My Outer Banks Home - Summer 2017 by Three Dog Ink

The N.C. Aquariumâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

STAR Center providing turtle assistance & rehab

page 10

Eastern Surfing Association

Celebrates 50 Years! page 4 Camping on the Coast

best spots to pitch a tent

Hatteras Wildlife Rehab the call of the wild

The Sea, Sand & Songs

deserted island picks

Portable Beach Picnics

delicious staff recipes

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Summer 2017 | myouterbankshome.com

what’s inside CONTENTS

HOME enjoying the coastal lifestyle

PUBLISHER

Mary Ann Williams, Gene Williams

feature

EDITOR

A Surfing Tradition

Michelle Wagner

The ESA family celebrates 50 years.

ART DIRECTOR Sue Colao

GRAPHIC DESIGNER Kevin Groat

SALES ASSOCIATE

what’s inside CONTENTS

MY OUTER BANKS

outdoors 28

Camping on the Coast Find the best spots to pitch a tent this summer.

community 19

Surrounded by Water Locals share the three songs they couldn’t live without.

It’s a Southern Thing Signs of the South surround us.

Marie Walker

Cream of the Crop International students bolster seasonal workforce.

CONTRIBUTORS

Kimberly Armstrong, Susan Selig Classen, Sue Colao, Dave Fairbank, Jane Fiedler, Kevin Groat, Steve Hanf, Catherine Kozak, Katrina Mae Leuzinger, Rebecca K. Orr, Greg Smrdel, Abby R. Stewart, Mary Pat Thompson, Mary Ann Williams

4 nature 10

The Turtle Whisperers

beach life 32

Lessons in Lifeguarding

A day in the life of a Kill Devil Hills lifeguard.

Reading the Rips

Experts seek new ways to deliver the message.

family

Jane Fiedler

DISTRIBUTION

Call of the Wild

Jason Adams

Frisco rehabilitators find their passion in helping wildlife.

Time to Unplug

Disconnect... there’s no better way to reconnect.

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myouterbankshome.com

food 14

Combing the Sand

Beach nourishment may throw some surprises on the shore this summer.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Tending to turtles at the N.C. Aquarium on Roanoke Island.

PHOTOGRAPHY

Adventure Bound Campground, Nancy Bellantine, Jamie Bond, Lou Browning, Susan Selig Classen, Sue Colao, countrycook.net, Dare County, Aubrey Davis, Dugan, Duke’s, Eastern Surfing Association, eastcoastsurfinghalloffame.com, Dave Fairbank, Jane Fiedler, foodnetwork.com, Frisco Woods Campground, Kevin Groat, Ken Howell, honestlyum.com, Michael Hughes, Nick Kurzenko, littlefiggy.com, Lipton, Matt Lusk Photography, melissassouthernstylekitchen.com, Mickey McCarthy, moonshinestills.net, National Park Service, NOAA, outerbanks.com, Outer Banks Wild Care, Daniel Pullen Photography, Roanoke River Partners, Shutterstock, theprepperjournal.com, tuckernuck.com, uncommondesign.com, Michelle Wagner, Marie Walker, wecangrowit.org, Winston Salem Journal

Pack the Cooler!

Enjoy a summer picnic with these portable favorites.

Three Dog Ink welcomes comments and suggestions about errors that warrant correction. E-mail your corrections to editor@ threedogink.com. Three Dog Ink, LLC cannot and does not guarantee the correctness of all information furnished them, nor the complete absence of errors or omissions, hence, no responsibility for the same can be nor is assumed. Three Dog Ink, LLC cannot and will not be held liable for the quality or performance of goods and services provided by the advertisers in this publication. Reproduction of any material from this publication is strictly forbidden without permission from the publisher.

last page 44

Coming Home Ohio resident comes home to the Outer Banks within.

surfing FEATURE

STORY BY

Catherine Kozak

A young Kelly Slater surfing in the ESA, 1980s. Photo ESA archives.

Surfing is once again a trendy thing that even the city kids want to learn. But it’s been a way of life on the Outer Banks for many decades, and the Eastern Surfing Association (ESA) has been a guiding star to the sport for generations.

elebrating its 50th year, the largest amateur surfing organization in the world has held its annual championship tournament here since 1971. But it is also here where the ESA has proven to be an especially good fit with our insular community of free-spirited, family-oriented surfing enthusiasts. “I think that nationally, surfing has really taken off,” says Ricky Brake, ESA Outer Banks North Carolina district director. “It’s a fun, healthy, exciting sport. More people are finding out about it.” And thanks in part to the ESA, which has 24 districts from Maine to the Gulf Coast, the Outer Banks is synonymous with great surfing. For unclear reasons, Brake says the local district’s numbers were down between 2011 and 2014, but they’ve since been steadily building. Membership was probably at its highest in the 1980s, he says. Today there are 136 active members, ranging in ages from about 8 to 64. Back in the early days of surfing, Buxton, Rodanthe and Nags Head were where everyone went for great wave riding. With the recent advent of text messaging, surf cams and surf forecasting, surfers today can readily chase waves up and down our barrier islands. “The Outer Banks has the most consistent waves on the East Coast,” Brake says, comparing it to reliable surf spots off Pacific beaches. “The East Coast

myouterbankshome.com | Summer 2017

doesn’t have as many destination waves. The Outer Banks has destination waves.” The ESA, which is organized in districts and divisions similar to other sports, teaches young people sportsmanship, the value of teamwork, volunteerism and toughness, Brake says. “We try to teach the kids that surfing is very competitive,” he says, “but if you don’t win, you’re still having fun at the beach.” Competitions won’t be held if the water is flat, but rough conditions won’t necessarily cancel a contest. “We’ll hold them if it’s 8 feet and choppy,” Brake says, “but we respect the ocean enough that if we see any storm where’s there’s danger, we’ll call it off.” By participating in local contests, competitors can accumulate enough points to qualify them to compete in regional events. Top winners in the regionals can then compete in September in the National ESA Eastern Championship, better known as the Easterns. Traditionally, the Easterns had been held every year on the Outer Banks at Buxton, partly because of its location on the coast, but also because of reliable waves. Due to increasingly unpredictable road conditions on Hatteras Island, it has been relocated in recent years to Jennette’s Pier in Nags Head. The district’s third local competition this year is scheduled on July 15 at

MICKEY MCCARTHY

Local Surf Organization Continues to Guide Young Enthusiasts

Dare County’s new Rodanthe Park, a location that Brake said conveniently sits on one of the best wave breaks in Rodanthe. Brake said that he is grateful for enthusiastic support for the local ESA chapter from Cape Hatteras National Seashore Superintendent Dave Hallac. Considering the rocky relationship the ESA had with some prior park managers over the decades – some of whom refused to even grant an event permit for the Easterns - Brake says it’s a refreshing change. “It used to take six months to get a permit from the National Park Service,” he says. “We got this one in two weeks.” Other local and regional contests during the year take place at Eckner Street or nearby beach accesses in Kitty Hawk and at Jennette’s Pier in Nags Head. Brake moved to the Outer Banks in 1973, and started surfing in ’79. He got involved in the ESA when his first child was 9 years old in 1999. All three of his boys surf, and two are ESA members. Brake, 55, was the assistant to the director for three years prior to taking on the role himself. His wife JoAnn, serves as his assistant. Annual membership cost $65, but scholarships are available from the ESA if the fee is unaffordable. Contest fees are $20 for the first division, and $10 for each additional division. Brake, who is employed as a project manager for Barnhill Contracting, says the district averages about 70 entrants per contest – and he’s one of them. He still competes regularly. “I have fun surfing,” he says. “I don’t place very high, but I still compete. To me it’s more about having fun.” Although more girls and women are competing over the years, the female divisions are still lighter than the men’s, Brake says. Leanne Robinson, 34, co-owner of Secret Spot Surf Shop in Nags Head, was the only girl surfer on Hatteras Island when she was growing up. She started surfing when she was 11, and her cousin encouraged her to enter her first ESA contest the following year. “I just fell in love with surfing, and taught myself,” Robinson says. “It was really cool to have that family camaraderie with surfing . . . It was like a tribe.” Encouraged by then-Outer Banks director Julie Hume, Robinson thrived in the ESA’s supportive atmosphere.

MICKEY MCCARTHY

Above: Photos from the ESA archives. Below Right: ESA Surfer, Brody Lewis competing in an ESA event. Below Bottom: ESA body boarder, Noah Fiedler.

Summer 2017 | myouterbankshome.com

surfing

MATT LUSK PHOTOGRAPHY DANIEL PULLEN PHOTOGRAPHY

Maddy Wagner (left) and Acy Davis during ESA regional championships in Carolina Beach, 2016.

MATT LUSK PHOTOGRAPHY

A few former Outer Banks ESA surfers who went on to become pro. Top: Jesse Hines; Middle: Brett Barley; Below: Noah Snyder

myouterbankshome.com | Summer 2017

“You always felt you were wanted and appreciated,” Robinson recalls. “I grew up surfing with ESA, basically, full time for eight years.” It was more the sense of belonging and the community, she says, than the competitive aspects of ESA that she liked. “Competing wasn’t one of my strong points,” she says. “Personally, I think I’m a much better surfer when I’m not competing. It always made me nervous.” Back when she was younger, Secret Spot – which has been in business more than 30 years – had sponsored Robinson. Now Secret Spot is sponsoring its own team – of about 25 people, 15 who are under age 15 - that Robinson coaches. And to support her team, she still competes. “It’s kind of full circle, the whole competition thing, for me,” she says. “I’m there, so I’m like, ‘Why not?’” Robinson says the ESA helps give young surfers a sense of how to surf properly and fairly, while enjoying the positive edge and energy of friendly competition. “Surfing with a bunch of good surfers makes you a better surfer,” she says. Although the sport is still male-dominated, Robinson says, there are a lot more girls surfing now on the Outer Banks, more so around Nags Head than Hatteras. Sometimes female surfers even outnumber males in the ocean.

I always surfed with the boys,” Robinson says. “You had to be aggressive catching any waves with the guys. But there weren’t many girl surfers back then.” Robinson says most girls who surf just are not as keen on competition as boys. “We’re out there trying to have a good time, where they’re out there performing against each other,” she says. “I feel there is a good group of girls coming along, but time has shown that women’s competition hasn’t gotten much stronger. I would say, in general, women aren’t into competing in surfing, because for women it can take the fun out of it.” But the ESA provides the opportunity for both sexes, of all ages, to compete, or to just provide support or volunteer at competitions. Bob Hovey, 47, grew up in Virginia Beach and started competing in the ESA’s body board division as a child. By the time he was 15, he was surfing in the Easterns, and before long, he was competing in Hawaii and California. “That competitive drive started in the ESA,” Hovey says. From about age 18, Hovey surfed professionally and “strived to make a living at it.” Eventually, he came back to the Outer Banks, and moved to Kill Devil Hills permanently in the early 1990s. Hovey, owner of Duck Village Outfitters,

an outdoor recreation retail store and surf shop with locations in Duck, Salvo and Kill Devil Hills, says his business started sponsoring a local ESA surf team shortly after opening his Duck store in 1998. Although he no longer competes, Hovey says he sees the value ESA has been to the community, especially families. “We’ve been supporting the ESA – it’s kind of our main charity,” he says. “Promoting surfing is a great way of promoting youth activities.” For Hovey, the ESA gave him the competitive bug. But it also gives young people an opening into the surfing industry network, as it did for him, that could lead to a career related to the sport they love. Numerous semi-pro and professional surfers honed their talent in the ESA, including Florida native Kelly Slater and locals Jesse Hines, Noah Snyder and Brett Barley. “I’ve centered my life around surfing,” Hovey says. “Now some of the people I competed against are surf refs and board shapers.” Hovey says that when he started surfing, the ESA kept everyone connected to the local and coast-wide surfing community. With today’s cell phones and the Internet, and the

proliferation of surfer videos and websites, the surfing community no longer depends on associations like the ESA to hear about the action. “There’s so many more outlets now,” he says. “People are getting a lot of expression putting up photos on Instagram. When I was a kid, the ESA was everything. The ESA kind of expressed your surfing ability.” There are also more competitive surfing events nowadays, put on by surf shops, national surf retail companies and newer surfing organizations. Still, despite being a small part of a huge pool of East Coast surfers, Hovey says the Outer Banks surfing community churns out more than its share of exceptional surfers. “We’re here in a very small coastal population,” he says, “putting out as much talent.” But as a surfing destination, the Outer Banks is also appreciated for the camaraderie in its tightknit surfing community – and the ESA deserves credit for keeping the surfing vibe vibrant and friendly. “It’s such a great organization,” Hovey says. “I think it’s going to be around for a long time.” ³

Catherine Kozak has worked as a writer and reporter on the Outer Banks since 1995. She lives in Nags Head and enjoys running in the woods with her dog, Rosie.

