OUTER BANKS MILEPOST: ISSUE 7.3 by Matt Walker

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Issue 7.3

STAYCAY! milepost 1

Grays

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If these abdominal walls could talk. Photo: Chris Bickford

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What’s everyone got graphiccontent against navel-gazing? gosurf

I don’t mean lounging around, lazily mulling a bunch of mind-numbing, narcissistic, mental minutiae. And I sure as hell don’t mean getting all self-absorbed over six-packs and muffin tops. I’m talking about actively looking inward as deeply as possible in order to make sense of the outside world — perhaps even explain life itself.

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It’s a drive so powerful, the Ancient Greeks called the Oracle at Delphi, “the Belly Button of the Earth.” An image so enduring, James Joyce made “omphalos” the very hub of his masterpiece, Ulysses, a dawnto-dawn account of a single day in turn-ofthe-century Dublin, detailed down to the nanosecond — from the razor’s lather on a morning shave to the tide and temperature of a snot-green sea, to the angle of the arc on a long, satisfying pee after an even longer night drinking — using the tiniest specks of grit and color to immortalize his birthplace, and ultimately paint the very portrait of human existence.

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But, I daresay even Joyce would have a hard time doing the Outer Banks justice. Even if he didn’t get stuck in the sand, or, more likely, a pub, he’d never be able to distill all

our secrets. Not in a thousand years with a million pages and an un-maxable credit card. Start with the aquatic obvious: we’re a fishing mecca, a boat-building capital, a kiteboard industry icon, and a surfing Holy site. (In that order, by the way.) We can be both a tacky tourist trap — and a customcrafter of arts and culture. We offer a lively chorus of evening, outdoor concerts (at least in summer) and a labyrinth of dark, derelict corners where some never escape. (Especially in winter.) We’re also a foodie paradise, a fool’s errand, and a fry cook’s nightmare — usually all at once.

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You can’t just focus on yesterday’s belly lint.

Yet, for all the diverse worlds that wait ’round every corner, few of us look past our own our selfish reasons for being here. I know dudes who’ve devoted their lives to the ocean — but have never spent a minute in Downtown Manteo. I’ve met

hang-gliders who trudge and up down our tallest dune to soar all day long, but won’t stay up past midnight to see the night sky. There are thespians who line up for every acting audition — but have never lined up in the water. Chefs who painstakingly prepare every species of seafood, but not once fought a fish, face-to-face. Mostly, we come here for a reason — the sea, the sun, a job, a passion — then spend the rest of our lives strengthening that single thread, at the expense of a whole fabric of connections that draw people closer and bond us together. That’s not exploring — that’s ignoring. But if you’re gonna navel gaze, you can’t just circle the outskirts or stare from a distance. And you can’t just focus on yesterday’s belly lint. You gotta dig deeper than ever to find some fragment of a fresh experience — a different chunk of sand, a flake of fresh skin, maybe a piece of strange food or some tiny sea critter — then keep plunging further for the next gritty find. Because the umbilical cord is just the beginning. It’s where it leads next that’s the real source of new life. — Matt Walker

Thank you for reading Outer Banks Milepost. We hope you enjoy it. If not — before chucking this issue in the nearest dumpster — please consider one of the following equally satisfying ways of expressing your disgust: turn it into a torch for your next night stargazing trip; find a cruising altitude of 30,000 feet, then push it through the plane’s propeller. Or simply add it to that six-month stack of newspapers you’ve yet to recycle. (Trust us, you’ll feel better.) Then, send any and all feedback — positive, negative or just plain confused — to: editor@outerbanksmilepost.com. We promise to find some way to re-purpose them.

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“There’s no place like home.” — L. Frank Baum “Come along and ride on a fantastic voyage.” — Lakeside

Issue 7.3 Fall 2018 Cover: Dashing south. Photo: Chris Bickford Reader You

Your vacation is less than 2 hours away.

Brushes & Ink Carnell Boyle, John Butler, George Cheeseman, Marcia Cline, Carolina Coto, Michael J. Davis, Fay Davis Edwards, Mary Edwards, Laine Edwards, Marc Felton, Travis Fowler, Dawn Gray, Amelia Kasten, Chris Kemp, Dave Lekens, Alex Lex, Ben Miller, Ben Morris, Holly Nettles, Rick Nilson, Holly Overton, Stuart Parks II, Charlotte Quinn, Meg Rubino, Shirley Ruff, Kenneth Templeton, Stephen Templeton, George Tsonev, Bri Vuyovich, John Wilson, Mike Zafra Lensfolk Nate Appel, Matt Artz, Chris Bickford, Russell Blackwood, Don Bower, Aycock Brown, Mark Buckler, Jon Carter, Rich Coleman, Kim Cowen, Chris Creighton, Amy Dixon, Lori Douglas, Julie Dreelin, Tom Dugan/ESM, Roy Edlund, Bryan Elkus, Ben Gallop, Cory Godwin, Chris Hannant, Bryan Harvey, David Alan Harvey, Ginger Harvey, Jenni Koontz, Anthony Leone, Jeff Lewis, Jared Lloyd, Matt Lusk, Ray Matthews, Brooke Mayo, Mickey McCarthy, Roger Meekins, Richard L. Miller, Dick Meseroll/ESM, David Molnar, Ryan Moser, Elizabeth Neal, Rob Nelson, Candace Owens, Crystal Polston, Daniel Pullen, Ryan Rhodes, Terry Rowell, Tom Sloate, Wes Snyder, DJ Struntz, Aimee Thibodeau, Eve Turek, Chris Updegrave, Cyrus Welch, Jay Wickens Penfolk Ashley Bahen, Sarah Downing, Laura Gomez-Nichols, Jim Gould, Steve Hanf, Dave Holton, Sarah Hyde, Catherine Kozak, Katrina Leuzinger, Dan Lewis, Terri Mackleberry, Fran Marler, Matt Pruett, Mary Ellen Riddle, Corinne Saunders, Sandy Semans, Shannon Sutton, Kip Tabb, Joseph Terrell, Hannah West, Clumpy White, Bronwyn Williams, Natalie Wolfe, Michele Young-Stone Pointing/Clicking Jesse Davis Sales Force Laurin Walker Big Mouth In Chief Matt Walker Blame It All On Suite P Inc. PO Box 7100 • KDH, NC 27948 Office: 252-441-6203 • Sales: 949-275-5115 editor@outerbanksmilepost.com • sales@outerbanksmilepost.com Outer Banks Milepost is published quarterly (sorterly) by Suite P Inc. All contents are the property of Suite P Inc. and do not reflect the opinion of advertisers or distributors. Nor do their contents reflect that of the creative types (who would never, ever sell out). Comments, letters and submissions are usually welcome. Please include SASE for return delivery of all snail mail, however, Milepost and Suite P Inc. still aren’t responsible for any unsolicited materials. And don’t expect much else to move much faster than IST (Island Standard Time). Oh yeah: if you reprint a lick of this content you’re ripping us off. (Shame on you.) To discuss editorial ideas, find out about advertising or tell us we blew it – or just find out what the waves are doing – call 252-441-6203 or email: editor@outerbanksmilepost.com; sales@outerbanksmilepost.com. www.outerbanksmilepost.com

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roadmap gokite milepost graphiccontent gosurf outthere gohunt rearview Sugar Plum Fairy Costume/Makeup by Allie Blackmon Photo: Daniel Gray “The Sugar Plum Fairy is from a movie called The Cabin in the Woods. She’s definitely my most popular character. I think it’s because you can’t see a face. You can’t even find any eyeballs to focus on, which both intrigues people and makes them nervous. But big movies tend to have big budgets for makeup, and people with more resources and experience. For me, recreating these characters is more interpretation. It’s a lot of optical illusion — and a lot of trial and error. This prosthetic mask is latex and paint. It takes days to make — but only about an hour to apply. And I can only wear it three or four times before it starts to peel, but it’s so much fun to wear that I don’t save it — I just keep making new ones. There’s just something to be said for walking down a hallway and parting the seas.” — Allie Blackmon

03 StartingPoint Fuzzy navels. 06 UpFront Capital cash flow, sound-side runoff, and Dune Billy streams. 21 G etActive Step it up for the Marathon. 23 FirstPerson Steve Wise loves glass slippers. 24 Q uestionAuthority A mid-term check-up with voting expert, Dr. Michael Bitzer.

26 StreetSmarts Six points where past and pavement intersect.

55 F oodDrink Farmers markets take root.

36 G raphicContent Stick this where the sun shines.

57 S oundCheck Wild things make kids’ hearts sing.

38 Stay-Cay-Tion Five fantastic voyages through semifamiliar territory.

58 A rtisticLicense Allie Blackmon is no average scream queen.

51 GoTennis OBTA is at your service.

61 OutThere Derp thoughts.

52 GoFlow Standing waves deliver.

62 EndNotes Our fall calendar is full AF. milepost 5

upfront

WHAT’S IN IT FOR US? soundcheck

A totally self-absorbed look at what the new state budget means for Outer Bankers. getactive

tax cuts that are set to kick in early next year. The individual income tax rate will be reduced from 5.499 percent to 5.25 percent, and the standard deduction will be increased from $17,500 to $20,000. Also in 2019, the corporate income tax will drop to 2.5 percent. Critics say the cuts shortchange schools and the social safety net, and starve government; fans say the reductions will boost job growth, attract business and make government more efficient.

It’s no secret that the Outer Banks often feels forgotten by Raleigh. Especially since 2011, when Manteo native and former Senate pro-tempore Marc Basnight resigned for health reasons. Over 13 terms — nine as the powerful Senate leader — our little community scored big benefits, including a string of top-shelf state facilities, like Jennette’s Pier in Nags Head, the Outer Banks Center for Wildlife Education in Corolla, and Roanoke Island Festival Park in Manteo. Basnight was also ahead of his time in pushing environmental protection measures, like renewable energy credits and a ban on plastic bags on the barrier islands. When Basnight stepped down, the money and influence didn’t just stop flowing — it seemed to go backward, as the Republican-led legislature took steps to diminish all of the above. (After all, it wasn’t long ago that legislators unsuccessfully tried to take a chunk of Dare County’s occupancy tax revenue.)

DOLLARS FOR DREDGING After years of struggling to keep waterways clear, $15 million earmarked from the state Shallow Draft Navigation Channel Dredging Fund will provide placement of a shallow draft hopper dredge for state coastal waters.

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This item is intended to more efficiently address the ever-increasing need to dredge inlets, harbors and channels throughout the county. Sometimes after powerful storms, it seems that everything that holds water becomes a navigational hazard, yet it can take a long time to secure permits and funds for necessary dredging. With more demand nationwide for dredging, competition has been steep for decreasing federal funds and a limited amount of equipment.

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The obvious solution — pushed for years by local mariners — would be for the county to purchase its own dredge or have ready access to one, eliminating the need for a long permitting process or groveling for funds every time a waterway shoals up.

Still, Dare County can’t complain about state support when it comes to the Bonner Bridge project, inlet dredging, and the Department of Transportation’s working to keep NC 12 clear on Hatteras Island. And after this summer’s budget, it looks like we’re poised to get some extra dollars for more specific projects. Was it all positive? Not even. Republican lawmakers wrote the whole budget in secret, allowing zero input from the public or Democratic legislators. But for now, let’s forget about navigating the tricky political waters that define our partisan times. Let’s just talk about what’s in it for us.

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Although the state appropriation will not buy a dredge outright for Dare, the new budget allocates the money directly to Dare County. Assigned as the local partner, the county would work in conjunction with the Oregon Inlet Task Force to hire a private developer to design and build an ocean-certified hopper dredge.

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TAX BREAK BREAKDOWN First, the dull details. The $24 billion 2018-2019 fiscal year spending plan is technically an “adjustment” to last year’s $23 billion budget, which featured millions in

According to the request for proposals (RFP) published on July 1, the developer would own, operate and maintain the dredge, while providing

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dredging services for Oregon and Hatteras Inlets and their surrounding waterways, as well as similar shallow draft state inlets and interior waterways, as directed by the Oregon Inlet Task Force. The RFP also specifies that the equipment should have the capacity to dredge to 17 feet in Oregon Inlet. The private company would own the dredge, which is expected to cost between $25 and $30 million, explains County Manager Bobby Outten. The developer would pay $15 million in return for reduced rates to the county. “It’s a forgivable loan based on the cost savings the contractor can provide us for inlet dredging,” he says. “The only thing Dare County does is, once the dredge is up and running, we pay the contractor services.” At its May meeting, Dare commissioners agreed to provide $3.25 million, $3 million of which is in the county dredging fund. Matching funds from the state would amount to $10 million for operation of the dredge over five years. Once the private developer is selected, the county and the Task Force would work out a Memorandum of Agreement and a contract. Considering that it would take about 18 months to build after the arrangements are complete, Outten says the dredge will likely not be available for another two years. “This will dedicate a dredge,” he says. “It will be a huge help.”

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It looks like we’re poised to get some extra dollars for more specific projects.

CASH FOR CLEANER WATER What keeps the sound so stinky? Goose poop? Runoff? It’s hard to say, since Governor Pat McCrory’s administration defunded the state Shellfish Sanitation and Recreational Water Quality laboratory in Nags Head, leading to fewer test sites. Well, this year’s budget had a surprise appropriation that provided start-up costs to re-establish the facility: $176,946 in recurring funds and $95,898 in non-recurring funds. The funds will pay for the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality to cover two staff positions with the recurring money, and for an office and equipment with the nonrecurring funds, says state Division of Marine Fisheries spokeswoman, Patricia Smith. Jobs will be posted in the near future for one shellfish sampler and one lab technician, Smith adds. Before, shellfish and swimming waters had been tested at the laboratory located near the current Peak Resources healthcare facility in Nags Head. The new lab site is still to be determined.

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“They don’t know where it’s going to be,” Smith says, although the target is the Nags Head area. “Right now, we’re trying to determine space needs and contracting procedures.” EXTRA SCRATCH FOR THE SPECIAL OLYMPICS Sometimes budget items are just good karma. In what was a legislative version of manna from heaven, Special Olympics Dare County was awarded a grant for $30,000 in nonrecurring funds to assist in sports programs for children and adults with disabilities. “It was totally unexpected,” says Kathleen Morgan, local program director for the volunteer organization. “I didn’t know about it until somebody called me on the phone and said, ‘Congratulations!’ I said, ‘For what?’” Morgan credits State Senator Bill Cook, a Beaufort County Republican who is retiring this year, for securing the funds. Cook’s office had asked Morgan to write a letter to the legislature describing the Special Olympics’ work in the community. Morgan says she didn’t realize that the letter would lead to the grant award, although Cook has been a loyal attendee at the annual Spring Games. Morgan hasn’t yet received specifications on how the funds can be used, but she says if she had her choice, it would go toward buying uniforms for players — they now wear t-shirts — and costs for transportation, food and lodging when the teams travel. “Every time we go to an event, we have to rent a van — that costs us $400 a weekend per van,” Morgan says. “And we have 80-plus athletes now.” The organization is made up of all volunteers and depends on donations and grants for all its funds, Morgan explains, because parents are not expected to pay for their athletes to participate. Special Olympics Dare County, which is open to athletes age eight and up, offers seven sports — basketball, bocci ball, cheerleading, equestrian, swimming, bowling, and track and field. Soon, tennis may join the list. And, Morgan is eager to start an under-8 youth program. More volunteers and coaches are needed, she says, but at least it’s nice to have some breathing room with the finances. When she started with the organization about five years ago, it was $2,000 in the hole. “This is not a wealthy program,” Morgan says. “That’s why this grant is so precious. It’s a oncein-a-lifetime thing for us.” Let’s hope it’s not for Dare County, and coastal residents stay on Raleigh’s radar until the next budget debate rolls around. — Catherine Kozak

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Some CCC bachelors became working actors at night. Photo: Ben Dixon MacNeill/OBHC

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CULTURAL milepost STIMULUS gokite

How FDR’s New Deal helped fund local theater.

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On July 4, 1937, hotels and inns in Nags Head and Kitty Hawk were full. Manteo was “bedecked with flags and bunting, as was the four-mile stretch to old Fort Raleigh.” The Roanoke Island route was decorated for the debut of what would serve as a model for “the people’s theater.” As the houselights went down, the stage lights illuminated Waterside Theater on the shores of Roanoke Sound, which showcased a remarkable production — The Lost Colony. Not only had North Carolina native son, author Paul Green, achieved a new type of theater he dubbed “symphonic drama,” but the outdoor pageant successfully created an historical-based attraction for America’s newly emerging automobiletravelling public. And although many Roanoke Islanders had roles in Green’s play, and local and regional promoters and politicians worked toward its fruition, The Lost Colony hit the stage largely with the assistance of a number of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal agencies.

For starters, Waterside Theater, where the outdoor drama is still presented, was originally constructed with Works Progress Administration (WPA) labor and funding. “That was built with federal government money,” says Dr. Cecelia Moore, who recently authored The Federal Theater Project in the American South: The Carolina Playmakers and the Quest for American Drama. “Waterside Theater was built specifically for 1937.” Even the costumes for The Lost Colony made it to the stage with WPA assistance. Although designed by Ora Mae Davis of The Carolina Playmakers, over 200 costumes were created in WPA sewing rooms in both Manteo and Durham. But it wouldn’t have happened without a little local grit. Englishman Albert Q. “Skipper” Bell was living in nearby Edenton when Frank Stick persuaded him to travel to Roanoke Island around 1934 for another New Deal project: the creation of log

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buildings as part of the reconstruction of the historic site. With the 350th anniversary of the birth of Virginia Dare and plans for a pageant commemorating the affair fast approaching, Bell consulted with Green and director Sam Selden to create the 3,500-seat amphitheater. In order for the Roanoke Islanders, who would be heavily involved in the historical pageant, to receive training in theater, a professional — Mattie Brothers Mathis — was brought in to start a theater troupe and to offer instruction in stagecraft, play writing, and voice. Although Mathis originally received a Civil Works Administration grant, by 1936, the Federal Theater Project (FTP) underwrote the company that went by the name of The Elizabethan Players. FTP funds also provided for additional positions, including a technical assistant, seamstress and carpenter, to help bring the troupe’s productions to the stage. The Elizabethan Players wrote and produced short dramatic pieces based on the history

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Meekins penned a play about the aftermath of the 1933 hurricane.

of their coastal environment. Catherine Meekins penned a play about the aftermath of the 1933 hurricane that devastated Nags Head. Gaston Meekins authored a comedy, Uncle Ebby’s Weddin’, that highlighted the “quaint and interesting customs” of late 19th century island culture. Howard Twyne drew upon the legend of Virginia Dare when he wrote The White Fawn. These plays entertained audiences in school auditoriums in Manteo and Elizabeth City while giving local thespians experience and confidence. By the time The Lost Colony was produced, Mattie Brothers Mathis was named a production assistant and was praised for providing “intensive training in stagecraft

and dramatic arts” to those interested on Roanoke Island. Indeed, many of Mathis’s Elizabethan Players performed in the 1937 Lost Colony. A major contribution of the FTP was the hiring of out-of-work professional actors and actresses to play the principal The Lost Colony roles, such as Queen Elizabeth, Eleanor Dare, and the Historian. According to Moore, “A local play performed by amateurs, even very enthusiastic amateurs, like the Elizabethan Players, would not be the tourist draw that local officials sought, or the production quality that the Federal Theater Project could use to promote The Federal Theater plan. The 1937 celebration required a more polished product and professional performers.”

They weren’t all trained thespians, though. A number of bit parts were played by men from the Civilian Conservation Corps. One of the New Deal’s most popular programs, the CCC hired young, unmarried men to perform “unskilled manual labor.” Some lucky lads got to moonlight, performing as both Native Americans and colonists between the premiere season in 1937 and 1941, prior to a hiatus during World War II. Although there have been adversities to overcome over the years, The Lost Colony just celebrated its 81st season. That makes the local production not just America’s longest running outdoor drama — it’s also one of the New Deal’s most lasting achievements. — Sarah Downing

Sources include: The Daily Tar Heel (Chapel Hill, North Carolina), “Federal Project Will Created Roanoke Island Acting Group,” February 20, 1936: 1; The Independent, “Famous Elizabeth City Girl to Develop Elizabethan Play Group on Roanoke Island,” February 16, 1934: 2; Moore, Cecelia. 2017. The Federal Theatre Project in the American South: the Carolina Playmakers and the Quest for American Drama.; Moore, Cecelia, Interview with author, June 25, 2018; Powell, William Stevens. 1965. Paradise preserved. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press.

