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Issue 8.2
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Won’t somebody think of the children?! Photo: D. Victor Meekins
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I think about gosurfbaby this outthere all the time. Despite having no idea who it is. Don’t know if it’s a girl or a boy. A perfect little angel — the kind that coos and giggles and sleeps through the night — or some diabolical demon seed that wakes up every hour, crying and colicky, just to piss all over you when you pull off its diaper. In fact, I’d never seen this picture until we started planning our summer issue. But while flicking through digital files of D. Victor Meekins’ early 20th century photographs at the Outer Banks History Center, this image popped up on the screen. And I recognized the chubby little cherub at once.
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“It’s him!” I thought. “It’s the 100-Year Baby!” You see, the 100-Year Baby is not a physical being, but an idea. A philosophy. Well, a question: What do the decisions we make today mean for tomorrow — or, really, the next century? For example, when this baby was born circa 1919, the Outer Banks still had no Wright Memorial Bridge. Did his parents, who perhaps pictured Model T’s full of merry vacationers rolling across Kitty Hawk Bay, also envision a world where thousands of suicide machines would clog roads every weekend in summer — just to sit parked on that very same span for two more hours? When this baby was 20 and our nation was stuck, chassis-deep, in the Depression — and the first vestiges of tourism were beginning
to take hold — was he among the hundreds of able-bodied young men who helped the Civil Conservation Corps create the system of dunes designed to protect NC 12? And did he once lean on his shovel, wipe his sweaty brow, and think, “One day, saving this road system will require a standing army of bulldozers, millions of dollars of annual maintenance, and — eventually — an endless beach nourishment program?” In the 50s, was he one of the inspired developers who saw an opportunity in selling affordable vacation houses to out-of-staters? Could he imagine that a second home market would yield million-dollar McMansions, helping to price out the local yearround population? Or, that by age 95, he might start a chorus of voices screaming, “No Mini-Motels!”
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What do today’s decisions mean for the next century?
Probably not. More likely, folks in every era just figured a bridge would be a lot more efficient than a ferry. That sand dunes were a logical solution for shielding roads. And that everybody should have a chance to live by the beach. They likely didn’t understand that a barrier island needs to migrate to survive. That a 25-bedroom house was a realistic design — much less a business model. Or, even comprehend a world where millions of potential visitors live just a few hours away. We do. (Or at least we can.) So what about today’s 100-Year Baby? The infant born this second at the Outer Banks Hospital will face economic and environmental pressures yet unseen. When decisionmakers consider our future, will they honestly recognize the motivation behind adding a MidCurrituck bridge isn’t so people can escape a hurricane, but for delivering a Cat-5 surge of fresh visitation to northern beaches? That increased density brings as many potential problems — like stormwater runoff and day-to-day traffic — as it does potential dollars? And that every extra brick we pile on our endangered stretch of sand is another hot potato for some far-off planning board? None of us reading this can possibly see how exactly these calls will play out over a century. We don’t really need to. We just have to look past immediate returns with a more long-term perspective. Forget 2119 —the choices we make now will have lasting impacts within just a few decades. Not on some imaginary baby, but on our very own kids and grandkids. Let’s not give them a reason to cry — or piss all over us. — 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 all 80 pages into diapers for your best friend’s newborn; tell your 100-year-old grandma they’re the new Eco-Depends™. 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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“Objects in mirror are closer than they appear.” – Henry Ford “Do the right thing.” — Spike Lee
Issue 8.2 Summer 2019 Cover: Impact Zones Photos: Cory Godwin, Daniel Pullen
Reader You 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, Adriana Gomez-Nichols, Amelia Kasten, Chris Kemp, Nathan Lawrenson, Dave Lekens, Alex Lex, Ben Miller, Dawn Moraga, Ben Morris, Holly Nettles, Rick Nilson, Holly Overton, Stuart Parks II, Charlotte Quinn, Meg Rubino, Shirley Ruff, Janet Stapelman, Kenneth Templeton, Stephen Templeton, George Tsonev, Bri Vuyovich, Christina Weisner, John Wilson, Mark Wiseman 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, Jason Denson, Amy Dixon, Susan Dotterer 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, Bob Hovey, Jenni Koontz, Anthony Leone, Jeff Lewis, Jared Lloyd, Matt Lusk, Ray Matthews, Brooke Mayo, Mickey McCarthy, Roger Meekins, D. Victor Meekins, Richard L. Miller, Dick Meseroll/ESM, David Molnar, Rachel Moser, Ryan Moser, Elizabeth Neal, Rob Nelson, Candace Owens, Crystal Polston, Daniel Pullen, Ryan Rhodes, Terry Rowell, Tom Sloate, Wes Snyder, Aimee Thibodeau, Eve Turek, Chris Updegrave, Dan Waters, Cyrus Welch, Jay Wickens
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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
roadmap gokite milepost graphiccontent gosurf outthere gohunt rearview “The Smoker” By Mark Wiseman
03 StartingPoint Baby, baby, baby, whoa. 06 UpFront No retreat, new re-nourishment, and novel reads. 20 GetActive Less plastic people. 22 FirstPerson NHPD catches the red-eye. 24 QuestionAuthority NOAA’s Dr. Neil Jacobs forecasts the future.
29 C rash Course Five experts weigh in on summer survival. 40 GraphicContent What — we worry? 42 E arliest Eye D. Victor Meekins brings vintage life into focus.
“You’d be surprised what people leave behind at beach accesses. My main thing is making colorful fish out of old, broken beach chairs. Then, one day, I saw hundreds of cig butts within two steps of the trash can. I thought, There has to be something I can do. So I decided to make a mosaic of a wave. I used scissors to trim out all the tobacco and excess paper — plus whatever blue paint I had leftover in the garage — then glued them to a background from old beach fencing I collected. But I’m always looking for new ideas to reuse stuff. I think I’ve also come up with something cool to do with collapsed canopy frames. And I’m not a super big, tree-hugging, nature hippie. But I fish and paddle these waters. We all swim and surf these waters. This place takes care of us — we should take care of it.” — Mark Wiseman
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61 GoMine Corolla goes crypto. 63 FoodDrink Preserving memories with recipes. 65 ArtisticLicense Nora Hartlaub keeps on truckin’. 66 RearView Lighthouse flashback.
52 I t Takes Two Partnerships that produce cool summer projects.
69 OutThere Coronary corridor.
59 GoFly Do you have the Wright stuff?
70 E ndNotes Slam-packed summer haps.
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upfront soundcheck THE “R” WORD
From Norfolk, Virginia to San Diego, California, coastal communities are talking “retreat.” Why not here? getactive Would you sell out? Pack the house, pull chocks, and simply leave? Not now, of course, when everything’s high and dry. But let’s say a Sandy-sized storm wrecks the island — or the sound rises up to swallow your neighborhood — leaving behind a long, tough recovery. And let’s say a fully funded state program comes along and offers full market value — not for the land and a pile of wet lumber, but for the home, just as it was before catastrophe hit. Would you take the money and run? And would you be happy?
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“I wouldn’t say people were happy with having to move,” says Andrew Lewis, author of The Drowning of Money Island: A Forgotten Community’s Fight Against the Rising Seas Threatening Coastal America, a fall release detailing the troubles of Southern New Jersey’s Bayshore in the wake of Hurricane Sandy. “But they saw with increased flooding that their property values would only go down. They were happy to get a good rate for the home. It was a good deal.”
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It’s considered one of the nation’s most successful examples of “managed retreat.” But it’s not the only version. As sea level rise forecasts get grimmer, more cities and states are considering one-day abandoning their most threatened areas rather than keep using resources to protect them. The California Coastal Commission recently instructed municipalities to consider retreat as a possible answer to sea level rise. In Norfolk, a document called Vision 2100 examines a range of options over the next 80 years. And while it only says “retreat” once in 56 pages, it clearly distinguishes between zones that are either “opportunity sites for additional new development” or “remain vulnerable to flooding no matter the steps taken.” Don’t fret. Chances are Outer Bankers won’t have to consider such realities — at least for a few decades. Because while New Jersey has spent around $300 million on the Blue Acres Program since Sandy, they’ve spent over a billion dumping sand, raising houses, and constructing other critical infrastructure in the four counties that make up the Jersey Shore. Counties that generate too much tourism money to leave behind. Counties that are a lot like here.
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Good enough that, at last count, 953 Garden Staters have voluntarily participated in the Superstorm Sandy Blue Acres Program, a federally-funded initiative that purchases “repetitive loss” properties, razes the buildings, and returns the low-lying area on which they stood to its natural state.
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“Retreat doesn’t usually happen in coastal resort communities,” says Rob Young,
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Director of the Program for the Study of Developed Shorelines at Western Carolina University. “There’s not a lot of precedent for any kind of retreat from places like the Outer Banks, anywhere in the country.” Not that the Outer Banks doesn’t have serious problems. Just think of the chunk of NC 12 in Kitty Hawk that crumbled two years in a row. Meanwhile, nuisance flooding is enough of an issue in Downtown Manteo to justify email alerts. And any satellite photo will show we’re only more at-risk in the future. Ask any decision-maker how we’re responding, you’ll get a range
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of strategies being implemented — from managing stormwater to replenishing beaches. But there’s one solution no local board has ever considered. As Dare County Chair Bob Woodard points out: “Retreat just isn’t an option. Without our beaches, we’re history. And, hell — we don’t have a lot of places to retreat to!” Paradoxically, that very vulnerability makes us even more resilient to the idea of retreat. Not in terms of length and width, but supply and demand. The average Blue Acres buyback price was around $275,000.
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Right now, two South Nags Head property owners are suing the town for $700,000 in compensation for an unbuildable oceanfront lot. That’s without a house — much less a McMansion. Do the numbers from Nags Head to Duck, throw in the costs of road, power lines and other infrastructure — plus the annual $1.1 billion dollars that tourism generates — and it’s easy to see the financial motivation to keep spending millions on beach nourishment. Even when it’s entirely locally funded. In fact, that makes retreat even less likely. “In a way, it’s an advantage that we selffinance our projects, because someone in Ohio or Asheville can’t say, ‘I don’t want to spend my tax money to protect that set of property owners,’” explains Nags Head Mayor, Ben Cahoon. “So the technology of beach nourishment and some fortunate economics have conspired to help us — at least for some period of time.” How long? Well, if history’s any indication, as long as the numbers work out. According to Lewis’ book, “A staggering 177 million cubic yards of sand has been pumped onto Jersey Shore beaches over the past three decades, at a cost of $1.8 billion.” And yet, when Sandy hit, there was no talk of cutting funding. That’s because Jersey Shore visitation generated $45 billion in 2017. Meanwhile, communities on the South Jersey Bayshore barely make ends meet. “All of those Blue Acres properties aren’t on the oceanfront,” says Young. “Those are working-class families on the estuary that are tired of having their residences flooded.”
Sounds a lot like our own soundside situation. Less money. More frequent flooding. And yet, again, there’s no pressure — or desire — to pull out. Instead, we push back. Whether it’s deciding to raise Colington Road, lifting homes on Roanoke Island, or helping Downtown Manteo get back to business. “Downtown is very much an economic driver for Manteo,” says Town Planner Melissa Dickerson. “So we’ve worked with these properties to become more resilient and recover faster. And the county has been very generous in allowing property owners to join in their hazard mitigation grant applications, so they can better handle the floodwaters. My family’s home in Wanchese was elevated in the county package after Irene.” In other words, we don’t retreat backward — we move upward. “That’s pretty common nationally,” notes Young. “Post-Sandy. Post Katrina. Everywhere. That is our coastal adaptation — raising houses — that’s it.’” Not entirely. Go back a hundred years, when there was more room to move and less infrastructure to protect, Outer Bankers regularly relocated cottages that were in danger. And there’s still one landowner with access to money and space: the National Park Service. Twenty years ago, after years of battling erosion with sand bags and jetties, the Park Service decided the only way to save the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse was to move it. More recently, Florence took out the
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Frisco Pier parking lot, destroying plans for improving the beach access. Instead, they plan to add 50 spaces to the Frisco Bathhouse. “In some cases, we can’t fight the situation anymore,” says David Hallac, Superintendent of National Parks of Eastern North Carolina. “But retreat isn’t the only tool. In Buxton, at the curve, we decided renourishment was the right thing to do to save the road. But retreat is such a negative phrase. I would call it adapting; it’s making smart — Rob Young moves so we can continue to live here. It’s more about figuring out how to stay, than it is about leaving.”
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“Retreat doesn’t usually happen in coastal resorts.”
So how long can we stay? That’s the billion-dollar question. Part of it depends on the science. (How frequent are the storms and flooding?) Part is economics. (How long can you afford to fight?) But for now, our communities are holding a unified front, whether it’s taking collective steps to manage stormwater or sharing renourishment costs. Which makes sense. Because when that oceanfront house of cards starts to fall, we’ll all feel the consequences. “I suspect — and this is all speculation — that if beach nourishment costs get too high,
some future mayor and board will make a different decision,” says Cahoon. “And in the larger picture, eventually there will be places where it’s going to be hard to defend the economic value of certian houses. They’ll become hard to finance and insure, and that will begin to resolve the problem — in a bad way. But as to what circumstances and when, I can’t say.” And what will we do then? That all depends. If you’re a second-homeowner whose rental machine is under water — and upsidedown — you’ll take the best deal that comes along. (Or walk away from the mortgage.) But if you’ve only got one home, and your work skills require a canal and some crab pots — or you just can’t picture living anywhere else. You might decide to stick around. That’s what Mike and Katie Nelson did. They’re the focus of Lewis’ book. Despite losing everything — including a marina — when Blue Acres came knocking, they simply said no. Today, they’re the last residents in a Delaware Bay-side hamlet that once had about sixty homes teeming with summer activity. Now it’s them, the marsh and their dog, Parker. So how do they feel? “I think they feel like they won,” says Lewis. “They might not if another big storm hits. But these are deeply personal choices. If you just moved to a place or it’s a second home, that’s different than if you’ve spent your whole life there and raised your kids there. It’s exponentially more difficult to walk away. Even if you know that walking away is the sounder decision.” — Matt Walker
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Milepost 54, Soundfront 39450 NC Hwy 12, Avon NC
The U.S. Coast Guard boasts a rich history, full of heroic efforts — and not all of them human. Woven into its records is a long line of mascots, which lived at shore-side stations or ships, providing moral support and solace to men and women serving far from home. There was a monkey named Tojo, a cat called Bobby, and a pig named Samantha. Kale, a yellow lab, served for 13 years at the Wrightsville Beach Station until her death last summer. But it was a German Shepherd named Nora who earned praise for a daring rescue on the Outer Banks. Th story begins at the Oregon Inlet Coast Guard Station, the shingle-style structure built in 1897 on the northern tip of Hatteras Island. During the height of World War II, German U-boats prowled off the coast, preying on Allied ships. Local outposts bustled with brave young men ready to leap into action. One day while on leave, most likely in Manteo, an anonymous Coasty noticed a particularly adroit canine in a yard. He called out to the owner, remarking what a fine dog she was, then asked about buying her. The owner set a price of fifty cents, the transaction took place, and Oregon Inlet got a new recruit called Nora.
Nora — a German Shepherd, or at least a mixed heritage dog with genes of that distinguished breed — had a tendency to follow her master and then others. So, before too long, she was making regular patrols along the Pea Island beach with the coastguardsmen. According to a 1944 magazine article, “Nora was quick to investigate noises or anything out of the ordinary and never left the man she started out with regardless of how many other patrol men she met on the lonely beach.”
The keeper of the station was Thomas Jefferson Harris, a Kitty Hawk native known locally as Jep. He quickly realized the urgency of the situation and gathered his gear. Meanwhile, Seaman First Class Earl L. Miller was on patrol and found Mitchell’s body in the sand. Harris arrived later via jeep and transported Mitchell back to the station. The following day, he was taken to the Public Service Hospital in Norfolk, Virginia, on the shore of the Elizabeth River, where he convalesced for a month.
One 18-year-old rookie from Chicago named Evans E. Mitchell quickly made friends with Nora, now the station’s mascot. In 1943, Mitchell and Nora set out from the Oregon Inlet Coast Guard Station on what was supposed to be a routine evening patrol down the beach. But approaching the halfway point, where they would normally turn around and head back, Mitchell fell ill and collapsed.
According to Harris, if it wasn’t for Nora, “Mitchell would have frozen to death…because he was lying in an out of the way spot on the beach, the night was pitch black and very cold.”
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A written account of the event in The State magazine claims, “Nora stood there waiting for him to rise. When he failed to do so, she sensed something was wrong. She stood over him sniffing. She tugged at the sleeve of his coat, but nothing happened.”
“she tugged at the sleeve of his coat, but nothing happened.”
Nora’s good deed did not go unnoticed. At the annual meeting of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, she was awarded the John Haines Award, named for the president of the society between 1889 and 1906. The event was held at New York’s Waldorf Astoria Hotel, a far cry from Nora’s humble Hatteras home. As it turned out, Nora’s owner also got a handsome return on his half-dollar investment. When it was time for him to transfer to a new station, the men of the Oregon Inlet Station so wanted to keep Nora that they all chipped in 50 cents apiece to keep her on duty.
(How the reporter coaxed such a firsthand report from an unconscious Coasty and a dog is never revealed — alas, the next part of the story is much more verifiable.)
That’s one way to make a dog stay. — Sarah Downing
Adhering to the Coast Guard motto, Semper Paratis (“always ready”), Nora picked up Mitchell’s hat and, as he lay rumpled on the sand, headed back to the station. Upon arrival, she either barked or scratched at the door — accounts vary — until she alerted the men inside, who then espied Mitchell’s cap and surmised something was amiss.
Sources: “A Medal for Nora,” The State Magazine, February 12, 1944; “Fifty-Cent Dog Proves her True Worth,” Living Tissue Magazine, February 1944; “U.S. Coast Guard Dog is Hero,” Titusville (Pa.) Herald, January 27, 1944; “Dog Wears Medal for Saving Life,” Monroe (La.) News Star, January 21, 1944.
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upfront soundcheck getactive startingpoint roadmap A cheering, jeering gokite look at recent events and their potential milepost impacts.
HIGH ON GRASS Say goodbye to getting your soundfront stoned. As more studies show hardened structures like bulkheads worsen erosion — and kill marshland — more property owners are turning to living shorelines, which rebuild the sediment and natural grasses that break up wave energy. In Feb. the NC Coastal Federation spearheaded a project to protect Kitty Hawk’s beloved Moor Shore road with hopes of generating a buzz among the public to support green efforts. RED LIGHT DISTRICT Pimping nature ain’t easy. Not with all those beach-horny vacationers pounding the pavement on the way into town — especially through Currituck. That’s why the DOT started a four-month repaving project along HWY 168, running eight
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miles between Moyock and the McDonald’s — except on weekends, to avoid summer traffic. The goal is to finish work by June 30. ’Til then, prepare for a longer hump and more brake lights during the week. TALE OF THE WAIL Wildlife lovers couldn’t stop blubbering this winter, after a total of seven whales washed ashore — two of them in a single week in Feb. The first one was spotted floating off Nags Head before coming to rest near Oregon Inlet. Six days later, a second leviathan rolled up in Corolla. Causes of death weren’t clear in all cases, but ship strikes are a frequent culprit, so ease up on the throttle, Captain Ahab. JUST WHAT THE DOCTOR ORDERED Pass the resolution by the left-hand side! The Town of Nags Head helped push medicinal marijuana this Jan. by unanimously supporting future state legislation. Board members noted that, in the face of an
opioid epidemic, cannabis makes for more manageable pain relief — as well as treatment for everything from PTSD to anxiety. Makes sense to us — locals have used weed to treat summer’s aches, pains and stress for years. EDUCATION 1O1 Quality learning costs money. Luckily, College of the Albemarle’s Manteo Campus got a boost from Raleigh in March after a new bill was passed that will bring $1.5 million to help pay for new facilities. The county will supply another $6 million for even more upgrades — including improving the Russell Twiford campus. Add it all up, you get more associate degrees, job-ready programs, and dual high school enrollment classes. TELL US SOMETHING WE DON’T KNOW In March, the University of Wisconsin and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
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issued a new Health Ranking Report for NC, putting Dare and Currituck counties at sixth and seventh, respectively. In fact, Dare County ranked first in the state for quality of life — thank you very much — while Currituck was fourth. And while both counties lagged in the obvious categories that covered socioeconomics and clinical care, surprisingly positive scores for healthy behaviors kept our top-10 hopes alive. SWIPE WRONG Think potential Tinder dates lie in their profiles? At least they’re legitimately looking to hook-up. A new rash of online scammers are posting houses for rent that aren’t even available — from year-round apartments to vacation beach houses. Skeezy types are stealing images of empty houses for sale and posting them to sites like Craigslist. The victim sends the deposit digitally to secure the deal — only to get denied when it comes time to make a move — leaving them heartbroken, homeless and a lot more broke.
