September 18 - COAST

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SEPTEMBER 18, 2020

MY OCRACOKE Living amid more than 250 years of Howard ancestral history A story of family and home.

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2 Friday, September 18, 2020 THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT

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4 Friday, September 18, 2020 THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT

6

ON THE TOWN Catch a wave at the Surfalorus Film Fest and music from the Blue Ridge.

8 BEYOND THE MUSIC MaryAnn Toboz on music and the coronavirus blues.

table of contents

12 EATING IN The SaltBox Cafe gets “cheesy” for vegans and share the joy of sage butter in two tasty recipes.

18

WILDLIFE PHOTOS Bear cubs make an apperance at the Aligator National Wildlife Refuge.

22 COVER STORY Chronicling the history of Ocracoke’s Howard family.

28

Corola Wild Horse Fund commemorates the famous OBX wild horses.

PHOTO COURTESY OF BOB SUMNERS

The Dare County Arts Council Gallery in Manteo.

Don’t miss The Great Art Heist

Dare County Arts Council has decided to hold a benefit art auction next month in lieu of its annual fundraising gala, according to a press release.

Dubbed The Great Art Heist, the auction will showcase more than 100 pieces from local and regional artists. Bidding will start at noon Friday, Oct. 2, at Dare County Arts Council’s Gallery in downtown Manteo, as well as online at DareArts.org/artauction.

Private viewings will be available for art collectors and local businesses throughout the month until bidding closes at 8 p.m.

Oct. 30.

“We are so fortunate that Dare County artists have come together to support us in this crazy, challenging year,” said Chris Sawin, executive director, in a statement.

“Since our traditional fundraising gala is just not

possible in 2020, we are inviting everyone to steal the deals at The Great Art Heist auction.”

The auction is presented

by TowneBank, the lead sponsor of the Dare Digital Arts program that emerged this spring as a way to celebrate and support the arts through initiatives that are safe, meaningful and innovative.

Dare County Arts Council is a nonprofit organization dedicated to encouraging the arts through advocacy, enrichment and opportunity. It provides programs for veterans, artists, schools and the community.

To schedule a private viewing or inquire about sponsorship opportunities, email Sawin at dareartsinfo @gmail.com.

For more information, visit DareArts.org/artauction or call 252-473-5558.

OUT AND ABOUT

S U R F

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S K I M

•

K A Y AK

TECHNOLOGY COURTESY OF BRAD EYRE

ONLY AT KITTY HAWK SURF CO.

A six-spotted fishing spider rests by a pond in Foxfire Lake in Virginia Beach. To see more wild nature shots, head over to page 18.

ABOUT COAST For more than 30 years, COAST has been the go-to source for information about the people, places, and things that make the Outer Banks one of the top destinations on the East Coast.

The publication shines a spotlight on locals who are making their mark, and it provides current information about the latest happenings that should not be missed — from music and art, to food, festivals, fishing, and more.

COAST. All local. All the time.

EDITOR Victoria Bourne, victoria.bourne@ pilotonline.com, 757-222-5563 LOCAL EDITOR Dave Fairbank

davefairbank100@gmail.com

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Dave Fairbank, Jeff Hampton, John Harper, Sam Harris, Philip Howard, Daryl Law, Maggie Miles, Vicki Shufer, Megan Scott, Scott Sechman ADVERTISE WITH US Find out how you can engage more readers with an integrated marketing program.

John "Ski" Miller, media sales manager, ski.miller@virginiamedia.com; Elizabeth Cato, senior account executive, elizabeth.catoe@ virginiamedia.com HOW TO GET YOUR NEWS OR EVENT IN COAST Do you have an event coming up that’s open to the public, or an idea for a

story? If so, we’d like to know. Contact victoria.bourne@ pilotonline.com.

THINGS TO KNOW During the summer season (May-August), when Coast is a weekly publication, information must be submitted at least 10 days in advance of an event.

During the shoulder season (September-October), when Coast is a monthly publication — with the exception of November-December and January-February, when two months are combined — information must be submitted at least 14 days in advance of an event.

WANT TO KNOW MORE? For more information, visit coastobx.com; facebook.com/CoastOBX

KHSURF.COM • (252) 441-6800

6 Friday, September 18, 2020 THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT

ON THE TOWN

COURTESY OF SURFALORUS FILM FEST

Logan Marshall’s “Abeyance” will highlight the opening night of the ninth annual Surfalorus Film Fest and will be viewed drive-in movie style in Manteo along with four other short films.

The remainder of the four-day film fest will be held online.

Surf movie fest and music from the Blue Ridge

By John Harper

■ Friday through Sun-

Thursday, Sept.

24-Sunday, Sept.

27

Thursday, Oct.1

day, films will be shown online at 8 p.m. at surfalorus.com and registraiton is required. Donations will be accepted.

Correspondent

Surfalorus Film Fest To quote Brian Wilson and Mike Love of the Beach Boys, the four-day event should be fun, fun, fun.

The ninth annual edition (the sixth time on the Outer Banks) of the festival will feature local, regional, national and international surf-inspired films, as well as live, interactive questionand-answer sessions with filmmakers, surfers and actors from the Netflix series “Outer Banks.”

“These films not only spotlight surfing,” says Surfalorus director Dan Brawley, 47, of Wilmington. “But they address conservation, cultural and social issues.”

On opening night, the parking lot of the North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island in Manteo will be turned into a drive-in

COURTESY OF THE BAND

One of the groups to emerge from the Asheville music scene is The Knotty G’s , a trio whose music is as pure as a mountain stream.

theater.

Films will be shown on a 30-foot screen, and sound will be broadcast on a FM radio frequency.

Local legend Logan Marshall’s “Abeyance” will highlight the night, which includes four other short films.

On Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Surfalorus will be online.

Standout films include “Sea, Salt, Wind,” “Lo Que

Hay” and “Great Highway,” a classic documentary about the rise of surf culture in San Francisco.

Sunday night, the focus will be on women surfers.

“We always try to lift them up,” says Brawley.

■ Where: (Thursday night only) North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island, 374 Airport Road, Manteo ■ When: 7:30 p.m.

■ Cost: $20 per carload

The Knotty G’s Asheville, North Carolina, has quietly become a legitimate “music town” over the last 15 years or so.

Bands from various camps – rock, funk, Americana, bluegrass, folk, etc. – have been inspired by the beauty and lifestyle of the city (about 2,000 feet above sea level) in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

One of the groups to emerge is The Knotty G’s, a trio of singer-songwritersmulti-instrumentalists whose music is as pure as, well, a mountain stream.

The band plays a free, outdoor show Oct. 1 at the Tap Shack in Duck.

Made up of Gill “Jill with a G” Henry (guitar, mandolin, ukulele, percussion, vocals), Chuck Knott (guitar, mandolin, dobro, vocals)

and Ryan Kijanka (bass, percussion), the group’s sound merges folk, bluegrass, rock and tad funk.

It’s joyful string music, with a kick. There are plenty of lively licks, inspired solos, controlled improvisations and beautiful harmonies.

Originals range from Allman Brothers-ish rock (“October Appalachia”) to pretty ballads (“Another Memory,” “This Old Dog”) to lively breakdowns (“Kookaburra”) to bluesy shuffles (“Mississippi”).

A standout track is “Cabin Song,” an aching midtempo country tune sung by Henry, whose voice suggests a twangier Natalie Merchant (not that there’s anything wrong with that).

It examines the challenges of kicking two bad habits: drinking and smoking.

She sings: “Can’t say a thought without a punchline/Can’t make a joke bigger than me/I hung my heart out on a clothesline/ Hoping a strong breeze will

set me free.”

For club gigs, the trio also throws in a few well-chosen covers, including a delightful take on the Talking Heads’ “Nothing but Flowers.”

■ Where: Tap Shack (behind Coastal Cravings),1209 Duck Road, Duck ■ When: 6:30 p.m.

■ Cost: No cover ■ Info: 252-480-0032, Tap Shack on Facebook John Harper has been covering the local entertainment scene for The Coast and Virginian-Pilot since 1994. He’s also written hundreds of stories on subjects ranging from history to sports and food.

Harper is longtime radio broadcaster and program director on the Outer Banks and can be heard from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday on the local Triple A outlet WVOD-99.1-The Sound. He’s the host of the popular Saturday morning flashback feature “10 at 10” and is also an award-winning wedding D.J.

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8 Friday, September 18, 2020 THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT

BEYOND THE MUSIC

COURTESY OF BIFF@SHOOTERS

MaryAnn Toboz, left, and Cole Stevens play Mississippi delta blues music, honoring the genre's pioneers and finding grooves in the process.

Harping and jamming on the blues

Local blues artist staying safe, aiding community during the pandemic

By Scott Sechman Correspondent

I first encountered MaryAnn Toboz at a day-long jam session in Nags Head a couple of years ago. I was leaving and she was arriving, and I didn’t realize at the time that I’d been in

touch with her before when she was a coordinator at Tidewater Arts Outreach, a nonprofit she started in 2003. I’d just recently arrived on the Outer Banks from California but having spent my formative years in the Tidewater area, I was looking for some way to get

my foot in a musical door in the Norfolk area. So, I contacted them to volunteer.

Fast forward a few months and I’m at another session at the same location, and there was Toboz playing harmonica with local blues woman Ruth Wyand. Then the professional jealousy (all musicians have it, whether they admit it or not) surfaced in

me because she could play much better than me. What are ya gonna do? Love it or live with it, I’m over it now (insert winky emoji here).

She’s currently playing with guitarist Cole Stevens in the delta blues duo Cole and MaryAnn. Little did I know that she is much more than a harp player.

What has been the hardest part of dealing

with the pandemic?

The hardest part has been the realization that our lives have been changed forever. Social institutions that we love and need for our well-being have been missing from our lives since March. I feel for the working parents with schoolaged children and I grieve for the loss and isolation this has meant for older adults. My dad would have

had a really hard time dealing with the handwashing, masking and distancing, had he lived to see the pandemic. Older adults need physical connection, too. It’s just often much harder to come by, for them.

And now, it’s nearly nonexistent.

What have you been doing during See MUSIC/Page 9

the shutdown?

Our gigs have slowed down, but not stopped completely. My regular job at the Outer Banks Community Foundation keeps me quite engaged. We’ve been working throughout the COVID crisis to help nonprofits and community members make it through the shutdown, taking advantage of a Rapid Response Grants program for nonprofits that the community foundation board and staff created during (Hurricane) Dorian, in response to the great need for support that our local charities experience in times of crisis.

We were just catching our breath from Dorian when COVID came into view, so it’s been busy.

Have you started or completed any projects?

The shutdown has been the perfect time for me to study music. My work with Cole has been a deep dive into the blues. I hate to admit it, but I had not made the time before then and I’ve been playing catch-up.

After playing acoustic guitar for decades, I started playing electric guitar about a year ago; the shutdown has allowed me time to work on my technique and tone. I’ve been having a blast using YouTube to study and learn about the blues greats, about guitar technique, and to hone my harmonica skills. It’s given me plenty to do!

What have you missed the most?

I miss getting together with people. I miss jam sessions. Hanging out with older adults and giving them love. Holding babies. I miss live music offerings up and down the beach. My last was presenting therapeutic music and arts programs for older adults into settings like nursing homes and assisted living facilities in Hampton Roads. We had programs at art galleries and theaters, too. That all dried up with COVID. The artists lost rewarding income streams, and young people and volunteers lost inspiring, creative programs where they could

OUTER BANKS ORIGINAL CHRISTMAS SHOP...SINCE 1967

— MaryAnn Toboz connect with older adults through the arts. Our older adults lost this precious opportunity for meaningful social interaction and selfexpression. They are extremely isolated – at a time when they need and deserve human contact the most in their lives.

What concerns you going ahead?

I’m concerned for the nonprofits that depend on fundraising events and community contact to meet their missions. Also, that individuals who are old and weak are being marginalized through this pandemic.

Is there any music that has helped you get through this?

Outside of friends’ virtual concerts, and events like The Courthouse Sessions and online radio, I haven’t had time to specifically move through particular playlists.

What makes you smile or laugh?

I love watching the babies and pre-schoolers play at the beach.

Who or what keeps you centered?

My husband, Dan. He keeps the home fires burning and is always a steady source of advice and support. Having my son nearby is awesome. Being a block away from the beach has been a huge help. I really appreciate being able to get outdoors to bike, swim or walk.

What has encouraged you during the pandemic?

New music equipment and that practice seems to be paying off.

If you are gigging, how are you keeping yourself safe? Is that solely your responsibility?

Cole and I are both over 60, and neither of us wants

More Information Check out Cole & MaryAnn Music on Facebook @bluestimestwo.

to take chances. We’ve only accepted gigs at venues that are outdoors, where physical distancing is built into the footprint, and where the three W’s are honored. Our hand sanitizer is always nearby, and we just keep our distance from folks.

When you are out working, what are you seeing with respect to compliance to masking, social distancing and capacity limit mandates?

It seems that clients are taking their cues from the venues, and the venues where we’re playing are complying with the state mandate.

Are there any new insights you’ve gained or new activities that you’ve engaged in that you’d like to maintain going forward?

I’ve had more discretionary time. While I miss being with friends and social activities, I’ve enjoyed a less hectic schedule.

What has discouraged you during the pandemic?

Jellyfish.

What has surprised you the most?

Politics.

Transplanted to the Outer Banks from the wilds of the L.A. area, singer-songwriter Scott Sechman has shared stages with Bill Medley, Tom Rush, Al Wilson and the Grass Roots during his ongoing music career. He has also contributed to Mojo and various online outlets.

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THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT Friday, September 18, 2020

Continued from 8

“The shutdown has been the perfect time for me to study music. My work with Cole has been a deep dive into the blues. I hate to admit it, but I had not made the time before then and I’ve been playing catch-up.”

9

MUSIC

10 Friday, September 18, 2020 THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT

COAST LIVE MUSIC CALENDAR | SEPT. 18-OCT. 1 MANTEO

KITTY HAWK

Dare County Arts Council (Courthouse Sessions livestream): Sept. 22 – Rory Kelleher; Sept. 29 — Coyote (Marcy Brenner, Lou Castro)

Longboards: Sept. 18, 19, 25, 26 — TBA

Poor Richard’s: Sept. 18 — The Other Brothers; Sept. 19 — Joey Wood; Sept. 25 — Natalie Wolfe; Sept. 26 — Bryan Campbell

KILL DEVIL HILLS Jack Brown’s: Sept. 18 — Jonny Waters; Sept. 19 — Trickfly; Sept. 25 — Cole and MaryAnn; Sept. 26 — The Mo-Rons Rooster’s: Sept. 18 — Butch Burrows; Sept. 23, 30 — Phil Watson; Sept. 25 — The Wilder Bros.

Saltbox Café: Sept. 19, 21, 24, 26, 28, Oct. 1 — Kim Kalman Secret Island: Sept. 18, 25 — DJ Styles and DJ Smilez; Sept. 23, 30 — DJ Styles; Sept. 26 — Krunch Stonefish Beach Bar (Avalon Pier): Sept. 18, 19, 25, 26 — TBA

TBA; Sept. 24, Oct. 1 — Stephen Vang RODANTHE/WAVES/SALVO

Rundown Café: Sept. 18 — Formula; Sept. 19 – Steve Hauser; Sept. 24 — Alexander James; Sept. 25 — SOULone; Sept. 26 — Randy Burton; Sept.

27 — Bar Cats Duo

Neptune’s Kitchen and Dive Bar: Sept. 5, 8, 9, 12, 15, 16 — TBA HATTERAS VILLAGE Breakwater: Sept. 18, 25 – Rory Kelleher; Sept. 20, 27 — Jam session w/ Rory Kelleher; Sept.

23, 30 — Brian Surratt

DUCK Aqua: Sept. 18, 22, 25, 29 — Monte Hooker; Sept. 19, 26 — Devin Frazier; Sept. 20, 21, 27, 28 — Randy Burton; Sept. 23, 30 — Graham Outten; Sept. 24, Oct. 1 – Bobby Soto

Hatteras Sol Deli and Café: Sept. 18, 25 — Brian Surratt

Cravings Tap Shack: Sept. 18 — Graham Outten; Sept. 19 — Paper Aliens; Sept. 24 – Breslow and Parker; Sept. 25 — The Mo-Rons; Sept. 26 — Formula; Oct. 1 — The Knotty G’s

OCRACOKE

Quarterdeck (Frisco): Sept. 20, 27 — Mary Joy McDaniel; Sept.

24, Oct. 1 — TBA

Coyote Music Den: Sept. 23, 30 — Livestream in-house concert w/ Marcy Brenner, Lou Castro and Martin Garrish on Martin Garrish and Friends Facebook page, coyotemusic.net

Village Table and Tavern: Sept.

18 — Phil Watson

HATTERAS ISLAND AVON Froggy Dog: Sept. 20 — Kim Kalman

MAINLAND COURTESY OF NATALIE WOLFE

Natalie Wolfe has been a fixture on the Outer Banks music scene since 2011.

Turner’s High Moon: Sept. 18, 19, 20, 25, 27 — TBA; Sept. 24, Oct. 1 — Open mic w/ Rory Kelleher;

Sept. 26 — Brian Surratt BUXTON

Café Pamlico: Sept. 21, 28 — Rory Kelleher; Sept. 22, 29 — Brian Surratt; Sept. 23,30 —

BJ’s Carolina Café (Jarvisburg): Sept. 23, 30 — TBA Sanctuary Vineyards (Jarvisburg): Sept. 24, Oct. 1 — TBA

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OBX lifeguard service extended on Hatteras Island

By Jeff Hampton Staff writer

Outer Banks lifeguards are putting in overtime this year as beach crowds are staying past Labor Day, the traditional end of the busy season.