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upfront

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

THE BOUGHT COLONY? “Location! Location! Location!” Real Estate’s number-one rule never made more sense than this May, when the Coastal Land Trust announced plans to buy 1000 acres in Bertie County near Salmon Creek — aka “Site X” — so that First Colony Foundation archaeologists can keep digging up clues about the fate of the Lost Colony. Ultimately, the Salmon Creek State Natural Area will become part of the NC park system, so even if researchers never find another 16th century pottery shard, the region keeps a coastal treasure. FIRST IN FLOOD? Better put pontoons on your next private plane. According to a study by the National Park System and the University

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of Colorado, Wright Brothers National Memorial is the future champ when it comes to sea level rise, facing up to 32 inches near the shoreline by 2100 — the largest possible increase in the Southeast — with Cape Hatteras coming in second at a possible 31 inches. (Meaning the lighthouse may need to add a level, too.) OUR CASA IS OUR CASA Dare’s Coalition Against Substance Abuse (CASA) may be facing some financial withdrawals, as their one-time federal grant ends in 2019. Over the past ten years, that $125k helped do everything from buy police Narcan, to push prevention in schools. But don’t cold-sweat yet: directors say they plan to score funding from state and private sources so no new anti-drug efforts will jones for cash. SAND-HOGGING IS A CRIME Nags Head’s zoning laws just got even more granular. Three years after making it

illegal to leave tents up overnight, the town extended their crackdown on pop-ups. As of now, no shady space can be larger than 10’ x 10’ — or taller than nine feet. They also must remain at least ten feet apart. So while the bypass and beach road may stay bumper-to-bumper — the restaurants shoulder-to-shoulder — least we’ll get a little breathing space when we get to the beach. BLING STING Winning may not be everything, but it’s the only thing some First Flight champs will receive this year. After taking 25 state titles — including women’s soccer, track and field, golf, and wrestling — the school reported their annual budget couldn’t afford to buy everyone a $200 championship ring. Luckily, an anonymous donor kicked in cash for the soccer team, but that leaves a few individuals empty-handed. Anyone who wants to throw some bling on their gold card, please contact the school.

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GONE POSTAL Has the whole world gone mad? Or just mean? In July, KDH began offering official “No Trespassing” signage to oceanfront property owners. Scared some passerby might accidentally borrow your footpath? For $29, you can decorate your driveway with a permanent red-and white sign that screams, “F--- You!” (While you’re at it, be sure to change the house name from “Making Memories” to “Missing the Point.”) FAST TRACK Motivated scholars racing toward ECU should start lining up at COA. In July, the two schools announced a partnership where students enrolled in local classes can enjoy some of the university’s amenities, including access to libraries and joint financial aid counseling, micro-scholarship opportunities, joint academic advising, and a waiver of the ECU transfer application fee. By the time you finish up in Dare County, you’ll already be more than halfway to Greenville.

TEXTS BEFORE VESTS Forget the PFD — or even a landline. The new way to beat rip currents is a cellphone. In the middle of a deadly season for sea conditions, Dare County Emergency Management established a group text that sends National Weather Service alerts, issued 24 hours a day, plus local reports posted by ocean rescue personnel. Just text, “Join OBXBeachConditions” to 30890 to join. Wanna prep even further? Go to www.darenc.com/emergencyalerts to sign up for updates on hurricanes and weather emergencies. Then be ready to board up at the very first “beep.” THIS DOESN’T SUCK By now, everybody knows how a bunch of out-of-town grocery chains got together to break the coastal ban on plastic bags. Well, leave it to local restaurants to band together and fight another oversized source of ocean pollution — single-use straws. At last count, there were nearly two dozen certified Ocean

Friendly Establishments telling would be drink suckers, “Paper — not plastic.” S#!TSTORM! Talk about crappy weather. Record rainfall in late July made a near Matthew-sized mess of the coast, drowning roads, businesses, and neighborhoods over two weeks. But the biggest stink came in the form of storm water run-off — or, in the case of Kitty Hawk and Carova, actively pumping flooded streets into the shorebreak. At one point, elevated fecal counts caused the DEQ to warn folks to stay out of the ocean for 24 hours, leading residents to wonder, Is this life on a sandbar — or inside a sewer?

For detailed reports on 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 “Always knew it was nasty in town, but this is a new level of filth.” — Chicamacomico, “State officials advise against swimming in local waters,” July 25, 2018, OuterBanksVoice.com.

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upfront

WHADDYA RECKON?

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We got questions — you got answers.

getactive

Rachel Farmer, 34 Server Kill Devil Hills “I’ve always wanted to check out mini-golf at Professor Hacker’s. All the train rides and set pieces look really fun. But having kids now gives me the excuse to say, ‘Let’s go play putt-putt!’”

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50 years of What works

Noah Fiedler, 22 Delivery Driver Southern Shores “I’ve always wanted to go on one of those bi-plane rides — or just post up in a big inflatable unicorn and float in the ocean with a daiquiri in my hand!”

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Nathan Modlin, 38 Radio Operator Ocracoke “My favorite is to climb up the Ocracoke Love Oak. And taking the boat tours over to Portsmouth Island is a pretty awesome day trip, too.”

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Eric Jackson, 32 Fisherman Wanchese “I really like the Adventure Park in Nags Head. The rope courses are a bunch of fun and a challenge to get through.”

What’s the one touristy thing you’ve always wanted to do — or love to do already? La’nya Werts, 16 Seafood Technician Hyde County “The Broad Creek Marina runs dolphin tours. I’ve always wanted to go out to see the dolphins jumping alongside the boat, out in their natural habitat.”

Mandy Voliva, 36 Cook Columbia “The wild horse tours. I go up to Corolla all the time to go fishing, and I still haven’t seen a wild horse yet.”

Morganne Drexler, 18 Retail Kill Devil Hills “One of my favorite touristy things to do is to hop in the car with friends and drive down to the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse. Spend the day, take a bunch of pictures, and just hang out.”

Caroline Ratti, 56 Ceramic Artist Kitty Hawk “Not sure if this is considered ‘touristy,’ but I’d love to go out to eat during the season, at a normal dinner time.” Interviews and images by Tony Leone

Compassionate Care The Hallmark of The Outer Banks Hospital It’s what you can expect of your community hospital. Understanding and support for every person during every experience. Compassionate care. Right here.

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WHAT’S THAT, SOUND? graphiccontent Changes in our inland waters speak volumes — butgosurf what are they saying? Fiercer storms, rising seas, plastic gyres, migrating species — the ocean usually steals the spotlight when it comes to climate change and pollution drama.

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But what about our sounds, rivers and

gohunt bays? Our inshore systems may look

comparatively calm, but there’s still turmoil hiding below the surface. Everything from strange new fish to stronger strains of familiar problems. These dynamics can impact the health of not just bodies of water, but everything that surrounds them. In many cases, it’s a life or death struggle where, in the words of Joel Fodrie, assistant professor at the UNC Institute of Marine Science in Morehead City, “There’s going to be winners and losers.”

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What lies beneath? Baby sharks, new species and a bunch of prescription meds.

Here are just a few examples of what’s been happening — and what it might mean.

FRESH DANGERS We’re all used to the idea that there are a few bull sharks in the sound. But a baby boom? According to an April report in Nature, between 2003 and 2011 six juvenile bull sharks were caught in Pamlico Sound — from 2011 to 2016, 53 were caught. In this case it’s not the salinity, it’s the heat. “The presence of juveniles is temperature dependent,” says biologist Lee Paramore, of the NC Division of Marine Fisheries. “With the increasingly milder winters, the young sharks, which do best in warmer waters, are becoming increasingly more abundant.” The good news? Baby bull sharks aren’t all that dangerous. The bad news? Lionfish, an invasive, venomous species from the Pacific that turned up at wrecks off the coast several years ago, are also showing up on the backside of our islands. Watch your step.

AN EXPANDING MENU As temperatures increase, many species find they can move farther north. In Maine, more blue crab and black sea bass find the milder waters appealing. Spot, croaker and pinfish are also moving deeper. But the widening of ranges is also bringing seafood farther up from the south — and into the sound. As Fodrie told a fisheries summit last fall: “Get out your cookbook to find a recipe or two for stone crabs.” Found mostly in the southern part of the state, the stone crab population is now high enough to justify establishing its own fishery. In 1988, 38 pounds of stone crabs were landed — over the past ten years, the landings stayed above 5,000 pounds, with 7,181 pounds reported in 2017. Furthermore, the dockside price is several times that of the mighty blue crabs. (Stone crabs are $2.90 per pound compared to blue crabs, which are just under a dollar.) But, not to worry — our favorite crustacean won’t lose its blue ribbon. Only the meat from the stone crab claws is eaten — and if they lose a claw, they can regrow it in three molts.

AW, SHUCKS One critter that won’t like their new crustacean neighbors? Oysters. Turns out shellfish are one of the stone crab’s go-to meals. And that’s one of many worries, as oysters may feel much of the brunt of climate change from several fronts. Fodrie says oysters need the right habitat, and Mother Nature is taking it away one bite at a time through erosion, rising waters, and pollution — much of it occurring many miles inland. “The Newport River has always been a good place for oysters,” Fodrie says. “However, the amount of area for subtidal oysters to grow has decreased by 84 percent.” Steve Weeks, a Beaufort attorney and an oyster grower with leases in the Newport River, agrees. “The closures always start upstream, where the pollution begins,” he says. “Everyone talks about increasing the oyster population. But it could double in just one day — if the closed areas were opened because the environment was cleaned up.” Furthermore, oysters filter water and produce habitat needed for other species. A study in Alabama found that a 3.5-mile oyster reef is estimated to produce an additional 6,900 pounds of crab and shrimp harvest. So, an oyster boom could cause positive ripple effects for other marine life — as long as we can limit pollution. IT ALL FLOWS DOWNHILL Or in our case, downstream. Already noted for rising fecal counts and other water quality issues, the sounds stand to grow even dirtier as our coastal and inland populations grow larger, bringing more wastewater, pavement and pollution in general. In Florida, such factors create algae blooms that decimate lagoons. This summer, the Chowan River reported its own small algae bloom — for the fourth summer in a row, after a 2530-year absence. “Algal blooms are fed by warm temperatures, sunlight and too many nutrients in the water, mainly nitrogen and phosphorus carried by stormwater runoff,” notes the Resource Conservation and Development Council. “Stormwater can be exposed to nutrients and pesticides from agricultural fields and lawns, oil from roads, parking lots, and other pollutants.”

Now even prescription meds are showing up in sound waters — and making certain species sick.

“

According to a report in US News and World Report, James Meador, an environmental toxicologist at the Northwest Fisheries Science Center in Seattle, medications can change fishes’ normal physiology. Scientists in the southern part of the state are researching whether women’s hormone replacements that get flushed into waters are responsible for male crabs found with their own egg sacks. Or maybe it’s the culprit for why some fish species are producing more females than males.

Inshore systems may look calm, but there’s plenty of turmoil hiding below the surface.

In another study, fisheries biologists were puzzled by fish that were lethargic and didn’t swim away from predators headed their way. After tests ruled out disease, the fish were found to have high levels of ingredients found in tranquilizers and sleep aids.

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As populations grow, and factors change, these challenges will only increase. But it’s more than pills or fertilizers, streams or sounds — or even seas or species. Climate change, pollution and changing habitats are challenges that flow back and forth. Much like their mediums. They share the wins — and the losses.

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Which is why Tom Earnhardt, former law professor and current host of UNCTV’s Exploring North Carolina, told the Water Resources Research Institute conference in 2015, “It’s not just North Carolina, it’s an entire connected ecosystem. If you work in water, you also work in biodiversity.” — Sandy Semans

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Weekend events are the ideal mix of staycay and getaway. Sometimes loosening up takes more than 24 hours. We culled through a stacked calendar of fall festivals to pick three weekends where you can get out of dodge for a couple days, dig into some local culture — or just go buck wild — without going too far.

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startingpoint 15th Annual Day at the Docks

When It Is: Sept. 14-15 Where It Is: Oden’s Dock, Hatteras Village, NC What It Is: Founded in 2003 to help Hatteras Island regroup after Hurricane Isabel, this annual get-together delivers the best of “down south” living. There are workshops and waterman traditions, seafood demos and chowder cook-offs, crab races and fishing comps for the kiddies — and the everpopular Concrete Marlin Contest, where captains test their strength. Plus, the “Blessing of the Fleet” guarantees good luck for future catches. How To Do It: Reserve a campsite to score Fri. & Sat. festivities — then stick around Sun. to surf, fish or just screw around. Learn more at www.dayatthedocks.com.

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Mustang Rock & Roast 2018 When It Is: Oct.13-14 Where It Is: Mike Dianna’s Grill Room, Corolla, NC What It Is: Rising from the ashes of Corolla’s Mustang Festival, this musicand-food phoenix keeps your ears happy and your belly full for two whole days, with live tunes by a diverse menu of mind-blowing music acts — including headliners Big Something and Pink Talking Fish — plus an afternoon oyster roast on Sat. and BBQ Cook-Off on Sun. (Your wallet will be stoked, too — tix are just $60 in advance for both days.) How To Do It: Act fast to rent one of several reserved homes. (With a late night jam at Sundog’s both nights, you’ll wanna hang late — and sleep later.) Can’t pull it? Shuttles from town will stand ready to play DD. Learn more at www.mustangmusicfestival.com.

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Blackbeard’s Pirate Jamboree — 300th Anniversary When It Is: Oct. 25-28 Where It Is: Ocracoke, NC What It Is: This once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for pirate fans marks the 300th anniversary of Blackbeard’s demise by parrrgghty-ing down in Ocracoke for nearly four days. There’s music, grog, costumes and swordplay — a historically accurate 18th century encampment and “Brigands Bazaar” of local artisans — plus a cannon-blasting, cutlass-clashing recreation of Blackbeard’s final battle on Silver Lake. (There’s also Halloween trick-ortreating for the little buccaneers.) On Sun., march to Springer’s Point to pay final respects to Edward Teach and his crew. How To Do It: Finding lodging is cutthroat. Gather a crew of hardy mates and see if you can’t invade a house on AirBnB. (If not, ye ferry awaits.) Learn more at www.visitocracokenc.com.

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Hatteras culture, kids’ activities and fresh seafood all mesh together for Day at the Docks, Sept. 14-15. Photo: Daniel Pullen

Show us your list... No job too small!

Percussive punk by the Mike Dillon Band is just one reason to beat a path up to Corolla’s Mustang Rock & Roast, Oct. 13-14. Photo: Zack Smith

Cross swords and sport costumes when Blackbeard’s Pirate Jamboree storms Ocracoke, Oct. 25-28. Photo: Natasha Jackson

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getactive their location online so law enforcement is informed and “volunteers know when they can get cleaned up and secure their post.”

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Just keep chugging along. Photo: Cory Godwin

Volunteer Kathy Lassiter has run at least six OBXSE half marathons and enjoys giving back.

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“People are nervous before any kind of race, especially a long run,” Lassiter says. While she hands out shuttle information and course maps at the expo booth, she also adds personal insights:

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SERIOUS LEGWORK

Think running a marathon is rewarding? Try volunteering for one. graphiccontent Four thousand, seventy-five. That’s the total number of registered racers who committed to the 2017 Veterans Day weekend’s Outer Banks Marathon and its accompanying halfmarathon, 5k, and fun run. But while the focus may be on all the fit athletes dashing toward the finish line — it’s folks you don’t see who keep the race running. In fact, in some cases there are more people sweating behind the scenes than on the streets.

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“We have on average about 800 or so marathon racers,” says Outer Banks Sporting Events Executive Director, Ray Robinson. “Last November, we had 857 volunteers.”

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But then again, community service has always been at the heart of this annual event. Ever since 2005, when two local non-profits teamed up to organize the first-ever marathon — the Dare Education Foundation, which funnels funds to county schools; and the Outer Banks Relief Foundation, which steps in after locals experience sudden financial hardships. Both still benefit annually from race proceeds, but as the Outer Banks Marathon grew in popularity, they formed a new nonprofit to manage the event in 2010. Today, Outer Banks Sporting Events boasts a year-round schedule, including Running of the Leprechauns in March; the Flying Pirate Half Marathon in April; the Storm the Beach obstacle course in June; and the upcoming Outer Banks Tri (a swim, bike, run triathlon) on September 15 and 16. “We bring over 30,000 people to the beach each year,” Robinson says. “Last I checked, that’s the crème de la crème.” The marathon remains the top finisher in terms of attendance, bringing in an estimated 12,000 total racers.

Does that make it the area’s largest sporting event? “Yes, for the Outer Banks, probably,” Robinson says. But major productions require serious help, from setting up to stuffing sponsorship bags, manning water stations to acting as course marshals. And while all positions are equally important, they have varying popularity. “Water stops fill up pretty fast,” Robinson says. “Our school groups usually try to jump on those pretty quick. I think people truly enjoy seeing our runners, and our runners truly enjoy seeing them.” Cleanup and medal distribution are tougher to fill. Robinson blames the timeframe. Cleanup happens midday on a Sunday afternoon. (“Most folks volunteer in the evenings or on Saturday morning.”) Medal distribution starts with the first runner crossing the finish line — around 7:45am — and ends with the last runner clocking in, which may be 1:30 or 2:00pm. And an added difficulty? “If you haven’t done it before, it can be overwhelming — thousands of people running toward you,” Robinson points out. That doesn’t bother Jim Kranva. The Korea and Vietnam Army veteran marks his 13th year helping out this November, having been stationed at the finish line for the past decade. A ham (amateur) local radio operator, Kranva and 23 other ham operators ensure swift communication among law enforcement, race staff, and medical personnel. A member of his group follows the last runner on an ATV, provided by N.E.S.T., the full 26.2 miles, from Dominion Power in Kitty Hawk to downtown Manteo, posting

“This is the easy part.” “This is the hard part.” Or, “The bridge isn’t as bad as it looks.”

“

“It is a true circle of altruism.”

— Ray Robinson, OBXSE

Even outside of race dates, volunteers are necessary for warehouse inventory — think water, Gatorade, cups, tents, and t-shirts galore — and cleanup. Besides scoring a commemorative tee, volunteers can receive awards for things like the individual with the most hours, favorite volunteer (voted on by their peers), the group with the most creative costumes, and the most spirited group. OBXSE held a cookout in June for last year’s team. What folks may not realize, is they’re not just helping the race — they’re helping their community. Last fiscal year, OBXSE netted $800,000. After paying salaries, advertising, setup costs, and stipends to student groups and various non-profits who support the events with extra staff, the $100,000 profit was split evenly between the founding charities. “It is a true circle of altruism,” he says. “It helps send kids to great programs like AVID, and helps folks in the community who are coming into hard times.” Furthermore, each runner brings along an average of 3.2 people. That’s a total of 12,000 visitors total for Veterans Day weekend alone, which helps to round out the shoulder season and give each town’s coffers a little extra juice. Still, personal satisfaction is the main inspiration. Colleen Almoney gave water out twice near the marathon’s midway point in Nags Heads Woods. She enjoys cheering on the slower runners. “They’re doing something I sure can’t, so that’s awesome,” says the KDH resident. “The only way I’m running that far is if something’s chasing me.” — Corinne Saunders

Ed. Note: Wanna step up and help? Every job is a click away, at www.obxse.org/volunteer. milepost 21

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Installation meets insulation. Wise’s ceiling is stuffed with museum-quality fiberglass. Photo: Chris Bickford

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“

These boards are the roots of our culture.

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The most collectible boards mark a period in time. Like an early shortboard, or the beginning of the longboard era. Signature models are cool — Linda Hoffman, Gary Propper, Corky Carroll, Phil Edwards. That little extra star power can make them more desirable. A lot of what we’re collecting is mistakes. So much of early surfboard design was trial and error. Like the Conn Ugly. It didn’t float good, didn’t ride good. They say they got the nose design by tracing a trash can lid. But it was a great selling board at the time. And it’s very collectible now. Because those stories become part of the appeal.