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Remembering Mickey Legendary photographer and Outer Banks icon Mickey McCarthy was a fixture within East Coast surfing community as well as at the Eastern Surfing Association contests – where he’d always be on the beach or in the water photographing competitors and encouraging young groms who were headed out to the line-up. McCarthy, who died on Dec. 23, 2016 of complications from a heart attack, was a huge supporter of ESA and other surfing events and is recognized for his great contribution to the organization’s longevity and success. McCarthy spent nearly four decades behind his camera lens documenting the East Coast surf community, especially locally. Before that, McCarthy built his own boards for his company, New Sun Surfboards.

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OF U N F OR G E T TA BL E

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Summer 2017 | myouterbankshome.com

EASTCOASTSURFINGHALLOFFAME.COM

STORY BY

Catherine Kozak

ESA Pioneer Takes a Look Back

EASTERN SURFING ASSOCIATION

As a surfing pioneer, Lear, 86, was one of a handful of surfers who was instrumental in bringing the East Coast into the then-nascent world of competitive surfing, alongside Hawaii and the Pacific Coast. Fifty years later, the ESA is now the largest amateur surfing association in the world. Born near Caldwell, N.J in 1930, Lear spent all of his summers at the family cottage in Belmar on the Jersey Shore. “Usually, we’d open up the house after

ESA co-founder Cecil Lear (right) sits on his dedicated rock in Belmar, New Jersey. Pictured with him is ESA SNJ co-director Lisa Roselli and competitor Dylan O’Donnell.

myouterbankshome.com | Summer 2017

Memorial Day,” he says. “Yep, I was the luckiest kid in the world.” Today, Lear lives four blocks from the ocean in a different house in Belmar. He kept surfing until about age 78, but now he surfs only on body boards, or he just surfs without any board. “That’s how we started out in the beach towns,” he says. “You body surfed.” Despite Lear’s lofty place in surf history, he doesn’t see himself as any sort of visionary surfing sage. In fact, when he was asked to start the ESA in 1967 with Rudy Huber, who had been connected to the soon-disbanded U.S. Surfing Association, Lear says he barely knew Huber or other players on the surf scene then. “I just happened to be at the right place at the right time with the right enthusiasm,” he says. “Sometimes it’s luck and, I guess, sometimes it was what’s meant to be. We got together. We got recognition. It enabled the East Coast, the West Coast and Hawaii to be part of the same thing.” Lear was ESA’s original competition director, and is still an active member of the ESA Board of Directors. ESA’s first championship event, the Easterns, was held in 1971 at Cape Hatteras in Buxton. It became a favorite annual event, with surfers looking forward all year to driving to Buxton with family or friends and camping. Frequent road closures about eight years ago forced the Easterns to relocate to Nags Head. “It’s the best place,” Lear says. “People from Hawaii, from Australia – they love the Outer Banks, the wild ocean.” In ESA’s first year, Lear says, membership was about 500 to 600 and by 1970 it had grown to between 900 and 1,000 surfers. At its height, there were probably as many as 10,000 ESA members. “It’s gotten to be tremendous,” Lear says. “We really have developed a true surf culture.” According to Michelle Sommers, ESA’s current executive director, there are now about 4,000 members, of which 34 percent are female. Women are more likely to compete before their 20s, Sommers says, and then when their children are competing. The ESA’s family-oriented programming encourages a healthy lifestyle for kids, she says, and if they’re interested, it supports more serious surfing. “All the professionals who have gone pro from the East Coast started in the ESA,” Sommers says. “We also have a lot of people from the ESA working in the industry.” In the last five years, there’s been an upswing in surfing – and ESA membership. The association stays abreast on advanced technology and digital communication tools. For instance, there are To reach Rollason or be added to her list of now live webcasts and recasting of ESA events. customers, email her at evelyndrollason@ “We’ve got to give the people what they want,” says Sommers. Still, the ESA is welcoming for all ages. “It’s more than about competing. It’s more about making gmail.com or find her on Facebook. friends and life-long relationships,” she concludes. ³

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EASTERN SURFING ASSOCIATION

hen Cecil Lear was a kid, he first rode waves on a version of a wooden ironing board and later, on surf mats and surf boats. He didn’t get his first real surfboard until he was 31. “They were all longboards,” recalls Lear, co-founder of the Eastern Surfing Association, which is celebrating its 50th year. “We had no leashes and the boards weighed 35 to 40 pounds and were about 10 feet long.”

RAHoy.com (252)261-2008 Summer 2017 | myouterbankshome.com

star center SEA LIFE

JANE FIEDLER

the

STAR CENTER:

Wickershams was under the weather. Widespread tissue damage. A little weak. Not eating. Listless. A shell of himself, you might say...

Dave Fairbank

myouterbankshome.com | Summer 2017

SHUTTERSTOCK

Tending to Turtles Amber, who became the STAR Center manager in March, worked at the National Aquarium in Baltimore for eight and a half years, the last four and a half in sea turtle rescue and rehab. The Baltimore aquarium is a sprawling facility at the city’s Inner Harbor, but its work with sea turtles is done behind closed doors. The opportunity to interact with the public and allow them to experience sea turtles up close immediately attracted Amber to the job opening at the STAR Center. “I’m incredibly lucky,” she says. “I pretty much landed my dream job.” The 3,000-square-foot, $650,000 STAR Center she manages succeeds as a collaborative effort among state agencies, the North Carolina Aquarium Society and a small army of donors and volunteers. Through their efforts, visitors can view sea turtles in one of the exhibit’s eight tanks either directly or on video screens via overhead cameras. Guests can also see turtles being fed and receiving care in the treatment room as staff and volunteers answer their questions as they work. Nearby, a nationally recognized exhibit allows visitors to practice what

Above: STAR Center Technician Madeleine VanMiddlesworth checks on one of the facility’s patients. Above Right: George and Chris Pruitt care for the turtles as they answer visitors’ questions. they’ve learned as they simulate sea turtle rescue and rehabilitation. The public area is often the final phase of rehabilitation for sea turtles before they are released. Two additional private rehab areas at the center include a total of 21 tanks to accommodate up to 30 turtles. “I love being able to talk to people every day about what I do,” says Amber. “They’re not just reading articles or watching videos about preservation, they’re seeing it happen when they come here. I think it’s that one-on-one interaction that creates those lasting impacts.” The STAR Center is, in part, an extension of work that has been done privately for years, explains Aquarium Director Maylon White, who took over in 2010 and not only inherited a dedicated staff, but also discovered a passionate local volunteer group – the Network for Endangered Sea Turtles (NEST). When planning the STAR Center, White says the goal was to design a facility that allows visitors to experience these reptiles and the efforts that go into caring for them, all while keeping the safety and needs of the sea turtles at the forefront. “The challenge is that our aquarium, like so many aquariums and zoos across the country, does a lot of work to help animals in the wild but most of it is behind-thescenes, and so it’s not seen. If it’s not seen, it’s not understood.”

JANE FIEDLER

STORY BY

JANE FIEDLER

uckily, this 8.8-pound green sea turtle found himself right where he needed to be this spring – at the Sea Turtle Assistance and Rehabilitation (STAR) Center at the North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island. There, caretakers tended to his wounds and put him on antibiotics. Within a few days, his appetite had returned and Wickershams was a bit livelier as he swam comfortably in a full tank of water. “We don’t really know how long he was debilitated before he got here,” says STAR Center Manager Amber White as she tweezed off dead tissue and treated his damaged shell. “He still rests quite a bit. But it’s OK that he’s resting. Usually, we do the same thing when we’re sick.” The STAR Center is one of the gems of the aquarium, located along the Croatan Sound on Airport Road. It’s a combination sea turtle hospital, rehab facility and vital public outreach resource. And while sea turtles date back 100 million years and have outlived the dinosaurs, they are now on threatened and endangered lists. But ever since the STAR Center opened in June 2014, hundreds of these cherished reptiles in need of help have cycled through its doors.

Above: Wickershams regains his strength under the care of the STAR Center staff. Below: STAR Center Manager Amber White keeps the tanks clean for the sea turtles.

The Plight of the Sea Turtle All seven sea turtle species around the globe are listed as either threatened or endangered, and five of those travel in North Carolina waters – loggerheads, Kemp’s ridleys, hawksbills, leatherbacks and green turtles. Loggerheads, greens and Kemp’s ridleys are the most common along the Outer Banks. Nests and hatchlings are vulnerable to predators and storms, while juvenile and mature turtles are subject to boat strikes, fishhook ingestion and injuries from dredging equipment and fishing net entanglements, which are more common in the summer. In the winter, they are susceptible to what the turtle community calls “cold stunning,” which occurs when a decrease in water temperature leaves them unable to function normally. They grow weak and, carried by currents and tides, are often washed ashore. Rescuers at the STAR Center treat turtles that have suffered from all these conditions. During the harsh winter of 2015-16, the aquarium had more than 300 coldstunned turtles on site at one point. By the end of January, almost 2,000 sea turtles had washed up along the North Carolina coast, 600 of which were treated at the Roanoke Island facility. In just three years, the STAR Center has quickly become one of the aquarium’s

JANE FIEDLER

turtle Whisperers of the Outer Banks

Summer 2017 | myouterbankshome.com

star center SEA LIFE

JANE FIEDLER

DAVE FAIRBANK DAVE FAIRBANK

Above: STAR Center staff draws a crowd during a recent sea turtle release along the Outer Banks. most popular and recognized exhibits. The center was the recipient of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) 2015 Exhibit Award in the category of Top Honors of institutions under a $5 million annual operating budget. The center’s annual operating budget is a modest $50,000, not counting salaries, according to aquarium officials. White said other aquariums have inquired about the center as they consider similar ventures.

Volunteers: The Backbone of STAR When Amber, who is not related to Director White, came on board as STAR Center manager this spring, she found herself among a vital volunteer base. NEST has approximately 800 members, according to NEST President Dennis Pohl. Of those, 50 to 60 are active members who patrol beaches, transport distressed turtles, monitor nests and log hundreds of hours at the aquarium. On any given day, teams of two or three NEST members work in shifts at the STAR Center. They clean tanks, feed turtles, chart progress, check water temperature and salinity, mop floors and interact with the public. “None of this would be possible without volunteers,” says Amber. “They are the core of what we do. When it is busy season and we have new cases coming in, we’re able to focus on those new cases and get those turtles acclimated as soon as we can. We literally could not do this without them.” On one spring morning, seasoned volunteer Chris Pruitt cut up capelin on a metal table in the food prep area as her husband, George, talked to visitors through a headset microphone. The two have been NEST volunteers for the past 10 years. “Everybody loves turtles,” says Chris, “and they’re a really good way to educate the public about how important it is to keep water clean -whether it’s the creek in your backyard or the ocean -- because it all ends up in the same place. We use the turtles as a vehicle for environmental education, which is great.”