VROOMS TO GO We haven’t cried like this since Tinker Bell nearly bit the dust. In March, word rang out that the Ocracoke Express — the passenger ferry that was supposed to start carrying up to 98 people per trip last summer — was DOA for the 2019 season, due to welding issues and other concerns. Fortunately, the coastal audience continued to believe in the concept, lifting their voices all the way to Raleigh. Within two weeks, state decisionmakers announced they’d be renting a standin ferry that starts in late May. HEY, I CAN SEE YOUR HOUSE FROM HERE Ground control to major photo op. NASA Astronaut Christina Hammock Koch did more than capture a cool shot of the Outer Banks from inside the International Space Station this Earth Day — she captured imaginations from coast-to-coast, tweeting, “It’s a special thing to see from above the place where you grew up — the ocean that first inspired
my fascination with things that make me feel small, and first planted the seeds of a goal to explore.” (Expect aliens to begin exploring MLS listings immediately.) OUTER BANKERS AGAINST WANKERS Nobody loves the beach as much as this next dude. In April, Kitty Hawk police asked people to be on the lookout for a man who’d twice been spotted pleasuring himself in the dunes in broad daylight, wearing sunglasses, a blue windbreaker, tan work boots — and, we assume, no pants. Fortunately, a visibly aroused public leapt into action to help find the culprit, who ended up receiving a summons. (And hopefully a sturdy set of handcuffs.)
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 “Now which politician is related to the owners of the shipyard building this welded boat?” — OBX Local, “New walk-on ferry a nogo this season; state looks at renting one,” Mar. 30, 2019, OuterBanksVoice.com
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Hunter Reese, 19 Surfboard Consultant Waves “I’m a beach fisherman. Don’t be the guy passed out in your beach chair with a line in the water, surrounded by a ton of little kids. And don’t let your kids go run out in a fisherman’s lines.”
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Peggy Duran, 61 Cashier Rodanthe “Pick up your trash — and your animal’s waste. Don’t just bury it. Kids go digging in the sand and get covered in it, or someone will get it all stuck to their stuff.”
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Retail Manager Manteo “Keep your dogs on a leash. I love dogs. But if I’m laying out, I don’t want to get sand kicked all over me or have a dog jump on me. And it causes problems with other leashed dogs.”
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Summer Fiala, 39 Mom Manteo “Watch your language around families with younger kids. It’s such a hassle to be enjoying a beach day and dealing with people shouting obscenities around little children.”
What is your number one beach rule? Noel Matos, 42 Delivery Driver Kill Devil Hills “Unless you want to be swarmed by aggressive birds, don’t feed the seagulls! They won’t stop bothering you and everyone else near you.”
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IT’S TIME TO GET ON THE WATER WIDEST SELECTION O F K AYA K S & G E A R ON THE OUTER BANKS
Nickolas Wadsworth, 26 Internet Field Tech Salvo “Stay off the dunes. Foot traffic destroys the vegetation, which holds those things together, and we need the dunes to hold the sea back. They are pretty much our only defense.”
Trey Harris, 21 Retail Manteo “Pay attention to the red flags, listen to lifeguards, and read the rip current signs. The ocean is a dangerous place. Even if you are a professional swimmer, you can get hurt or worse.”
Greg Fiala, 38 Public Works Manteo “I treat picking a spot on the beach like choosing a urinal — you don’t just walk up next to someone if there’s enough room to find your own area.”
JUNE 22 SEPT 14
Interviews and images by Tony Leone
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upfront soundcheckDrop this filthy rag this instant! It’s cheap. And
Show us your list... No job too small!
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inky. And probably typo-infested. A sub-par attempt at capturing local life — at least compared to these two glossy books by a pair of longtime Milepost contributors. One’s an anthology of published works by our history columnist, Sarah Downing. The other’s a collection of heartfelt images by Hatteras lensman Daniel Pullen. Put ’em side-byside in your library, you’ll have a pair of lasting, topshelf depictions of our dynamic little world.
Homesick
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By Daniel Pullen www.danielpullenphotography.com
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“Maybe you should just make something up — I don’t really know how to put this book into words.”
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Daniel Pullen’s kidding, of course. The ever-humble Hatteras photog just has trouble hyping his own work. Which explains why this low-key, limited edition lets the pictures do the talking. In fact, there’s not one complete sentence across 56 pages — just an index at the back, plus a single definition up front. So what’s Homesick trying to say?
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“My wife, Kate, and I came up with the concept after winning last year’s people’s choice exhibit at the Dare County Arts Council,” says the diehard documentarian of island culture. “We knew we didn’t want to show the typical Outer Banks beachscapes. So we put together all the things we’d miss about Hatteras if we ever had to move, and turned it into a little ’zine.”
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Instead of sunrays rising over the pier, you get rusty Jeeps sinking into the beach, spinning wheels and flinging sand. No lazy sunsets over the sound. Just hard-working watermen lugging dories and manhandling redfish. Gnarly, tattooed knuckles clutching flowers for a paddle-out ceremony. Crashing waves, raging campfires. Plus oddball beach trash, a falling Frisco pier, and plenty of storm perspectives. The kind of photographic flotsam and jetsam that ain’t always pretty — unless you know and love Hatteras Island firsthand.
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“I didn’t just want it to be stuff people hadn’t really seen,” Pullen explains. “I wanted it to be the stuff that people who live here would gravitate toward.” They’re gonna have to. Pullen’s only selling this limited edition in stores down south — or online. Each of the 500 copies comes with a signed print and carries his own signature take on what he calls, “authentic Hatteras Island — not postcard Hatteras Island.” Maybe so. But every image still somehow compresses island life into a compelling perspective. And every page still makes you wish you were there.
Chronicles of the Outer Banks: Fish Tales and Salty Gales By Sarah Downing www.thehistorypress.com “I still, a lot of times, live in the Outer Banks of the past,” says Outer Banks historian and author, Sarah Downing. “I can imagine myself at John Sheetz Superette laundromat in the days before I had a washer and dryer. I can still smell the Papagayo’s kitchen. So, even though things have changed, I still feel like I’m living in an olden days Outer Banks.” It’s those olden days that Downing loves to bring to life. With three decades of firsthand knowledge — and 17 years working the stacks inside the Outer Banks History Center — she’s already published six books of timeless material. So, for her latest anthology — Chronicles of the Outer Banks: Fish Tales and Salt Gales — Downing opted to include a lot more modern memories. “I can’t do many more hurricane, shipwreck, pirate, and lighthouse stories,” Downing deadpans.
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Instead, she wanders into the weirder corners of our coastal culture. The boat that once carried state dignitaries — then got drydocked on the oceanfront as a funky rental home. The entrepreneur who tried introducing escargot to the local landscape. And that one hazy year when tires full of hash washed ashore. Sound familiar? You might’ve read those pieces in these very pages. And there’s plenty of fresher fodder, too, including a pulled-back perspective on building the bypass, the proper way to call a goose — and for the first time ever — firsthand accounts from Downing’s very own history. At one point, she recounts her earliest brushes with Outer Banks’ small-town feel. Another’s a classic anecdote any local angler will relate to. “It’s called ‘Flounder Before Friends,’” laughs Downing. “It’s about having people over who stayed too late — and we kicked them out because we wanted to go fishing early the next morning.” That was actually her first story ever printed, published in 1991 by the now-defunct Hatteras Monitor. Now the tale enjoys eternal life in local bookstores, along with 29 other vignettes from vintage times. Makes you wonder if she’s running out of material. “I do get a little worried,” admits Downing, who relocated to Asheville in 2015 to help run the Western Regional Archives. “But the Outer Banks is always changing. You just have to keep looking under new rocks to find things to write about.” — C. White
For every #SomethingGood shared, $1 will be donated to the Life is Good Kids Foundation.
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HERE COMES THE getactive SAND AGAIN Nags Head’s second round of beach nourishment starts dumping this summer. startingpoint
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Beaches in Nags Head might look like a mobile construction zone this season. But folks will still be able to frolic on plenty of bulldozer-free sand.
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Contractors working on the town’s $43 million beach re-nourishment project started pumping sand on the South Nags Head shoreline in May, and will continue pumping on sections of beach until at least late August.
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But, according to the town, even when work is going on, a corridor nearer to the dune side of the beach will be available whenever possible for beachgoers to walk on. Public beach accesses at Juncos Street and Forrest Street will be closed during the project.
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Workers with contractor Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Company will stage equipment on both ends of the ten-mile-long project, starting with a site on the south end, at Milepost 21, near the National Park Service border, and another at the north end, at Milepost 11, near Bonnett Street. The sites will work toward each other before meeting in the middle near Jennette’s Pier. Sand will be pumped from an offshore dredge through underground pipelines to the beach. The project is expected to take 90 to 120 days, allowing adjustments for weather.
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By the time it’s completed, about 4 million cubic yards of sand will be placed on the beach, with the largest percentage along South Nags Head, off Old Oregon Inlet Road, where the beach faces more north and the erosion rate is the highest. Active construction zones on the south end are expected to move about 150 feet to 300 feet per day. On the north end, they’ll move about 300 feet to 600 feet per day. The re-nourishment project is similar to the $36 million project that was done in 2011, milepost
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about 4 million cubic yards of sand will be placed on the beach.
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which was Nags Head’s first beach nourishment project, as well as the first in Dare County. Prior to doing the widening, much of the oceanfront property in South Nags Head had been shielded from the surf by stacks of huge sandbags, many of which littered the beach after large storms. The shoreline and dune protection along other parts of the town beaches had also been diminished by storms, threatening infrastructure. After the 2011 project was completed, the town had initially expected to replenish the beach when at least 50 percent of the sand was gone, which was anticipated to occur no sooner than six years out. Even after Hurricane Sandy in October 2012, the shore was still wide. But the beach was hammered during Hurricane Matthew in 2016. With the new project, an improved dune management plan — more sand fencing and dune vegetation — is expected to prevent sand traveling onto private property as it did after the 2011 project, which was also done by Great Lakes. The contractor subsequently completed projects for Duck, Southern Shores, Kitty Hawk, and Kill Devil Hills, which are also planning future re-nourishment projects. In addition to $9.57 million provided from the Dare County Beach Nourishment Fund, the Nags Head project received $16 million from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to cover the 1.43 million cubic yards of sand lost in Hurricane Matthew. — Catherine Kozak
What’s coming down the pipe?
Get the latest information about Nags Head’s beach re-nourishment project, including maps and schedule updates, at www.nagsheadnc.gov.
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a match in made Hatteras!
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Fortunately, we’re not quite there…yet. Photo: Patrick O’Brian
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The Village Conery
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NO MORE graphiccontent PLASTIC PEOPLE Local efforts promote a more natural beach look. gosurf Food scraps break down into dirt. Paper rots. Even metals eventually turn to dust. (As anyone who leaves their grill out in the salt air can attest to.) Plastics are another story. Depending on the type, all those straws, wrappers, and baggies can take up to 1,000 years to decompose. So once they find their way onto our coast, they’re pretty much there to stay, ready to cause serious damage to marine life. (No pressure — but, according to the Ocean Conservancy, if we don’t get our single-use poop together, within the decade we’ll be looking at one pound of plastic in the ocean for every three pounds of fish.)
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As a community that loves seafood and relies on clean beaches, environmentalism isn’t just about saving the planet; it’s about protecting our health and our paychecks, too. So it’s a good thing there are folks in our neighborhood who are working on reducing plastics and encouraging others to do the same. Take Jennette’s Pier. The whole place is already platinum LEED certified, meaning the building runs as green as can be. But they still thought they could do more.
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“One area we wanted to improve was our recycling capacity,” says Jennette’s Pier Educator, Meredith Fish. “And we have a lot of cigarette litter, being a fishing pier.” Not so fun fact: cigarette filters — the number one source of beach litter — aren’t biodegradable cotton. They’re plastic. (More specifically, they’re cellulose acetate, commonly used in film, sunglass frames, high absorbency diapers, playing cards, and — from 1949-1963 — the original Lego bricks.)
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A new grant helped Jennette’s get some fresh recycling bins and signage for the parking lot and — best of all — the funding to collect and ship cig butts to Terracycle, where the paper and tobacco bits get turned into compost, and the foam filters are transformed into products like plastic pallets.
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They partnered with Surfrider Foundation to build a bunch of wind-resistant, PVC pipe cigarette butt receptacles, and install them from the parking lot to the pier.
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Not Your Typical Tobacco Shop “They’re super easy to make, and they’re pretty cheap,” says Fish. “We could see it expanding to all the beach accesses.” Up in Kill Devil Hills, they’re already doing exactly that as part of their Help KDH Kick Butt campaign. Besides installing receptacles at the beach accesses, the town hands out free, pocket-sized re-sealable bags to store dead filters in until people can dispose of them. “We’re not attacking smoking or trying to shame people,” says Sue Kelly, Chairperson of KDH’s Community Appearance Commission. “That’s not part of the campaign. We’ll approach people and ask, ‘What do you usually do with your cigarette butts?’ We’re trying to educate them.” And then there are single-use plastics. Across the world, especially throughout the European Union, countries are implementing plans to phase out plastic straws and bags completely. But with NC’s state legislature recently reversing a long-held plastic bag ban, local businesses are taking the law into their own hands by signing up to be certified Ocean Friendly Establishments. Meet certain requirements — such as giving out straws on request or opting not to use Styrofoam — and they’ll give you a one-to-five-star rating.
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“It’s a way to give the businesses around here the recognition they deserve as they move away from single-use plastics,” says Fish, who helps spearhead the campaign locally. Unfortunately, we could all reduce, reuse, and recycle and still end up with tons of litter every time the wind knocks over our trashcans. That’s why initiatives like Leslie Vegas’ OBX FiveMinute Beach Cleanups are so important. What started last summer as a social media call to snag some spent balloons and fishing line between hunting seashells, evolved into a bi-weekly event with dozens of participants.
Within the decade, we’ll be looking at one pound of plastic in the ocean for every three pounds of fish.
“The idea is that just doing something quickly can make a difference,” says Vegas. “Anything you can pick up is better than picking up nothing.” Each clean-up is held at a different location and sponsored by a local artist or business that gives away prizes. If you want your name in the drawing, just record what you picked up so they can document the results. Last year, participants picked up 17,711 pieces of trash. (Over 7,000 of those were cigarette butts.) This summer, they’re planning for more events and bigger turnouts. Vegas hopes that while you’re sweeping the shoreline, you might start to think about taking other steps to protect our coast. Maybe you could start frequenting those Ocean Friendly Establishments or sign-up a business. Try carrying reusable bags, water bottles, straws, or whatever else you can think of instead of relying on the disposable kind. And, certainly, make sure those cigarette butts get into a receptacle — instead of the sand or a storm drain.
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“Taking care of something makes people appreciate it,” says Vegas. “I’m hoping it has that effect on people here.” — Katrina Mae Leuzinger Ed note: Go to www.jennettespier.net to learn more about Jennette’s Pier’s green efforts. Search www.kdhnc.com for info on the KDH Kick Butt Campaign. And follow OBX 5 Minute Beach Cleanup on Facebook and Instagram.
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BRAKING BAD
Drug Recognition Expert, Christian Aguirre, works to bring all impaired driving to a halt.
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Don’t hot box your car — or you’ll end up in the hot seat. Photo: Ryan Moser
I’ve been in law enforcement for 12 years. In 2011, I became certified as the Outer Banks’ first Drug Recognition Expert because I wanted to be the best at removing impaired drivers from the road. I officially work for Nags Head Police Department, but every branch of law enforcement brings impaired drivers to me. They use me as a tool — no different than they use a breathalyzer. But maybe I answered my phone too many times last year, because I ended up doing the most evaluations in the entire state. [Laughs] By the time I see a driver, they’re already arrested. Maybe the officer has a driver who registered a low blow, but they’re clearly messed up. We’ll meet at the Nags Head Police Department, and I’ll do a precise, 12-step evaluation. I check the eyes. I check the pulse. I check for muscle tone — because a stimulant will make muscles really rigid, while a narcotic will make you very loose and flaccid. I’ll run a black light over their clothes to look for particles of cocaine or other drugs. I check the arms, hands and neck for injection sites.
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We actually check the vital signs three different times. Because, not only do certain drugs increase or decrease blood pressure and body temperature, but we want to make sure there are no medical issues. But the coolest part is checking the pupils. A narcotic analgesic, like heroin, is gonna really restrict someone’s pupils, while a hallucinogen will make them stay big. So, I’ll look at their eyes in various stages of light — from near total darkness to shining light directly in their eyes — to see how they react. There are clear indicators of cannabis use, too. And it’s true, the eyes never lie.
“One guy was so messed up, he ended up in a training video.”
Most of the drivers are intoxicated, so they’re pretty carefree. A few will get defensive, like, “I didn’t take nothin’!” A lot will try to fool me: “I only had half a Xanax bar.” That’s like saying, “I only had two beers.” But I’m very open. I’ll show them my paperwork and say, “I hear you, but I’m seeing these indicators. Can you explain this and this?” And slowly the truth comes out: “Okay, I also took some Klonopin and on top of that I ingested some suboxone.” I have to be transparent, because if I don’t tell people what I’m doing, they won’t open up.
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There seem to be trends. At one time, a lot of my violations were for Xanax. Same thing with heroin. Cannabis is always a big one. But, last year, I did an evaluation on a gentleman who had nothing in his car but a cold whipped cream cracker and 100 nitrous oxide cartridges — and no whipped cream. Another guy had eaten powdered psychedelic mushrooms mixed with chocolates. He kept rubbing his hands on the wall saying it felt furry. He was so messed up he ended up in a training video. It may sound funny now, but these people were all behind the wheel. And people really need to watch how they take their prescription drugs. I once found a woman parked in the middle of the road. She’d taken an Ambien with a glass of milk and didn’t remember anything until I got there. I just call what I see. If the person’s not impaired, I’m gonna check the box that says, “not impaired.” But if I find the person’s impaired, they’re asked to consent to a blood test. And if they do, we take them to the hospital. If not, we have to explore the avenue of a search warrant. But I trust the process, because I do it the same exact way every time. And it’s the same 12 steps DREs are doing across the country. The LAPD could look at my case sheet and the officer would come to the same conclusions. The Outer Banks has two DREs now. A federal park ranger on Hatteras Island received his certification this March — and arrested a driver for cannabis that afternoon. So, clearly there’s a need for us. But the Outer Banks is home to a very energetic group of law enforcement agencies— we have sheriffs, state police, wildlife, marine patrol, Coast Guard — all working this little strip of land. And we don’t want to see any impaired drivers, be it those who drank too much alcohol or those who took too much of their prescription, or those who are consuming illicit drugs. And in North Carolina, a DWI is a DWI. You can blow zeros and still be arrested based on DRE work. So don’t compromise our roads.
Reservations by calling: 1-877-359-8447 Visit our website: sailingouterbanks.com • obxsail.com milepost 23
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questionauthority upfront THE WEATHER MAN
NOAA’s Dr. Neil Jacobs just wanted to score more waves — he ended up scoring America’s top meteorology job. soundcheck
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What’s the difference between an armchair quarterback and an armchair weatherman? The QB’s never gonna reach the big leagues. The weatherman just might run the whole show.
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“My official title is kinda long,” laughs the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Dr. Neil Jacobs. “It’s Secretary of Commerce for Environmental Observation and Prediction, performing the duties of Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere. What that means is, I’m the acting NOAA administrator.”
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Not bad for a guy who spent his days at the University of South Carolina monitoring the Weather Channel so he could score waves between double-majoring in math and physics. In fact, Jacobs was halfway through grad school — and on his way to working with semi-conductors — when he had a change of heart.
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“The whole time I was in school I was trying to figure out when the coastal lows would set up so I could go surf,” he explains. “And predicting waves is just applied math. I decided I might as well decide how to do this for a living, because I was doing it anyway.”
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He transferred into North Carolina State University’s meteorology program and got his masters in Air-Speed Interaction and a PhD in numerical weather prediction — all while doing a fair bit of firsthand verification on Outer Banks beaches. “Between my aunt’s house in Virginia Beach and another friend in Kill Devil Hills, I’d be back and forth to the Outer Banks all the time.”
