike to nowhere. Yet, we would’ve paid it. And at roughly a dollar a day, most probably could’ve afforded to. Luckily, the proposal failed. But imagine if instead of being forced to pay more to stay equal, we voluntarily raised that same amount to fund our county’s own wants and needs? Things we’ve already lost: like teachers and teachers aids and most federal dredging dollars. Would you see it as investment — or waste? And if a dollar a day is too much — how ’bout a dime?

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“It would force our counties, like Dare County, to do one of two things: One, cut services, or, two, raise property taxes,” said Bob Woodard, chairman of the Dare County

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That’s what we wanted to find out. So, in a first-ever foray into the world of polling, Milepost emailed out surveys to more than 800 residents in late December, asking if they would be willing to spend a little extra each year — $3.33 a month — provided it was used to fund their priorities.

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Teachers’ salaries, more Pre-K funding, restoration of the Teaching Fellows program, and proper funding for textbooks were some of the specifics listed.

Our proposal: a one-cent property tax increase. On a house valued at $400,000 that would amount to just $40 a year on property-owners’ tax bills. And it would add $1,270,000 in revenues to the county budget.

The second most popular No. 1 priority named was mental health and health care. Twenty-seven percent said more money needs to be spent for these services, including drug treatment and Alzheimer’s. (Perhaps a reflection of our aging population and ongoing opioid epidemic.)

Seventy-eight responded to the survey for an unscientific response rate of 10.25 percent. (Not bad; according to SurveyGizmo.com, that rate is within the average response rates of 10-15 percent for external surveys.) And guess what? Despite most elected officials’ reticence to even consider a hike, a full 82 percent said they were willing to spend the $40 — if it funded their “needs,” of course. And just what are those needs? That’s the biggest surprise yet, as those priorities were not so divisive as headlines often suggest. With almost a decade of decreased state funding finally showing in fading paint — and larger class sizes — it’s easy to see why education topped the list of spending suggestions, with 54 percent of respondents naming education or education-related items as their top priorities.

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Fourteen percent indicated infrastructure was their primary concern, listing better roads, protecting beaches, bridges, and adding high-speed cable for the Internet. County employees salaries came in fourth in the list of main priorities and was followed by increasing water quality testing, taking care of veterans and job-creation activities — all frequently listed as No. 2 and 3 priorities. It’s worth noting that water quality, county salaries and addiction all came up in public comment in the county’s

January town hall meeting in Manteo. And, to their credit, commissioners said they would tackle all these topics in their annual retreat. Yet, they also said they were committed to attacking these problems without raising taxes. But why? If the public’s open to the idea — why not lay out a plan that shows how a $40 boost might make our whole community better? With $1.27 million, Dare County Schools could receive enough to reinstate foreign language classes in some lower grades, hire more teachers and assistants, and buy updated course materials. Or a cool million could do wonders for mental health services and drug treatment facilities to better help those in need. Roads and bridges are a state issue, but the money could help expand high-speed Internet, which could help attract higher paying, year-round jobs. And a $2,000 raise for all county employees wouldn’t just help them catch up with inflation — their extra spending would give small, local businesses an indirect boost. All of these investments would help the average citizen in one way or another. And what would the average citizen sacrifice? For $40, you can buy a month in a tanning bed — or a hot stone massage

and pedicure — maybe a lunch date with the missus or a night out with the girls. Many of us run up a similar tab on a weekly basis. Surely, forgoing one splurge each year is a worthwhile investment to improve the community? Makes perfect sense, right?

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For $40, you can buy a month in a tanning bed or a lunch date with the missus.

Not necessarily. After all, our survey showed a full 18 percent were not pleased with the idea of any tax increase. And they were often the most vocal. “Hell no!” wrote one respondent. “Taxes are higher than inflation now.” Others were more diplomatic — if still distrustful. “I understand that growth and change don’t happen without funding,” wrote another. “However, [taxes are] determined by a government entity’s assessment and make it too easy for government to get lazy about working with what they already have.” But that’s the point. When it comes to finding money in a tough climate, governments don’t get lazy — they get creative. Instead of calling a new expense a tax, they call it a “fee” or a “toll” or some other surcharge. (Already, the state

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has upped court costs, DMV licenses, commercial fishing licenses, and is pining to add tolls on all free ferries; locally, fees have been raised on some county-offered services such as Parks and Recreation and the Dare Center.) And the county’s never been shy about finding ways to make people who can’t vote foot a big part of our bills. Half of Dare County’s six percent occupancy tax already goes to funding big-ticket items like beach nourishment and the Visitors Bureau. And when clogged inlet issues turned ugly last spring, the commissioners tried a similar move by proposing an extra quarter-cent sales tax on all goods except groceries. Everybody was for that tax: the fishermen, the realtors and restaurants, even the locals. Everyone except Raleigh, that is. (While the house voted to allow the county move, the state senate blocked it.) So, the commissioners did the next best thing by donating a portion of their beach nourishment-dedicated occupancy tax revenues — a total of $500,000 a year for five years. Problem solved. Sort of. Because budgets don’t grow on their own — expenses do. Watch and see if at least some money for inlet dredging isn’t also pulled out of the general fund in the future. If not, some community service that once was funded will require a “fee” or a “surcharge.” Because, to paraphrase Juliet, when a government wants money, “A tax by any other name would smell as sweet.” Or, to quote Mick Jagger: “You get what you need.” — Sandy Semans

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coastal caviar

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Before oysters and soft shells, sturgeon roe was the real delicacy.

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How do you like your eggs? Scrambled? Fried? Or sturgeon? At the end of the 19th century, the short-nosed and Atlantic varieties of this prehistoric fish were in high demand — both for their roe and for their meat — among Outer Banks fishermen who caught them in nets in the rivers of eastern North Carolina and just off the coast of Nags Head and Hatteras.

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Like a sturgeon? Caught in 1962, this 460-pounder held 110 pounds of roe. (Which is probably the combined weight of local girls, Dotty Fry and Delores Ward.) Photo: Aycock Brown/Outer Banks History Center

According to an 1895 article in Edenton’s Fisherman and Farmer newspaper, “Sturgeon fishing was first introduced to North Carolina waters by Captain A.T. Cain, an old experienced fisherman who came here from Delaware.” And though still a new venture, by the early 1900s harvesting the finny beasts was “rapidly becoming an industry of no small proportions.”

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Neither were the animals themselves, which could average between 150 and 300 pounds. In fact, the 453-page epic Fishes of North Carolina — published in 1907 as volume two of the North Carolina Geological and Economic Survey — reported examples “that were 12 feet long and weighed over 500 pounds.” A fitting size considering Coastwatch magazine says the species dates back 120 million years, with “dinosaur-like armor from five rows of bony plates, or scutes.” Needless to say, the fish wasn’t pretty. But the insides were tasty — especially the eggs. So, every spring, fishermen went about setting cotton twine nets in the ocean that were 600 to 1,000 feet long, right about the time female “cows” swam upriver to spawn, then tended the nets constantly to make sure cows came in alive.

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“They were no good if the fish had died in the net,” noted Ernal Foster in a 1976 Coastland Times article. (Captain Ernal, legendary charter boat captain and founder of the Albatross Fleet, was the son of Charles Foster and father of Ernie Foster, who continues the Hatteras Island fishing tradition.)

but not so salty that it would cook the delicate eggs. After periodically tasting the solution to determine the proper salinity, the eggs were removed from the brine and placed on racks and left overnight. Finally, the prepared roe from four to six fish was packed into wooden kegs that fetched between $25 and $40.

Once the fish were landed, the fishermen moved equally fast to make them count. As soon as the egg-laden cows were brought back to shore, the roe (sometimes weighing as much as 50 to 75 pounds) was carefully extracted and then placed into a vat of brine until it became pliable. The next step was removing the membrane, known colloquially on Hatteras Island as “fleece.” Fishermen placed the eggs into a large sieve and worked them through. These membranefree eggs then found their way into yet another tub of brine.

They called this process “working the roe.” And painstaking care was important at every step.

Making the right solution was serious business: the brine had to be just salty enough to preserve and flavor the roe

“Otherwise,” says Foster, “the eggs broke and you had nothing.” In fact, the method of turning roe into caviar was so guarded that Foster’s father, Charlie, and his partners performed the task in closed quarters so nobody else could learn the process. No wonder. By 1920, fish brokers from as far away as Philadelphia and New York were soliciting sturgeon caviar and meat in the Elizabeth City Independent. Unfortunately, when Foster died in 1953,

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By 1920, fish brokers from as far away as New York were soliciting sturgeon.

he was the last man who knew how to properly extract the black gold from the strangelooking fish, and make it salable to markets in Europe. However, the industry continued a few decades longer. In 1974, commercial fishermen H.R. and Lee Craddock of Manns Harbor netted a 250-pound sturgeon laden with 30 pounds of roe, which fetched about $7 a pound. But ultimately, the fish populations couldn’t keep pace, even with domestic demand. In 1990, North Carolina yielded just 7,000 pounds of sturgeon. In 1991, the state placed protections on both the short-

nosed and Atlantic sturgeon to preserve the remaining breeding stock. Come 2012, the Carolina population of sturgeon was placed on the Endangered Species list. But the prehistoric fish still has its followers. Biologists, ichthyologists and fish specialists with the National Marine Fisheries service, North Carolina State University and North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries all monitor the sturgeon and collect data on the ancient aquatic animal to ensure its survival. And caviar fans? Well, you can always satisfy your high-end tastes by ordering some Beluga online — where 1.5 ounces can fetch more than $300. On second thought, maybe just work an order of shad roe into your next breakfast. — Sarah Downing Sources: “The Naturalist’s Notebook: Dinosaurs in the Rivers?”, by Morgan Jones, Coastwatch Magazine, Spring 2013; “Protecting the Sturgeon: Joy and Consternation,” by Brad Rich, Coastal Review Online, April 4, 2012; “Federal Mackerel Rules Set,” Coastland Times, September 17, 1991; “Held Secret of Unusual Skill,” Coastland Times, November 11, 1976.

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

INTO THE SUNSET Not many farm animals boast a “Public Figure” Facebook page with nearly 5,000 fans. But Aggie the Horse wasn’t just well-liked — she was well-loved. For 23 years, this Currituck mare on the west side of 158 was a “yeehaw” milepost for visitors who felt their cooped-up, cattle drive was almost over — and a sweet “awww, shucks” moment for local animal lovers. Either way, her Nov. passing will leave a gaping hole in our cultural landscape — one we won’t fully appreciate until that first June traffic jam.

LEFT-HANDED COMPLIMENT Our poor, forgotten sounds. Seems like nobody pays attention to our not-so-little bodies of water on the west — unless it’s to find a way over them. But now the Army Corps of Engineers is beginning a $1.3 million project to better understand the impacts of sea level rise, climate change and other environmental impacts. Five platforms will gather a range of data, from contaminants BYPASS BLUES and algae content to salinity and seabed What’s worse than having to drive to VB? elevation, focusing on every little detail in Having to pay for it. Since its inception, savvy order to better appreciate and preserve this cheapskates have skipped off the Chesapeake precious estuary.

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Expressway onto Battlefield Blvd. in order to bypass the $3 toll. ($6 on weekends.) But what we saved in cash will now cost more in minutes as the speed limit’s dropped as much as 10mph to push an estimated 16,000 Saturday skinflints back on the highway — just in time for May’s hike to $8. (They sure do get you coming and going.)

SO LONG, SAILOR From “Yo! Ho! Ho!” to “Abandon ship!” in under four years. Such is the tragic tale of Gunboat, which filed for bankruptcy in Nov. and began auctioning off assets in Jan. When the international manufacturer of million-dollar catamarans came to Wanchese in 2012, many predicted a new wave of hightech boat building. Instead, the company hit rough seas in the form of unforeseen expenses and public relations disasters — like losing a vessel in a storm off of Hatteras. Throw in a couple lawsuits, and you get a multi-tentacled financial Kraken from which there was no escape. WHAT’S THE BEST KIND OF WORK? Teamwork. After listening to the Outer Banks Chamber of Commerce — and reaching out to various experts — Dare County will partner up with North Carolina State University’s Office of Outreach and Engagement this year to develop a strategic

plan to increase job diversity and yearround economic opportunity. It’s not all talk. In Jan., they took the first step by spending $58,640 to fund a year-long study by two reputed Raleigh research firms. (Hey: it takes money to make money.) SET YOUR flippers TO STUN Turtles in tanks. Turtles in tubs. Turtles in totes and bathrooms and hallways. Sounds like a Dr. Seuss poem — or an old Star Trek episode — but it was actually Roanoke Island Aquarium. When sea temps rapidly dropped 10 degrees this Jan., nearly 350 cold-stunned critters flooded the Sea Turtle Assistance and Rehabilitation facility. Instead of flipping out, the staff fostered awareness, scoring fresh containers, towels and financial donations from doting fans. Within a month, nearly all the animals were back in the ocean. May they live long and prosper.

AWOL TOWN HALL Last year, Dare County’s Town Hall style meeting in Manteo was a 24-citizen gripefest that took two hours. This year? There were barely five speakers — and the whole thing finished in 45 minutes. (Meanwhile, Buxton packed the house with people and opinions.) Yes, the weather was freezing. And, no, meetings aren’t fun. But these forums are a rare chance to have the commissioners stand at attention while the citizens bark orders. To miss one is a sore dereliction of civic duty. SMELLS LIKE VICTORY Forget napalm. When it comes to stopping bloodsuckers, “Bomb Shell” works better. According to Popular Science, a 2015 scientific study compared DEET with various perfumes and found Victoria Secret’s fruity and floral fragrance will fend off the buggers for more than two hours — contradicting common logic that sweeter scents attract

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skeeters. They also confirmed that Skin So Soft works nearly as well. But it don’t smell as nice. (And it sure don’t explain the catalog in your mailbox.) DYN-O-MITE! What could be more fun than blowing up Bonner Bridge? How ’bout fishing or diving on it? With the old span scheduled to be replaced by 2018, NC’s Marine Fisheries’ Artificial Reef Program wants to dump the demolished rubble on four existing reefs, where it will join other wreckage from the past 40 years. Everything from pieces of the old Washington Baum Bridge to box cars to sunken ships. Don’t swim? Don’t worry. They’re keeping a chunk on the south-side as a pier for anglers and sightseers. For detailed reports on many of these stories and breaking local news on a daily basis — plus page after page of local discussion — visit www. outerbanksvoice.com, www.obsentinel.com and www.islandfreepress.org.

SMART-ASS COMMENT OF THE MONTH “Sir, there are [fact-based] documents available and they are called textbooks. Just open the books and read.” — To the Captain, “Public meeting set on adding old Bonner Bridge to reefs,” OuterBanksVoice. com, Jan. 12, 2016

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upfront

WHADDYA RECKON?

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We got questions — you got answers.

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Declan Gallagher, 17 Retail Worker Kill Devil Hills “Family and friends for sure. A wedding is definitely something I’d want them all to be involved with.”

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“Which would you rather have: $50,000 to blow on an exotic vacation wedding for two — or $10k to spend here with friends and family?” Jeff Hanson, 56 Scientist Kill Devil Hills “Family and friends. Memories are forever; money is temporary. Starting a marriage out with the support of family and friends sounds like a solid foundation. Plus the 10K budget is perfect. The big expensive weddings we see happening out here are just nuts! [laughs]

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Chelsea Jenkins, 33 Server Kill Devil Hills “Elope always!!!! That’s what my husband and I did.”

Bobbie Stager, 40 Business Owner Nags Head “No questions asked — I’m eloping! Booking a flight to all the places I’ve always wanted to go.”

graphiccontent John Moore, 36 Comic Book Guy Kill Devil Hills “Stay here with my friends and family. For the most part my friends are jerks, but they are my jerks — I love them — so I’d rather have them around for the event.”