From Injury to Freedom In mid-May, the center’s patient population was down a bit following the release of 17 turtles near the state aquarium in Kure Beach. Among those still rehabilitating were Lorax, a Kemp’s ridley; Foo Foo the Snoo, a six-pound green turtle; and Willy Waterloo, a 58-pound loggerhead (the staff went through a Dr. Seuss phase of naming turtles). And, of course, there was Wickershams.

myouterbankshome.com | Summer 2017

DAVE FAIRBANK

SERVING THE OUTER BANKS

Above: STAR Center Manager Amber White tends to a green turtle named Blogg. DAVE FAIRBANK

SINCE 1995

Above: STAR Center Manager Amber White tends to a green turtle named Blogg.

It didn’t take Wickershams long to show signs of progress in his nearly three weeks on site. Possibly suffering from infection, he was brought in with extensive barnacle damage to his shell, as the arthropods burrowed beneath the shell and created soft spots and dead tissue. But Wickershams’s shell was regenerating quickly. Healthy tissue replaced diseased areas. His appetite and weight were up. He was also beginning to show a little personality. “It’s remarkable how resilient they are, and how good they are at healing,” says Amber. There’s no doubt the STAR Center has made hundreds of turtles happy and healthy, and the aquarium director says the response from the public has been tremendous. “I can’t say that I’ve measured it in a precise manner, but when you get all the comments that we’ve had, you’re pretty comfortable that you’re on the right track.” And on this particular visit in mid-May, Amber was overseeing a center full of turtles on the right track, all progressing and on target for release in the coming months. She had participated in a release the day before, as a couple of charter fishing boats out of Cape Hatteras transported nine turtles out to the Gulf Stream. The 12hour venture was tiring but exhilarating, and she was none the worse for wear the next day as she met with visitors and tended to her patients. “That’s the best thing about rehab,” she said. “You see them at their worst and you release them at their best.” ³ Dave Fairbank is a freelance writer living in Kill Devil Hills. Dave was a sports writer for 30 years at the Newport News (Va.) Daily Press prior to relocating the the Outer Banks.

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beach picnic RECIPES

portable

Beach

picnics picnics Step 1

Southern Pickled Shrimp Cocktail Salad Fills 4 pint-sized mason jars By Mary Ann Williams This delightfully light and tasty twist on shrimp cocktail salad is sure to become a summertime favorite. It’s a fresh, healthy alternative to the typical “sub and chips” picnic that is often hauled to the beach. Packed neatly in a Mason jar, this pickled picnic is convenient, easy to carry and virtually “sand proof.” And if shrimp isn’t your thing, remember that Mason jars are the perfect picnic containers for everything from a delicious Caesar salad to fruit medley.

hen it’s time to pack the cooler for the beach, that ham and cheese sandwich can get pretty boring...pretty quickly. But picnics – whether on the beach or anywhere else you happen to find yourself enjoying the great outdoors this summer – don’t have to be the same old, same old. With these great recipes, and a little creative packing, you're sure to enjoy a perfect picnic by the sea. RECIPES BY

Three Dog Ink Staff 14

all of this...

PHOTOGRAPHY BY

Marie Walker

myouterbankshome.com | Summer 2017

fit into that cooler!

Pickling mix

Fresh ingredients for salad

1 Vidalia onion, thinly sliced 1 lemon thinly sliced 1 cup vinegar ¾ cup canola oil cup capers 1 tsp celery seeds 2 bay leaves 1 tsp whole black peppercorns 1 tsp mustard seeds 1 tsp sugar 2 tsp salt Red chili pepper flakes to taste 2 Ibs shrimp steamed, peeled, and deveined

4 cups shredded lettuce 4 cups small shredded carrots 4 cups chopped celery 1 lemon (You can substitute with any vegetable that you prefer or have on hand)

STEP 1. Combine all ingredients. Cook the marinade just enough to warm and dissolve. Once taken off the stove, add 1/4 cup fresh parsley. STEP 2. Steam the shrimp just until the shells turn pink. Be careful not to overcook. Drain and place in a large ice bath (do not skip this step as it will help keep the shrimp firm). Peel, devein and take off the tails. Add to the pickling marinade. Cover and refrigerate a minimum of 4 hours.

STEP 3. Take shrimp out of marinade and cut into smaller pieces.

Step 2

Step 3

STEP 4. Layer and fill the mason jars starting with the lettuce, shrimp, carrots and celery. There should be enough room to layer each ingredient twice. Slice lemon in the round and place on top of the salad.

Cocktail Sauce Vinaigrette

Mix 1/4 cup catsup, a couple shakes of Worcestershire sauce, 1 tbs. horseradish, 2 tbs. fresh lemon juice. Add to the mixture ¼ cup vinegar, ¾ cup oil, ¼ tsp. salt, ¼ tsp. pepper and a pinch of sugar. Put into a dressing container and if desired, place it in the Mason jar. When ready to eat, just pour onto the salad, close the lid, shake and enjoy.

Step 4

beach picnic

RECIPES

Chile Lime Mahi Wraps

RECIPES

Makes 6 wraps

Sea-Salt Chocolate Chip Cookies

By Kevin Groat

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

While I am no chef, I do run the kitchen in my house, and since living on the Outer Banks, I have come to appreciate what lovely seafood the area has to offer. Acknowledging great local seafood means that simplicity is key, and with this recipe, you let the Mahi Mahi be the star, complemented with textures and enhancing fresh flavors. This is my version of a fish taco, wrapped up and made to be on the go or taken to the beach with ease. I chose Mahi Mahi, but it really can be made using any seafood you wish.

STEP 1. Beat softened butter with Crisco, sugars, salt, eggs and vanilla until smooth and a little fluffy. STEP 2. Mix in flour and baking soda until well combined. Fold in chocolate chunks, chocolate chips and walnuts. STEP 3. Using an ice cream scoop, place 6 cookies on a cookie sheet and lightly flatten with a fork. Bake for 12 minutes. Remove from oven, let them rest on the cookie sheet for 2 minutes, sprinkle with sea salt, then move them to a rack to cool.

Ingredients 2 lbs fresh, local Mahi Mahi 3 tsp garlic, finely minced 2 tsp ground cumin 3 tbs chili powder, divided 1 tsp kosher salt 1 tsp black pepper ½ cup fresh lime juice 1 tbs red wine vinegar 3 tbs sour cream 3 tbs mayonnaise ¼ cup plus 2 tbs extra-virgin olive oil, divided 1 cup thinly shredded carrot cup diced red onion 1 cup avocado cut into pieces cup minced fresh cilantro 3 tbs minced, seeded jalapeño or serrano peppers (serrano are hotter) (optional) 5 cups shredded cabbage, Napa or Savoy 6 extra-large, whole-grain flour tortillas

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. STEP 1. For Chile Lime Sauce: combine garlic, cumin, 1 tbs chili powder, and salt in a bowl. Stir in lime juice and vinegar, then the sour cream, mayonnaise, and cilantro. Slowly add in ¼ cup olive oil, whisking constantly. Cover with plastic wrap and chill at least 30 minutes. STEP 2. Coat both sides of the fish with remaining olive oil, and rub with salt and black pepper to taste, then sprinkle on the remaining 2 tbs of chili powder. Grill or pan sear fish over medium-high heat (350° to 400°) for 3 to 5 minutes on each side depending on fish thickness. For Mahi Mahi, place in lightly oiled glass dish and finish it in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes. STEP 3. Lay tortillas flat, and in center add cabbage, carrots, onions, avocado pieces, and hot pepper. While still warm, flake chunks of the freshly cooked Mahi Mahi and add to piles on tortillas. Drizzle chile lime sauce evenly over all tortilla fillings. Fold sides in over contents, and while folded, roll it up tightly and secure firmly with foil. Sit back in your beach chair, take in the ocean, and revel in the best lunch break on planet earth.

Sea-Salt Chocolate Chip Cookies Makes 21 BIG cookies

My kids’ eyes would brighten with anticipation as they walked in the house and got a whiff of the cookies baking in the oven. Next, they would quickly look around the kitchen to see if any had been released from the oven yet. It was the smell of home. Raising my kids near the beach, everything seemed a little bit saltier and in my family, cookies were a favorite snack for the beach to contrast the salty environment.

Ingredients

myouterbankshome.com | Summer 2017

By Sue Colao With summer now in full swing, you can be sure we’ll be drinking pink like a boss – and so should you. We’re talking about the light, crisp, dry, and oh-so-delightful Rosé. But don’t confuse Rosé with its overly-sweet cousin, White Zinfandel – that fruity, uninspired beverage reminiscent of the wine coolers you used to sneak in high school. Rosé is a brighter, drier, crisper wine, and its popularity beyond the Hamptons and Miami continues to rise – complete with inspired social media hashtags such as #drinkpink, #yeswayrosé, and #summerwater. With its light, refreshing taste, Rosé may become your favorite summer drink too. It is equally perfect for an afternoon brunch, a backyard barbeque, or a day at the beach. And don’t let that light pink color fool you – even guys are getting on board with the pink stuff now (#brosé). So while a chilled glass of Rosé is perfect anytime and can easily stand on its own, why not kick it up a notch and use it in a cocktail? Well, wonder no more. To assist in your day-drinking endeavors at the beach, here are two mixed Rosé concoctions to get you started. Make pitchers of these ahead of time, keep chilled, and serve them up over ice when you’re ready to drink!

Rosé Spritzer

By Jane Fiedler

½ cup salted butter ½ cup butter flavored Crisco 2 eggs 1 tbs of vanilla extract 1 cup of brown sugar ½ cup granulated sugar 1 tbs salt

Drink Pink: Summer Rosé Cocktails

2 cups of flour 1 tsp of baking soda 1¾ cup or chocolate chunks 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate morsels 1 cup of chopped walnuts Sea salt

Continued on next page...

1 bottle dry rosé wine, chilled (we used A by Acacia Rosé) 5 oz simple syrup (recipe below) 16 strawberries (approx.) 36 mint leaves (approx.) 1 lemon cut into wheels 1 bottle of club soda Extra strawberries and mint leaves for garnish (optional) Gently muddle the strawberries, lemon wheels, and mint in a pitcher so the juices and flavors are released. Add the simple syrup and rosé wine. Pour over cups filled with ice, and top with a splash of club soda. Garnish with additional strawberries and mint leaves if desired.

Simple Syrup: Heat 1 cup of water and 1 cup of sugar just until sugar dissolves. Cool before use. If you need more or less, it’s always a 1:1 ratio.

The Black Rosé 1 pint of fresh blackberries, plus several extra for garnish 6 oz simple syrup 1 bottle dry rosé wine, chilled (we used Dark Horse Rosé) 9 oz vodka 5 oz freshly squeezed lime juice (from about 8-9 medium limes) Lime wheels for garnish Place the pint of blackberries and simple syrup in a large pitcher and muddle until the fruit is crushed and juicy. (If you don’t have a muddler, the fat end of a wooden spoon will do) Add the wine, vodka, and lime juice, and stir to combine. Place a fine mesh strainer over your serving pitcher, and strain the mixture in, discarding the solids. When ready to serve, pour mixture over cups filled with ice. Garnish with a blackberry and lime wheel.

Summer 2017 | myouterbankshome.com

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hough each Outer Banks local is a true island dweller — connected to the North Carolina mainland by a few fleeting bridges — we aren’t necessarily “stranded." Sure, we all have to travel about an hour to mindlessly stroll through Target and indulge in Chick-fil-A, but we have the necessary means to get by. That’s why the prospect of living on an actual deserted island is so interesting. While the Outer Banks is no commercialized Myrtle Beach-esque metropolis, it’s certainly no Easter Island. But what if the Outer Banks was deserted? No monument, no Highway 158, no Duck Donuts. Nothing. Just you, the sand dunes and the sea. It’d be relaxing at first, surely, with the sound of waves breaking along the shore. But soon you’d be left with nothing but your own thoughts. Personally, I could survive for a while. I’ve seen “Cast Away” enough times. But it would really help to have a few songs to keep me company. Likewise, these Outer Banks locals consider what three songs they would like to have with them if they were stranded on a deserted island.