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After graduating, he went to work for a start-up called AirDat, which was equipping commercial airlines with state-of-the-art weather sensors. The idea took off — so did his career. In 2013, a corporate buyout made him the Chief Atmospheric Scientist at Panasonic Avionics Corporation. (He also served as Chair of the American Meteorological Society’s Forecast Improvement Group.) In 2018, the Trump Administration tapped him to join NOAA; this past February, they put him in charge.
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Today, Jacobs’ job description includes managing a $5.5 billion budget while working to improve NOAA’s predictions. That means everything from upgrading computer models and pushing technology to turning everyday gadgets into active weather gauges — all to keep American citizens safer, happier and better informed. The irony? He’s usually too busy to benefit personally.
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“The last time I surfed the Outer Banks was about three weeks ago,” he admits. “It’s tough to get out of DC. I’ll know it’s good, but I’m totally slammed. So, I go stare at the webcams and think, ‘What am I missing?’”
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Now that’s what we call sacrificing for your country. As we head into another hurricane season, we asked Dr. Jacobs to give us the update on what NOAA’s doing to protect our coast — and what residents can do to protect themselves.
now, ships and commercial airlines are installing Sat Coms because everyone wants to check their email or have access to the Internet no matter where they are on the planet. We can use those channels to run weather data off either ships or planes at the same time, as well. Right now, armchair hurricane forecasters are starting to watch the tropics. Everyone talks about the US model versus the European model. Is the European model better, and why? And what’s that mean?
Attack of the purple blob. Dr. Jacobs (right) talks nightmare storm scenarios at Surfline’s Nags Head office last fall. Photo: Jon Carter
Milepost: You’ve witnessed technology progress since the pre-Internet days. What have you noticed as far as the evolution of weather forecasting? Dr. Neil Jacobs: There’s a couple of major advancements. The code is obviously more accurate. The computational power allows us to run models at much higher resolution, much faster. We have a lot more accurate observations going into the models. And the computers are becoming more powerful. When I was in grad school, we were running MM5 [the 5th Generation Mesoscale Model] and WRF [Weather Research and Forecasting Model] on a super computer. I can run them on my MacBook now. So, we’ve started putting code out on GitHub, where people — armchair forecasters, software engineers, or just kids who like to tinker with code — can download it and run it. And if they find bugs or make improvements, they can actually enhance it. So, we’ve gotten to a point now where we’re basically crowdsourcing model development. What about new tech? Isn’t NOAA using more drones and other automated technologies that can go places — like storms — where it’s not safe to send people? Yeah. We’re looking at all sorts of observing systems, from the larger fixed-wing drones to even these small-
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“we can pull barometric pressure from people’s smartphones.”
quadcopters. And we’re looking to use other instruments that wouldn’t necessarily be designed for the purposes of collecting weather data, but we can figure out how to extract information we can use. For example, there are apps out there where we can pull barometric pressure from people’s smartphones if they’re willing to upload the data. And as we get into more smart cars, if you Bluetooth your phone to your car and you turn on your windshield wipers — or you have road sensors that sense road conditions — that data can be uploaded and assimilated into the model to verify precipitation forecasts. That’s crazy. I’ve read you’re looking at using ships and airplanes to deliver data, too. Is that to fill in gaps in places where it’s hard to get info? Like over the ocean? Yeah. Getting information over the open ocean is one of the trickiest things to do. And satellites are hugely critical, but it’s really hard to measure what’s going on in the lower part of the atmosphere over the open ocean. But
The European ECMWF have had a more advanced model for probably eight or ten years now. We all share the same data. It’s how they do the data assimilation step that’s more sophisticated. But we are in the process of developing what we call Four-Dimensional Variational Assimilation. And I think that is going to be the real key to surpassing the European Center. A lot of it is how much satellite data we use. Right now, roughly two-to-three percent of the data we collect influences the model’s initial conditions. If we could double or triple that, our accuracy would skyrocket. The big hurdle there is the satellite data files are so huge that we have to thin them so we can move them quicker. That actually strips out valuable information. We’re looking at pre-processing satellite data in the cloud, so we won’t have to thin it before we move it. We’re also looking at using artificial intelligence or machine learning to thin the file more smartly. In other words, you wouldn’t want to thin the file the same over a high-pressure system as you would over a tropical storm. You would want to thin it more over a high-pressure system and less over a tropical storm, because that’s where you need to retain more information. When would that happen? We should be on pace to upgrade the data assimilation in 18 months. Whether that enables us to surpass the ECMWF really depends on what upgrades they have planned. So how much more prepared are we than we were 10 years ago — and how much more do we have to learn? Good questions. I can’t answer the last one, because I don’t really know what I don’t know. But I would say every time we look at something in the future we think is science fiction, all of a sudden it becomes reality. I mean, at one point, nobody thought we’d even be able to forecast the next day. And now we have statistically significant skill out well past day seven. And there have been some theoretical papers saying that — no matter what you do in predicting a chaotic system — that roughly two weeks is the limit of predictability. But we’re finding that if we start looking at coupled ocean-atmosphere models, we can get skilled well beyond three to four weeks. Because once you get beyond forecasting into week three, it’s really driven by the circulation in the ocean. milepost 25
questionauthority And that’s where working with ships and planes will come into play?
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Exactly. And we’re looking at a couple of other different observing systems. Because, to do a four-dimensional ocean model, we also need sub-surface observations. So we have a system called the Argo profiling network, which are just these floating sensors that go up and down in the water column. And whenever they hit the surface, they relay data through the Iridium Sat Com — we hit two million Argo profiles a month or two ago. And then we’re also using underwater drones, which we call gliders, all over the East Coast. We deployed a couple in the Gulf Stream to collect surface data in advance of Florence.
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We know from hurricane coverage last year that we’re getting really good at forecasting track — but intensity is still a big “what if.” And Florence and Michael both seemed to reflect that. How is that process coming along? And what does that mean for public awareness moving forward? The problem with intensity forecasting — whether it’s a storm that sort of spreads out and weakens, or it tightens up like Michael did — is really a function of the sea surface temperature and the low-level energy. And the problem is a lot of Wanchese wisdom. Smart captains hauled out the satellite data that we use can’t ahead of Florence. Photo: Matt Lusk see below the clouds. So we can see what the sea surface temperature is doing ahead of the storm, but not beneath it. So in some cases when the storm moves over an area where the water column is really deep, warm water, if it upwells more warm water it will continue to strengthen. But if it upwells cold water, it will weaken itself. And trying to understand that dynamic is tricky unless you really have good subsurface temperature information, which is where the coupled model will come into play.
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The issue with Florence and messaging to the public is a more complex social science issue. Florence was coming in as a Category 4. Then people hear, “Oh, it’s downgraded to a three, and now it’s downgraded to a two.” And because they hear this word “downgraded,” they think, “Oh, we don’t have to evacuate, it’s not that big of a deal.” And the problem is people didn’t realize this thing was gonna sit onshore and just park itself there for four days. So with Florence we saw three feet of rain dump with a sustained onshore flow, so the rivers and the estuaries couldn’t drain. And we just had massive flooding. You don’t see that information conveyed in the traditional Saffir-Simpson Scale.
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Meanwhile, there’s spaghetti models and armchair forecasters all over Facebook saying different things. Is it a TMI situation where people end up choosing the result they want to see — like not evacuating?
rearview
Yeah, I guess there’s two groups of armchair forecasters: the ones who think they understand and probably don’t, and the ones that really want an outcome. For example, all these winter weather snow lovers out there have a personal bias toward whatever model puts down the most snow in their backyard. So I just urge the public, if you’re into weather you can hang out and read the blogs, but check in with the Weather Service
The Absolute
71
because that’s where the experts are. Our people are trained, they have access to all the information — including information that the general public may not have access to — and there’s a lot of thought and process that goes into the forecasts that we produce.
BEST in
Here, Florence came so close, then missed us — and then Michael sucker-punched us, because we figured a Gulf landfall wouldn’t do anything. Do we just grow numb with our own experiences? Or are things changing so much you have to prepare for anything?
T-SHIRTS & SWEATSHIRTS
I think you definitely have to always be prepared. Growing up in South Florida, I thought we were seasoned veterans because we had been hit by multiple hurricanes. And we had a one-story cinderblock house with no trees in the yard, so all we did was board-up the windows and ride it out. Then we moved to Charleston. When Hugo hit, we stayed and had 14 trees go down in the yard; two of them went through the roof. I remember being in the middle of the eye, with a kiddie pool in my sister’s room, because water was just pouring through the ceiling. And the next day we had to chainsaw out of the driveway. So, really, the folks you want to listen to are your state and local emergency managers, because they’re going to understand the impacts as they pertain to your neighborhood versus a larger-scale forecast for the state or even multiple states. The reporting we see is more intense storms, more active seasons. What does the future look like in terms of long-term prediction, and protection, for what I assume are climate-change situations? There is some debate about whether you get more storms or less storms. Some studies show more, some show less, but most studies show more intensity with more precipitation. The caveat is these are forecasts based on forecasts, so you’re really assuming the warming scenario is going to materialize. But even if the storms don’t get more intense or more frequent, we still have more people living along the coastline than we used to. And we have more development, more investment. So any time you have a storm hit, even if it’s the same intensity it’s always been, you’re going to have a lot more financial damage and potentially more lives at risk because of the sheer population growing along the coastline. So what do people do to stay prepared this season and in years to come? Just tune in to our website. Pay attention to the forecast. Take what your state and local emergency managers say seriously. Don’t drive through floodwaters. If they say leave, then leave. Remember, it’s always better to be prepared and not need it than it is to not be prepared at all. — Matt Walker
The preceding interview was edited for space, clarity and flow. For a full transcript — including the increased role for computers in future forecasting what human skills NOAA will need in years to come — go to www.outerbanksmilepost.com.
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course Here it comes. The summer crush. Each week, worlds collide as a fresh surge of faces, bodies and ideas smashes into thousands of folks who already live here. Beaches fill. Roads freeze. Tempers sometimes flare. Ask a buddy — or read a message board — you might think our quiet little universe is coming to an end. It’s not. It’s just two different cultures coming together. We asked five experts for some basic rules of engagement. Will you survive? That all depends on how you react.
milepost 29
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First question: what’s up with people leaving pop-up tents on the beach overnight?
between tents to watch for hazards and see people playing and swimming in the water.
I first noticed them becoming popular when the prices really dropped the past five or ten years. Once you could buy a pop-up for a hundred bucks or less, they basically became disposable. That’s a lot cheaper than a $300 canvas umbrella.
We have a lot of ATVs and vehicles to respond to emergencies. We don’t want to be weaving in and out of groups of people. We need a safe lane to travel in. So we ask everyone to set up at least ten or 12 feet east of the dunes. We also ask people not to set up directly in front of the lifeguard stand, so we have a clear path to the water. But, typically, if people set up parallel to the stand and the water, there’s no issue. That’s the basics of it.
They’re also a much bigger hassle to set up and break down — it’s like, “Why not just leave ’em all week?” For one, it’s a safety issue. You don’t want people tripping over them at night. And there’s the whole issue of nesting sea turtles needing a clean, unobstructed beach. And that includes picking up toys and filling in holes, too. And then if a storm comes up, they get destroyed and you end up with a big mess. So some of the towns came up with a rule not to leave your stuff out overnight. What about the rules requiring tents to be a certain distance apart. Is that just to keep people from hogging space? The main purpose is making sure lifeguards have an unobstructed view. We need to be able to see milepost
30
So where do you like to see people set up?
What about sitting too close? I’ve had people plop down five feet away from me. Do you ever address that? That’s not something we get involved with, but depending on conditions and what the accumulation of sand is on a particular beach, the tide, the wind, some places can get kind of tight. And some people have grown up going to much more crowded beaches where the etiquette is different. Some places the laws are different. For example, we sometimes see visitors in oceanfront houses become a little territorial. They think the
Pop-up tents. Stand-up paddl has seen plenty of fads the pas Plain common sense — and th area in front of their house is part of their rental agreement. But they might not know that’s not the case here. So we just try to tell people what the laws are — and what they aren’t. How much time do you spend communicating with the public? We really try and focus on catching people early in the week to tell them what we want to see, and how it will help us make their stay here safer. One thing we do on Monday is a beach education day where our guards go on foot patrol, hand out information to different groups, and drive home points about setting up, rip currents and beach safety. I’ll say something like, “Hey, I’m Chad, feel free to come talk to us if you have questions.” And if we can open those lines of communication that first day, then hopefully the rest of the week is cool. What about other rules that come up? Nags Head is one of the few towns that allows dogs on the beach without the restrictions, so that’s one we address fairly often — keep dogs on a leash, pick up after them, that kind of thing. And red flag days can be difficult, particularly when
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leboards. Nags Head Ocean Rescue Captain Chad Motz st 18 seasons. The two beach trends that never lose style? he good old golden rule. there are several in a row. People get frustrated because they spend all this money to come on vacation and their kids can’t swim. And a lot of time it’s head-high and clean; it looks epic. And they see surfers out there and say, “Why can’t we go in the water?” And we have to say, “We don’t typically have to rescue surfers. They know what they’re doing.” Again — it just comes down to education. Are you seeing more people in the water, as well? More stand-up paddleboards? More beginners? And does that lead to more issues? [Laughs] I don’t know if we see more — but there’s a lot of people recreating out there. SUP boards have definitely taken off. Ten to 15 years ago, it was the same thing with ocean kayaks, because they’re both user-friendly. And any time you put more people into the same size space, the chance for unfortunate incidents is bound to increase. For the most part, people self-regulate and it stays pretty mellow. But if you don’t like crowds, don’t paddle out in the most popular spot. And if you happen to catch it uncrowded, don’t expect it to stay that way.
Is it basically two different user groups? Some people live here and have an hour or two to hit the beach before work? Other people only have a week out of the year. Both feel entitled. But neither’s right.
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Yeah, it’s summertime. Everybody wants their day at the beach. And we have all kinds of different user interactions. Might be a guy casts where the kids are swimming. Or a guy’s fishing, and the kids go swim where the guy’s casting. It is what it is. But it’s not getting any less crowded. If anything, the peak season’s getting more populated. So it really comes down to education, communication, talking to people — then we all have to try and share the resource. So, avoid the crowd, don’t sit too close, don’t cast on people. How much of beach etiquette is just common sense? I would say most of it’s common sense — and common courtesy. All the stuff you learn in kindergarten: treat others how you want to be treated; respect other people’s personal space; and pick up your toys and put them away at the end of the day.
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Cape Hatteras saw huge visitation in 2018, correct? Yes. It was our busiest season since 2003, with 2.6 million visitors — up six percent from the previous year. And it might not look like much on a graph, but in 2014 we had fewer than 2.2 million. That’s 400,000 more people in four years. That’s how many people come to Wright Brothers Memorial most years. Have you noticed an increase in any conflicts or other issues? In terms of altercations? Drinking and driving on the beach? Fights? I don’t know if we’ve seen any upticks in numbers. Whenever you put a large number of people together in crowded areas, you do have issues, but clearly the large majority of our visitors are respectful and law-abiding. A lot of our challenges are from beginning four-wheel drive users. They just happen to have a four-wheel drive vehicle. They buy a permit, they watch the video, but it’s still their first time on the beach. And the primary beginner mistake is they don’t air down. And when they don’t air down, they have trouble floating on top of the sand. They create deeper ruts, they get stuck, and it just snowballs from there because it can back up traffic. I get it, people are excited. Who’s gonna read a long booklet before they go out on the beach? But I can’t recommend more strongly that people air down. It’s for their own safety. And it’s so much easier on their vehicles, as well.
be your
own
buffer.
As superintendent of National Parks of Eastern North Carolina, Dave Hallac has to manage all different stakeholders along Cape Hatteras National Seashore — from beach drivers to birds. His recommendation for not ruffling feathers? Find the right niche — and know your own limits. Unpaved paradise. Photo: Daniel Pullen
ORV issues are the ones that probably make the most people bristle. Because it’s not just the actual beach driving — you’ve buried your car and you’ve violated a cultural norm. People take it twice as bad. It’s a challenge. But people are generally pretty well behaved. We do get some heated situations at Cape Point sometimes — we had a lot of issues when Shelly Island was around. But on a super busy day, Cape Point might have 300 to 400 cars. Let’s say there are three people per car. What is that, 1000 to 1200 people? We have 100,000 people a month sometimes during the summer. So it’s a small fraction of the total visitation. But it seems to be the fraction of coast most people care about — at least here. Yes. And there’s no question that the more beach that is open for people to enjoy, the better. But last year, the Point was closed for the longest time period ever, and we had the highest level of visitation in 15 years. And we sold more off-road permits than ever. So I think a large part of our visitors are renting houses in Hatteras Village or Frisco, in Waves, Rodanthe, Salvo, or Avon, and walking to the beach. And if they’re buying an ORV permit, they’re not going to not buy an ORV
permit because a half-mile is closed when another 27 miles are open. There’s so many other places to go. The key is making sure people know when and where they can get on the beach so they can continue to get there. Because of re-doing the ORV rules a few years ago, you have a history of having to deal with different user groups. Has that helped manage the influx of people? I think it’s helped. And the way it’s helped is the relationships we’ve built with stakeholder groups. For example, the NC Beach Buggy Association or the Outer Banks Preservation Association. I believe we have a strong, collaborative relationship with both those organizations now. And they can be a force multiplier when it comes to communications. So, if we put up a post about dangerous conditions in the water, or a closure of a certain stretch of beach — or reminding folks to air down — they can repost that on social media and often reach more visitors than we can. So I think that’s been a real positive in terms of being able to better communicate with the public. That’s true. And we tend to focus on all the problems with social media, but it’s a great way to connect different people around a single issue. Yes. The other thing that helps is for us — meaning the National Park Service — to realize we’re all in this together. So even though the staff may put on uniforms and work in the park on a daily basis, the reality is somebody who is wait staff at a restaurant, or providing surf instruction on our beach, or a kayak guide on the sound — they all might come into contact with more visitors than our staff does. So we do our best to make sure all those folks know about the parks and can communicate what’s going on and they really become a part of our team. What about gut feeling. You’ve been here four years, right? Does it feel busier? It does. And at some point it becomes even more challenging if the numbers keep increasing. But we’ve been able to manage it pretty successfully, because it’s such a long seashore. And I know certain people might not be happy about our vehicle-free areas, but really, the primary purpose behind those areas is to give our visitors different opportunities to experience different things. So if you don’t mind being in a high-density visitation area, where another vehicle might be 50 feet away, there’s lots of ORV routes. If you want to be in a place where you can walk in and be a couple of miles away from another human and experience something more solitary and wild or wildernesslike, we have those opportunities as well. With 70 miles of beach, there’s a lot of space for people to spread out. milepost 33
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You have the right to remain silent. Even before you get arrested. And, yet, all summer long, Marine Patrol Officer Chris Lee responds to nuisance calls that would never have happened if the parties involved would’ve just dropped their cell phones and stepped away from a conflict.
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Not a landmark in sight. Photo: Matt Lusk milepost
34
r
Have you noticed an increase in people on the water in your summer patrols? Oh yeah. It used to be, if you did the redneck sports — hunting and fishing — you were the outcast. Now, it’s a cool thing to do. So you see more people fishing and even more people Internet fishing. Internet fishing? Yeah, instead of going out and looking for a good fishing spot, people will wait for someone to post a picture so they can run out and get on it. So social media’s played a huge impact. And that leads to more crowds? Yes. Before, a couple buddies maybe told a couple of buddies. You’d get ten heads at a spot where the day before it was two. Now, somebody shares a picture that shows Bodie Island Lighthouse or the Nags Head Water Tower in the background, and everybody and their brother’s there. So, if you don’t like a crowd, don’t post pictures with a landmark in the background. Have you noticed an uptick in people getting charged? Definitely an uptick in complaints or people calling to report violations. But, again, that’s just the ways of the world with cellphone technology today; it’s too easy to take a picture and text it or email it to someone. They may not even be reporting to the correct people — they may not even know it’s against the law. They may just post it online, saying, “Look at this idiot.” But now we know it’s going on and we respond. But I can’t tell you how many times someone sends me a clip and says, “Watch this.” And it’s somebody making a violation. Do you think they’re protecting the resource — or are they just being mean? Some people care about the resource. Most just want to get someone in trouble. Greed is always people’s biggest problem — greed and lack of respect. How so? If you’re fishing on the beach, you’re supposed to stay 300 feet from a pier. But then people don’t pay attention to those rules, and they get tangled up with someone on the pier, and they’re yelling and cursing back and forth with each other between the surf and the pier. That guy paid to fish on the pier; he can’t go anywhere else. Give
people their little area to play. And people get so antsy about having their boat in at a certain time. They get in a hurry and there’s all sorts of boaters and fishermen trying to put-in. Some people are experts and can have a boat in the water in 30 seconds; others it takes a little while. People don’t have respect for that anymore. It’s all me, me, me.