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Rashan Flewellen, 38 Artist Kitty Hawk “To be completely honest, I think marriage is a ridiculous concept. If you love someone there shouldn’t be a reason to get the law, the government and God involved. But that’s a solid budget. So, I’ll take the big check and travel to Paris to do the romantic thing, then Amsterdam to party it up, and maybe Japan, too.”

Sierra Stoll, 29 Artist Nags Head “I’m taking the elopement and using the money to charter a private yacht in the Mediterranean and island hop from Greece to Ibiza, multiple scandalous hidden cove beach rendezvous, and a hot air balloon ride or two.”

Ana Leiva, 22 Retail Worker Nags Head “Small wedding with family and friends. My family is Mexican — and Catholic. The money for the elopement wouldn’t be enough to get me far enough away to stop my mom from trying to kill me.” [laughs]

Interviews and images by Tony Leone milepost 13

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Look good. Play well. Don’t lose your balls.

THE GREAT OUTDOORS graphiccontent For one local school, Mother Nature is the world’s greatest teacher.

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Cedar Bossola stands on sandy soil and plants both hands firmly on the trunk of a towering pine. The tiny two-year-old leans his head as far back as possible, peers upward and wonders, “Does this tree ever end?” A few feet away, Clint Price, three, splashes in the mud with blocks, cups and spoons, manipulating and measuring the natural world that surrounds him. It’s not recess; it’s learning time. The two boys are part of a local nature preschool called Circle of Friends, where the great outdoors is not just their playground — it’s their classroom. Here there are no cubbies, no worksheets or coat hangers. There aren’t even walls or a ceiling for that matter.

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“It’s always been so obvious to me that children should be outside,” says the school’s founder and sole instructor Katie Cameron. “To allow nature to become your teacher offers an unbounded learning experience that will build unshakeable foundations for growth and development.”

With 20 years of experience teaching preschoolers, Cameron’s always made outside education a major part of her approach. In January 2015, she started Circle of Friends, forgoing any permanent address and expanding the outdoor time to 100 percent. One year later, as many as ten preschoolers gather on any given weekday — more in summer, when she takes on school-age children who are out on break. And they all explore a full range of natural options with limitless energy. “When children are immersed into nature, they are fully engaged,” she explains. “All the senses are in operation, allowing learning to be fully absorbed deeply and, in turn, it supports all areas of development. Everything is working together and firing at the same time.” Cameron is not alone in her views. According to a recent New York Times article, The Natural Start Alliance lists

On the road to find out in Nags Head Woods. Photo: Julie Dreelin

“

happening in such an organic way.”

“We never sit. There is a constant flow of motion.”

Cameron draws from a variety of curriculums, like The Cedarsong Nature School, Forest Schools Education, Schools Out, and Children’s Nature Network. She also utilizes the Montessori, Reggio Emilla and Waldorf methods. And she’s a genius at making makeshift classrooms in nature — bringing along everything from books and measuring cups to art supplies and rock counters — and keeping kids moving. “We never sit,” Cameron says. “There is a constant flow of motion.” That includes a rotating number of potential classrooms. One day it’s Nags Head Woods. The next day it may be the beach, or perhaps the turtle pond at Aviation Park. On this December afternoon, the forecast calls for a light sprinkle around lunchtime, which will send them over to splash around in the puddles at the Nags Head Town Park on Barnes Street. 92 schools across the country that “put nature at the heart of their programs.” In 2008, there were 20. The trend is built on families who are drawn to nature, are health conscious and willing to look outside the box when it comes to their children’s development. Cedar Bossola comes from one of those families. He and his sister, Zoey, who is four, are currently enrolled, and Kiran, their big brother, used to be at Circle of Friends until he entered kindergarten several years ago. Their mother, Dallas, provides prenatal and postpartum services locally. She recalls Kiran coming home from school covered in dirt with a bag of filthy, muddy or wet clothes. “I’ve been a huge fan ever since,” she says, adding that studies point to the fact that kids learn better when they’re free to move and explore. “I’ve always loved that part of the program. And I saw the results. They would come home and be able to count, they knew their colors, and it was all

Whatever the location, they’re bound to discover a fun, new experience. The school’s book nook may be a cove carved out in the dunes of Jockey’s Ridge; its snack area a clearing in the woods. And the art corner may just be the tide line at the edge of the sea. And while Cameron runs the lessons, Mother Nature’s the ultimate teacher.

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“My group has had the pleasure of witnessing the frozen sound, blooming of spring, swimming in summer, and the beautiful transition of fall,” she adds. In fact, the only thing that will draw this earth-loving, nature-learning-movement obsessed crew inside is safety — i.e. lightening, frigid temperatures, or perhaps a hurricane. Otherwise? “They are climbing trees, running up and down dunes and learning how to maneuver rocks,” says Dallas. “And they are coming home exhausted. This is where they belong at this age.” — Michelle Wagner

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Whether you enjoy digging flowers — or raising donations — rearview Elizabethan Gardens can use an extra green thumb.

There’s no better place to appreciate spring than the Elizabethan Gardens. And there’s no better way to do it than getting your hands dirty. “We have a very diverse volunteer base that we simply could not function without,” says Executive Director, Carl Curnutte. “In fact, last year alone, our core group of around 80 logged over 4,000 hours.” That’s not just pruning bushes and planting bulbs. As a non-profit facility that stays open year-round, it takes a team of dogooders to help with everything from running the gift shop to helping raise funds. Even the board of governors all donate their time — just as they have since

the Garden Club of North Carolina and an internationally renowned landscaper officially decided to turn ten acres next to Fort Raleigh National Park into a botanical treasure. “The garden construction began on June 2, 1953 — the day Queen Elizabeth II was crowned,” says Curnutte. “And we formally opened on August 18, 1960 — Virginia Dare’s 373rd birthday.” Upon commencement, the modest collection of gardens mirrored those of the original settlers. With time, the gardens grew to include an ever-evolving collection of statuary, plants and other objets d’art, paying tribute to both English connections

— including roses from the Queen Mother’s private collection — and local history. “Many of our plants, like some of the hydrangeas, were originally donated by members of our community,” Curnutte says. “It’s really how the gardens came about.” Today, the grounds overflow with lush generosity. Pass beyond the brick walls and iron gate, you’ll discover a sea of greenery laden with treasures from near and far. Oaklined paths glisten with myriad blooms, like camellias and forsythia — anemones and hyacinths — all illuminating the landscape like jewels in a royal crown. Likenesses of both Queen Elizabeth I and Virginia Dare stand like stone goddesses. But each addition requires some work, which is why all year long, humans come and go like hummingbirds, buzzing among branches to keep the grounds fertile — even when there’s barely a flower in sight. “You may not realize it,” says Curnutte, “but the winter is a busy time for us. Upkeep is huge, so volunteers must begin pruning, raking and making sure that certain plants remain undisturbed in order to protect the ground during colder times.” All that labor makes for a productive spring. Still, once the weather breaks, eager gardeners must stay their hands a while. Too much digging and snipping might damage new growth; instead, important tasks include maintaining walkways and statues and tending to greenhouses. It’s also a key time to tend to business; between plant sales and an impending summer, there’s always something to do in the gift shop.

“

2014, Richard Martin, Sr. dutifully nurtured the garden’s roses. Today, his son carries on the legacy.

Camellias, Forsythia, Anemones and Hyacinths glisten like jewels in a royal crown.

“For years my dad worked with these roses, eventually bringing them back to life,” says Dr. Richard Martin. “I segued into it in 2011 because he was travelling a lot and needed someone to fill in. When he died in 2014, I figured, ‘Why not continue the tradition?’”

Like his father, Martin now chooses to share his passion with future flower fans. In fact, the director of Dare County’s Friends of Youth often brings in the program’s kids, letting them step outside to get a hands-on appreciation for making things grow. “The gardens are a great climate for them to be in,” says Martin. Or anyone for that matter, which is why every year, the garden hosts a “Spring Clean,” inviting the general public to come pitch in and help prepare the grounds for summer. Some even sign up for regular duty all year long. In return, they learn new skills and pick-up insights from professional caretakers.

“Everything we sell, we grow, and most of the plants in the gardens are cultivated here,” says Curnutte. “Whatever folks find themselves doing, it’s because that’s where they want to be. We want people to be wherever makes them happy.”

But whether they are raking and pulling weeds — or ringing a register — each task is rewarding: a chance to be productive and see the fruits of your labor firsthand. Or to just enjoy a calm respite from everyday life.

Some spend a few hours, some stay months. Some stay for years, building relationships that can span generations. From 2007 to

As Martin notes, “In the chaotic world we live in, this is a place to find peace.” — Fran Marler

Join volunteers on Saturday, March 12th from 9am-2pm for this year’s Spring Clean. And for more ways to help Elizabethan Gardens flourish — from donating plants to volunteering on a regular basis — go to www.elizabethangardens.org.

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firstperson gobike Bornfriend takes time to reflect. Photo: Daniel Pullen

Bornfriend takes time to reflect. Photo: Daniel Pullen

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By my late twenties, I was actively seeking artifacts. I did a lot of mooching around at yard sales and auctions. I’d see a rug or a piece of pottery that was poorly treated and think, “That shouldn’t be lost.” And 50 years ago the general public had little appreciation for these items, so with a little money — and a lot of work — I was able to manifest a little collection.

“

When I came down in 1984, I had zero thoughts about making a museum. But I felt a need to make sure all these things I’d preserved contributed to society. So my wife and I invited people in. Then we kept building rooms and adding displays. And over the years, people would bring us things they discovered. Up this hill or down this road. Hurricane Emily exposed so many artifacts, there was a symposium that ended up identifying a native site.

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“I’d see a rug or a piece of pottery that was poorly treated and think, ‘That shouldn’t be lost.’”

Of course we have a display devoted to local cultures. But we also have items representing all the tribes of North America: Kachina dolls and headdresses, pipes, bows and arrows. I was always very generalized, which is sort of a detriment. Had I specialized in weaving or pottery or stone material I might be considered some kind of expert and been written up in textbooks. But I think it makes the collection more interesting to more people. And it helps the collection grow. Every year, some visitor who loves what we do donates some item they don’t have room for. Thank goodness for small homes. [laughs]

We always wanted to show people that Native Americans aren’t merely historical figures. So, in 1999 we held our first pow wow. More than 1000 people showed up. And for 13 years, we hosted different tribes from all over the country. There was dancing and storytelling and ceremonies in full regalia. But we felt we accomplished that goal. Now we’re working toward putting a representative village on our nature trail so people will know what native life was like right here.

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SACRED BOND

roadmap Frisco Native American Museum founder Carl Bornfriend gokite

There’s a great deal about native cultures that I philosophically agree with. Their respect for human life and nature; their belief in the interconnection of all things. But what prompted my original interest was just being a kid. Growing up outside Philadelphia in the 1930s, you could walk through farmland and fill your pockets with pieces of stone and pottery. One of the deer bones we display, I picked up when I was eight or nine years old. So this is a fascination that’s gone on for almost 80 years.

has cherished and shared native cultures his whole life.

Our volunteers just finished the foundation for a long house. In April of 2017, we’ll do our first Village Day. You’ll see a fish drying station or a knapping station for arrowheads, so the public will feel like they’ve stepped back in time. Because we don’t think for a minute we own these things — our job is just to protect them, preserve them, and to share them. To learn more about the Frisco Native American Museum — including educational workshops and volunteer opportunities — visit www.nativeamericanmuseum.org. milepost 21

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Upper level clouds lead to increased levels of excitement. Photo: Matt Lusk

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UNITS OF WOW milepost

Meet the weather nerds who crack the code on brilliant sunbursts. Bay Drive toward dusk is a rush of activity. Parents and strollers pour from neighborhood houses. Cars and bikes park at random. All anxious to catch a glimpse as the sun says “Peace out” and dips behind the horizon. Some days are jaw-dropping brilliant; some not so much. ( Just check your Instagram feed.) But what if there was no need to rush? What if you could go online in the morning and see how high-rez — or ho-hum — your evening light show will be?

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Well, now you can. Thanks to a few Penn State students and grads, a new website is predicting the brilliance of both sunsets and sunrises up to 32 hours in advance, using nothing but NOAA’s forecast models — and some clever computing.

outthere

“Basically, we run NOAA’s weather model through a special algorithm,” says 19-year-old Stephen Hallet, the model developer for SunsetWx.com. “It picks out which variables make up a good sunset and sunrise and then spits it out into an image.” An image just like any online weather map of the U.S. Except, instead of rainstorms it predicts sun refraction: reds and oranges indicate a potential showstopper that says “drop everything”; greens and blues tell you to keep cooking dinner. The website’s only been live since November, but it’s already generating buzz for producing results with 85 percent accuracy. And while the forecast itself is pretty broad — think states, not zip codes — as technology advances so will its potential. Who knows? Maybe in another decade people will plan Outer Banks vacations on the flamboyant comings and goings of our favorite star. (Or, they’ll just have another reason to yell at the weatherman.) Either way, add it to your list of forecasts to follow.

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As Hallet notes, “The model has days that it nails it — and days it could do better. But it’s nailed many more sunsets and sunrises than it has missed.” milepost

MILEPOST: How did this whole project come about? STEPHEN HALLET: I work with two other people: Jacob DeFlitch, a meteorologist for AccuWeather, and Ben Reppert, a research assistant. When Jacob went to Penn State he was the university’s landscape photographer. Being a meteorology major, he wanted to know what factors made a good sunset. He consulted with Ben, who knew I was pretty good at computers. So they would analyze the atmosphere and then tell me what variables produce a good sunset. We met several times, looked over sunsets across the country and said “insert this variable” or “take out this one” to refine the algorithm. It took about three weeks of that process to get a product that would be appropriate for the public’s use. So what variables make for a good sunset? And how does the algorithm turn into a website? The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) issues weather models

that spit out forecast data. The computer scripts pull the data from NOAA, pick out which variables make up a good sunset and sunrise, and then spit it out into an image of a map with a color scale of blue to red (blue being less favorable and red being most favorable). Things that lead to a favorable sunrise or sunset are the absence of low clouds and a broken deck of clouds that’s at the middle or high levels of the atmosphere. The biggest change in variables it looks for is whether the air is sinking or rising. It’ll reward for sinking air on the sunset algorithm and reward rising air with the sunrise algorithm. Also, if the clouds aren’t broken or scattered — and there’s a thick deck of clouds — the model will sense that and penalize. So the model meshes all these variables together on a numerical scale. But what good is it to the layman if it says, “Expect a sunset of 35 today”? So, I tell the algorithm to rank and then display the smaller numbers as “less vivid” and the larger numbers as “more vivid.” And that gives you “the wow factor.” So, I guess, you’d call it units of “wow.” Because, if there’s a sunset or sunrise at the top of our scale, it’s really gonna draw peoples’ attention. And not just photographers or enthusiasts. If you’re driving home from work, you’re gonna want to stop the car. What were some of your best results so far? There was a great sunset up across the Eastern seaboard last November. Back then I still had to run the model manually. So I ran it three hours before and the color scale was maxed out across the Northeast — Baltimore, Philadelphia, New Jersey, New York City. It just really nailed it. At the time, we just had this fledgling Twitter account and people were, like, “Whoa, you guys predicted that?” They were sharing that map and sharing our account. And that was probably one of the top ten sunsets that I’ve seen, and it was probably the sunset that really kicked off SunsetWx. But it all depends on NOAA’s model timing, so if the model is off, then the algorithm is off. One day, I was predicting not such a great sunset. But the clouds came out just a couple minutes before dark, so there was just a five-minute time period where the sun

reached the right angle and lit up the sky. Then people said, “Well your model didn’t predict this.” It sounds like social media has been a key factor in testing your program. Yes. Our case study came from people tweeting photos at us. We just went on our Twitter account and asked them, “Can we use this for our case study?” Then we asked them where they took the picture and verified the photos against the forecast. It’s also been a key factor in getting the word out. The Twitter account lights up if there’s supposed to be a great sunset in the big cities. We actually get a fair amount from the barrier islands, either on the Outer Banks or nearby. Does topography come into play at all? Because we get some weird weather over here since we’re surrounded by water. Or what about urban versus rural settings? Or even pollution? Topography comes into play. But the NOAA model already knows that the Outer Banks are surrounded by water, or that the Western U.S. has the Rocky Mountains. I do not believe that it recognizes cities; it’s not a high enough resolution to pick out buildings. And pollution is the one variable that we are still searching for data to put into the model. That’s one thing that would really improve accuracy. For example, the Canadian wildfires in summer make for beautiful sunsets. Right now, the maps are pretty broad. Is there any chance we’ll be able to “zoom in” on the Outer Banks one day? See, therein lies the challenge. The weather models are very powerful. They’re using the top ten super computers in the world. But the technology’s still not there yet. So, the weather model is very coarse when you zoom in. It’s like zooming in to a low-quality picture — you see the individual pixels — so it’s gonna look pretty grainy. But with time, it will get better. NOAA — and all the computer models around the world — are getting better with the spacing between those pixels. So in 10 years, maybe, you could do that. But it takes a crazy amount of computing power to even produce the image of the United States that’s on our site.