STORY BY

Mary Pat Thompson

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Donna Creef has always been a Led Zeppelin fan. “I’ve listened to Led Zeppelin since I was in junior high,” she said. “I just want to say — picking out three songs was a very challenging task!” But in the end, Creef went with one of the band’s lesser-known songs, You Shook Me, as her top pick. After graduating from East Carolina University, Creef moved to Colington in May of 1988. She continues to be impressed by the natural beauty and the surroundings of this tiny beach town. “I also like the sense of community we have here, despite there being all these people who come in the summertime,” Creef said.

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myouterbankshome.com | Summer 2017

Led Zeppelin - You Shook Me The Rolling Stones - Gimme Shelter Alabama Shakes - Be Mine

Stephanie Barsanti, Barista at Duck's Cottage Stephanie Barsanti is hard to miss. She’s the one with the eccentric personality and bright red lips who made your Mucky Duck over at Duck’s Cottage. You can find her dancing behind the counter, mouthing lyrics to whatever pops on the 80s on 8 radio channel that rings throughout the coffee shop. It’s no surprise her picks are true feel-good classics, because for Barsanti, that’s what it’s all about. “I would rather listen to songs that make me feel good,” Barsanti says. “You only get one shot at life, so I’d rather waste it laughing and smiling.”

Summer 2017 | myouterbankshome.com

Taylor Sugg, President of TowneBank of Currituck

Robinson’s Picks Otis Redding - Sitting on the Dock of The Bay Prince - Diamonds and Pearls Janis Joplin - Lord Won’t You Buy

Local family man Taylor Sugg moved to the Outer Banks in 1992 when he got a job working for Wachovia. “I thought I was going to be here three years, and now it’s been, well, a whole lot more than three years!” he jokes. It’s been such a great place to raise his daughter, Olivia, who instinctively knew which song her dad was going to pick first – Arrested Development’s Everyday People. “He plays it all the time!” she says, shaking her head. Shrugging, Sugg didn’t argue with her. “Hey, It’s a good song!” he exclaims.

Sugg’s Picks Arrested Development - Everyday People Michael Franti - Hello Bonjour Otis Redding - Try A Little Tenderness

The Avett Brothers - At The Beach Come Thou Fount Switchfoot - Souvenirs

Whitney Hines, Co-Owner of Surfin' Spoon

For John Buford, choosing a favorite song is like picking a favorite child. The teacher’s life revolves around music, quite literally going from school to school every day to instruct the craft to musicians across ages. It was tough, but eventually Buford narrowed down his list. “Because it’s on a deserted island, I’d need something of gravitas to keep me occupied,” says Buford. His first pick, Mozart’s Don Giovanni, will always remind him of a particular time in his life. “I sang a role in this opera one summer. Not only could I enjoy the mastery of Mozart, but I would recall the people, places and experiences of the summer of 1999.” Famed composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim’s A Little Night Music also made the cut. “I can’t think of a better lyricist to keep my mind engaged than Sondheim,” Buford concludes.

Manager of Walgreens in Kill Devil Hills Doug Wingate lived in Baltimore until he was in his early 30s. He and his wife moved to the Outer Banks to, “get away from the big city,” somewhat of a common thread among many locals. He’s called the Outer Banks home for 29 years now. Incredibly musically inclined, Wingate plays guitar and has been a part of several bands over the years, even going as far as opening for Inner Circle. (The group who made the hit Bad Boys.) If he were stranded on a deserted island, he figures he would do a lot of stargazing. Jefferson Airplane’s Have You Seen The Stars Tonite, was selected just for that reason. Wingate also chose The Crystal Ship by The Doors, because the group is his wife’s favorite band, and it would serve as a lovely reminder of her. As for his third choice, Layla by Eric Clapton, Wingate says, “Hey, if I’m stuck on a deserted island, that song would keep me working.”

Reagan Pearson,

Sophomore at First Flight High School

myouterbankshome.com | Summer 2017

Buford’s Picks Mozart - Don Giovanni Stephen Sondheim - A Little Night Music Elton John - Your Song

Beyer’s Picks

Amazing Grace Hillsong UNITED - Oceans Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros - Home

Doug Wingate,

There’s a reason Reagan Pearson’s song choices are all loud, catchy bangers. “They would keep me up!” Pearson exclaims. “It would prevent a predator from eating me.” The First Flight High School sophomore has lived on the Outer Banks ever since he was two years old. The talkative, easy-going video game enthusiast is grateful to live in such a small, supportive community — and can’t begin to imagine what it would have been like to grow up anywhere else.

Ray Robinson could probably sing an entire Otis Redding album by the time he was two years old. “My grandfather would listen to him all the time,” says Robinson, who recently moved to the Outer Banks from Walkertown, N.C. in mid-April. So it’s no surprise that one of his top picks is Sitting on the Dock of the Bay. “I think of my grandfather every time I hear it.” His second pick, Diamonds and Pearls by Prince, was the theme song of his wedding (not to mention the symbols of the Greek letter organizations he and his wife, Glasher, belong to). And as an avid car enthusiast whose first car was an old yellow Mercedes-Benz, Janis Joplin’s Lord Won’t You Buy Me a Mercedes-Benz will forever be close to his heart.

Choir Director at First Flight Middle & High Schools

Whitney Hines seemingly does it all — she’s an artist, surfer, mother — not to mention the co-owner of Surfin’ Spoon. Her song choices are just as sweet as her personality. (And we’re talking on the sweetness level of cup of frozen yogurt from the Spoon.) The Avett Brothers’ At The Beach was an easy first pick. Her go-to, it even played in the labor room when both of her children were born. Next, Come Thou Fount is her favorite hymn. “It talks about the reality of how we will wander, but we’re always tethered,” Hines said. “I sing it to my children every night.” Souvenirs by Switchfoot is the song she’ll sing when she’s out surfing, in between waves. The lyrics remind her of her husband, Jesse. All three of her picks remind her of the things she loves most -- her family, and, of course, the beach.

Wingate’s Picks

Executive Director of Outer Banks Sporting Events

John Buford, Hines’s Picks

Jefferson Airplane - Have You Seen The Stars Tonite The Doors - The Crystal Ship Eric Clapton - Layla

Ray Robinson,

Pearson’s Picks Dropkick Murphys - Johnny I Hardly Knew Ya Post Malone - Go Flex The Gorillaz - Dirty Harry

Miriam Beyer, Owner/Instructor at Island School of Dance Miriam Beyer’s life revolves around dance. In turn, she is always searching for new songs to sway to. With Island School of Dance’s second studio opening this upcoming school year, this will surely allow her even more opportunities to help young dancers mature into confident ballerinas — as well as allow for many more songs to be danced to. Beyer’s song selections include her personal favorite song that makes her, “want to dance every time” she hears it, and two others that anchor her to her faith.

Dino Colao,

Nautica Store Manager Originally from Chicago, Dino Colao moved to the Outer Banks in 2011 looking for a change of pace. He certainly found it. While many locals lament over tourist season’s population increase, he says it still can’t be compared to the windy city. “When we think it’s busy, it’s still nothing compared to there,” says Colao. Although he enjoyed Chicago’s beaches — just a few blocks away from the heart of downtown — nothing can really compare to this small beach town. Colao took this question to heart, picking songs that remind him of what matters most. Dean Martin’s Ain’t That A Kick In The Head makes him think of all the people he loves, while Frank Sinatra’s My Way reminds him of his dad. Perhaps his last song choice, Mötley Motley Crüe’s Crue’s Home Sweet Home, is an ode to “how friendly the locals are,” now that he quite comfortably refers to the people and community of the Outer Banks as just that — home. ³

Colao’s Picks Dean Martin - Ain’t That A Kick In The Head Frank Sinatra - My Way Motley Crüe Mötley Crue - Home Sweet Home Mary Pat Thompson is an Outer Banks native and the 2017 North Carolina High School Journalist of the Year. In the fall she will be attending The New School in New York City. If she were stuck on a deserted island, her three song picks are Come On Eileen - Dexys Midnight Runners, Fools - Troye Sivan and Season 2 Episode 3 - Glass Animals.

Summer 2017 | myouterbankshome.com

unplugged FAMILY

I I

nstead, I reined in my dramatic tendencies and established some basic rules: No texting at the dinner table. No texting while doing homework. No texting after 9 pm. No texting until you’re 18 and able to pay for your own phone (this last one was wishful thinking). According to Christopher Roberts, a licensed clinical social worker and addictions specialist with Coastal Counseling in Manteo, I was on the right track. “One way to provide balance with technology use is to have limits,” he says. “Especially with children and teens.” “Technological access is important, but it is a tool, not a way of life,” says Dr. Andrea Facci, a behavioral health and substance abuse counselor in Kitty Hawk. “We need to be connected, but we also need to have our own interests and that of our family’s health at center-stage. Access is fine, but over-accessing is a poor choice which over time becomes a habit, a compulsion.” Speaking of compulsion, studies have shown that the average smartphone user checks their device an alarming 110 times a day! And experts say that excessive interaction with digital technology - phones, tablets, laptops, game consoles, and TVs - can disrupt sleep and cause mental fatigue, including problems with memory, concentration, and focusing. Heads up! It’s time to Unplug!

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Kimberly Armstrong Several years ago, I harbored some pretty dark fantasies regarding my young son’s cell phone. His text messaging was out of control. I considered placing his phone in the path of a stampeding elephant. I imagined tossing it into the deep blue sea where harmonizing humpback whales would muffle its incessant dinging, chirping, and buzzing. Or I could have followed the lead of another parent who proved his child’s cell phone was no match for the rugged tire of his Jeep Wrangler (note: the child was not using the phone at the time).

myouterbankshome.com | Summer 2017

Let’s drop in on a family who could benefit from some digital downtime while vacationing on Hatteras Island. Sunshine? Check. Atlantic Ocean? Check. Kids happily frolicking along white sandy beach? Check. Mom and Dad? Checked out. Tucked under the beach umbrella, we find Mom, nose buried in smartphone, probably “multi-tasking” as she reviews a coworker’s final budget figures while also scrolling through her Facebook feed to get updates on what her “friends” had for dinner. And Dad, nose also buried in smartphone, is probably responding to work emails while simultaneously chuckling at videos involving human encounters with wildlife. Meanwhile, back in the real world, their young children have ventured further into the beckoning water. Luckily, Zane with Ocean Rescue has been keeping a close eye on the situation. When it becomes apparent that Mom and Dad are unaware of the impending danger, Zane intervenes, swooping in to save the little ones from being washed out to sea. Kudos to Zane. And for the parents? A crucial wake-up call.

“We need to be connected, but we also need to have our own interests and that of our family’s health at center-stage. Access is fine, but overaccessing is a poor choice which over time becomes a habit, a compulsion.” - Dr. Andrea Facci And what better time than vacation to give unplugging a whirl? Besides, the whole purpose of a vacation is to recharge your mind, body, and soul. In the spring and fall, John takes his two teen and pre-teen boys camping for four days in the mountains. It is a mobile device-free time for everyone. “The kids love it,” says John. No Instagram. No Facebook, No Snapchat. No crazy cat videos. Fishing and hiking consume their days in the great outdoors. Evenings are spent around a campfire, roasting marshmallows, and engaging in the dying art of face-to-face conversation. “They think staring at a blazing fire is way more interesting than staring at a TV or computer screen,” says John. “My kids have grown up with technology so it’s not a big deal for them to break away for a while.” As Wi-Fi continues to spread across the globe like an alien life form, the possibility of working anywhere, anytime, increases. Therein lies the problem - how to separate work time from relaxation time. We need an “Off” switch. “Reprioritizing,” says Dr. Facci, “is key to help us regulate mind, body, and spirit so that we place quiet time and together time as a priority.” Breaking away from job responsibilities and technology while on vacation requires planning ahead. Discuss your absence with colleagues and delegate someone to handle urgent requests while you’re away. Set up automatic email responses, letting clients know you’re out of the office and will have limited access. Disable apps and notifications on your phone so you won’t be disturbed. If breaking away entirely is not an option, you may wish to set aside an hour a day to respond to emails and put out fires.