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THE COLLECTOR

Surfalorus curator, Steve Wise, describes his passion for stockpiling used sticks. soundcheck I love surfboards. There’s so many ways to enjoy them. The way they look — the airbrush, the resin job, the fin shape, the foil. How well they ride — or don’t. All the stories behind them. And the more you surf, the more you learn about design and history, the more you appreciate them. So they grow with you as a surfer.

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I keep my collection around 45 boards. Most of them I found working for the phone company for 30 years. Crawling under houses, in attics, in garages, you come across some old board that’s barely been used. Maybe a kid tried surfing once, fell off a few times, and hung it up. Twenty years later, Mom or Dad can’t wait to get rid of the thing.

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I’ve got an old “kook box.” That’s a hollow wooden board that’s from before 1950 — before they used foam. I’ve got a Steve Lis twin-fin from the 70s. I’ve got a 1966 Stylus II by Surfboards Hawaii — that one’s probably in the best condition. But if I had to pick one, it’s my 1966 Harbor Banana. It was my very first surfboard. After a couple years, I sold it to my brother, who then sold it to some other kid. But a few years later, I decided to go looking for it. I drove around my old neighborhood in Northern Virginia and found it laying in someone’s backyard and got it for next to nothing. It’s not the most expensive, but it’s still the most valuable — at least to me.

Sometimes they’ll just give it to you, like, “Please! Take it!” And, really, 45 isn’t that big of a collection. If it was 45 stamps, nobody would bat an eye. In fact, my wife probably wishes I did collect stamps. [laughs] Anything from the Sixties is collectible nowadays. But the better the condition, the stronger the value. I’ve paid more than a thousand dollars for some, but, typically, the person selling doesn’t have a lot of money in it — they just want to get a little money out of it. So they say “$500,” then I say “$400,” and we work back and forth and whittle it down. And there’s so many boards that I haven’t paid much for that it all balances out pretty evenly.

You never really stop collecting. I’m not with the phone company anymore, but driving around, I’m still looking for boards under houses and in driveways or propped up for sale. After a while, you almost get a sixth sense for them. Once, after a hurricane, I was cruising down a street with piles of junk everywhere. I saw what looked like the rail of a surfboard hidden behind one pile. I dug through, and sure enough it was a Mike Tabeling board that he shaped himself — fin in it and everything. I gave it to my good friend, Tom Rogers, and he still rides it, which is even better. Not many people grow up riding these early designs anymore. But I believe they will always be valuable. Because they’re the roots of our culture. I worry more about the modern boards. They’re almost disposable. Most surfers break them and throw them away. But there’s a whole lot of them out there. And not everyone sticks with it. Somewhere this summer, a tourist kid from Rocky Mount bought a brand new board he’ll ride once or twice then leave in his mom’s basement. Fifty years from now, she’ll be sick of holding on to it — and some rabid collector will be very happy.

Ed note: Steve Wise runs Hukilau Surf Camp through Nags Head Church, where you can see several examples of his stunning collection.

The 7th Annual Surfalorus Film Festival drifts into town, Sept. 20-22. Come out to Manteo’s Dare County Arts Council, Sept. 21, to see classic surfboards from the 1940s ‘til now — and hear a panel of local experts discuss the evolution of board design. Learn more at www.surfalorus.org.

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questionauthority upfront PSYCHE-OLOGY REVERSE The less you care about an election, the more it matters.

On Nov. 6, Outer Bankers will once again mobilize en masse, packing the polls to make decisions that will determine the fate of our nation, our state — our very neighborhoods! (Yeah, sure.) Maybe if it was 2020. Then roughly two-thirds would crawl off the couch to pick a president. But when it comes to mid-term elections, history shows less than half of Americans will bother to cast a ballot. And it only gets worse from there.

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“All of the energy and all of the interest [in America] is geared toward presidential years,” says Dr. Michael Bizter, a Catawba College political science professor and researcher who specializes in North Carolina races. “But when you have midterm election years — and even worse, what we call ‘odd year’ elections for local government — turnout just plummets. And if you’re one voter out of 30,000 — as compared to 300,000 or 3,000,000 — that vote speaks exponentially louder than people’s who don’t vote, in terms of engagement.”

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The good news? According to Bitzer, our political make-up is getting more diverse — and looking a little less lazy. We asked the good doctor for a check-up on our county and state’s current voter profile, and what each citizen can do to keep our democracy healthy. — Matt Walker

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MILEPOST: How does NC compare with the rest of the U.S. when it comes to turnout? Are we as lazy as I think?

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DR. MICHAEL BITZER: We’re pretty typical. Two-thirds of registered voters show up for presidential years. That’s the norm for the nation. When it comes to midterms, that typically drops to the low- and mid-40 percent. But for odd years, which is the level of government that affects citizens on a dayto-day basis, very few people participate. In Charlotte, last year’s mayoral election had maybe 15 percent voter turnout.

communities. So there’s more and more polarized voting going on at the local level. But certainly, gerrymandering doesn’t help matters. That’s interesting, because the Outer Banks is pretty much half and half, while our inland counties are more right. Is that normal for communities where you have hodgepodges of people moving in?

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What about state trends overall?

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North Carolina has trended left significantly. In 2000 and 2004, George W. Bush won this state by 13 percentage points. In 2008, Barack Obama won by less than half a point. And that’s when North Carolina started to become more competitive. We still lean slightly to the Republican side — Trump won by three-and-a-half points — but it is much closer than those 13-point blowouts.

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But at the same time, we have a staunchly Republican state legislature. Is that because of gerrymandering? That certainly plays into it. But we voters have also sorted ourselves into likeminded

I think. Certainly, North Carolina has been influenced by in-migration. Certainly, retirees in coastal areas would play a pretty significant influence. Rural areas are going to be more Republican. Urban North Carolina is trending much more Democratic. But actually, if you isolate suburban counties around Raleigh and Charlotte, they are the most Republican counties. When you look at Dare County numbers, do you see any revelations that bear that out? Or any insights as we compare to the rest of the state? Right now, if you break down the state numbers, it’s 38 percent registered Democrats, 31 percent Unaffiliated, and 30 percent Republican. In Dare County, Unaffiliated is 39 percent. Registered Republican is 31 percent. And registered

What about on the age breakdown? Are we younger, older, the same? Dare County is a little bit older than the state: 23 percent of the voters are Millennial or Gen Z; 41 percent are Baby Boomers, with 25 percent Gen X. In the state, we’ve had a pretty significant change. Right now, voters under the age of 37 — what we would call Millennials and Generation Z — they’re now a plurality. Their numbers tend to be 32 percent of the total statewide. Baby Boomers are 31 percent. The generation in-between — Gen X — is about a quarter, at 26 percent. So, statewide, that Gen X and Millennial group is more than Boomers. But while they may be the plurality as registered voters, they do not show up as much. Baby Boomers tend to be a plurality of votes among those who cast votes.

Democrat, Republican or Independent?” — a significant plurality will say, “I’m an Independent.” And this is particularly true among young voters. The following question that has to be asked is, “Do you lean to one party or the other?” And if someone leans to one party, they will vote in a partisan way just as much as people who identify with that political party. If we look back to

So the group with the most political power right now is also the least likely to use it? That’s the great question for this year’s election: will that trend be bucked by younger voters who seem to have awakened? In terms of the dynamics, with Millennials almost reaching 40, this could be a kind of transition election. But it will be interesting to see if the energy and enthusiasm among young voters is still there this fall. Because midterms are traditionally an older electorate than what we see in presidential years. And the Baby Boom generation tends to lean more Republican. We keep talking about Democrats and Republicans — but then you say we’re one-third Unaffiliated. Well that is a very common misperception about Unaffiliated voters. If you ask the standard three questions — “Are you

CLAM BAKES

RED, BLUE, OR GRAY?

NC’s voter demographics keep skewing younger. Dare County, not so much. 9.1%

SANDWICHES

16.2%

22.8% 21.1% 50.9%

46.9%

Why do you think that is? It’s a common dynamic. When you’re young, you haven’t established real roots, perhaps. But as you grow older, you become more invested in your community. You become more aware of the issues. And you tend to vote more frequently.

necessarily show up — who are you going to go after? You’re going to go after the reliable vote. And particularly when you get into legislative districts that are drawn in favor of one party or the other, the election that matters isn’t the general election. It’s the primary election. Because if you survive your primary, 85 percent of voters [will vote straight down the ticket].

4.2%

Democrat is 29 percent. You have more registered Unaffiliated voters than Democrats or Republicans. And that’s kind of where things are headed in the state.

18-25 26-40 41-65 66+

NORTH CAROLINA 4.77 million voters

28.7%

DARE COUNTY 19,500 voters

Numbers as of June 23, 2018 voter registration file for the State of North Carolina and Dare County.

2012 and 2016, less than ten percent of the national electorate were pure Independents who split their votes pretty evenly. If you go to an Independent who leans more Democratic or leans Republican, they’re voting for their party 80 percent of the time. So they may eschew the party label, but they are pretty reliable party voters. It does feel like people vote party over country more. And that disillusionment must drive even more people to say, “I don’t want to vote,” because it feels useless. Right? The parties have become more ideologically coherent. There is party loyalty and a sense of tribalism on both sides. But folks who are registered partisan in the state have higher turnout than registered Unaffiliateds. So, if you’re a candidate or a campaign manager, and you’re talking about 80 percent-plus reliable voters — or a shrinking pool of Independents who may or may not

So by not voting, people send a bad message to the candidates themselves. Because even a losing vote represents a potential change in public attitude.

BREAKFAST BURRITOS

Yes. Very much so. Then every vote really does count. In fact, the less important an election feels, the more important it probably is. Yup. But all elections have consequences. Look at Anthony Kennedy’s retirement and the opportunity for Republicans to add a fifth member to the Supreme Court. Or decisions made by local communities [that impact daily life]. This is a democratic republic. We rely on citizens to not just voice their concerns but to elect leaders. If the average citizen complains about decisions being made, they need to engage themselves. And even if they’re on the losing side, at least their voice is heard.

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STreet smarts Beneath every Outer Banks road is a bit of history.

What’s it take to get a street named after you in these parts? That all depends. If you’re Virginia Dare, not much — just be born to a pair of New World pioneers, disappear as an infant, then let 400 years of local lore and European ethno-centrism do the rest. If you’re Carolista Baum, it means standing in front of a developer’s bulldozer — and standing up to “The Man” — to turn a giant dune into a coastal treasure. And, if you’re Capt. Richard Etheridge, it takes saving hundreds of lives and breaking racial barriers — then waiting another century for society to catch up. But those tales are all well-trodden by now. Cruise any neighborhood and you’ll cross paths with some lesserknown scenic drive down memory lane. Major avenues named for humble personalities. Minor roads with biggerthan-life biographies. Cul-de-sacs that salute conquering not just the air, but the entire night sky. Here’s a handful of points in history, where time, place and person intersected perfectly — and ultimately helped put the Outer Banks on the map. milepost

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First in photo. Baum was always a willing model to help Aycock Brown promote the Wright Bros.’ achievements. Image courtesy of Outer Banks History Center.

After a treacherous, 24-hour voyage and a long night docked in Kitty Hawk Bay, Wright disembarked on the morning of September 9, 1900 and promptly met a 14-year-old neighborhood boy named Elijah Baum. Baum in turn showed Wright the way to Bill and Addie Tate’s home. Addie Tate was postmistress of Kitty Hawk, and her husband had corresponded with and befriended the Wrights after Wilbur wrote a letter to the U.S. Weather Station in Kitty Hawk to inquire about conditions in the area. He went on to room with the couple until Orville arrived with their camping gear. Coincidentally, in 1914, Baum would take over Addie’s watch, sorting mail for the Currituck County village. (It would be midway through his tenure as postmaster that Kitty Hawk became part of Dare County.) He built a general store and post office near the location on Kitty Hawk Bay where he first met Wright. Mail came in via boat, and a long dock allowed easy transport of goods to the store. Hettie Baum, who Elijah married in 1907, took over as postmistress in the late 1920s. In his later years, Baum was a carpenter, while Hettie carried on postmistress duties. In both capacities, Baum cemented his role as a Kitty Hawk fixture, while routinely celebrating the Wrights’ accomplishments and Kitty Hawk’s place in the story. According to early tourism director, Aycock Brown, for years Baum served as an unofficial “guide for persons who wish to see the site of the house where the Wrights boarded with the Tates.”

ELIJAH BAUM DRIVE The corner of what you know – and who you know.

Perpendicular to Kitty Hawk Road, at Kitty Hawk United Methodist Church, Elijah Baum Drive runs a mile or so south to Kitty Hawk Bay. It is a beautiful thoroughfare that ends in a grove of stately live oaks. Like many of the neighborhood’s streets, this one is named for a lifetime Kitty Hawker. But Elijah Baum’s reputation runs all the way to Ohio, as “probably the best-informed

person in Kitty Hawk on the early days of the Wrights in this community.” Perhaps because he was the first Outer Banker to meet one of the aviation pioneers in-person. Upon travelling via train from Dayton, Ohio, to Norfolk and then on to Elizabeth City, Wilbur Wright had a hard time finding anyone who knew anything about Kitty Hawk. When Israel Perry offered to take him there by boat, Wilbur agreed.

In 1927, with the 25th anniversary of the first flight approaching, Baum and Bill Tate created a marker out of pieces of wood at the spot in Kill Devil Hills where the Wright Brothers first flew in a heavierthan-air machine. Baum also served on the committee that erected the small obelisk in Kitty Hawk Village, where Wilbur set up shop assembling gliders in 1900. In 1953, Baum took part in the golden anniversary of the Wright’s first flight. He died in November 1965, and Hettie in April 1969. They’re both buried in Kitty Hawk’s Austin Cemetery. — Sarah Downing

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MUSTIAN avenue KDH’s path to permanence began with a rocky start — and a determined mayor.

Traveling west on Colington Road from the US 158 bypass, the first road on the left, running north and south, is Mustian avenue. The thoroughfare is named for Emily Long Mustian, a native of Valdese, North Carolina, and the first elected mayor of the Town of Kill Devil Hills. And while Mustian wasn’t the only first mayor in her family — her father ran Valdese, a little town in the Appalachian foothills — it’s doubtful his path to office was as tumultuous as hers. Kill Devil Hills, our beach’s oldest and most populated municipality, was established by the North Carolina legislature in 1953. Following procedures, the Dare County Board of Commissioners appointed a mayor, Major Leo Murphy, and a board of commissioners made up of Frank H. Dean,

Scrapbook memories of one scrappy lady. Photo courtesy Outer Banks History Center.

In other words, more KDHers voted to dissolve the town than to choose a mayor, throwing the community’s whole future into a state of uncertainty. Weeks after her win, Mustian published a statement in the Coastland Times, asking “for the support and cooperation of all those who supported me and of all those who opposed me.” She also championed transparency and citizen participation. She officiated as mayor while the dissolutionists lawyered up. A flip through Mustian’s scrapbook of the times features newspaper clippings from around the region following the strange tale as it wound through the legal system. There are also editorials, like motel owner Clayton Tillett’s plea to “uphold the validity of the election.” The case ultimately went to the North Carolina Supreme Court, and in February of 1956, the court determined the petition “did not and could not comply with statutory requirements.” With that, Kill Devil Hills’ shaky start found solid ground. Mustian was elected to serve an additional term as mayor, but she resigned shortly afterwards, explaining that she “did not wish to be a party to actions being planned by the commissioners.” However, she later reflected: “I think we did a very, very good job as a new town.”

Herbert R. Morrison, and Robert A. Young. They held their first meeting April 30, 1953, when fewer than 270 citizens resided in the fledgling municipality. “It was a very small community with lots of vacant land and mostly all residential,” Mustian recalled in a 1981 interview. Two years after incorporating, it was time to elect a mayor. In a tighter than tight race, Murphy lost his seat to Mustian by two votes — 66 to 68. But things were not so swell in our seaside hamlet, as many residents were disgruntled to learn that incorporation came with a property tax hike. So, in addition to the mayoral race, the ballot featured a referendum to repeal the town charter. The repealers won 76 to 70.

Mustian and her husband, Wallace, moved to Manteo, where he practiced oral surgery. Following her husband’s death, Mustian moved to a retirement center in Richmond, where she enjoyed volunteering, painting and investing. She died in 1993 and is buried in Valdese. Today, Mustian Street serves as a community hub, home to Dare County Recreational Park, the Kill Devil Hills Library and the Thomas A. Baum Center — which also doubles as a voting site every November. Whenever you cast a ballot, think of Mustian — especially when it’s time to vote for mayor next year. (And be thankful every time more than 75 people show up.) — Sarah Downing

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Gussie and Marshall Collins remain the very picture of Roanoke Island’s caring spirit. Portrait by Outer Banks artist, Jasmin Miller.

and saddle it when I was ready for a ride; how to care for bitties just out of the egg and help them grow to pullet stage, and then on to become egglaying full-sized hens.” Although Marshall and Gussie Collins lived on the former family homestead, it was only a small portion of the tract once owned by his grandfather, Bill Charles Bowser. (You might recognize that name on another Manteo street, Bowsertown Road.) Collins worked hard over the years to purchase parcels from descendants and owners so he could pass that ancestral land on to his children. According to Collins’ granddaughter, Joan, he was driven by “a determination to try to have something for his family to hold onto. He wanted this for his kids.”

MARSHALL C. COLLINS drive Manteo’s house of lawand-order rests on a foundation of community love.

Steering into Manteo’s Dare County Justice Center to pay off that traffic ticket or talk your way out of jury duty, you might assume Marshall C. Collins Drive is named for a prominent sheriff or judge. In fact, Collins was a regular Roanoke Island fisherman and farmer — as well as a prominent citizen and leader in the African-American community. He also happened to own all the land where our county offices and courthouse stand, plus more property stretching south all the way to Skyco. Collins was born in 1898 to Lemuel and Charlie Bowser Collins, and grew up at Skyco, on the west side of Roanoke Island. The family lived in the old homestead built by Collin’s great grandfather, Spencer Bowser, a free black who was listed in the 1860 census as a fisherman.

Collins carried on that fishing legacy, as well as farming and working a variety of local jobs. For a time, he ran Marshall Seafood in downtown Manteo. Around 1920, Collins married Gussie Berry. They had ten children — eight boys and two girls. Most of the boys, including twins Zack and Herbert, served in the Coast Guard, Herbert being the man who, in 1947, closed forever the door of the decommissioned Pea Island Coast Guard Station, known for its all-black crew. Collins’ daughter, Naomi, was an educator of note, social worker, and church and community leader in Manteo. In the 1930s, Frank Stick and family lived at Skyco Lodge adjacent to the Collins property. David Stick penned a tribute to his boyhood neighbor in 2001, saying, “He taught me how to make a boat, and how to sail it; how to care for a horse

In 2001, the Marshall Collins family agreed to sell a 16-acre portion of their land to Dare County for the justice center. While the tract was valued at over $2.7 million, it was sold for $975,000 with the remainder of the value considered a charitable donation. Also that year, the North Carolina Department of Transportation bought an 8.8-acre portion of the Collins land in order to build a welcome center next to the new Virginia Dare Memorial Bridge. In November 2017, Dare County built the Marshall & Gussie Collins Walkway, a two-mile path through forest and marsh that connects the Justice Center with the Coastal Studies Institute, to honor the couple. Take a stroll there and you’ll find a marker that perhaps best describes their influence: “Known for their integrity, generosity and devotion to family, Marshall and Gussie Collins served as role models for the entire Roanoke Island community and inspired generations of their family and countless others to live a life of service.” Marshall Collins died in 1968 — ten years after his beloved Gussie. Both are buried at the Haven Creek Baptist Church Cemetery in Manteo. — Sarah Downing

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ORIONS way Buck Island’s gate to the space age.