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Is it safe to say putting in is where a lot of these issues come to a head, because so many people come together at the same time? Definitely. I’ve seen it come down to fisticuffs. People cussing at each other. It’s crazy. You’re telling me you’re in such a hurry, you’re willing to start a fight with some guy? To risk a legal issue? All because he got in line in front of you? Don’t put yourself in a situation where you’re drawing negative attention for no reason. Move on. It’s not worth it. What are the most hectic places? Pirate’s Cove and Oregon Inlet are going to have the massive tourist crowd. Down around the inlet, where they know the fishing is good in the ocean, a lot more of out-of-towners and day-trippers will be there. Boaters from Columbia or Edenton can come fish for the day. It’s nothing to go down there in summer and see 100 to 200 boats pulled over at the Fishing Center.
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Are there high traffic times you can avoid? It depends. Bad weather can run everybody in, so they’re all trying to get in at once. But most high traffic times are gonna be first thing in the morning or late afternoon. And from three to six in the afternoon in summer is a crazy time to be at the boat ramp. When your charter fleet’s coming in at 4pm and everyone’s following them in. But you’re gonna get bottlenecked eventually.
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So what do you do? What do I do? In summer, a lot of times, I’ll leave from another marina and burn an extra three gallons. That way, I enjoy my boat ride down there and don’t fight the crowd or have to worry about it. So, if lines bother you that much, then just use a marina that’s a little further away and avoid the conflict. But, mainly, people need to just relax. It’s fishing. You’re supposed to be having fun. And, if you’re getting so worked up that you wanna fight or end up having to call the cops on your vacation or day off, you’re doing it all wrong.
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Friendly behavior means fewer tangles. Photo: Susan Dotterer Dixon
mind your
manners. Jennette’s Pier is more than just a place to fish. It’s a place to park. A place to surf. It’s even a place to pee. But all those users aren’t always compatible. That’s why Pier Director Mike Remige meets every person and potential problem with a welcoming smile — and a friendly ear.
Is it safe to say that jennette’s pier is one of the busiest places in summer? We’re definitely a hotspot. We’re the largest public beach access in all of Dare County as far as parking spaces are concerned. We have a bathroom on-site. And we’re a nexus of all the three major thoroughfares — Highways 12, 64, and 158 — so we’re like a microcosm of different people and challenges coming together. How much of your job in summer is conflict resolution? We don’t see any real physical conflict, necessarily. Because we are a public beach access, one of the main problems we see is just parking. There are people who want to fish here and they can’t find a parking spot, so they start making their own parking spaces. Big four-wheel-drive trucks drive up onto one of our lot’s beach grass islands because they can’t find a spot. It’s that sense of entitlement — “I’ve got a vehicle that can park here, so I’m gonna do it.” In those situations we’ve gone around and tried to find the beachgoer or the pier patron who owns that vehicle, because we don’t want to tow it if we don’t have to. We’d rather find them and say, “Hey, you guys are parked on our landscaping.” What about on the pier itself? There’s the occasional spat between pier fishermen and surfers. But by hosting a lot of surf contests in the area — the fact that we have a static exhibit on the pier about the importance of surfing on the Outer Banks — we’ve been able to work through some of those problems, which are mostly a matter of educating both fishermen and surfers about etiquette, basically.
Well, I’m sure you guys have plenty of rules signs, too. Well, we don’t do rules signs; we do etiquette signs. We try to approach it from a positive standpoint. Things like, “Play your music at a soft level,” “Make sure you leave space between you and your neighbor.” Not just good etiquette, but reminders of what we consider good behavior — neighborly behavior. I assume one rule is no surfing within 300 feet? Yes. But that’s not our rule. Every town requires a 300-foot barrier on either side of the piers. And I think it dates back to the 70s and 80s, when the Outer Banks was looking at blackballing surfing. And that’s why the leash laws are in effect, too — as a way of protecting the surfing resource for the general public. That was probably one of the first cases of user groups clashing. And nowadays, the two parties are more cohesive — more surfers fish, more fishermen surf — so all that interaction breeds understanding. And that’s how we approach it. If a fisherman comes to me personally, the first thing I say is, “I know where you’re coming from. I’m a surfer; I’m also a fisherman. And there’s no reason why the two can’t coexist.” Does it usually work? Usually. Sometimes people still want us to enforce this town ordinance. And I have to remind them that we are not an enforcement agency. But most times we just call down to the surfers and tell them to just move a little south or north, and everybody will be happy. So we do our best to work with both user groups.
Is it safe to say a lot of the conflict happens within the user groups themselves? Yeah. We see fishermen on the pier versus fishermen on the beach; we see fishermen on the pier versus each other, casting over each other’s lines. We see out-of-town surfers versus local surfers, and we see locals and out-of-town surfers who react negatively to our beginning surfers. We’ve even seen local surfers causing problems with our own summer camps in the water. We’ve had to go to the lifeguards and say, “This local guy’s being an ass, can you guys deal with them?” Or we have to deal with them ourselves. And, basically, we remind them all that the ocean is for everyone. So it’s not just clueless tourists causing problems. No, it’s the entitled local, too. Absolutely. How much of being happy is picking the hours and times you can avoid people? A lot. We have season passholders who are here 100 to 120 days year. Many show up the same hours every day because they know they can get to their spot, nobody will bother them. They fish and they’re out of here. They know how to work the system. Do you feel like most people get along? Absolutely. Or we’d be dealing with conflict all the time. But most people just want to be heard. They want their side of the story to be told. They want someone to listen and not talk over them. So most any conflict can be taken care of completely by stepping in and discussing it with the parties involved. Everyone has their say. And, generally, everyone goes home happy. milepost 37
Space-out down south. Photo: Daniel Pullen
The past four years, Outer Banks visitation’s brought in at least a billion dollars. Is it safe to say summers are busier than ever? Well, we don’t track the number of visitors. We just track the collections. So I have no way of factoring in how much the prices being charged are increasing or what have you. But it’s safe to say visitation’s gone up dramatically the past ten years. Locals love to say, “Blame it on the Visitors Bureau.” How much thought goes into managing the number of people in the summertime? Well, the Visitors Bureau’s main purpose is to try and build up the less-than-peak months. So the majority of our marketing is in the spring and fall and, to a lesser extent, winter. And part of that is we tend to do well in the summer already — 70 percent of occupancy collections happen in June, July and August. We’d market those months more if we thought they were slipping. But cramming in more people only makes for a bad experience. And with social media, it only takes but so many disgruntled folks to cause headaches. milepost
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Some might say the headaches are already here. I’d still argue that even our most crowded beaches pale in comparison as far as congestion goes. And how fortunate are we that we have 50 miles of undeveloped shoreline with Cape Hatteras? So it’s all perspective. But I certainly don’t want to make us that congested. Not only for visitors, but for residents. Remember, we live here, too. Knowing that, how much effort does the bureau spend on managing expectations — for visitors and locals? On the visitor side, we provide alternate routes to get ’em around Highway 64. And we were on the front edge of making the push to get homeowners and property managers to consider Friday and Sunday check-ins. On the local side, we try to get the word out about the importance of tourism to Dare County. For example, visitor spending offsets more than $2800 in taxes per resident each year. And 25 percent of the money we receive as a board goes into a restricted fund that supports things like multi-use paths and beach accesses. So I like to remind folks that tourism is a form of economic development, but that economic development isn’t the end — the end is an improved quality of life,
look on the
BRIGHT SIDE. Sunny weather. Pristine beaches. Friendly people. As Executive Director of the Visitors Bureau, Lee Nettles recognizes the Outer Banks’ strongest attributes. That’s why he knows it’s the best place to be — even in the middle of a crazy summer.
whether it’s attractions and things to do, or yearround jobs and paying less in taxes.
been targeting before. But prior visitation is a big one we look at.
What about where you place ad buys? Do you pick and choose where you put dollars to hit a certain type of visitor?
Can you tell us if we’re seeing a more or less informed summer visitor?
We’re definitely rigorous with our targeting. And we make placements consistent with the brand message we put out and the type of person we want to get. With traditional mass media, you would buy based around demographics like age, income, kids in the house, that kind of thing. Now, with consumer analytics, you’re able to generate sophisticated profiles of your customers and then identify other folks that match that profile. And there can be thousands of variables considered. So instead of marketing to mass audiences, you’re building your own mass audience with individuals who are highly predisposed to be your customer. It’s pretty wild. So what’s a top prospect look like? Is it “Has rebel flag flying from back of truck?” [Laughs] There might be some variable that gets you closer to that, but it wasn’t one that came back to us. One thing we found right off the bat, is our visitor index is more affluent than national averages — and more affluent than where we’ve
We haven’t seen any changes as far as that goes. But the numbers we have suggest that around 60 percent of our visitors are repeat. But, we also have millions of visitors. So if 40 percent of them are first-timers, that’s a lot of people who can get stuck on the beach or whatever. And the other part of that is, I think it’s important to realize that for all the advertising we do — TV, Internet, social media, all of it — the top referral is friends and family. It’s word of mouth. So those are people with real experiences on the Outer Banks encouraging other people they know to go. Do you work with towns or groups to foster awareness on things like rip tides, or leaving holes unfilled, or the pop-up rules? Yes. Especially on an issue like rip currents, we work with the county, Park Service and Ocean Rescue to get that messaging out, because it’s critical. You can go from that end of the continuum to, “Where can I take my dog to the beach?” “Can I build a fire?” All that stuff.
What about the bad side of social media? Lots of restaurants talk about Yelp being a nuisance. How much complaining do you hear? It’s much more positive than you might expect. We do run into situations, like the power outage on Hatteras Island, where you get folks who are confused and exasperated and they vent. Interestingly, sometimes before we can jump in to sort a problem out, other visitors will do it for us. And I think it’s because people really identify with this place — they love it here and they’re willing to defend it. I think that’s one of the things that sets us apart: the degree to which people identify with the area. Our visitors take ownership. They feel like it’s their place. I would argue that, as a destination, you’re effectively inviting people into your home. So there’s a certain amount of hospitality you’re required to show as a host. And, as guests, visitors should show some, too. I don’t disagree. That’s the difference between a tourist and a guest. And how we treat people, I think, goes a pretty long way to showing how they treat us. We’re all visitors at some point. We’ve all been lost. We’ve all stuck our car in the wrong
place or geeked-out without knowing it. It’s just good to take a step back every now and then. It’s hard to do when there’s so many hundreds of thousands of people here and you’re running like crazy to get work done and be successful, but the folks coming here aren’t that different from us. And the good news is they love the place. That’s a good place to start. Does it really just come down to the simple fact that — whether you’re here for a week or a lifetime — if you’re on the Outer Banks in summer, there’s a lot of people, and you won’t get everything you want when you want it? Yes. I think that’s probably true. So, is that your new slogan: “The Outer Banks: It’s summer. There’s a lot of people here. And you’re not going to get everything you want when you want it.”? [Laughs] Maybe not. That one needs work. How about: “Hey, you’re on the Outer Banks — it could be worse.”? A little closer. But I might spin it to something like, “The Outer Banks — always an adventure.” [Laughs] milepost 39
It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World
We don’t know whether to be angry. Or ecstatic. Or just plain confused. Last we checked, the Department of Interior was supposed to release their proposed plan for offshore drilling this spring. In fact, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management had already booked a KDH conference room for May. Then, in late April, the Secretary of Interior said they were postponing the plan “indefinitely,” leaving coastal residents wondering, “WTF?!” “Basically the DOI hit the pause button,” explains NC Coastal Federation Coastal Advocate, Michael Flynn. “Partially, because of a federal judge upholding a drilling ban in the Arctic and in specific canyons in the Atlantic. But there’s also some thinking that they’re worried about the issue hurting their outcomes in 2020.” In other words: why force pro-drilling candidates to take a position that might lose them the election? (Looking at you, Sen. Thom Tillis.) Shut up for a minute — or 18 months — you might even put a few more pro-drillers on the hill to help the cause down the road! But a dumb idea is still a dumb idea — no matter how long they delay. And every second they “pause,” is just another chance to push back.
graphiccontent
gosurf
So use this summer to educate folks about the facts — like how NC’s evergreen tourism and fishing industries already generate more cash and jobs than petroleum’s best estimates. Or, how a single small spill could kill multiple seasons — and ruin countless mom-and-pop businesses. That America is already exporting more energy than ever. And that this whole offshore drilling policy is basically a plot to let Big Oil boost profits and stock prices by shipping our nation’s resources overseas — while coastal states get nothing, except all the risk.
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Here we go with another ridiculous
A
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Fold-in
When it comes to offshore drilling, the Oil industry is always the winner. coastal states?
(Maybe even write a personal letter to Sen. Tillis — 185 Dirksen Senate Building, Washington, DC 20510 — suggesting that the smart political move would be to start standing up for his coastal constituents.)
rearview
gohunt
outthere
Just be ready to take a break to protest. ’Cause for all this talk of pausing “indefinitely,” BOEM has definitely booked the Ramada Plaza Inn in KDH for July 22. But couldn’t the DOI just push back the July date, too? Of course! An administration this wacky is bound to make all sorts of crazy moves. That’s why we need to watch the process closer than ever. Because the dumbest thing coastal residents can do right now is stop worrying. WHAT? YOU WORRIED?! For text updates and more ways to stay engaged, go to www.dontdrillnc.org.
FOLD PAGE OVER LIKE THIS!
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hen Big Oil comes to beach towns, they make huge promises, like we’re getting fancy jobs, tax revenue and a petroleum-fueled paradise. en spills kill years of beach biz. Oil companies claim huge losses while spiciously posting record profits and leave us jobs as tarball pi ckers. B
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Promoter of the Albemarle.
EARLIEST D. Victor Meekins did more than bring focus to the burgeoning Outer Banks — he captured the first images of its developing identity.
EYE
Newspaper publisher. Dare County Sheriff and Commissioner. Outer Banks ambassador.
Those are the major roles D. Victor Meekins played during his relatively short life, and the primary reasons for why, upon his death in 1964, tributes poured in from state officials, civic leaders and major politicians — including a graveside eulogy by Congressman Herbert C. Bonner. But Meekins was more than a guiding force behind shaping the Outer Banks as it developed. He also documented some of its earliest, isolated days, preserving both its heritage, and its spirit, for another century to come. “In 1994, the Meekins family donated 237 glassplate negatives to the Outer Banks History Center to develop and store for the state,” recalls long-time Coast photographer, Drew C. Wilson, who helped turn the images into an exhibit. “They’re all taken between roughly 1912 and 1925. There are portraits of Civil War veterans and Freedmen Colony folks and other everyday scenes — a very clear depiction of what it was like to live on Roanoke Island at that time. One that fills an important photographic gap in Outer Banks history.” Best known as the editor and founder of the area’s first newspaper — what is now today’s Coastland Times — as a teenager, Meekins owned and operated what might have been the first camera in Dare County. And yet, despite being a rookie with no real training — using turn-of-the-century technology with no room for mistake — he immediately showed a natural instinct for getting “the shot.” “He wasn’t just shooting, he was developing, ” recalls Bryan Jones, a local documentarian who did the original dark room work to develop the glass plates. “And we may look back and think it’s this antique camera, but this was state-of-the-art stuff at the time. And here’s this young kid, teaching himself, who obviously had quite the eye for it.” In fact, a quick run through a catalog of those antique images reveals a range of talents that define modern photography. Tenacious photojournalism? Before Meekins could go shoot a shipwreck teetering on a sandbar, he had to first boat across Roanoke Sound — then haul the bulky equipment up the beach. Natural candor? His snaps of soundside swims and floating skiffs remain emblematic of Outer Banks summer moments even today.
Bio by Sarah Downing Captions by Bryan Jones Photos courtesy of Outer Banks History Center milepost 43
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But what truly stands apart are his portraits, where his knack for subtle composition and dramatic lighting feel presciently professional, though not overly polished. No matter how tiny the human or how large the group, each image glows with familiarity and sincerity — and therefore — authenticity. “All his pictures are honest and pure,” Wilson observes. “No frills. He just wanted to capture what was in front of him — and he did a really fine job at it. And you have to remember this was not a 35-millimeter. We’re talking about a great, big box camera with a tripod, and very limited capabilities, and yet he takes these crystal-clear pictures. Just the idea of him out there, being a teenager and lugging that thing around, taking pictures of his home and his people, says a lot about what he thought was important — and who he was as a person.” Daniel Victor Meekins was born on Roanoke Island in 1897 — just 27 years after the formation of Dare County and two years before Manteo was incorporated into a formal municipality. He grew up at The Anchorage, the family’s 1830s clapboard home on the shore of Croatan Sound. His parents, Daniel and Rowena Homer Meekins, were of local stock whose lines can be traced back generations. Maybe even to the days when the Carolinas were still one. Victor, or Vic as he was less formally known, attended island schools. During World War I, he served as an “I think everyone who’s seen this photograph has said, ‘Now that is an extraordinary picture.’ She has such piercing eyes. So direct. And something you miss greatly in digital photography is the developing of prints. Because you place the paper in the bath, and in about ten seconds up comes this picture you’ve never seen. A face just appears in this magic liquid. That moment in the dark room is universal. And it occurred to me when I developed this photo that Victor was looking at these images the same way I was, doing the same thing I was, almost a century earlier. In fact, there were some days in the dark room when it felt like somebody was talking to me across all those years.” milepost 45
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Army sergeant before heading to Elizabeth City for business college. In 1922, he landed a job working for the iconoclast W.O. Saunders, editor of Elizabeth City’s The Independent newspaper. And though he once penned an article titled, “I Don’t Want My Town to be Progressive,” Meekins also played an active role in pushing the Outer Banks into the modern age. In August 1926, though barely 30, he was a key player behind a weeklong event called the Dare County Homecoming, which boated in hundreds of people for a Roanoke Island gathering, culminating with a speech by British Ambassador, Sir Esme Howard. Two years later, Meekins was an integral organizer for the festivities around the laying of the cornerstone of the Wright Brothers National Memorial on the 25th anniversary of the historic first flight, where the crowd included Wilbur Wright, Amelia Earhart, and Connecticut Senator Hiram Bingham. In 1927, Meekins returned to Dare County and ran for sheriff, a position he held from 1928 to 1946. But he never dropped his pen — or his passion. By the time The State magazine debuted in 1933, Meekins was an established writer, and the publication provided him a statewide audience. His gift for sharing stories was grounded by his ability to listen and reflect, as well as his connection to his community. For instance, in a 1934 piece entitled, “Son, You Don’t Know Nothing About Hard Times,” Meekins “There is an art to portraiture that’s about dealing with the subject, which is completely separate from lighting and other stuff. And your first few pictures, you’re just taking some images. Then you print something, and either consciously — or unconsciously — you go, “I like that.” And that’s going to be stuck in your mind next time you’re out shooting. Victor had great subject matter, but you’re also seeing him develop a style. I didn’t have the plates in chronological order, but there was a maturing. And you end up with these terrific shots. “ milepost 47
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wrote of his stay with Salvo’s Cyrus Gray, who shared details of life on Hatteras Island in the late 19th century, when “we stuck a rag in a snuff jar and used fish grease for oil.” Back when “we had no lard to use in the frying pans” and “a piece of meat skin was kept on a nail by the chimney.” His essays weren’t just well-written, they marked the arrival of a true local voice — a voice that would grow louder when he established the area’s first newspaper, The Dare County Times. First published in July 1935, a front-page headline promoted the “Upbuilding and Betterment of Dare County.” Eventually, Meekins was publishing Columbia’s Tyrrell County Tribune, Swan Quarter’s Hyde County Herald, Belhaven’s Pilot, and Nags Head’s short-lived Seashore News. During World War II, due to shortages of laborers and supplies, the papers were merged to become The Coastland Times, which still runs today. No matter the name, they all protected and promoted the region, along with Meekins’ vision for coastal Carolina. “His papers were seldom overburdened with formal editorials,” wrote author and historian David Stick in the Dictionary of North Carolina Biography. “But his editorial views were often made clear in his “Victor’s subjects had to be very, very still. If you go back just 20 years before he was shooting, it was so difficult to get clear shots they would find ways to immobilize people. In a lot of family portraits from the Lincoln era, each person would have a clamp on their heads behind them, out of sight, to keep them from moving while the exposure was being made. That’s how much light they needed. And even these photos, we’re talking about long exposures. For example, with 35-millimeter film today, on a bright, sunny day, you would shoot at 1/200th a second to match your film speed — Victor was probably shooting at a tenth or a fifth of a second. So, these are very precise photographs. In fact, if there was one word I would use for Meekins’ work, it’s ‘precise.’” milepost 49
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news stories. When he championed a project or an idea he did so wholeheartedly, and when he disapproved he was never reluctant to attack with vigor.” Meekins wasn’t shy about participating in projects either. When the Southern Albemarle Association was created in 1935, Meekins soon became executive secretary. The organization joined influential people from Washington, Hyde, Tyrrell, and Dare counties to foster cooperation in growing the region, with roads and bridges as key goals. As part of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore Committee, Meekins worked toward the fruition of the protected beaches on Hatteras Island envisioned by contemporary Frank Stick. But no matter how influential he was in fostering a more modern Outer Banks, Meekins never lost his fondness for documenting its evolution. And throughout his career, no matter how successful or connected he became, he never stopped lending his voice to local issues with the same rustic, Outer Banks tone. “His writing style,” observes Stick, “reflected in both the editorial and news columns of his papers, was straightforward and earthy, most often with short words rather than long ones, simple sentences rather than complicated ones.” It’s a style that may have first come into focus when no words were necessary. When a young lad was just discovering his purpose while standing behind a lens, painstakingly documenting his natural surroundings. Perhaps that’s why, a century later, those early images remain so powerfully sharp.