“

What about timing? Right now you predict 32 hours out. Do you think we’ll ever be able to maybe plan a week in advance?

“If a sunset hits the top of our scale, you’re gonna want to stop the car.”

Oh yeah. As the computers get better, so will the methods. Because what the weather model cannot do right now is predict individual air molecules, and there are tons of air molecules in the atmosphere. So, it guesses. And as computing power increases, the model won’t have to guess as much, and therefore it will become more accurate.

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I think one implication is just bringing more tangibility to weather forecasts. When people watch the weather on the news, there’s all these spaghetti models that say, “Oh, it could go this way or it could go that way.” In the public eye it’s just like, “Well, you don’t know what’s gonna happen.” But for a sunset, those variables are a bit more tame. And it allows someone to see that forecast on the image and then go outside and actually look at it. It allows you to bond with the forecast, because there it is: happening right in front of you. — Katrina Leuzinger-Owens The preceding interview was edited for space, flow and clarity. For the full conversation go to www.outerbanksmilepost.com.

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So what is the model’s future? Is it apps? Am I gonna get a push notification that says, “Wake up early and watch the sunrise?” Or do you think people will one day book photo shoots and sunset cruises based on the forecast? Well, I’m just your programmer. I have no business experience whatsoever. I know we’ve already had landscape photographers plan their days around the sunset and sunrise forecasts. And we are working on an app development, but slowly. They have full-time jobs — I’m a full-time student. But that will be one of the features.

Rewind…

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t s u J

NOT

MARRIED

Forget romance.

When it comes to weddings, only practice makes perfect. Fortunately, the Outer Banks boasts a wide range of experts who understand every nuptial nuance of our native land. They know the weather. They know the venues. And they know each other. In other words, they know how to make your dream day even dreamier. And if the cake hits the dress? They know what to do next so no one notices. We talked to seven seasoned professionals to see what goes on behind the scenes — we even asked their advice on latest trends, lasting ideas and what pitfalls to avoid. Think of it as a PSA for life’s biggest PDA. Because no wedding is ever perfect — it just has to look that way.

8 Photography By

Christopher W. Bickford Words by C. White milepost

Love Bloo

Dorothy Morris never wanted to start a wedding business. She simply wanted to continue a family tradition. “My father is a third-generation bulb grower who breeds and hybridizes daffodils,” says the bright-eyed Kitty Hawk mother of two. “I spent most of my summers in the back of a bulb-digger. When my first daughter was born, Dad encouraged me to start a garden. So we leased some land in Currituck, he donated a bunch of bulbs, and it grew from there.”

That was 2004. Within a year, the Flower Field was blooming, selling seasonal arrangements and monthly subscriptions. Tulips and daffodils for Easter; doting dahlias come Mother’s Day. A colorful sea of irises to welcome summer guests. But, while she was happy to bust out the occasional bouquet or boutonnière — maybe a table arrangement or two — the concept of dealing with brides full-time sounded way too chaotic. Until Dorothy agreed to design a small ceremony for a super close friend. And all that chaos suddenly proved contagious. “I fell in love with the artistic side immediately,” says the VCU grad. “But I’m a little obsessive-compulsive; it’s hard not to be consumed with all of the details. Once I start with making one facet pretty, I want to make it all pretty.”

For Better, For Worse: “One of the biggest mistakes is not hiring local vendors. Because someone from California is not going to know how to run a wedding or throw a party on the Outer Banks. It’s a unique environment, and you have to know what’s possible and what works well. And then the best thing you can do is just let them do their job. When someone has faith in you, it gives you more confidence to bring in those extra, added touches, so it comes out even more heartfelt.” — Dorothy Morris

Something Old, Something New: “Everyone’s been wanting a romantic, lush style wedding. And I think that will continue, but I also think there will be a shift toward a more refined, minimalist modern feel. But I like to do things differently. And I love a good challenge. We did a steampunk wedding in Ocracoke that was awesome. The bride had a dress made in London that was sapphire blue and had peacock feathers; the girls were all in corsets. And the guys were wearing top hats and ducktails. I loved it. Starfish and hydrangeas are overrated.” — Dorothy Morris

Make a Vow…

oms Eternal Thus, the Flower Field blossomed into Bells & Whistles. Ten years and countless ceremonies later, Dorothy stands ready to help brides make decisions big and small, from choosing the invitation fonts to designing table décor to dictating how the whole room should flow. And not only will she put together your floral ideas — she’ll build a pedestal to put them on. Actually, her husband, Ben, will. And that’s just the beginning. With a degree in theatre design, and an eye for murals, this former movie industry worker can turn any idea into reality. “I’ll paint curtains on giant sheets of paper to hang behind bands on stage so it looks like a theatre,” he explains. “Or I’ll cut-and-paint cursive letters to decorate the room with the couples’ initials. Basically, my job is to create a scene and make sure it looks like it’s supposed to be there.”

“.. it’s definitely hectic.. ”

He’ll build arbors out of driftwood. Construct fake walls with picture frames to pop your face through. Convert a boring old banquet room into a royal concert hall. The sky’s the limit — or maybe the ceiling. And the bigger the budget, the more grandiose the job. “One of our more elaborate weddings was pirate-themed,” Dorothy recalls. “Ben created a large-scale, vintage map. The groom’s cake looked like a treasure chest. The girls all got wooden boxes with pearls as party favors. And

“To stick to the plan. Don’t be wishy-washy and try changing things up six weeks ahead of time when everyone’s got 100 weddings at once. And don’t try to make everything so perfect. All that pressure is what messes things up. You can feel it when you walk in the room, everyone’s shorttempered and miserable. The best weddings happen when the people are like, ‘Whatever, we’re just happy to be here.’ And you know what? Those are the people who get the good weather, too.” — Ben Morris

we brought in nine-foot banana trees and decked out the whole place so you really felt like you were someplace tropical. Normally, you wouldn’t put ‘pirate’ and ‘glam’ in the same sentence, but we pulled it off.” Some weekends, they’re constructing as many as four different concepts — trucking plywood and plants to all four corners. Might be six-foot navy-blue anchors in Corolla. Or hauling steampunk props all the way to Ocracoke. Each time they’re turning local dining halls into a little hunk of Hollywood. Except, unlike the movie biz, there are no retakes. And, if you’re hanging “Best Day Ever” in four-foot letters, you damn sure better deliver. “It’s definitely hectic,” Ben admits. “Because you’ve only got one day to do something really elaborate. But the best thing I ever learned in theatre school was you don’t dwell on mistakes — you fix them. Just make sure that nobody knows.” Except for them, of course. In fact, if there’s a person who cares more than the bride, it’s Dorothy, as she carries the weight of the whole operation, from the pitch of the lights to the angle of the placeholders. And she’s never really sure she’s succeeded until she sees a rosy smile on her clients’ faces. “It is a lot like growing flowers,” she says. “Each garden has its own environment and soil to deal with; each wedding has its own microclimate to navigate. Some weddings I touch every detail; others I’m just an order-taker. But each one’s unique. And they all make me happy.” milepost 25

The Wedding Crasher

For Better, For Worse: “The worst mistake people make is not having a back-up plan for an outdoor wedding. They just expect the weather to be good. Then they show up, it’s nasty and they call us last-minute. And the problem is, if you wait too long, we might not have a tent — or we’re too booked to set it up. Or you’re going to be the last tent done and that’s just nothing but chaos. And I always recommend getting a planner — or at least get a dayof coordinator to handle the details. If nothing else, ask a sister or friend to help. You don’t want to be dealing with ‘Where’s this supposed to go?’ on your big day.” milepost

Something Old, Something New: “Anything that goes out of style comes back eventually, so I keep it all. I bought these gold chairs years ago, and they just sat and sat. Now they’re going out left and right. But clear top tents are real popular now. They’re great for fall, but July and August, you don’t want any part of them in daytime. It’s like a green house. So you can’t put out your flowers ’til the last minute. You can’t put out your food until you’re ready. And you cannot put your cake underneath too soon or it will melt. It’s definitely not friendly for anyone setting up during the day; you feel like an ant under a magnifying glass. But it sure is beautiful for guests come nightfall.”

Make a Vow… “To power up. Some houses are wedding-friendly; some aren’t. Back in the day, you’d see cords coming out of every window — bedrooms, bathrooms, laundry room. Somebody plugs in a coffee pot and the whole place goes dark. It’s gotten better, but if you have tent lighting, DJs, caterers, photo booths, a band — that’s a lot of energy. And it all looks good on paper, but even a brand new house might have a different idea.”

“Man, I can’t wait! You know how long I’ve wanted to do this?!” A giddy Rob Waddington’s hustling around with a stack of high-backed chairs, a hanger of freshly pressed linens and a king-sized perma-grin. He’s happy because after more than a decade renting and delivering all types of gear for wedding receptions — meticulously tabulating thousands of forks, washing chafing dishes and sweating broken returns — he’s finally feeling no pressure. Plates are chipped — who cares? Flatware don’t match — “Screw it!” And he’s definitely not worried if something gets broken. In fact, that’s the whole reason he’s here.

chances are, some would-be newlywed needs the same gear the next afternoon. So ’round midnight, the boys pile back in the truck and start fetching everything. And that’s when they see the aftermath. The glasses. The last-people-standing, still partying down — and the damage done along the way.

“...tables trashed everywhere...”

“One… Two… Three!” Rob yanks hard on the tablecloth, sending flowers and glass flying as the camera fires. Two seconds later he’s resetting the table: “Let’s try that again!” After all, a little red wine’s nothing compared to the messes he’s witnessed since he started working at Metro Rental in 1990. Back then, he was a high school senior helping his dad’s biz. And the shop? Its sole purpose was hiring out tools, chainsaws, shop-vacs. Anything a renter might need to handle a problem. In 2000, Waddington took over and began offering party supplies like tables, chairs, linens — plus a whole lot of tents. And that’s when the rental rager really began. “Around 2007 we went 100 percent party,” says Rob. “And it’s been nonstop ever since. I can’t even keep track of ceremonies. All I know is it’s like Groundhog Day, every day.” During peak season, Rob and his team are hustling from dawn to dusk. They might be dropping chairs off at Whalehead. Putting down a dance floor inside Jennette’s. Or creating a whole new venue behind some rich daddy’s rental: hauling everything from bathroom trailers to generators to king-sized tents that cover whole yards. But the day still ain’t over. Because

“You walk in and there’s tables trashed everywhere,” he laughs. “Everyone’s partying on the third floor and they left Grandma behind. It’s like flashing back to high school. All you can think is, ‘I’m in so much trouble.’”

Sometimes, the only things left standing are the tents. And even that’s a question mark in an environment where a meteorological wedding crasher can spring up at the worst possible time. “This one reception, somewhere between the salads and appetizers, the sky turned from beautiful to catastrophic,” Rob recalls. “I looked up to see a water spout coming across the sound. The poles started shaking, waves were crashing over the bulkhead, and the bride was in the middle of the dance floor with an umbrella. But then the rain stopped, the sun came out, and there was a beautiful double rainbow.”

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Sounds a lot like his job. Periods of stormy activity, followed by moments of beauty. But he’s weathered it all. In fact, one might argue he’s singlehandedly saved more weddings just by putting a piece of water-repellant fabric between the sky and the couple. And yet, for all the carnage he’s seen — and prevented — Rob rarely sees the most magical moment. And that’s the way he likes it. “I’m usually at home for the actual ceremony,” he says. “And that’s a good thing. If it’s 4:30 in the afternoon on Saturday, sunny, beautiful — and the phone isn’t ringing — that means we had a great week.”

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Tying the Knots Before any bride can tie the knot, she must first tie several. Or some specialist

has to. Twisting and turning strands of hair into sculptures of spun gold that shine and sparkle and seize peoples’ attention. Clueless bystanders might say it looks “breathtaking.” The more informed may classify it as an “up do.” But insiders know these complex coiffures by a much plainer — albeit important — title. “It’s basically called ‘wedding hair’ or ‘bridal hair,’” says Jim Williams, owner of Hairoics Salon and Spa. “But it requires a lot of talent and expertise, because it’s very intricate, very ornate, and very beautiful. And any woman will know that bridal hair is completely different than any hair they’ll wear on any other day.”

Once he was in, he was in for life. But he still wasn’t sure he wanted to live that life on the Outer Banks. After all, in the early ’80s, Hampton Roads’ citified styles were cutting edge compared to local beaches, where sun-bleached and sandy still reigned supreme. Finally, because he was visiting so much, friends in the business convinced him to stick around for a few months. “I was spending a lot of time here,” he recalls. “But I wasn’t about to move down because my attitude was nobody gets their hair done on vacation — at least that’s what I thought at the time. But, as with most things, I had it completely wrong.” [laughs]

“...last-minute catfights...”

Make that any woman plus at least one man. After all, Williams doesn’t just have the licensed training, he holds the life experience that comes with spending 30-plus years surrounded by the fairer sex. Hell, that’s what got him started in the business to begin with — all thanks to a former girlfriend and hairdresser who conned him into taking a beauty class on a lark.

And so, a summer sabbatical became a permanent working vacation. After five years building a local following at the nowdefunct Hair Emporium, Jim opened his own four-chair salon. With time, four stools turned to six. Six to eight. Eight to 14. Meanwhile, a fledgling industry was bringing down gaggles of women who didn’t just want a fresh hairstyle — they literally had to have it.

“I thought it was the craziest idea ever,” says the 62-year-old former construction worker. “Then I walked in and there were 100 cute women in little white uniforms. I said, ‘Okay, I’ll give this a shot.’ Turns out I had a talent for it.”

“That just goes to show how the wedding industry has evolved,” notes Jim. “It used to be Saturdays were the locals’ day. Now we can stack up as many as five bridal parties.”

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O AR PEN -RO UN D

For Better, For Worse: “The more information, the better. We’ve known our local clientele for years, but you can’t go on intuition with someone you just met. So we’re happy when brides bring in ideas from websites and magazines. But! We do have to remember these are professional photos with professional models. And we do have the odd incident, where someone has five strands of hair and they want to look like Rapunzel. Fortunately, there are technologies that make almost all things possible. And if we can see they’re suffering from a serious misconception, we’ll steer them in a new direction. And we usually find a route to make them happy.”