Most street names in Corolla are pretty predictable. There’s a Whalehead Drive, a Corolla Drive and a Lighthouse Drive. There is at least one Sunrise Lane, a Sunfish Street, Driftwood Way. Your usual suburban mix of familiar elements and generic landscapes — until we get to Buck Island. That’s when things get a bit spaced out. Starting from the gate on Orions Way, there’s a Galileo Road, as well as streets honoring the most legendary names of early space exploration — Mercury, Apollo, Voyager, and Columbia. (Project Mercury put the first American into space in 1961;

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Corolla: back when open space and rocket research were the norm. Photo courtesy of the Whalehead Club.

the Outer Banks’ northern beaches were basically empty. Corolla’s population struggled to reach 100, and tourism was non-existent. But one future visitor favorite would prove useful: the Whalehead Club, which sat on somewhere around 2500 acres of open space — that’s four square miles. The property had been everything from a hunt club to a boys school, and nothing had really worked. Access was by boat from the Currituck mainland or via a private dirt lane through Pine Island Hunt Club. Perfect for what Atlantic Research Corporation had in mind. ARC, as they were known, was all about rocket engine research — experimenting with beryllium-fueled systems that would generate enough power to hurl a human into Outer Space. In 1964, ARC purchased the property for $1.25 million — plus another eight miles of oceanfront — constructed some outbuildings for storage, and then settled into their new headquarters, Whalehead Club. There are some advantages to using beryllium as a fuel — the compounds are stable and the combustion very powerful. There are also some disadvantages. Beryllium is very toxic — so much so that whenever there was a test firing, all water and air traffic in the area had to be halted. So much so that a 1986 NASA evaluation of beryllium fuel determined that “…the toxicity of beryllium and its derivatives seemed to be an excessive risk.”

Project Apollo put a man on the moon in 1969; Columbia was the first space shuttle; and Voyager, launched in 1977, is still sending signals back to Earth.) Construction on Buck Island began in the late 80s, when the United States was still passionate about astronomical research. But there’s a more direct connection between the neighborhood and the stars, as indigenous to Corolla’s beaches as any flotsam or fish species. In the early 60s, the “space race” was at warp speed as the U.S. and Soviets battled to conquer the cosmos. Security and safety concerns made isolated areas necessary for research. Back then,

By 1969, man reached the moon without ARC’s help. It was apparent by then that researchers weren’t going to be able to overcome the technical issues with beryllium fuels — along with toxicity, it did not always combust evenly — and the project was closed down. The company sold the land to real estate developers. Corolla would go on to be a new frontier for generating tourist dollars. But even if the experiment with rocket fuel never did quite pan out, the street names of Buck Island remain a reminder of a time when the northern Outer Banks was on the cutting edge of science and space exploration. — Kip Tabb

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If you don’t know Dick, then you don’t know the Outer Banks’ greatest athlete. Photo courtesy Outer Banks History Center.

In 1925, Burrus batted a career best .340 for the Boston Braves. He also led the National League’s first basemen in fielding, boasting a .990 percentage over 151 games. Soon after, the Braves sold his contract to the Indianapolis Indians for $10,000 — believed to be an American Association record at the time — where he helped the Indians win the pennant. In 1930, Burrus retired — just after the stock market crash. He returned home to Hatteras with a hero’s reputation but little else. “He was heavily invested,” says granddaughter and local historian Elizabeth Browning Fox. “He moved into a spare room in his parents’ house. He had to start all over.” Burrus recovered quickly. He ran both a shrimp trawler and the local Texaco distributorship, fueling boats from his own Hatteras dock and supplying the island’s gas stations all the way to Rodanthe. Later, between 1948 and 1950, he served as a Dare County commissioner. In 1962, health issues forced him to retire. He sold his dock to Herbert Oden and moved to Elizabeth City, where he died of lung cancer in 1972. But none of that has to do with a street name.

MAURICE BURRUS road A shortcut to one Hatteras Islander’s field of dreams.

Drive north from Hatteras, just past the “Welcome to Buxton” sign, you’ll see a pair of furrowed tire-tracks shooting starboard beneath a shiny green marker that reads “Maurice Burrus Road.” Google the name posted above this glorified gravel path, you’ll get a 19th century Alsatian tobacco magnate. But punch in “Dick Burrus” and you’ll find the bio of a local boy who rubbed shoulders with baseball greats like Babe Ruth and Major League Baseball’s longest-serving manager, Cornelius McGillicuddy — aka Connie Mack. “Daddy was always called ‘Dick’ after his uncle,” explains daughter Dixie Burrus

Browning. “In 1927, he led the National League in both hitting and fielding.” Not bad for a kid born on tiny Hatteras Island in 1898. At age 11, Burrus’ family moved to Elizabeth City, where he took to baseball. In high school, those athletic skills carried him to Oak Ridge Academy — where he was eventually named to the private school’s All-Time Baseball Hall of Fame — and ultimately earned a scholarship to NC State University, where he lettered in four sports. In 1919, Burrus left college to go pro. He began playing first base in the minors for the Columbia Comers, but within two months Mack signed him to the big leagues’ Philadelphia Athletics.

“Granddaddy’s grandmother was from Buxton,” says Liz, who lives just across Highway 12. “He knew her property was somewhere in the vicinity, so in the early 50s he bought all this land. Shortly after, he built the road, which used to go more than a mile back toward the great ridge — until Hurricane Emily washed it out. Now it’s more of a driveway.” In other words, Maurice Burrus Road was always meant to be more of a humble personal marker than a public point of pride. But in 2010, Dare County officially honored their champion by installing Burrus Field, a community baseball diamond where youth leaguers and loving fans continue to honor the Outer Banks’ greatest professional athlete. — Stu Nahan

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The only political statement you need to make this fall.

Free speech? More like hot air. For all the time spent posting political views, even the most vocal citizens don’t take the one action that matters: casting a ballot. ( Just see page 24.) Even as they share some of the most extremist views. So, before you post another political message on your bumper or Facebook page, take five seconds to cut out this one-size-fits-all message, and stick it in your yard, car window, storefront — or wherever the sun shines brightest. Then be sure to follow your own advice. Otherwise, you’re not part of the solution — you’re part of the problem.

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Step 2: Find a house with a ridiculous number of yard signs.

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Step 3: Choose ONE. Fold and tape your sign over top.

Step 4: Run like hell.

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Step 1: Cut out sign while pounding beers.

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Your kids. Your community. And your Outer Banks Milepost Bi-partisan Steering Committee.

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SHUT UP milepost 37

sta cay tio Five fantastic ways to lose yourself this fall â&#x20AC;&#x201D; without ever leaving home.

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Photo: Chris Bickford

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KILL DEVIL HILLS and

GRANDY

Face it: you’re not going anywhere fast. Not ’til November, when things

finally slow down. Sure, there was a moment — probably sometime last millennium — when the end of summer meant the beginning of free time. But as shoulder seasons grow increasingly hairy, shaving off a few minutes of “me time” is damn near impossible. That just means it’s time to get creative at home. We asked five longtime residents to choose their own adventures, then document their days. Something nearby they’d never attempted, but could still achieve inside of 24 hours — or just an afternoon. Some flew as far as Ocracoke — others never left the beach road. All came back feeling refreshed, invigorated — even inspired — and with a whole new appreciation for Outer Banks life and all its tourist trappings.

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Photo: Matt Hooper milepost

fish out of wa ter

h t f ar.

The label literally says, “Chum.” The same way a soda can screams “Pepsi,” or a cereal box boasts, “Corn Pops.” Only this carton holds seven pounds of frozen menhaden, a treat sweet only to the type of toothy critters I’ve spent a lifetime obsessing over — then pretend don’t exist every time I hop in the ocean. Sarah Gardner? She’s more the opposite. “Sometimes when I surf, I think about all the sharks I’ve caught,” she says, as she shreds the cardboard and stuffs its oily contents into a sack of orange mesh. “I can picture them swimming around me… ‘Oh, we’ve been waiting for you.’” We both start laughing. But within a few minutes, I’ll be struggling. The reel will be whining. The rod will be bending. And I’ll be busting out all sorts of bad Jaws quotes — “He’s a big, smart fish!” — at least until my wee prize breaches the surface, and it becomes abundantly clear that we will most certainly not need a bigger boat. “Awe, it’s a little Atlantic sharpnose!” Sarah says, genuinely impressed, as she grabs the 18-inch critter behind the gills and holds it high. “This is what I love about shark fishing — you get to see these wonderful creatures right up close. Kids really love it.” Kids and angling kooks like me. Despite growing up by the beach, I’ve caught maybe three fish my whole life. So while Shark Week’s a summer tradition — Captain Quint a favorite Halloween costume — I’m way closer to the landlubber Chief Brody. Awkward, clueless. Basically useless. (“We’ll take you for ballast, Chief.”) But even the chief knew to hire the right captain. “I joke a lot about my karma debt,” Gardner admits. “But it’s kind of true. My way of recreating and making a living is killing things.” She does it well. Over the past 22 years, Gardner’s earned a reputation as not just one of Oregon Inlet’s top guides, but the planet’s best anglers. She’s held world fly rod records for both bluefish and yellowfin tuna — and let even bigger fish go — earning contracts with core companies like Sage, RIO and Patagonia, and building a client base that includes both basic beginners and the most experienced anglers. In that way, Sarah’s a waste on me. Like hiring Mario Andretti to teach your teen to drive. But it takes more than understanding weather patterns and fish behavior to be an ace guide. You have to read people, too. Their loves — and their limits. Which is why, after wasting a half-hour trying to fix my piss-poor cast on a piece of breathtaking marsh, she looks at me ever so sweetly, sighs, and makes a suggestion I’d never considered — but could never turn down. “So...you wanna go chum for sharks?” Minutes later, Gardner’s 23-foot Fly Girl is shooting the Bonner Bridge pilings and racing south toward New Inlet. It’s not Sarah’s first choice — or her second. The evolution of an angler is supposed to grow increasingly

harder. You start by watching a bobber at age five — by 50, you can sight-cast and tie your own flies. Conquering that learning curve means more than filling any one cooler. But even an expert has to adapt backwards on occasion. And this time, that means chucking some ground-up fish overboard and seeing what bites. “It’s not that it’s easy,” Sarah says, still salving my ego. “But it’s a great way for someone to catch big fish in a little boat close to shore.” Maybe a little too close. Posted up less than a halfmile off Pea Island, the Richard Etheridge Bridge looks like a big set of teeth. Watching the oily chum slick run toward a favorite surf spot, I wonder, Do I really wanna know what’s out there? And do I really wanna piss one of them off? But unlike the movies, there’s no haranguing them with rifles and barrels, then hanging their gray, bloody bodies high from some dockside gallows. Gardner says she releases more than ninety-percent of her catch. That’s why she uses circle hooks, which are designed to come out easy, even on their own if necessary. Even the release has to be right. “You want to be as careful as you can be, out of respect for the fish,” she explains as she gently de-hooks my sharpnose with pliers and sways the fish back and forth underwater, before letting it run off like a marine matchbox car.

I can barely squeak, “Bad fish… swallow you whole…” before the rod bends again. “You’re on! Go!” This one nearly yanks off my arm as I start cranking — and cranking and cranking. Growing weaker with each passing second, I can hear the collective “Wuss!” of a thousand Quints echoing in my head, as the unseen menace wrenches me toward the bow where our tugof-war continues. Until, suddenly, the fish dives straight down and out of sight. “He’s gone under the boat!” I scream with glee — shamelessly living out one more monster Spielberg scene — before I finally, fortunately, bring the thrashing beast to the surface. This one’s a blacktip. A four-footer. As Sarah grabs the line, the fish slowly lists sideways and looks up. Its gaze is not lifeless and black, like a doll’s eyes — they’re green and alert, like a cat’s — only more primal.

“We see bull sharks. Even the occasional tiger shark. I have no desire to land a tiger shark.”

“It may not go back in the exact same shape as it came out, but we put it back as best we can,” Sarah says. “The resource comes first.” And therein lies the dichotomy of every good predator. You’re actively hunting something you love and hoping to preserve it at the same time. It’s not so much “kill ‘em all” as it is “let’s help each other survive.” So really, Gardner’s relationship with nature is much more honest. Because while I spend my time in the ocean pretending nothing dangerous ever swims past, she thrives on knowing exactly what’s out there. “My husband caught two hammerheads here just yesterday,” she says as she tacks a piece of tuna belly on the hook and swings it over. “We see bull sharks. Even the occasional tiger shark. But I have no desire to land a tiger shark.”

“This one’s too big to pick up,” she says, bringing the cutters dangerously close to the shark’s mouth. In those few final seconds, the fish and I stare at each other, just long enough to wonder: Is it checking my markings? Memorizing them for a future surf session when our roles will be reversed and I’ll be the piece of meat bobbing on the surface? Or is it taking note of the strange creature who was just lucky enough to hook him — and just nice enough to let him go? With that, Sarah snips the line, and within seconds the shark is nothing but a dark shadow and not-sodistant memory. “Don’t worry,” she says. “That hook will come out in no time. He’ll be fine.” I reckon I will, too. — Matt Walker milepost 41

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WAITRESS IN THE SKY.

“Whiskey... Tango… Foxtrot… Yankee” “Wild Turkey… Tanqueray… Fireball… Jäger....” Funny how this headset radio chatter seems to channel my ABC order. Right down to the finger taps. As I type my (hopefully) last work text of the day, our pilot, Charles Hardy, is punching buttons, toggling togs, and turning knobs. I hit send and pocket the phone, right as the engine engages. The prop roars to life, drowning out all other sound and driving us down the narrow strip of pavement that is the First Flight Airport. It’s June, but it feels like July. My friend, Mary Claire, leaves her door open as long as possible to keep the fresh air coming in before sealing us tight. But the air keeps flowing, over the wings, lifting us upwards until it’s obvious we’re fully flying. If the Wright Bros. Memorial outside the window weren’t a big enough clue, the bypass below does the trick. “Not very busy up here,” Charles quips as he peers down at the bumper-to-bumper gridlock on 158. We all take a moment to take in the traffic, then quietly each breathe a sigh of relief. On any other morning, we’d be baking in that ridiculous 30-in-a-50mph highway sludge, stopping and going from here to Hatteras before waiting in ferry traffic for who knows how long. Except we wouldn’t be. Not this time of year. For a service industry waitressturned-robot with summer money to make, stealing a full day to play hookie in Ocracoke just doesn’t happen. Swiping two shifts so you can bring your co-worker/best pal? Damn near impossible. Lucky for me, my mom makes the schedule. Even better? MC’s dad owns the plane. He’s been known to fly as far as Florida on a whim. A mid-summer surgical strike on Ocracoke is no big deal — except it is. “I love flying anywhere,” Charles beams. “But there’s nothing more beautiful than flying over the Outer Banks. To be able to see home from above is a real blessing.” It’s sublime. Super blue. Not a cloud in the sky. The rays of the sun bounce unobstructed off the polished surface of Charles’ 1977 Piper Cherokee Archer II. He steers the yellow and cream 4-seater with the same calm cool as the seniors from Dazed and Confused — complete with the 70s Ray Bans — and points south toward Ocracoke, leaving the monument in our collective rear view. “So long, Wilbur,” I mutter to nobody as we say goodbye to the spot where man first managed to stick it to gravity. Makes you wonder: what would the Wright Brothers think of all this? The planes? The technology? Would they even recognize the place they spent months testing glider designs? Forget 1903. So much has changed since 1995, the year Mary Claire and I met on the stage of Kitty Hawk Elementary for our kindergarten graduation. We’re all grown up now — just like the island. But from the ground,

everything changes so gradually. From the air, you see it in stark relief — before and after. You see all the houses, the stores, the paper streets that are no more. The three of us fade into a contented silence, looking out at the world below and occasionally offering a quick peek into our inner monologues. “Boy!” I yell. “For a place surrounded by water, there sure are a heck of a lot of pools here.” “Shelly Island is already gone,” MC pipes up. “Or reconnected, rather.” Breezing over Hatteras Inlet, we count the ferries we pass and laugh about how, now that we aren’t rushing, we’re making great time. Before you know it, we’re circling to begin our descent into Ocracoke. Just as fast as we took off, Charles greets the tarmac with a velvet touch. “Cherokee, is that you on the runway?” “That’s me,” Charles responds. “Roger that, right behind you.”

It still is to us. We spend the next few hours checking out nature paths and cute li’l art shops — a lot of what we would do back in town. Only different. Different pubs. Different beaches. Most of all, a different mindset. When you’re 100 miles from the job — when there’s (seemingly) no chance of getting called into work — you can finally, completely, relax.

Kinda. When Charles’ phone rings, he reacts with the speed of a cheetah and the grace of a gazelle. He whips out a pen, along with his yellow legal pad full of phone numbers and schedules related to his moving and storage business. He keeps it with him always. Forget the wings, he says — it’s paper and pen and good cell service that made this trip happen.

When there’s no chance of getting called into work, you can finally, completely, relax… Kinda.

Charles navigates the parking lot like a trip to the Teeter, slowly passing each plane to perv on other pilots’ rides. “Private planes are a lot like antique cars,” he says, gracefully weaving through rows of Cessnas and Beechcrafts. “Every now and again, you drive them ’round the block, come home, polish her, and put her back in the garage.” He throws the Piper in park — or its aviation equivalent — and we step out to begin our vacation in earnest. We start by renting a golf cart (duh). Then go looking for beers (double duh). Midway through a 1718 Brewery flight — no pun intended — MC and I trade stories about all the times we’ve driven down here. But we’re quickly outdone by our dutiful DD. Between sips of soda water, Charles casually mentions visiting Ocracoke when he was eight or so. They’d come with a family friend who happened to be a doctor. “Someone must have heard me say, ‘Dr. McKennon,’ while we were eating somewhere,” he recalls. “Before you knew it, everyone knew there was a doctor on the island. He spent the rest of our vacation bandaging up locals. It was a real small town back then.”

“My buddies laugh at me for bringing my notebook with me on fishing trips,” Charles says when he rejoins us. “But this is the way I can really get time to enjoy the things I like.” Sure, he can hop in his plane and fly anywhere he wants — and yet he’s never completely untethered. And that’s when it hits me: when it comes to work, there no longer are “on” and “off” buttons. No knobs or kill switches. Just various degrees of workaholism. Like a gauge. Or throttle. We all find the right level of engagement to get us moving and keep us happy — or to just stay aloft as long as we can. MC and I slam our last half glasses, and the three of us head back to the airport where, for the second and last time, we take flight. Below, a squadron of jet skiers leaves a blaze of contrails beyond Buxton Woods. On the beach, tents and umbrellas dot the sand in a stuttering, technicolor zig-zag from South Nags Head to KDH. Somewhere down there, any number of waitresses are stuck in the weeds. Some mover’s wedged between a sofa and the stairwell. But from this vantage, there’s nothing but long, open stretches of sea, sand and sky. From up here, it’s still paradise. — Laura Gomez-Nichols milepost 43

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Justin is telling me everything I need to know to fly, and I’m trying desperately to hang on his every word. But it’s kind of tough, because there are conflicting thoughts running through my head, one of them saying, Are you out of your mind? And the other one saying, Enough talking, let’s go! “Let’s go,” is definitely winning. We’re anchored by Big Island, which really isn’t all that big, but it’s the only one around. After that it’s the Pamlico Sound and open water to Engelhard. There’s a light breeze from the southwest, a few clouds on the horizon. The sound is cool — not cold, not warm, just cool. I’m up to my waist in water. But I’m up to my eyeballs in instructions about how to ride this bright yellow hot-rod Justin Souter calls the “Jetovator,” one of several strange inventions that have become an ubiquitous part of the coastal tourism experience. Part flying machine, part fire hose — literally — the Jetovator is a device people willingly attach themselves to that turns water into thrust. Take it for a spin and you either cruise through the air like the Jetsons — or crash in the water like a flopping fish. In either case, you can thank Ray Li. A Canadian living in St. Johns, Newfoundland, Li began working on his design for a “personal propulsion device” in 2002. Thanks to some seed money from the Canadian government — and a dogged persistence to silence his critics — by 2007 he had US Patent 7,258,301 and a machine that could push any adult ten, 15, or even 30 feet, into the air using 50 to 60 psi of water pressure. These days, any tourist town’s airspace stays crowded with different variations of Li’s design. There are Jetpaks, which strap on your back. Flyboards, which you stand on like a superhero. Hoverboards for fans of side-stance sports. The Jetovator works more like a bike, complete with a seat, handles, and a somewhat counterintuitive means of control. “When it starts moving, lean forward,” Justin tells me. “Everyone who’s ridden a bike has a nightmare about going over the handlebars. But it’s not a bike. Lean forward.” Justin’s very thorough about safety. Long before he played flight instructor, he taught folks to kiteboard. He’s also a full-time firefighter. All winter, he stockpiles hours, picking up shifts so he can spend his summer flying tourists. He gets all types. Kids who see stunt pilots buzzing the sound and scream, “I wanna try!” Couples looking to spice up their honeymoons. Rough ocean days are always a plus. He even gets people who come all the way from Raleigh just to play spaceman. “A lot of them are people in the tech sector,” Justin explains. “Some of them are guys who grew up in India and can’t even swim, but they have no fear of flying.” They must really trust their PFDs. I’m on the Jetovator now, bobbing a bit in the water, diligently leaning forward, even though we’re not moving. There are three water nozzles used to maneuver: one at the base of the down-tube between

the handlebars and one at the end of each handle. Those are the ones that move the Jetovator forward, left, right, and up and down. “Just make minor adjustments,” Justin says. “Ready?” I nod. He goes back to the jet ski and starts feeding pressurized water into the hose. The Jetovator begins to move, gains momentum. I lean forward. I can feel the craft trying to lift, break out of the water, build speed... and then... I wipe out. “That wasn’t bad. That wasn’t bad at all,” Justin says, pointing the handlebars down a bit more — not even two inches. “Remember, minor adjustments,” he reminds me. “And try to relax.” Easy for him to say. He’s riding a jet ski for the millionth time this summer. I’m playing test pilot and mission control at the same time, learning to fly while running down a mental checklist to avoid disaster. Plus, Justin’s controlling my fate. All the water pressure comes from the back of his jet ski. He’s also handling the thrust, which means you really have to trust him to give you the right juice at the right time to keep you aloft, let you down gently — or hit the kill switch if things get out of hand — as he follows a dozen yards behind.

forward. The more water that runs through the Jetovator, the more I inch upward. A little bit faster, a little bit higher. There’s a feeling of hesitation as the Jetovator bounces along the surface. Justin adds power, and I finally break free. Suddenly, I’m skimming a foot over the water. Then two. Then three. I thrust my hips forward with each increment of height, before reaching a pleasant cruising altitude of about six feet.