Want to learn more? Meekins’ newspaper, The Coastland Times, is available online at the Dare County Digital Heritage site. He wrote a history column called Glimpses of the Past, as well as the series The Sea Captain and the Drummer. Our State magazine is also available online at the North Carolina Digital Collections site, a joint project of the State Library and State Archives. Meekins’ personal papers and photographs (including prints from the glass plate negatives) are housed at the Outer Banks History Center in Manteo.
“Victor Meekins [pictured here] had a great eye, especially for being so young. But I think the first thing that struck me working in the dark room was his photos were easy to print. I once worked with a whole lot of oversized negatives of Mark Twain, and those were not as well-exposed. So, I’m sure Victor was a good dark room worker as well as a good photographer. And we’re used to taking pictures with our cellphones any time, but this was major equipment we’re talking about here. You had to know what you were doing to get a good negative. I think he had some talent for it, but I also got the sense that this was a young man with his camera when there weren’t a lot of them, who was studying what he was doing and making it better as he went along.” milepost 51
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it takes two. 3 tales of summertime symbiosis
he scores. he shoots.
Photo: Daniel Pullen
Think “pro surfer” sounds like a weird occupation? How about “pro surfer filmer”? Pro surfer. Have you ever heard of a more ridiculous occupation? Does anyone really get paid to ride waves? Ask Brett Barley — arguably the most recognized professional athlete to come from the Outer Banks — and he does the job without ever really competing. At least not in contests. But when it comes to battling the world’s best wave-riders for “page views,” he’s an Internet-fueled, DIY, digital-video gladiator. “I grew up in the digital age,” says the 29-year-old Buxton local. “I made a YouTube account back in 2006 to show my sponsors what I was doing. No one told me to do it, but I saw the value. I started doing better career-wise because I was managing my account like a business, and people were stoked on the content that I put out.” How stoked? His Instagram account has more than 51,000 followers. One YouTube trip to Tahiti clocked 120,000 views. All those sets of eyeballs keep his sponsors happy (and the paychecks coming). But behind every 3-minute shred-fest, there’s hours —sometimes days — of driving, surfing, shooting and editing. For years, Brett did it all using boardmounted GoPros and SoloShots — a land-based camera that follows the surfer via GPS. But POV angles and robotic pans only go so far. In 2014, Brett started hungering for a more human touch. A random call-out for local footage found just the right human: a Virginia Beach teenager he’d never met named Jeffrey O’Neil. “I started taking photos as a kid, just trial and error,” says Jeffrey, who’s now 21. “When I started coming down to the Outer Banks, I transitioned into video,
because most everyone was taking photos. Once I got up with Brett it was pretty much full-time.” But he still had to work for it. When Winter Storm Jonas cranked up in January 2016, Jeffrey spent three days suffering freezing temps and snow flurries to deliver Brett the footage for “a banger edit.” And his dedication paid-off again, when Winter Storm Mars attacked a month later, dropping bombs a quartermile off the beach. “I warned him, ‘We’re going be bumping around the outer bar with a jetski, so you might not get anything,’” Brett recalls. “And he only missed two of my waves the whole day! He was sprinting hundreds of yards up the beach, then following us in the dune line — he got the best wave I’ve ever had at home.” When Brett signed a sponsorship contract with Real Watersports in 2016, he rewarded Jeffrey’s commitment by suggesting Real hire a digital grunt. Instead, Real asked Jeffrey to work in the shop — with the wiggle room to chase Brett whenever the waves turned on. Still, it was enough to relocate to Waves. And this year, Real sweetened the deal by giving Jeffrey a full-time media position. Now, Jeffrey spends his days at Real producing marketing content. But whenever there’s a hint of swell, he alerts the brass and waits for Brett’s call to bolt. Might be long-period barrels roping in ’round the Lighthouse. Or some playful windswell someplace on Pea Island. But even the sunniest summer session is no day at the beach.
Behind every 3-minute shredfest, there’s hours of driving, surfing, shooting and editing.
“Brett is an animal!” Jeffrey says. “Eight hours in the water is nothing to him. So, I’d say long days are the biggest challenge. But most everything I know I’ve learned from Brett, since he’s dealt with so many other videographers and he’s been editing videos since he was a kid. He’s been a great teacher.” Brett’s equally appreciative — if a tad apologetic. “I wouldn’t be where I am in my career without Jeffrey’s work,” says Brett. “Honestly, I wonder if I’ve held him back by editing his footage. But I’ve always preferred putting my own twist on things.” You can’t argue with the results. Their collaborative process averages 25,000 YouTube views a week, numbers that validate Brett as one of the most digitally ubiquitous pro surfers in the business, worldwide. That’s not counting traffic from shares by international and websites, Instagram edits, or Real’s wide-reaching marketing efforts. And Jeffrey might still do more with the footage. Perhaps even his own passion project. “I’ve got enough to make a full-length film right now, but I want to do it right, rather than slap together a 45-minute movie,” says Jeffrey. “I want to make something meaningful people will want to watch over and over again. That’s the goal.” Of course, no pro career lasts for forever. But when Brett’s window closes, Jeffrey could eventually transition to other action sports, perhaps shooting Real’s expansive network of kitesurfers. Brett could even keep helping Jeffrey edit. In the meantime, they’re both stoked to crank out “keeper clips”— whether it’s scoring an early season hurricane swell in June, a winter storm in January, or linking up in some foreign climate a world away. “I went to Panama, Portugal, the wave pool in Waco, Texas,” says Jeffrey. “Immersing myself in Brett’s deal has opened up so many doors. The best part is, I get to balance all that out by working on business-style media for Real, taking on challenges I normally wouldn’t. Because I’m only a surf videographer.” Surf videographer. Have you ever heard of a more ridiculous job?
— Matt Pruett
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HELPFUL HUMANS
Photo: Julie Dreelin
Forty books later, Suzanne Tate and James Melvin still inspire kids to love critters and explore creativity. They started out as manager and client. Became author and illustrator. Today, they’re the closest of friends. And yet, after more than 30 years of writing tales and teaching lessons, Suzanne Tate and James Melvin are still discovering new stories about each other. “I published a little newspaper that I wrote entirely and sold to my classmates,” says Suzanne, 88, of her earliest work. “I charged one cent.” “I didn’t know about that!” exclaims James. “I would draw faces for classmates. I was about ten when I realized art was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.” And he pretty much has. At least since he moved to the Outer Banks in 1981. That’s when he met Suzanne, an established art agent, at the Sea and Sounds Arts Council Art Show. James recalls the day well. “You tapped me on the shoulder like that and said, ‘I’m Suzanne Tate. I’d like to represent your work.’” Suzanne had some prints made and added James’ art to the works of local artists she was selling in gift shops around the county. For the next seven years, those roles defined their business relationship. He created; she sold. Then, in 1988, something happened that made Suzanne want to explore her imaginative side. “I became a grandmother, and I wrote a little book called Crabby & Nabby: A Tale of Two Blue Crabs.”
The story was based on her reallife experience with blue crabs and was meticulously researched to be scientifically accurate. Suzanne, her late husband Everett — a longtime shrimp boat captain — and their two sons had a shedding tank outside their house. She envisioned pitching the book to her accounts. She just needed the right illustrator to bring the sea creatures to life in a child-friendly way. She had nine artists on her roster to consider — she chose James. “I was so honored that she did,” James recalls. She called Crabby & Nabby “No. 1 in Suzanne Tate’s Nature Series” — even though she didn’t know what No. 2 would be at the time. This summer, you can buy No. 40, Tommy Tuna: A Tale of a Big Fish. And while their 31-year collaboration boasts other efforts — including a History Series, coloring books, and one special publication for Kellogg’s about Tony the Tiger — the Nature Series remains the biggest hit, starring many different animals and offering a host of life lessons. The bestseller is Tammy Turtle: A Tale of Saving Sea Turtles. However, Suzanne’s favorite is Salty Sea Gull: A Tale of an Old Salt, which reminds children to respect their elders. James’ favorite, on the other hand, is Spunky Spot: A Tale of One Smart Fish, for its solid writing and lasting content. “It’s timely,” he explains. “It’s about not following the crowd and getting hooked on drugs or anything else.” Each book takes about four months of work from start to finish. Suzanne researches a concept and writes the story — the whole time thinking of how it could be illustrated. She then passes it off to James, who comes up with visual ideas.
they all have helpful themes, which James calls “lessons of life.”
Then they meet back and forth to “make sure it jives.” “We work really well together,” James says. “We’re good friends. That has a lot to do with it.” James used a variety of mediums for coloring his illustrations in different books — colored pencils, oil pastels, watercolors — before concluding that acrylics work best. Suzanne’s palette is a blend of easy words, inviting dialogue, engaging stories, and real science. And every story features a “fact page” about the main animal in front, which encourages kids, parents and teachers to learn more. And they all have helpful themes, which James calls “lessons of life.” “I don’t plan those,” Suzanne admits. “Some messages just creep in.” Some have real staying power. Suzanne’s HELPFUL HUMANS editions — which she prints in all caps for emphasis — promotes stewardship of nature across at least 30 books. Her son Mark, who has managed the book business for more than two decades, says patrons specifically request books with HELPFUL HUMANS. Suzanne says teachers tell her that kids actively search for that theme, too. “I owe a lot to teachers,” she says. “They discovered my books all along the way and used them in classrooms everywhere across the country. People still are discovering them; that fascinates James and me.” No wonder, the book-making powerhouse made regular appearances in schools over the years, not just in Dare County but also in Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Ohio. They didn’t just read the books — they became the characters. Suzanne would put on a blue crab suit to transform into “Crabby Lady.” James would don a fisherman outfit and chase her around the room. Other times, he was a boater trying to steer clear of Suzanne, who was in a manatee costume. They don’t perform as much anymore, but they still visit schools. And if they can inspire the next generation to pursue creative endeavors, all the better. While entertaining and educating the kids, James hopes they were “giving them inspiration to become writers and illustrators, too. Hopefully, some do. You never know.” — Corinne Saunders
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PLAY WITH A PURPOSE
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A quarter century ago, their songs climbed charts — today their tech changes lives. June 6, 1994. A boozy circle of college kids swirls behind Tortuga’s Lie, flowing between the bar and a makeshift stage for the original Pit Surf Shop’s grand opening Groove Jam. Organized by two JMU grads, the day’s headliner is Harrisonburg’s Everything, a funky six-piece of ska/pop energy that began when a multi-instrumentalist music theory whiz named Steve Van Dam met Craig Honeycutt, a communications major and natural frontman. “My old bass player lived in the same freshman dorm with Craig, who I guess was renowned for taking his guitar into the communal bathroom and working songs out,” remembers Steve. “He called and said, ‘You gotta hear this guy.’ And the second we met we had a shared desire to create. We just dove right in.” “The whole band was like a little petri dish,” adds Craig. “We were always looking for ways to innovate — the way we wrote, the way we played on stage, embracing new technology. It was this constant hustle to become successful.” Buoyed by the same thriving Mid-Atlantic club circuit that launched the likes of Dave Matthews and Blues Traveler — and packed local venues like the Atlantis with non-stop summer shows — Everything soon started earning a national rep. In 1995, they performed one of the first Internet broadcasts in history. In 1998, they scored a certified hit —“Hooch” — which broke the top ten of Billboard’s Hot 100. (And got an extra bump in notoriety after Charlie Sheen made a drug-fueled, on-air radio request.) When their label flailed in 2001, the band parted ways. But Craig and Steve returned to their Rappahanock studio and kept rocking. Sort of. “We started doing commercial music together, like jingles and soundtracks,” Craig recalls. “Then I ended up going out to LA to do sound design, and Steve went to Richmond
and did real well in the commercial music game.” That might have been it. But petri dishes have a way of still producing. In 2011, a Hollywood-jaded Craig headed back to JMU for his MBA and ended up landing a job. He spent summers on the Outer Banks, met a local lady, and resumed an updated version of the classic college trope: fall and spring on campus; summers working remotely and living the beach life. Within a few years he was living here, married and happy. Meanwhile, between soundtracks, Steve was chasing a whole different musical dream. A futuristic vision that’d been cruising his mind since the days of long, blurry-eyed nights driving between gigs, when the car stereo blared and the traffic lights trailed. “I’d always had this idea of combining sound and visuals in a way that finds this intuitive connection between the two,” Steve explains. “For example, if you make a bright, short sound, there’s a bright, short visual. Turns out you can do that on a touch screen pretty easily. And that began the journey of Light the Music.” By 2014, Steve had designed a downloadable app that could let any human make their own music in brilliant color. Smart phones and iPads were ubiquitous and affordable. He just needed someone trustworthy to help launch it. Someone with the communications skills and charisma to reach the right people. He basically needed… a frontman? “Exactly,” laughs Craig, whose official title is Chief Operations Officer. “And it’s funny, because when we started bringing Light the Music into the marketplace, there were all these parallels. We had meetings with superstar DJs and heads of labels. But along the way, our audience changed, and these opportunities came up in the education space.” Not just any education space. Turns out Light the Music’s intuitive feel and engaging displays really help reach people on the autism spectrum and other underserved populations. Settings where traditional instruments and instruction don’t always make sense, but the benefits of playing are massive. After several years of R&D inside specialized schools like
“The whole band was like a little petri dish.”
Richmond’s Faison Center, they’ve got a curriculum that works on every level. “It starts with the physics of sound, moves into the families of instruments, rhythm and melody, and all the way up into songwriting,” Steve explains. “But it also gives students a chance to perform and shine — something that they don’t normally get. Seeing that type of connection is amazing. It’s like this magical music moment.” Now, a quarter century since they first toured the country, they’re taking steps to conquer America’s classrooms. But they’re not finished rocking stages. Steve’s spent the past decade doing private gigs with a trio called E3. Meanwhile, between Light the Music meetings and doing SEO work for Outer Banks Internet, Craig’s continued honing his craft on a more personal level. No tour schedules. No sales targets. Instead, he’s been fine-tuning songs he loves for a solo project called FolkJet. This summer, he’s joined forces with Bearded Face Productions for weekly residencies at The Tap Shack in Duck and Jack Brown’s in Kill Devil Hills. The goal is to do professional evening performances twice a week, without all the showbiz expectations — but 100 percent true intentions. “It’s acoustic music with augmentation,” Craig explains. “I’ll use different guitars, different tunings. I might have some loops and dub mics. And I’ll DJ between sets because I want the entire experience to feel curated. And then, it’s also a reason to invite some musician friends down. “ In fact, come July 18-19, Craig’s got Steve coming back to play two special shows with their old drummer, Nate Brown. The working title? Almost Everything’s Not Quite a Reunion. For local fans, it’s a chance to relive some favorite tunes and take stock of a hell of a ride. One that may never have happened if a couple college kids had never traded chords. But then, music is all about good timing and real connections. It can be between sound and light. A band and an audience. A Virginia college campus and a Carolina beach town. Or just a human, his new home, and a lifelong passion. “The Outer Banks played such a huge part in my musical development,” says Craig. “Living here the past five years — having a child here — that experience starts to change and deepen. But my main goal is just to keep getting better. That’s the good thing about being so ambitious for so long early on. I realize now it doesn’t need to be all that. It just needs to be as awesome as it can be right now.” — Leo Gibson
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THE WRIGHT STUFF There’s only one way to fly like Orville and Wilbur.
“An interesting anecdote is that, back during the Centennial of Flight, they had pilots from all branches of the military fly the 1902 glider,” says Weaver. “None of them flew it as good as a hang glider pilot, just because a hang glider pilot is familiar with using their weight to shift side to side and feeling their way through the air.” In 2012, Kitty Hawk Kites finally began offering the same feeling to the public. Seven years later, fewer than 200 people in the history of the world have flown this type of aircraft. (That’s 336 fewer humans than have been into space.) Some are aviation junkies or hang glider pilots — others are just people looking for something different to do. The man joining me on the dune is a Silicon Valley engineer named — coincidentally enough — Jim Wright. And while he’s not related to the original inventors, he can’t help but share a certain closeness after his first flight.
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More than flying through the air, you get transported back in time.
Jim Wright joins a tiny family of daring aviators. Photo: Cory Godwin
“Less than 200 people have ever flown a 1902 airplane. So you’re going to join some elite company.” That’s how head instructor Bruce Weaver leads off his ground training for Kitty Hawk Kites’ 1902 Wright Glider Experience. Staring out over Jockey’s Ridge the following day, his words still echo in my ears. My helmet’s on. I’m buckled in. Both hands are on the controls as I fix my eyes on the horizon. And yet it’s hard to fully grasp the situation. Is this really happening? I think to myself. Will I crash this thing? Am I ready? I barely hear the plane’s handlers shouting tips as they steer the wings into the wind. And then it just happens: the glider lifts off. A huge smile erupts over my face — and I feel nothing but wonder. Just like Orville and Wilbur Wright felt more than a century ago. “You aren’t in the clouds or anything,” says Weaver, who’s logged hundreds of hours of soaring time. “You’re just a few feet off the ground for about 150 yards. But it’s just an overwhelming feeling being able to fly something that the Wright Brothers flew.” Weaver first got the sensation 17 years ago. As a lead-up to 2003’s Centennial of Flight Celebration, organizers hired renowned replica expert, Ken Hyde, President of the Wright
Experience, to construct versions of 1902 and 1903 models. It was no small feat. Hyde didn’t just rebuild the planes, he relived the experience, relying on the same tools the Wright Brothers used — and a lot of the same ingenuity. “I thought we would go to the Smithsonian and get blueprints,” says Hyde. “But the Wrights didn’t do blueprints. So we found sketches in their letters, diaries, and little notebooks, plus photographs of when they were doing the demonstrations. It was six months before we cut the first piece of wood, because the data just wasn’t there.” Nevertheless, Hyde produced two entirely functional airplanes — the 1903 model that still stands inside the Wright Memorial, and the 1902 model that still flies on the dune. But while the 1903 gets all the honors, the 1902 was actually the first to achieve controllable flight. Perhaps that’s why the sensation is so similar to hang gliding. To move laterally, the pilot uses his body weight to morph the shape of the wings. For longitudinal motion, the pilot moves the front rudder — in modern aircraft it’s called a canard — back and forth. Mostly, it flies by feel as opposed to gauges — or, in most high-tech airplanes — computers.