Something Old, Something New:

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“Rarely do you see anyone with big rollers anymore. That is yesteryear. Today’s styles are more avant-garde, more sculpted, with intricate knots and braids to capture people’s attention. In fact, some brides don’t like all that attention. They’ll ask for something that’s blow-dried straight, no frills. Because they’re nervous. But we’ll say, ‘You went through all this trouble, let’s make it count.’ And we’ll find a looser, low-key wedding style that they still love. And they look beautiful, too.”

Make a Vow… “To come in early and visit and decide on a style. Then make sure whoever makes the wedding day appointment knows who’s in the party and is able to relay all the pertinent information. Because every once in a while, you’ll have one member who’s not fully cognizant of what’s entailed. They show up late — or come in with fresh-out-of-the-shower wet hair down to their waist — and that can slow up the whole day.” Today, Hairoics has a staff of 25 employees between the front desk and the back room — more in summer — plus all the spa options to make any girl swoon. The ladies can warm up the week with pedicures, manicures and massages. Then come back that weekend to get new hair and fresh makeup. And with a brand new building, there’s plenty of room so they can share every moment. “We actually designed this space so an entire wedding party can come in and make themselves comfortable and get hair done together,” Jim continues. “They can bring in all their food and champagne. They can socialize and celebrate. It is a glorious thing to behold.” Hell, time it right, you can even score a shot of Botox, to boot. Not that every day is wrinkle-free. Brides are inherently nervous. Add the occasional rehearsal dinner hangover, last-minute catfight, or just casually late second cousin, and the hair might really start flying. But that’s where the real art comes into play. Because the experienced stylist understands how to construct a complex hairdo — and create a soothing head space.

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“That’s easy. You say, ‘Don’t worry, darling: they can’t have the wedding without you.’”

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“And that’s where training really comes in,” Jim insists. “Because when you know what you’re doing, you can focus more energy into making the bride feel confident and relaxed. And that’s the best thing about the salon; it gets them out of the house where all that stress is happening.” And if after all that, the bride’s still going nuts?

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Rocking The Mike For Better, For Worse:

“Smaller is better for beach weddings. If you’re up at Festival Park, that’s one thing. But finding parking for 200 people up at an access is difficult, much less herding them down the beach. And I always fear a ring getting lost in the sand or off a pier, so if it’s a younger ring bearer, give him fake rings and make the best man carry the real ones. And I always recommend people write down their vows. Because it’s an emotional day. And it’s easy to forget what to say. Most couples can barely remember their own wedding.” milepost

Something Old, Something New:

“Traditions are definitely changing. Today’s generation doesn’t seem to worry whether guests sit on the groom’s side or bride’s side. And it’s no big deal to see dogs included in a ceremony; that probably happens a couple times a year. I also do a lot of renewals now. For some, being together for 15 or 10 years is quite a feat. Others may have grown apart for one reason or another, and feel the need to make that commitment once again. They’re not large gatherings — often just the couple and key family — but they’re among the most beautiful because they’re always very intimate and very sincere.”

Make a Vow…

“To contain the ceremony. I have found that 20 minutes is perfect for couples to say their vows. But it’s not always easy. I remember one mother wanted to give a reading — and she read a whole children’s book. She took 45 minutes by herself. That’s a long time to stand on the beach in July. And there was nothing wrong with it, but she should have read a few paragraphs. So keep an eye on what folks are reading. And think about what you want to say; because you can say a lot in 20 minutes.”

“It’s karaoke.”

Fans of American Idol will recognize that phrase as the harshest twoword criticism for any carbon-copy performance. Yet, for centuries, wedding vows were pretty much all the same — except for the names — from “richer or poorer” to “for better or for worse.” But Tanya Young’s never done it that way. In fact, her whole purpose as a wedding officiant is to help each loving couple craft the perfect words to make the ceremony their own. “I tell my brides and grooms to write down stories and exchange ideas that feel personal to them,” says the life-long Kill Devil Hills resident. “I also encourage them to get other people to participate in a reading or in some other way, because I think that gives the ceremony the personality of the couple. And that seems to be more the trend today; couples don’t want cookie cutters.”

binding. And the second the Supreme Court made gay marriage legal in 2014, her phone started ringing for the following year. In fact, last season remains one of her most active — and most memorable. “It’s been a honor to marry couples who’ve been together for more than 20 years and are finally able to make it legal,” she says. “And I think we’re going to see plenty more, which is why I’ve written completely new ceremonies for gay marriages. But, really, it’s no different: people are people.” And on the Outer Banks, people want beach weddings. In fact, Young estimates a full 85 percent of her ceremonies happen on some hunk of sand, be it a secluded stretch of Hatteras or in front of a packed house in Corolla. Or somewhere in-between. If a couple’s ready to make the commitment, she’ll make it happen, whether it’s finding witnesses for a last-minute elopement on a crowded beach — “They love it; it makes for a wonderful vacation memory” — or hustling to beat the tide.

“...everyone got washed away...”

Not that Tanya wants you to go crazy. And neither will she. (If you want a real-life Elvis impersonator, better head to Vegas.) But if you want something truly heartfelt — and highly respectful — she’s at your service. No matter how unique that service might be. Over the past 14 years, Young’s seen and heard everything from sunset cruises and charter boat bridegrooms to Star Wars wedding marches. And she’s presided over the most solemn of rituals from a full spectrum of faiths and belief systems. “I’ve married Hindu couples, where there’s actually a fire,” she says. “I’ve broken the glass for Jewish weddings. I’ve done Celtic handfasting — where you bind their hands in a loose knot. Wiccan ceremonies, which involved lighting a candle and standing in a circle. I’m open to most anything, really. If that’s your tradition, that’s your tradition.” And if that’s your soulmate, that’s your soulmate, which is why she’s helped same-sex couples profess their undying love for each other, well before the ceremonies were officially

“One time the groom and I got stuck driving up to Carova,” she recalls. “The tide was rushing in, so someone brought the bride to us and I married them on top of a dune before everyone got washed away.” These days, Tanya carries a travel bag just in case she gets stuck. But mostly, she prefers to leave right after the ceremony. Parties are all well and good, but for her what matters are those special, transformative moments when two people come together as separate souls, say “I do” and emerge as one entity. “I see the three of us — the couple and I — as a circle of energy,” she says. “And for that twenty minutes, they express their strongest feelings and express promises only they can keep. And to see that unfold is magical.” continue to page 34

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Every marriage should begin with honesty — including the gifts.

Bubbles. Fans. Seashell placeholders. You can’t crash a wedding these days without scoring some romantic tribute to the couple’s undying love. But what if — instead of hollow chotchkies etched with sweet nothings — you went home with real-life reflections of the bride and groom’s relationship? Items that truly revealed what brought them together — and the heartfelt emotions that will bind them for life. (Maybe.)

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Boogie Knights Something Old, Something New:

“Every year has its song. This year was ‘Uptown Funk.’ Two years ago was ‘Blurred Lines.’ Then there’s the ones that never go away, like ‘Unchained Melody,’ or ‘At Last.’ But sometimes the best song only means something to the two people dancing. I saw a Daddy/Daughter dance where they chose ‘Three Little Birds’ because they built birdhouses together when she was a little girl. At first people were like, ‘Is he really playing Bob Marley?’ But by the end the whole room was crying.” — Raymond Burnell milepost

For Better, For Worse:

“The best toasts are funny, short, thoughtful and personal. Some people just stumble on, ‘Oh, man, we used to get so high before school…’ Nobody wants to hear that. A little roast is fine, but keep it respectful. When people ask me for advice, I say, ‘Look at the couple. Talk to them like you’re talking in a coffee shop. Not like there’s 100 people listening.’” — John Harper “Everyone loves a good time, but you’ve got to be careful how far you push it. If you’re partying in an oceanfront home mid-season, chances are people have paid a lot of money to rent the house next door. You don’t want the cops showing up at your wedding. Sometimes it’s better to end the party on a really awesome and positive high note.” — Bruce Jones

Make a Vow…

“To dance. And I mean everyone. These people, brides especially, have been dreaming of this day for a long, long time. If you see her up there alone, don’t sit and watch. Get up there and join her. That’ll make her feel more comfortable, get the party going quicker and make everyone have a much better time.” — Matt Cooper

A deep voice.

A deep understanding of music. And a deep appreciation for what goes into a good time. These are just some of the qualities one must possess to become a wedding DJ. That, and maybe a cheapskate buddy to get you started. “A friend asked me to play some records back in the early ’80s and over the years people kept asking,” recalls baritone radio personality, John Harper. “But I would say the mid-’90s is when things really kicked in; that’s when we started becoming a real destination.”

“Crazy Bitch” — unedited,” laughs Matt. “I seriously tried to talk her out of it, but she kept insisting — then she went and hid in the photo booth while the minister gave me the stinkeye. But I like requests, because they let me know what the guests are into and help me decide what to play the rest of the night.“ Just remember: it’s still a request, not a requirement. The DJ may not play it immediately. He may play something by the same artist. He may not play it at all. His whole job is to figure out how to move the max number of people at that moment, whether it’s clearing the crowd for the couple’s first dance or lining up single ladies to catch the bouquet or shaking booties all night long.

“... play ‘Crazy Bitch! ’...”

Today, instead of four or five weddings a season, Harper does closer to 50. And that’s just a fraction of the weekly festivities, as a slew of slick disc jockeys keep parties spinning — including fellow on-air celebrity Matt Cooper and local club favorites like Bruce Jones and Raymond Burnell (aka DJ Face). Instead of lugging in crates of albums, they roll in with laptops and portable lights, but they still carry the same physical desire to fill the dance floor. “Of course, your primary goal is to please the bride and groom,” says Bruce. “But you want your guests to be pumped, because they’re the ones traveling and spending money to be at your wedding. So I give the couple plenty of room to let me know what songs they like, then I try for a big mix, because then you hit everyone that’s involved.”

Best-case scenario, the couple picks their favorites, and the DJ fills in the gaps. It’s just like a human Pandora, except weddings are the ultimate shuffle of sound demographics. Grandma wants to hear Barry Manilow — the bridesmaids are begging for Bruno Mars. Then there’s that one drunk who keeps screaming, “Buck Cherry!” And in the age of Spotify, you can’t say, “Sorry, don’t have it.” Especially when that lush is also the boss. “This one bride kept asking me to play

And he needs to make sure the party don’t stop — unless, of course, he wants it to. “You always have to keep your ear to the ground for new music,” says Raymond. “But you can read the temperature of a room all you want and still throw on something wrong. So you’ve got to be able to hear something for 15 seconds and cut it, then have something else ready to play to get folks on that dance floor. That’s being a DJ.” That’s the difference between a real person and an iPod. A real person knows when to bring the house down and when to pump up the volume. When to hit play and when to hit stop. And, most importantly, a real person knows there is no rewind. “The wedding business isn’t just a big party,” says John. “Sure, the food’s great and you see a bunch of pretty women in dresses. But we’re professionals; and we take our jobs seriously. Because we realize this is the bride and groom’s big day, and if somebody screws up, you can’t do it again.”

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Pressu Cook

ure ker

Food. It’s totally expected at every wedding. But

rarely is it fully appreciated. Sure, grandmas gush that the vows were “tender” or table tops “looked scrumptious.” The groomsmen might even say “Sweet! Open bar!” Otherwise, nobody sweats the actual meal — unless they’ve got beef with how it was cooked. And that only means more pressure for specialists who put days into every delicious detail to please a packed house of potentially picky eaters. “We’ve done as many as three big weddings in one day,” says Marcelo Ortega, co-founder of Ortega’z Southwestern Grill. “That’s close to 1000 people and three separate events. Three venues. Three prep teams. It’s intense. But it’s actually kind of fun to pull off all that pressure. The key is making sure it goes unnoticed.”

“I totally bird-dog the place,” he admits. “If I see couples checking it out, I’ll pop my head out the door: ‘You guys got a caterer yet?!’” But not every party can happen footsteps from your own walk-in. In fact, the vast majority take place miles away in some venue or event home. And that’s when the action really heats up. Marcelo will spend days doing prep work and making last-minute menu tweaks to tap what seafood’s available. Then he goes and cooks it all on-site, where who knows what sort of kitchen he’ll find. He might score a high-end venue with a top-of-the-line Vulcan range — or the beach-box equivalent of an Easy-Bake Oven.

“...no elevator, no gas, no plates...”

Luckily, Marcelo and his wife, Lisa, have plenty of experience pleasing hungry crowds. They both worked for big corporate chains before opening Ortega’z in 2007, which soon became a local favorite for one-of-a-kind cuisine. Once they dove into catering, they took the same innovative approach by making sure every menu is made to order — from the fanciest nibbles for highfalutin food snobs to the humblest crowd-pleasers.

“We do all custom caterings,” says the 44-year-old Chilean native. “Instead of saying, ‘Pick three appetizers and three entrees,’ we ask them, ‘What brought you guys together?’ Or, ‘What’s a favorite meal from your families?’” Don’t have a preference? That’s even better. Because that’s when the creative juices really come out. You might roll into the reception and find mini-meatloaf cupcakes made with mashed potatoes and bacon bits — or an entire Asian station of exotic delights. Or any number of Latin American dishes inspired by Marcelo’s own heritage. (His mom once drove three hours to make 200 empanadas all by herself.) And that’s not his only home court advantage. Ortega’z sits right next door to one of Manteo’s most popular venues: 108 Budleigh.

“It all changes constantly,” he laughs. “You might drive up to a three-story home with no elevator and start lugging 80-pound coolers up the stairs. Then you’ll find out the stove’s got no gas or there’s no plates. You just have to adapt.”

And you keep on adapting. Bride wants to move the food outdoors? Sure, no problem. Looks like rain? Easy. We’ll hustle it all back in. Can’t start with the apps because the best man’s still blubbering? “That’s when it gets challenging,” says Marcelo. “The timing. You’ll have 200 salads ready to go, dressed and everything, and the planner says they want them in 30 minutes instead of two. That’s when your jaw starts to drop, because you never want food to sit. But you find a way to figure it out.” And you do it with a smile. Or at least you don’t sweat. And you never, ever, stop smiling — no matter how weeded you are. Or it’s your head on the platter. “People who have a hard time making it come together, are the ones who don’t make it,” says Marcelo. “And that goes for everyone. DJs, photographers, caterers — if you’re over in the corner grumbling, you won’t last long. Because you’re showing the pressure.”

For Better, For Worse:

Something Old, Something New:

“The absolute best is when they come in for a tasting and say, ‘You guys go for it.’ That’s an adrenaline rush because it gives us free rein to really create without any restrictions. The tough ones are when people come in with ideas and photos from Pinterest that are completely insane. Someone’s probably spending three hours on one meal that was made for five or 10 people — and we’re supposed to do it for 100 in the same amount of time.”

“Buffets are kind of dated. Instead of a long line of food, we try to break things up into stations. Dessert bars are kind of new, too. And we do a Sangria bar with different fruits for people to try. And super healthy and organic foods are really trendy, too. One person asked us to do all vegan for 140 people. That was tricky. Chicken stock and cream are a chef’s two favorite items!” [laughs]

Make a Vow… “To be open to ideas. Have a starting point — say you don’t like shrimp or you love steak — and then let’s go from there. Especially when you’re working with fresh foods, because they’re extremely seasonal. Know you’re not going to get fresh shrimp in December. And know your budget going in. It’s hard when people have these super big dreams and find out they can’t afford it. But we find ways to work it out. I tell folks: ‘We work from fish fry to black tie.’” milepost 37

Here’s To Eternity Something Old, Something New:

“There’s this one shot where the photo’s all black-andwhite but the flowers are in color. That died like 10 years ago. But to me no photo should be trendy. Because then it will look dated down the road. And I don’t know if it’s played or not, but I get excited when a bride wants to trash the dress. It’s like a model shoot for the bride. You can cut loose and be creative. But you need to be a certain type of personality to really make it work. And you have to be smart about where you go, because a dress with a train already weighs 15 pounds. A ten-foot north swell at the Lighthouse would drag someone down pretty quick.” [laughs] milepost

For Better, For Worse:

Make a Vow…

“Digital cameras already made things difficult, but cell phones are even worse. Because everyone has one. And people are so accustomed to shooting photos and posting on Facebook, they don’t even think about the people around them. I’ve had to step in front of someone to shoot the couple — and they yelled at me. [laughs] But I’ve been lucky to do a few unplugged ceremonies where the couple says, ‘No phones, no cameras. We’ve hired professionals to document our day.’ And that’s insane. I’d like to see every wedding go that way.”