The Cape Hatteras National Seashore will extend its lifeguard services in Frisco, Ocracoke and Coquina Beach to the end of September, said park spokesman Mike Barber.

Towns from Corolla to Nags Head also plan to continue manning lifeguard stands through at least the end of the month.

The decision to prolong ocean rescue services came after it became clear the crowds weren’t subsiding.

Home schooling and searing desires to get out of the house amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic seem to be extending this year’s beach season.

Outer Banks beach rentals are fully booked through

COURTESY OF CAPE HATTERAS NATIONAL SEASHORE

Cape Hatteras National Seashore has extended lifeguard service through September.

September and beyond, said Mirek Dabrowski, president of Outer Banks Lifesaving Services and who contracts ocean rescue staff for Duck, Southern

Shores and Cape Hatteras National Seashore.

“We’ll look again to see if we need to add manpower for the month of October,” Dabrowski said.

Towns were able to keep trained lifeguards the extra weeks with jobs harder to come by and schools operating online classes, he said.

Virginia Beach lifeguards will remain on their stands between 2nd to 42nd streets through Sept. 20 and continue patrols through Oct. 11, according to Virginia Beach Lifesaving Service Chief Tom Gill.

That is how they traditionally wind down the season.

The Outer Banks closed to visitors early in the spring following concerns over the coronavirus, but reopened in mid May and have seen massive crowds all summer. Cape Hatteras National Seashore recorded nearly a half million visitors in July, the most since 2003 and fourth most ever for that month.

Despite the hordes of visitors, there were relatively few drownings in the ocean this year. A man drowned off Ocracoke in

July, the only water-related death within the nearly 70 miles of beaches in Cape Hatteras National Seashore.

Outside park boundaries, a 65-year-old man in Duck drowned in July. A 26-yearold Greenville man also drowned near the Kitty Hawk Pier that month.

At least five people have drowned in an Outer Banks ocean each year for at least the past five years, including nine in 2016.

But the relatively calm and shallow sounds on the west side of the Outer Banks have been deadly this summer. Five people have drowned in a variety of circumstances in three different sounds. Lifeguards are typically not available on the soundside.

People caught in rip currents account for 80% of beach rescues nationally, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Chances of drowning are nearly five

times greater at a beach without lifeguards, according to a study by the U.S. Lifesaving Association.

Lifeguards within Cape Hatteras National Seashore pulled at least 35 people from the ocean between Memorial Day and Sept. 4, according to statistics provided by the park. Some had flotation devices, but still could not get back to shore.

Outer Banks agencies and governments have pushed ocean safety with campaigns on websites, social media, radio ads and signs on the beach. They warn swimmers to watch out for rip currents, stay near lifeguards and use a flotation device.

“Everybody thinks it’s not going to happen to me,” Dabrowski said. “People don’t really understand the power of the surf.”

Jeff Hampton, 252-491-5272, jeff.hampton @pilotonline.com

THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT Friday, September 18, 2020

Outside Dining and Karaoke!

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12 Friday, September 18, 2020 THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT

EATING IN

Menu favorites from The SaltBox Café

By Megan Scott

Correspondent

Outer Banks visitors and locals alike know the delight that can be found at The SaltBox Café on Colington Road. Classically trained chefs and owners Randolph and Amanda Sprinkle and their delicious twists on fresh, local food have inspired a cult-like following since the restaurant opened in 2014.

The Sprinkles combine flavors and textures in ways that could make anybody swoon, and the entire SaltBox crew is some of the most warm, welcoming folks on the beach. A meal there is always one to remember. But, if you’re content to spend a cozy evening at home, the recipes featured here come straight from SaltBox’s menu, and both are deserving of a spot on your table. The Sprinkles’ dishes show how easy it can be to turn simple, seasonal ingredients into something special.

First up, a Vegan Buffalo Mac and “Cheese” that will gratify comfort food cravings. If you’re new to vegan cuisine, a recipe from Amanda Sprinkle is the place to begin. As a vegetarian herself, she knows how to coax mouthwatering flavor out of every ounce of these plant-based ingredients, and the results are utterly satisfying.

This dish is loaded with veggies and the sauce is made from cauliflower that’s been simmered in

The SaltBox Café What: Unique twists on fresh, local food When: Lunch and dinner Monday, Wednesday-Saturday; brunch on Sundays, closed Tuesdays Where: 1469 Colington Road, Kill Devil Hills Info: thesaltboxcafe.com

MEGAN SCOTT/FREELANCE

Chef Amanda Sprinkle’s Vegan Buffalo Mac & “Cheese.”

Vegan Buffalo Mac & “Cheese” with Panko Crust Serves 4 4 cups cooked elbow macaroni noodles 2 cups diced butternut squash or sweet potato, oven roasted 1 cup sliced mushrooms – cremini or portobello are best 1 medium head of cauliflower, cleaned and chopped 1 small yellow onion – slice one half and dice the other half 1 tablespoon chopped garlic 2 cups vegetable stock 1/4 cup Tabasco sauce 2 1/2 tablespoons nutritional yeast 1 cup full-fat coconut milk 1 cup roasted cashews 1 green onion, thinly sliced salt and pepper to taste 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided 1 cup plain panko bread crumb 1 tablespoon coconut oil 1 teaspoon dry harissa seasoning or blackening seasoning

■ Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a medium pot and CONTRIBUTED

The SaltBox Café chefs Amanda and Randolph Sprinkle work their magic in the kitchen.

stock spiked with Tabasco for that classic buffalo taste.

The cauliflower is pureed along with coconut milk and cashews for creamy texture, plus some nutritional yeast for a boost of flavor. Yes, nutritional yeast is good for you, but you’ll love it for the rich, nutty, cheesiness it provides. This meal feels like the ultimate indulgence and just the thing to snuggle up on the couch with.

Next comes the Sprinkles’ Seared Scallops with

Sage Butter over a Parsnip and Pine Nut Puree. The Sprinkles get much of their seafood from O’Neal’s Sea Harvest, near the docks in Wanchese. Make the trip if you can; the freshness speaks for itself.

In this recipe, sweet, tender scallops benefit from a fast, hot sear in a skillet while they’re gently basted with sage-infused butter.

Sounds amazing, right?

Thanks to Randolph, we’ll be basting everything in life with sage butter from now

on. The scallops are then paired with a silky, nutty parsnip purée that’s surprisingly simple to make and, before you know it, you have a gourmet meal on your hands worthy of the good plates and a fancy bottle of wine.

Give these SaltBox Café favorites a try and soak up all the late summer/early fall vibes they bring to the table. Your taste buds, and your family, will thank you.

See Page 13

add sliced onion and chopped garlic, cooking until translucent. Add cauliflower and cook until lightly golden.

Add vegetable stock and Tabasco sauce and simmer until cauliflower is tender.

■ In a blender (be careful as the mixture is hot), blend cauliflower mixture. Add cashews and nutritional yeast and blend until smooth. Slowly add coconut milk until creamy.

■ Add remaining tablespoons of vegetable oil to a large skillet over medium heat. Add diced onion, mushrooms, and squash or sweet potato and cook until tender.

■ Add “cheese” sauce, green onion, and salt and pepper

to taste. Bring to simmer and slowly add noodles. Stir and simmer together until slightly thick and creamy.

■ Melt the coconut oil in a small skillet over low heat. Add panko breadcrumbs and stir occasionally until toasted, then add harissa or blackening seasoning to taste.

■ Place hot macaroni and cheese in serving dish and top with seasoned, toasted panko breadcrumbs.

ALEX AND ANI • BRIGHTON • XCVI • HOBO FREE PEOPLE • CORKCICLE • Z SUPPLY UNO DE 50 • GIFTS & HOME DECOR

MEGAN SCOTT/FREELANCE

Chef Randolph Sprinkle’s Seared Scallops with Sage Butter over Parsnip and Pine Nut Puree.

Continued from 12

Seared Scallops with Sage Butter over Parsnip & Pine Nut Puree

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Serves 2 8 large fresh scallops, cleaned and patted dry 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened 1/2 small yellow onion, diced 1 cup peeled and diced parsnip

Beach life is the

1 small cauliflower head, cleaned and chopped 1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted 6 fresh sage leaves 1/2 cup heavy cream 1 1/2 cups water 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 tablespoon olive oil salt and pepper to taste

■ Heat olive oil in a medium pot over medium heat and add diced onion; cook until

translucent. Reduce heat to low and add parsnip and cauliflower. Cook for 4-6 minutes until golden. Add water and cream and let simmer until vegetables are soft. In a blender, puree parsnip mixture and slowly add toasted pine nuts. Add salt and pepper to taste.

■ Add vegetable oil to a large skillet over medium heat. Season scallops with salt and

pepper and slowly add them to the skillet (make sure skillet is very hot). Slowly add butter and sage leaves. With a large metal spoon, baste the scallops with butter. Flip scallops over after 2 minutes and repeat basting on other side. Cook for 2 more minutes.

■ To serve, spread parsnip puree on the bottom of a plate and place scallops on top.

Serve with delicious sides such as braised collards, roasted sweet potatoes, or sautéed broccoli rabe.

Megan Scott is co-owner of The Spice & Tea Exchange in Duck. You can check out her food blog at servingtonight.com.

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THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT Friday, September 18, 2020

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14 Friday, September 18, 2020 THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT

THE SANDBAR Batten Down the Hatches, the Outer Banks own Hurricane-style cocktail. Though the drink was born out of having too much rum and no way to sell it in an Irish pub, the Hurricane is a staple of New Orleans culture.

Batten Down the Hatches 1 ½ ounces Kill Devil Rum pecan honey rum ½ ounce banana syrup ** ¾ ounce tangerine juice 1/2 pineapple juice 1/4 lime juice Add all to shaker tin and shake, pour over crushed ice and garnish with a citrus slice. **To make banana syrup add 1 cup demerara sugar to 1 cup water in a small saucepan. Add one chopped banana and bring to simmer until sugar dissolves. Let sit for 1-2 hours until cooled with strong banana flavor. Strain and keep in sealed container for a couple days in the refrigerator.

SAM HARRISS/FREELANCE

Batten Down the Hatches for this Hurricane

By Sam Harriss

Correspondent

Leave it to the beignets and chicory root coffee crowd to aptly create a cocktail for our wildest time of year — hurricane season.

A season so extreme, Julius Caesar left it out of calendars entirely, and a drink so strong the memories of flashy plastic beads are smoggy dreamscapes at

best. Though the drink was born out of having too much rum and no way to sell it in an Irish pub, the Hurricane is a staple of New Orleans culture. Cue the zydeco music and the steady yoyoing of weather and you have that eerie feeling the atmosphere conjures up right before the pressure drops and power flickers.

All Outer Bankers know the feeling; some live for it,

other wiser folk probably sense dread in the Weather Channel predictions.

I figure New Orleans can have its Hurricane cocktail, but our sandbar deserves a creation all its own. I think back to the days of filling the bathtub, double checking the candle stash, making sure all the batteries work, and no matter hell or high water ensuring there was beer in every cooler before

the state of emergency was declared.

Not much has changed year to year, except all us locals without a doubt have a stash of Kill Devil Rum on hand. It’s probably hidden away in some forbidden crevice, under a floorboard or buried out back in a shallow pit, awaiting its time to be pulled into the pearly existence of the calm before the storm. Everyone

knows you can’t keep the stuff safely away from glass or guest unless you hide it from yourself.

With limbo setting in and the National Guard pouring over our bridges, we wait for the moment with shovel in hand. And for all those faithful fellow fools like myself, staying and battening down the hatches, here’s a cocktail to take the edge off. But when that eye

passes over remember: It’s not yet a beach day.

Sam Harriss is the owner/founder of Camp Cocktail, a mobile bartending business on the Outer Banks. When she’s not slinging drinks from the window of her remodeled 1969 Shasta camper trailer, you might find her nose-deep in a good book, a sleeping dog by her side.

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16 Friday, September 18, 2020 THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT

INNER BANKS

Offering more than just a hair appointment Lovie’s Salon honors women’s beauty, light within

By Maggie Miles Correspondent

Women have engaged in hair and beauty rituals for thousands of years. The ancient Egyptians thought hair was magical. Women spent hours doing hair rituals in the temples, bonding with each other, telling secrets, and sharing stories.

They used it as a time to honor themselves.

The ancient Greeks, and most every culture since then, considered hair a reflection of self. Anyone who says hair doesn’t matter obviously has never had a bad haircut.

Alicia Arranz, founder of Lovie’s Salon in Duck, is on a mission to bring back the ritual of hair care. She sees her client’s hair appointments as more than just vanity — they are rather a gateway for women to take time out of their busy day to do something for themselves; to honor not only their physical beauty, but the light shining within.

“I really enjoy creating the space for them just kind of one-on-one where it’s just kind of whatever they need it to be, you know if they need to talk about anything or if they just want to relax — just the idea of taking time out for themselves. I think it’s so great because it’s so easy for us not to do it,” says Arranz.

And according to Arranz, the benefits of taking that time to love on yourself don’t end at her doorstep; They carry out into life.

“I feel like sometimes when you get something done and you feel uplifted it ends up kind of shifting the energy to something else and inspiring you to do something else, you know, you just kind of get this flow going,” says Arranz.

Everything in the Scarborough Faire Village stu-

dio was meticulously curated with thought and care, from the products, to the design of the space.

Arranz partnered with Lindsay Dilworth and Andrew Carnill, of Altwood to do the redesign and to house products from their shop in Corolla. Her goal was to create a relaxing space that is calm and clean, with good plants and lots of good sunlight.

“I wanted it to feel like a getaway — like no matter what’s going on in the world, you step in and you forget where you are kind of feeling,” says Arranz.

And then there is the experience with Arranz herself. When you walk in the door you can expect to sit down, have some champagne or tea, be heard and pampered.

“Even from an early age, I always loved making people feel good about themselves,” says Arranz. “And I think it’s easy for me to maybe see their light even if they’re not really seeing it.

Like sometimes people will be like ‘oh my god no I don’t really feel like that,’ but I’m not making it up, like whatever I say I meant it, you know?”

And then there’s the shampoo, which is a whole experience in itself. Think soothing music, consciously chosen vegan shampoo and conditioner that smell amazing, palo santo burning beside you, clearing out any left-over negative energy from your day, and to top it all off, a head massage.

“I feel like there’s something about all of our senses being met, like the smell, the touch, the sound of the music, and when you put all of those things together, it’s almost like it’s a Shavasana or something, or just like a little get away for a few minutes,” says Arranz. “I think all of the senses make it easier for someone who typically has a hard time quieting their mind.”

See SALON/Page 17

COURTESY OF ALICIA ARRANZ

Alicia Arranz of Lovie’s Salon in Duck is on a mission to bring back the ritual of hair care.

She ends the experience by pulling an affirmation card for you to carry away with you. She got this idea because it’s something that has resonated with her in her own life, being able to open up to a page or read a card and get a thought for the day is something that has always helped her.

“So, I would always just bring this stuff and keep it around Lovie’s, and (if ) I felt intuitively like somebody maybe needed something, I would just give them a book or maybe I have my oracle cards down there and its always positive and uplifting,” she says. “But it’s always crazy because whatever they pull or whatever page they open to, it’s so spot on and usually blows both of our minds.”

According to Beth Storie, one of Arranz’ longest clients, all of these added details don’t go unnoticed, “When I’m at Lovie’s its

Inspired by quarantine, Arranz has also created kits for hair care rituals that you can do on your own at home, incorporating all the same elements you would experience in the studio.

Lovie’s Salon What: A collaborative group of hair stylists and colorists, massage therapists, estheticians and healers Where: 1177 Duck Road, Suite 15, Duck Contact: 252-423-9318; loviescorollavillage @gmail.com. For in-home massage appointments, 252-564-5151.

More info: http://loviessalon.com or Lovie’s Salon and Spa on Facebook

MAGGIE MILES/FREELANCE

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THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT Friday, September 18, 2020

Continued from 16

more than just a hair appointment,” she says. “It’s an entire experience in relaxation and care.” According to Storie, her appointments never come soon enough. She has been a client of Arranz since before the studio days, eight years ago, when Arranz made house calls. Now, inspired by quarantine, Arranz has also created kits for hair care rituals that you can do on your own at home, incorporating all the same elements you would experience in the studio.

Arranz says she hopes when her clients sit in her chair, look in that mirror, and see themselves in a new light, that that moment is only the beginning.

“I love when people feel connected to who they are and look into the most beautiful version of themselves and that they feel uplifted because I really feel that then it’s like a domino effect,” says Arranz. “Because then they’re uplifted, and then whoever they meet feels that and then it just goes on and on.”

17

SALON

18 Friday, September 18, 2020 THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT

WILDLIFE PHOTOS

By Vickie Shufer

Correspondent

Linda Glasson photographed a beautiful white ibis and a tri-colored heron feeding together at the Narrows in Virginia Beach.

Alyssa Schoenfeld captured a close-up of an immature bald eagle on camera that landed by the pool in Great Neck in Virginia Beach.

Nylia Laney came upon two adult bald eagles while fishing near Tulls Bay in North Carolina.

Laura Mae sent a photo of a yellow-crowned night heron fishing at Great Bridge Lock Park in Chesapeake. Dan Holland photographed an immature yellow-crowned night heron while cleaning fish in the Nansemond River in Suffolk.

Kathleen Anderson came upon a peregrine falcon resting on a fence while walking her dog on the Elizabeth River Trail in West Ghent in Norfolk.

Katherine Burnett photographed a Cooper’s hawk perched on a deck at Willoughby Spit in Norfolk.