“You feel this sense of freedom,” says Wright. “You’re actually in the air, let loose from of gravity for a little bit. I definitely kept going back in my mind to what it must have been like for the Wright Brothers to do this so many years ago.” That’s the real thrill. More than soaring through the air, you get transported back in time, to being right there with Wilbur and Orville, on their very first leap of faith. It’s a connection to aviation history that just can’t be experienced by videos or photographs — much less today’s airliners, where millions of people travel the world every year without ever really noticing they’ve left the ground. “It’s incredible,” says Weaver. “For thousands and thousands of years, people dreamed of being able to get their feet off the ground. Kings would have given their entire kingdoms to be able to fly like a bird. And it’s just second nature now.” Back on the dune, Wright and I keep taking turns flying the 1902. Some attempts go farther. Others higher. Once, the glider tries so hard to break free, it sends Weaver tumbling into the sand. But that same childlike amazement that made me smile the first try, stays with me every flight. And I believe it will stay with me for every flight to come. “You can see some of the films of the Wright Brothers,” says Weaver. “If you’re a VIP at the Smithsonian, you can put on a white glove and touch the 1903. But none of that is going to get you as close to actually feeling what they felt flying through the air.” — Madeline Bailey milepost 59
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gomine Miner 2049er. Photo: Hal Kubrick
“BOINC sends out a task to all these computers,” says Snyder. “The computers crunch the data and send it back. Then they compare them, and if they get the same data, they’re validated and a credit is given.” Basically, instead of one researcher relying on a single supercomputer to work on one problem, BOINC members share the load. In return, they get Gridcoins, which can be converted into Bitcoins — the most valuable of all cryptocurrencies — or even dollars. There are currently 39 projects listed on the BOINC website, tackling subjects as complex as climate studies, genetic research, and how asteroids interact with one another. To fully investigate all those various aspects would take a tremendous amount of computing power — far more than any one institution can muster. But if you can access a bunch of personal computers when they’re not being used and give them each a small task to chew on, they can digest huge problems in bites and spit out an answer for a lot less money.
PANNING FOR PIXELS
“If a university had to make an investment, it would be in the plus millions of dollars,” Snyder points out. “But I really started doing the BOINC project as a way to help humanity and those types of things.”
Discovering a new way to strike gold in Corolla.
No small business needs a computer this powerful. Walking into Corolla’s Outer Banks Coffee Company, to the left of the door, there’s a metal cage holding a stack of motherboards. The miniature lights constantly blink and the cooling fans never stop. Owner Wes Snyder custombuilt the design two years ago. But it’s not for counting beans, stopping thieves, or crunching sales figures — it’s a new way to generate real money out of virtual currency. Or to paraphrase a famous saying circa 1849: “Thar’s gold in them thar bytes.” Most everyone’s heard of Bitcoin — the cryptocurrency that’s skyrocketed in value
over the past decade, leading to giant “mines” that use huge numbers of computers, and a ridiculous amount of electricity, as they relentlessly crunch code with one greedy purpose: producing more and more of the precious resource. But you’ve probably never heard of Gridcoin. This smaller, more environmentallyfriendly cryptocurrency is the preferred method of payment for Berkeley Open Infrastructure for Network Computing (BOINC), which solves complex problems for researchers and scientists via “distributed computing,” a process where thousands of individuals collectively offer up their personal PC’s as cheap labor.
That’s what distributive computing is really all about. In fact, one of the first projects to use distributive computing was SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence), a NASAsponsored project, which began in 1997. Snyder joined the team two years later. The past couple of decades, it was just a hobby to keep his brain busy. When BOINC started offering Gridcoins three years ago, Snyder saw a way to increase earning potential. But if you’re going to start a gold mine, you have to invest in machinery. Same thing if you’re digging for cryptocurrency. Luckily, Snyder’s digital skills are even stronger than his coffee game. “I was born with the mechanical electrical gene,” he says. “When I was a little kid, less than ten years old, my parents would keep buying me these electronic projects to put together. They stopped buying them because I was putting them together so fast.”
Snyder went on to do a stint in the Navy, where he worked with electronics, followed by jobs at places like Bell Labs and IBM. With that background, he constructed a specialized crypto-mining computer from the circuits up — every processor, every fan, even the frame.
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Every second, a digital jackhammer chips away at hard tasks.
“It’s got 320-plus processors in there,” he says. “I’m the kind of person who says, if it’s worth doing and I’m making that effort, then I really need to take it to the extreme.” All that effort keeps Snyder near the top level of the BOINC Gridcoin leaderboard.
“When it was running full bore, I had the third highest of what they call magnitude, which is just a level of computing power,” he says. “I’ve since been doing testing and other stuff, so I’ve fallen to number 11 among all users in the Gridcoin pool.” He’s got plans to add even more gear to get back to the top. Meanwhile, every second of every day, his digital jackhammer chips away at hard tasks to yield more chunks of virtual change. All those Gridcoins sit in a virtual wallet, waiting to be converted. So what’s it earning? Snyder won’t talk specifics, but he reckons the rig generates a minimum of thirty Gridcoins a day. “And that does not include any ‘mined interest,’” he explains. Clearly, he’s not going to strike enough gold to close the store anytime soon. But, as he said, he’s not really in this to make money. The real currency here is knowledge. And there are other rewards, too. “It makes everybody working on a project happy and interested to contribute to science,” says Snyder. “So, I never feel like I’m just going down an endless tunnel.” — Kip Tabb milepost 61
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fooddrink Even fans of ‘80s sub shops will find something tasty in Lost Restaurants of the Outer Banks and their Recipes. Photo: Drew C. Wilson/The Virginian-Pilot/OBHC
endnotes
In that same era, Esther Govan was serving up her own little slice of soul food on Roanoke Island. Simply known as Miss Esther’s, the space was a cookhouse next door to her brick home in Manteo. The menu changed daily — decades before such a thing was trendy. And if Govan wasn’t in her shop, all you had to do was knock on her side door for a plate of collards with cornmeal dumplings, which included a good half-pound of salt pork.
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“I thought I understood seasoning with meat — until I was taught this recipe,” Gaw laughs. While communities west of the bridges offered more homestyle cooking, down on the southern beaches some of the finest seafood around was being served — provided you knew what to do with it.
Agetactive new collection of recipes and memories keeps local flavor alive.
The brininess of crab slough oysters. The rich sweetness of freshly harvested greentails or handpicked blueberries. The smell of a golden seafood platter as it hits the table. This is the pull of the place that we call home. It’s what brings friends and families joy, year after year — and lingers well after you clean your plate.
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“Food is love,” explains local writer and restaurateur Amy Gaw. “And people love the Outer Banks — there is a deep connection here.”
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Always has been. Some of our very first businesses were restaurants. And, even now, they remain among our favorite institutions. But not every beloved eatery survives. So Gaw teamed up with Arcadia Publishing to preserve their importance in her new book, Lost Restaurants of the Outer Banks and their Recipes. But this mix of photos, recipes, facts, and history from inland Currituck to the end of Ocracoke is more than just a homage to forgotten buildings and chefs. Gaw traces the development of the Outer Banks from rustic outpost to teeming tourist destination. And with each new tale, she brings back a timeless taste — and even a salty tear.
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“All of our memories are solidified by revisiting the places where memories are made,” Gaw says. “And any time you can connect familial relationships and food, you’ve got some heart string stuff going on.”
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There are stories of the Oasis on the causeway — where barefoot co-eds served world-famous lace cornbread. Tasty bits from the Barrier Island Inn, Duck’s very first restaurant.
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“It was a special time,” Gaw says, “where you could enjoy seasonal produce and locally sourced seafood, prepared by hand and perhaps enjoyed on the front porch swing.”
Depictions of vintage gathering spots — like the Arlington, the Carolinian, and the Seafare — and kitchen hijinks and classic tales from Newby’s and Quagmires. Even yesterday’s losses like Kelly’s and Port O’Call get their due. But Gaw doesn’t stop at the bypass and Beach Road. She reaches deep into our periphery and past to find places hardly anyone remembers.
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“There were times I found myself driving over to Manteo and walking around these old neighborhoods that were once home to juke joints and cookhouses,” Gaw says. “Sometimes it even felt like the ancestors were calling out to me.” With every new story, Gaw’s book shows us just how much restaurant culture continues to infuse local life. Even better, she keeps the food vital by sharing some classic dishes.
Each new tale brings back a favorite taste — and a salty tear.
“A story that really tickled me,” says Gaw, “was when Ruth Toth saw a slab of fresh tuna and asked ‘What’s that?’ The chef’s reply was even better: ‘I’m gonna boil it and can it — what else?!’” Years later, Toth would become the owner of Cafe Atlantic, which was the first place to ever serve grilled seafood in Ocracoke. Part of the joy of reading Lost Restaurants of the Outer Banks and their Recipes is getting to experience such firsthand perspectives. Which begs an even trickier question: how do you write about eateries from 50 years ago when the only tidbit keeping them alive is oral tradition? According to Gaw, “You literally ask people where you could get a plate of food during that time.” And when there’s nobody living to tell the tale, you ask the dearly departed for a little help. “An obituary is a means of keeping the record straight,” Gaw says. “You can learn all about families, dates and where they all worked, which in a lot of cases was restaurants.”
“The book is published with recipes as I found them,” says Gaw. “There is so much talent to be shared.”
So much, in fact, that Gaw’s already talking about a second book. Furthermore, this summer, she plans to offer “Cook the Book” classes inside Currituck’s historic Grandy School. In the meantime, there’s no better way to get an education in local food than piecing together the past one recipe at a time.
Talents like Nettie Pearl of Powell’s Point. This one-woman show occupied a tiny space where patrons would end up helping out with the dishes while they waited on Pearl’s famous pies and chicken and dumplings.
“If you really go back and trace the roots, you can see how we are all connected and it’s all because of the food,” says Gaw. “This is what the Outer Banks is all about.” — Fran Marler milepost 63
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Nora Hartlaub gets ready to roll. Photo: Chris Bickford
Hartlaub named her prize Pearl Ann. The armrests are made of wood, the windshield is cracked, there’s no heat, the seatbelts are “basically for show,” and there’s no real floor to speak of. But she’s big and strong enough to hold “the Bed Gallery” — a mobile display of monthly exhibits by different artists from Southeastern cities.
endnotes
She’s already begun. In fact, Pearl Ann’s series of “scuds” — a term from Ocracoke brogue meaning “go for a cruise” — started in April at ECSU’s Mickey L. Burnim Fine Arts Center, where Neill Prewitt, a multimedia artist and musician based in Atlanta, Georgia, used live performance to explore systemic racism and gentrification. In May, visual artist Laura Sellers from Asheville, North Carolina, rolled up the Beach Road, hauling pieces made from locally collected beach debris.
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ROLLING WONDER startingpoint Nora Hartlaub knows the very second she found her place in the world. It happened on her first visit to an art gallery many years ago, and it has guided her footsteps ever since.
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“I remember having that moment as a young person — like, Oh this is where I belong!” she beams. “Just feeling it in your skin and knowing you’ve found your place. Being able to do that for someone else would be incredible.”
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Hartlaub earned degrees in art from the Cleveland Institute of Art and Western Carolina University, and also attended the Penland School of Crafts. As an artist, she explores living in the Southeastern United States as subject matter in a range of styles, from performance to sculpture to printmaking. (Her current project is a multimedia exploration of the local impacts of tourism and climate change.) As a professor, she’s observed that many rural and coastal communities lack the exposure to art that benefits cities and college towns.
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So, while Hartlaub knows the tiny Outer Banks is extraordinarily strong in creative talent, she also recognizes
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“I’d always had this idea to do an art truck,” she explains. “And I had two mechanics tell me I should not get this truck or spend any money on it, but I want it to be an intersection between the Outer Banks community and contemporary art. So, aesthetically, the truck is perfect!”
OBX Art Truck brings urban art to a coastal audience.
And there are two more public shows set for summer. At June 1’s 44th Annual Dare Day in Downtown Manteo, you can catch Washington D.C. sculpture artist Evan Reed’s Samuel Coleridge-inspired zoetrope — a Victorian-era method of mechanical animation. And July 16, Pearl Ann is back on the Beach Road, carrying Atlanta, Georgia, printmaker Jack Michael from access to access as she explores topics of eco-feminism via objects and fabrics. And in every case, people don’t just get to see different work, they also meet the creator.
we remain underexposed to one important style: contemporary art.
“The artists can’t just send work for me to install,” Hartlaub cracks. “They also have to ride around with me in the truck.”
“Contemporary artists tackle current events or offer social commentary through their work, be it political or environmental,” says Hartlaub, who currently teaches at Elizabeth City State University and the College of the Albemarle. “They are experimental in a way that a lot of Outer Banks art normally isn’t.”
Plus, each scud around town offers a chance to stop at various locations — and do surprise visits. That way, folks can stumble upon the works in a fun, quirky, approachable manner. Because, it’s those random interactions that allow for moments of real discovery — including new revelations about self and community.
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She’s a mobile display of monthly exhibits.
Armed with ambition, a vibrant imagination, and a direct disregard for automotive advice, Hartlaub crafted a plan to bring change to her community. A way to create that Aha! moment for others that she had in that art gallery all those years ago. She spotted just the right vehicle, a Ford F-150, at the turn-off to Wanchese — “where all great trucks come from” — and bought her for eight hundred dollars and a six-pack of beer.
“The amazing thing about art is that it can allow you to tackle certain topics that you might not otherwise be able to have a conversation about,” Hartlaub says. “This truck for me is one hundred percent a metaphor for the Outer Banks. Wonky, patched together, more expensive than anything should be, impossible to maintain — a tribute to that way of life. So that’s why Pearl Ann will be the OBX Art Truck until it isn’t physically possible for her to go on.” — Hannah West For a list of the participating artists and links to their work and bios, visit the Bed Gallery’s website at www. norahartlaub.com/truck. milepost 65
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It only took 23 days. And nobody wanted to miss a single second. When engineers first began transporting the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse on June 17, 1999, hundreds of onlookers waited hours in drizzling rain to witness the 2:30pm start. By July 9, the National Park Service had to create a temporary path to keep visitors from plowing willy-nilly through the woods. In-between, every day, thousands of people from all over the world came to catch a glimpse of the 4,800-ton tower as it inched forward on its 2,900-foot journey inland.
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“It shocked the local business community,” says Steve Ryan, who was a park ranger at Cape Hatteras National Seashore. But everyone quickly recognized the lightning in a bottle. “Mac Midgett was one of those who said, ‘Keep it moving!’” Ryan says, referring to the former Dare County commissioner
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Sub-contractors entertained journalists, film crews, and nearby onlookers.
and colorful owner of Island Convenience. “He didn’t want it to stop.” It was a big change from the earliest local sentiments. When the 208-foot beacon was built in 1870, the beach was about 1,500 feet wide. By the mid-1990s, there was only about 120 feet between the base and the sea. After a group of scientists recommended moving the lighthouse, the National Park Service decided in 1996 to seek funds for the $12 million relocation,
Ready… Steady… Goal! Photos: Mike Booher/Outer Banks History Center
setting up a decade of opposition by residents who wanted a new groin to help widen the shoreline. Clearly, they lost that battle. But once it was inevitable, everyone came together to appreciate what was a once-in-a-lifetime event. “Everything about it was just a raging success,” recalls Dare County commissioner Danny Couch. Retail shops were booming, eateries could barely keep up, motels were overflowing and pop-up entrepreneurs were selling T-shirts and every kind of lighthouse memorabilia that could be imagined.
“It was the craziest thing,” says Couch, then a Buxton service station owner. “If you couldn’t find some kind of (enterprise) when that move was going on, you were just lazy.” Couch says he cornered the market for pulling people out of the sand when they got stuck — and there were a lot. Inbetween, he and a four-person staff fixed flat tires and replaced brakes seemingly nonstop, garnering about $3,000 a day. “I grossed $1 million dollars that year,” he says. “I was running around all day. I had zero-percent body fat. I’m just grateful I was in my thirties then.” “It was like a carnival atmosphere,” Ryan says. “Everybody was in a good mood.”
Sub-contractors Jim and Jerry Matyiko, with Expert House Movers of Virginia Beach, became media darlings during the move. Sporting oversized cowboystyle construction hats, their friendly jiving entertained journalists, film crews, and nearby onlookers. For a few days, the Matyikos even handed out quarters flattened on the rails by the lighthouse as it slowly rolled over. (It was moved on tracks by seven hydraulic jacks, with a steel mat leapfrogged in front of it.) The lighthouse reached its destination on July 9. Starting in December, it was separated from its concrete foundation, placed on a steel grid and lifted onto a concrete pad.