“Allow enough time to get the photos you want. If you want sunset photos, the wedding needs to be earlier. If you’ve got 20 people in your party, plan on more than ten minutes. Do all your homework ahead of time so you know the people you’re working with. Basically, control what you can to the best of your ability — then don’t worry if it rains or if the centerpieces are off. Have the mindset, ‘It is what it is.’ People want this dream wedding — and it should be a highlight in your life. Just remember: you’re marrying your best friend. Because that is the highlight.”

beauty is in the eye of the beholder. If so, eternity is in the hands of the photographer. After all, how that person captures a wedding will last more than a day. It’ll last several lifetimes. Do you want your grandkids to see a blushing bride — or a rushing bride? A feel-good, family festivity — or a frat party? All that depends on any number of unforeseen scenarios — and how the shooter responds. “If everything’s planned well, it should all go smoothly,” says Daniel Pullen. “It’s when things gets frantic or stressed, that you have to worry. But most photographers here know how to troubleshoot because they don’t just shoot weddings, and you can see that creativity in their work.”

“trashing the dress” — no backdrop does it better. “I’d rather shoot Hatteras than anywhere,” says Daniel. “Just drive down the road and park and you’ve got the place to yourself. But the whole Outer Banks is gorgeous — we’ve got sand dunes, sea oats, ocean, lighthouses. It’s a wedding photographer’s dream.” Nope, it’s the indoors where things get tricky. Anyone who’s spent time in one of our Tony Montana-sized McMansions, knows the wedding is just the grand finale after a full week of partying. Kids track in sand all day; sloppy adults spill drinks all night. And housekeeping won’t show up till the last human checks out. All that activity makes things extra-challenging for someone whose job is to capture life on the fly.

“...the bride’s smoking cigs...”

You can certainly see it in Daniel’s. Scan his website, you’ll find way more than cute couples making kissyfaces. You’ll see powerful waves locking lips across Cape Point. Moon beams caressing the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse. Fishermen squeezing their latest true love. As a ninth generation Buxton native, Pullen’s always had eyes for his coastal home. So when he turned his lens toward shooting weddings in 2003, he made sure to transfer that passion into every couple — all six people.

“We did three weddings our first year,” remembers Daniel, who started the business with his wife, Kate. “Now we’ll do more like 60. But I don’t think you could have made a living just shooting weddings back then.” Certainly not on Hatteras Island. While the northern beaches turned nuptial a good 20 years back, the shoulder season down south was always more about hooking fish than getting hitched. Then access issues started giving anglers cold feet. Suddenly, weddings looked like a fresh way to court a new breed of beach fans — the kind who could care less about driving on it. Fifteen years later, Hatteras is the ultimate rustic choice for real nature lovers. (The park service won’t even allow chairs.) And when it comes time to capture the day’s most brilliant moments — or fill things out with peripheral photos like

“It’s tough when you’re trying to get photos of the girls getting ready and there’s wine bottles in the background,” he laments. “Or the bride’s smoking cigs. We want the images to be honest — but we also want them to be timeless.”

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That’s why the best shooters know all the angles to make every photo unreal. They know when to squeeze the trigger. When to hold their fire. And when to outright lie. Can’t get the ringbearer to smile? Crack a corny joke. Mother of the bride’s major honker casting a huge shadow? Time to pump up the lights. And if you accidentally snap a married uncle making out with a stranger, you damn sure better hit delete. And then there’s times when all you need to do is press a button and let the love shine through. “The coolest days are when you show up and the couple is all touchy feely,” he says. “The bride’s crying or — even better — the groom’s losing it. It sounds corny but all that joy comes across in the photographs. It’s effortless.”

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T r ue

Outer Banks bike culture

e Grit

e is dirty, driven and anything but weak.

Words by Amelia Boldaji Images by Ryan Moser

Every April, it rumbles through town. An avalanche of shiny leather and polished chrome, highend Harleys and trophy bikes, ready to pack pubs and burn pavement. For nine full days this gang of mostly out-oftown motorcycle maniacs rolls over bypass and beach road — spilling beers and spending coin — before evaporating in a cloud of exhaust fumes, war stories and hangovers. And that’s exactly when the real Outer Banks’ bike culture starts to shine, thanks to a talented gang of die-hard enthusiasts who rule their own roads, wrench their own rides, and aren’t at all afraid to get dirty — and ride hard — the other 51 weeks a year. “If Bike Week is all you know about the Outer Banks motorcycle scene then you don’t know any of it,” says longtime builder and mechanic, Chris Thibodeau. “You’ve got to dive in and talk to the people who live here. A lot goes on behind closed doors.” milepost 41

A whole lot. And

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Connect with nature by strolling along the Boardwalk, walk the village area with stores, galleries, and eateries, and throughout the summer, enjoy free live events at the Town Park.

Chris has been living that scene for nearly 40 years. Growing up in Duck among a family of riders, he remembers his fifth Christmas like it was yesterday — mostly because of what his dad put under the tree: his very first bike, a 1981 Yamaha Y-Zinger.

you start with a sketch, sometimes you wing it.”

Fast-forward a few decades, and the animal is a full-grown monster. Tall and lanky with a pulled-back ponytail and a quick smile, Chris has an easygoing demeanor that can instantly turn earnest when it comes to his favorite topic. After a long stretch running a repair business in Harbinger, Chris now works out of his downstairs garage in Kitty Hawk, where random vehicle parts line the walls from floor to ceiling. It’s a labyrinth of old jeeps and bikes in various stages of repair and/or modification — not to mention an odd assortment of scrap metal and other objects that are hard to identify for the untrained eye — and it suits him perfectly.

With a handful of projects going at any given time, there’s always something to occupy his imagination. Never really thinking that garage work would pay the bills, Chris started taking apart and rebuilding everything from mini bikes to the lawnmowers that his grandmother brought home from the junkyard when he was just a kid. By the ‘90s, he was still tinkering on the side while working in local restaurants until a tragic car accident in 2001 killed his girlfriend and left Chris unable to walk for six months.

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No, these days the bulk of his bread comes from overhauling Jeeps. Motorcycles are almost strictly a passion. A passion he picked up from his father, who proudly rode a perfect replica of the star-spangled chopper in Easy Rider called “Captain America.” Chris still cherishes it — in fact, he says it’s his favorite bike of all.

“It was yellow, beautiful and awesome,” he beams. “I walked out into the snow to put my helmet on and thought, ‘This is it.’ That created the “Sometimes animal.”

“I don’t sleep a lot, and I don’t like to stay still,” Chris says. “This is my sanity.”

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do anything, build anything. But I’m not doing [bikes] for a paycheck.”

It was a devastating turning point that forced him to think seriously about what he wanted to do with his life. With the full support of his family and a final push from his wife, Aimee, in 2011 Chris quit restaurants and took up residence in his garage full-time. He hasn’t looked back. “A lot of people become adults and start talking about all the things they can’t do,” he explains. “That’s not me. I think you can

But the bulk of his creations are infinitely grittier. So is his process, as Chris constantly figures out what works best by using whatever is at hand. He makes seats from skateboards. Creates headlamps from stovetops. Once, he even built the frame of a bike in his kitchen. “Sometimes you start with a sketch, sometimes you wing it,” Chris says. “No matter what, there’s always a lot that’s not part of the original plan. There’s never a direct point A to point B.” And there’s no limit to what Chris will work on, either. He’ll rebuild Harleys, hack up Hondas, weld gas tanks, and paint custom rides. And though he honed his skills working mainly on big-name motorcycles, over time he started creating his own market, turning tame mopeds into muscular hybrids with all the pep of something souped-up and street legal. “People get the bug, so they bring me something with a small engine that they think is boring,” he explains. “I’ll give some suggestions, and it takes off from there.” He’ll make a new frame so it’s slightly fuller. Modify the engine to max legal speed. Then update the look to match your little heart’s content. And once they hit the road, they immediately start turning heads. (Case in point: Chris’s style is so different, he once recognized one of his own designs for sale on an Alaskan Craigslist post.) And since Chris doesn’t officially advertise his services, most riders chase Chris. Riders like Tyler Jackson. An avid surfer, kayaker and DJ, Tyler bought his

Previous spread: Every time Tyler Jackson’s café racer-styled custom moped hits the road, it leaves bystanders suspended in a state of disbelief. Right: Jackson’s ride mixes DIY fabrications — such as this 1920s gas stove grill as a headlight bezel — with street-cred style points, like a Hurst suicide shifter. But whether it’s building a bad motor scooter or overhauling old Harleys, Thibodeau’s custom inventions all follow the same philosophy: “Fitting a lot of cool parts into one bike.”

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moped because it was fuel-efficient and fun to ride. Then he met several people with bikes that Chris built. He admired the style, so after a few inquiries, the two met up and began bouncing ideas around. What began with comfort and simplicity snowballed into Tyler’s dream machine.

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people who live here are almost always chasing activities that create the head space for a more laid-back lifestyle. To integrate their passions into their daily lives, rather than simply leaving them as afterthoughts. These guys just do it on asphalt and in garages instead of tackle shops and sandbars. And unlike the CEO who has a secretary schedule his annual OBX Bike Week like his board meetings, these guys do it every chance they can.

“Basically, we started with an old Yamaha tail end and built the whole bike around that,” says Tyler. “I love that it’s so wonky looking — it’s got this angular, ‘80s, sport bike, café racer look. It’s not like any other bike you’ve ever seen. One time I got pulled over and “It’s nice when you the cop was just like, ‘What is a bike you’ve never this? It’s so cool!’”

get

Granted, police officers love to seen before. it’s like a pull smaller bikes. Before this blank canvas.” past summer, state law didn’t require moped and scooter drivers to register their vehicles, making them the go-to alternative “There’s a freedom to riding a bike,” says transport for people with DUIs and other fellow builder Jay Morris. “If you’re pissed convictions. (Some people even call them off or whatever, you can let it all go no “liquor cycles.”) Chris thinks that hybrid matter what. It’s therapeutic.” custom bikes like Tyler’s help two-wheeled So is working on them. After graduating enthusiasts avoid the “moped shame.” But he isn’t making bikes for people who aren’t from the Motorcycle Mechanics Institute in Orlando, Florida, Jay returned to Kill allowed to ride anything else — he makes Devil Hills to take a job at the Harley store. them for people who don’t want to ride to Since most Harley shops won’t touch anything else. other brands’ bikes — or any models of “The smaller, hybrid bike thing especially their own that are more than ten years old is a little underground here,” he explains. — he eventually moved over to First Flight “But there’s a pretty big local group; a lot Motorcycles in Powell’s Point. Nowadays, of surfers, a lot of dreamers and abstract his full-time job is building homes, but he thinkers. A lot of square pegs for round still maintains a small shop called Divine holes.” Cycles, in Currituck, where he does jobs for his friends and family, and devotes his More importantly, he believes they’re the skills to a wider variety of vintage bikes. If ideal vehicles for converting a whole new he’s lucky, he gets something super old — band of cycling enthusiasts to the joys of and yet totally new. the open road without going whole hog. “Bikes are the perfect beach transportation,” Chris says. “They’re cheap, eco-friendly, and fun. I’d like to get more people out of their cars and onto a smaller bike so they can have that experience. Whenever I see an uptight person, in the back of my mind I imagine them on a bike. I’d like to see them put down their cell phones for a bit and just ride. It can completely change people’s mindsets.” And isn’t that the defining trait of any culture that’s taken root on the Outer Banks over the years? The ability to transform the natural environment into a personal escape? Pick your poison: whether it’s fishing, painting, surfing, kiting, or shell collecting,

“It’s nice when you get something you’ve never seen before,” he explains. “A small import or something rare. I like the challenge of getting my hands on a bike and treating it like a blank canvas. For me, a lot of the process is really intuitive — I just let the bike go the way it’s going to go.” No matter how long it takes. About eight years ago, Jay bought a 1978 Harley Shovelhead. Immediately, he knew just what to do with it, so he broke it down into pieces. Then watched it sit in a disheveled pile for nearly as long. “I either had time and no money, or money and no time,” he laughs. “Finally, about a year and a half ago, I committed to finishing the job.”

Dingy aluminum. “Frisco” mounted footboards. One-of-a-kind kick pedals. Morris says he leans toward parts and concepts nobody else “runs” — and borrows ideas from the most far-flung bike cultures. For example, this ’78 Harley may have been made — and remade — in America, but much of its inspiration rises from the East: “I’m heavily influenced by Japan. They do awesome stuff with their bikes.” milepost

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Southwestern Flair With A

Coastal Kick

He spent nearly every Saturday holed up in Currituck, welding pieces tighter than turnover-day gridlock. The end result is a bike that’s been customized with a stripped-down bobber style reminiscent of what Harley riders did in the ‘40s and ‘50s to compete with imported bikes. With its low, black silhouette and complete lack of logos, it’s barely recognizable from its original design — certainly from the “hogs” you see made today. But for insiders, it’s still one hell of a Harley. At least for the people he cares to impress. “The people who know, know,” says Morris.

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of a feature article in the December 2013 issue of Cycle Source. But Tammie likes how it performs on the road more than it does in any competition or magazine. “It’s a bike that’s garage built, not just garage kept,” she says proudly. “And I’ll ride it like I stole it.” After all, riding’s the real joy. In fact, she started an all-girls motorcycle club called the Hail Marys, to help get other females to hit the road. Otherwise, she says her welding days are mostly done — at least for now. “I wanted to be able to say ‘that bike’s mine,’” she explains. “I did that.”

For these innovators, that’s the whole challenge: creating “a bike should be something a bike that’s you ride, not a painting.” recognizable to the real enthusiast — but still stands apart in a But then again, no bike is truly ever crowd. And not just because it looks pretty finished. Jay has plans to continue — or because you look pretty riding it. But modifying one of his bikes with a sidecar because you physically helped bring it to so his whole family can go riding together, life. while Chris and Tyler treat their bad motor scooter as an ongoing collaboration. (Most “It can be hard being a chick and feeling recently, they upgraded the engine.) Even like a woman in a man’s world,” says Tammie says she plans to add a larger seat Tammie Scarborough. “But I think a bike to her bike this spring to accommodate should be something you ride, not just a her three-year-old son. And if any of painting.” them get stuck on a particularly sticky Growing up with an extended family of modification, they know they can call one bike fanatics, the owner of Style Divita of their fellow fanatics — no matter how salon knew she wanted a certain kind of many times they’ve called before. Or how look for her bike that wasn’t anything she many times they’ll call again. could buy outright. She’d known Jay since “We don’t need an end goal,” Tyler says. middle school, so she bought his 1986 “We’ll fix one thing, then see something Harley Sportster with a rebuilt engine for else and address that. It’s great to actually a couple thousand and a whole bunch of let your bike grow with you.” bartered haircuts. Next, she hooked up with Bill Marchetelli, who taught her how And that’s what makes these killer to weld. motorbikes the ultimate passion projects: they never get old. Each time you tweak “Bill would give me a lesson and then tell them, they become more like yours. Each me to get to it,” she says. time you help a buddy, the Outer Banks She spent the next 18 months bending bike community gets a little bit tighter — the frame to suit her own personality. She and a lot more unique. added one-of-a-kind details such as an Still, while the local scene may seem old Unity headlight and a sissy bar made totally separate from the Bike Week crowd, out of hand-twisted steel curtain rods and nobody here wants to spend too much a pair of tin snips — paying homage to her time or energy fueling those differences. career as a stylist — then named it “Anne Even when the bypass is bloated with Bonny” in tribute to the legendary first lawyers in brand-new leather chaps. female pirate. Just like Bonny, it soon dominated her male counterparts, earning first place trophies for Best Sportster three years in a row at Bike Week; it also was the focus

“Why discriminate?” Jay points out. “If you’ve got two wheels and a motor then I say come on. Hey, if you can keep up on your bicycle, that’s fine too.”