Ronald Skasko photographed a male hummingbird in his Kempsville backyard in Virginia Beach.

Jack Beecher has black swallowtail caterpillars feeding on his dill plant in Western Branch in Chesapeake.

Stuart McCausland was fortunate to see a great purple hairstreak butterfly that was feeding on mountain mint in his front yard in Kempsville in Virginia Beach. Karen Harris also photographed a beautiful female purple hairstreak that was resting on her driveway in Wolfsnare Plantation in Virginia Beach.

Steve Stasulis photographed monarch caterpillars feeding on swamp milkweed in the Kings Grant area of Virginia Beach.

Diana Pengitore sent a photo of a skipper butterfly in her garden in Lake Shores in Virginia Beach.

Linda Clarke photographed a brand new monSee CLOSE/Page 19

COURTESY OF RICH THIESFELD

Bear cubs enjoy some play time at the Alligator National Wildlife Refuge in North Carolina.

A male box turtle hunkers down in the leaves beside a tree stump in Ballylinn Farms in Virginia Beach.

A great purple hairstreak butterfly feeds on mountain mint in a Kempsville yard in Virginia Beach.

COURTESY OF DENISE MAPLES

COURTESY OF STUART MCCAUSLAND

Monarch caterpillars feed on swamp milkweed in the Kings Grant area of Virginia Beach.

A six-spotted fishing spider rests by a pond in Foxfire Lake in Virginia Beach.

COURTESY OF BRAD EYRE

COURTESY OF STEVE STASULIS

19

CLOSE

THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT Friday, September 18, 2020

Continued from 18 arch butterfly that made its first stop to enjoy some lantana flowers in Thalia Point in Virginia Beach.

Lydia Johnson also photographed a female monarch butterfly that was newly emerged from its chrysalis at Virginia Wesleyan University in Virginia Beach.

Pat Puller photographed a zebra swallowtail butterfly enjoying her butterfly bush in Timberlake in Virginia Beach.

Bernice Pope photographed a polyphemus moth at the historic Cavalier Shores in Virginia Beach.

Denise Maples was sprucing up her flowerbeds in Ballylinn Farms in Virginia Beach when she almost stepped on this beautiful male box turtle. “He was hunkered down in the leaves beside a tree stump,” Maples wrote. “Immediately I was sorry I disturbed him, but thrilled I got to see those gorgeous red eyes.”

Beverly Hills sent photos of a grasshopper and a male praying mantis in Kings Grant in Virginia Beach.

Harold Winer found a garden spider and her web around his front porch light in Kings Grant in Virginia Beach. Mike Weirich also sent a photo of a garden spider that his wife found while gardening in Great Neck Estates in Virginia Beach.

Brad Eyre spotted a sixspotted fishing spider on his pond in Foxfire Lake in Virginia Beach.

Troy Tripamer photographed an immature five-lined skink in the Little Neck area of Virginia Beach.

Richard Hutt was picking peppers when he found a gray treefrog hanging on a pepper in Etheridge Meadows in Chesapeake.

William Walker photographed a green treefrog on a rose bush in his Windsor Woods garden in Virginia Beach.

An American toad visited Sheryle Hamlett in the Bayview section of Norfolk.

Jack Bunting photographed a squirrel that

COURTESY OF LINDA CLARKE

A newly emerged monarch butterfly makes its first stop on lantana flowers in Thalia Point in Virginia Beach.

COURTESY OF LINDA GLASSON

A white ibis and a tri-colored heron feed together at the Narrows in Virginia Beach.

was taking time to relax by stretching out on his deck in Great Bridge in Chesapeake.

Rich Thiesfeld photographed two playful black bear cubs at Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge in North Carolina.

Terry Anderson photographed a large rabbit in

his neighbor’s yard in Green Run in Virginia Beach and a baby rabbit in his yard that popped out of the ground while he was mowing and took off running.

Vickie Shufer, wildfood@cox.net

COURTESY OF LAURA MAE

A yellow-crowned night heron waits for fish at the Great Bridge Lock Park in Chesapeake.

20 Friday, September 18, 2020 THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT

Pirates ~ Puzzles ~ Games ~ John Deere

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THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT Friday, September 18, 2020

Hatteras Island

21

The perfect place to start or end your day!

22 Friday, September 18, 2020 THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT

MY OCRACOKE

Living amid more than 250 years of Howard ancestral history

A story of family and home.

Story By Philip Howard Photography By Daniel Pullen

Opposite: Philip Howard writes about his family’s long history on Ocracoke Island.

If I was lucky, I would hear a ghost story, maybe the one about Old Diver who haunts the George Howard cemetery, or the one about Mad Mag and the cat she cooked for dinner. back on the reins, and smile broadly as his mount whinnies and rears up on her hind legs. Uncle Marvin also enjoyed telling stories of Grandpapa Homer, one of the island’s most accomplished horsemen, who they say was able to catch a wild pony with his bare hands.

Another Ocracoke Island native and equestrian was Cousin Ira Thomas Wyche. The son of Lorena Howard and the Rev. L.O. Wyche, Cousin Ira followed a military career and distinguished himself during World War II as commander of the 79th Division when he landed his troops on Utah Beach in Normandy. Gen. Wyche and his division, often in fierce combat, advanced across Europe, contributing to the defeat of Germany. During this time Gen. Wyche worked closely with Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Gen. Dwight Eisenhower. He was fond of riding his thoroughbred horse in training areas while observing troops. At his retirement, in 1948, Ira Wyche held the rank of major general.

My house is just a short distance from Howard Street, the lane where my father, Uncle Marvin, Cousin Ira and many others played as children.

Howard Street is Ocracoke’s most historic unpaved road. Centuries-old cottages, ancient live oaks and five generations of Howard family cemeteries, most enclosed by moss-covered picket fences, line the street. My parents and grandparents are buried there, as are other ancestors, including my greatgrandparents, James and Zilphia Howard, and eight of their children who died in infancy.

During the Colonial period, and into the mid19th century, when as many as 1,400 ships passed through Ocracoke Inlet annually, most island men earned their living as pilots, sailors who knew the local waters and were enlisted to guide sailing vessels across the bar and through the narrow channels.

In 1846, a hurricane opened the more navigable Hatteras Inlet, and shipping soon moved there.

A number of Ocracoke pilots followed, but many descendants of William Howard remained on Ocracoke. With dwindling opportunities for piloting, young islanders, including my great-grandfather, James Howard, shipped out on sailing vessels.

THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT Friday, September 18, 2020

to visit and share stories.

My grandparents’ 1865 “story and a jump” cottage with a pizer sits along a narrow, sandy lane in Ocracoke village. The modest front porch complements the house’s white clapboard siding and crimson trim. A traditional wooden porch swing hangs from the rafters. Hand-hewn “knees” salvaged from a wrecked sailing vessel hold the floor joists in place.

A distinctive feature of an island story and a jump house is the addition of small upstairs windows that open under the roof of the pizer. Many a summer evening, as a youngster, I would lie on the bedroom floor with my ear to those windows, listening as Grandmama Aliph hummed a tune while peeling shrimp, or eavesdropping on uncles and aunts as they related exciting stories about shipwrecks and hurricanes or laughed about making meal wine.

If I was lucky, I would hear a ghost story, maybe the one about Old Diver who haunts the George Howard cemetery, or the one about Mad Mag and the cat she cooked for dinner.

Today I am fortunate to live in this historic home, and it is a rare evening from spring through fall that I do not relax on the pizer, often with family and friends. Not far away are dozens of my family’s cemeteries, houses that belonged to a host of relatives, and the Methodist Church my grandfather helped build. Directly across the lane is where my Uncle Marvin and Aunt Leevella lived.

Marvin Howard, who was born in my house in 1897, was the second child of Homer and Aliph O’Neal Howard. Like so many island men before him, he followed the sea for his living.

For generations, the sea was an important element in the lives of island natives. William Howard, the progenitor of our Ocracoke family, was born in coastal North Carolina in 1686. He went to sea as a young man, and by early 1717 he was associating with Benjamin Hornigold, an odious Bahamian pirate captain. Just a few months later Howard was sailing with Edward Teach, soon to go down in history as the notorious Blackbeard.

After obtaining command of the Queen Anne’s Revenge and making it his flagship, Blackbeard assigned William Howard as his quartermaster, the senior officer and chief representative for the pirate captain and crew. Together they attacked many a ship and plundered cargoes of untold value.

In the summer of 1718, several months after receiving a royal pardon for acts of piracy, William Howard traveled to southeastern Virginia, where Gov. Alexander Spotswood had him jailed for violating his pardon by continuing “to Perpetrate his wicked and Pyratical designs at sundry times and places…with…Edwd Tach and other [of] their Confederates and associates.”

In October, William Howard was sentenced to be hanged. But by an amazing stroke of luck, the king’s latest “Act of Grace” was delivered to HMS Pearl, the ship upon which William Howard was confined, just hours before his scheduled execution. He was released.

Little is known about William Howard’s life or whereabouts for the next few decades. However, in 1759 a William Howard purchased “Ye Island of Ocreecock,” containing 2,110 acres, for £105. He became the first Colonial owner of Ocracoke to make his home on the island and likely had already been serving as a ship’s pilot for several years. Most researchers believe that he and William Howard the pirate were one and the same person.

Despite this apparent piratical heritage, most of the Howards of Ocracoke Island have led exemplary lives and have been involved in the civic life of the community for more than 250 years. Many distinguished themselves as early inlet pilots, lifesavers, ship captains, sailors and national military leaders. Others were merchants, carpenters, even professional musicians.

Surprisingly, only a few were fishermen. The women tended to their children and managed large households.

As a young man, my uncle Marvin Howard worked up north with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, eventually earning his captain’s license.

In 1943, having been promoted to lieutenant colonel, he became the first Army officer designated commodore of a fleet of armed merchant vessels sent to Europe. An internal 1948 document described him as “the best dredge operator in America.” At retirement, Uncle Marvin returned to his beloved island home and organized Ocracoke Troop 290, the only mounted Boy Scout troop in the nation.

The boys often stopped by his house just to spend time with their scoutmaster. He showed them how to tie square knots, sheet bends and bowlines. He showed them how to groom their ponies, and how to keep bridles and reins supple. He taught them fairness, honesty and courtesy.

And he told stories of far-away places, of war, of storms at sea, of people he’d met, of lessons he’d learned. Marvin Howard’s impact on the lives of his Scouts was summed up by former scout Wayne Teeter: “I learned more in Scouts than I ever did in school.”

At times, when I sit on my pizer and gaze down the sandy lane, I imagine I can see Uncle Marvin gallop by on his spirited Banker pony, Lady, pull

23

A

t one time nearly every house on Ocracoke had a porch, or as islanders call it, a pizer (from the Italian piazza), where family and neighbors gathered in the evening

Friday, September 18, 2020 THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT

24

25 THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT Friday, September 18, 2020

When I walk through our family cemeteries, I often stop by my ancestors’ markers to remember how they risked their lives in storms and hurricanes to rescue hundreds of sailors, most of whom hailed from distant cities or even other countries. Many were of different races and spoke foreign languages.

One of Philip Howard’s most treasured possessions is a bound volume of his great-grandfather’s original shipwreck reports, submitted between 1883 and 1894. Capt. Jim’s handwritten accounts employ unconventional spelling but are elegantly penned, easy to read and lovely to look at.

In 1883, the United States Life-Saving Service established a station at Hatteras Inlet on the north end of Ocracoke Island. James Howard was appointed keeper. Until he retired 20 years later, Capt. Jim and his six surfmen patrolled the beach, always ready to aid stranded sailors. One of my most treasured possessions is a bound volume of Capt. Jim’s original shipwreck reports, submitted between 1883 and 1894. His handwritten accounts employ unconventional spelling but are elegantly penned, easy to read and lovely to look at.

My grandfather, Homer Howard, followed in his father’s steps, first serving as a sailor on coastal schooners, later as a lifesaver and finally as a U.S. Coast Guardsman.

When I walk through our family cemeteries, I often stop by my ancestors’ markers to remember how they risked their lives in storms and hurricanes to rescue hundreds of sailors, most of whom hailed from distant cities or even other countries. Many were of different races and spoke foreign languages. My great-grandfather Capt. Jim and his crew went to their aid without hesitation.

Capt. Jim was well regarded by his superiors, his neighbors and his family. On his tombstone are these words: “Tis hard to break the tender cord

when love has bound the heart. Tis hard, so hard, to speak the words, ‘We must forever part.’”

Nearby is Edgar Howard’s grave. His tombstone is emblazoned with a banjo and the words, “You ain’t heard nothing yet,” a reference to the days he played the vaudeville circuit with Gene Autry, Milton Berle and Al Jolson. In retirement, Edgar delighted in performing at island functions, singing cowboy songs and local ditties, strumming his banjo and regaling his audience with stories.

Edgar’s life reminds me that the Howards of Ocracoke are multi-talented and have a great sense of humor. Uncle Marvin, especially, loved to have fun and is remembered for many of his antics. My father, Lawton Howard, was known on the island for his impish humor, good nature and twinkle in his eye. In the 1960s, he worked for the North Carolina ferry division at Hatteras Inlet. One summer afternoon, a young couple pulled into line moments after the ferry had departed. The man asked Lawton if he could get a glass of water for his wife, who was pregnant. Lawton invited the couple to follow him into the port captain’s office.

He opened the refrigerator door. Two water jugs, one empty and the other full, rested on a shelf.

Lawton took out the full jug. He left the door ajar,

26 Friday, September 18, 2020 THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT

I was 10 years old and fascinated with Uncle Homer’s tattoos of ships, anchors and other nautical themes. With a conspiratorial smile, Uncle Homer once sat down on the sofa, rolled up his pants legs and showed me the naked ladies tattooed on his calves.

I was delighted when he flexed his muscles and made the ladies dance for me.

and the husband peered inside.

“Why do you keep an empty jug in your refrigerator?” he asked.

“That’s for them that don’t want no water,” was my father’s reply.

My father’s younger brother, Uncle Homer, was born in 1917. Named not for his father but for Homer Rodeheaver, popular song leader for the energetic and influential evangelist Billy Sunday, Uncle Homer is remembered by all who knew him as an eccentric representative of the 10 generations of Howards who have called Ocracoke home.

After an honorable discharge from the Navy in 1948, Uncle Homer fell on hard times, often staying with relatives. He worked many unusual jobs on the mainland, at one time beating the drum for the dancing camel in a mid-20th-century circus act.

Among my most vivid early memories is the time Uncle Homer came to stay with us when my father was working on dredges and tugboats in Philadelphia. I was 10 years old and fascinated with Uncle Homer’s tattoos of ships, anchors and other

nautical themes. With a conspiratorial smile, Uncle Homer once sat down on the sofa, rolled up his pants legs and showed me the naked ladies tattooed on his calves. I was delighted when he flexed his muscles and made the ladies dance for me.

My house sits on Lawton Lane, a narrow road named for my father. When I was a child the old kitchen still stood, along with the old water cistern, connected to the rear of the house by a wooden boardwalk. On Howard Street, several houses still have their cisterns and detached summer kitchens.

Walking down the street brings back memories of fresh flounder frying on Grandmama’s wood stove or visiting Uncle Stanley and dipping drinking water from his cistern with a whelk shell.

Everywhere on Ocracoke are reminders of my Howard family. On the beach at the north end are several pilings, all that remains of the 19th century Despite an apparent piratical heritage, most of the Howards of Ocracoke Island have led exemplary lives and have been involved in the civic life of the community for more than 250 years.

27 THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT Friday, September 18, 2020

life-saving station where my great-grandfather and his crew launched their surf boat. Elsewhere on the beach, wind and waves periodically uncover timbers from 19th century schooners, silent witness to tragedy at sea and daring rescues.

My children and grandchildren love to hear stories about their ancestors. They are proud to be part of a family that served their country honorably, braved storms to save the lives of numerous sailors, and helped make their island community a better place to live. They have also inherited the Howard sense of humor. They sometimes place an empty water pitcher on the dining room table and tell guests, “That’s for them that don’t want no water.”

And when the weather is mild the younger ones often lie on my upstairs bedroom floor, by the low windows, and listen to the grown-ups on the pizer.

They love to hear the stories, especially the story of Uncle Homer and his dancing ladies.

Philip Howard’s grandparents’ 1865 “story and a jump” cottage with a pizer sits along a narrow, sandy lane in Ocracoke village.

A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR This story originally appeared in the 2016 edition of Outer Banks Magazine, which is published by The Virginian-Pilot, a Tribune Publishing Company.

In early September 2019, floodwaters kicked up by Hurricane Dorian from the Pamlico Sound engulfed Ocracoke village. The water swept into homes and businesses, reaching higher than many could remember – as much as 7 feet in some places – and forcing some into their attics.

In many ways the island is still recovering.

A one-year post-Dorian benefit concert was to have been held Sept. 5, and dozens of homes are on a list to get grant money that will pay for

them to be raised up on pilings.

Phillip Howard has followed this historic raising and rebuilding of Ocracoke in his newsletter, which can be read online at www.villagecraftsmen.com. In November 2019, Howard cataloged some of the storm damage he experienced at his ancestral home from Dorian’s floodwaters, including that of an exquisite Persian rug, gifted to him by his mother, and seemingly miraculously salvaged after being inundated with saltwater and sand.

Howard’s newsletter archives date to 2000 and include numerous posts on Ocracoke history and lifestyle.

28 Friday, September 18, 2020 THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT

JEFF HAMPTON/STAFF

The Corolla Wild Horse Fund is taking DNA samples from about 100 horses roaming the Currituck beaches and a farm in Grandy.