This is awesome. There’s a sense of excitement, serenity — and a bit of showing off, as I pass the other boats and jet skis, not one of which is rocketing over the water. Then, from behind, comes that voice: “Try and turn!”

You either cruise through the air like the Jetsons — or crash in the water like a flopping fish.

The experience is akin to a little league dad, chasing you across the water, shouting advice — “Lean forward! Minor adjustments!” — while you frantically try to comply. It could make for a wonderful teambuilding exercise — or a ticket to the marriage counselor. “Everyone thinks they’re 20 feet up when they’re barely half that,” Justin explains. “I’ve seen couples get in full shouting matches after looking at the pictures — ‘Why didn’t you shoot me when I was higher?!’ ‘I did! I did!’” He gets back to the jet ski and looks back. “Ready?” he asks. I nod, not about to take my hands off the handlebars to give him a thumb’s up. The sound starts to gurgle as I begin to move

There’s a moment of doubt. Then resolve, as I remember to lean. I shift my body left a little and the Jetovator moves with me. I lean farther — the turn sharpens. I straighten up, recover, and turn to the right this time. Then bank left. Then right again. Hovering along, I feel less like the dog at the end of the leash and more like a fearless leader. And the more I get the hang of it, the more I get the appeal. Sure, it looks goofy. But there’s something almost addictive about how it feels — the gradual liftoff like a rocket launching; the Space Age control of the jets. Even the buffeted noise pummeling your helmet. It coalesces into a mile-high moment of almost childlike pride: “I did it! Look at me! I’m flying!” But after the pride comes the fall. One not-so-minor adjustment and I pearl backward. It’s an inglorious ending to a glorious time on the water. We’re calling it a day, not because of my wipeout — I’ve taken much worse. But real life beckons back in town. And besides, my thighs are getting tired. — Kip Tabb milepost 45

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Part of me thinks I know what to expect. As a runner, I’ve enjoyed many hours running under the glow of full moons. As a reporter, I’ve climbed the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse countless times. But exiting the car, it’s clear something’s different. The tower shimmers in a pinkish sky; the big glowing orb almost pulses as it inches past the striped icon’s second window. It’s as if my two long-lost loves have come together at last. And with one flash of the beacon, my mood goes from “been there, done that” to “how have I never done this before?”

The climb itself isn’t all that challenging, if you’re reasonably fit. All of the seven windows are open, providing a nice fan-like effect, and the brick interior cools down considerably at night. But even the most energetic folks pause a few minutes to gaze out each of the three windows, oohing and ahhing at the moon illuminating the ocean a half-mile away.

Maybe it’s because spots on the Cape Hatteras Full Moon Tour are tougher to score than Hamilton tickets. Just five nights a year, May to September, only 30 people per night get escorted up by a park ranger — 15 at 8pm or 8:30pm, and another 15 an hour later. Standing at the base, waiting our turn, one man in my group recounts how he went online as soon as sales began, at 10am three days prior, and still nearly failed.

I’m afraid of heights, but I’ve learned never to look down, and the extra darkness is a welcome relief for my coping skills. Battery-powered lanterns at landings add the fun-scary appeal of a campfire, when light pierces the dark in eerie ways. Faces appear and disappear, behind and in front of me. Laughter echoes below and above, as if carried by the swirling staircase. Everyone speaks mostly in whispers to keep their voices from reverberating with embarrassing loudness, amplified by the hollow cylinder of masonry that envelopes us.

“By 10:01, they were all sold out,” he says. Waving his tickets, I see luck was on his side for the round two. Everyone hushes as three park rangers explain the climb and divide us into still smaller groups. After ranger Kate Owen leads us inside through the doorway, she asks everyone to kill their flashlights for a moment. “I want you to see what it was like,” she says, her voice suddenly disembodied. “This is what the keepers experienced. True darkness.” All is silent and black — before a whippoorwill pierces the stillness and the flashlights return, electric beams flickering off the white brick interior walls. Owen aims hers straight up the spiral staircase. “The inside of the lighthouse,” she says, “looks the same as when the lighthouse keepers climbed it.” Same marble and slate floor. Same iron stairs — whether re-cast or original — as they were in 1870. Only the original Fresnel lens is different, replaced by rotating airplane lights that blast out 20 miles or more on a clear night. “It was a long night and it was a hard shift,” Owen says, stopping at the first landing to describe daily life for the keepers. “They started at sunrise and climbed 268 steps. Carrying the fuel — 65 pounds of kerosene — by hand, all the way up.” When she says it’s the equivalent of ten gallons of milk, the young girl near me squeals, “Oh gosh!” When the ranger adds, “except it was flammable,” we all collectively gasp — before trudging up another 31 steps to the next landing.

The loudest voices are the interpreter — and the girl, who asks lots of questions and chatters happily as she climbs all 257 steps, equivalent to 12 stories. But as we walk out onto the balcony, everyone goes silent. It’s as if we’re all struck dumb by the moon in its full majesty above, so large now it nearly throbs. “I think up here at night is my favorite,” says a man from Indiana, noting he’s climbed this same lighthouse many times. “It’s an experience unlike any…”

in earshot seems the least bit interested. Maybe they’re still processing what a unique experience it is to share such a moment with this historic American icon at such a special hour. And then I realize that I, too, have never shared such a moment. So, I turn toward the horizon to indulgently bathe in every beam of moonlight. In a blink, our 15 minutes is over. The rangers begin politely shooing everyone from the balcony, down past the two 1,000-watt bulbs in the lantern room, loudly clanking with each revolution. I’m last in line, so I pause to observe the modern mechanics of the beacon’s operation, and think, How much more graceful it appears from the ground. When the interpreters close the balcony door, I finally head down the spiral staircase. By the time I walk out, my fellow climbers are all gone. How curious, I think, that no one lingered to take in the gorgeous night or contemplate the profound history he or she had just been a part of. But the moon’s still hanging, hazily framed by dark red clouds. So I walk down the brick pathway to the restored keepers’ quarters. Standing on the

We’re all struck dumb by the moon in its full majesty above.

He trails off, at a loss for words. But Chris Cabral, a park ranger at Cape Hatteras National Seashore, believes he knows why. As he told me earlier: “It’s just so unusual to be in a working lighthouse when it’s actually working.”

Every 7.5 seconds, the flash swoops smoothly over a wide circle. The wind is bracing, blowing onshore at 12 mph, sultry and salty. Most of us cluster together to face the ocean, but there’s little crossover chitchat, and almost no questions for the cheery interpreters. Despite the dramatic conditions from the top, everyone seems almost . . . subdued. Even when I semi-brag to a nearby ranger that I had not only covered the moving of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse as a reporter in 1999 — I had actually been underneath the lighthouse — no one

porch, I watch the light skitter through the lantern room. I find myself mesmerized by the ghostlike images it makes in the window as it sweeps over the landscape below. At ground level, that sultry wind is just a sweet summer breeze, fragrant and soft. The whippoorwill calls seem louder and more frequent. A sprinkling of stars manages to materialize beyond the moonlit circle. I find a rocking chair, sit down and soak in the night. Alone in a still darkness on the same porch where Cape Hatteras Lighthouse keepers sat a century and a half before, meditating on life and this very same moon. — Catherine Kozak milepost 47

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The plan is that there is no plan. Stop when I feel like stopping. Visit places I’ve never visited and talk to people I’ve never talked to. Notice things I’ve never noticed. Climbing aboard a trusty beach cruiser at Kitty Hawk Pier, I picture eighteen miles of smooth pavement and continuous perma-grin — until a mire of white sand catches my back wheel and flings my front tire straight into an overstuffed beach bag being lugged by an oversized frown. “Sorry!” I half laugh, half blurt to the tan, silverhaired bag lady —with maybe a little too much of a chuckle. Silence. Stare. Glare. “Okay! Have a nice day!” I yell over my shoulder — and to myself. Why start an adventure without lofty visions? Leisurely biking the beach road has been an active dream for at least a decade. This stretch of NC 12 is a microcosm of the Outer Banks, jam-packed with coastal details and dichotomies that you simply cannot appreciate from a car window, even in snail’space summer traffic. It’s a slow-motion cross-section of old and new, yesterday and tomorrow. So it’s only fitting that I start in Kitty Hawk’s north corner, in the shadow of a high-rise Hilton — then head south, past sleepy saltboxes from days gone by. Some seaside cottages are so simple they can only be considered shelters. Their humble names — My Tern, Wavy Dayz, Webb Tide, Seafoam Sally — and salty souls evoke a feeling of deep legacy. Passing by, I imagine their pine-paneled walls, sandscuffed floors and worn bedspreads, and admire derelict shutters, chipping paint, ratty windowscreens and zero landscaping, all of which say, “I don’t give a shit about the Joneses,” or perhaps “We can barely cover the taxes, y’all.” A delivery truck’s forceful waft breaks the spell and nearly pushes me into a SUV. Instead, I careen onto Eckner — “downtown” as everybody calls it — which is home to a curated collection of beloved landmarks. Ocean Blvd., Art’s Place, the Saltaire and Sea Kove motels, the old Kitty Hawk fire station (now a new art gallery called Muse). John Lancaster’s oceanfront memorial garden of driftwood trees adds just the right element of quirk. The cornerstone is Wink’s. It’s somehow shameful to admit that, after decades living here, I’ve never been to this iconic store. I wander around in the cool concrete building, buy some fireballs to suck on, and strike up a conversation with Jan at the register, who tells me that, after 65 years, they’re gone for good at the end of the season. “The owner sold it,” Jan says. “Probably going to build rental houses.” Her tone is surprisingly matter of fact, considering her job is on the line. But as I press

the conversation, it’s clear she’s pretty devastated. “It’s going to change this place,” Jan says. I feel hollow as I walk out the door. These repurposed old buildings with mom-and-pop owners, laidback vibes, and parking right at the door are what’s unique about the beach road. Yet, increasingly, we’re allowing that character to be overrun. The balance is precarious — we gain a Muse, but we lose a Wink’s — and it won’t take much more to tip the scales in the wrong direction. Damn. Not even five miles in and already my thoughts have veered in that whiny nostalgic direction. It seems too early for a beer, so I push past the pull of Art’s, pop a fireball, and pedal onward, past the old lifesaving station that’s now the Black Pelican, past the late-morning line forming at John’s Drive-In. As the wheels spin, so does my mind, mostly with jarring, juxtaposed images. Over here is a smiling local woman herding her little girls across the street, like little goslings who can’t wait to get wet. Over there is a barefoot (in the sad way) man in drooping shorts, his shirtless, broad back seared into leather, his gait so slow and wobbly it’s clearly directionless.

youthful antics and good times at places long gone. That time at Port O’ Call, that cottage where so-andso slept by mistake — plus a big, better-left-unsaid blur from where the Atlantis used to be. And so it goes from beginning to end. My eyes and brain ping-ponging between happy reflections and growing pains and the realities of modern life. At Avalon Pier, three 50-something men nurse cheap PBRs and squander change on Poseidon’s Paradise, while down the road, at Nags Head Pier, three golf buddies back-slap between pounding tendollar microbrews. Over here, giggling girls tote a blowup boat on a bicycle — over there the police stuff underage shoplifters into the back of a car.

As the wheels spin, so does my mind, mostly with jarring, juxtaposed images.

Dipping down toward Kill Devil Hills, I’m anxious for a dose of sweet simplicity. I swing into the unpaved roads of Charlie’s Family RV Park, where the trailers meet the sea. I meet a Virginia couple, Jim and Janet White, who ditched their modern beach house in favor of a colorfully funky, permatized RV setup called J&J’s Beach Shack — “High End Poor” says the sign. Supposedly, the waiting list is epic, but they squeezed in on some kind of technicality. “Guess someone upstairs must like us,” she says. Damn straight. They scored. Footsteps off the beach. No snooty neighbors in sight. Indeed, their lot in life feels especially enviable with each mile and mega-home I pass, including a freshly built rental machine called — I kid you not — “Coastal Indulgence.” On the backside of French Fry Alley, I’m ready to indulge in a beer. I check out the new Jack Brown’s Burger Joint and am surprised to find a few relics of its former incarnation, MexEcono, on the walls. I drink it down, along with a bunch of other memories of

On a KDH crossover, six guys in matching madras swim trunks hump cornhole boards and coolers over the dune — in the distance, dudes in hard hats and sweat-soaked T-shirts hoist up a new hotel. Yes, there are alluring smells of onion rings and fried dolphin boats — but there are also dumpsters full of fish guts and shrimp shells that strip the lining off the inside of your nose. And what must that Range Rover full of American teenagers look like to the Eastern Europeans walking to their minimumwage jobs at Wings? Many hours later I finish the ride at Fish Heads and drink a celebratory beer with total strangers. We talk about why we love the beach road. Girls in bikinis! they say. Only two stoplights! they say. Slower traffic, quieter, more old school, they say. I feel a little more jaded — but more uplifted at the same time. It ain’t all good — but it’s better than most. And it’s still beautiful. Especially from the seat of a beach cruiser. — Terri Mackleberry milepost 49

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GAME. SET. MATCH.

From practice to tourneys to camps, the Outer Banks Tennis Association brings players closer.

On a warm summer evening at Duck Woods Country Club, four ladies measure careful lobs and deliver wellplaced smashes. Knee braces stand out, as do tennis shoes, as neon green as the balls volleying back-and-forth. Each point brings a mix of frustrated frowns and satisfied smiles, until the final score determines the winning team. Then it’s down to serious business: post-match drinks on the veranda.

“

“Tennis really brings a lot of people together,” says Lisa Ammons, league coordinator for the United States Tennis Association’s local chapter, the Outer Banks Tennis Association. “When I first moved here, I didn’t know how to meet people to play. The USTA gave me that opportunity.”

Athletes of all ages and skill levels dance the baselines from Hatteras to Currituck.

There’s plenty to love about the local tennis scene. Athletes of all ages and skill levels dance the baselines from Hatteras to Currituck, competing on free courts and at private clubs. Local tournaments support kids with special needs, Dare Hospice, and college-bound seniors. And at the state level, Outer Banks locals compete against some of North Carolina’s best in an attempt to earn bragging rights for more than just our beaches.

“Our tennis is growing a lot,” Ammons says. “The biggest thing is to get more players involved.” That involvement comes in many forms. Some, like Ammons, were rushing the net as a kid. Others, like OBTA president Laura Willingham, started later in life. After winning two NCAA field hockey championships at Old Dominion, Willingham took her first tennis lesson in an attempt to fill that competitive void after college — and ended up meeting her future husband, Tony Willingham, a longtime pro who serves as the Director of Tennis at WestSide Athletic Club in Powells Point. The couple saw the OBTA as a way to share their love of the game with their children — and anyone else who let them put a racket in their hands. “People were playing, but there just wasn’t any organization,” says Willingham, who joined the OBTA four years ago. “We thought, ‘How do we get the Outer Banks to play more — and get to know each other?’”

Be the ball, Danny. Photo: John Coctostan

What started as junior team tennis camps and clinics has morphed into a special program called “Love to SERVE.” Each summer, older youths receive specialized training as Peer Tennis Leaders to teach tennis — as well as lessons on nutrition, math, science, and life skills — from the

USTA’s Arthur Ashe Curriculum. Equipment donations and scholarships help keep costs down and make sure anyone interested in the programs can take part. Today’s kids can even participate in swimming and volleyball camps through the OBTA. “What I love most about it is seeing that child’s confidence, seeing that child’s smile, seeing them make contact and feeling good about it,” says Willingham, who works for the Dare County Department of Health and Human Services. “I feel like we’re making a difference.” Quite literally, the OBTA makes an impact at both ends of the life cycle. The 16th annual TowneBank/Towne Insurance Charity Classic Tennis Tournament takes place from October 19-21, with its primary benefactor being Dare Hospice. Over the past 15 years, the tournament has allowed the OBTA to donate more than $250,000 for those in hospice care. The event features upwards of a hundred competitors of all levels at multiple sites, bringing a mix of locals and visitors to the courts. Registration fees and corporate sponsorships allow the tournament to support OBTA’s outreach all year. In the spring, that includes an event for children with special needs who want to try their hand at tennis. The event also provides scholarships for graduating seniors, as well as any other help that can be given to local high school teams. Ammons says the OBTA hopes to partner with Raleigh’s Abilities Tennis and Dare County Parks and Rec, so local children with special needs can take part in the Special Olympics. Getting children and families involved is key to growing the game on the Outer Banks. But individuals and adults are just as welcome. And there’s no shortage of reasons for why people should pick up a racket. For Kill Devil Hills’ Mayor, Sheila Foster Davies — who also works as Dare County’s Director of Public Health Services — the courts are a place to feed her competitive nature while relieving stress caused by her ridiculously stacked calendar. “I love to hit hard when I can,” says the former softball player. “Tennis is really cerebral, too. Where am I going to hit it? Where do I need to be positioned? It’s my therapy.” Ammons agrees. She says the game is “a good little escape.” And while the OBTA is happy to boast more than 100 men and women in their leagues, they’re keen to help more Outer Banks residents learn to love the game, whether it’s a family of mixed doubles — or a former ace looking to stay in shape. Or just a social butterfly hoping to work up a sweat, then sip on a cocktail with competitors who are also new friends. “Our mission is to make a positive impact on the community,” Willingham says. “It’s really about just being healthy. You can play for a lifetime — you only need one other person.” — Steve Hanf milepost 51

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Sorry, dude. The Outer Banks’ most consistent wave is just over the bridge. Can you feel the energy? The excitement? The froth? For two years now, the surfing world’s been awash with the promise of wave pools. From Kelly Slater’s Surf Ranch to Waco, Texas’ BSR Surf Resort, it appears engineers finally cracked the code for putting a ridable, ripable surface into a manmade setting. The truth? It was already there. Just in a different form. “It’s definitely not surfing,” says 38-yearold Currituck native, lifelong waverider, and H20BX Waterpark’s biggest FlowRider addict, Randy Owens. “It’s more like skimboarding, snowboarding, skateboarding, and bodyboarding — all mixed together.” It’s called Flowboarding. And it’s been around for decades — ever since 1991, when hydrodynamics wizard, Tom Lochtefeld, unveiled his first FlowRider, a chlorine dream where powerful jets shoot water over an upward-sloped, high-density

foam surface to create a “standing wave.” Today, more than 300 of his inventions dot the globe, from cruise ships to water parks to landlocked malls, which is why the sport’s always felt a little artificial to hardcore waveriders with an ocean in their backyard. But put one fewer than five miles from a surfing mecca like the Outer Banks, charge around a hundred bucks for a season pass, and the urge to flow becomes almost irresistible.

legs akimbo as they’re sucked up and over the falls like an old Vaudevillian getting the hook. You can almost hear King Neptune yell “Next!” as the peanut gallery laughs at stage left.