“I really admired the technology to get it done,” Ryan says, adding that everyone at the site had mutual respect for each other’s roles. “I think one of the great things about the project was the camaraderie.” Couch says he still misses seeing the lighthouse on the beach, but he and other islanders have long ago made peace with the move. Future generations will get to cherish an American landmark, but older generations will remember the majesty of the black-and-white sentinel standing at the edge of the sea. “You just have to be grateful that you knew the blessing of having it there,” he says. — Catherine Kozak
On July 1, the National Park Service will host a 20th anniversary celebration on the grounds of the lighthouse, featuring speakers, kids’ activities, and free climbing. And join park rangers at the Hatteras Island Visitor Center pavilion daily at 10:30am for interpretive programs. More at www.nps.gov/caha. milepost 67
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2019 October 19
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Starting at 5 p.m. Reservations recommended
LIVE MUSIC
Tuesday - Friday evenings • Memorial Day - Labor Day
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October 20
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Polyrythmics Bennett Wales and the Relief Lord Nelson South Hill Banks Dr Bacon Manday Huge
MIKE DIANNA’S GRILL ROOM
TIMBUCK II SHOPPING VILLAGE • COROLLA GET TICKETS AT MUSTANGMUSICFESTIVAL.COM Proceeds benefit the Corolla Wild Horse Fund and Mustang Outreach Program
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the bypass Each week a surge of fresh blood flows in and sloshes around absorbing oxygen sharing energy then beats it to let in a new pulse what squeezes through leaves revitalized invigorated pumped what stays is the heart. — C. White
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SURF & SOUNDS CHAMBER MUSIC SERIES
endnotes “Nice cans!” That’s what the Beach Food Pantry will say whenever visitors donate their unopened vacation edibles before leaving town. Find a list of drop-off points at www. beachfoodpantry.org. And if you’re one of the local, food-insecure families who receives school lunches and needs help through summer, apply on the website by May 31. Call 252261-2756 with questions. • Hungry for live music? Outer Banks Brewing Station’s Memorial Day Weekend Summer Concert Kick-Off is a 3-day buffet of fresh acts, such as tasty reggae by The Wailers (May 24), spicy punk from The Hot Signals (May 25), and salty surf rock by Cashmere Jungle Lords (May 26). Get deets and a full calendar at www. obbrewing.com. • Start summer a day early when May 26’s Memorial Day Beach Blast fills Historic Corolla Park with beer and food, beach games and music, including headliners, Soul Intent. And the party continues through Sept. 11 with Whalehead Wednesdays, where weekly humpday tunes flow from 3-7pm, and $15 buys a souvenir glass and samples from Sanctuary Vineyards, Vineyards on the Scuppernong, Northern Outer Banks Brewing Company, and Weeping Radish Brewery. And every week, Currituck Cornhole Tournaments let 16 people toss off for free prizes. 4:15pm. Call 252-453-9040 to register. More at www.visitcurrituck.com. • On May 27, Duck Town Green greets the high season with military precision by hosting a Summer Kick Off Concert with the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing Band. 6pm sharp. Marching orders at www.townofduck.com. • Dash south to Avon’s Koru Village, May 27, for the 8th Annual Shore Break 5K & Tide Pool Fun Run, where the finish line features a pancake breakfast with cold Carolina Brewery beers (if you’re 21+), and proceeds feed the Hatteras Island Youth Education Fund. 8am. Register by May 24 at www.hatterasyouth.com. • Stick around, ’cause Dare County Arts Council’s 7th Annual Rock The Cape Festival supports the Hatteras Island arts scene, May 27-July 14. The party starts with May 27’s Island Art Show — where 20+ creative types converge on the Rodanthe-Waves-Salvo Community Center — and concludes with a June 14 concert at Real Watersports, starring VB’s The Chong Band, local boys Formula, and a fire performance by Panda. ($5 tix advance; $10 at the door. Kids 12 and under: free.) In-between, enjoy a range of colorful happenings in Avon, Buxton and Hatteras Village. A full spectrum of info awaits at www.darearts.org. • Art? Skill? It’s certainly a thrill when Chicamacomico Life-Saving Station’s Breeches Buoy Apparatus Drill displays century-old lifesaving tactics every Thurs. at 2pm, starting May 28. Shoot over to www. chicamacomico.org for a range of historical options. • The real drama begins May 31, as The Lost Colony officially unveils its 82nd season at 7:45pm. Nightly shows continue, Mon.-Sat., through Aug. 23. Want the cheap seats? Attend May 30’s Preview Night for just $20. Or come back to one of three Dare Nights — June 7, 14 & 21 — where two food bank donations and a local ID get you in for free. Find tix and deets at www. thelostcolony.org. • June 1’s your chance to cheer for a legendary Lost Colony alum and Outer Banks visionary when Bryan Jones reveals his new documentary — Christmas Every Day: The Wonderful Life of Eddie Greene — at Manteo’s Dare County Arts Council. 7:30pm. More at www.darearts.org. • And the whole county gets a little local love on June 1, when the 44th Annual Dare Day returns to Downtown Manteo. From 9am-6pm, enjoy arts and crafts, local vendors and baked goods, live music and lots of community spirt — plus the GoFar Dare Day 5K & Fun Run. Full day’s deets at www.townofmanteo.com. (PS: head over to the Downtown Books’ booth for book signings with The Secret Token author, Andrew Lawler, and a 1pm lecture called “How the Lost Colony Got Lost.”) • Go west young hang glider! June 1 is Kitty Hawk Kites’ Cotton Gin Flight Park Barbecue and Spot Landing Contest in Jarvisburg. Join local experts and students for flying, food and festivities as they try to hit the bullseye. Repeat party on July 6. More at www.kittyhawk.com. • Watch soundside stunt pilots perform watery acrobatics — and professional partiers soar into the night — when The Wind Voyager Triple-S Invitational returns to Real Watersports, June 1-7. By day, world-class kiteboarders battle for a $70,000 purse. Come evening, world-class bands bring down the house, including superstars like Mix Master Mike of the Beastie Boys ( June 1), and hip-hop legends/Jimmy Fallon’s house band, The Roots ( June 7). Plus,
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Jake Fowler, Music Director
Tuesday, August 20 • 7:30 p.m. All Saints Episcopal Church Southern Shores NC
Wednesday, August 21 • 6:30 p.m. Town of Duck Amphitheater, Duck NC
Thursday, August 22 • 7:00 p.m. Cape Hatteras Secondary School Buxton NC
Friday, August 23 • 7:00 p.m. Dare County Arts Council, Manteo NC For more information visit
www.bryanculturalseries.org Our endowment managed by the
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ROANOKE ISLAND HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION PRESENTS
On June 7, The Roots help raise money for HIYEF by raising the roof at Real Watersports. Photo: Toby Bromwich
on June 6, the Sunset Swim Fashion Show struts its stuff. And, June 4 premieres the Hollywood movie Send It, which was filmed on-site at last year’s event — which generated more than $66k for the Hatteras Island Youth Education Fund. This year they want to raise even more. Keep tabs on the comp at www.triplesinvitational.com and check out more events — including the summer’s Sky Blue Summer Concert Series — at www. realwatersports.com. • On June 2, Nags Head’s Soundside Event Site circles the chowwagons for Outer Banks Food Truck Showdown 3. From 11:30am-4:30pm, fill your pieholes with a parking lot’s worth of delicious mobile menu items — and stuff your earholes with tasty tunes by Anthony Rosano and the Conqueroos, Trick Fly, Mustang Outreach Program bands, and more. Find the full day’s menu on Facebook or www.beardedfp.com. • Sit on Bearded Face Productions’ website for a smiling selection of free summer music, such as live bands at Michael Dianna’s Grill Room in Corolla, Tues.-Fri. nights; a Blue Point Sat. Concert Series; and 6:30pm shows every damn night for both the Tap Shack in Duck and Jack Brown’s in KDH — including weekly residencies by Folkjet, featuring Craig Honeycutt. • Might as well keep rocking out the summer setlists. On June 1, local prog-rock four-piece Cor De Lux pumps up the Bonzer Shack beside Brooklyn NY’s Toyzanne. Starting June 20, Tiki Disco mixes DJ AlKey, Marty Martin Denny, and a bunch of Kill Devil Rum cocktails every Thurs. night at 11pm. And the backyard fills with acoustic music from 6-9pm, starting June 22, with The Wilders (Mon.), BC (Wed.), Adam Nixon (Thurs.), Daniel Break (Fri.), Joey La Fountaine & Matt Wentz (Sat.), and Natalie Wolfe (Sun.). Complete deets at www.bonzershack.com. • Random acts of weirdness reign supreme every Tues. night at Outer Banks Brewing Station when Harrison & Wentz Presents: A Bewitching Night of Mystic Tropicalia — an evolving pantheon of adept performers like Marty Martier, Ed Tupper, and Joey Fountaine, who besiege your mind with films, music, revolving luau games, and after-party seances. And there’s lots more lunacy where that came from as Southern Culture on the Skids wings chicken at the crowd ( June 6), Badfish channels ’90s psychos Sublime ( June 19), and The Running Club fully reunites to work up a sweat, June 22. Full calendar at www.obbrewing.com. • Run up to Kitty Hawk’s Rundown Café, where tunes shake the Hula Deck every Wed.-Sun. ’round 6pm, including Alexander James ( June 6 & 26), BirdDog ( June 7, 15 & 28), and Michelle Fernandez ( June 12). Fill out your week at www.rundowncafe.com. • Art’s Place regulars rejoice! The Joe Mapp Jazz Nights jam on every Mon. while Open Mic with Monte Hooker wails each Wed. Or, pop in Thurs, Fri. and Sun. for a pleasant surprise of random local artists between the backyard and the Sway Bar. Find updates on Facebook. • KDH’s Secret Island wins the Benneton award
SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 28, 2019 ON THE GROUNDS OF THE LOST COLONY ROANOKE ISLAND, NC
Wine, beer, food and fun on the Roanoke Sound
TLCWINEFEST.COM • 252.473.2127 milepost 71
endnotes for promoting international relations, thanks to Student Appreciation Sundays w/ DJ a full sched at www.theobxrunningcompany.com. • Don’t forget to stretch! Whalehead’s Ponfetti. And, starting June 26, Wed. Reggae Nights hosted by Sopoz and Space Koi will Yoga In the Park happens every Thurs., June 6-Sept. 12 at 7:30am. (Excluding July 4.) Bring a deliver fresh reggae bands weekly. Full calendar at www.secretislandobx. yoga mat or beach towel, water and sunscreen, and monitor the com. • Join Jarvisburg’s Cotton Gin for awesome Acoustic Sunsets every CurrituckOBXevents Facebook Page for weather cancellations. • Emerging artists like Carol Jones share Thurs. Sip local wines by Sanctuary Vineyards, and sample live local Flex your mastery of local knowledge when Outer Banks historian colorful, “Collected Memories” at Dare tunes such as The Ramble ( June 13), Sandbar Blues ( July 25), Mercy Sarah Downing signs copies of Chronicles of the Outer Banks: County Arts Council, June 7-July 7. Fish Tales and Salty Gales at Manteo’s Downtown Books ( June 5, Creek (Aug. 1), and Mosquito Net (Aug. 22). 5-9pm. Bring your own 3:30-6:30pm) and Duck’s Cottage ( June 6, 9-11am). Then savor picnic basket? Sure. Friendly pets? Of course! Outside alcohol? Hell no! forgotten flavors, June 7, when Amy Gaw serves up signed copies of (PS: Enjoy free winery tours Mon.-Fri. at 1pm and free wine tastings every Lost Restaurants of the Outer Banks, 5:30pm-7:30pm. More at Fri. And the Truckin’: Summer Food Truck & Music Series keeps on www.duckscottage.com. • What’s Downtown Manteo’s favorite jam? cookin’ every Sat. through Aug. 31, 11am-4pm.) More at www. First Friday! June 7’s small-town collection of later shopping and sanctuaryvineyards.com. • Rather rock the stage? Try Jolly Roger’s Open special events includes Dare County Art’s Council’s 6pm opening Mic Jam Night w/ Rollo & Mitch every Tues. & Sat., 6:30-9:30pm. Can’t receptions for Fred Vallade’s month-long exhibit, “Dare To Be really play? Or sing? Or remember the words? That’s why they do Different,” as well as “Collected Memories,” which showcases work Nightly Karaoke, too. Jam over to www.jollyrogerobx.com for the score. by DCAC’s emerging student artists, like Victoria Byers, Carol • OBX Pirates Parrot Head Club don’t take summer vacations. Be at Jones, Feather Phillips, and J. Michael Harris. (Hangs through July Hurricane Mo’s, June 4 — and July 2 & Aug. 6 — as the local branch of 7.) Meanwhile, the students of Ascension Music Academy fill the the Jimmy Buffet fan club “Parties for a Purpose” to support local house with beautiful music, while First Flight High School and charities. 6pm. Salty deets at www.obxparrotheadclub.com. • Now lose Manteo High School bands kick brass on the courthouse steps. See the flops and lace the sneakers, ’cause June 5 is National Running Day. www.darearts.org for more. • Prefer preserves, pickles— or just more Head to The Market Place in Southern Shores at 7:30am to join this art prints? Come back every Sat., 8am-12pm to peruse fresh produce national celebration of endorphin addiction. Not enough laps? Jog to and fine crafts at Manteo’s Farmer’s Market. More ripe details at Jennette’s Pier for June 13’s Sunrise 5k and June 20’s Sunset 5k. Plus, www.townofmanteo.com. • And be sure to whip back to Wanchese’s Corolla’s Lighthouse 5k Series dashes ’round Whalehead every Wed., Secotan Market every Sat. for all sorts of organic veggies, meats and more from 8am-2pm through Sept. The Village Realty 5k Race Series runs over Nags Head every other Thurs., from June 27-Aug. 15. And the Run Hatteras Series sprints every Mon., July 8-Aug. 12. Find — with mid-week refills on Wed. from 10am-1pm. Follow Facebook for freshest news. •
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Dr. Thomas McGrady Rph
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Food Truck Showdown 11:30-4:30 Sunday June 2nd
more, or call 252-442-7132. • Meet the big brains behind itsy-bitsy houses, June 8-9, when Soundside Live Event Site hosts the first Outer Banks Tiny Home Festival, 10am-6pm. Plus, beer, food and live music make for a big time both days. Pricing and details at www. outerbankstinyhome.com. • Expand your mind and flex your body at Town of Duck’s Yoga on the Green every Tues. — and Dynamic Flow on the Green every Wed. — June 11Sept. 4, 7:30am. Plus, there’s a dizzying array of kid-friendly activities, including Wed.’s OBXtreme Magic, June 19-Aug.21 at 9:30am & 11am (excluding June 26 and July 17); Thurs.’ Hula Hoop & Play ( June 20-Aug. 15, 9am); Story Time Fridays ( July 5-Sept. 6, 10am); Nature Out Loud! Children’s Concerts, June 18, July 9, and Aug. 28; and a Children’s Interactive Theater with Mystery of the Lost Colony or the NC Aquarium on select Tues. mornings. Plus, every month features a Movie on the Green, like The Sword in the Stone ( June 11), The Princess Bride ( July 16), Up (Aug. 13), and The Little Mermaid (Aug. 27). And grown-ups get to cut loose, too, Thurs. evenings with free Concerts on the Green, June 13-Aug. 29 (excluding 4th of July). 6:30pm. See www.townofduck.com for details on bands, times, locations, and — in certain cases — advance tix for free kids events. • Nags Head’s Dowdy Park does Yoga in the Park every Tues. at 7:30am — and Tai Chi in the Park every Wed. at 8am. Live music takes the stage Wed. evenings, 6-8pm. And the Dowdy Park Farmer’s Market showcases tasty veggies and fine crafts every other Thurs.: June 13 & 27; July 11 & 25; Aug. 8 & 22; and Sept. 12 & 26. Learn more at www.townofnagshead.gov. • Roanoke Island Aquarium’s got cool-blue programming all summer, such as June 8’s World Ocean’s Day Celebration (10am-1pm), and the Pea Island Preservation Society’s “Freedmen, Surfmen, Heroes: the Unique Story of the Pea Island Life Savers” on June 13, July 11 & Aug. 8 (11am & 1pm). Plus, the nature trail features a new interactive experience that’s For the Birds, and there’s also an
Elizabethan Gardens
THE
Folk-off down to Ocracoke, June 7-9, as the 20th Annual Ocrafolk Festival features two decades of favorite performers like Molasses Creek, Steel Wheels, Ballet Folkorico de Ocracoke, and more. And come back June 13 for the annual WOVV Women’s Arm Wrestling Tournament, where powerful muscles and mad-cap costumes combine forces to strengthen local radio. Get a better grip at www.visitocracoke.org. • It’s a dogfight of fabric proportions when Kitty Hawk Kites’ Eaglet Wars come to Jockey’s Ridge every Fri., June 8-29, to battle in categories from spot landings to distance to pylon flying. Full flight plans at www.kittyhawk.com. • And June 8’s a fish fight of angling proportions at Jennette’s Pier’s 9th Annual Family Fishing Tournament. From 7am1pm, terrible tykes tangle with angry grannies to bring in the baddest fish in ten categories, including bluefish, croaker and drum. (No skates, rays or sharks.) $18 for adults; $9 for children. More at www.jennettespier. net. • June 8’s your once-a-year chance to fish North Pond, when the Pea Island Refuge Crabbing and Fishing Rodeo gives folks a taste of the coastal lifestyle, 9am-12pm. (Call 252-216-9464 if the weather looks nasty.) The outdoor activities continue all summer long with Turtle Talks, Canoe Tours, Tram Tours, and Red Wolf Howlings. Plus there’s a Free Pre-School Young Naturalist Program every Fri. at Alligator River Welcome Center (10am-11am) and Free Bird Walks on Pea Island every Wed. & Fri., 8-9:30am. For reservations, pricing and more, call 252-216-9464. • Jockey’s Ridge State Park’s Weekly Ranger Guided Programs stay free through Aug. 16, including: Reptile Walk (Sat., 1pm); Dune Ranger Program (Sun., 1pm); Year of the Snake (Mon., 11am); Candid Critters (Tues., 10am); Birds of Prey (Wed., 10am); Blackbeard’s Treasure Hunt (Fri., 11am); and Fish Printing (Fri., 1pm). Plus, every Tues.-Thurs., come out for All About the Ridge (11am), and every Tues.-Fri. for Sunset on the Ridge (8pm). Some programs require pre-registration. Hike over to www.friendsofjockeysridge.org for
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endnotes indoor multimedia exhibit on NC food chains called “Habitat Snacks” through July 11. Find a full display of events at www.ncaquariums.com. • From June 13-16, Load up on funnel cake — then hit the Ferris Wheel — when Nags Head’s 4th Annual Soundside FunFair brings back deep-fried fun and carnival rides to benefit the Children & Youth Partnership for Dare County. 5-11pm. More at www.outerbanks.org. • Dive down to Jennette’s Pier, June 13, for part one of the Outer Banks Splash and Dash Series, featuring a short run, a 400-meter ocean swim, and full-on 5k. Come back for a second sweat-and-saline drenched installment on June 20. Sign up at www.theobxrunningcompany.com. • You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to enjoy June 14-16’s 37th Annual Francis Rogallo Kite Festival. Just space out on all the colorful kites fluttering across Jockey’s Ridge in honor of the legendary NASA engineer and inventor of the flexible wing. Get the full sched at www.kittyhawk.com. • Give Mother Ocean some much needed attention, June 15, when Outer Banks Surfrider celebrates International Surfing Day with a 6pm beach cleanup and BBQ at Bonnett Street. Enjoy Boars Head grillables, ice-cold chillables, and get the latest on local issues like the continued fight against offshore drilling. (Hey! You might even catch a wave or two.) Find the chapter’s Facebook for updates. • Find your muse — and maybe polka-dot your liver — every Mon., June 17-Aug. 26, when Brew & Arts returns to the Brew Pub backyard, featuring a rotating cast of jewelers, woodworkers, photographers, painters, ceramic artists, and more. 5-8pm. Colorful deets at www.obbrewing.com. • Think stripes and circles don’t go together? You’ve never tried a Cape Hatteras Lighthouse Full Moon Climb. Interested? Tix go on sale at 10am, 3 days before the following dates: June 17, July 16, Aug. 15. Just be on www.recreation.gov well ahead of time and be ready to click “purchase” within seconds. • Take a walk on the wild side with Nags Head Woods’ Guided Hikes every Wed., June 19Aug.7. From 9:30-11ish, The Nature Conservancy will show you birds, butterflies, botany, and a bunch of natural and cultural history. Learn more at www.tnc.org/nhw. • Pipsqueaks rule the pilings, June 19, when the annual Fritz Boyden Youth Fishing Tournament invites hundreds of kids to fish for free on Outer Banks Fishing Pier, Jennette’s Pier, Nags Head Pier, and Avalon Pier. Prizes and trophies abound, but no one leaves empty-handed, as every entrant gets a free shirt and bellyful of snacks. 7:30am-1pm. Sign up at www. nagsheadsurffishingclub.org. • Hooked on Jesus? On June 19, be at Roanoke Island Festival Park for His Generation’s Summer Concert, featuring Crowder and Colton Dixon. Tix run from $20 to a $75 VIP experience that includes a 5:30-6:30pm meet-andgreet and up-front seating. Full details at www.hisgen.org. • Nature lovers and fine-art fanatics converge on Whalehead’s 18th Annual Under The Oaks Art Festival, June 1920, as 50+ artists display styles from landscapes to photos to wood carvings alongside food and bev vendors. Learn more at www.visitcurrituck.com. • Get your fix of storm photos at Hatteras’ Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum, when Daniel Pullen presents “Documenting Disaster: Weather Dictates the Way,” June 20, July 18 & Aug. 15. 1111:45am. Or peep his yearlong exhibition, “Endangered Community: The Independent Waterman Project” all summer. And come down any Tues. at 2pm for a Salty Dawgs Lecture, covering topics from Outer Banks Shipwrecks ( June 11) and Enigma Machines ( June 18), to Sea Shanties ( June 25, July 23 & Aug. 6) and Maritime Folk Songs ( July 30, Aug. 20). Find a full summer event forecast at www.graveyardoftheatlantic.com. • Meanwhile, in Avon, Koru Beach Klub’s 2019 Summer Concert Series is a living wax museum of topnotch tribute acts and classic styles, including: Badfish’s salute to Sublime ( June 20); Red Not Chili Peppers ( June 27); Southern Accents’ take on Tom Petty ( July 4); On the Border’s homage to The Eagles ( July 11); Mighty Joshua’s reggae revelations ( July 18); beach music legends, the Embers ( July 25); ZoSo getting the Led out (Aug. 1); Tuesday’s Gone screaming Skynyrd (Aug. 8); and Trial By Fire jamming Journey (Aug. 15). Score tix at www.koruvillage.com. • Why yell “Freebird” when you can scream, “Bingo!”? Any Wed., join the Cape Hatteras Anglers Club Bingo Night, where dollars support local scholarships and non-profits. Doors open at 6pm. Games start at 7pm sharp and max out at 150 players. Complete rules at www.capehatterasanglersclub.org. • Ready to throw the kids overboard? Send them to Roanoke Island Maritime Museum’s Summer Youth Sailing
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Find it all in
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Duck’s walkable village has everything you could want or need, from a sound side boardwalk to stores, galleries, and eateries. Enjoy free live events at the Town Park and stroll along the newly completed pedestrian paths. Find it all in Duck.
Summer Events
For start/end dates and more info visit townofduck.com
Fitness on the Green
Story Time
YOGA ON THE GREEN Tuesdays 7:30am
Fridays 10:00 a.m. (on the Paul F. Keller Meeting Hall steps)
DYNAMIC FLOW FITNESS Wednesdays 7:30am
Town Amphitheater events
HULA HOOP & PLAY Thursdays 9:00am (except July 4)
VARIETY SHOWS
Live Entertainment
CONCERTS ON THE GREEN Thursdays 6:30pm (except July 4)
Visit townofduck.com for dates
NATURE OUT LOUD INTERACTIVE THEATER OBXTREME MAGIC SHOW
MOVIES ON THE GREEN Sunset, select dates Save the date! The 2019 Duck Jazz Festival is coming October 12-13. Visit duckjazz.com for info and updates.
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While you’re visiting Duck find all the ways to Shop, Play, Dine, and Stay at doducknc.com.