Ancestors of OBX wild horses in Currituck 500 years ago

By Jeff Hampton Staff writer

Spanish explorers landed in Currituck County 500 years ago looking for gold, a good port and maybe a place to settle.

When they found nothing that worked for them, they sailed for other lands.

In the process, however, they left behind some small, sturdy horses that were able to thrive in the harsh habitat — and become one of the Outer Banks’ biggest tourist attractions.

The Corolla Wild Horse Fund and the Museum of the Albemarle are making exhibits and producing an online video to commemorate the arrival of the famous horses, said Don Pendergraft, director of regional museums for the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.

They are also working with Currituck-based Sanctuary Vineyards to produce a wine named for Pedro de

Quexoia, the Spanish explorer who first came here.

A percentage of sales will go to education programs at the museum, he said.

The Corolla Wild Horse Fund is taking DNA samples from about 100 horses roaming the Currituck beaches and a farm in Grandy, where many retire after they can no longer live in the wild.

The plan is to create a genealogy chart for each horse and breed some of the horses on the Grandy farm, said Jo Langone, chief operating officer of the Corolla Wild Horse Fund.

DNA tests taken years ago confirmed Spanish ancestry, but sampling did not include the entire herd, she said.

“This is more validation,” Langone said.

Even Raymond the mule, who lived with the wild horses until he retired last year to the farm, has Spanish mustang ancestry from his mother, said Meg Puckett, manager of the

Corolla wild horse herd.

The Corolla horses are short and sturdy with unique bones in their vertebra and legs that make them strong like Spanish mustangs.

Puckett has tried to separate history from myth as much as possible while researching the wild horse’s history.

Spanish law required the explorers bring horses to the new world, Puckett said. They later raised horses on ranches in Central and South America.

The DNA tests are showing that the horses hail from Spanish ranches in the 1500s and some came from wrecks of Spanish ships off the coast, Puckett said.

The genetics are nearly pure, despite the occasional mix with domestic horses over the decades. Locals once farmed on the Outer Banks, she said.

The Spanish came here a few times with their horses.

De Quexoia sailed to Currituck and planted a

flag in 1520, more than 60 years before the English arrived, Pendergraft said.

Not much else is known except he did not stay long.

In some accounts, his name is de Quejo.

“The Spanish in North Carolina is a little known subject since history is more related to England and the Lost Colony,” Pendergraft said.

A few years later, the Spanish established a temporary colony near what is now Cape Fear River, he said.

“The colony failed in much the same circumstances as the Lost Colony,” he said.

The Spanish returned to the region in the 1560s, creating outposts on the Baya de Santa Maria — the name for the Chesapeake Bay and the North Carolina sounds, said Currituck historian Barbara Snowden.

A group led by Pedro de Coronas landed in Currituck County in 1566 and explored for days before departing, according to the

More Information

The Corolla Wild Horse Fund recently launched a unique fundraiser, incorporating an original song and video that captures the spirit of the Corolla wild horse.

“Castaño,” co-written by foundation volunteer Kelly Wilkes and Richmond-based singer/songwriter Janet Martin, can be downloaded for $5 from the foundation’s website: www.corollawildhorses.com.

North Carolina Museum of History.

In 1567, a group of Spaniards built a fort in western North Carolina marking the earliest European settlement in the interior of the United States, Pendergraft said.

Natives attacked and destroyed the fort.

The Spanish gave way to the English by the late 1500s, when Sir Walter Raleigh sent his expeditions across the Atlantic Ocean — including the party that became known as The Lost Colony.

John Lawson called the Outer Banks horses “well shaped and swift” in 1701, according to a history on the Corolla Wild Horse Fund website.

Historian Edmund Ruffin recorded seeing them in 1856.

“They are capable of great endurance of labor and hardship, and live so roughly that any others from abroad seldom live a year on such food and other such great exposure,” he wrote.

They are much the same today, Langone said.

“They are so fascinating,” she said.

“They represent so much of the American spirit.”

Correction: An original version of this story had a different spelling for Baya de Santa Maria.

Jeff Hampton, 252-491-5272, jeff.hampton @pilotonline.com

Correspondent

in Duck

COURTESY PHOTO

Rachel Potts, environmental educator at Jennette’s Pier, photographs a passing bottlenose dolphin.

Editor's Note The mission to find and free the dolphin from the line remained underway at deadline time.

“They spotted it and tried to get close to cut the line, but the animal was way too mobile and it was difficult to get a solid grab,” Potts reported.

“They are strong, quick animals so it’s very, very difficult,” she said. “So, it’s still swimming around in the sound — we’ve got some new locations, so we know it’s still out there.”

Bottlenose dolphins spend plenty of time in the region’s sound waters during summer and most migrate south for warmer waters in winter.

Potts, Clark and Doshkov hope they can help this animal before it moves on.

Ideally, they can cut away the line so the dolphin can migrate comfortably.

“We have some gear … a box cutter at the end of a long pole,” she said. They

also have grapples.

“With chases like this, it’s difficult because there are so many factors and more risks involved than one washed up on the beach,” Potts added.

The beach strandings happen year-round and almost always mean the animal is sick and/or dying.

That is perhaps why attempting to rescue the entangled dolphin feels so right to Potts.

The Outer Banks Marine Mammal Stranding Network has three zones.

Karen Clark, director of the Outer Banks Center for Wildlife Education in Corolla, handles the northern most beaches along with Marissa Liverman. Potts, along with several other Jennette’s Pier staffers, works the central beaches, including South Nags Head.

To report a stranding from South Nags Head to Carova call 252-455-9654.

National Park Service Ranger and Biologist Paul Doshkov handles the Cape Hatteras National Seashore on Hatteras Island. To report a stranding on Hatteras Island call 252-216-6892.

ND SOU UCK RIT 12

WATERFRONT SHOPS

EACH YEAR, WE LOOK FORWARD to sharing our summer with Free Family Events at the Duck Town Park. Over the years, we’ve enjoyed spending time with our residents and visitors with fitness classes, magic shows, live music, and outdoor movies. 2020 has thrown some challenges our way but hasn’t affected the spirit of Duck!

WAT E R TOWER

WEE WINKS SQUARE

DUCK ROAD

For a couple of weeks, a dolphin with line wrapped around its head has been spotted swimming in the waters surrounding Roanoke Island.

The Outer Banks Marine Mammal Stranding Network has been keeping track of it through contact with other boaters such as dolphin watch tours and has come up with a plan to try to free the animal of the line.

Environmental Educator Rachel Potts of Jennette’s Pier is one of the team members working to carry out this plan. The mission feels different than when she responds to marine mammal strandings on the beaches.

“There’s a chance we can free this animal — it’s different than our regular stranding,” Potts said, noting a large team is involved in the collaborative effort.

In small groups, first responders from both the Outer Banks and the Central North Carolina stranding networks venture the sounds – Albemarle, Croatan and Roanoke – in boats furnished from like-minded organizations such as the Outer Banks Center for Dolphin Research.

Keith Rittmaster and Vicky Thayer are stranding responders for the central part of North Carolina.

Rittmaster is bringing his boat, Spyhop, to carry out this plan.

The crews ply these waterways looking for the animal with hopes of eventually freeing it from the line.

“We cruised around Wanchese, Pirate’s Cove and Oregon Inlet but didn’t see anything,” Potts said of a recent outing. On another trip, her counterparts Karen Clark and Paul Doshkov saw the dolphin.

CUR

By Daryl Law

SHOP PLAY DINE STAY

THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT Friday, September 18, 2020

Team’s quest to help dolphin underway

29

JENNETTE’S PIER

Please check our website and social media pages for updates about events in Town, including virtual ways to connect with us and learn more about Duck.

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Welcome to Duck. We’re so happy you are here!

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For more information on n businesses, a shopping guide, and special eventts and promotions held by Duck Village Merchants,, visit doducknc.com.

townofduck.com 252.255.1234

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Friday, September 18, 2020 THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT

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31

FYI

Many people vacation with their pets, and the Outer Banks offers petfriendly restaurants, dog parks and pet-friendly beaches, provided some rules are followed.

Each town the Cape Hatteras National Seashore has its own restriction pertaining to pets. All municipalities have ordinances to clean up after your pet, and that the State of North Carolina requires rabies tags to be worn at all times.

Also, remember to bring plenty of fresh water for your pet.Here’s a guide:

Currituck County

Leashes are required, but there is no length requirement.

6 p.m. from the Friday before Memorial Day until the day after Labor Day. At all other times, the leash may be extended, but must be retractable to 12 feet.

Well-trained dogs may be unleashed under close supervision of owner, not to exceed 30 feet in distance between owner and dog.

(252) 261-3552

Kill Devil Hills

Leash law requires leash not to exceed 10 feet in length. From 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day from May 15 through Sept. 15 each year, no dogs shall be allowed on town beaches, except those aiding a handicap person.

(252) 449-5300

THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT Friday, September 18, 2020

Outer Banks beach pet rules Nags Head Leash law requires leash not to exceed 10 feet in length. Leashed pets allowed on towns beaches year round. (252) 441-5508

Manteo

Leash law requires leash not to exceed 6 feet in length. Leashed pets are allowed on the waterfront year round. (252) 473-2133

Cape Hatteras National Seashore Leash law at National Parks requires leashes not to exceed 6 feet in length.

(252) 473-2111

Duck

Leash law requires leash not to exceed 10 feet in length. Pets are allowed to play unleashed on the beach under close supervision of owner. Year round petfriendly beaches. (252) 2551234

FILE PHOTO

Kill Devil Hills musician Christian Benedi and his four-legged daughter, Izzy, a Chesapeake Bay retriever.

Southern Shores

Leash law requires leash not to exceed 10 feet in length. From May 15 to September 15 of each year, animals are prohibited on town beaches. Leash laws enforced remainder of year.

(252) 261-2394

Fresh, Fun & Innovative local seafood, meats & vegetables

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Kitty Hawk

Leash law requires leash not to exceed 6 feet in length between 10 a.m. and

OPEN MONDAY, WEDNESDAY - SATURDAY FOR LUNCH AND DINNER AND SUNDAY BRUNCH! 1469 Colington Road, Kill Devil Hills • www.thesaltboxcafe.com • 252-255-5594

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Friday, September 18, 2020 THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT

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33

The Color of Self-Confidence

Pink Ribbon Resource Center provides style and support for survivors What are the biggest rewards?

Kim Twine is the director of the Pink Ribbon Resource Center, Inc. in Moyock, NC.

Despite all the struggles, the greatest reward for me will always be the smiles, the hugs, and sometimes even the tears. Tears of joy when a women see herself once again as beautiful and restored.

Can you describe your business.

We are an accredited, nonprofit organization providing post-mastectomy bras, breast prostheses, compression garments for lymphedema, and wigs.

We also offer support through our Bosom Buddies Support Group and Breastie Bags for new survivors. We’re excited to announce we are expanding and will soon open “Nola’s,” a new upscale resale shop.

What sets you apart from other similar businesses?

There are a few things that really make PRRC special. First of all, we are here! Next, you will find us in a discreet location. That can be very important for many of these women.

And finally, when you enter the shop, it’s very important to me that women feel welcomed, safe and comfortable knowing they are working with someone who is very passionate about helping them.

What sparked the decision to start your own business?

My mother is a 31-year breast cancer survivor. I’ve seen up close her struggle at times to find products from an accredited shop.

Why do you do what you do?

I volunteered in a mastectomy shop when I lived in Florida thinking it would be a “nice thing to do.” I soon found myself wanting to shift careers because it was so rewarding, being able to bring a sense of normalcy to the women that were helped. I found this is definitely my calling.

Why Currituck County?

I chose Currituck because I live here.

I found there really isn’t a shop like Pink Ribbon Resource Center here or anywhere in the surrounding four counties. And sadly, there will still be, on average, about 150 new breast cancer cases each year just in these counties.

“... being able to bring a sense of normalcy to the women... this is definitely my calling.”

Did you consider other locations?

I never even considered other areas.

So many people travel up through Currituck County and Moyock to access healthcare in Virginia. And people from Virginia come to or through Moyock. So it just seemed like the perfect, growing place to do business.

What are your biggest challenges as a business owner?

The biggest challenge for any business right now definitely has to be COVID-19. From decreases in business to increases in the cost to do business. It’s tough. And being a new business is difficult enough!

What’s one piece of advice you would give to someone starting a business in Currituck County?

Do it! If you are looking for a business location, Currituck County is great.

The county welcomes new business, is business friendly with little to no county fees, and is eager to help get you going.

Pink Ribbon Resource Center, Inc 113 Baxter Lane, Suite 8 , Moyock NC (252) 435-2776

pinkribbonresourcecenter.com

Read more about Currituck County Small Businesses on

www.ThinkCurrituck.com

Larry Lombardi, Director (252) 232-6015 M: (301) 237-8951 Larry@ThinkCurrituck.com www.ThinkCurrituck.com

THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT Friday, September 18, 2020

CURRITUCK COUNTY Small Business Spotlight

Friday, September 18, 2020 THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT

34

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THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT Friday, September 18, 2020

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Buxton Village Books

Friday, September 18, 2020 THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT

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FYI

It’s fun to cut loose and drive on the sand in an off road vehicle — it’s the closest we, humans, can come to feeling like one of the wild mustangs that gallop on the northernmost beaches of Currituck County.

But unless rules are followed, driving on the same beaches as those magnificent beasts can be dangerous for the driver, passengers and the horses. It’s important to understand the law — and the unspoken agreement between human and animal.

Unless otherwise marked, speed limits are 25 mph and 15 mph or slower near the horses, pets, wild animals, and other people.

The speed limit on Hatteras and Ocracoke islands (Cape Hatteras National Seashore) is 15 mph.

Here are some other important rules of the off-road world: ■ Watch for fishing lines and children playing.

■ Stay at least 50 feet away from wild horses.

■ Never drive on dunes or vegetation.

■ Obey all posted signs.

■ Park perpendicular to the water in the middle of the beach.

■ Traffic flows near the shoreline and dunes, with parked cars sitting between.

■ Tow straps, shovel, spare tire, jack and jack board are recommended, and sometimes required to be in the vehicle.

■ Open containers of alcohol are prohibited in vehicles ■ Drivers need to have a current, valid driver’s license ■ Avoid driving or parking on the wrack line. The wrack line is a line of accumulated natural debris left by a previous high tide.

Wrack lines are an important food source for birds.

■ Pedestrians always have right-of-way on the beach For more information, contact the Outer Banks Visitors Bureau at (252) 473-2138 or visit outerbanks.org.

Following are general beach driving rules in each

area (check with each town for the latest information):

Corolla

Driving permitted after the paved road ends heading north through Corolla.

Beach driving is also permitted from Oct1-April 30 at designated beach accesses.

Speed limit 25 mph unless otherwise marked.

Duck

Vehicles are not permitted on our beach between May 1 and September 30.

Vehicles are permitted during the other months of the year using designated private vehicular access points.

There are no public access points for vehicles within the town. Driving on the dunes is prohibited at all times.

■ (252) 232-2075 ■ co.currituck.nc.us

Southern Shores No Driving permitted.

■ (252) 261-2394 ■ southernshores.org

Kitty Hawk

No Driving permitted

■ (252) 261-3552 ■ townofkittyhawk.org

Kill Devil Hills

Driving permitted Oct. 1-April 30 (some areas may be closed to driving due to beach erosion and unsafe conditions). Speed limit 25 mph unless otherwise marked.

■ (252) 449-5300 ■ kdhnc.com

Nags Head

Oct. 1-April 30, a beach driving permit needed ($25) Available at the Nags Head Town offices and many tackle shops. Speed limit 25 mph unless otherwise marked.

■ (252) 441-5508 ■ townofnagshead.net

Hatteras Island to Ocracoke Cape Hatteras National Seashore

Driving an off-road vehicle (ORV) on the beach can be fun and adventurous, but

all F JOIN US FOR A

FILE PHOTO

Jamie Trent goes fourwheeling on Ocracoke Island in his 2015 Land Rover LR4 with his wife Tammy and the couple’s granddaughter, Kardigan.

where beach driving is permitted, there are general rules to follow: ■ The standard speed limit is 25 mph ■ Enter and leave the beach only at designated, open ramps − never between or on the dunes ■ Drive only on that portion of the beach which lies between the foot of the dunes and the ocean ■ Proceed with caution and consideration for other beach users; open containers of alcohol are prohibited in vehicles; your vehicle must have a state road registration and valid license plate; the operator must have a current driver’s license.

■ The use of off-road vehicles (ORV) on the beaches along Hatteras National Seashore is permitted yearround, with some limitations.

■ No permit is currently required to drive on the National Park Service (NPS) beaches, but it is advisable to check with a ranger to understand NPS guidelines and assure that you are not entering a closed zone.

■ Driving in the Pea Island Refuge is strictly prohibited.

■ Signs located at the various beach access ramps will state if driving is permitted on that particular area of the beach. Speed limit 25 mph unless otherwise marked.

■ (252) 473-2111 ■ nps.gov/caha/

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THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT Friday, September 18, 2020

General beach driving rules

Friday, September 18, 2020 THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT

38

THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT Friday, September 18, 2020

No matter what your age, coloring is a great way to relax and unwind. Use whatever color palette you like to make this scene your very own.

39

Welcome to the Coast’s coloring page!

40 Friday, September 18, 2020 THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT

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4 Friday, September 18, 2020 THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT

6

ON THE TOWN Catch a wave at the Surfalorus Film Fest and music from the Blue Ridge.