“Two years ago, I’d have thought it was kooky, too,” says the carpenter, who lives less than a mile away. “But nobody comes here every day to ride the big green slide; the Flowrider keeps guys coming back all summer long.”

It’s that mix of easy-to-practice, hard-tomaster, that makes the sport so addictive — and inclusive. These days, there are tightknit communities of Flowboarders in water parks across the country. Go on Instagram, you’ll find any number of Flowboarding hashtags, like #Flowbloggers, #FlowKings, or #Flowdogs. Like the surf gangs of the 60s, or the modern boardriders clubs of Australia, these crews are the undisputed locals of their own artificial breaks, and social media’s helping them create an even larger virtual lineup — and push the sport in the process.

He’s not kidding. On an overcast afternoon in early June, the slides are basically empty. But there’s already a line forming by the FlowRider. The good guys rip carves and spin 360s — the beginners bust ass, often in hilarious, flailing displays, their arms and

“It definitely adds some pressure having everyone watching,” Owens admits. “But if you want to learn a new trick, you can keep on trying and get it — eventually.”

Owens calls his crew the “OBX FlowGang.” A blend of lively young kids and more than a few salty shredders from the beach who’ve embraced a new, not-so-secret spot a few miles over the bridge. “They may not tell all their boys, but I’ve seen them out here on days when there’s waves,” Owens grins. “Hey, it’s always chesthigh in Currituck.” As if on cue, a crew of familiar faces lines up for a 5pm stand-up session. Among the collection of sunburnt smiles are guys like Ronnie Brooks and Evan Felton — dudes who’ve dedicated their whole lives to riding shorebreak and skating ramps for free. Primed from a week of decent surf — and years of skimboarding, surfing and kiting — they mix big spins, shuvits, and kickflips into a seamless, flowing style, sending spray over the edges and drenching would-be hecklers before they can make wise cracks. “I guess being able to ride waves helps a little, but it doesn’t translate directly,” Felton laughs. “If anything, the Flowboarding translates back into the ocean.” More importantly, it translates into the pool. Over the past decade, a full competitive circuit’s erupted, called the Flow Tour, which travels around to various parks in the U.S. and the world. Last August, H2OBX hosted a pro-am at the end of the season, where nearly 40 competitors came from as far as South Carolina and New Jersey to do battle. After just two months of practice time, Felton and fellow local Nick Bernard won their Flowboard divisions, while Owens took the Master bodyboard. Now, Owens wants to see the Outer Banks host a prime event, which sees competitors earn points toward the national and world events. And he’s not just chlorine dreaming, either. “Last year’s turnout was amazing for a firsttime event,” says Flow Tour coordinator, Adam Muller. “It has the beach lifestyle already. The flow community is really supportive. If we got the scheduling right and the purse money, the Outer Banks could easily be a prime.” But Owens isn’t waiting around for the suits to suit up. He’s already dreaming up ways to raise the necessary cash, from selling

t-shirts to local sponsorships. In-between, he’s going mobile to build his own points base — he’s already secured a second place showing at a July prime in Jersey. And he’s not alone. Local surf shops, like DVO, are stocking Flowboards made by the legendary bodyboard manufacturer Custom-X, who asked Owens to design his own model.

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But for all the time spent pushing himself, Owens says his real focus is on the future. Every second he spends in line, he uses to encourage the next group of kids. And while he accepts that he may never become a national champion, Owens is convinced the Outer Banks can be a real epicenter for world-class talent in a sport with real worldwide potential.

Like the surf gangs of the 60s, they are the undisputed locals of their own concrete breaks.

“I really believe one of these kids will go pro,” he insists. “Because, unlike those inland water parks, the Outer Banks is a boardriding culture at heart. And Flowboarding is more than a sport, it’s a movement.” With that, the stand-up hour ends, and Owens hops back in line. He air-drops backwards into the wave on his belly and begins sweeping back and forth — like a pendulum — mixing prone and drop-knee moves in a ballet of constant motion, before the jet snags his rail and sends him tumbling backward over the falls. Within seconds, he’s back up and waiting his turn for another 40-second ride. In this way, the machine may be man-made, the water chorine — but the stoke is real. “When you’re Flowboarding, you don’t have bills, nobody’s mad at you,” Owens says. “As long as you’re riding, you’re free.” — Matt Walker

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“The vendors are very personable,” McPherson says. “I buy everything from herbs to pastries to vegetables. For my sustainable goods, it’s replacing the standard grocery.”

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Melinda Mogowski may be a first-time customer, but she’s enjoyed Somerset Farm produce for four years, and was happy to follow the brand to Wanchese to bolster both local businesses and organic food.

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SUPER FRESH

“Farming without pesticides is more difficult,” says the Kitty Hawk resident. “We need to support it.”

Forget chains — the best groceries await at the local farmers market.

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More flavor. Meaningful interactions. Building community. Avoiding chemicals. Everyone knows the benefits of locally sourced food. Keeping a constant supply? That’s usually the issue, especially in our tiny beach town, where demand spikes and falls with the seasons. But as consumer demand grows more steady — and North Carolina flavors become more available, from blueberries to beef, cucumbers to kombucha — a farmers market trend is beginning to blossom.

Soderholm and his wife, Ladd Bayliss, lease the Secotan Market property and adjacent farmland, where they grow shiitake mushrooms, herbs and other produce under the name Croatan Gardens. After a long winter discussing the struggles of buying and selling produce on the Outer Banks, they decided to commit to the idea. They even built a roofed, two-sided building with the help of a Rural Advancement Foundation International grant.

“People want this,” says Eric Soderholm, founder of Secotan Market, which opened in Wanchese this May. “Farmers markets are contributing to the greater good by having a functional local food system. They just don’t have easy opportunities to have it.”

“We feel like there needs to be more infrastructure to have a real shot at it,” Soderholm explains.

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They do now. In June, Town of Nags Head kicked off its monthly Dowdy Park Farmers Market after businesses and residents indicated by survey responses that a farmers market was their number one choice for park use. Avon’s Hatteras Island Farmers Market is currently enjoying eight years of Saturday options for customers — and the Town of Manteo boasts 13 years for its in-season Saturday market — where vendors sell a selection of local arts and crafts, plus everything from veggies and fruits to local wine, woodcraft, beauty products, and pottery.

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But while gifts, baked goods, and beauty creams may be popular draws, the real magnet is fresh produce. On that front, Secotan is leading the charge. Mostly because they have to.

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MAKE YOUR MARKET outthere Fall hours and days from Nags Head to Hatteras

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And happy farmers means happy customers. Milling around the vendor stalls, you find all types of smiling folks shopping for different reasons. Wanchese’s Vivian McPherson visits the Secotan Market at least once a week. She especially appreciates the organic produce, hormone-free meats and positive interactions.

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And they don’t just do it once a week. On any given Wednesday or Saturday, folks flock to Wanchese to stroll Secotan’s open-air stalls stacked with locally sourced options. So are farmers.

Open-air stalls stay stacked with locally sourced options.

Somerset Farm owner Fred Inglis sold his certified organic produce in Manteo for about six years. He switched to Secotan to take advantage of the Wednesday market. When produce is in season, he picks three times a week; the extra sales day between weekends helps ensure maximum freshness. Inglis also helped construct the building and source the funding. One summer in, he feels good about the sweat he sowed into the partnership. “I’ve been pleased,” Inglis says. “We have a decision-making board, so we have a little more say in how things are run.”

Dowdy Park Farmers Market in Nags Head is the second Thurs. of each month, through Oct., 9am to 2pm.

The Manteo Farmers Market at George Washington Creef Park, is open every Sat. from 8am to noon, through Oct.

Owen Sullivan agrees. He owns Hay Point Cultures with his wife Jenna Gwaltney. All the ingredients they use for their kimchis, sauerkrauts, pickles, and curtidos come from Somerset Farm or Croatan Gardens. They say it’s worth the seasonal limitations it sometimes puts on their products, which include a variety of fermented vegetables and unique kombuchas. And it adds another option to keep shoppers from having to make extra stops. “We’re trying to get the idea going that you can come here (to the market) and get your whole dinner,” Gwaltney says. That includes meat. Paul and Morgan Mathews, owners of Heavenly Portion Family Farms in Creswell, sell hormone-free beef, pork, chicken, lamb, and eggs every Saturday. Both grew up on family farms — Morgan’s family sold directly to customers, but Paul’s did not. He’s been enjoying the experience. “I love the atmosphere of an open-air market and interacting with customers,” he says. Eric Soderholm says creating that honest and positive environment — and a community feel — were always key goals. He sees Secotan Market as the first step in a greater network of farmers and food lovers sustaining each other. Something that future generations can keep building on. In fact, he hopes more towns try their own versions. “We’re excited to see more of these,” Soderholm says. “We believe there should be a farmers market in every village in the Outer Banks. This is our contribution to that.” — Corinne Saunders

Secotan Market in Wanchese, is open Wed. from 10am to 2pm, and Sat. from 8am to noon, through Nov. 21.

The Avon Farmers Market is every Tues. from 9am to 1pm, through Sept. 4 at The Koru Beach Klub. milepost 55

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School of rockers: Darling, Mazzei, Eller, and VanMiddlesworth. Photo: Chris Bickford

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WHERE THE WILD THINGS ROCK graphiccontent

Nature Out Loud!’s found a whole new musical niche. Lou Reed was a “Rock ‘n’ Roll Animal.” Jim Morrison, “the Lizard King.” Paul McCartney, “the Walrus.” Paul Mazzei? He sings, “I am a cnidarian!” Except he’s not just making some weird statement. He backs it up with a full-blown bio of jellyfish — bell to tentacles, larvae to adult — adding a few wiggly movements in-between strums. At any other concert, you might wonder what the hell the band’s been smoking backstage. But this isn’t some psychedelic freak-out — it’s a musical science lesson for kids.

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“We’re trying to teach kids about different animals, and to care about the environment,” says the 37-year-old Nature Out Loud! frontman. “All these songs come from my job as a science educator over the past 15-plus years.”

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It’s a career that runs back to Northern California, where outdoor education summer camps are ubiquitous, and music and skits are nightly entertainment. When Paul moved to the Outer Banks to work at Roanoke Island’s North Carolina Aquarium in 2016, he figured he’d left the kiddie tunes behind. But then he started jamming with exhibits technician and Just Play’n Dixieland drummer, Rick Eller. What Paul saw as old news, Rick recognized as a fresh addition to the local music scene. “I went into my home studio and recorded a couple of Paul’s songs with full arrangements,” Eller recalls. “Then I brought him in and said, ‘Wouldn’t you rather play this than a bunch of covers?’”

So, Paul dusted off the set list and updated the lyrics to include local critters — then they rounded out the band with two more recent hires. PR coordinator Brian Postelle is on electric guitar; aquarist Maddy VanMiddlesworth does steel drums and melodica. After a couple of in-house aquarium shows, they added Riff Tides’ bassist, Andrew Darling. Within months, they were playing their first real gig on — what else? — World Ocean’s Day. “That was last summer,” says Postelle. “This year, we’ve already played Earth Day, Kids Fest, and Dare Day, plus some First Fridays in Manteo and Children’s Story Times in Duck. It just keeps getting bigger organically.” The audiences? They tend to run a tad smaller. At a YMCA summer camp, the average height of the audience is under four feet, but it’s already clear which ones will grow up to sell veggie burritos in some future parking lot. The front row’s stuffed with fans who won’t stop spinning. Mazzei’s job is to engage the ones sitting cross-legged and staring off into space.

“Tiburon” includes physiology, attack statistics, and a touch of Spanish. And “Stingray Shuffle” turns a new dance move into a beach safety philosophy.

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In-between the songs, there’s finger pointing and tailfin shaking, lots of call-and-response, a little trivia — and a bunch of goofy faces. But if you think they stream Sesame Street before practice, think again. Postelle’s favorite band is the Clash. VanMiddlesworth’s into heavy metal, like Avenged Sevenfold. Eller and Darling dig a wide range of jazz, rock, and rhythm and blues. And Mazzei? “I’d say hip-hop influences me more than anything,” he says. “Kendrick Lamar is my go-to Pandora station.”

It’s already clear who will be selling veggie burritos in some future parking lot.

Of course! How else you gonna make rhymes for phyla, and phrases like, “ampulae of lorenzini?” More importantly, all that band biodiversity works itself into the set list. “Little Fish” feels like Sam the Sham. “Jelly Jelly” and “Tiburon” could be Devo or Ween. And nothing delivers island reggae like a steel drum. As a result, they expose young ears to different styles — and still appeal to listeners of every age. When parents trickle in to pick up campers mid-show, most can’t help but do a little boogie on the way out. One mom in hipster shades even sticks around and booty-shakes to finish the set, before leaving the band to do what all live bands do: load up the gear and break down the show. “The kids were really bouncing this time,” notes VanMiddlesworth. “Not as much as the sound in this gym,” jokes Darling.

“Who here knows the name of any sea turtles?” he yells between songs.

Hey, even Hendrix had to play a few high schools before he got to Woodstock. And he never grossed $45 million in one year — like the Wiggles. Or won a Grammy — like Dan Zanes. Truth is, for all the silliness, these “tunes for tots” have serious potential to reach a huge market. Lucky for us, Nature Out Loud!’s just as happy filling a musical niche right here.

Not quite “Does anyone remember laughter?!” But Nature Out Loud!’s music is more than blurting out random feelings — it’s about sneaking hard facts into happy melodies. “Five C Turtles in the State of NC” describes our coast’s flippered species — and reminds you to dim oceanfront lighting.

“The fact is we all have full-time jobs,” says Mazzei. “But I would like to get into some schools and library programs. That’s our main goal: to get kids moving and make all people more excited about the natural world — and maybe turn them onto some music.” — Leo Gibson milepost 57

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THE ORIGINAL

Painted faces. Latex features. They’re all putty in Blackmon’s hands. Photo: Rippetown

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Since the 60’s

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HOT PIZZA COLD BEER KILLER VIEW

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When it comes to costumes, Allie Blackmon is a modern-day shape shifter.

startingpoint What’s cosplay? It’s a combination of

She stalks the halls after midnight. Watching. Waiting. Lurking just around each corner, ready to jump out... and take your blood pressure.

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As a nurse working the graveyard shift at Duke University Hospital’s Pulmonary Stepdown unit, Allie Blackmon knows a thing or two about things that go bump in the night — not to mention blood, tears, fear, and other real-life horrors. But her “day job” may be even more graphic. When she’s not in her scrubs, Allie is an award-winning costume and makeup artist, with a growing rep in the world of cosplay.

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“I was introduced to cosplay in college,” Blackmon recalls. “I had just finished playing my first horror video game, and my friends suggested we dress up as characters and go to a convention. My costume was store bought — and my makeup looked horrible — but I was still hooked.”

“I was so bad at doing my makeup,” she remembers, laughing. “I had no formal training and YouTube wasn’t full of tutorials like it is now, so I just started playing around, making mistakes and trying new things.”

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“costume” and “play” — a form of modern masquerade in which sci-fi and fantasy fans transform themselves into characters from various forms of media, typically comic books, graphic novels, movies, and video games. Often they attend conventions, like San Diego’s famous Comic-Con, which draws close to 200,000 attendees. And while her first official cosplay look was a flop, the experience was so fun that Blackmon was inspired to improve her skills and perfect the craft.

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She had lots of talent and practice to build on. Long before her first “Con,” the Outer Banks native was tricking and treating her

peers at First Flight High School, where she was known as the unofficial queen of Spirit Week. Moviestar Monday? You’d need to do a double take to make sure she wasn’t really Marilyn. Tacky Tourist Tuesday? Better believe a thick, white coat of zinc was covering her nose. She attributes her love of getting carried away with characters to her family life growing up. “Halloween was a big holiday at my house,” she says. “My mom always went all out with decorations. And she helped me and my sister prep for Spirit Weeks at school, sewing outfits and encouraging trips to Hotline for unique items.” Flash forward a decade and Blackmon’s portfolio includes everything from cute convict raccoons to badass Red Riding Hoods — where the classic fairytale character receives a warrior makeover,

complete with black boots, a scarlet corset, and the Huntsman’s axe. But while Blackmon’s skills range from heroic to humorous, horror remains her most jaw-dropping genre. Her Sugarplum Fairy, inspired by The Cabin in the Woods, features a mask with a spiraling abyss of concentric circles of teeth. And her “Clicker” from the video game “The Last of Us,” is a character infected with a zombie virus that slowly eats its host alive. The mix of latex and live paint looks totally real — especially the trail of blood and incisors that chews along her face and neck — even crazier when you realize she painted it on backwards. “I do most of my makeups on myself,” Blackmon says. “I make the entire thing from scratch and apply the mask to my own face in a mirror.”

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paint, she achieved a disemboweled skeletal figure that is hard to look at even knowing that there’s a compassionate caregiver underneath. “Considering my ultimate goal was just to make it to the final round,” Blackmon says, “I was very pleased and humbled.” It’s only the latest recognition she’s received over dozens of conventions. She’s also been invited to judge on cosplay panels, led makeup and costume demonstrations, and scored gigs doing makeup for local commercials and haunted houses. But that isn’t why she does it. Her lifelong passion for costumes and roleplaying, paired with an innate desire to help others, is at the heart of her craft.

“Clicker” is a character infected with a zombie virus that slowly eats its host alive.

That combo of creative genius and fine art application is starting to earn big-time acclaim. This past March, Blackmon took home third place for her makeup artistry in an international contest. Held by wig and makeup company, Arda Wigs, the contest was called “Best Face Forward” and spanned seven months. Every few weeks, contestants received a box containing an item of makeup and a construction assignment. It could be body paint, prosthetics, or glitter, and the assigned looks varied from simple and straightforward to complex and vague. “For one challenge, I was tasked with creating a character makeup using a single tube of orange lipstick,” she says. “That one was my personal favorite, because it forced me to get very creative. I ended up melting the lipstick, mixing it with rubbing alcohol, straining it, and spraying it through an airbrush in order to make a mermaid.” The contestants had two weeks to complete each task, then they would have to submit pictures of the final result along with a detailed description of how they made it. Blackmon’s final entry was a body paint that took her 12 hours to apply. With the

“Winning prizes certainly isn’t why I cosplay,” Blackmon says. “I use it to improve my skills in the future — to talk with talented artists and get both positive and constructive feedback. And it’s a pleasure to see [when judging] the hard work others put into their work, and to help them improve as others helped me when I was starting out.”