Ryan, a local bartender, has encountered plenty of candidates for a digital detox program. While he can prepare a perfectly blended Mojito, angle a glass just so when pouring a beer, or deliver a vodka martini – shaken, not stirred – Ryan is not a mind reader. So it would certainly speed things along if his customers would wrap up that phone call or text message so he could take their order. “People are so fixated on their phones,” says Ryan, “they hardly notice the person sitting next to them.” With a view to the dining area, he’s seen families gathered around the table sharing a meal but distracted by their phones, leaving conversation at a standstill (and hushpuppies growing cold). Roberts said he believes the single greatest concern with excessive technology use is the effect on our relationships with other people. Case in point. A friend related how her boyfriend had a basic phone without a data plan. He vowed and declared he would never get a smartphone. But then he did. And he proceeded to totally ignore her while scrolling through sports

Summer 2017 | myouterbankshome.com

unplugged FAMILY

scores, watching sports videos, shopping for sports gear, etc. Sadly, their relationship did not last. However, he and his phone are still together. And then there’s Jeff. Jeff will never give up his smartphone. That’s because Jeff does not have a smartphone. Jeff is the ultimate unplugged person. No text messaging for Jeff. No disruptive phone calls. And don’t bother sending him a friend request, Jeff doesn’t do Facebook. All this freedom from technology affords Jeff time at the beach with his wife and their dog, relaxing and reading real books bound with paper and glue. He enjoys screen-free face time with friends. Yep, Jeff is one happy guy! Want to be more like Jeff? Dr. Facci says, “I encourage my clients to disengage in increments, in manageable pieces.” In other words, put yourself on a digital diet. Set a goal to go a few hours a day without checking your phone for social media updates. Feeling obligated to respond to every post and tweet creates anxiety. Need outside reinforcement? Try BreakFree, an app that helps maintain a controlled digital lifestyle. Use technology in moderation and in a responsible manner. Make an effort to liberate yourself from your phone occasionally. A break from constant connectivity allows you to be present in the moment, engaging in the sights, sounds, and smells of the world around you. Meditation and introspection are good for the soul. Treat yourself to the spectacle of the sun rising over the ocean. It need not be captured in a photo to share. Admire it with your own eyes, enjoying it for what it is - the start of a new day. ³ Kimberly Armstrong communicates via email and text messages, but she derives much pleasure in corresponding with handwritten cards and letters from time to time.

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Summer 2017 | myouterbankshome.com

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Summer 2017 | myouterbankshome.com

camping ADVENTURE

CAMPING COAST

PHOTOS BY ROANOKE RIVER PARTNERS

astern North Carolina is home to some of the state’s wildest places, and camping can be one of the best ways to explore them. The region offers some great options when it comes to where you choose to pitch your tent – and many are just a short drive from the Outer Banks. So pack up your tent, your fishing pole, your kayak, and venture out to…

Portsmouth Island

If you’ve ever dreamed of having your own private island (or spending the night next to a ghost town), head south past Ocracoke to Portsmouth Island, the only place on the Outer Banks where you can camp directly on the beach. The whole island is only a few miles long, and located close enough to Ocracoke that an experienced kayaker could paddle right on over. Alternately, Ocracoke’s Rudy Austin operates a small passenger ferry from Silver Lake and will drop you and your gear off on the north end of Portsmouth Island and then pick you up when you’re ready to return. Austin will also entertain you on the ride over with his Ocracoke brogue and island tales. A vehicle ferry from Atlantic, N.C. to the south end of the island is available for visitors who want to bring their four-wheel drive. It’s hard to believe this tiny island was once the largest European settlement on the East Coast. The village was established in 1752, and for more than a century it was an epicenter of shipping and trade. But a combination of circumstances including hurricanes and Civil War skirmishes drove almost all of the residents and businesses away. The last two people on the island, a couple of stubborn elderly ladies, reluctantly agreed to relocate in 1971.

ALONG THE

STORY BY

Katrina Mae Leuzinger MICHAEL HUGHES

Above: Portsmouth Island provides campers with pristine, untouched beaches. Below: The tranquil beauty of Merchant’s Millpond makes it a perfect spot to pitch a tent.

The Roanoke River Platforms

There are 14 different platform camping sites tucked along the scenic Roanoke River, which spans five counties in northeastern North Carolina. These platforms are accessible only by kayak or canoe. “The Roanoke River paddle trail offers unique, innovative options for rustic camping here on the East Coast,” says Executive Director of Roanoke River Partners Carol Shields. “We have people come from all across the country to have that experience.” That “experience” might be wildly different depending on how you’d like to spend your platform camping trip. Some campers choose to paddle out to their site, set up camp on one of the raised platforms overlooking the river and marshlands, and idle away the rest of their trip there until it’s time to paddle back home. Others prefer the challenge and the adventure of breaking camp each morning and paddling to the next site down the river, with trips lasting a week or more as they rove the whole watery trail. Along the way, sightings of deer, geese, eagles, and osprey are common, and the nights are punctuated by the sounds of owl calls and big fish splashing up to the water’s surface. “Platform camping is getting away from the sites and sounds of civilization and getting back to nature,” says Shields. Shield’s number one tip for campers on the Roanoke River is to bring physical maps and navigational tools. Technology is wonderful, but she’s seen more than a few of those high-priced GPS gizmos choose that week to fail.

Frisco Campground

OUTERBANKS.COM

If your idea of camping is an air-conditioned luxury RV with indoor plumbing, Wi-Fi, and a grocery store on site…this list may not be for you. No offense meant to the glamping crowd, but when I hear the word “camping,” I don’t think of cabins with central air sitting on cement foundations. I picture a cozy tent deep in the woods, nestled in the rolling sand dunes, or perched on the edge of a body of water. Some place where you can fish for your dinner, spot eagles flying overhead, and cook over a campfire. Maybe even somewhere you have to hike or canoe to, leaving the road far behind you in favor of

AUBREY DAVIS

peaceful, undisturbed nature.

myouterbankshome.com | Summer 2017

These days the remaining buildings of the Village are maintained by the Cape Lookout National Seashore, and visitors to the island can explore them in between camping, fishing, crabbing, shelling, and playing on the beach. When Kill Devil Hills local Jeff Hanson camped there with his son and the rest of his kayaking club in 2004, he was a little surprised by the challenge getting there presented. “It’s a long paddle crossing the inlet, and the weather can change as you’re coming across. We had a grueling paddle to get there, but then you land on this beautiful beach; completely deserted. We fished, and we crabbed, and we lived off the land a little. The marshes are beautiful and there were thousands of big, beautiful dragon flies,” says Hanson. Hanson’s pro tips for future campers? Make a checklist (which should definitely include plenty of bug spray), bring plenty of crabbing supplies to catch the blue crabs in the creeks, and keep an eye out for shells and other treasures. Drinking water must also be brought in. Oh, and if you do paddle over, be sure to swing by the “Ocracoke Water Park” on the way – a water slide erected on a sand bar out in the middle of the sound.

The National Park Service maintains several campgrounds within Cape Hatteras National Seashore, including Frisco Campground. At most of these, the campsites are located along the Atlantic Ocean, just behind the barrier sand dunes, but Frisco is the exception. At Frisco Campground, the tent sites are located in between the elevated dunes instead of behind them, offering views of the ocean and a surprising amount of privacy between the sites.

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Summer 2017 | myouterbankshome.com

camping ADVENTURE

Frisco Woods Campground

Frisco Woods Campground offers quite a few amenities that might put it more in the “glamping” category, including Wi-Fi, a pool, RV sites, and cabins with electricity and air conditioning. But this soundside campground merits inclusion on this list for being a haven for a different type of outdoor adventurer- the water sports enthusiast. The pitch-perfect wind and water conditions here make it a huge draw for kiteboarders and windsurfers, and they even host competitions and other events throughout the year.

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Find it all in Duck.

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

OUTER BANKS

AUBREY DAVIS

Merchant’s Millpond State Park

Karen Loopman-Davis, co-owner of the Outer Banks Brewing Station, has camped at Merchant’s Millpond State Park’s canoe-in sites with her family once or twice a year for the past 17 years, and would almost rather we didn’t write about it. Its current status as a hidden gem, known only to a few campers and untroubled by crowds, is a big part of its charm. But that’s not all that makes this state park special. “Even though it’s not that far from the beach, it’s like you’re in the Bayou,” says Loopman-Davis.

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PHOTOS BY FRISCO WOODS STAFF

And for the purists, don’t worry. There are a few primitive tent camping sites tucked into the trees.

Adventure Bound Campground

You can’t pitch a tent in Kitty Hawk Woods, but by camping at the tent-only Adventure Bound Campground you can at least come close. Adventure Bound Campground is settled right on the border of the stunning maritime forest, and just a mile and a half from the beach. Campers can hike through the woods, launch their kayaks at the boat ramp a quarter mile away and take a paddle trail though the trees, ride the nearby bike path, or just relax in the shade of the towering cedars surrounding their tent.

Visit doducknc.com for a shopping guide and info on special events held by Duck Village Merchants.

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Summer Events

For start/end dates and more info visit townofduck.com

Tuesdays

Wednesdays

Thursdays

Yoga on the Green 7:30 a.m.

Dynamic Flow Fitness on the Green 7:30 a.m. Family Magic Show Amphitheater 9:30 & 11 a.m.

Hula Hoop & Play on the Green 10:00 a.m.

myouterbankshome.com Children’s Interactive Theater Amphitheater 10:00 a.m. Outer

Save the date! This October, it’s the 2017 Duck Jazz Festival. Visit duckjazz.com for info and updates.

Banks, NC

Movies on the Green Dusk

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Concert on the Green 6:30 p.m.

AUBREY DAVIS

The park is a combination of hardwood forest and swamp, filled with beautiful Spanish moss and cypress trees and home to no shortage of wildlife. There’s some family and group campsites just off the road, but more audacious campers may gravitate towards their platform campsites located on paddling trails, or their primitive backpacking sites. Wherever you choose to camp, Loopman-Davis describes it as a little piece of off-the-grid paradise. “We just sit around and eat, canoe, fish, and hike,” says Loopman-Davis.

duckcorollaobx.com ADVENTURE BOUND STAFF

So whether you want to pitch your tent under the trees, along the river or tucked in between the sand dunes, chances are northeastern North Carolina has just what you are looking for. From the Roanoke River, to the deserted beaches of Portsmouth, and everywhere in between, adventure awaits. ³ Katrina lives with her husband and their fearsome toddler. When she’s not writing, she prepares elaborate meals, cheats at video games, and plays the guitar (badly).

myouterbankshome.com | Summer 2017

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lifeguards COMMUNITY

SUE COLAO

S N O LESS G N I D R A U IL F E G

Rescuers Stand Watch Over Area Waters

SUE COLAO

We see them up on the STORY BY lifeguard stands, makKatrina Mae Leuzinger ing water advisories and responding to emergencies. Occasionally we even talk to them to inquire about ocean conditions. But most of us don’t know what exactly makes up a day in the life of an Outer Banks ocean rescue lifeguard.