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Camp instead. Sign-up for five days, June 17-Aug. 2. Morning and afternoon sessions are offered. For more info, call 252-475-1750. • Or push them off of Jockey’s Ridge, June 21, when the Kitty Hawk Kites’ Summer Throwdown aims to soar into the season with a record 500 hang gliding flights. Full deets at www.kittyhawk.com. • Need a rainy day option? Stick a paintbrush where the sun don’t shine at KDH Cooperative Gallery & Studios, where you’ll find a range of Mon.-Fri. indoor art lessons for ages 5-10. June 24-28’s Bits&Pieces covers mixed media collage and mosaic. July 8-12’s Kids’ Painting brushes through tempera, acrylic, watercolor, pastel, and more; and Aug. 12-16’s Drawing is FUNdamental explores sketching basics, from cartooning to shading. (10am-12pm; $95.) And July 29-Aug. 2’s Eco Art teaches 11-14-year-olds how to upcycle discarded items into visual treasures. (12:30-2:30pm; $95.) Or, adults can try Terrific Totes, a sip-and-paint workshop where you bring the bottle, they supply a bag, and everyone staggers out with acrylic masterpieces for future shopping trips: June 20 & 27; July 11, 18 & 25; Aug. 1, 8, 15 & 22. (46pm; $35.) Learn more at www. obxlocalart.com. • Then it’s back in The Summer Slam Kayak Fishing Tournament catches-andthe yak for June 22’s Summer Slam releases from sea to sound, June 22. Photo: Ryan Rhodes Kayak Fishing Tournament, where competitors spend all day angling from Wright Memorial Bridge to Hatteras Inlet — then photograph their biggest flounder, speckled trout, or red drum in hopes of reeling in bragging rights and big prizes. $50. Get all the rules and regs at www. kittyhawk.com. • Go trawling for trash, June 22, when the NC Beach Buggy Association hosts an Operation Beach Respect & Adopt-A-Highway event at all Hatteras and Ocracoke Island access ramps. 8am-1pm. More at www.ncbba.org. • On June 23, Mustang Midsummer Meltdown 2 promises to litter Mike Dianna’s Grill Room with live tunes by Formula and more. And six days later, The Grass is Dead in Duck as the Tap Shack hosts another Shakedown Saturday. Get all the hairy details at www.beardedfp.com. • From June 24-Aug. 15, Elizabethan Gardens makes kids crazy for critters, five days a week: Mon.’s Backyard Birds introduces our area’s feathered friends; Tues.’ Fun with Frogs fawns over our favorite amphibians; Wed.’s Butterflies! is a-flutter with colorful wings; and Thurs.’ Helpful Bugs shows how even the grossest insects do good. 11am-12pm. Free with admission. Visit www.elizabethangardens. org for more. • Rather have Royal Tea With the Queen? Jaunt over to The Lost Colony, where her highness breaks crumpets with commoners at 6:15pm before every Thurs. performance, June 20-Aug. 22. And give future drama queens some extra inspiration, June 25-Aug. 21, as Wanda’s Monster plays the Sound Stage Theatre on Tues. (10:30am) and Wed. (2pm). Pricing and deets at www.thelostcolony.org. • Keep the tykes clapping with Roanoke Island Festival Park’s Summer Kids Shows, such as: Little Red and the Big Bully Wolf’s fairytale twist ( June 26, 10:30am; June 27, 10:30am & 6pm); Big Bang Boom’s kid- and parent-friendly pop-rock antics ( July 3 & 4, 10:30am); A Peter Rabbit Tale revisits a childhood classic ( July 10, 10:30am; July 11, 10:30am & 6pm); Winnie the Pooh: the Musical gives beloved characters brand new songs ( July 17, 10:30am; July 18, 10:30am & 6pm); Hayden the Magician does high-energy illusions ( July 24, 10:30am; July 25, 10:30am & 6pm); and FrankenSTEM mashes monsters with science. ( July 31, 10:30 am; August 1, 10:30 am & 6pm). $5. (Free for ages 2 and under.) More at www.roanokeisland.com. • Kings of swing sink swanky holes — while helping local families fight cancer — when the 12th Annual Interfaith Community Outreach Golf Tournament carts into Duck Woods Country Club on June 27. 1pm shotgun start. Awards and party to follow. For details, putt over to www.interfaithoutreach.com or call 252-480-0070. • And creative works help the community when the Avon Art Show hits Hatteras Realty, June 27. From 10am-4pm, find fine local works, food, bevs — and a raffle that benefits the Hatteras Island Arts & Craft
LIVE WATERFRONT MUSIC EVERY WEEK DINNER & DRINKS AVAILABLE AT WATERMEN’S BAR & GRILL JUNE 1ST • MIX MASTER MIKE JUNE 3RD • MYSTIC VIBRATIONS JUNE 5TH • AMERICAN PINUP
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endnotes Guild’s scholarships for local graduates. Come back July 18 for a repeat. Follow Facebook for updates. • Twenty years ago, the National Park Service moved the masses by transporting Cape Hatteras Lighthouse a half-mile inland. On July 1, they revisit this monumental achievement with a full-on affair. Or show up at the Hatteras Island Visitor Center any day at 10:30 am, as new ranger programs relive the relocation. Step over to www.nps.gov/caha for the latest. • On July 2, meet kids lit icon Suzanne Tate at Manteo’s Downtown Books as she signs copies of her 40th title, Tommy Tuna, from 11am-1pm. On July 5, local novelists, Joseph Terrell and Greg Smrdel, scribble in their personal works from 5:30-7:30pm. And be sure to watch for red-and-white stripes across Duck and Manteo businesses as the Find Waldo Scavenger Hunt takes place all July. More at www.duckscottage.com. • Rocket south to Ocracoke Island for three-times the Independence Day fun, starting with July 3’s famous Ocracoke Square Dance and fireworks show. The festivities continue July 4 with a Sand Sculpture Contest, hometown parade, and — come nightfall — a Glow-in-the-Dark Laser Effects Show and Dance Party, before concluding with July 5’s Community Beach Bonfire finale. Complete sched at www.visitocracokenc.com. • Kick off your July 4 by kicking up heels when the Freedom 5k & Fun Run comes to KDH Town Hall at 7:30am. More at the www. theobxrunningcompany.com. • Or dash over to Jockey’s Ridge for the annual Killer Dunes 2-Miler & Fun Run, where every patriotic footstep supports Friends of Jockey’s Ridge. Sign up at www.friendsofjockeysridge.org. • Strut your star spangled stuff up in Duck when the 15th Annual 4th of July Parade and Celebration marches all over town at 9am, then finishes with a Duck Town Park party stocked with tunes, refreshments, trophies, and community pride. More at www.townofduck.com. • Be at Historic Corolla Park by 3pm for the 27th Annual Independence Day Celebration, where festivities include food vendors, a corn-hole tournament, watermelon eating contest, and children’s games — plus a fireworks
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display that starts at dusk. Get the full scoop at www.visitcurrituck.com. • Party like it’s 1849 on Roanoke Island when Island Farm salutes the nation’s beginnings with musket fire, games and a reading of the Declaration of Independence. Admission is $8; free for children ages 5 and under. 10am-4pm. Cart over to www.theislandfarm.com for the latest. • And Downtown Manteo’s making America’s birthday a revolutionary rager by lining up events from the totally traditional (Independence Day Parade, American Apple Pie Contest) to the potentially dangerous (Firecracker Cornhole Tournament, Sparkler Watermelon Eating Contest). Plus, The Crowd rocks the waterfront from 5:30-7:30pm, before the party moves inside Roanoke Island Festival Park for a patriotic performance by the 208th Army Band, followed by a Fireworks Grand Finale, which starts at dark. Get all the times and options at www. townofmanteo.com. • And come nightfall, the rockets’ red glare will burst into air over Avalon Pier, Nags Head Pier, and Avon Pier. Google exact times for each, but in every case come early if you wanna get parking. (Fun fact: Jockey’s Ridge offers a panoramic view of Nags Head and Manteo.) • Red, white and brew rules the backyard, July 5, at the Outer Banks Brewing Station’s 3rd Annual Independence Beer Mile, where each quarter-mile comes with a 10 oz. chug — and crazy costumes are always a winner. 11am start. (More at www.theobxrunningcompany.com.) And inside, the live local tunes keep firing through July, including local legends Zack Mexico ( July 6), Grateful Dead dopplegangers, Last Fair Deal ( July 13), and Phish-fiends Runaway Gin ( July 26). Full calendar at www. obbrewing.com. • On July 5, The Ramble rocks Dare County Arts Council’s front steps for Manteo’s First Friday. Inside, Taylor Williams’ “Between Bridges” exhibit spans the walls with seascapes all month long — starting with a 6pm reception. And from July 12-Aug. 12, DCAC’s Water Water Everywhere reflects on our favorite element’s role in sustaining local life — environmentally, economically, literally — and as a source of artistic inspiration. 6pm
reception on opening day. For more info, visit www.darearts.org. • Jam over to Rodanthecollege music scene circles back when Craig Honeycutt, Steve Van Dam, and Nate Brown Waves-Salvo Community Center for July 5’s Island Art Show, where the work of 20+ return for Almost Everything’s Not Quite a Reunion Tour. On July 18, step inside Jack artists helps sustain the community by donating to a Brown’s for a private-ticketed event, then head up to different cause — OBX SPCA to Hatteras Island Meals — Duck’s Tap Shack for a July 19 free-for-all. More at www. “Houston, we need a flat screen…” Don’t worry: and live music and food fill out the day. (PS: Come back beardedfp.com. • Wanna get lit early? Hit Duck’s Cottage Wright Bros. Memorial’s July 20 rebroadcast of the Aug. 29 for the last show of summer.) Learn more on bookstore, July 19, as Joseph Terrell signs his latest 1969 moon landing won’t be entirely, historically accurate. Photo: Aycock Brown Facebook. • Hee-yah! After a few stubborn years, Gov’t Harrison Weaver mystery, Deadly Dreams of Summer, from 9-11am. Come back July 25 when Amy Gaw Mule brings the kick of big-name music back to Festival autographs Lost Restaurants of the Outer Banks. Tasty Park, July 7. For times and tix go to www.beardedfp.com. • deets at www.duckscottage.com. • Take a giant leap back in Bonzer Shack keeps blowing up with bi-monthly bands at time, July 20, as Wright Brothers National Memorial 11pm, such as Sean K. Preston and Uphill Blues ( July 13); celebrates the 50th Anniversary of America’s Moon Family Tree ( July 27); Jenny Besetz and Dim Delights Landing with a rebroadcast of Neil Armstrong’s moon (Aug. 10); and The Mumz and Arson Daily (Aug. 24). walk and other out-of-this-world activities. Float over to Explosive details at www.bonzershack.com. • And www.nps.gov/wrbr for a full itinerary. • In search of Rundown Café’s Wed.-Sun. lineup carries on with the likes shorebreak astronauts? Head to Jennette’s Pier, July 20-21, of SoulOne ( July 5 & 27), Slick One ( July 13 & 20), and when the OBX Skim Jam draws a squadron of stunt pilots Kamea Blake ( July 31). Find the full calendar at www. to perform gravity-defying feats. 7am-4pm. Learn more — rundowncafe.com. • The 41st Annual Wright Kite or sign up for skim lessons — at www.obxskimcamps.com. • Festival flies over Wright Brothers National Memorial Crash into Mike Dianna’s Grill Room in Corolla, July 21, as Park, July 13-14. From 10am-4pm, score free lessons while the People’s Blues of Richmond, C2, and The Brothers witnessing the spectacle of stunt kites, power kites, and the Reed ooze with aural energy for the Mustang Midsummer occasional 50-foot floating octopus. Park charges $7 to Meltdown 3. More at www.beardedfp.com. • Get enter, but the event is free. More at www.kittyhawk.com. • NOCQUA-ed up underwater, July 25, when Waves Village Watersports Resort’s Light Is there any better way to celebrate Shark Awareness Day than performing hands-on Up The Night mixes glowing SUPs and floats with a big-screen movie. 8:30-10pm. Enlighten activities — and pressing your face to the tank — at Roanoke Island Aquarium? Find out yourself at www.kittyhawk.com. • Got a non-profit? Need extra cash? Apply for Outer July 14, 10am-1pm. Swim over to www.ncaquariums.com for juicier bits. • And the mid-90s
for shopping, dining, yoga… and Aw�so�e Sunsets!
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Visit Duck’s favorite spot
DUCK, NC At the north end of the Duck Village Boardwalk
Yellowhouse Gallery FINE ART PHOTOGRAPHY AMERICAN FINE CRAFT
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endnotes Banks Community Foundation Community Enrichment Grants by July 26. Details, apps gaff ’em. It starts with Aug. 10-11’s annual Alice Kelly Memorial Ladies Only Billfish and future deadlines at www.obcf.org. • Help Outer Banks Surfrider get a financial leg up Tournament in support of ICO Cancer Outreach, then continues with the 38th Annual by working your arms when the 26th Annual One-Mile Paddle Race returns to KDH Bath Pirate’s Cove Billlfish Tourney, Aug. 12-17. Complete sched at www.pcbgt.com. • Then it’s House, July 27. Seven divisions cover every age and discipline — kayak to shortboard to back to Jennette’s Pier for four days of wave action, as the Oakley Surf Shop Challenge SUP. And every dollar supports local students and programs. Find their Facebook page for pits regional retailers in a battle of the rippers, Aug. 13-14, before the Rip Curl Grom updates. • Need a bigger boat? Try Roanoke Island Maritime Museum’s 17th Annual Search scouts future world tour talent one heat at a time, Aug. 15-16. Go support your One Design Regatta, July 27, where sailboat captains race around Shallowbag Bay while favorite local shop, grom or shop-grom. 7am-4pm. Learn more at www.surfshopchallenge. their mates cheer from the shoreline. $25 com and www.ripcurl.com. • Then, the entry includes a shirt and celebratory Manteo waterfront becomes a gladiator dinner. For info, call 252-475-1750. • On pit of pottery, watercolors, photos, and Aug. 1, Nags Head’s Kitty Hawk Kites more as the 38th Annual New World 11th Annual OBX Watermelon Festival Festival of the Arts returns, Aug. 14-15, is a smash hit of kids activities, water 10am-3pm. Get all the dazzling deets at slides, and spitting seeds to support the www.darearts.org. • Watch your buccan’ Outer Banks Bicycle and Pedestrian mouth — and your buccaneers! On Aug. Safety Coalition. 10am-4pm. More at 14-15, Nags Head’s Kitty Hawk Kites www.kittyhawk.com. • A Hard Rain falls shows kids how to talk, walk and on Duck’s Cottage bookstore, Aug. 2, swashbuckle like Blackbeard as part of when author Steven Lewis signs copies of the annual Outer Banks Pirate Festival. his novel, which is set on Hatteras Island. Pillage the latest at www.kittyhawk.com. • 9-11am. And come 5:30pm, he’ll be Then stuff your figgin’ face, Aug. 16-17, as showering sigs across Manteo’s the Ocracoke Fig Festival gathers fresh Downtown Books. Get the full story at fruit, preserves, cookbooks, fig-smoked www.duckscottage.com. • We found your BBQ, a Fig Cake BakeOff, and — best of Mojo Collins. The local blues legend is all — free samples. More at www. rocking Downtown Manteo for First visitocracokenc.com. • Babies take the Friday, Aug. 2, as the Dare County Arts stage of The Lost Colony on Aug. 17 as Council fires off a fresh exhibit by part of Virginia Dare Night — where photography icon Ray Matthews at 6pm local infants channel their inner Redgrave — and leaves it hanging ’til Aug. 27. Visit to play The New World’s first English www.darearts.org for the latest. • Duck anchor baby. Auditions on July 20. Find Town Hall’s Rotating Art Show brings in updates on www.thelostcolony.org. • On a Batik Exhibit by Robin York and her Aug. 18, be at Elizabethan Gardens to students, Aug. 2-Oct. 23. (Opening celebrate Virginia Dare’s Birthday reception on Aug. 7, 5-7pm.) Just visit the fo’reals by blowing out 432 candles. ( Just first floor conference room any weekday, kidding.) But you do get ice cream and 9am-4pm. Get there by July 24 to catch cake in the Queens Rose Garden, plus the Linus Quilt Exhibit. More at www. more fun activities at a reduced townofduck.com. • Need a double shot of admission. 9am-2pm. Pricing and sched at Donavon Frankenreiter? Be at Outer www.elizabethangardens.org. • Don’t stop Banks Brewing Station, Aug. 2, for an the party yet. Aug. 19 is National Harrison & Wentz Presents: A Bewitching Night of Mystic Tropicalia blends area musicians and eye-popping visuals opening musical fireball by the guitarAviation Day and Orville Wright’s to make every Tues. night at the Brew Pub extra trippy, all summer long. playing furball, then head south for an Birthday — while Aug. 25 is the Aug. 4 chaser of the California gentleman at Real Watersports. Hairy details at www. National Park Service’s 103rd Birthday. Both days offer free admission to Wright donavonf.com. • Then enjoy two intimate moments with one charismatic player when the Brothers National Memorial. More at www.firstlflight.org. • The 5th Annual Surf and Tap Shack in Duck does back-to-back versions of An Evening With Keller Williams, Aug. Sounds Chamber Music Series strings sophisticated music fans along with four free shows, 10-11, 6:30pm. Buy your $20 tix at www.beardedfp.com. • Meanwhile, the Rundown Café’s from Duck to Buxton: Southern Shores’ All Saints Episcopal Church (Aug. 20, 7:30pm); Wed.-Sun. lineup keeps running steady with the likes of Phil Delpierre (Aug 1 & 14); Hello Town of Duck Amphitheater (Aug. 21, 6:30pm); Cape Hatteras Secondary School Robot (Aug. 9); Brian Campbell (Aug. 11 & 24); and Joe Mapp (Aug. 10 & 31). Get the full (Aug.22, 7pm); and Manteo’s Dare County Arts Council (Aug.23, 7pm.) Learn more at calendar at www.rundowncafe.com. • The feel-good sporting event of the summer returns www.bryanculturalseries.org. • Future knot tyers may have to part ways for a few hours, as to Jennette’s Pier, Aug. 10, when Surfing For Autism gathers dozens of families with kids Aug. 25’s OBX Wedding Fest splits the Outer Banks’ top vendors between Jennette’s Pier on the spectrum — and gives everyone a healing weekend on the water. Volunteer at www. and Kitty Hawk Pier. 10am-4pm. Get all the “I dos” and don’ts at www.obxwa.com. • And, surfingforautism.org. • What’s the angle on Aug. 10’s 6th Annual Town of Manteo Youth finally, heart-stopping surf competition meets heartbreaking summer scenery when Aug. 28Fishing Tournament? Easy: let kids ages 4-17 fish for free. Registration is at 8am at the Sept. 1’s WRV Outer Banks Pro fills the beach with bikini-clad vixens and boardshorted Roanoke Island Maritime Museum. Awards go out at 11:45am with a cookout to follow. beefcakes for daily heats at Jennette’s Pier — and sizzling nights at local clubs. Get an eyeful Get hooked up at www.townofmanteo.com. • Step aside kiddo, it’s the grown-ups’ turn to of info and live action at www.wrvobxpro.com.
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EvEnts @ thE OutEr Banks BrEwing statiOn
SUMMER 2019 SERving LUnch & DinnER DaiLy
LIVE MUSIC in ThE
5:30-8:30 PM EvERy nighT
MOndays:
EvEry WEd Night
tuEsdays:
Ladies DJ OhKAY
Brew & Arts
Mondays starting June 18 • 5:30-8 PM
Rotating Local Artists Selling Local Art, Jewelry, Pottery & More In The Backyard (Weather Permitting)
Friday nights:
Night
harrison & WenTz Presents house Band
live Music @ 10 PM (no cover)
With dj brucE daNcE /hip hop
with Special Guest
90’s Night
Signal Fire
Rock/Reggae/Ska PRovidence, Ri
Wed 6/19
Roots / Rock / Reggae San Diego, CA
Mon 6/24
Thurs 7/11
Reggae • Rock hip hop
Wed 7/24
with Special Guest
Bumpin’ Uglies
Feel good MUSic/ Reggae/ dUB SoUth Bay oF la, ca
reggae Legend kingston, JaMaica
Wed 7/31
Innovative Beer saT 8/10
&
Dining Menu
Outer Banks Brewing Statio oakDaLe, ca
come experience our Difference.
Located at Milepost 8.5 on the America' s first wind powered brew p Bypass in kill Devil Hills
All Show TimeS 10:30 PM ‘til 2 aM (Unless otherwise indicated) all shows 21 & up w/ id at the door the outer banks brewing Station is dedicated to bringing the best local, regional and national music, of all shapes, colors, sizes and genres into a comfortable, energized, acoustically extraordinary space. milepost
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