8 BEYOND THE MUSIC MaryAnn Toboz on music and the coronavirus blues.

table of contents

12 EATING IN The SaltBox Cafe gets “cheesy” for vegans and share the joy of sage butter in two tasty recipes.

18

WILDLIFE PHOTOS Bear cubs make an apperance at the Aligator National Wildlife Refuge.

22 COVER STORY Chronicling the history of Ocracoke’s Howard family.

28

Corola Wild Horse Fund commemorates the famous OBX wild horses.

PHOTO COURTESY OF BOB SUMNERS

The Dare County Arts Council Gallery in Manteo.

Don’t miss The Great Art Heist

Dare County Arts Council has decided to hold a benefit art auction next month in lieu of its annual fundraising gala, according to a press release.

Dubbed The Great Art Heist, the auction will showcase more than 100 pieces from local and regional artists. Bidding will start at noon Friday, Oct. 2, at Dare County Arts Council’s Gallery in downtown Manteo, as well as online at DareArts.org/artauction.

Private viewings will be available for art collectors and local businesses throughout the month until bidding closes at 8 p.m.

Oct. 30.

“We are so fortunate that Dare County artists have come together to support us in this crazy, challenging year,” said Chris Sawin, executive director, in a statement.

“Since our traditional fundraising gala is just not

possible in 2020, we are inviting everyone to steal the deals at The Great Art Heist auction.”

The auction is presented

by TowneBank, the lead sponsor of the Dare Digital Arts program that emerged this spring as a way to celebrate and support the arts through initiatives that are safe, meaningful and innovative.

Dare County Arts Council is a nonprofit organization dedicated to encouraging the arts through advocacy, enrichment and opportunity. It provides programs for veterans, artists, schools and the community.

To schedule a private viewing or inquire about sponsorship opportunities, email Sawin at dareartsinfo @gmail.com.

For more information, visit DareArts.org/artauction or call 252-473-5558.

OUT AND ABOUT

S U R F

•

S UP

•

S K I M

•

K A Y AK

TECHNOLOGY COURTESY OF BRAD EYRE

ONLY AT KITTY HAWK SURF CO.

A six-spotted fishing spider rests by a pond in Foxfire Lake in Virginia Beach. To see more wild nature shots, head over to page 18.

ABOUT COAST For more than 30 years, COAST has been the go-to source for information about the people, places, and things that make the Outer Banks one of the top destinations on the East Coast.

The publication shines a spotlight on locals who are making their mark, and it provides current information about the latest happenings that should not be missed — from music and art, to food, festivals, fishing, and more.

COAST. All local. All the time.

EDITOR Victoria Bourne, victoria.bourne@ pilotonline.com, 757-222-5563 LOCAL EDITOR Dave Fairbank

davefairbank100@gmail.com

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Dave Fairbank, Jeff Hampton, John Harper, Sam Harris, Philip Howard, Daryl Law, Maggie Miles, Vicki Shufer, Megan Scott, Scott Sechman ADVERTISE WITH US Find out how you can engage more readers with an integrated marketing program.

John "Ski" Miller, media sales manager, ski.miller@virginiamedia.com; Elizabeth Cato, senior account executive, elizabeth.catoe@ virginiamedia.com HOW TO GET YOUR NEWS OR EVENT IN COAST Do you have an event coming up that’s open to the public, or an idea for a

story? If so, we’d like to know. Contact victoria.bourne@ pilotonline.com.

THINGS TO KNOW During the summer season (May-August), when Coast is a weekly publication, information must be submitted at least 10 days in advance of an event.

During the shoulder season (September-October), when Coast is a monthly publication — with the exception of November-December and January-February, when two months are combined — information must be submitted at least 14 days in advance of an event.

WANT TO KNOW MORE? For more information, visit coastobx.com; facebook.com/CoastOBX

KHSURF.COM • (252) 441-6800

6 Friday, September 18, 2020 THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT

ON THE TOWN

COURTESY OF SURFALORUS FILM FEST

Logan Marshall’s “Abeyance” will highlight the opening night of the ninth annual Surfalorus Film Fest and will be viewed drive-in movie style in Manteo along with four other short films.

The remainder of the four-day film fest will be held online.

Surf movie fest and music from the Blue Ridge

By John Harper

■ Friday through Sun-

Thursday, Sept.

24-Sunday, Sept.

27

Thursday, Oct.1

day, films will be shown online at 8 p.m. at surfalorus.com and registraiton is required. Donations will be accepted.

Correspondent

Surfalorus Film Fest To quote Brian Wilson and Mike Love of the Beach Boys, the four-day event should be fun, fun, fun.

The ninth annual edition (the sixth time on the Outer Banks) of the festival will feature local, regional, national and international surf-inspired films, as well as live, interactive questionand-answer sessions with filmmakers, surfers and actors from the Netflix series “Outer Banks.”

“These films not only spotlight surfing,” says Surfalorus director Dan Brawley, 47, of Wilmington. “But they address conservation, cultural and social issues.”

On opening night, the parking lot of the North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island in Manteo will be turned into a drive-in

COURTESY OF THE BAND

One of the groups to emerge from the Asheville music scene is The Knotty G’s , a trio whose music is as pure as a mountain stream.

theater.

Films will be shown on a 30-foot screen, and sound will be broadcast on a FM radio frequency.

Local legend Logan Marshall’s “Abeyance” will highlight the night, which includes four other short films.

On Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Surfalorus will be online.

Standout films include “Sea, Salt, Wind,” “Lo Que

Hay” and “Great Highway,” a classic documentary about the rise of surf culture in San Francisco.

Sunday night, the focus will be on women surfers.

“We always try to lift them up,” says Brawley.

■ Where: (Thursday night only) North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island, 374 Airport Road, Manteo ■ When: 7:30 p.m.

■ Cost: $20 per carload

The Knotty G’s Asheville, North Carolina, has quietly become a legitimate “music town” over the last 15 years or so.

Bands from various camps – rock, funk, Americana, bluegrass, folk, etc. – have been inspired by the beauty and lifestyle of the city (about 2,000 feet above sea level) in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

One of the groups to emerge is The Knotty G’s, a trio of singer-songwritersmulti-instrumentalists whose music is as pure as, well, a mountain stream.

The band plays a free, outdoor show Oct. 1 at the Tap Shack in Duck.

Made up of Gill “Jill with a G” Henry (guitar, mandolin, ukulele, percussion, vocals), Chuck Knott (guitar, mandolin, dobro, vocals)

and Ryan Kijanka (bass, percussion), the group’s sound merges folk, bluegrass, rock and tad funk.

It’s joyful string music, with a kick. There are plenty of lively licks, inspired solos, controlled improvisations and beautiful harmonies.

Originals range from Allman Brothers-ish rock (“October Appalachia”) to pretty ballads (“Another Memory,” “This Old Dog”) to lively breakdowns (“Kookaburra”) to bluesy shuffles (“Mississippi”).

A standout track is “Cabin Song,” an aching midtempo country tune sung by Henry, whose voice suggests a twangier Natalie Merchant (not that there’s anything wrong with that).

It examines the challenges of kicking two bad habits: drinking and smoking.

She sings: “Can’t say a thought without a punchline/Can’t make a joke bigger than me/I hung my heart out on a clothesline/ Hoping a strong breeze will

set me free.”

For club gigs, the trio also throws in a few well-chosen covers, including a delightful take on the Talking Heads’ “Nothing but Flowers.”

■ Where: Tap Shack (behind Coastal Cravings),1209 Duck Road, Duck ■ When: 6:30 p.m.

■ Cost: No cover ■ Info: 252-480-0032, Tap Shack on Facebook John Harper has been covering the local entertainment scene for The Coast and Virginian-Pilot since 1994. He’s also written hundreds of stories on subjects ranging from history to sports and food.

Harper is longtime radio broadcaster and program director on the Outer Banks and can be heard from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday on the local Triple A outlet WVOD-99.1-The Sound. He’s the host of the popular Saturday morning flashback feature “10 at 10” and is also an award-winning wedding D.J.

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8 Friday, September 18, 2020 THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT

BEYOND THE MUSIC

COURTESY OF BIFF@SHOOTERS

MaryAnn Toboz, left, and Cole Stevens play Mississippi delta blues music, honoring the genre's pioneers and finding grooves in the process.

Harping and jamming on the blues

Local blues artist staying safe, aiding community during the pandemic

By Scott Sechman Correspondent

I first encountered MaryAnn Toboz at a day-long jam session in Nags Head a couple of years ago. I was leaving and she was arriving, and I didn’t realize at the time that I’d been in

touch with her before when she was a coordinator at Tidewater Arts Outreach, a nonprofit she started in 2003. I’d just recently arrived on the Outer Banks from California but having spent my formative years in the Tidewater area, I was looking for some way to get

my foot in a musical door in the Norfolk area. So, I contacted them to volunteer.

Fast forward a few months and I’m at another session at the same location, and there was Toboz playing harmonica with local blues woman Ruth Wyand. Then the professional jealousy (all musicians have it, whether they admit it or not) surfaced in

me because she could play much better than me. What are ya gonna do? Love it or live with it, I’m over it now (insert winky emoji here).

She’s currently playing with guitarist Cole Stevens in the delta blues duo Cole and MaryAnn. Little did I know that she is much more than a harp player.

What has been the hardest part of dealing

with the pandemic?

The hardest part has been the realization that our lives have been changed forever. Social institutions that we love and need for our well-being have been missing from our lives since March. I feel for the working parents with schoolaged children and I grieve for the loss and isolation this has meant for older adults. My dad would have

had a really hard time dealing with the handwashing, masking and distancing, had he lived to see the pandemic. Older adults need physical connection, too. It’s just often much harder to come by, for them.

And now, it’s nearly nonexistent.

What have you been doing during See MUSIC/Page 9

the shutdown?

Our gigs have slowed down, but not stopped completely. My regular job at the Outer Banks Community Foundation keeps me quite engaged. We’ve been working throughout the COVID crisis to help nonprofits and community members make it through the shutdown, taking advantage of a Rapid Response Grants program for nonprofits that the community foundation board and staff created during (Hurricane) Dorian, in response to the great need for support that our local charities experience in times of crisis.

We were just catching our breath from Dorian when COVID came into view, so it’s been busy.

Have you started or completed any projects?

The shutdown has been the perfect time for me to study music. My work with Cole has been a deep dive into the blues. I hate to admit it, but I had not made the time before then and I’ve been playing catch-up.

After playing acoustic guitar for decades, I started playing electric guitar about a year ago; the shutdown has allowed me time to work on my technique and tone. I’ve been having a blast using YouTube to study and learn about the blues greats, about guitar technique, and to hone my harmonica skills. It’s given me plenty to do!

What have you missed the most?

I miss getting together with people. I miss jam sessions. Hanging out with older adults and giving them love. Holding babies. I miss live music offerings up and down the beach. My last was presenting therapeutic music and arts programs for older adults into settings like nursing homes and assisted living facilities in Hampton Roads. We had programs at art galleries and theaters, too. That all dried up with COVID. The artists lost rewarding income streams, and young people and volunteers lost inspiring, creative programs where they could

OUTER BANKS ORIGINAL CHRISTMAS SHOP...SINCE 1967

— MaryAnn Toboz connect with older adults through the arts. Our older adults lost this precious opportunity for meaningful social interaction and selfexpression. They are extremely isolated – at a time when they need and deserve human contact the most in their lives.

What concerns you going ahead?

I’m concerned for the nonprofits that depend on fundraising events and community contact to meet their missions. Also, that individuals who are old and weak are being marginalized through this pandemic.

Is there any music that has helped you get through this?

Outside of friends’ virtual concerts, and events like The Courthouse Sessions and online radio, I haven’t had time to specifically move through particular playlists.

What makes you smile or laugh?

I love watching the babies and pre-schoolers play at the beach.

Who or what keeps you centered?

My husband, Dan. He keeps the home fires burning and is always a steady source of advice and support. Having my son nearby is awesome. Being a block away from the beach has been a huge help. I really appreciate being able to get outdoors to bike, swim or walk.

What has encouraged you during the pandemic?

New music equipment and that practice seems to be paying off.

If you are gigging, how are you keeping yourself safe? Is that solely your responsibility?

Cole and I are both over 60, and neither of us wants

More Information Check out Cole & MaryAnn Music on Facebook @bluestimestwo.

to take chances. We’ve only accepted gigs at venues that are outdoors, where physical distancing is built into the footprint, and where the three W’s are honored. Our hand sanitizer is always nearby, and we just keep our distance from folks.

When you are out working, what are you seeing with respect to compliance to masking, social distancing and capacity limit mandates?

It seems that clients are taking their cues from the venues, and the venues where we’re playing are complying with the state mandate.

Are there any new insights you’ve gained or new activities that you’ve engaged in that you’d like to maintain going forward?

I’ve had more discretionary time. While I miss being with friends and social activities, I’ve enjoyed a less hectic schedule.

What has discouraged you during the pandemic?

Jellyfish.

What has surprised you the most?

Politics.

Transplanted to the Outer Banks from the wilds of the L.A. area, singer-songwriter Scott Sechman has shared stages with Bill Medley, Tom Rush, Al Wilson and the Grass Roots during his ongoing music career. He has also contributed to Mojo and various online outlets.

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THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT Friday, September 18, 2020

Continued from 8

“The shutdown has been the perfect time for me to study music. My work with Cole has been a deep dive into the blues. I hate to admit it, but I had not made the time before then and I’ve been playing catch-up.”

9

MUSIC

10 Friday, September 18, 2020 THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT

COAST LIVE MUSIC CALENDAR | SEPT. 18-OCT. 1 MANTEO

KITTY HAWK

Dare County Arts Council (Courthouse Sessions livestream): Sept. 22 – Rory Kelleher; Sept. 29 — Coyote (Marcy Brenner, Lou Castro)

Longboards: Sept. 18, 19, 25, 26 — TBA

Poor Richard’s: Sept. 18 — The Other Brothers; Sept. 19 — Joey Wood; Sept. 25 — Natalie Wolfe; Sept. 26 — Bryan Campbell

KILL DEVIL HILLS Jack Brown’s: Sept. 18 — Jonny Waters; Sept. 19 — Trickfly; Sept. 25 — Cole and MaryAnn; Sept. 26 — The Mo-Rons Rooster’s: Sept. 18 — Butch Burrows; Sept. 23, 30 — Phil Watson; Sept. 25 — The Wilder Bros.

Saltbox Café: Sept. 19, 21, 24, 26, 28, Oct. 1 — Kim Kalman Secret Island: Sept. 18, 25 — DJ Styles and DJ Smilez; Sept. 23, 30 — DJ Styles; Sept. 26 — Krunch Stonefish Beach Bar (Avalon Pier): Sept. 18, 19, 25, 26 — TBA

TBA; Sept. 24, Oct. 1 — Stephen Vang RODANTHE/WAVES/SALVO

Rundown Café: Sept. 18 — Formula; Sept. 19 – Steve Hauser; Sept. 24 — Alexander James; Sept. 25 — SOULone; Sept. 26 — Randy Burton; Sept.

27 — Bar Cats Duo

Neptune’s Kitchen and Dive Bar: Sept. 5, 8, 9, 12, 15, 16 — TBA HATTERAS VILLAGE Breakwater: Sept. 18, 25 – Rory Kelleher; Sept. 20, 27 — Jam session w/ Rory Kelleher; Sept.

23, 30 — Brian Surratt

DUCK Aqua: Sept. 18, 22, 25, 29 — Monte Hooker; Sept. 19, 26 — Devin Frazier; Sept. 20, 21, 27, 28 — Randy Burton; Sept. 23, 30 — Graham Outten; Sept. 24, Oct. 1 – Bobby Soto

Hatteras Sol Deli and Café: Sept. 18, 25 — Brian Surratt

Cravings Tap Shack: Sept. 18 — Graham Outten; Sept. 19 — Paper Aliens; Sept. 24 – Breslow and Parker; Sept. 25 — The Mo-Rons; Sept. 26 — Formula; Oct. 1 — The Knotty G’s

OCRACOKE

Quarterdeck (Frisco): Sept. 20, 27 — Mary Joy McDaniel; Sept.

24, Oct. 1 — TBA

Coyote Music Den: Sept. 23, 30 — Livestream in-house concert w/ Marcy Brenner, Lou Castro and Martin Garrish on Martin Garrish and Friends Facebook page, coyotemusic.net

Village Table and Tavern: Sept.

18 — Phil Watson

HATTERAS ISLAND AVON Froggy Dog: Sept. 20 — Kim Kalman

MAINLAND COURTESY OF NATALIE WOLFE

Natalie Wolfe has been a fixture on the Outer Banks music scene since 2011.

Turner’s High Moon: Sept. 18, 19, 20, 25, 27 — TBA; Sept. 24, Oct. 1 — Open mic w/ Rory Kelleher;

Sept. 26 — Brian Surratt BUXTON

Café Pamlico: Sept. 21, 28 — Rory Kelleher; Sept. 22, 29 — Brian Surratt; Sept. 23,30 —

BJ’s Carolina Café (Jarvisburg): Sept. 23, 30 — TBA Sanctuary Vineyards (Jarvisburg): Sept. 24, Oct. 1 — TBA

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Friday

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APPETIZER

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★ Please remember when you are sitting at the bar, food must be ordered. ★ For the time being, we are a restaurant and not a bar. ★ You are required to wear face masks upon entering and while waiting to be seated. You are not required to wear them while you are seated at a table. ★ Absolutely no vaping is allowed in the restaurant. ★ We apologize for any inconvenience and hope we will be back to normal operations soon.

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OBX lifeguard service extended on Hatteras Island

By Jeff Hampton Staff writer

Outer Banks lifeguards are putting in overtime this year as beach crowds are staying past Labor Day, the traditional end of the busy season.