y Outer Banks Home followed a few Kill Devil Hills Ocean Rescue lifeguards around for the day to get an inside look. On this particular day in late May, Taylor Simmons and Nathan Lowdermilk were among the 25 or so lifeguards who gathered at the beach in front of the Ocean Bay Boulevard lifeguard headquarters at milepost 8.5. With fins in hand, their day begins at 8 a.m. sharp, two hours before they take their posts at one of the town’s 21 lifeguard stands that span five miles of beach. The morning starts off with physical training, or PT, which is held three days a week through the season. During this morning’s PT, the squad ran two miles on the beach, swam from stand to stand for a stretch, and finished the training by jumping off Avalon Pier, a long-held ritual the Kill Devil Hills squad performs at the beginning of each season. The annual jump prompted a fair number of the off-duty lifeguards to show up and participate in PT “just for fun.” “The goal for the day was to get some physical activity, but also to come together as a group,” says David Elder, whose official title as the man in charge is ocean rescue supervisor, but he’d much prefer you just call him a lifeguard. To even get to this point, the lifeguards had to perform a little more than 80 hours of training, and become certified as First Responders and in CPR and First Aid. Although they are certified, training is an on-

myouterbankshome.com | Summer 2017

Above From Left: Lifeguards Nathan Lowdermilk and Taylor Simmons check the morning surf from one of the town’s lifeguard stands. Below: David Elder is the supervisor for Kill Devil Hills Ocean Rescue. Photos by Michelle Wagner going process throughout the summer. Elder supervises the lifeguard squad, most of whom spend their day on the stand keeping a watchful eye on their “territory” and being prepared to assist if a situation develops in a neighboring stretch. Stands are divided up into four zones, with a supervising lifeguard on an ATV in charge of each zone. After morning PT, the lifeguards head back to their headquarters to gather up their gear, get a quick briefing for the day and munch on sandwiches from the deli across the road. To the layperson, the building itself is full of strange sights and mementos. A “Lifeguard on Duty” sign, plucked from the wreckage after Hurricane Hermine took out the Ocean Bay Boulevard stand, is proudly displayed on the wall and bears

the signatures of all the lifeguards from last summer. On another wall are three “Rescue Randy” practice dummies dressed in their finest colorful beach wear, which the lifeguards use routinely during surprise drills throughout the summer. With gear in hand (or strapped to an ATV), it’s time to head out to the beach. Simmons is in her fourth year as a Kill Devil Hills lifeguard, and today she’s watching over the water at Ocean Bay Boulevard. Simmons goes through the routine of setting up her stand, putting up her umbrella and writing a message on her advisory board for beachgoers. Finally, she strategically places her fins and buoy in the sand between the stand and the ocean so that they are in arm’s reach if she needs to get to the water in the hurry. “Almost every day you’ll have a feeling, like being nervous. That’s a good thing. You should be on your toes, ready for anything that can happen,” says Simmons. It’s a strange job certainly. Lifeguards have to remain vigilant, physically and mentally prepared for a variety of dire situations that might arise. They’re trained in handling cervical spinal injuries (at least until EMS takes over), seizures, heat stroke, lacerations, stingray and jellyfish stings, splinting, fishhooks, drowning, respiratory CPR or any other situation that may arise on the town’s beaches. For most of the day, lifeguards are sitting – watching and waiting for something to happen. They help lost kids find their way back to parents, answer questions from beachgoers and inform them of conditions on the beach and in the water, as well as remind people to fill in those holes they made in the sand during the day. While it’s an intense job that requires a lot, Simmons says it’s a lot of fun, too. “I love being outside and being on the beach, watching everybody have a good time,” says Simmons. There’s no doubt that people watching is a big part of the job. A surprising amount of the rescues performed aren’t so much reactionary, such as noticing someone who is drowning and darting out to save them, as they are proactive and preventative. Lifeguards watch for those who look like they may be struggling and respond, going in to help them before things become serious. “We spend a lot of time looking at body language,” Elder explains. “Are people comfortable and, if they’re not, is that a situation where we should step in?”

Below: David Elder shares a brochure that contains valuable information about the town’s beaches.

Not long after Simmons takes the stand, a roll call is made over the radio to ensure that lifeguards are all ‘In service’. ‘Ocean Bay in service,” Simmons says into her radio at 10 a.m. Her 7.5hour day on the stand is just beginning. Nathan Lowdermilk stops by shortly after to see how things are going. A seasoned guard who has been patrolling Kill Devil Hills’ beaches since 2011, Lowdermilk is one of the supervisors on ATVs today. With eyes on the water the whole time, the two share stories about some of the more thrilling rescues they’ve made or witnessed. Last year, Kill Devil Hills Ocean Rescue made more than 500 rescues during the summer and witnessed more cervical spine injuries than during a typical summer. A C-spine is a devastating injury that typically happens when the waves crash onto the beach and cause a swimmer to tumble and hit the sand at an unfortunate angle. “They’re heartbreaking calls,” says Elder. But Elder said he’s hopeful that, much like PSAs and publications that advise swimmers on rip currents, there will be similar education when it comes to prevention of cervical spine injuries that occur on the beach. These advisories, among other things, would advise swimmers that it’s much safer to go under a big wave breaking on shore than it is to go over it. Beachgoers, he adds, should always pay attention to approaching waves whether they are at the water’s edge or in the water. “I’m never going to be able to make the ocean safe,” says Elder. “There are always going to be risks and hazards. But what I can do is work with my staff and inform the public on how to avoid and mitigate risks and hazards.” Elder encourages beachgoers to talk to the guards. “It’s a good idea for beachgoers to take advantage of the expert knowledge of our lifeguards and just ask them what the conditions are like that day.” Lowdermilk concurs. “Always talk to the lifeguards to find out where the rip currents are pulling, where the sandbars are, and where you should swim, even if you’re a good swimmer.” Fortunately on this day, the ocean conditions were calm, but the lifeguards remain vigilant because even on calm days, emergencies can happen. At 5:30 p.m. every day, the call comes over the radio. “1730 hour Check in”, signaling the lifeguards to pack up their stuff and head back to Ocean Bay. Once there, the guards spend the next half hour cleaning up equipment, restocking first aid kits and supplies, making reports and prepping for tomorrow. Today was a good day, but tomorrow could bring almost anything. And the lifeguards of Kill Devil Hills are ready for it. ³

Summer 2017 | myouterbankshome.com

Nourishment The juxtaposition of the cold northern Labrador Current and the warm Gulf Stream just off the coast of the Outer Banks makes for a great fishing destination, a mysterious sunken graveyard, and an ideal location for beachcombing, bringing in shells from a vast array of places in the ocean.

Beachcombers STORY BY

Abby R. Stewart PHOTOGRAPHY BY

Kevin Groat

ecause of this excellent opportunity to find gifts from the sea, visitors and locals alike flock to the shores of the Outer Banks in search of beach treasures for keepsakes, jewelry and crafting, but also for the sheer peace and enjoyment that beachcombing brings. Many factors affect how successful one will be while beachcombing on the Outer Banks, with or without beach nourishment. Searching after a storm, especially one from the northeast or during the winter, is the best time to find exciting treasures as shells have been stirred up from the bottom of the ocean and washed ashore. Also, combing the beach a couple of hours before and after low tide proves to be a beneficial practice as the water recedes and leaves behind exciting finds. Searching through the sea grass high up on shore or in select, undisturbed areas on the Outer Banks are also good ways to increase your chances of making a discovery. But with an extensive beach nourishment project underway this summer, what will that mean for beachcombing and the probability of discovering shells, sea glass and other finds? The beach nourishment project currently underway along the shores of Duck, Southern Shores, Kitty Hawk and Kill Devil Hills will be pumping about four million cubic yards of sand from offshore borrow sites onto the northern beaches of the Outer Banks.

Composition studies were performed to ensure that the sand being moved matches the sand that is already on the beach in terms of grain size, mineral content and composition, which is important to avoid silty, muddy and rocky sand being pumped onto the shore. Still, it’s guaranteed that the natural sand on the beach will be altered. Although no one can be certain of what kinds of shells lie beneath the surface of the site from which the sand is being pumped, one thing that is a definite is that the shell content of a beach is increased with each re-nourishment. “I don’t know what’s offshore in the borrow area,” says Terri Kirby-Hathaway, marine education specialist for North Carolina Sea Grant and an avid shell collector. New sand that’s being pumped onto the beach could have a variety of shells and other relics that have been buried beneath the surface for some time. No one can be sure of what exactly is out there, KirbyHathaway points out. “It will be interesting to go out and check it out as the sand gets put up.” The shells and other artifacts found on the beach arrive there in a couple of ways other than being washed up on shore, such as being uncovered by wind, water, erosion, and digging.

Although no one can be certain of what kinds of shells lie beneath the surface of the site from which the sand is being pumped, one thing that is a definite is that the shell content of a beach is increased with each re-nourishment.

“Dark shells have been buried for a long time in anoxic conditions,” Kirby-Hathaway explains, adding that if one finds a pretty whelk shell, it probably just washed up from offshore.” When sand is dredged from an offshore borrow site, the surf may be affected for a certain period of time as sandbars shift to establish equilibrium, possibly impacting the surf by causing the waves to break on shore, thus changing the way shells are washed up. In addition, beach nourishment can sometimes cause bottom organisms and habitats to be smothered by unsettled water. Although governmental regulations are in place to monitor this, more organisms could potentially tumble onto the shores, including the shells in which some of them inhabit. Nourishment could have a negative impact on beachcombing, as the new sand would bury treasures further beneath the surface. Still, shells that were buried offshore in the borrow site will exist in the new top layer of sand, possibly creating an opportunity of discovering an entirely different set of shells. But it all depends on the quality of the sand that is pumped. While it may be largely unclear what impact beach nourishment may have, other than the physical changes to the landscape of the beaches, it’s worth getting out there this summer to comb the beach. You never know what you may find. ³

Abby Stewart is a freelance writer who lives in Currituck County but has spent most of her summers on the beautiful beaches of the Outer Banks.

myouterbankshome.com | Summer 2017

Summer 2017 | myouterbankshome.com

rip currents EDUCATION

READING THE

RIPS

STORY BY

Steve Hanf

From Signs To Forecast Models, Experts Spread The Word The bright red letters, darting arrows and catchy slogan dot countless beach access points along the Outer Banks. Yet for all the warnings about rip currents and how to “Break the Grip of the Rip!” swimmers still struggle to identify and avoid dangerous rip currents.

“I

t’s something we deal with every summer,” Nags Head Ocean Rescue Captain Chad Motz said. “Rip currents contribute to roughly 80 percent of water rescues, so it’s definitely high on our priority list of safety concerns. We live on a big sandbar, so the rip currents we deal with are constantly shifting. It’s continual analysis for us.” Scientists are currently working on a detailed forecast model to warn swimmers about rip currents, which are fast-moving currents that can pull people away from shore and through the surf zone. Roughly 100 deaths a year are attributed to rip currents in the United States, according to data provided by the National Weather Service (NWS) and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Eleven of those deaths occurred in North Carolina in 2016, seven of which were on the Outer Banks from Rodanthe to Ocracoke. NOAA Senior Scientist Dr. Greg Dusek serves as the subject matter expert when it comes to rip currents. He is part of a team that uses data collected from NWS Weather Forecast Offices to create a model that can give swimmers and lifeguards remarkable insight when it comes to predicting rip currents. “Instead of once a day, we’ll have an opportunity to predict every hour, up to four days in the future, for every kilometer on the beach,” Dusek said. “The Outer Banks is one of the first places we’re testing it. People get something like that on their smartphone – having that hourby-hour look is going to be really important: ‘Hey, this location I’m going, what kind of conditions am I looking at now? (What about) later in the day...? I think that time-specific information is going to be really helpful. When and where do I need to be most concerned?” Dusek said NOAA hopes to roll out the forecasts across the U.S. next summer. In the meantime, NOAA, the NWS and lifeguards will continue their work in educating visitors and locals about how to spot rip currents and what to do when caught in one.