From brass boat fixtures to boot-black piping, Scarborough’s ’86 Sportster immortalizes Anne Bonny. Even the paint job flows like the female pirate’s copper tresses. But one element is all Tammie: the tin snips sissy bar. “We kinda put them on as a joke. And they don’t really fit. [laughs] But they look cool, so I kept them.” Now, they serve as a public salute to her years cutting hair — and a personal reminder of her time welding metal.

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fooddrink most coffee houses make it a point to source ethical choices.

Born bittersweet, tested by fire — it’s all part of your bean’s bags to riches tale. Photo: Juan Valdez

endnotes

“We will pay more for certified beans,” says Manning. “Buying cheap beans helps no one.” Certainly not the flavor. But for at least three shop owners, buying beans is only the beginning of bringing out taste. Next they must roast the beans, turning 150-pound sacks of green beans into brown gold.

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THE BIOGRAPHY OF MORNING JOE When it comes to coffee, the bean is just the beginning.

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The whine of the grinder. The aroma of fresh roasted beans. Perhaps a perky “Hey there” from a cute barista. For many, a trip to the coffee shop is more than just morning routine. It’s a sacred ritual necessary to lift the fog of another day. But for all the shared appreciation for America’s favorite caffeinated brew, few people know its history. Still fewer bother to learn the personal story behind their own cup of “joe.”

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“There are 101 ways to make — or ruin — a cup of coffee,” says Paul Manning, co-owner of Front Porch Café and Kill Devil Coffee Roasters. “From the time the coffee plant is planted to the moment it hits your cup, everything has to go right. Coffee takes care.”

where the rich fluid would quickly seep into American culture. When tea taxes helped spark a revolution, coffee became the patriotic alternative. When the western frontier needed taming, “Cowboy coffee” kept wranglers rustling. Later, “coffee breaks” fueled factories through World War II and warmed offices well beyond. Locally, freshly brewed kettles fueled lighthouse keepers, lifesaving stations and boat captains — not to mention the booming tourist trade. So when the early ’90s coffee craze swept east from Seattle, it quickly crossed the Wright Brothers Memorial Bridge. Today, at least a dozen independent coffee houses dot the coast. Backed by summertime overflows and caffeine-happy locals, more than 80,000 pounds of coffee beans pour from Outer Banks coffee shops each year — a number that’s only growing with each tasty cup.

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Once a wild plant found in the shady highlands of Ethiopia, coffee spread through Arabia in the 1100s. By the 17th century, it was setting most of Europe abuzz, just in time to follow settlers to the New World,

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As Manning notes, “What Eric Gardner

began with Southern Bean Coffee House in Kitty Hawk now goes from Corolla all the way to Ocracoke. Coffee has become and will continue to be good business on the Outer Banks.” Provided they use the right beans. As the second most valuable traded commodity in the world — right behind oil — international demand drives a mind-boggling network of people, laws and often shoddy Third World infrastructure that makes quality hard to discern. The best beans might support small sustainable farms clinging to the side of an active volcano, educating toddlers with each two-dollar cup — the worst might clear-cut whole forests, poison land and push the limits of fair labor. Luckily, certifications like Rainforest Alliance, Fair Trade, Smithsonian Bird Friendly, and Organic help keep consumers informed. (When in doubt, price is a great indicator: the cheaper the cup, the poorer the working conditions.) And locally,

It’s a skill that requires the patience and practice of a true craftsman. They start by funneling five-gallon buckets of nuggets into the hot gut of the churning roaster, the drum of which rotates and is lined with fins — much like a washing machine. As it spins, natural gas heats the chamber from room temperature to 300 degrees, a point where critical chemical changes will start to occur, releasing sugars and adding flavors. With the final temps reaching 390 and 410 degrees, the roaster must monitor progress with a time-tested system of sights, sniffs and sounds to make sure nothing burns. All told, it takes 20 minutes, the final six being most important. “That’s when you start to make light, medium or dark roasts,” says Ashley Barnes, roaster and co-owner of Morning View Coffee and Roastery. “The beans begin to crack, the fragrance overwhelms the shop, and what may eventually be your favorite cup is born.” The lighter the roast, the stronger the kick. The darker, the deeper the flavor. Otherwise, the bean often dictates the final product. Roasters typically turn products of Indonesia dark to extract the stout, earthy flavors that provide a lasting finish like unsweetened cocoa. Mexican Chiapas stay light to extract the snappy flavors laced with spice and fruit. But, really, there are no set rules. “How you roast beans from different origins is all subjective,” says Barnes. “Like all culinary art, it’s what appeals to the palate.” No matter their origin or darkness, they’re all headed the same place: the grinder. Nothing like the hand-held “blade” model that lives on your counter, commercial grinders are towering titans of taste, designed to last

a lifetime, and come with a hefty price tag — $1,200 in some cases. After the beans are poured into the top, two stainless steel burr grinders, set to one of 12 settings, can produce the perfect coarseness and unlimited combinations. In fact, many shops have two grinders: one for drip coffee and another specifically reserved for espresso — an ultra-fine setting that produces extra-strong brews from any blend. And sometimes, even that’s not specific enough. “Our espresso grinder is adjusted daily,” says Bobbi Stager, co-owner of Waveriders Coffee and Deli. “It all depends on the temperature and humidity of the shop.”

“

The roaster monitors progress with a time-tested system of sights, sniffs and sounds.

At this point, your beans are in the hands of the beloved barista. The Italian word for “bartender,” a barista is more than a trendy drink slinger. They must have a keen understanding of grinding, extracting the coffee and frothing and pouring milk — all to make sure you get the best morning drink possible. For a typical coffee — the standard issue for fans from truck stops to Folger’s commercials — they’ll simply fill a larger scale drip percolator. For fancy, frothier drinks like cappuccinos and lattes, that means meeting an espresso machine. Often hand-built, these wonders of industry are an expensive arrangement of brass pipes, pressure fittings, and boilers — and a complex process that requires its own language. Starting with the espresso grinder, the barista “doses” an appropriate amount of coffee into the “basket,” then inserts it into the “portafilter.” They “tamp” it down using just the right force and lock the machine’s “group head.” Once hot water pumps through, it’s time to “pull a shot.” Done perfectly, the shot will have a sought-

after layer of rich “crema” resting on top. No crema means the shot goes down the drain! Otherwise, the barista will finish off the drink to the consumer’s specs. With no shortage of drink styles and flavor combos, a barista must maintain a knowledge base of combinations and flavors that rivals your most experienced bartender — Flat White, Macchiato, Salted Caramel Mocha, Non-Fat Grasshoppers, Soy West Thirds, Bolts — and serve it all with a smile and a personality that keeps customers coming back. “Sometimes our baristas are the first people someone sees or talks to in the morning,” says Manning. “Before even their husband or wife — that sort of power is amazing.” But the real muscle behind this Arabian elixir is its chameleon-like qualities. Once ready, coffee can assume many forms, from a cream-and-sugar mix to plain decaf to the most creative cocktails. Some die-hard espresso addicts might sip the complex and well-rounded flavors in a petite cup. Others make them the foundation for a “Trail Mix,” “Blackbeard’s Delight,” “South Swell,” “Hawaiian Mocha,” or “Vera Cruz.” And many just enjoy it plain and black as a Denny’s pour. And that’s certainly nothing to be ashamed of. “I love drip coffee,” says Barnes, noting the bulk of her customers prefer a classic creation. “Because a cup of drip might be the best way to experience the flavor of the bean.” No kidding. In fact, after eight ounces of soy milk and a glob of home-made chocolate whipped cream, for some folks, coffee’s the last thing on their mind. But even smothered with toppings and cut with Sweet’N Low, you can be sure — for the folks who source it, roast it and serve it — what goes in your cup is no afterthought. “Usually the question is simply, ‘Where do your beans come from?’” says Kelly Rodriquez, co-owner of The Shack Coffee and Beer Garden. “But we really enjoy when the customer wants to learn the story behind the cup. It makes it that much sweeter.” — Jim Gould milepost 49

artisticlicense fooddrink THIS PICTURE

Anything you can imagine, you can turn into art. (With a little help.)

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This picture wasn’t always a cow. It began as a canvas. Blank. Off-white. Empty. But slowly, with the right steps, it sprang to life. It started with some pencil marks, then shading, maybe a couple sips from a wine glass, and — voila! — instead of a void, the soulful eyes of a bovine began staring back. All thanks to a little imagination — and plenty of patient guidance from an unassuming Joe in paint-splattered boardshorts. A guy who, oddly enough, never considered himself a real artist. “Yeah, I went from being a cook for 24 years to sloppin’ paint,” says Brad Price, owner of Hang 12 Art Gallery. He never had time. As the former Executive Chef at Elizabeth’s Cafe and Winery, Price was always too busy cooking. In the offseason, he’d practice painting. He’d do three a day, just to get better — and to keep from going crazy. He’d stockpile his creations, then sell them in the restaurant come summertime. That’s how it went for 17 years — at least until they closed in 2015. But with that closure came a new opportunity. “I realized I could make money and work in wintertime,” says Price. “So, after we closed, I was like, ‘You know what? I’m gonna rent someplace out and see what happens.’” What happened is both a space for Price’s personal work — and a place to share his talents. Walking into his Kill Devil Hills studio, you might first be struck by all the dog portraits possessing prized real estate. (Much of his commissions are for caninelovers.) But the philosophizing proprietor does more than paint puppies. Once a week, he invites students looking to try their hand at artwork. Every week it’s a different subject: a turkey, a local lighthouse, the pier, a jellyfish. This week it’s a cow. But the process is usually the same each time.

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“My method is to paint positive first,” says Price. “So I’ll paint the cow first and then I’ll put the background in… Nobody teaches you that, but I like it.”

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Using a picture he took of a cow from a relative’s farm, Price makes a sketch and has

Bovine inspiration. Photo: L.C. Cowell milepost

each student use carbon paper to transfer it to their own canvas. That allows everyone to start with the same fundamental outline. But from there, it’s all up to the individual. First comes the shading, though separating the dark areas from the light areas is not as straightforward as it may seem. “Don’t ever think black, think dark,” he says, gesturing toward the wall. “Like that black and white dog — there’s no black ink in that at all. It’s all purples and blues and stuff like that.” Price’s mellow mix plays unobtrusively in the background as he walks around and offers his insights — often referring to whatever example hangs closest. Between instructions, a group of roughly ten students dip their brushes in the paint, looking up from their canvases to check out the photo for inspiration — and glancing at neighbors’ easels to compare notes. If needed, Price is ready to offer more guidance — or nonguidance as the case may be. “You don’t have to follow the line,” he insists. “Let your brush naturally, you know, naturally glide…” His voice trails off as he demonstrates. Moving his hand away from the bristles to the back of the brush, he adopts a more forgiving stroke — one that often runs counter to the furrowed brows and vicelike grips of the more obsessive-compulsive personalities. “I want to try to be as reckless as you,” one student says. “But I just can’t… it’s scary.” In many ways, that’s Price’s true talent: teaching people to conquer their artistic fears. To learn confidence in an uncomfortable, exploratory phase. And he’s not alone. All over the beach, art classes are soothing nerves. It might be a coloring book night at a nearby coffee house. Or a jewelry workshop inside an art gallery. They all let people come together to try out a talent — but with the guidance of an expert and the familiarity of friends in a local setting. And a couple drinks can’t hurt, either. That’s how Meghan Sadler came up with “Lushes with Brushes.” A former teacher with

a Masters in Art Education, she now holds a weekly lesson in the upstairs dining room at the Outer Banks Brewing Station. Each student arrives to find an easel, a canvas, and a Styrofoam plate with pre-portioned paints, plus brushes of varying thickness. Instead of antsy teens and tweens, today’s pupils are all 21-plus. Still, they’re arguably more nervous. But here’s where Sadler’s cool demeanor and training come into play. No sooner has everyone settled in with a glass, she’s starting with a quick “thanks for coming,” diverting their focus to the task at hand: a wintry woods landscape.

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Every week it’s a different subject: a turkey, a lighthouse, the pier, a jellyfish.

“The night sky and the background will be the first thing we do,” she says, grabbing a big brush. “And the colors are just blue and black and you can mix them on the canvas itself.” Sadler scoops the paint from her palette and makes the first mark on her empty space. And just like that, the tension’s gone. The class stops second-guessing and starts making art. At one table, a young couple sits side by side, exchanging the occasional flirtation and some stifled chuckles. Two places down, three generations share snacks along with questions and bits of encouragement. “Grandma, is this good? Mom, you think I should add some more white?” Otherwise, the room feels still and subdued. The tap-tap sound of drying brushes and intermittent laughter puncture the tranquility of attentive gazes and silent concentration. Not that it’s always that way. “Last week you couldn’t hear me talk over the chatter,” says Sadler, describing a

cacophony of gossip, giggles, and clinking glasses. No biggie. As a former middle school art teacher in Currituck, she learned to handle any room and all types of classes: Boring. Boisterous. Bad. Still, she loved it. In fact, she’d have taught there forever — except shrinking budgets had other plans. So, like any good artist, she got creative and opened her own gallery — Corolla’s Local Color — where she orchestrates private parties in the comfort of people’s homes, classes with children, and public events at various locales. Still, her weekly Lushes with Brushes is among the most popular. And enjoyable, even when the class is at its absolute lushiest. “At least the drunk adults want to be here,” she notes. “If they didn’t want to be here, that would be tough.” Actually, Sadler says her biggest challenge isn’t tempering spirits; it’s building selfconfidence. She understands artists are their own worst critics, even beginners. So, when not leading class, she’ll roam between easels, dishing out compliments — “Gorgeous!” — and suggestions — “I like that, you should leave it.” Sometimes the occasional grunting note of approval will suffice. And if it doesn’t, she’s handy with the ultimate artistic truth: “Each painting is totally up to you. Everyone’s is going to come out differently anyway.” And they do. Which is really the most rewarding part of these classes: watching as a shared project manifests itself in myriad ways on every canvas, and witnessing the tabula rasa transform to reflect the uniqueness of the artist painting it. What’s it matter if your moo-cow looks more like a cow-pie? It’s your cow-pie. And that’s the joy of any artistic endeavor: learning to do things you thought you couldn’t and finding the courage to express your creative side. A side that’s too often left in the dark. — Laura Gomez-Nichols

Surgical solutions, your way. Here at home. Life on the Outer Banks is pretty special. So special, in fact, that most of us don’t want to leave. And, why should we? With The Outer Banks Hospital, we have access to excellence in general, orthopedic and gynecologic surgery. Backed by the combined strength of Vidant Health and Chesapeake Regional Medical Center, the right care is right here.

THE OUTER BANKS HOSPITAL The Outer Banks Hospital is a joint venture between Vidant Health and Chesapeake Regional Medical Center

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OFF THE CHARTS

Pick the right Friday night, and Trio sounds more like a San Francisco nightclub than a Kitty Hawk wine bar. Drum brushes skitter across the snarehead in free-time. Fingers bound breezily along complex bass runs. A piano player tickles both ends of the scale. But it’s the bald dude in the back corner you want to follow. With his eyes on his shoes and a hand to his ear, you might think Dr. John Sanchez is lost in a phone call instead of the groove — until it’s his turn to solo. Then he strolls center stage, points a silver trumpet into a chest-high microphone, and blows a brilliant streak full of blue notes and broken dreams.