The Cape Hatteras National Seashore will extend its lifeguard services in Frisco, Ocracoke and Coquina Beach to the end of September, said park spokesman Mike Barber.

Towns from Corolla to Nags Head also plan to continue manning lifeguard stands through at least the end of the month.

The decision to prolong ocean rescue services came after it became clear the crowds weren’t subsiding.

Home schooling and searing desires to get out of the house amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic seem to be extending this year’s beach season.

Outer Banks beach rentals are fully booked through

COURTESY OF CAPE HATTERAS NATIONAL SEASHORE

Cape Hatteras National Seashore has extended lifeguard service through September.

September and beyond, said Mirek Dabrowski, president of Outer Banks Lifesaving Services and who contracts ocean rescue staff for Duck, Southern

Shores and Cape Hatteras National Seashore.

“We’ll look again to see if we need to add manpower for the month of October,” Dabrowski said.

Towns were able to keep trained lifeguards the extra weeks with jobs harder to come by and schools operating online classes, he said.

Virginia Beach lifeguards will remain on their stands between 2nd to 42nd streets through Sept. 20 and continue patrols through Oct. 11, according to Virginia Beach Lifesaving Service Chief Tom Gill.

That is how they traditionally wind down the season.

The Outer Banks closed to visitors early in the spring following concerns over the coronavirus, but reopened in mid May and have seen massive crowds all summer. Cape Hatteras National Seashore recorded nearly a half million visitors in July, the most since 2003 and fourth most ever for that month.

Despite the hordes of visitors, there were relatively few drownings in the ocean this year. A man drowned off Ocracoke in

July, the only water-related death within the nearly 70 miles of beaches in Cape Hatteras National Seashore.

Outside park boundaries, a 65-year-old man in Duck drowned in July. A 26-yearold Greenville man also drowned near the Kitty Hawk Pier that month.

At least five people have drowned in an Outer Banks ocean each year for at least the past five years, including nine in 2016.

But the relatively calm and shallow sounds on the west side of the Outer Banks have been deadly this summer. Five people have drowned in a variety of circumstances in three different sounds. Lifeguards are typically not available on the soundside.

People caught in rip currents account for 80% of beach rescues nationally, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Chances of drowning are nearly five

times greater at a beach without lifeguards, according to a study by the U.S. Lifesaving Association.

Lifeguards within Cape Hatteras National Seashore pulled at least 35 people from the ocean between Memorial Day and Sept. 4, according to statistics provided by the park. Some had flotation devices, but still could not get back to shore.

Outer Banks agencies and governments have pushed ocean safety with campaigns on websites, social media, radio ads and signs on the beach. They warn swimmers to watch out for rip currents, stay near lifeguards and use a flotation device.

“Everybody thinks it’s not going to happen to me,” Dabrowski said. “People don’t really understand the power of the surf.”

Jeff Hampton, 252-491-5272, jeff.hampton @pilotonline.com

THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT Friday, September 18, 2020

Outside Dining and Karaoke!

Look what Jolly’s doing this season!

11

$3.99

12 Friday, September 18, 2020 THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT

EATING IN

Menu favorites from The SaltBox Café

By Megan Scott

Correspondent

Outer Banks visitors and locals alike know the delight that can be found at The SaltBox Café on Colington Road. Classically trained chefs and owners Randolph and Amanda Sprinkle and their delicious twists on fresh, local food have inspired a cult-like following since the restaurant opened in 2014.

The Sprinkles combine flavors and textures in ways that could make anybody swoon, and the entire SaltBox crew is some of the most warm, welcoming folks on the beach. A meal there is always one to remember. But, if you’re content to spend a cozy evening at home, the recipes featured here come straight from SaltBox’s menu, and both are deserving of a spot on your table. The Sprinkles’ dishes show how easy it can be to turn simple, seasonal ingredients into something special.

First up, a Vegan Buffalo Mac and “Cheese” that will gratify comfort food cravings. If you’re new to vegan cuisine, a recipe from Amanda Sprinkle is the place to begin. As a vegetarian herself, she knows how to coax mouthwatering flavor out of every ounce of these plant-based ingredients, and the results are utterly satisfying.

This dish is loaded with veggies and the sauce is made from cauliflower that’s been simmered in

The SaltBox Café What: Unique twists on fresh, local food When: Lunch and dinner Monday, Wednesday-Saturday; brunch on Sundays, closed Tuesdays Where: 1469 Colington Road, Kill Devil Hills Info: thesaltboxcafe.com

MEGAN SCOTT/FREELANCE

Chef Amanda Sprinkle’s Vegan Buffalo Mac & “Cheese.”

Vegan Buffalo Mac & “Cheese” with Panko Crust Serves 4 4 cups cooked elbow macaroni noodles 2 cups diced butternut squash or sweet potato, oven roasted 1 cup sliced mushrooms – cremini or portobello are best 1 medium head of cauliflower, cleaned and chopped 1 small yellow onion – slice one half and dice the other half 1 tablespoon chopped garlic 2 cups vegetable stock 1/4 cup Tabasco sauce 2 1/2 tablespoons nutritional yeast 1 cup full-fat coconut milk 1 cup roasted cashews 1 green onion, thinly sliced salt and pepper to taste 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided 1 cup plain panko bread crumb 1 tablespoon coconut oil 1 teaspoon dry harissa seasoning or blackening seasoning

■ Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a medium pot and CONTRIBUTED

The SaltBox Café chefs Amanda and Randolph Sprinkle work their magic in the kitchen.

stock spiked with Tabasco for that classic buffalo taste.

The cauliflower is pureed along with coconut milk and cashews for creamy texture, plus some nutritional yeast for a boost of flavor. Yes, nutritional yeast is good for you, but you’ll love it for the rich, nutty, cheesiness it provides. This meal feels like the ultimate indulgence and just the thing to snuggle up on the couch with.

Next comes the Sprinkles’ Seared Scallops with

Sage Butter over a Parsnip and Pine Nut Puree. The Sprinkles get much of their seafood from O’Neal’s Sea Harvest, near the docks in Wanchese. Make the trip if you can; the freshness speaks for itself.

In this recipe, sweet, tender scallops benefit from a fast, hot sear in a skillet while they’re gently basted with sage-infused butter.

Sounds amazing, right?

Thanks to Randolph, we’ll be basting everything in life with sage butter from now

on. The scallops are then paired with a silky, nutty parsnip purée that’s surprisingly simple to make and, before you know it, you have a gourmet meal on your hands worthy of the good plates and a fancy bottle of wine.

Give these SaltBox Café favorites a try and soak up all the late summer/early fall vibes they bring to the table. Your taste buds, and your family, will thank you.

See Page 13

add sliced onion and chopped garlic, cooking until translucent. Add cauliflower and cook until lightly golden.

Add vegetable stock and Tabasco sauce and simmer until cauliflower is tender.

■ In a blender (be careful as the mixture is hot), blend cauliflower mixture. Add cashews and nutritional yeast and blend until smooth. Slowly add coconut milk until creamy.

■ Add remaining tablespoons of vegetable oil to a large skillet over medium heat. Add diced onion, mushrooms, and squash or sweet potato and cook until tender.

■ Add “cheese” sauce, green onion, and salt and pepper

to taste. Bring to simmer and slowly add noodles. Stir and simmer together until slightly thick and creamy.

■ Melt the coconut oil in a small skillet over low heat. Add panko breadcrumbs and stir occasionally until toasted, then add harissa or blackening seasoning to taste.

■ Place hot macaroni and cheese in serving dish and top with seasoned, toasted panko breadcrumbs.

ALEX AND ANI • BRIGHTON • XCVI • HOBO FREE PEOPLE • CORKCICLE • Z SUPPLY UNO DE 50 • GIFTS & HOME DECOR

MEGAN SCOTT/FREELANCE

Chef Randolph Sprinkle’s Seared Scallops with Sage Butter over Parsnip and Pine Nut Puree.

Continued from 12

Seared Scallops with Sage Butter over Parsnip & Pine Nut Puree

HOURS: MON-SAT 10-6 • CLOSED SUN

Milepost 11, Naags Head • 441-4042 • thefrenchdoorobx.com

OUTER BANKS VACATION RENTALS & REAL ESTATE SALES

Serves 2 8 large fresh scallops, cleaned and patted dry 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened 1/2 small yellow onion, diced 1 cup peeled and diced parsnip

Beach life is the

1 small cauliflower head, cleaned and chopped 1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted 6 fresh sage leaves 1/2 cup heavy cream 1 1/2 cups water 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 tablespoon olive oil salt and pepper to taste

■ Heat olive oil in a medium pot over medium heat and add diced onion; cook until

translucent. Reduce heat to low and add parsnip and cauliflower. Cook for 4-6 minutes until golden. Add water and cream and let simmer until vegetables are soft. In a blender, puree parsnip mixture and slowly add toasted pine nuts. Add salt and pepper to taste.

■ Add vegetable oil to a large skillet over medium heat. Season scallops with salt and

pepper and slowly add them to the skillet (make sure skillet is very hot). Slowly add butter and sage leaves. With a large metal spoon, baste the scallops with butter. Flip scallops over after 2 minutes and repeat basting on other side. Cook for 2 more minutes.

■ To serve, spread parsnip puree on the bottom of a plate and place scallops on top.

Serve with delicious sides such as braised collards, roasted sweet potatoes, or sautéed broccoli rabe.

Megan Scott is co-owner of The Spice & Tea Exchange in Duck. You can check out her food blog at servingtonight.com.

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THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT Friday, September 18, 2020

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14 Friday, September 18, 2020 THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT

THE SANDBAR Batten Down the Hatches, the Outer Banks own Hurricane-style cocktail. Though the drink was born out of having too much rum and no way to sell it in an Irish pub, the Hurricane is a staple of New Orleans culture.

Batten Down the Hatches 1 ½ ounces Kill Devil Rum pecan honey rum ½ ounce banana syrup ** ¾ ounce tangerine juice 1/2 pineapple juice 1/4 lime juice Add all to shaker tin and shake, pour over crushed ice and garnish with a citrus slice. **To make banana syrup add 1 cup demerara sugar to 1 cup water in a small saucepan. Add one chopped banana and bring to simmer until sugar dissolves. Let sit for 1-2 hours until cooled with strong banana flavor. Strain and keep in sealed container for a couple days in the refrigerator.

SAM HARRISS/FREELANCE

Batten Down the Hatches for this Hurricane

By Sam Harriss

Correspondent

Leave it to the beignets and chicory root coffee crowd to aptly create a cocktail for our wildest time of year — hurricane season.

A season so extreme, Julius Caesar left it out of calendars entirely, and a drink so strong the memories of flashy plastic beads are smoggy dreamscapes at

best. Though the drink was born out of having too much rum and no way to sell it in an Irish pub, the Hurricane is a staple of New Orleans culture. Cue the zydeco music and the steady yoyoing of weather and you have that eerie feeling the atmosphere conjures up right before the pressure drops and power flickers.

All Outer Bankers know the feeling; some live for it,

other wiser folk probably sense dread in the Weather Channel predictions.

I figure New Orleans can have its Hurricane cocktail, but our sandbar deserves a creation all its own. I think back to the days of filling the bathtub, double checking the candle stash, making sure all the batteries work, and no matter hell or high water ensuring there was beer in every cooler before

the state of emergency was declared.

Not much has changed year to year, except all us locals without a doubt have a stash of Kill Devil Rum on hand. It’s probably hidden away in some forbidden crevice, under a floorboard or buried out back in a shallow pit, awaiting its time to be pulled into the pearly existence of the calm before the storm. Everyone

knows you can’t keep the stuff safely away from glass or guest unless you hide it from yourself.

With limbo setting in and the National Guard pouring over our bridges, we wait for the moment with shovel in hand. And for all those faithful fellow fools like myself, staying and battening down the hatches, here’s a cocktail to take the edge off. But when that eye

passes over remember: It’s not yet a beach day.

Sam Harriss is the owner/founder of Camp Cocktail, a mobile bartending business on the Outer Banks. When she’s not slinging drinks from the window of her remodeled 1969 Shasta camper trailer, you might find her nose-deep in a good book, a sleeping dog by her side.

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16 Friday, September 18, 2020 THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT

INNER BANKS

Offering more than just a hair appointment Lovie’s Salon honors women’s beauty, light within

By Maggie Miles Correspondent

Women have engaged in hair and beauty rituals for thousands of years. The ancient Egyptians thought hair was magical. Women spent hours doing hair rituals in the temples, bonding with each other, telling secrets, and sharing stories.

They used it as a time to honor themselves.

The ancient Greeks, and most every culture since then, considered hair a reflection of self. Anyone who says hair doesn’t matter obviously has never had a bad haircut.

Alicia Arranz, founder of Lovie’s Salon in Duck, is on a mission to bring back the ritual of hair care. She sees her client’s hair appointments as more than just vanity — they are rather a gateway for women to take time out of their busy day to do something for themselves; to honor not only their physical beauty, but the light shining within.

“I really enjoy creating the space for them just kind of one-on-one where it’s just kind of whatever they need it to be, you know if they need to talk about anything or if they just want to relax — just the idea of taking time out for themselves. I think it’s so great because it’s so easy for us not to do it,” says Arranz.

And according to Arranz, the benefits of taking that time to love on yourself don’t end at her doorstep; They carry out into life.

“I feel like sometimes when you get something done and you feel uplifted it ends up kind of shifting the energy to something else and inspiring you to do something else, you know, you just kind of get this flow going,” says Arranz.

Everything in the Scarborough Faire Village stu-

dio was meticulously curated with thought and care, from the products, to the design of the space.

Arranz partnered with Lindsay Dilworth and Andrew Carnill, of Altwood to do the redesign and to house products from their shop in Corolla. Her goal was to create a relaxing space that is calm and clean, with good plants and lots of good sunlight.

“I wanted it to feel like a getaway — like no matter what’s going on in the world, you step in and you forget where you are kind of feeling,” says Arranz.

And then there is the experience with Arranz herself. When you walk in the door you can expect to sit down, have some champagne or tea, be heard and pampered.

“Even from an early age, I always loved making people feel good about themselves,” says Arranz. “And I think it’s easy for me to maybe see their light even if they’re not really seeing it.

Like sometimes people will be like ‘oh my god no I don’t really feel like that,’ but I’m not making it up, like whatever I say I meant it, you know?”

And then there’s the shampoo, which is a whole experience in itself. Think soothing music, consciously chosen vegan shampoo and conditioner that smell amazing, palo santo burning beside you, clearing out any left-over negative energy from your day, and to top it all off, a head massage.

“I feel like there’s something about all of our senses being met, like the smell, the touch, the sound of the music, and when you put all of those things together, it’s almost like it’s a Shavasana or something, or just like a little get away for a few minutes,” says Arranz. “I think all of the senses make it easier for someone who typically has a hard time quieting their mind.”

See SALON/Page 17

COURTESY OF ALICIA ARRANZ

Alicia Arranz of Lovie’s Salon in Duck is on a mission to bring back the ritual of hair care.

She ends the experience by pulling an affirmation card for you to carry away with you. She got this idea because it’s something that has resonated with her in her own life, being able to open up to a page or read a card and get a thought for the day is something that has always helped her.

“So, I would always just bring this stuff and keep it around Lovie’s, and (if ) I felt intuitively like somebody maybe needed something, I would just give them a book or maybe I have my oracle cards down there and its always positive and uplifting,” she says. “But it’s always crazy because whatever they pull or whatever page they open to, it’s so spot on and usually blows both of our minds.”

According to Beth Storie, one of Arranz’ longest clients, all of these added details don’t go unnoticed, “When I’m at Lovie’s its

Inspired by quarantine, Arranz has also created kits for hair care rituals that you can do on your own at home, incorporating all the same elements you would experience in the studio.

Lovie’s Salon What: A collaborative group of hair stylists and colorists, massage therapists, estheticians and healers Where: 1177 Duck Road, Suite 15, Duck Contact: 252-423-9318; loviescorollavillage @gmail.com. For in-home massage appointments, 252-564-5151.

More info: http://loviessalon.com or Lovie’s Salon and Spa on Facebook

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THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT Friday, September 18, 2020

Continued from 16

more than just a hair appointment,” she says. “It’s an entire experience in relaxation and care.” According to Storie, her appointments never come soon enough. She has been a client of Arranz since before the studio days, eight years ago, when Arranz made house calls. Now, inspired by quarantine, Arranz has also created kits for hair care rituals that you can do on your own at home, incorporating all the same elements you would experience in the studio.

Arranz says she hopes when her clients sit in her chair, look in that mirror, and see themselves in a new light, that that moment is only the beginning.

“I love when people feel connected to who they are and look into the most beautiful version of themselves and that they feel uplifted because I really feel that then it’s like a domino effect,” says Arranz. “Because then they’re uplifted, and then whoever they meet feels that and then it just goes on and on.”

17

SALON

18 Friday, September 18, 2020 THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT

WILDLIFE PHOTOS

By Vickie Shufer

Correspondent

Linda Glasson photographed a beautiful white ibis and a tri-colored heron feeding together at the Narrows in Virginia Beach.

Alyssa Schoenfeld captured a close-up of an immature bald eagle on camera that landed by the pool in Great Neck in Virginia Beach.

Nylia Laney came upon two adult bald eagles while fishing near Tulls Bay in North Carolina.

Laura Mae sent a photo of a yellow-crowned night heron fishing at Great Bridge Lock Park in Chesapeake. Dan Holland photographed an immature yellow-crowned night heron while cleaning fish in the Nansemond River in Suffolk.