myouterbankshome.com | Summer 2017

PHOTOS COURTESY OF COUNTY OF DARE AND NOAA

The “Break the Grip of the Rip” program has been in place for more than a decade, Dusek said, and has proven successful in raising awareness. NOAA’s Ocean Today group produced four videos about rip currents that will be circulated on social media again this summer. One of those videos was filmed in 2015 in conjunction with Kill Devil Hills Ocean Rescue, which has also teamed with NOAA’s Dusek over the last few years to provide lifeguard date to scientists as they develop the model. Those videos can be found online at oceantoday.noaa.gov/danger-zone.html and include drone footage of rip currents with green dye to illustrate what rips look like. No matter the awareness level, people still get in trouble and unfortunately, sometimes drown. “You hear the same kinds of stories over and over again, so it’s pretty disheartening in that regard,” Dusek said. “But it also gives you motivation to know that what we’re doing is going to reduce those numbers.” Motz, who has worked with Nags Head Fire & Rescue for 17 years and served as ocean rescue captain since 2005, said his team of lifeguards performs 250 to 300 rescues a year, with 70 to 80 percent of those from rip currents. Ocean Rescue personnel up and down the beach remind people about swimming near lifeguard stands, but that advice can fall on deaf ears. “We try to keep the people as safe as we can throughout the summer season, and sometimes that means closing the beaches,” Motz said. “People know if they go down south, they don’t have red flags. When we see some of those (drowning) incidents happen where the park service has limited lifeguard coverage, that definitely sparks some conversations about people’s choices and swim safety.” For everyone enjoying a day at the beach, it’s important to be observant and look for rip currents before entering the ocean. Motz explained that rip currents occur most often on the Outer Banks two hours before and after low tide. That’s when sandbars are most exposed. People swim out to the bars and then get caught in a lateral current. “There’s a lot of safety information out there,” Motz said. “Talking to people we save from the ocean, a lot of them have seen the info and know what to try to do, but putting it into practice is kind of a different story.” Dusek encourages swimmers to stand on the dune line before walking down to the

water’s edge. People should look for places where the waves aren’t breaking, because those are the spots where there’s deeper water and rip currents are more likely to form. It’s also helpful to look for water discoloration due to sand, sediment and foam being transported offshore in a rip current. That’s what lifeguards Devyn Dodson and Kira Foster do when they first arrive at a beach, whether for work or fun. Dodson, who just wrapped up his senior year at First Flight High School (FFHS), guards beaches in Duck, Southern Shores and Cape Hatteras National Seashore. He scans the water for areas with murkier, green colors to spot rip currents. Foster, a rising senior at FFHS who works for Kill Devil Hills Ocean Rescue, added that “it’s definitely something you look for when you first walk on the beach.” Some days, people ask a dozen times about rip current dangers. Other days, the guards won’t get a single question. “If it’s a rough day, I get lots of questions,” Foster said. “It’s usually from moms – they don’t want their children to drown.” Worrying about rip currents only on rough days is a common misconception, though. Dusek said strong rip currents can be present with waves in the 2- to 3-foot range, and Dodson added that some of the most dangerous times on the Outer Banks can be deceiving. “It’s worst when the water has calmed down the day after it’s been rough,” Dodson explained. “We’ll have 50, 60 rescues and I’ll tell people, ‘There are mad rip currents out there.’” To warn people of the dangers, Foster draws diagrams in the sand to illustrate the notion of swimming parallel to the shore to get out of the current before making your way back to safety. Lifeguards in Kill Devil Hills also place yellow flags on the beach to stake out where rip currents are present. But it’s still something people worry about, and try to fight. “The misconception is they pull you down – that there’s a monster down there pulling you down,” Foster said. “They just pull you out.” And if the rip current does pull you out, the best advice is to keep calm.

NOAA

A recent NOAA initiative included inserting green dye in a rip current to illustrate its seaward movement. “When people get caught in rip currents, they fight it. They’ve heard so many times what to do when they get caught, but they start swimming hard against the current, start panicking, and become exhausted,” said Dodson, who has made two rip current rescues while guarding local beaches. “Let a guard come save you or just chill.” ³ Steve Hanf worked as a sportswriter for 13 years in North Carolina before finding a fun second career in the classroom. He currently advises the newspaper and yearbook programs at First Flight High School and loves his new life on the OBX.

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OBX COMMUNITY

KEN HOWELL

Why Hire J-1s?

Above: J-1 students at their orientaiton in Corolla.

Working the OBX

Chasing the Dream

international students

Obinguar and Gabon’s school year ends in March – long before our college students are available to work and conveniently at the same time room occupancy rates are increasing at Outer Banks hotels. They will leave the Outer Banks in mid-June to start their second year of college, and two others with compatible schedules will fill their vacated positions through early fall. Also benefiting the Hilton, Obinguar and Gabon have already earned NCII certification (a household cleaning services credential) in the Philippines while studying for their HRM degrees. Jodie O’Sullivan, who works in human resources at the Hilton Garden Inn of Kitty Hawk, reports that they have been hiring J-1 workers for the past nine years. She says that international students represent a guaranteed workforce that is important to the business’s bottom line. “J-1 students tend to have a very strong work ethic overall – no task is too much and they are always wanting to work extra hours and overtime,” says O’Sullivan. Montiel can easily rattle off a list of qualities he values in J-1 students. “They want to impress, their attentiveness to detail, they excel in their studies.” But then his face lights up and he hands over his phone, “Here, read this text message I just got yesterday!” My name is Shuk from Uzbekistan. I am happy to have an opportunity to work in your cafe …. The main purpose of my writing this letter is to ask when I can go and start working. Since our studies have already finished, I would like to start working as soon as possible if you let me. “… and he’s not even here yet!” Montiel says. “They want to work as many hours as possible. That’s critical. They’re not asking for time off to be in a friend’s wedding.” Bellantine echoes this sentiment, “These kids are here for one reason and one reason only. They are very focused. Our [American] students have a life [outside of work]. They want to spend time on the beach.”

SUSAN SELIG CLASSEN

I N T E R N AT I O N A L S T U D E N T S . . .

Above: left-right, Aicel Obinguar and Hansell Gabon, both 19, worked at the Hilton in Kitty Hawk this spring and are Hotel Restaurant Management students at St. Mary’s College in the Philippines. Below: Students who were J-1 visa workers on the Outer Banks in 2006 have returned to successful careers in their native countries (front row left-right) Karol Jokl, leads the Department of Ministry for the Slovak President; Natasa Majernokova, attorney and mother of three; Peter Jarkovsky, lead attorney for an electric power company; Andrea Kralovenska, attorney and mother of two.

ave you ever heard the expression ‘nose blind,’” asks Michael Montiel. “You know that experience when you’ve smelled something so much that you don’t notice it anymore? My son is not even aware of the American dream. He just lives it. But if you are coming from the Soviet Union with parents who were literally hungry – I mean hungry,” he continues as he’s scooping at the air and lifting empty hands to mouth, “They are the ones coming with a metaphorical hunger” to work here that other workers do not have. Montiel is describing how keenly different it is to work with foreign students at his Kitty Hawk restaurant, Rundown Café. But what is the real story behind the influx of international students who come here to work and travel? Is it fair to our own college students who are trying to earn tuition money? What do they think of us?

myouterbankshome.com | Summer 2017

Who is Here? Nancy Bellantine, owner of Pathways to Well-Being, an Outer STORY BY Banks organization that advocates for foreign student workers, Susan Selig Classen estimates there will be 1,600 foreign students working on the Outer Banks this summer and they come from a diverse list of countries that include Kazakhstan, China, Poland, Croatia, Jamaica, Columbia, and Taiwan. Today’s number represents roughly half of the 3,000 students who traveled here in the heyday of 2007 and 2008. Ask a few employers about what kind of person shows up when a J-1 visa student arrives at their business and one phrase will come up repeatedly: ‘cream of the crop.’ “My kids are the cream of the crop,” Bellantine says. “This is a cultural exchange program. They are here legally. They go back home, and now they are running countries.” Montiel agrees, “My first worker was the most stellar individual I’ve ever had working for me. He was a biomedical engineer major, his parents were both professors, he was 23 years old when he arrived and stayed four years because he enrolled in school here. That kid – I could’ve put in charge of the restaurant and left town!” And here comes that phrase again, “You gotta remember; these are the cream of the crop. That’s how they are able to come here.” Aicel Obinguar and Hansell Gabon are two 19-year-olds studying Hotel Restaurant Management (HRM) at St. Mary’s College in the Philippines. Their fluency in English would be disarming to anyone who realizes this is their first week in the U.S. They are working as housekeepers at the Hilton Garden Inn of Kitty Hawk to complement their HRM degrees.

With all the possible agencies sending students to work summer jobs in the U.S., Bellantine says, “They could choose to be anywhere in the country,” but along with our famous beaches, she believes our proximity to Washington, D.C. and New York City also make this area attractive. Obinguar and Gabon were presented a short list of resort areas offered by their agency in New York. They chose the Outer Banks over Miami, Florida and the Wisconsin Dells. When asked what motivated them to get summer jobs in the U.S., they said, “to be independent, to see New York City, and to buy iPhones.” It doesn’t hurt that they have been studying English since kindergarten, and spending four months in the U.S. is a great way to perfect language skills that are 13 years in the making. Factor in our country’s comparatively large hourly wage and strong currency (when compared to a weak Philippine peso and wages), those differences add up to a lot more purchasing power when students return and pay for tuition and consumer goods at home.

The Communication Conundrum Professional interaction with customers and good communication skills are concerns for any employers of college students. But English proficiency of foreign students presents more challenges. Hilton’s O’Sullivan says, “We’ve learned it depends on the country they are from. Some countries learn English from kindergarten– other countries do not and it can be a concern at times, especially when training the new students.” “In fact,” she adds, “one of the biggest misconceptions about the J-1 students in the community is that they don’t understand what you’re talking

NANCY BELLANTINE

Why the Outer Banks?

about – they usually do – it’s just how we communicate with them. It requires patience.” She says that while most guests embrace and enjoy the diversity the J-1 students bring, they do get a small number of guests who are bothered by the interaction. The negative response is usually due to a communication breakdown when giving specific instructions about cleaning a room or needing supplies. Montiel agrees that customer contact is a challenge with J-1 students. “The communication barrier has to be worked on very hard [for them] to be ‘in front of the house’ [as servers or hosts], but they are quick studies because of their education background. We put a lot of energy into J-1s so they get what they want and we get what we want. They may be twice the amount of work as other employees, but the end-result is double.”

“But They’re Taking Our Jobs” Bellantine admits that most employers don’t place their students in front of the customer, but that it has less to do with English proficiency and more to do with protecting the student who may encounter an irate customer, “because so many people think that they are taking jobs from Americans.”

Summer 2017 | myouterbankshome.com

OBX COMMUNITY

international students

JAMIE BOND

2015 Winner - OBX Parade of Homes People’s & Builder’s Choice Awards

JAMIE BOND

Above and Left: Community outreach from the OBX includes regular orientation sessions at the Outer Banks YMCA. There, students can apply for a social security card, meet fellow workers, get local information, and learn safety regulations. Area businesses donate tickets, coupons, and reflective bags to encourage students to explore the area.

In the employers’ defense, she explains, “All of the employers I work with really try to hire locally first, but our college students go back to school in August” leaving businesses with a huge gap in staffing. O’Sullivan says, “As a seasonal property, we rely on them heavily. Our guest satisfaction would suffer tremendously if it weren’t for the J-1 visa student work and travel program. The OBX working pool is a struggle and these students always show up to work, they strive for excellence…are reliable and want to work.” But how level is the playing field? Regardless of nationality, the same tax and minimum wage laws govern employers. That means J-1 students will have federal and state taxes deducted from their paychecks. However, their paychecks do not get hit with unemployment or social security deductions since they do not have the protections associated with those programs.