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It’s hard to imagine that anyone could devote 12 hours to body paint application and 12 hours to nursing sick patients, but for Blackmon, the two commitments work together in perfect harmony. When it comes time to paint a human skull onto a female face — or make a latex cut look like real life gore — she can do either without looking at a single textbook. And when work gets too graphic, she can go home and escape to imaginary blood and guts. “Honestly, I think having both my hobby and my career helps to keep me in balance,” Blackmon says. “I adore being a nurse and helping others, but it can become very stressful and heavy at times. Being able to come home and work on my creative projects is quite the release. It keeps me from becoming overwhelmed when my job gets too intense.” — Hannah West

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AUGUST OBSERVATIONS

rearview The radder the car, the ruder the driver. . . Oblivious

Parking Lot Meandering is the new extreme sport. . . Pasty red people make pasty red babies. . . Crosswalks are less of a state law and more of a suggestion. . . Ocracoke feels like Hatteras and Manteo made a baby. . . Cut-offs don’t leave much to cut off any more. . . RIP currents are, sadly, well-named. . . Everything looks better through a sea oat filter. . . Don’t kid yourself: a sandpiper would peck your eyes out if given the chance. . . You can lead a human to water, but you can’t make them fill in their beach holes. . . Latticework means always having a place to stick your grill tongs. . . A.B.C. (Always. Buy. Charcoal.). . . Sand rolls uphill, in doors and through walls. . . Lightning gets old in a flash. . . Three days is good for fish and company — three minutes for a weather forecast. . . Be careful about wishing for waterfront property. . . Cicadas are Mother Nature’s ringtone — frogs are her car alarm. . . In case of dirty seas, follow the two-flush rule: if you get flushed twice, it’s time to get out. . . If left turns are extinct, then right turns are endangered. . . It’s not the heat, it’s the humanity. . . All the things we bitch about the last day of August, we’ll be begging for the first day of April. — C. White Art by Jesse Davis

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soundcheck getactive The WRV Outer Banks Pro pours on the good times, Aug. 29-Sept.2. Photo Patrick Ruddy

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Like laughing at tourists? Be at KDH’s Comfort Inn, Aug. 29-Sept. 2, as the OBX Comedy Club hosts Atlanta stand-up Matt Bergman — then come back the following two Thurs. nights for more imported improv by Cliff Cash (Sept. 6) and Sid Davis (Sept. 13). Shows start at 8pm. Tix and ticklish details at www.comedyclubobx.com. • Competition gets seriously fun when the World Surf League’s WRV Labor Day Pro Presented by Pacifico hits Jennette’s Pier, Aug. 29-Sept. 2. This world tour qualifier mixes professional-grade performances with down-day comedy, like a Catch Surf foamboard event, and nightly ragers at local bars. Plus, a new pro women’s division guarantees twice the talent. Heat sheets and live action at www.wrvobxpro.com. • On Aug. 30, another free Island Art Show draws 20+ Outer Banks creatives to the Rodanthe-Waves-Salvo Community Center. From 10am-4pm, find everything from watercolors to woodworks, body jewelry to body products — with a portion of proceeds helping local causes, like the OBX SPCA and Hatteras Island Meals. Come back for a final, festive stroke, Oct. 4, and stay updated on Facebook. • Keep stockpiling handmade arts and crafts — and score some fresh produce — as the Manteo Farmers Market sets up every Sat., Sept. 1 through the end of Oct. More at www.townofmanteo.com. • Rather grow your own? Let Elizabethan Gardens get you started with a Fall Container Gardening Workshop, Sept. 1, 10am-noon. Or buy a few pounds of pots and high-grade perennials during Sept. 14’s End of Summer Plant Sale. Or learn how to really grow big at Sept. 15’s Plant a Tree Workshop, 10am-noon. For pricing and registration details visit www.elizabethangardens.org. • Dance on summer’s grave, Sept. 1, when the Outer Banks Brewing Station hosts Grateful Dead dopplegangers, Last Fair Deal. Then skank into fall, Sept. 2, with a Jah-ly reggae revival by Steel Pulse. Hit www. obbrewing.com for the kind deets. • Or finish off the season with a good footrace, Sept. 3, as the Labor Day 5k returns to KDH Town Hall. Learn more at www.theobxrunningcompany. com. • And Paparazzi OBX’s Teen Dance Nights give young’ns another reason to party, with Beach Party Mondays, Wild Wednesdays, and Glow Party Fridays, Sept. 3-28. $20. ($10 before 9pm.) Find the under-21 club’s full list of rules at www.paparazziobx.com. • Meanwhile, in Frisco, Café Pamlico keeps the soundside sizzling through Sept. with live tunes by Rory Kelleher (Mon.); Chad Bennett (Wed.); and Stephen Fang (Thurs.). Plus the Sunset Acoustic Series rotates Tues. night talent like Broughton Aycock, The Stokes, and Soul Rebel. Complete calendar at www.innonpamlicosound.com. • Too early to think about Thanksgiving? Not if you wanna join Duck’s Annual Advice 5k Turkey Trot. Sign-ups for this sell-out tradition start Sept. 4 at 6am sharp. Dash now to www.advice5kturkeytrot.com. • Sept. 4 is health nuts’ final shot at the Hatteras Island Farmers Market at Avon’s Koru

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Beach Klub. From 9am-1pm, roughly 40 vendors sell fresh produce and fine local crafts. More at www.coastalharvesters.org. • Meanwhile, Downtown Manteo’s Magnolia Craft Fair has heaps of handmade gifts, health products, and custom home décor, every Tues., Sept. 4-25. 10am-4pm. Details at www.townofmanteo.com. • Like changing lives while changing your latitude? Be at Hurricane Mo’s, Sept. 4, Oct. 2 & Nov. 6, as the OBX Pirates Parrot Head Club meets for a few margaritas while promoting volunteer work and collecting food pantry items. More at www.obxparrotheadclub.com. • Or plumb the depths of coastal culture at the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum’s Salty Dawgs Lecture Series, every Tues., from 2-3pm. On Sept. 4, dive legend Jim Bunch reveals secrets of “The Enigma Machine,” which he pulled from a WWII submarine. On Sept. 11, historian Stuart Parks II breaks down “Myth and Folklore of the Outer Banks,” from ghost ships to Goatman. Sept. 18 is all about seafood eats as Sharon Peele Kennedy serves up “Cooking Shrimp Outer Banks Style.” And on Sept. 25, Marc Corbett describes what went down with “The Wreck of Merak.” Plus, every Fri., from Sept. 7-Nov. 16, is a chance to learn about coloring ducks, when Sam Green demonstrates Painting Canvas-Backed Decoys, from 124pm. For more info visit www.graveyardoftheatlantic.com. • Time’s running out to poach free morning fitness from Town of Duck, as the final Yoga on the Green goes down Sept. 4, and the last Dynamic Flow on the Green limbers up Sept. 5. (Both at 7:30am.) And Sept. 7 at 10am is the curtain call for Children’s Story Time at Paul F. Keller Meeting Hall. More at www.townofduck.com. • Meanwhile, in Corolla, Whalehead stretches Tues.’ weekly Yoga in the Park till Sept. 18. (7:30am start.) Wed.’s weekly, 3-7pm, Currituck Cornhole Tournament clinches up on Sept. 12. (Call 252-453-9040 to register.) However, Whalehead Wednesdays keep flowing with wine, beer and tunes through Sept. 26. From 3-7pm, join Sanctuary Vineyards, Vineyards on the Scuppernong, Northern Outer Banks Brewing Company, and the Weeping Radish Brewery at Historic Corolla Park for all-you-can-sip samples and a souvenir glass for just $15. (Free for non-drinkers.) More at www.visitcurrituck.com. • Drown yourself in painting, pottery, metalwork, and more, when Sept. 5-6’s OBX Arts & Craft Festival brings 25 local artists to Kitty Hawk’s Hilton Garden Inn — and serves worthy non-profits like N.E.S.T. and Friends of Youth. 10am-5pm. Find a list of participants and updates on Facebook. • Rod-and-reel all night — and party every day — when the Hatteras Village Invitational Surf Fishing Tournament returns with 90 teams of rocking anglers, Sept. 6-8. Find the full details and learn how to help out at www. hatterasonmymind.com. • The Outer Banks Chamber of Commerce is looking to lure motivated business minds into their 2018-2019 Leadership OBX Class, where topics like Public Safety, Government, Economic Development, and Environment fill ten classes and a two-day retreat. Find criteria, costs and scholarship info at www.outerbankschamber. com, then apply by Sept. 7. • Got a non-profit project that needs dough? Perhaps even a paid staffer? Learn all about the Outer Banks Community Foundation’s Community Enrichment Grants Program — and how they fund charitable services across Dare County, Ocracoke and the Currituck Beaches — with a Sept. 7 workshop at the Outer Banks Association of Realtors office in Nags Head. 9-11am. Learn more and ask questions at www.obcf.org. And be sure to apply before Oct. 26. • Bond with your peeps — and peruse Downtown Manteo — when First Friday lines up evening shopping, live music, and special events, Sept. 7, such as Dare County Arts Council’s Ceramic Show Opening Reception at 6pm. Plus, Sandbar Blues plays out front of DCAC, Graham Outten howls at Old Tom Street, and a full selection of local writers band together inside Downtown Books for an Author Sign-Around. Deets at www. townofmanteo.com. • Fresh tunes are the Blue Point special every Sat. in Sept., with 6pm shows by Mercy Creek (Sept. 8), Ruth Wyand and the Tribe of One (Sept. 15), Family Tree (Sept. 22), and Gypsea Souls (Sept. 29). Tasty deets at www.thebluepoint.com. • And the Jolly Roger Open Stage cuts loose every Sat., as Rollo and Mitch roll out the red carpet for would-be rockers, 6:30-9:30pm. Find a jam-packed calendar at www. jollyrogerobx.com. • The sky ripples with color and skill when the OBX Stunt Kite Festival brings world-class fabric flyers to Jockey’s Ridge, Sept. 8-10. On Fri., sign up for a half-hour

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endnotes Learn to Fly clinic, from 1-4pm. Then come back Sat. and Sun. to watch the real pros Heritage Festival. From 1-5pm, enjoy free music, mechanical bull riding, rock wall climbing, compete in categories like precision, choreography and dual team. 10am-4pm. More at pumpkin pie eating contests, and more. Wanna help judge the Kansas City Barbecue www.kittyhawk.com. • Hit the brakes! Another Food Truck Showdown screams into Nags Society Cook-Off and help Currituck Kids’ school programs? Buy a $10 judge’s ticket and Head’s Soundside Event Site, Sept. 9. If you thought spring was a hit, the fall upgrade’s a sample ten delish dishes. Complete deets at www.visitcurrituck.com. • Spend the day smash, as 18 mobile eateries battle for a shot at the OBX Food Truck Champion Belt. Plus hooking fish, shooting pix — and possibly landing huge prizes — when the 5th Annual live music, kids activities, and plenty of local beer and wine to cleanse the palate between Kitty Hawk Surf Co. Kayak Fishing Tournament returns, Sept. 15. This photo catch-andplates. Dig in at www.soundsideevents.com. • Grease your wheels over to Rundown Café, release competition focuses the action with strict boundaries and species. Get all the rules at Sept. 10, as Fried Chicken Night returns every Mon. — and won’t slow down until www.kittyhawk.com, then don’t miss Fri. night’s mandatory Captain’s Meeting. • next May. Delicious deets at www.rundowncafe.com. • Comfort food only goes Support little shredders — and help a local hero — when Sept. 15’s 10th TER BA so far. If you’ve suffered a loss, join counselors and caring folks at KDH’s Baum Annual Throwdown Surf Classic swarms Southern Shores’ Chicahauk U O Center for Dare County’s On Going Grief Support Group, Sept. 10 Beach Access. This full day of heats, raffles and prizes raises money for — and come back every other Mon., 7-8:30pm. No RSVP necessary. More firefighter, single father, and cancer-battler, Louie Rodriguez. For more info at www.obxcommongood.org. • On Sept. 12, knock back some cold ones or to make donations, go to www.throwdownsurf.com. • Get a little loopy with fellow nature-lovers — and hear cool guest speakers — when OBX while fighting drug abuse when the 9th Annual Walk Against Addiction Green Drinks gathers at Waverider’s Coffee & Deli, the second Wed. of does laps around First Flight High School, Sept. 15. Register at 9am; walk FO every month. Find their Facebook page for updates. • Pick up green at 10am. Then stay put for a cookout with keynote speaker, Denise H OO D T R U C K veggies and homemade goods at Nags Head’s Dowdy Park Farmers Mariano from the Partnership for Drug-Free Kids. Or support the cause WDOW Market, Sept. 13. From 9am-2pm, enjoy local art, crafts and products — plus and keep on eating by heading to Blue Water Grill or Blue Moon to buy a fresh picked live tunes — then circle back for the season finale on Oct. 11. More copy of Cooking With Blue — a fund-raising collection of their most colorful at www.nagsheadnc.gov. • Then stuff yourself with seafood — and seafaring recipes. Learn more at www.walkagainstaddiction.org. • Wanna score some Wicked traditions — when the 15th Annual Day at the Docks descends upon Hatteras Village, Weed? Head to Duck, Sept. 15, as Village Table & Tavern hosts Asheville’s crippest craft Sept. 14-15. This yearly favorite combines cooking demos, cultural stories, and crazy brewery for an evening of kind beer, killer food, and soundside tunes with Fireside competitions — all to bring this already tight community even closer. Plus, The N.C. Coastal Collective. Check www.villagetableandtavern.com for details. • On Sept. 15, First Flight Federation will be offering free marsh tours of the living shoreline restoration project at High plays free Verdi when Bryan Cultural Series and Elizabeth R. & Co. present La Durant’s Point. Full sched at www.dayatthedocks.com. • Like your flavors more countrified? Traviata, starring Manteo’s own super tenor, Tshombe Selby, in the opera’s lead role. Mosey over to Powell’s Point’s Currituck County Rural Center, Sept. 1, for the Currituck Details TBA at www.bryanculturalseries.org. • You’ll need plenty of lung power when the

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Outer Banks Triathlon swim-bike-runs into town, Sept. 15-16, offering three stamina with DJ Charlie Huff. And Sat.’s grand finale at Outer Banks Brewing Station fills the settings, relay and aqua-bike categories, custom medals, swanky swag — plus a post-race backyard with bros and betties — plus films and fire dancing — before heading inside for an party where you can chug-chug-chug. Sign up at www.obxse.org. • Buxton surrenders to afterparty with the Cashmere Jungle Lords. All days start at 6:30pm. (P.S. pop into DCAC seven days of sick kitesurfing when the Cape Hatteras Wave Classic any day, from Sept. 2-30, to peep the surfboard display.) More info at Presented by Patagonia returns, Sept. 15-21. Last year, Hurricane www.darearts.org. • How do you put the LGBTQ in OBX? Find out Jose served up some heaving cylinders to keep the Cat. 5 talent Sept. 21-23, when Outer Banks PrideFest brings back three days of tracking back for more. More at www.realwatersports.com. • Forecast booze cruises, drag brunches, live bands, and killer comedy. This calls for a stoke storm to strike Jennette’s Pier, Sept. 16-22, when the year’s free Sat. Pride Festival moves to the Soundside, but still stars 51st Annual ESA Eastern Championships draws together the legendary performers like Spikey Van Dikey, plus local food, raddest groms — and frothiest geezers — from Maine to Miami — for merchant vendors, and non-profits. All day events are family friendly the largest, and longest running, all-ages amateur surfing contest on — the nighttime shows are not. Get pride passes, single-day tix, and an eye-full of info at www.obxpridefest.com. • Collect litter and enjoy the East Coast. Find heat sheets, live feeds, and more at www.surfesa. a libation, Sept. 22, when Outer Banks Surfrider hosts their annual org. • On Sept. 19, hop out of the water — and into the spotlight — Beach Sweep/TrashFest! Just pick up a data card and trash bag at a as Jennette’s Pier hosts the Outer Banks Chamber of Commerce’s specified location between Kitty Hawk and Nags Head, 9am-12pm. “Lights, Camera, Auction” event. This one-of-a-kind celebrityGo clean up your favorite stretch of coast — and document what you themed fundraiser mixes prizes, party and some local star power — collect — then head to the Brew Pub for a 12-4pm after-party of to give the non-profit some financial firepower. Score tix at www. good, semi-clean fun. Find a list of checkpoints on Facebook. • Pick outerbankschamber.com. • On Sept. 20, hands do the talking when up more stray butts and loose litter down south, Sept. 22, when the the Currituck Beach Lighthouse hosts Deaf Awareness Day with NCBBA hosts an Operation Beach Respect/Adopt-A-Highway NC’s Department of Health and Human Services and the Corolla Life’s a drag when Pridefest comes event at all Hatteras Island and Ocracoke Access ramps, 8am-12pm. Wild Horse Fund. From 10am-3pm, enjoy three American Sign for three full days, Sept. 22-23. Learn more at www.ncbbba.org. • Avon’s Pangea Tavern brings two Language interpreted walks, and meet a wild pony at 1pm. Get a full worlds together, Sept. 22, when Che Apalache mixes bluegrass and sched at www.currituckbeachlight.com. • Three days of surf flicks fuel Latin musical styles with intricate string work, tight vocal harmonies, every sense when the 7th Surfalorus Film Festival drifts into town, and imagery from Appalachia to the Andes. More at www.pangeatavern.com. • Immerse Sept. 20-22. On Thurs., Jennette’s Pier will show movies and live tunes. Fri., the Dare Co. yourself in German culture, Sept. 22-23, when Trio’s Oktoberfest drowns the haus with Arts Council stocks the walls with 70 years of surfboard evolution — then stokes the party

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endnotes litres of craft beer, tons of traditional food, plenty of communal seating, and a whole lotta lederhosen. More at www.triowinebeercheese.com. • Put your pinchers ’round a pinot, then crack into AYCE claws, when Crabdaddy returns to Sanctuary Vineyards, Sept. 22. Plus, enjoy buttery jams by the Jesse Chong Band and Trae Pierce & the T-Stones, as well as seasonal activities, like the crab pot shotput, crab crawl race, and the Great C’Tuck Grape Stomp. 11am-6pm. Tix and such at www.sanctuaryvineyards.com. (P.S. Surround yourself with more outdoor music, Sept. 20 & 27, with 5:30pm shows by Mercy Creek and Ruth Wyand, respectively.) • What do Harleys and Hasbro have in common? Find out, Sept. 22, when the Dare County Motorcycle Toy Run vrooms from Vertigo Tattoo in Mann’s Harbor to BK Shucker’s in Kitty Hawk, making multiple stops to gather gifts and dollars so local kids get a high-octane holiday. Wheelie over to Facebook for more. • First Flight High becomes a jack-in-the-box of killer jams, Sept. 22, when Outer Banks Forum for the Lively Arts busts out the John Brown Groove Shop, a 13-piece funk and rhythm powerhouse that plays 70s and 80s boogies by Earth, Wind & Fire, Stevie Wonder, and more. 7:30pm, $28. Full calendar and season tix at www.outerbanksforum.org. • And the night fever burns on at Rodanthe’s Lisa’s Pizzeria Full Moon Party, Sept. 23, featuring tap takeovers by NC breweries, and tune takeovers by local players. 9:30pm. And come back for another extra-large party pie, Oct. 24. Bands and brews at www.lisaspizzeria.net. • Let the moon hit your eye from 10 stories high, Sept. 24, at the final Cape Hatteras Lighthouse Full Moon Tour. (Tix go on sale at www.recreation.gov at 10am, three days prior.) And blow your top on aviation history, when the Wright Brothers National Memorial Visitor Center reopens Sept. 29 with a full range of high-tech exhibits. Go to www.nps.gov/wrbr for full details. • Employable skills are the foundation for two classes at COA’s Dare County Campus. On Sept. 24, Drone Certification shows people how to take high-flying pictures for commercial purposes. And on Sept. 26, Hospitality and Tourism Certification classes begin for Reservation Specialist, Operations Specialist, Maintenance Specialist, and OBX Ambassador. Mon. & Wed. nights. Call 252-473-2264 Ext. 7511 to register — and learn about possible scholarships. • Will your elected officials work for you? Find out Sept. 27, when the Corolla Civic Association Candidate Forum gathers this fall’s candidates for NC State House and Senate at 6pm. Location TBA. (More at www.corollacivicassociation. com.) And stay tuned for more TBD opportunities to field legislators all fall, such as another special Outer Banks Voice/Milepost Candidates’ Roundtable. Follow www. outerbanksvoice.com for the latest. And be sure to register to vote by Oct. 12. • On Sept. 27, trail back through time at Waveriders Coffee & Deli, when The Nature Conservancy and Downtown Books host a book signing and re-release for Everyone Helped His Neighbor: Memories of Nags Head Woods. Authors Lu Ann Jones and Amy Glass will be there to relive memories of this 1987 work based on oral histories recorded from early 20th century residents and their direct descendants. More at www.downtownbooks.com. • Find your 4WD roots when the Goin’ Coastal Jeep Club Outer Banks Pirates’ Mutiny marauds into town, Sept. 27-29. Start with a Thurs. night Meet n Greet at Pamlico Jack’s, followed by two costumed days of treasure hunts and poker rides at the Soundside, before heading up to Corolla for a final Sun. beach drive. (Don’t forget your permits.) Find all the dirty deets at www.goincoastaljeepclub.com. • Air down and head south for the 3rd Annual Hatteras Island Surf Fishing Challenge, Sept. 28-30, where anglers actively hunt the heaviest flounder, bluefish, sea mullet, and pompano — and five convenient weigh stations make competing almost too easy. Learn more and register at www. fishermanspost.com. • On Sept. 28, Dr. John Sanchez blows his trumpet to expand local health care, when the Community Clinic of Dare hosts “An Evening of Jazz” at Pamlico Jack’s. From 7-9pm, a silent auction and $15 tix inject funds to provide medical services to uninsured and financially challenged persons. Screen their full panel of good deeds at www. dareclinic.org. • Fine food and fermented grapes take the stage when the Lost Colony Wine Festival returns, Sept. 28-29. Fri. night’s special Vintner Dinner brings Blue Point chef Sam McGann to 108 Budleigh for a multi-course menu featuring Virginia Dare Wines. (Limited tix just $150.) Then Sat.’s main event seizes the soundstage to serve the

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A C E LE B RAT I O N OF FLIGHT AND BEER

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Happy drunks mix with local royalty — and fine cuisine — at the Lost Colony Wine Festival, Sept. 29. Photo: Elizabeth Neal.