Kathleen Anderson came upon a peregrine falcon resting on a fence while walking her dog on the Elizabeth River Trail in West Ghent in Norfolk.

Katherine Burnett photographed a Cooper’s hawk perched on a deck at Willoughby Spit in Norfolk.

Ronald Skasko photographed a male hummingbird in his Kempsville backyard in Virginia Beach.

Jack Beecher has black swallowtail caterpillars feeding on his dill plant in Western Branch in Chesapeake.

Stuart McCausland was fortunate to see a great purple hairstreak butterfly that was feeding on mountain mint in his front yard in Kempsville in Virginia Beach. Karen Harris also photographed a beautiful female purple hairstreak that was resting on her driveway in Wolfsnare Plantation in Virginia Beach.

Steve Stasulis photographed monarch caterpillars feeding on swamp milkweed in the Kings Grant area of Virginia Beach.

Diana Pengitore sent a photo of a skipper butterfly in her garden in Lake Shores in Virginia Beach.

Linda Clarke photographed a brand new monSee CLOSE/Page 19

COURTESY OF RICH THIESFELD

Bear cubs enjoy some play time at the Alligator National Wildlife Refuge in North Carolina.

A male box turtle hunkers down in the leaves beside a tree stump in Ballylinn Farms in Virginia Beach.

A great purple hairstreak butterfly feeds on mountain mint in a Kempsville yard in Virginia Beach.

COURTESY OF DENISE MAPLES

COURTESY OF STUART MCCAUSLAND

Monarch caterpillars feed on swamp milkweed in the Kings Grant area of Virginia Beach.

A six-spotted fishing spider rests by a pond in Foxfire Lake in Virginia Beach.

COURTESY OF BRAD EYRE

COURTESY OF STEVE STASULIS

19

CLOSE

THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT Friday, September 18, 2020

Continued from 18 arch butterfly that made its first stop to enjoy some lantana flowers in Thalia Point in Virginia Beach.

Lydia Johnson also photographed a female monarch butterfly that was newly emerged from its chrysalis at Virginia Wesleyan University in Virginia Beach.

Pat Puller photographed a zebra swallowtail butterfly enjoying her butterfly bush in Timberlake in Virginia Beach.

Bernice Pope photographed a polyphemus moth at the historic Cavalier Shores in Virginia Beach.

Denise Maples was sprucing up her flowerbeds in Ballylinn Farms in Virginia Beach when she almost stepped on this beautiful male box turtle. “He was hunkered down in the leaves beside a tree stump,” Maples wrote. “Immediately I was sorry I disturbed him, but thrilled I got to see those gorgeous red eyes.”

Beverly Hills sent photos of a grasshopper and a male praying mantis in Kings Grant in Virginia Beach.

Harold Winer found a garden spider and her web around his front porch light in Kings Grant in Virginia Beach. Mike Weirich also sent a photo of a garden spider that his wife found while gardening in Great Neck Estates in Virginia Beach.

Brad Eyre spotted a sixspotted fishing spider on his pond in Foxfire Lake in Virginia Beach.

Troy Tripamer photographed an immature five-lined skink in the Little Neck area of Virginia Beach.

Richard Hutt was picking peppers when he found a gray treefrog hanging on a pepper in Etheridge Meadows in Chesapeake.

William Walker photographed a green treefrog on a rose bush in his Windsor Woods garden in Virginia Beach.

An American toad visited Sheryle Hamlett in the Bayview section of Norfolk.

Jack Bunting photographed a squirrel that

COURTESY OF LINDA CLARKE

A newly emerged monarch butterfly makes its first stop on lantana flowers in Thalia Point in Virginia Beach.

COURTESY OF LINDA GLASSON

A white ibis and a tri-colored heron feed together at the Narrows in Virginia Beach.

was taking time to relax by stretching out on his deck in Great Bridge in Chesapeake.

Rich Thiesfeld photographed two playful black bear cubs at Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge in North Carolina.

Terry Anderson photographed a large rabbit in

his neighbor’s yard in Green Run in Virginia Beach and a baby rabbit in his yard that popped out of the ground while he was mowing and took off running.

Vickie Shufer, wildfood@cox.net

COURTESY OF LAURA MAE

A yellow-crowned night heron waits for fish at the Great Bridge Lock Park in Chesapeake.

20 Friday, September 18, 2020 THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT

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THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT Friday, September 18, 2020

Hatteras Island

21

The perfect place to start or end your day!

22 Friday, September 18, 2020 THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT

MY OCRACOKE

Living amid more than 250 years of Howard ancestral history

A story of family and home.

Story By Philip Howard Photography By Daniel Pullen

Opposite: Philip Howard writes about his family’s long history on Ocracoke Island.

If I was lucky, I would hear a ghost story, maybe the one about Old Diver who haunts the George Howard cemetery, or the one about Mad Mag and the cat she cooked for dinner. back on the reins, and smile broadly as his mount whinnies and rears up on her hind legs. Uncle Marvin also enjoyed telling stories of Grandpapa Homer, one of the island’s most accomplished horsemen, who they say was able to catch a wild pony with his bare hands.

Another Ocracoke Island native and equestrian was Cousin Ira Thomas Wyche. The son of Lorena Howard and the Rev. L.O. Wyche, Cousin Ira followed a military career and distinguished himself during World War II as commander of the 79th Division when he landed his troops on Utah Beach in Normandy. Gen. Wyche and his division, often in fierce combat, advanced across Europe, contributing to the defeat of Germany. During this time Gen. Wyche worked closely with Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Gen. Dwight Eisenhower. He was fond of riding his thoroughbred horse in training areas while observing troops. At his retirement, in 1948, Ira Wyche held the rank of major general.

My house is just a short distance from Howard Street, the lane where my father, Uncle Marvin, Cousin Ira and many others played as children.

Howard Street is Ocracoke’s most historic unpaved road. Centuries-old cottages, ancient live oaks and five generations of Howard family cemeteries, most enclosed by moss-covered picket fences, line the street. My parents and grandparents are buried there, as are other ancestors, including my greatgrandparents, James and Zilphia Howard, and eight of their children who died in infancy.

During the Colonial period, and into the mid19th century, when as many as 1,400 ships passed through Ocracoke Inlet annually, most island men earned their living as pilots, sailors who knew the local waters and were enlisted to guide sailing vessels across the bar and through the narrow channels.

In 1846, a hurricane opened the more navigable Hatteras Inlet, and shipping soon moved there.

A number of Ocracoke pilots followed, but many descendants of William Howard remained on Ocracoke. With dwindling opportunities for piloting, young islanders, including my great-grandfather, James Howard, shipped out on sailing vessels.

THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT Friday, September 18, 2020

to visit and share stories.

My grandparents’ 1865 “story and a jump” cottage with a pizer sits along a narrow, sandy lane in Ocracoke village. The modest front porch complements the house’s white clapboard siding and crimson trim. A traditional wooden porch swing hangs from the rafters. Hand-hewn “knees” salvaged from a wrecked sailing vessel hold the floor joists in place.

A distinctive feature of an island story and a jump house is the addition of small upstairs windows that open under the roof of the pizer. Many a summer evening, as a youngster, I would lie on the bedroom floor with my ear to those windows, listening as Grandmama Aliph hummed a tune while peeling shrimp, or eavesdropping on uncles and aunts as they related exciting stories about shipwrecks and hurricanes or laughed about making meal wine.

If I was lucky, I would hear a ghost story, maybe the one about Old Diver who haunts the George Howard cemetery, or the one about Mad Mag and the cat she cooked for dinner.

Today I am fortunate to live in this historic home, and it is a rare evening from spring through fall that I do not relax on the pizer, often with family and friends. Not far away are dozens of my family’s cemeteries, houses that belonged to a host of relatives, and the Methodist Church my grandfather helped build. Directly across the lane is where my Uncle Marvin and Aunt Leevella lived.

Marvin Howard, who was born in my house in 1897, was the second child of Homer and Aliph O’Neal Howard. Like so many island men before him, he followed the sea for his living.

For generations, the sea was an important element in the lives of island natives. William Howard, the progenitor of our Ocracoke family, was born in coastal North Carolina in 1686. He went to sea as a young man, and by early 1717 he was associating with Benjamin Hornigold, an odious Bahamian pirate captain. Just a few months later Howard was sailing with Edward Teach, soon to go down in history as the notorious Blackbeard.

After obtaining command of the Queen Anne’s Revenge and making it his flagship, Blackbeard assigned William Howard as his quartermaster, the senior officer and chief representative for the pirate captain and crew. Together they attacked many a ship and plundered cargoes of untold value.

In the summer of 1718, several months after receiving a royal pardon for acts of piracy, William Howard traveled to southeastern Virginia, where Gov. Alexander Spotswood had him jailed for violating his pardon by continuing “to Perpetrate his wicked and Pyratical designs at sundry times and places…with…Edwd Tach and other [of] their Confederates and associates.”

In October, William Howard was sentenced to be hanged. But by an amazing stroke of luck, the king’s latest “Act of Grace” was delivered to HMS Pearl, the ship upon which William Howard was confined, just hours before his scheduled execution. He was released.

Little is known about William Howard’s life or whereabouts for the next few decades. However, in 1759 a William Howard purchased “Ye Island of Ocreecock,” containing 2,110 acres, for £105. He became the first Colonial owner of Ocracoke to make his home on the island and likely had already been serving as a ship’s pilot for several years. Most researchers believe that he and William Howard the pirate were one and the same person.

Despite this apparent piratical heritage, most of the Howards of Ocracoke Island have led exemplary lives and have been involved in the civic life of the community for more than 250 years. Many distinguished themselves as early inlet pilots, lifesavers, ship captains, sailors and national military leaders. Others were merchants, carpenters, even professional musicians.

Surprisingly, only a few were fishermen. The women tended to their children and managed large households.

As a young man, my uncle Marvin Howard worked up north with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, eventually earning his captain’s license.

In 1943, having been promoted to lieutenant colonel, he became the first Army officer designated commodore of a fleet of armed merchant vessels sent to Europe. An internal 1948 document described him as “the best dredge operator in America.” At retirement, Uncle Marvin returned to his beloved island home and organized Ocracoke Troop 290, the only mounted Boy Scout troop in the nation.

The boys often stopped by his house just to spend time with their scoutmaster. He showed them how to tie square knots, sheet bends and bowlines. He showed them how to groom their ponies, and how to keep bridles and reins supple. He taught them fairness, honesty and courtesy.

And he told stories of far-away places, of war, of storms at sea, of people he’d met, of lessons he’d learned. Marvin Howard’s impact on the lives of his Scouts was summed up by former scout Wayne Teeter: “I learned more in Scouts than I ever did in school.”

At times, when I sit on my pizer and gaze down the sandy lane, I imagine I can see Uncle Marvin gallop by on his spirited Banker pony, Lady, pull

23

A

t one time nearly every house on Ocracoke had a porch, or as islanders call it, a pizer (from the Italian piazza), where family and neighbors gathered in the evening

Friday, September 18, 2020 THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT

24

25 THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT Friday, September 18, 2020

When I walk through our family cemeteries, I often stop by my ancestors’ markers to remember how they risked their lives in storms and hurricanes to rescue hundreds of sailors, most of whom hailed from distant cities or even other countries. Many were of different races and spoke foreign languages.

One of Philip Howard’s most treasured possessions is a bound volume of his great-grandfather’s original shipwreck reports, submitted between 1883 and 1894. Capt. Jim’s handwritten accounts employ unconventional spelling but are elegantly penned, easy to read and lovely to look at.

In 1883, the United States Life-Saving Service established a station at Hatteras Inlet on the north end of Ocracoke Island. James Howard was appointed keeper. Until he retired 20 years later, Capt. Jim and his six surfmen patrolled the beach, always ready to aid stranded sailors. One of my most treasured possessions is a bound volume of Capt. Jim’s original shipwreck reports, submitted between 1883 and 1894. His handwritten accounts employ unconventional spelling but are elegantly penned, easy to read and lovely to look at.

My grandfather, Homer Howard, followed in his father’s steps, first serving as a sailor on coastal schooners, later as a lifesaver and finally as a U.S. Coast Guardsman.

When I walk through our family cemeteries, I often stop by my ancestors’ markers to remember how they risked their lives in storms and hurricanes to rescue hundreds of sailors, most of whom hailed from distant cities or even other countries. Many were of different races and spoke foreign languages. My great-grandfather Capt. Jim and his crew went to their aid without hesitation.

Capt. Jim was well regarded by his superiors, his neighbors and his family. On his tombstone are these words: “Tis hard to break the tender cord

when love has bound the heart. Tis hard, so hard, to speak the words, ‘We must forever part.’”

Nearby is Edgar Howard’s grave. His tombstone is emblazoned with a banjo and the words, “You ain’t heard nothing yet,” a reference to the days he played the vaudeville circuit with Gene Autry, Milton Berle and Al Jolson. In retirement, Edgar delighted in performing at island functions, singing cowboy songs and local ditties, strumming his banjo and regaling his audience with stories.

Edgar’s life reminds me that the Howards of Ocracoke are multi-talented and have a great sense of humor. Uncle Marvin, especially, loved to have fun and is remembered for many of his antics. My father, Lawton Howard, was known on the island for his impish humor, good nature and twinkle in his eye. In the 1960s, he worked for the North Carolina ferry division at Hatteras Inlet. One summer afternoon, a young couple pulled into line moments after the ferry had departed. The man asked Lawton if he could get a glass of water for his wife, who was pregnant. Lawton invited the couple to follow him into the port captain’s office.

He opened the refrigerator door. Two water jugs, one empty and the other full, rested on a shelf.

Lawton took out the full jug. He left the door ajar,

26 Friday, September 18, 2020 THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT

I was 10 years old and fascinated with Uncle Homer’s tattoos of ships, anchors and other nautical themes. With a conspiratorial smile, Uncle Homer once sat down on the sofa, rolled up his pants legs and showed me the naked ladies tattooed on his calves.

I was delighted when he flexed his muscles and made the ladies dance for me.

and the husband peered inside.

“Why do you keep an empty jug in your refrigerator?” he asked.

“That’s for them that don’t want no water,” was my father’s reply.

My father’s younger brother, Uncle Homer, was born in 1917. Named not for his father but for Homer Rodeheaver, popular song leader for the energetic and influential evangelist Billy Sunday, Uncle Homer is remembered by all who knew him as an eccentric representative of the 10 generations of Howards who have called Ocracoke home.

After an honorable discharge from the Navy in 1948, Uncle Homer fell on hard times, often staying with relatives. He worked many unusual jobs on the mainland, at one time beating the drum for the dancing camel in a mid-20th-century circus act.

Among my most vivid early memories is the time Uncle Homer came to stay with us when my father was working on dredges and tugboats in Philadelphia. I was 10 years old and fascinated with Uncle Homer’s tattoos of ships, anchors and other

nautical themes. With a conspiratorial smile, Uncle Homer once sat down on the sofa, rolled up his pants legs and showed me the naked ladies tattooed on his calves. I was delighted when he flexed his muscles and made the ladies dance for me.

My house sits on Lawton Lane, a narrow road named for my father. When I was a child the old kitchen still stood, along with the old water cistern, connected to the rear of the house by a wooden boardwalk. On Howard Street, several houses still have their cisterns and detached summer kitchens.

Walking down the street brings back memories of fresh flounder frying on Grandmama’s wood stove or visiting Uncle Stanley and dipping drinking water from his cistern with a whelk shell.

Everywhere on Ocracoke are reminders of my Howard family. On the beach at the north end are several pilings, all that remains of the 19th century Despite an apparent piratical heritage, most of the Howards of Ocracoke Island have led exemplary lives and have been involved in the civic life of the community for more than 250 years.

27 THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT Friday, September 18, 2020

life-saving station where my great-grandfather and his crew launched their surf boat. Elsewhere on the beach, wind and waves periodically uncover timbers from 19th century schooners, silent witness to tragedy at sea and daring rescues.

My children and grandchildren love to hear stories about their ancestors. They are proud to be part of a family that served their country honorably, braved storms to save the lives of numerous sailors, and helped make their island community a better place to live. They have also inherited the Howard sense of humor. They sometimes place an empty water pitcher on the dining room table and tell guests, “That’s for them that don’t want no water.”

And when the weather is mild the younger ones often lie on my upstairs bedroom floor, by the low windows, and listen to the grown-ups on the pizer.

They love to hear the stories, especially the story of Uncle Homer and his dancing ladies.

Philip Howard’s grandparents’ 1865 “story and a jump” cottage with a pizer sits along a narrow, sandy lane in Ocracoke village.

A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR This story originally appeared in the 2016 edition of Outer Banks Magazine, which is published by The Virginian-Pilot, a Tribune Publishing Company.

In early September 2019, floodwaters kicked up by Hurricane Dorian from the Pamlico Sound engulfed Ocracoke village. The water swept into homes and businesses, reaching higher than many could remember – as much as 7 feet in some places – and forcing some into their attics.

In many ways the island is still recovering.

A one-year post-Dorian benefit concert was to have been held Sept. 5, and dozens of homes are on a list to get grant money that will pay for

them to be raised up on pilings.

Phillip Howard has followed this historic raising and rebuilding of Ocracoke in his newsletter, which can be read online at www.villagecraftsmen.com. In November 2019, Howard cataloged some of the storm damage he experienced at his ancestral home from Dorian’s floodwaters, including that of an exquisite Persian rug, gifted to him by his mother, and seemingly miraculously salvaged after being inundated with saltwater and sand.

Howard’s newsletter archives date to 2000 and include numerous posts on Ocracoke history and lifestyle.