The Cultural Exchange The full name of the J-1 is the ‘Exchange Visitor’ visa. It is issued by the U.S. Department of State and is defined as a temporary, non-immigrant visa for work and travel over a three-month period, with a one-month grace allowance. It requires a full cultural exchange experience that is not limited to wage earning. J-1s are also held to strict safety regulations that, for example, prohibit them from operating slicers, performing hard labor, or traveling for work. Montiel says that the government offices from the students’ countries are vigilant about the work, travel, and culture balance. Soon after his workers arrive, he says, “This fed guy calls me and starts asking me questions like, ‘Did you get two workers from (insert country name here)? How many hours are they working? What jobs are they doing for you?’” On top of that, they are also hounding the students with questions like, “Did you go to the beach? Have you seen any movies? They want them to get out and see things!”

myouterbankshome.com | Summer 2017

Montiel encourages them to go to Ocracoke, Busch Gardens, and other places for experiences they cannot have at home. He finds that the ‘cultural exchange’ that interests students are clothes with American labels, cell phones, and Apple products. Bellantine will proudly list current vocations of some of the students she has kept in touch with: a doctor, three lawyers, and one who is now a representative on the European Union’s governing council. She says that a small percentage have applied to convert their J-1 into an F-1 visa so they can stay here legally to attend college. And of course, some fall in love, get married and start family businesses here. She can name a hotel manager, a bank branch manager, and a restaurant owner who are settled here after their J-1 summer. There are lessons learned on both sides of the equation. Obinguar and Gabon were preparing breakfast during the interview for this article – which meant an entire fish, head and all, was in a frying pan smoking up the kitchen in the host family’s kitchen. They explain that most Filipinos reject microwaved, ready-to-eat, or frozen, convenience foods. On the other side of the equation, they were surprised by the lack of public transportation and the strict rule following and punctuality that Americans take for granted. Obinguar and Gabon laugh in unison, wave their hands, and shout “Hi!” to mimic a typical American greeting that they find so odd. “We thought all Americans had guns, but everyone’s so friendly!” Montiel sums it up nicely. “The American dream is alive and well and here for everyone. But you actually have to work as hard as you can. In Russia, Ukraine, wherever, you can work for someone for 20 years and end up not owning a business because they pass down everything to family,” says Montiel. “Here, when they realize that they have the opportunity to take over the business - they grab hold of it and never look back. That’s why it’s called the American dream!” ³ Susan Selig Classen’s first, second, and third jobs were all summer stints at Outer Banks businesses during high school and college. She has been living, writing, and editing on the Outer Banks for more than ten years and was formerly the editor for Three Dog Ink Media.

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NATURE CALLS

wildlife rehab

FROM REHAB TO RELEASE: Frisco Rehabbers Take Wildlife Under Their Wing

Thistle, the groundhog

Lou Browning, Hatteras Island Wildlife Rehabilitation

Rebecca Outer Banks Wild Care | Summer 2017 42 Marlin, myouterbankshome.com

Call of the Wild...

s I was driving home last week from Manteo, I encountered a turtle trypen to begin her pre-release flight conditioning. She’s one step closer to freedom. ing to cross the two-lane road I was on. A Midwesterner, Not far from Browning’s Frisco clinic is wildlife rehabilitator ReI am a recent transplant to these glorious islands of the becca Marlin, who specializes in more traditional forest critters such STORY BY Outer Banks and am still very sensitive to and curious as fawns, opossums, squirrel, bobcats, groundhogs, rabbits, and Rebecca K. Orr about my new environment. others. Marlin remembers caring about animals and their well-being My brain said, “Don’t mess with the wildlife,” but I knew a turtle since she was a young child. in afternoon traffic on a road with a speed limit of 45 was not a good mix, so my At the moment, Marlin’s focus is on Thistle, the baby groundhog her husband instincts kicked in. named. Thistle came to the Marlins in early summer after her mother was hit by a I put my flashers on, stopped near turtle boy (or girl) and did the crazy-lady car in Columbia, N.C. thing of hoisting it with two hands by the rear of the shell and carrying it to the “I’m really loving this little groundhog. She’s my moment of Zen these days,” shoulder, making certain to watch out for the potential danger of the snapping Marlin says, adding that she puts Thistle on her lap several times a day to feed her head and also to point the turtle in the right direction. with a bottle. “We tussle for a little bit afterward.” With a honk and a wave to the other motorists I’d inconvenienced, I resumed At the time of the interview, Marlin was also caring for five fawns. “I’m the only my trip but not before glancing in the rearview mirror to check on my turtle friend’s fawn rehabber in 13 counties,” she points out, adding that she was preparing to progress as it disappeared into the tall grass. take in an injured bobcat any day. “I’ve probably had more bobcats here than Good deed of the day! Karma points! But it wasn’t long before I began to anyone in the state.” wonder what might have happened to my turtle friend if I hadn’t stopped to help, Marlin previously had a thriving antiques business, but left that life behind to and a car had hit it? What about a shorebird that might collide into my windshield tend to the needs of her little zoo of wild critters. She gets help and support from on the bridge to Mann’s Harbor? her husband, Richard, and of course, CoCo the goat, who Marlin adopted 10 Or baby opossums whose mother has been hit by a car? Or orphaned fawns? years ago after a woman appeared in her driveway with CoCo in the car and Who are the people who help these wild critters in distress? asked, “Will you take her?” After a trip down to Hatteras Island on this story assignment, I discovered two Being a wildlife rehabilitator is undoubtedly a tireless job, dealing day in and local wildlife rehabilitators who have made it their life’s mission to care for wounded day out with critters that can’t tell you what’s wrong with them or where it hurts. and sick animals in the wild. These dedicated Hatteras Island rehabbers are joined Orphaned critters require around the clock feeding schedules and there is a lot of by a network of 55 others in North Carolina who are licensed by the state, and time spent on the road, whether it is for the initial pick-up of the patient(s) or a visit even federal government in some cases. to the veterinary clinic and/or other “rehabber” for additional assistance. The ultimate goal of rehabbers is for the animals to regain health and strength Although rehabilitation comes with its drawbacks as far as time and resources, so they can return to the wild. If that’s not possible, they are given homes where the need for funding is by far a rehabber’s biggest challenge. “Raising a fawn can they can also assist in educational purposes or outreach programs. cost $1,000 (from the time it comes in to the time its released),” Marlin explains. Lou Browning, who operates Hatteras Island Wildlife Rehabilitation in Frisco, For those in the business, there is a constant and ongoing need for grant specializes in birds of prey and reptiles. Raptors, however, are clearly his passion’s funding. flash point – as evidenced by his eyes – as he speaks of them. Local raptors inSo what makes this lot tick? For Marlin, it’s about loving these wounded, declude birds that have hooked beaks such as eagles, hawks, buzzards, vultures, fenseless creatures in need of help; a determination to try to make a difference, no osprey, falcons, and owls, among others. matter how small; and the reality of, “If I don’t do it, who will,” Marlin said. Over the last 20 years, Browning – essentially self-taught – has created a modLou Browning’s driving force is trying to “make up for the destructiveness of est clinic that is tucked away off N.C. 12 in Frisco. This is where he goes to work, humans,” which is evidenced by the wildlife injuries he is witness to. caring for and treating these animals. Just in the last year, he has also completed Sometimes Darwinism wins over, and the weak ones succumb despite the the construction of a flight pen exercise facility for in-flight rehabilitation, which is efforts of their caregivers. But many times, with the tending and mending, the located next to the clinic. nursing and caring, and the exercising, a Phoenix rises. At that moment, utter joy While Browning eventually found his life’s mission in rehabilitation, he started and accomplishment take over for the typical wildlife rehabilitator, who just saw out in electronic engineering, with studies in physics, science, marine diving, weldthe fruits of their labor pay off as their now healthy patient returns to their rightful ing and a number of other subjects. Eventually he landed in his rightful place and home in the wild. prides himself on the educational component attached to his work, which includes To learn more about how you can donate to Hatteras Island Wildlife Rehabilifielding between 40 and 60 phone calls every day, many of which are educationtation, call Lou Browning at 252.475.4217 or visit HIWR.us. Browning is also on ally related. Facebook. On this particular day, Browning was tending to a barred owl that needed care Rebecca Marlin can be reached on Facebook or at outerbankswildcare@cenafter colliding with a car, leaving her with a cataract in one eye, a detached retina turylink.net. ³ in the other and an injured leg. She wasn’t shy as she vocally made a loud clicking Rebecca is a recent Iowa transplant to the Outer Banks and spends her days sound to let me know she objected to my presence. enjoying the beach and seafood, and her nights contemplating the sea and the If all goes well, Browning said the owl would soon graduate to the new flight stars. It has been her long-held dream to be a writer.

Summer 2017 | myouterbankshome.com

obx memories LAST PAGE

Coming Home to the

outer banks within

best guides

Raising by the Bees Sea beekee pers on the Bank s

page 18

for discovering

s a 22-year-old, ignorance was bliss when I landed a job at a modest, little 3,000-watt radio station carved into the swamp on the south end of Roanoke Island. WOBR-FM in Wanchese, also known as Beach 95, just got themselves a new on-air personality in the afternoons. It was May 15, 1983. I will never forget that date, the day I first moved to the Outer Banks. I came from Ohio and knew nary a soul. It hadn’t even occurred to me that going into the summer season I had no place to live. So I did what any 22-year-old would do in that situation. I slept on this person’s couch here. I slept on that person’s couch there. I even had a cot set up in the radio station on which I slept occasionally. The overnight guy would Greg and his wife, Char, during a visit to the Outer Banks last summer. wake me just before the office staff would arrive in the morning. I ate once a day at Mann’s Red and White in WanBefore I knew it, I woke up one morning and found myself, along with my now wife chese because the lunch special was only $3.99. STORY BY and young daughter, 30 miles due east of Columbus, Ohio. I was still getting up at For the first three months I lived on the Outer Banks, Greg Smrdel 5 a.m. and to work by 6. But instead of heading to the beach before noon, as I write I was basically homeless. The amazing thing was, I this, I find myself home hiding from a snowstorm. didn’t even realize I was homeless, nor did I care. Since then, not a single day passes where there isn’t a strong longing of doing The only thing that mattered to me was that I was living my dream on the barrier islands another live commercial read on the radio for Waldo Whiskett’s, eating free apps at of North Carolina. A Restaurant By George because I was buddies with Chef Terry, or walking among the It is only through the luxury of looking back that I’m able to even put the label of sea of cars at The Rear View Mirror Car Museum. homelessness on myself. Today, stopping in for breakfast at Sam and Omie’s and knowing about everyone in For me, the 1980s was the golden age of the Outer Banks. My family and I had the restaurant is no longer an option. But I will say this. been vacationing on the island since the mid 1970s, well It wasn’t just the places and the experiences that made before those OBX car stickers were even a thing. the Outer Banks so special. There were places at that time that have disappeared It was the people. from the Outer Banks landscape: The Galleon Esplande, The friendships that formed on that island so many the 17-store shopping complex owned by George years ago have remained strong. Bonds were created Crocker that sat on the beach road next to his famous with my radio colleagues and the people who allowed eatery, A Restaurant By George. me to crash on their couches when I was homeless – There was Waldo Whiskett’s Sandwich Emporium and two who became my daughter’s godparents. Ice Cream Surprises. Oh, and traffic lights. There were Some of us may be spread out across the country only two back then – one at the bypass intersection with now, while others remained and continue to live out their Colington Road and the other at Kitty Hawk Road. dreams in Dare County. But we are still connected by Even the Beach 95 of my day is now different. The muour shared love of a place. We still see each other when sic of that day has been replaced with Classic Rock. It I return for a visit. was also a time of lively debate among resident and nonThose friends came out in droves to see me appear resident property owners. Should there be dredging at recently at the OBX Comedy Club. The people of the Oregon Inlet? What about a building moratorium? Each Outer Banks are salt of the earth kind of people. People side of these debates offered compelling arguments. who will remain in your corner every day, through thick These are the memories of my early 20s. It was a time and thin, and I miss them dearly. But that’s the thing and place I now see I took for granted. The time spent on about the Outer Banks, it’s so much more than a physithe Outer Banks should have been one of contentment, Greg (left) and his broadcasting partner, Greg Clark, during a cal place. You don’t live there, the Outer Banks lives but it wasn’t. Manteo High School football game during the early days. within you – even if you are now 650 miles away. Eventually, my airtime at the radio station got upgradI often wonder if native Tarheel Thomas Wolfe is right when he writes, “You can’t go ed to morning drive. My days were now structured differently. Off work and out of the home again” in his book, Look Homeward, Angel. radio station by 11 a.m., I was on the beach by 11:30 most days. I never took time to I wonder if one can ever go home again. I hope so, because I miss living on the stop “and smell the roses” and naturally assumed that all my remaining days would be spent in this way. Outer Banks. ³ The ocean was always going to be outside my front door. My best friend was always Greg Smrdel, while his physical body lives in Ohio (for now), his soul will always regoing to be up the street and my routine would always allow for a daily visit to the main on the Outer Banks. Atlantic Ocean.

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