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Dr. John Sanchez on the interpretive arts of jazz and medicine.

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“My goals and aspirations growing up were always to be a symphony trumpet player, which is about the worst thing I could’ve dreamed of,” laughs the 48-yearold leader of jazz quartet Chez Says. “And when you fail in music you have to find something else to do. I went to medical school.”

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Today, most locals know Dr. Sanchez as Director for The Outer Banks Hospital Urgent Care Center and Family Medicine. But beneath the white coat and stethoscope still beats the heart of an expert horn player, able to dissect a John Coltrane standard as much as diagnose a patient. In fact, he says the secret to both is a willingness to listen — and to improvise. — Leo Gibson

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MILEPOST: So how does a professional musician turn into a doctor — or is it the other way around?

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DR. JOHN SANCHEZ: Well, all through school I wanted to play music professionally. I had the best training from all the symphony players in the DC area, and I graduated from Indiana University — which is arguably the best school of music in the country. But there’s about 1000 applications for every orchestral position. After a couple bad auditions and a year or two playing weddings and cruise ships, I rethought my life and went back to college. And people are always shocked to hear that, but I was always good at math and science. And the way I approached music was always very academic. So, the idea of studying instead of practicing six hours a day was not much of leap.

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Well, you do hear music is a lot of math — or is that total BS? To me, music and medicine are languages. Both have their didactic elements. In music, you start by learning the mechanics of your instrument; you learn how to read music and play notes. In medical school, you study biology and anatomy and learn the abbreviations and terms; you learn to use a stethoscope and do a physical examination. But in my mind, you’re only a physician when you’re able to translate scientific information in a manner that makes sense to your

House call at the Dare County Arts Council. Photo: Chris Bickford

patient, and with some empathy. You can’t just stick a needle in someone’s neck. It’s the same with music. You can’t just play scales. Only when you’re conveying a message to the listener with spontaneity and emotion are you mastering the language. But classical music is pretty rigid in terms of structure, whereas jazz is all improvisation. So how did you end up doing Chez Says? Well, you can’t play trumpet without playing some jazz. A couple years ago, I started sitting in on Monday Jazz Night at Art’s Place, and got my chops back that way. And there’s only so many trumpet players, so Chez Says just grew from there. Ellard Forrester plays drums, Dennis Figgs plays piano, and Steve Raisor plays bass — or if not Steve, Ed Tupper does. And they’re all better than me. Really. I’m in absolute envy of jazz musicians because the melodies and structures are so much more complex. To marry that technical knowledge of theory and playing your instrument — and then communicate a real message — is an unbelievable task. And one that, frankly, I will never be very good at. [laughs] Well you certainly seem to keep up. Because we speak the same language. It’s similar to speaking to another physician. We all know the same terms and

skeletal structure of the standards we’re playing. So it’s like a conversation. We can start off talking soft. By the middle, we can be yelling. By the end, we’re soft again. As long as we’re feeling that groove, it can go anywhere. But it’s the most demanding thing I’ve ever done. It’s also more intellectually stimulating than anything I’ve done. Including medical school.

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“You’re only a physician when you’re able to translate information with empathy. It’s the same with music.”

I’m assuming it’s more freeing, too. You can cut loose and break a few rules. Actually, I tend to break a lot of rules in medicine — and you can print that. But I only improvise in the best interest of the patient. And you have to know the rules to break them — same thing with jazz. But I probably take more risks on the trumpet. Because it’s not like you’re gonna lose your license to play music. [laughs] milepost 53

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strength in numbers

Last March, Outer Bankers got loud to fight Big Oil. This spring we need to get even louder.

Some people just can’t take “no” for an answer. In the late ’80s and early ’90s, Mobil Oil came within millimeters of drilling off of Cape Hatteras. But thanks to an outpouring of Outer Banks outrage — followed by the Exxon Valdez disaster and a federal moratorium — the petroleum industry finally left town. At least until the ban lifted in 2008. And the second the Obama administration began considering leases off Virginia, Georgia and the Carolinas last January, Big Oil was back and badder than ever. But so was the opposition. And when the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) held public scoping meetings last spring, it was March 16’s KDH meeting that made the biggest stink: flying banner planes, hosting rallies and breaking all attendance records. “To have 670 people turn out in such a small community was a major milestone,” says Randy Sturgill, Senior Campaign Organizer for Oceana. “Even today, BOEM brings up Kill Devil Hills in our conversations. And campaigns everywhere used that moment to get folks energized.”

ON THE

TRAIL

Within a month, Dare County unanimously re-opposed offshore drilling. One year later, 105 communities from New Jersey to Florida all boast similar resolutions, reflecting a surge of opposition that crosses both state borders and party lines. (Republicans Mark Sanford of South Carolina and our own Walter B. Jones both recently signed a bipartisan congressional letter urging Obama to stop seismic testing.)

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One year later, a surge of opposition crosses state borders and party lines.

In that same time, while coastal tourism figures only grow stronger, arguments for drilling keep getting weaker. The price of crude’s stuck below $50 a barrel, killing jobs and crippling budgets in petroleum states. Last December, Congress ended the 40-year-old embargo that kept domestically produced oil from being sold overseas. Yet, our own legislators keep pushing to open North Carolina to drilling — and put our evergreen coastal fishing and tourism economies at risk. Last April, Gov. McCrory pushed to shorten the 50-mile buffer. And as recently as November, Senator Richard Burr said he hadn’t noticed any opposition, stating: “I think most of the coastal towns support it.” Either these guys can’t hear us — or they’re refusing to listen. Which is why now is the time to yell louder than ever. Because this March, the administration will release its latest proposal for offshore drilling. When they do, the public will have 90 days to comment. As Sturgill says, “This is when we mobilize. This is when we write letters. This is when we really rally. Because we know from our meetings that the administration is listening — now we need to give them something to listen to.”

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To see BOEM’s draft five-year plan for the Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program upon release and learn public meeting locations, go to: www.boem.gov/Five-Year-Program-2017-2022. And to take part in anti-drilling efforts across North Carolina, follow Don’t Drill NC at www.dontdrillnc.org or find them on Facebook.

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When Mobil came to Manteo on Jan. 25, 1989, a press conference by LegaSea let local leaders like Michael McOwen make polished counterpoints — and a lasting impression. Photo: Drew C. Wilson/Outer Banks History Center

KITTY HAWK PIER Surfline’s OBX office

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Taking a tip from their predecessors, a coalition of anti-drilling groups hosted an informational rally and press conference alongside last March’s BOEM meeting. Says Oceana’s Randy Sturgill, “Those arguments and images have become the face of this campaign.” Photo: Outer Banks Surfrider

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Stop by Secret Spot Surf Shop in Nags Head to score a 3-month Surfline Premium subscription plus a free Surfline trucker hat, while supplies last. When LegaSea co-founder Mickey Baker drove up from Ocracoke last spring she brought the same signs, friends and sentiments from a quarter-century ago. As she told the Outer Banks Sentinel: “We’re opposed because we’ve been through it before — and nothing has changed.” Photo: Drew C. Wilson/Outer Banks History Center milepost 55

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Some years, it feels like winter weather will never arrive. Holiday parties get too hot for sweaters. Slaps and shorts stay functional far after New Years. But once the cold starts, it sticks. Hard. Like a boxer who’s been lying dormant so long you thought he was beaten, only to rise up with hell fury. Swinging back with endless blows. Cornering you indoors ’til nothing numbs the brain from the icy pain. Not beer. Not liquor. Not even Netflix. Come April, even the toughest survivors are ready to tap out, shivering: “F-f-f-f-f this, I’m gone.” But that’s just when the weather starts to turn warm. Windshields gleam with sunbeams and hope. Tulips pop

their tops through thawing flowerbeds. Tree limbs light up with pink and white blossoms. That’s when I know the worst is over and the best of the Banks is gonna aggressively shine. Because life — real life — blooms with the dogwoods. Trout and rockfish return to roil the Albemarle. Cormorants plunge and ospreys soar, calling out for their annual mates to make babies. Even the ocean gets a little frisky. One little hug from the Gulf Stream and the rubber starts coming off. Friends and neighbors change from worn and beaten to boisterous and wild. Instead of throwing in the towel, they’re changing beneath them. Skipping around

parking lots and shouting like school kids. Bathing in the sun like humans reborn. Reaffirming their undying love with reclaimed affection: “I’ll never doubt you again.” Though we all know we will. But that’s okay, too. Because, like all long-term relationships, to truly love the Outer Banks means you must love her when her hair is messy, her heart is cold and when her mood is downright nasty. And you know when she comes around, she’ll be stunning, breathtaking, and a whole lot of fun, making you proud to hold her hand and stand by her side. You even get to dance a bit if you’re a good boy. — Ryan Rhodes milepost 57

Cultural Series presents

Coming in 2016 Soo Bae, Cellist

In partnership with

endnotes “Happy Anniversary, NPS!” That’s the message behind the Outer Banks History Center’s 2016 exhibit, Explore Your Outer Banks Parks; Celebrating a Century of the National Park Service. From Mar. 5-Dec. 31, head to Roanoke Island Festival Park to share images and memories from Cape Hatteras National Seashore, Fort Raleigh and Wright Bros. Memorial. Better yet, help blow out the candles at Mar. 4’s opening reception, 5:30-7:30pm. Call 252-473-2655 for full details. • Still feeling frosty about the whole ORV ordeal? Then walk next door to the RIFP Event Room and warm yourself up with the Outer Banks Community Quilt Show on Mar. 4, 6-8pm. Can’t make it? Don’t worry, this annual collection of patches and stitches stretches all the way to Mar. 19. Learn more at www.roanokeisland.com. • Keep moving your way out to Downtown Manteo and you’ll catch the first glimpse of Cyndi Goetcheus’ award-winning nature photography at the Dare County Arts Council, Mar. 4, 6-8pm. And come back every First Friday for the opening night of another fresh exhibit — such as fiber and felt by Val Johnson on Apr. 1. (No fooling.) Full schedule at www.darearts.org. • Sneak a taste of Bourbon Street on Sat., Mar. 5, when Children at Play brings their Mardi Gras Gala fundraiser to Pirate’s Cove Pavilion, 7-11pm. Details at www.childrenatplayobx.org. • Or join Elizabethan Gardens for Mar. 5’s 65th Anniversary Blue Sapphire Diamonds and Denim party at Jennette’s Pier. From 6-11pm boogie down in your favorite blue jeans and bling. ($65 for members, $70 for non-members.) Then bust out the work gloves for Mar. 12’s Spring Fling CleanUp, where volunteers help get the grounds ready for summer. More at www. elizabethangardens.org. • Jennette’s Pier’s 2016 Summer Camps offer a bevy of interests to keep kids outdoors, from surfing and fishing with the Coastal Studies Institute and North Carolina Coastal Federation, to stand-up paddleboarding with Farmdog Surf School, to obstacle climbing at First Flight Adventure Park. But you better act fast: registration starts Mar. 7 at 9am and camps fill up super quick. Full deets and pricing at www.jennettespier.net. • Why wait for summer? The Free Pre-Schooler Young Naturalist Program runs tykes wild every Fri. at the National Wildlife Refuges Visitor Center, 10-11am. Or take the family on a Saturday Tram Tour around Alligator River, Mar. 12,

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First Flight Middle School Kill Devil Hills Friday March 18 FREE!

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Dr. G. William Whitehurst

Kaufman Lecturer in Public Affairs at Old Dominion University Lecture: The Radicalization of Islam from Mohammed to ISIS Hilton Garden Inn Kitty Hawk Sunday April 3rd, 4pm Reception to follow

Tim Oliver

"An Afternoon of Opera Arias" All Saints Episcopal Church Southern Shores Friday July 22

2016 Surf and Sounds Chamber Music Series Locations to be announced August 23–29 FREE!

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Vintage plates for classic times. Cross-step backwards down memory lane when Jennette’s Pier presents a History of NC Surfing, Mar. 9. Photo: Aycock Brown/OBHC

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NC Watercolor Association Annual Convention

Window Display by Suzanne Shaffer

In cooperation with the Dare County Arts Council Dare Council Arts Council Gallery Manteo Sunday October 9, 2–4pm Gallery Show and reception

Tickets and more information at BryanCulturalSeries.org Our endowment managed by the

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Apr. 9 and May 14, 9am-12pm. ($10; 12 and under ride free with a paying adult.) Or enjoy an evening serenade by endangered canines with Saturday Red Wolf Howlings: Apr. 9 & May 14; 7-8:30pm. Call 252-216-9494 to reserve space. • The Outer Banks Community Center wants your charity to make the most of its free-time — and free labor. Join them Mar. 8 at CSI for two free seminars: from 9amnoon, learn strategies on how to recruit and retain volunteers. From 1-4pm, discover the best practices of nonprofit boards. Details and registration at www.obcf.org. • Local groups are offering thousands of dollars in scholarship money to help graduating seniors — everyone from would-be boat builders to wannabe bakers to world-class book worms. Ask your guidance counselor what money’s available and get your applications in by Mar. 24. Then come cheer the winners at one of three Senior Scholarship Nights: First Flight High (May 17), Manteo High School (May 18) and Cape Hatteras Secondary School (May 31). More at www.daretolearn.org. • Okay, smartypants, answer this: how did wave-riding come to NC? Find out on Mar. 9 at 6pm when North Carolina Maritime Museums and Jennette’s Pier present a History of North Carolina Surfing, including presentations on surfboard shaping and bold pioneers, plus a peek at the Surfing NC Timeline. Shoot www.jennettespier.net for updates. • Then dive deeper into our aquatic history with Mar. 12’s 3rd Annual Graveyard of the Atlantic Underwater Heritage Symposium. From 10am-5pm, professional diving experts will discuss topics such as safety, shipwrecks and maritime archaeology with a range of local speakers, such as author and Enigma-machine finder, Jim Bunch; intrepid deep-sea diver, JT Barker; Roanoke Island Outfitters’ Pam Landrum; legendary Lion’s Paw captain, Dave Somers; ace diving couple Penny and Hal Good; and the Sherlock Holmes of nearshore shipwrecks, Marc Corbett. More at www.graveyardoftheatlantic.com. • Pounding the pavement for future employment? Show up at KDH’s Ramada Inn on Mar. 12, as the Outer Banks Chamber of Commerce’s 2016 Job Fair gathers 40-plus vendors accepting apps for full- and part-time positions. For more, visit www.outerbankschamber.com/jobfair. Then get help with resume writing, interview skills and other support services at www. ncworks.gov. • Theatre of Dare performs their latest labor of love — and timeless songand-dance routines — when The Music Man comes to COA, Mar. 11-13 & Mar. 18-19. Wanna insert yourself into the drama? Come out Mar. 14-15 at 7pm and audition for Picasso at the Lapin Agile — Steve Martin’s absurd imagining of a Paris bar meeting between Cubism’s co-founder and friggin’ genius, Albert Einstein — which plays Apr. 22-24 & Apr. 29-May 1. (All Sat. shows start at 7:30pm; Sun. matinees at 2pm.) Tix and updates at www.theatreofdareobx.com. • Run! On Mar. 12, it’s time for Kelly’s 8th Annual Running of the Leprechauns — a 10k footrace followed by Irish stew, sweet potato biscuits and plenty of beer. 8am start. And on Mar. 13, don your green and get crazy, as 10,000 partying people line up for Nags Head’s 26th Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade. Stand on the Beach Road between Bladen St. and Driftwood by 1pm for a flurry of floats, fezzes and white-trash female impersonators — then head to Kelly’s for an after-party of more nuttiness. (And even more beer.) More at www.kellysrestaurant.com. • Then march your way up to Corolla on Mar. 14, as Currituck Beach Light Station opens for the season, letting visitors tackle 220 steps to take in one breathtaking view of two sexy bodies of water. Open 9am-5pm, $10; children 7 and under climb free with an adult. More at www. currituckbeachlight.com. • Avon’s Pangea Tavern pops the top on St. Patty’s Day with a Mar. 17 shindig. Bounce back down Mar. 26 for Hoppy Easter, where the egg hunt includes craft beers and the after-party cracks a keg of something special. More at www.koruvillage. com. • Don’t matter if you’re a beer snob, a wine snob, or a food snob, you can’t turn your nose up at Taste of the Beach. From Mar. 17-20, the area’s best restaurants say “bon appétit” with 30+ creative events like “Carolina Bites” — a Mar. 17 collaboration that pairs Mother Earth Brewery’s craftiness with Red Sky Café’s gaminess. On Mar. 18, the Outer Banks Brewing Station’s, “Dinner and a Movie” takes you on a bite-by-bite adventure with flavorful film, The Hundred Foot Journey. And on Mar. 19 “It’s All About Oysters” at Lucky 12, where bivalves and bloody Mary’s make the perfect brunch. • Don’t forget the