28 Friday, September 18, 2020 THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT

JEFF HAMPTON/STAFF

The Corolla Wild Horse Fund is taking DNA samples from about 100 horses roaming the Currituck beaches and a farm in Grandy.

Ancestors of OBX wild horses in Currituck 500 years ago

By Jeff Hampton Staff writer

Spanish explorers landed in Currituck County 500 years ago looking for gold, a good port and maybe a place to settle.

When they found nothing that worked for them, they sailed for other lands.

In the process, however, they left behind some small, sturdy horses that were able to thrive in the harsh habitat — and become one of the Outer Banks’ biggest tourist attractions.

The Corolla Wild Horse Fund and the Museum of the Albemarle are making exhibits and producing an online video to commemorate the arrival of the famous horses, said Don Pendergraft, director of regional museums for the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.

They are also working with Currituck-based Sanctuary Vineyards to produce a wine named for Pedro de

Quexoia, the Spanish explorer who first came here.

A percentage of sales will go to education programs at the museum, he said.

The Corolla Wild Horse Fund is taking DNA samples from about 100 horses roaming the Currituck beaches and a farm in Grandy, where many retire after they can no longer live in the wild.

The plan is to create a genealogy chart for each horse and breed some of the horses on the Grandy farm, said Jo Langone, chief operating officer of the Corolla Wild Horse Fund.

DNA tests taken years ago confirmed Spanish ancestry, but sampling did not include the entire herd, she said.

“This is more validation,” Langone said.

Even Raymond the mule, who lived with the wild horses until he retired last year to the farm, has Spanish mustang ancestry from his mother, said Meg Puckett, manager of the

Corolla wild horse herd.

The Corolla horses are short and sturdy with unique bones in their vertebra and legs that make them strong like Spanish mustangs.

Puckett has tried to separate history from myth as much as possible while researching the wild horse’s history.

Spanish law required the explorers bring horses to the new world, Puckett said. They later raised horses on ranches in Central and South America.

The DNA tests are showing that the horses hail from Spanish ranches in the 1500s and some came from wrecks of Spanish ships off the coast, Puckett said.

The genetics are nearly pure, despite the occasional mix with domestic horses over the decades. Locals once farmed on the Outer Banks, she said.

The Spanish came here a few times with their horses.

De Quexoia sailed to Currituck and planted a

flag in 1520, more than 60 years before the English arrived, Pendergraft said.

Not much else is known except he did not stay long.

In some accounts, his name is de Quejo.

“The Spanish in North Carolina is a little known subject since history is more related to England and the Lost Colony,” Pendergraft said.

A few years later, the Spanish established a temporary colony near what is now Cape Fear River, he said.

“The colony failed in much the same circumstances as the Lost Colony,” he said.

The Spanish returned to the region in the 1560s, creating outposts on the Baya de Santa Maria — the name for the Chesapeake Bay and the North Carolina sounds, said Currituck historian Barbara Snowden.

A group led by Pedro de Coronas landed in Currituck County in 1566 and explored for days before departing, according to the

More Information

The Corolla Wild Horse Fund recently launched a unique fundraiser, incorporating an original song and video that captures the spirit of the Corolla wild horse.

“Castaño,” co-written by foundation volunteer Kelly Wilkes and Richmond-based singer/songwriter Janet Martin, can be downloaded for $5 from the foundation’s website: www.corollawildhorses.com.

North Carolina Museum of History.

In 1567, a group of Spaniards built a fort in western North Carolina marking the earliest European settlement in the interior of the United States, Pendergraft said.

Natives attacked and destroyed the fort.

The Spanish gave way to the English by the late 1500s, when Sir Walter Raleigh sent his expeditions across the Atlantic Ocean — including the party that became known as The Lost Colony.

John Lawson called the Outer Banks horses “well shaped and swift” in 1701, according to a history on the Corolla Wild Horse Fund website.

Historian Edmund Ruffin recorded seeing them in 1856.

“They are capable of great endurance of labor and hardship, and live so roughly that any others from abroad seldom live a year on such food and other such great exposure,” he wrote.

They are much the same today, Langone said.

“They are so fascinating,” she said.

“They represent so much of the American spirit.”

Correction: An original version of this story had a different spelling for Baya de Santa Maria.

Jeff Hampton, 252-491-5272, jeff.hampton @pilotonline.com

Correspondent

in Duck

COURTESY PHOTO

Rachel Potts, environmental educator at Jennette’s Pier, photographs a passing bottlenose dolphin.

Editor's Note The mission to find and free the dolphin from the line remained underway at deadline time.

“They spotted it and tried to get close to cut the line, but the animal was way too mobile and it was difficult to get a solid grab,” Potts reported.

“They are strong, quick animals so it’s very, very difficult,” she said. “So, it’s still swimming around in the sound — we’ve got some new locations, so we know it’s still out there.”

Bottlenose dolphins spend plenty of time in the region’s sound waters during summer and most migrate south for warmer waters in winter.

Potts, Clark and Doshkov hope they can help this animal before it moves on.

Ideally, they can cut away the line so the dolphin can migrate comfortably.

“We have some gear … a box cutter at the end of a long pole,” she said. They

also have grapples.

“With chases like this, it’s difficult because there are so many factors and more risks involved than one washed up on the beach,” Potts added.

The beach strandings happen year-round and almost always mean the animal is sick and/or dying.

That is perhaps why attempting to rescue the entangled dolphin feels so right to Potts.

The Outer Banks Marine Mammal Stranding Network has three zones.

Karen Clark, director of the Outer Banks Center for Wildlife Education in Corolla, handles the northern most beaches along with Marissa Liverman. Potts, along with several other Jennette’s Pier staffers, works the central beaches, including South Nags Head.

To report a stranding from South Nags Head to Carova call 252-455-9654.

National Park Service Ranger and Biologist Paul Doshkov handles the Cape Hatteras National Seashore on Hatteras Island. To report a stranding on Hatteras Island call 252-216-6892.

ND SOU UCK RIT 12

WATERFRONT SHOPS

EACH YEAR, WE LOOK FORWARD to sharing our summer with Free Family Events at the Duck Town Park. Over the years, we’ve enjoyed spending time with our residents and visitors with fitness classes, magic shows, live music, and outdoor movies. 2020 has thrown some challenges our way but hasn’t affected the spirit of Duck!

WAT E R TOWER

WEE WINKS SQUARE

DUCK ROAD

For a couple of weeks, a dolphin with line wrapped around its head has been spotted swimming in the waters surrounding Roanoke Island.

The Outer Banks Marine Mammal Stranding Network has been keeping track of it through contact with other boaters such as dolphin watch tours and has come up with a plan to try to free the animal of the line.

Environmental Educator Rachel Potts of Jennette’s Pier is one of the team members working to carry out this plan. The mission feels different than when she responds to marine mammal strandings on the beaches.

“There’s a chance we can free this animal — it’s different than our regular stranding,” Potts said, noting a large team is involved in the collaborative effort.

In small groups, first responders from both the Outer Banks and the Central North Carolina stranding networks venture the sounds – Albemarle, Croatan and Roanoke – in boats furnished from like-minded organizations such as the Outer Banks Center for Dolphin Research.

Keith Rittmaster and Vicky Thayer are stranding responders for the central part of North Carolina.

Rittmaster is bringing his boat, Spyhop, to carry out this plan.

The crews ply these waterways looking for the animal with hopes of eventually freeing it from the line.

“We cruised around Wanchese, Pirate’s Cove and Oregon Inlet but didn’t see anything,” Potts said of a recent outing. On another trip, her counterparts Karen Clark and Paul Doshkov saw the dolphin.

CUR

By Daryl Law

SHOP PLAY DINE STAY

THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT Friday, September 18, 2020

Team’s quest to help dolphin underway

29

JENNETTE’S PIER

Please check our website and social media pages for updates about events in Town, including virtual ways to connect with us and learn more about Duck.

DUCK COMMONS

VILLAGE SQUARE

DUCK TOWN PARK

Welcome to Duck. We’re so happy you are here!

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SHOPPING AREA

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For more information on n businesses, a shopping guide, and special eventts and promotions held by Duck Village Merchants,, visit doducknc.com.

townofduck.com 252.255.1234

SCARBOROUGH LANE SHOPPES

12

Friday, September 18, 2020 THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT

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FYI

Many people vacation with their pets, and the Outer Banks offers petfriendly restaurants, dog parks and pet-friendly beaches, provided some rules are followed.

Each town the Cape Hatteras National Seashore has its own restriction pertaining to pets. All municipalities have ordinances to clean up after your pet, and that the State of North Carolina requires rabies tags to be worn at all times.

Also, remember to bring plenty of fresh water for your pet.Here’s a guide:

Currituck County

Leashes are required, but there is no length requirement.

6 p.m. from the Friday before Memorial Day until the day after Labor Day. At all other times, the leash may be extended, but must be retractable to 12 feet.

Well-trained dogs may be unleashed under close supervision of owner, not to exceed 30 feet in distance between owner and dog.

(252) 261-3552

Kill Devil Hills

Leash law requires leash not to exceed 10 feet in length. From 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day from May 15 through Sept. 15 each year, no dogs shall be allowed on town beaches, except those aiding a handicap person.

(252) 449-5300

THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT Friday, September 18, 2020

Outer Banks beach pet rules Nags Head Leash law requires leash not to exceed 10 feet in length. Leashed pets allowed on towns beaches year round. (252) 441-5508

Manteo

Leash law requires leash not to exceed 6 feet in length. Leashed pets are allowed on the waterfront year round. (252) 473-2133

Cape Hatteras National Seashore Leash law at National Parks requires leashes not to exceed 6 feet in length.

(252) 473-2111

Duck

Leash law requires leash not to exceed 10 feet in length. Pets are allowed to play unleashed on the beach under close supervision of owner. Year round petfriendly beaches. (252) 2551234

FILE PHOTO

Kill Devil Hills musician Christian Benedi and his four-legged daughter, Izzy, a Chesapeake Bay retriever.

Southern Shores

Leash law requires leash not to exceed 10 feet in length. From May 15 to September 15 of each year, animals are prohibited on town beaches. Leash laws enforced remainder of year.

(252) 261-2394

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Kitty Hawk

Leash law requires leash not to exceed 6 feet in length between 10 a.m. and

OPEN MONDAY, WEDNESDAY - SATURDAY FOR LUNCH AND DINNER AND SUNDAY BRUNCH! 1469 Colington Road, Kill Devil Hills • www.thesaltboxcafe.com • 252-255-5594

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Friday, September 18, 2020 THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT

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33

The Color of Self-Confidence

Pink Ribbon Resource Center provides style and support for survivors What are the biggest rewards?

Kim Twine is the director of the Pink Ribbon Resource Center, Inc. in Moyock, NC.

Despite all the struggles, the greatest reward for me will always be the smiles, the hugs, and sometimes even the tears. Tears of joy when a women see herself once again as beautiful and restored.

Can you describe your business.

We are an accredited, nonprofit organization providing post-mastectomy bras, breast prostheses, compression garments for lymphedema, and wigs.

We also offer support through our Bosom Buddies Support Group and Breastie Bags for new survivors. We’re excited to announce we are expanding and will soon open “Nola’s,” a new upscale resale shop.

What sets you apart from other similar businesses?

There are a few things that really make PRRC special. First of all, we are here! Next, you will find us in a discreet location. That can be very important for many of these women.

And finally, when you enter the shop, it’s very important to me that women feel welcomed, safe and comfortable knowing they are working with someone who is very passionate about helping them.

What sparked the decision to start your own business?

My mother is a 31-year breast cancer survivor. I’ve seen up close her struggle at times to find products from an accredited shop.

Why do you do what you do?

I volunteered in a mastectomy shop when I lived in Florida thinking it would be a “nice thing to do.” I soon found myself wanting to shift careers because it was so rewarding, being able to bring a sense of normalcy to the women that were helped. I found this is definitely my calling.

Why Currituck County?

I chose Currituck because I live here.

I found there really isn’t a shop like Pink Ribbon Resource Center here or anywhere in the surrounding four counties. And sadly, there will still be, on average, about 150 new breast cancer cases each year just in these counties.

“... being able to bring a sense of normalcy to the women... this is definitely my calling.”

Did you consider other locations?

I never even considered other areas.

So many people travel up through Currituck County and Moyock to access healthcare in Virginia. And people from Virginia come to or through Moyock. So it just seemed like the perfect, growing place to do business.

What are your biggest challenges as a business owner?

The biggest challenge for any business right now definitely has to be COVID-19. From decreases in business to increases in the cost to do business. It’s tough. And being a new business is difficult enough!

What’s one piece of advice you would give to someone starting a business in Currituck County?

Do it! If you are looking for a business location, Currituck County is great.

The county welcomes new business, is business friendly with little to no county fees, and is eager to help get you going.

Pink Ribbon Resource Center, Inc 113 Baxter Lane, Suite 8 , Moyock NC (252) 435-2776

pinkribbonresourcecenter.com

Read more about Currituck County Small Businesses on

www.ThinkCurrituck.com

Larry Lombardi, Director (252) 232-6015 M: (301) 237-8951 Larry@ThinkCurrituck.com www.ThinkCurrituck.com

THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT Friday, September 18, 2020

CURRITUCK COUNTY Small Business Spotlight

Friday, September 18, 2020 THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT

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Lots of

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THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT Friday, September 18, 2020

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Buxton Village Books

Friday, September 18, 2020 THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT

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FYI

It’s fun to cut loose and drive on the sand in an off road vehicle — it’s the closest we, humans, can come to feeling like one of the wild mustangs that gallop on the northernmost beaches of Currituck County.

But unless rules are followed, driving on the same beaches as those magnificent beasts can be dangerous for the driver, passengers and the horses. It’s important to understand the law — and the unspoken agreement between human and animal.

Unless otherwise marked, speed limits are 25 mph and 15 mph or slower near the horses, pets, wild animals, and other people.

The speed limit on Hatteras and Ocracoke islands (Cape Hatteras National Seashore) is 15 mph.

Here are some other important rules of the off-road world: ■ Watch for fishing lines and children playing.

■ Stay at least 50 feet away from wild horses.

■ Never drive on dunes or vegetation.

■ Obey all posted signs.

■ Park perpendicular to the water in the middle of the beach.

■ Traffic flows near the shoreline and dunes, with parked cars sitting between.

■ Tow straps, shovel, spare tire, jack and jack board are recommended, and sometimes required to be in the vehicle.

■ Open containers of alcohol are prohibited in vehicles ■ Drivers need to have a current, valid driver’s license ■ Avoid driving or parking on the wrack line. The wrack line is a line of accumulated natural debris left by a previous high tide.

Wrack lines are an important food source for birds.

■ Pedestrians always have right-of-way on the beach For more information, contact the Outer Banks Visitors Bureau at (252) 473-2138 or visit outerbanks.org.

Following are general beach driving rules in each

area (check with each town for the latest information):

Corolla

Driving permitted after the paved road ends heading north through Corolla.

Beach driving is also permitted from Oct1-April 30 at designated beach accesses.

Speed limit 25 mph unless otherwise marked.

Duck

Vehicles are not permitted on our beach between May 1 and September 30.

Vehicles are permitted during the other months of the year using designated private vehicular access points.

There are no public access points for vehicles within the town. Driving on the dunes is prohibited at all times.

■ (252) 232-2075 ■ co.currituck.nc.us

Southern Shores No Driving permitted.

■ (252) 261-2394 ■ southernshores.org

Kitty Hawk

No Driving permitted

■ (252) 261-3552 ■ townofkittyhawk.org

Kill Devil Hills

Driving permitted Oct. 1-April 30 (some areas may be closed to driving due to beach erosion and unsafe conditions). Speed limit 25 mph unless otherwise marked.

■ (252) 449-5300 ■ kdhnc.com

Nags Head

Oct. 1-April 30, a beach driving permit needed ($25) Available at the Nags Head Town offices and many tackle shops. Speed limit 25 mph unless otherwise marked.

■ (252) 441-5508 ■ townofnagshead.net

Hatteras Island to Ocracoke Cape Hatteras National Seashore

Driving an off-road vehicle (ORV) on the beach can be fun and adventurous, but

all F JOIN US FOR A

FILE PHOTO

Jamie Trent goes fourwheeling on Ocracoke Island in his 2015 Land Rover LR4 with his wife Tammy and the couple’s granddaughter, Kardigan.

where beach driving is permitted, there are general rules to follow: ■ The standard speed limit is 25 mph ■ Enter and leave the beach only at designated, open ramps − never between or on the dunes ■ Drive only on that portion of the beach which lies between the foot of the dunes and the ocean ■ Proceed with caution and consideration for other beach users; open containers of alcohol are prohibited in vehicles; your vehicle must have a state road registration and valid license plate; the operator must have a current driver’s license.

■ The use of off-road vehicles (ORV) on the beaches along Hatteras National Seashore is permitted yearround, with some limitations.

■ No permit is currently required to drive on the National Park Service (NPS) beaches, but it is advisable to check with a ranger to understand NPS guidelines and assure that you are not entering a closed zone.

■ Driving in the Pea Island Refuge is strictly prohibited.

■ Signs located at the various beach access ramps will state if driving is permitted on that particular area of the beach. Speed limit 25 mph unless otherwise marked.

■ (252) 473-2111 ■ nps.gov/caha/

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THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT Friday, September 18, 2020

General beach driving rules

Friday, September 18, 2020 THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT

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THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT Friday, September 18, 2020

No matter what your age, coloring is a great way to relax and unwind. Use whatever color palette you like to make this scene your very own.

39

Welcome to the Coast’s coloring page!

40 Friday, September 18, 2020 THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT

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