Queen — and hundreds of guests — with a brave new world of tasty wines, beers, savory fare, and live entertainment. 2-5pm, $60. (Designated Driver: $25.) For deets and tix go to www.thelostcolony.org. • Got a case of the spins? Good! Sept. 29’s Outer Banks Cycle Race is just around the corner at Manteo’s North End Park. This first-ever local qualifier for the 2019 National Senior Games is also open to all racers of every level and age. Sign up and learn more at www.obxse.org. • Don some pink and land some blues (or reds) when Avon Pier’s Fish Like A Girl tourney gathers the ladies for an all-day angling fest, Sept. 29, all to benefit the Hatteras Island Cancer Foundation — and to kick off Oct.’s Paint the Village Pink Campaign. Find a full calendar at www.koruvillage.com. • Don’t cry fellas. Boys, girls and fishes of legal size are all welcome to participate in Sept. 29’s Jim Mulford Red Drum Tournament at Jennette’s Pier. 7am-1pm. More at www.jennettespier.net. • Were your best memories made “Under the Boardwalk”? Then be at Kitty Hawk’s Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Outer Banks, Sept. 29, as OBX’s own Riff Tides play golden hits for another Music at the Meetinghouse. Doors open at 7pm. $20 includes refreshments. Tune into www.uucob.org for deets. • Shoot over to Glenn Eure’s Ghost Fleet Gallery, Oct. 2–27, as Bryan Cultural Series’ International Fine Art Photography Show lines up 15 local lensfolk to give the Outer Banks a collective selfie. Full deets at www. bryanculturalseries.org. • On Oct. 3-5, the 67th Annual Nags Head Surf Fishing Club Tournament promotes community spirit — and some long-standing rivalries — as Rod Slingers, Sea Hags, and other teams tangle for bragging rights. Learn more at www. nagsheadsurffishingclub.org. • And the banjos start blitzing Manteo, Oct. 4-6, when the OBX Bluegrass Island Bluegrass Festival returns to Festival Park for three days of live tunes by Blue Highway, Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen, and The Steel Drivers. (And that’s just the nightly headliners.) $125 for a three-day pass. $45 per day. Find lineup, tix and parking at www.bluegrassisland.com. • Contractors, designers and landscapers strut their studliest builds for the 26th Annual Outer Banks Parade of Homes, Oct. 4-7. Ten bucks lets you march through mega-mansions, from Corolla to Nags Head; proceeds support food pantries and other local non-profits. Full set of plans at www.obhomebuilders.org. • And First Friday frames up another solid evening of community togetherness in Manteo, Oct. 5, including DCAC’s Glass Exhibit Opening Reception at 6pm, with live music out front by Uphill — and a down-the-street show by Angelo Sonnesso. Plus, Dwayne Walls, Jr. signs copies of Backstage at the Lost Colony inside Downtown Books, 5-8pm. More at www. townofmanteo.com. • Oh, my gourd! It’s the Nags Head Elementary Pumpkin Fair! Come out Oct. 6 for a day of bouncy houses, bake sales, and about a bazillion orange orbs — all to bolster the Nags Head PTO. Learn more on Facebook. • The Island Farm’s Pumpkin Patch Saturdays roll every weekend, Oct. 6-27. From 10am-4pm, enjoy 19th century toys milepost 67

endnotes and activities, stuff a scarecrow, pet a farm animal, and find a future jack-o-lantern. Plus, wear favorite on Facebook. • Revisit “Blue Bayou,” Oct. 13, when Outer Banks Forum for the a Halloween costume on Oct. 27 and receive a surprise. Get pricing, deets and hay ride Lively Arts presents “Love is a Rose,” where award-winning torch singers, Paula Hanke times at www.theislandfarm.com. • On Oct. 6, bivalves and BBQ join forces to support the and Peggy Ratusz, channel Linda Rondstadt inside First Flight High. 7:30pm, $28. Full First Flight Rotary Club’s 17th Annual Oink N’ Oyster Roast at Longboard’s in Kitty deets and season tix at www.outerbanksforum.org. • Bands, bushels and BBQ bring down the Hawk. From 12pm, slurp down as much protein, sides and suds for house for Corolla’s First Annual Mustang Rock & Roast at Mike $25. ($30 at the door.) Full deets at www.oinkandoyster.org. • Dianna’s Grill Room, Oct. 13-14. Sat. serves up the Mustang Spend Columbus Day Weekend discovering new music at the Outreach Program student bands, Dangermuffin, Groove Fetish, Duck Jazz Festival, Oct. 5-7, including a Fri. educational event Anthony Rosano & the Conqueroos, Jahman Brahman, Songs with Yolanda Rabun, and a Sat. concert by Sidecar Social Club. From The Road Band, and Big Something — with a three-hour Come Sun., Duck Town Park fills two stages with free shows by oyster roast, 2-5pm. Sun. piles on Paleface, The Vegabonds, The artists like Bryan Carter, Rhythm in Blue, Huntertones, FFHS Get Right Band, The Mike Dillon Band, Formula 5, and Pink Jazz Band, and The Russel Malone Quartet. Get the score on all Talking Fish — with a 2-5pm BBQ cook off. Both days run 2-10pm, three days at www.duckjazz.com. • Swap horns for honky-tonk, then head to Sundogs for after-parties: Dangermuffin Super Jam Oct. 9, when Roanoke Island Festival Park’s Stars of the Grand plays Sat.; Funk You and The Ramble perform on Sun. $50 for Ole Opry brings in live stars to play legendary country music by both days. ($60 day of show.) Score single-day pricing, VIP tix, Patsy Cline, George Jones, and Merle Haggard — plus shuttle news, and band writeups at www.mustangmusicfestival.com. comedian and world-class fiddler Doofus Doolittle makes the • Meanwhile, in Kitty Hawk, Bad Bean Baja Grill mixes craft beers, whole family go “hee-haw.” Shows at 2pm & 7pm. $30. More at Mexi cuisine, and spicy music for Oct. 14’s Tacotober. 1-4pm, $20. www.roanokeisland.com. • Let Ma Nature do the yodeling when Full menu at www.badbeanobx.com. • Or shoot the schnitzel with Take time out to see Bryan Carter at the Duck Jazz Free Saturday Red Wolf Howlings return to Alligator River NC brewers, Oct. 14, when Outer Banks Brewing Station’s OBX Festival, Oct. 5-7. Photo: Lauren Desberg Refuge, Oct. 13 (6-7:30pm) and Nov. 10 (4:30-6pm). Prefer day OktoBeerFest fills the backyard with craft labels and killer times. critters? Show up either day at 9am and score a three-hour 1-5pm. Complete deets at www.obbrewing.com. • On Oct. 15, the Saturday Tram Tour for just $10. (Free for accompanied kids 12 and under.) Call 252-21625th Annual Kelly Hospitality Group Charity Golf Tournament slices across Nags 9464 to reserve your spot. And remember: every Fri. features a Free Preschool Young Head Links to help feed the Outer Banks Community Foundation. From 12:30-5pm, Naturalist Program, 10-11am. • The Wanchese Woods Slaughter Swamp saws off seven local teams bogie, birdie and bro-down — then sink a few easy ones at the 19th Hole Open acres of pure terror and fierce fun, starting early Oct. Get the gory details on this Halloween Bar & Buffet at Pamlico Jack’s. Sign up at www.kellyhospitalitygroup.com. • Did someone

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say “birdies”? On Oct. 16-21, The Wings Over Water Festival lines up a whole flock-load of kayak tours, amphibian hikes, marine mammal meet-ups, and painting/photography workshops. Plus Sat. night’s reception and dinner at Pamlico Jack’s bags noted human and avian expert George Armistead as keynote speaker. Full sched — plus dates for Dec’s. Winter WOW — at www.wingsoverwater.org. • The “Eat Under Budget Festival” — aka Fall Restaurant Week — runs Oct. 19-27, where participating chefs serve three-course lunches or dinners at a fixed price of $20 or $35. See who’s serving at www. outerbanksrestaurantweek.com. • Dig into some musical soul food, Oct. 19, when the Jones Sisters bring their gospel-style bluegrass to Pickin’ on the Porch at Bluegrass Island Trading Co. in Manteo at 8:30pm. More at www.pickinontheporchobx.com. • And get a whole lotta love when Duck Woods, Westside Athletic Club, Pine Island Racquet & Fitness Club, and the Corolla Light Resort bring back the 16th Annual OBTA Charity Classic Tennis Tournament, Oct 19-21.This signature fundraiser for Dare Hospice also helps keep local players rallying. Get a full sched and info at www.outerbanks.usta.com. • Think that’s ballsy? Theatre of Dare’s opening their 2018/19 season with The Rocky Horror Show. This timeless not-kidfriendly tale of a Transylvanian transexual scientist building a super buff, blond boytoy comes to the Lost Colony Soundstage, Oct. 19, 20, 26 & 27 at 7:30pm, and October 21 & 28 at 2pm. ($15; $10 students. Season tix: $40) For tix and auditions dates for future productions Tuesdays With Morrie and Shakespeare’s A Mid-Summer Night’s Dream, time warp to www.theatreofdareobx.com. • For a more traditional take on fishnets, be at the Soundside, Oct. 20, as the 7th Annual Outer Banks Seafood Festival celebrates working watermen with the freshest catch, fun educational stations, and a big Boat & Tackle show — plus art vendors and live music by The Jones Sisters, Dr. Tom Band featuring Leslie Buck, the No More Room Band, and The Main Event. 10:30am-6pm. $5 entry; free for 12-and-

under. Bring extra money for “seabucks” to buy food and beer. For a list of restaurants and shuttle stops, go to www.outerbanksseafoodfestival.org. • Does harsh local weather flashfreeze your flowerbeds? Join the North Carolina Cooperative Extension at The Elizabethan Gardens for Oct. 20’s Coastal Landscape Workshop. From 9:30am-5pm, you’ll learn how to keep your thumb green all year while enjoying a bountiful buffet lunch. $45. Call 252-473-3761 by Oct. 15 to pre-register. • On Oct. 23, local Lions Clubs host the 35th Annual Visually Impaired Person’s Fishing Tournament, filling local piers and headboats with feel-good vibes — and more than 525 VIPs — the largest service project of its kind in the world. 8am-2pm. Learn how to register or help out at www.ncvipfishing.org. • KDH’s R/C Theatre is a stocked pond of scream queens and photo ops, when the 3rd Annual Halloween International Film Festival returns, Oct. 2527, as part of HalloWeek. And on Oct. 28, the dead walk again when the 5th Annual Halloween Parade of Costumes circles back at a TBD location. Get all the scary details at www. halloweeninternationalfilmfestival.com. • And join Ocracoke’s paaaarrgghty of epic proportions, Oct. 25-28, as Blackbeard’s Pirate Jamboree marks the 300th anniversary of our favorite furry buccaneer’s local demise — complete with a reenactment of the renegade’s final battle and a historically accurate pirate encampment. Plus, a Brigands Bazaar gathers maruading artists in every medium, Sat. & Sun., 10am-5pm. Complete deets at www.visitocracokenc.com. • Laissez les bons temps rouler — and support local culture — at Dare County Arts Council’s Bayou Ball, Oct. 27. From 7pm-12am, the Pirate’s Cove Pavilion will be as Creole as it gets, complete with Cajun cuisine and décor, and a live show by two-time Grammy winner Terrance Simien & The Zydeco Experience. $125 tix help fund non-profit programs like Terrance Simien’s Creole for Kidz and the History of Zydeco, which comes to schools, Oct. 24-26. More at www. darearts.org. • Fermented hops meets flexible wings, Oct. 27, when OBX Brewtag turns the

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endnotes attendees chow down to help the Outer Banks Center for Dolphin Research. $25. Learn Soundside Event Site into a giant science experiment. From 12-6pm, teams make flying more at www.obxdolphins.org. • Gentle Expert Memorycare invites everyone facing the machines from beer kegs, then hurl them for distance, while cheering fans enjoy local food, effects of dementia to come out, Nov. 4, to Mako Mike’s for the 3rd Annual CARPE DM live music, a killer craft beer garden — or the nearby kids zone — just to keep The Rogallo fundraiser. From 3-7pm, dance and raise dough for a range of free community services. And Foundation aloft. More at www.obxbrewtag.com. • Forget the suds — bring on the sweets! on Nov. 11, be at St. Andrews by the Sea, from 4-5:30pm for a GEM Annual On Oct. 27, First Flight Elementary’s Trick or Treat fills haunted halls with grade school Candlelighting full of music, poetry and prayer. For updates, find The GEM Center on ghouls and gobs of candy, all for two bucks and a couple canned goods. Proceeds keep the Facebook. • Whatever you do, don’t forget Nov. 6 is Voting Day. Even better, flake-proof PTO pumping. Find details on Facebook. • Pick your own pumpkin — and plop down on a yourself by voting early. Find a full list of one-stop ballot drops at www.darenc.com. • No hayride — when the Elizabethan Garden’s HAYday features arts, crafts, scarecrows, and bonfires. And while you’re there, step inside for the Halloween Clearance Sale, Oct. 27-31. politics — just pescados — when the 61st Annual Cape Hatteras Anglers Club Invitational Tournament returns, Nov. 7-10. It’s hard to squeeze on a team, but they can For pricing and details, visit www.elizabethangardens.org. • Then set sail for Downtown always use volunteers. Learn more at www. Manteo, Oct. 27, as the 6th Annual Roanoke capehatterasanglersclub.org. • The humans Island Maritime Museum Wooden Boat really start running, Nov. 9-11, when the Outer Show celebrates scary good craftsmanship — Banks Marathon draws thousands of visitors and a Sat. night reception hands out honors, like for several distance varieties — including 5ks, the H.A. Creef Award for best overall boat. fun runs and halfs — and near-endless pasta ($30 to enter; $10 reception tix.) And come specials at area restaurants. Load up on info at back Oct. 31 for a flotilla of fiends at the www.obxse.org. And learn how to help out on Roanoke Island Maritime Museum Haunted Page 18. • Celebrate Veterans Day weekend House. Find a shipload of details at www. by supporting Operation Comfort Warrior, townofmanteo.com. • Let the kids race around when Avon Pier and the Sons of the between parked cars — and pop-a-lock on American Legion crack open another PBR loads of Halloween goodies — at the Creepy Classic Fishing Tournament, Nov. 9-11. Icein Corolla Trunk or Treat, Oct. 31. Unmask all cold facts at www.koruvillage.com. • Find updates at www.currituckbeachlight.com. • Then handmade jewelry, home-baked goods, and rev-up late-night at Outer Banks Brewing any number of killer items for that special Station’s 18th Annual Exotic/Erotic someone, when the annual Mann’s Harbor Halloween Ball, Oct. 31, where bare skin and Holiday Craft and Gift Show returns, Nov. bold costumes earn big costume bucks — and 9-11. Find their Facebook page for updates. • Philly funk act, Swift Technique, plays lots of On Nov. 10, take a trip south of the border just horny music. Naked truths at www.obbrewing. by hopping the ferry, when the Festival Latino com. • Got a fetish for 19th century traditions? de Ocracoke celebrates traditional Mexican From Nov. 2-3, Island Farm’s “Evening culture with food, dancing and Latin flair. Full Lantern Tours: Draped in Black; Victorian fiesta deets at www.ocracokealive.org. • The Death Rituals,” has costumed interpreters pen is truly mightier, Nov. 10-11, when the 6th explore the home of a grieving widow. Annual Outer Banks Veterans Writing 7-9:30pm, $10; free for children ages 5 and Project brings 25 beginner and experienced under. More at www.theislandfarm.com. • On writers with military experience to UNC Nov. 2, get loose a little early — and help local Coastal Studies Institute for a two-day cancer programs last — when Outer Banks workshop with founder, Ron Capps. Report to Hospital’s Get Pinked! and More Party Mixed media knows no limits when Mary Ann Remer’s exhibit, “Possibilities…What If?,” www.darearts.org for details. • On Nov. 17, comes to Jennette’s Pier. 6-9pm. Call 252-449enjoys an extended stay in Duck Town Hall, Nov. 1 to Jan. 23. take your pinot pals to Trio’s Harvestfest, 5933 for info. • Manteo’s First Friday gets a where a workshop of wines, beers and cheese tasting stations help create the perfect menu surge of Cape Hatteras street cred, Nov. 2, when DCAC unveils The People’s Choice for holiday entertaining. Times and tix at www.triowinebeercheese.com. • Leave fall in the Exhibit by photog Daniel Pullen at 6pm. Plus, Southern English Band plays out front to dust with back-to-back holiday races by OBX Running Company: On Nov. 21, the Brewing kick off Outer Banks Veterans Week. More at www.darearts.org. • All options are on the Station hosts a Tipsy Turkey Beer Mile, while Twiddy and Co. presents Corolla’s walls, Nov. 3, when Duck Town Hall reveals Mary Ann Remer’s winter mixed media Thanksgiving Day 5k, Nov. 22. Sign up and learn more at www.theobxrunningcompany. exhibit, “Possibilities…What If?” 3-5pm. (And be sure to catch wildlife photog Mark com. • Feed racing’s future — and score a pancake breakfast — when Southern Shores’ 8th Buckler’s show before it closes on Oct. 24.) Times and details at www.townofduck.com. • Annual Turkey Trot 5k and 1 Mile Fun Run supports GOFAR, Nov. 22. More info at www. Young life runs wild — and raises funds for school programs — when Nov. 3’s annual Kitty obxgofar.org. • Hatteras fitness buffs can pre-feast by taking part in the 7th Annual Surfin’ Hawk Elementary School Fall Carnival lines up kids’ activities, local food, and a full Turkey 5K & Puppy Drum Fun Run. They’ll be helping the Hatteras Island Youth selection of free-range fun, 10am-4pm. Learn more on Facebook. • That night, herd your Education Fund with every step. Sign up at www.hatterasyouth.com. • And if you still can’t fam into First Flight High for a stampede of tap dances, beatboxes, grooves, and laughs, as believe the holidays are on the horizon, be at Elizabethan Gardens, Nov. 23, as Grand Outer Banks Forum for the Lively Arts presents America’s Got Talent alums Collision Illuminations sparks 22 days of WinterLights. 6-9pm. (Prices and shimmering details at of Rhythm. 7:30pm, $28. Full sched and season passes at www.outerbanksforum.org. • On www.elizabethangardens.org.) Or drive by Jockeys Ridge, Nov. 23-24, as Kites With Lights Nov. 4, peel over to Ocean Boulevard. in Kitty Hawk for the 9th Annual Shrimp Cookoff. make the night sky sing “Noel.” Glowing details at www.kittyhawk.com. From 12-3pm, top chefs grill, sautee and fry their shells off for a take at top prizes — and

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