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endnotes big battles for competitive bragging rights, like Mar. 18’s BBQ & Wing Showdown (12-3pm at Nags Head’s Soundside Event Site) and Mar. 19’s Annual Chowder Cook-Off (12-2:30pm at Coastal Provisions in Southern Shores). And it all culminates with Mar. 20’s Chef’s Grand Tasting and TOBY Awards. This year’s cornerstone event has a whole new flavor as they move to the Port O’Call and add a Bartenders’ Bubbly Bash, where drink-slingers serve crazy champagne cocktails to help fund the Beach Food Pantry. They’ve also distilled all the action into just three hours — 1-4pm — and dropped tickets to $50, so buy now, or go hungry. Full details and tix at www.obxtasteofthebeach.com. • Or just keep it greasy and slide over to Rundown Café in Kitty Hawk for Fried Chicken Night every Mon., from right now ’til Memorial Day. Full info at www.rundowncafe.com. • Like your cello finger-licking good? On Mar. 18, the Outer Banks Patrons of the Arts and the Bryan Cultural Series bring Soo Bae to First Flight Middle School for a free performance with local string students. More at www.bryanculturalseries.org. • And be at First Flight High on Mar. 19 for an 18-piece box of big band delights, as the Outer Banks Forum for the Lively Arts presents the Tar River Swing Band at 7:30pm. $28; $15 for students. Learn more at www.outerbanksforum.org. • On Mar. 19, DJs, cake bakers, caterers, and photogs swing into action for blushing brides at the Sanderling Wedding Showcase, 11am-4pm. Tix are just $20. Vendors and details at www. sanderling-resort.com. • Later that night, throw on your party dress and dash down to the Outer Banks Brewing Station to watch stunt-guitarist Tim Reynolds, drumstick daredevil Dan Martier and bassline bombardier Mick Vaughn make beautiful music together as TR3. For price details and a complete spring schedule of mind-blowing musical acts, go to www.obbrewing.com. • On Mar. 20, basketball acrobatics raise dough for the Dare Education Foundation when Slam Dunks for Our Schools comes to First Flight High.

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From 4-6pm, watch the Harlem Ambassadors battle our own OBX Scallywags in a dazzling display of ball-handling tricks — hey now! — and hilarious family comedy. $10 in advance; $13 at the door. (Knock off a few bucks for students, seniors and active military.) For more information call 252-255-5545. • Heads up! On Mar. 25-26, Kitty Hawk Kites’ Fly into Spring & Easter Eggstravaganza fills the sky over Jockey’s Ridge with giant, pastel kites — and dots the ground with Easter Bunny photo opps and egg searches. Get the colorful details at www.kittyhawk.com. • Or egg roll over to Elizabethan Gardens for Mar. 26’s Easter Eggstravaganza with Bells & Whistles. From 10am-2pm, the Great Lawn is a giggle-fest of scavenger hunts, snap shots, bake sales and bonnet contests. And stick around, ’cause the Daffodil Festival spins dizzy with yellow flowers and educational displays, Apr. 1-30. And that’s not all, ’cause Apr. 16 goes off the chain with Woofstock: a fur-loving family event full of doggie costumes, doggie music, a doggie photographer and doggie health screenings. All the hairy deets are at www.elizabethangardens.org. • These colors don’t run — they rebel — when the Dare County High Schools Annual Art Show brings the area’s fiercest young talents to Roanoke Island Festival Park, Mar. 28-Apr. 28. Opening reception Apr. 3, 2-4pm. More at www. roanokeisland.com. • Listen up, fiction fools! On Apr. 1, join Downtown Books at Waverider’s Coffee & Deli, as Michele Young-Stone celebrates and signs the paperback release of her acclaimed novel, Above Us Only Sky. 6-8pm. Visit www.duckscottage.com for details. • And the Bryan Cultural Series brings frightening reality home to the Hilton Garden Inn, Apr. 3, with Dr. William G. Whitehurst’s lecture: The Radicalization of Islam from Mohammed to ISIS. 4pm. Get all the scary news at www.bryanculturalseries. org. • On Apr. 16-17, lace up those buckled sneakers, slap on an eye patch and swashbuckle your way through the First Flight 5k (Sat.) and Flying Pirate Half Marathon (Sun.). Race

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includes medals, event shirts, a post-event Pirate Jamboree and plenty o’ swag. (Sorry. No swords.) More at www.flyingpiratehalfmarathon.com. • The real costume party comes to town Apr. 16-24, as Outer Banks Bike Week delivers another round of leather chaps and lasses for nine days of poker runs, party nights, bikini bashes and “bitch fell off” t-shirts. For a full sched, haul ass over to www.outerbankshd.com. • On Apr. 16, pause for the coastal cause when NC Beach Buggy Association cleans up at all Hatteras and Ocracoke ORV accesses as part of Dunk Dr. Jay for charity when OBX Operation Beach Respect. 9am-12pm. More at www. CARES celebrates Earth Day, Apr. 22. Photo: Terry Rowell ncbba.org. • Or take a walk on the soundside with an NC Aquarium educator with Apr. 21’s Nature Stroll on the Duck Boardwalk. (Come back for a second lap, May 19; call 252-255-1234 to register.) And get your fix of indoor beauty as the Dare County Schools Student Art Exhibit decorates Duck Town Hall through Apr. 27. Visit www.townofduck.com for more. • Nothing’s more beautiful than humans working toward a healthier planet and stronger community. On Apr. 22, join the Corolla Wild Horse Fund, Outer Banks Surfrider, NEST, OBX SPCA, Feline Fix Foundation and other local causes for another OBX CARES’ Earth Day Event. Gather behind the Brew Pub from 3-8pm for live tunes, cold beer, a dunking booth, pony rides, and animal adoptions — plus plenty of vegan food and all the trees you can hug. Stay updated on Facebook. • And keep loving your mother, Apr. 23, as Earth Fair OBX V posts up at Jockey’s Ridge State Park for a second consecutive afternoon of awareness with NC Coastal Federation and other environmental orgs. 1-4pm. More at www.nccoast.org. •

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Explore local homes — and local history — with Kill Devil Hills Historic Landmarks Open House on Apr. 22. Grab a guide from KDH Town Hall at 1pm and spend from 2-5pm cruising cool pads from the past. (More at www.kdhnc.com.) Then head north the next day as Apr. 23’s Southern Shores Flat Top Cottage Tour pays high praise to Frank Stick’s low-profile designs from 1-5pm. Call 252-261-8839 to make a plan. • Need to build a bank account for your non-profit? The next deadline for the Outer Banks Community Foundation’s Community Enrichment Grants Program is Apr. 29. Potential projects include arts, culture, animal welfare, kids, disaster relief and prevention, education, the environment, health, historic preservation, and other human services. For full specs see www.obcf.org. • Rather spend calories? Run-bike-run to Jennette’s Pier for the 3rd Annual OBX Duathlon on Sat. Apr. 30. Register at www.RunCations.com. • Then work out those lungs — and help a good cause at Apr. 30’s Dare County Special Olympics Spring Games at First Flight High School. From 10am-2pm, 75+ special needs athletes race, jump and throw while you cheer them on — plus enjoy live music from the Flip Flop Five and Mustang Youth Outreach Progam, local food and lots of love. Call 757-472-1331 for deets. • Promote the Currituck-Dare Community Foundation while pleasing your taste buds at Apr. 30’s 8th Annual Duck & Wine Festival. From 12pm, the Waterfront Shops overfloweth with fine food and fermented grape juice. Tix are just $50 — if you can score one. Try www.duckandwine.com. (Better yet, try a scalper.) • And feast your eyes on a world of fresh colors and fun materials when Gwen Taylor’s Mixed

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endnotes Jockey Ridge, drawing international pilots to a world-class competition. Full schedule and Media comes to Duck Town Hall, May 4-July 27, with an opening reception on May 7, details at www.hangglidingspectacular.com. • Ground yourself in the ABCs of Gardening 3-5pm. Visit www.townofduck.com for upcoming events and details. • Meanwhile, back in when the 14th Annual Coastal Gardening Festival comes to KDH’s Baum Center on May Manteo, the 19th Annual Mollie Fearing Memorial Art Show opens May 1, 2-4pm, and 14. More than 50 vendors will offer price-friendly plants, garden art, handcrafted goods and fills the Dare County Arts Council with local artwork all month long. Plus, you can catch refreshments to support the Dare Extension Master Gardener Volunteer Association painting, drawing, photography, fiber and clay by our area’s most talented educators, with and the Dare County Center of the North Carolina Cooperative Extension. Find ’em the annual Dare County Art Teacher’s Show. More at www.darearts.org. • Ay de mi! We both on Facebook. • Surround yourself in a sweet bouquet of pro-skaters, BMXers and live almost missed Cinco De Mayo. Sounds like the perfect day to say “hola” to the Bad Bean Coastal Grill’s new Kitty Hawk home. Or check out the fiesta at Pangea Tavern. And, if not, music when the Dare 2 Care OBX Shred Fest drops ramps and rockers on The Soundside Outer Banks Event Site, May 21, 2-9pm. Proceeds benefit our veterans and special needs you’re guaranteed to find some margarita specials at any number of festive cantinas. • Savor communities. Hit www.dare2care.com for the latest arrangements. • The good vibes keep spicy tales of adventure and history when the Hatteras Storytelling Festival takes over rolling on May 22 when the 5th Annual Mustang Spring Jam returns to Mike Dianna’s Hatteras Civic Center, May 6-7, with workshops and tales by world-class yarn-spinner, Grill Room in Corolla on May 22, Donald Davis. For the full list of featuring Peoples Blues of Richmond speakers and events, keep an ear on and Buddha Council. Head to www. their Facebook page. • On May 7, mustangmusicfestival.com for a full Couture by the Shore brings some lineup. • And to string you along even Nashville fashion to Nags Head. From more, the Outer Banks Forum for the 11am-3pm, Kelly’s turns into a cool Lively Arts brings the nationally country catwalk for a lushy luncheon acclaimed Virginia Symphony to First with 11 local boutiques — plus there’s a Flight High on May 26 for an evening silent auction that will knock your boots of intricate classical melodies. 7:30pm. off. $40 tix support the Outer Banks $28; $15 for students. More at www. Relief Foundation. For info visit outerbanksforum.org. • The symphonic outerbanksrelieffoundation.com. • Stroll histrionics really hit a high note, May 27, back in time — and relive your teens when the Lost Colony returns for its — when Sanctuary Vineyards 79th season — and carries the drama all presents Enchantment By the Sea the way to Aug. 20. For tix and — A Prom for Grown-Ups on May 7. scheduling info — plus details on $45 a person buys a three-course meal, backstage tours and character dinners live band and DJ, and two — go to www.thelostcolony.org. • Kitty complimentary glasses of wine — plus Hawk Kiteboarding straps in for the there’s a retro photo booth and hectic months on May 28 with a costume contests, dancing and zero two-day Evan Netsch Clinic and chance of getting busted by your Summer Kick-Off Party at Waves parents. (So if you don’t get lucky this Village Kiteboarding Resort. Deets at time, you’re hopeless.) More at www. Savor days of tasty suds and hoppin’ times when Craft Beer Week runs May 30 - June 5 — capped off with a final www.khkkiteboarding.com. • Park it sanctuaryvineyards.com. • Or kick up day performance by Keller Williams and the Keels at the 2nd Annual OBX Brewfest. with the NC Beach Buggy Association those heels super early on May 7 when on May 28 for their Annual Meeting (11am-1pm) and Pig Picking Picnic (1-4pm) at the the 33rd Annual Nags Head Woods 5k blazes trails at 8am, with trophies for Fastest Rodanthe-Salvo-Waves Community Center. Full info at www.ncbba.org. • And start Mom on the Beach. (Come out at 7am, you can compete in the Doubles and run the shagging sooner when the Memorial Day Beach Blast comes to Historic Corolla Park, course twice.) All proceeds help local charities, youth programs and military relief. More at Sun. May 29. This free, fun-filled day features great beach music with DJ Harvey Taylor and www.nagsheadwoods5krun.org. • Then cool down by walking around Festival Park, May 7, live performances by The Blackwater Rhythm and Blues Band. 12-5pm. More at www. as Relay For Life raises funds to fight cancer one footstep at a time. Sign-up a team to do visitcurrituck.com. • On May 30, swing down to Roanoke Island Festival Park for laps — or just come pace the grounds and cheer in support. Learn more at www.relayforlife. Memorial Day’s main event: the Shallowbag Shag Beach Music Fest, where the outdoor org. • Take a moment to remember the fallen when members of the National Park Service, pavilion overflows with the sweet, souful sounds of Jim Quick and Coastline, The Tams, U.S. Coast Guard, and British Royal Navy commemorate the sinking of the HMT Steve Owens & Summertime and The Temptations Revue. Get tix, parking details and all Berkfordshire with two British War Grave Ceremonies (Buxton, May 12, and Ocracoke, the rules at www.obxshag.com. • Or keep your shoes on and bolt straight to Avon for May May 13.) Both services start at 11am and both honor the 63 foreign sailors who gave their 30’s 5th Annual Shore Break 5k and Tide Pool Fun Run. Action starts at 8am. All lives during World War II. For more information, call 252-986-2995 or go to www. proceeds benefit the Hatteras Island Youth Education Fund. Info and registration at www. ncmaritimemuseums.com. • Then lift up the next generation with a good dose of cheer on May 13, when the Children and Youth Partnership brings Kidsfest 2016 to Festival Park hatterasyouth.com. • All that fancy footwork make you thirsty? Then you’re happy to hear the Inaugural Outer Banks Craft Beer Week starts May 30. Enjoy seven days of for ages 5 and under. From 9:30am-12:30pm, enjoy face painting, bubbles, ice cream, and fermented fun, including a Brewathlon, Beer Art Show, Craft Brewer Retreat, and a plenty of space to run around. (Rain Date: May 20). More at www.darekids.org. • Boost the series of tap takeovers and craft beer dinners, all culminating with the second annual OBX kids’ spirits even higher when Dare County Youth Aviation Day returns to Dare County Brewfest. Be at Nags Head’s Soundside Event Site on June 5 for live music by Keller and Regional Airport, May 14, 10am-4pm. Flying activities range from bouncy houses to the Keels and The Heard — plus a food truck rally, artisan market, a craft soda garden, and airplane and helicopter rides. Follow their Facebook page for updates. • And the whole lots and lots of beer. (First one’s on you.) More at: www.obxbeerfests.com. community soars May 13-16, when the 44th Annual Hang Gliding Spectacular flies over

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