My Outer Banks Home - Summer 2018 by Three Dog Ink

Blackbeard 300th Anniversary page 4

Old But Not Forgotten

currituckâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s c.a. wright store

Discovering the Zen of kayaking

Richard Etheridge

an Outer Banks Lifesaving Hero page 22

Dare Challenge

hope in recovery

The Shredders

a band that really rocks

We build what we sell.

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what’s inside

CONTENTS

HOME MY OUTER BANKS

enjoying the coastal lifestyle

PUBLISHER

Mary Ann Williams, Gene Williams

EDITOR

Michelle Wagner

ART DIRECTOR Sue Colao

GRAPHIC DESIGNER Kevin Groat

SALES ASSOCIATES

Marie Walker, Andi Hopkins

CONTRIBUTORS

feature

ARGH! 300 years of Blackbeard.

history 8

Old But Not Forgotten C.A. Wright Store stands the test of time.

Richard Etheridge

Kimberly Armstrong, Donna Cedar-Southworth, Susan Selig Classen, Dave Fairbank, Steve Hanf, Catherine Kozak, Rebecca Orr, NC Sea Grant/Mariner’s Menu, Greg Smrdel, Kip Tabb, Michelle Wagner

PHOTOGRAPHY / ILLUSTRATIONS

Lizzy Carlson, Joan Collins, Dare2Care OBX, Charles Elles, Jean Leon Gerome Ferris, Jane Fiedler, Mark Fredrickson, Kevin Groat, Andi Hopkins, Hulton Archinves/Getty Images, iStockphoto, Ocracoke Pirate Jamboree, Shutterstock, Michelle Wagner, Marie Walker, Virginia Caroline Wright

SOCIAL MEDIA Jane Fiedler

Honoring an Outer Banks hero.

YOUR

Reflections Outer Banks memories that last.

Dare Challenge Offering hope in recovery.

outdoors 32

In Bloom Local arboretum takes root.

Adrift The zen of kayaking.

home 18

Coastal Style Building a sense of place.

Rediscovering Books When it’s time to shelve the eBook.

DISTRIBUTION Jason Adams

The Shredders

A band that really rocks.

OBX STORY

obx community

PUBLISHED BY

32 last page

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food 28

Bringing Home Dinner

Cooking up a Carolina Grand Slam.

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Blackbeard’s

Lives On...

After 300 Years, Legacy

blackbeard FEATURE

STORY BY

Kip Tabb

“Blackbeard “is a digital artwork piece by Mark Fredrickson, commissioned for the book, “The Golden Age of Pirates.”

myouterbankshome.com | Summer 2018

s the 300th anniversary of Blackbeard’s death nears, Ocracoke Island is preparing to welcome the world to its doorstep. “There’s a lot of interest and there’ll be a lot more interest as the day gets closer,” says island native Phillip Howard, who traces his Ocracoke roots back to Blackbeard’s quartermaster William Howard. The day Howard refers to is Nov. 22, Thanksgiving this year, when the Ocracoke Preservation Society will hold a much-anticipated 300th Anniversary Commemoration at Springer’s Point Nature Preserve to recognize the fallen mariners of the Battle of Ocracoke. The commemoration will include a visit from the dignitaries of the British Royal Navy and pay special tribute to the role Lieutenant Robert Maynard played in ridding the Colonies of the most nefarious pirate of his time. “It’s a unique way to recognize the event, but an absolutely appropriate one,” Howard said. The story of Blackbeard’s demise begins on November 18, 1718 when, under the orders of Virginia’s Governor Alexander Spotswood, Lieutenant Robert Maynard of his Majesty’s Navy set sail from Hampton Roads to deal with the scourge of the Eastern seaboard – Edward Teach – once and for all. Maynard’s instructions were simple – to bring back the pirate’s head to Virginia. Whether the head was attached to the body was irrelevant. Maynard was the first lieutenant on the HMS

Left: “Capture of the Pirate Blackbeard, 1718”, Jean Leon Gerome Ferris, painted in 1920, depicting the battle between Maynard and Blackbeard. Right: Edward Teach’s severed head hangs from Maynard’s bowsprit, as pictured in Charles Elles’s “The Pirates Own Book” (1837). Pearl, one of two British warships that Spotswood hoped to send to Ocracoke, only ten men, but the encounter was violent with no quarter expected. but the ships were not ideal for the shoals around Ocracoke. Instead, Maynard Maynard and Blackbeard fought furiously. Blackbeard reportedly broke was to take command of two unarmed sloops, the Ranger and Jane. Maynard’s sword, cutting Maynard’s sword hand. Maynard fired his pistol at “The plan that Maynard came up with was he would outnumber him and Blackbeard, but still he came on, preparing a thrust of his sword to kill Maynard with two boats approaching, he was hoping to catch Blackbeard by surprise,” when a British sailor finally cut the pirate’s throat. says Ruth Toth of the Ocracoke Preservation Society. With superior numbers, After Blackbeard’s death, the remaining pirates of the Adventure, now withhe was confident he would overwhelm the pirate and his crew. out leadership, were quickly overwhelmed, either dying or surrendering. And in response to concern that he was hunting dangerous prey with unMaynard examined the body of his fallen foe, and recorded that there armed ships, Toth says Maynard reportedly replied: “This battle will be deterwere at least five gunshot wounds and evidence of 20 mined by bare cutlasses.” thrusts from a sword. To fulfill his orders, Maynard On that fateful day back in 1718, the tide was rising when the British sighted removed Blackbeard’s head, mounted it on the Blackbeard’s ship, the Adventure. Maynard signaled for the Adventure to pass, bowsprit of the Jane and sailed for Norfolk. which signaled back they were there for him and came about. One of the enduring mysteries surroundThe Ranger ran aground on the shoal. Blackbeard, with eight cannons ing the death of Blackbeard is Maynard’s aboard his ship, fired. He killed Midshipman Hyde and the coxswain. Half strategy, and evidence of his knowledge the crew was wounded or killed. of Blackbeard and his crew, as well as the Blackbeard then ran aground and the wind died. pirate’s cannons aboard the Adventure. “It was completely calm, so they were “Maynard’s intelligence was spot on,” rowing, trying to get there before he [BlackToth notes. The question is, “Where did beard] could swing around and get them it come from? I think there’s a direct link with his cannon,” Toth said of the Jane. between the arrest of William Howard, “But with the tide rising, they must have the former quartermaster of the Queen not been aground that much. They’re Anne’s Revenge.” rowing furiously and Blackbeard’s ship Blackbeard had scuttled his flagship is floating, so [Maynard’s] response Queen Anne’s Revenge in June of 1718, was to row faster to get underneath planning on taking advantage of a general the cannon. Unfortunately they got amnesty for pirates. His good behavior cerblasted again.” tainly did not last very long, but the sinking Dead and wounded lay across the of the ship brought quite a number of pirates deck of the Jane. Undaunted, Mayashore. nard devised a bold plan, telling his re“…he basically let loose a few hundred piBlackbeard’s flag depicted a skeleton spearing a heart maining men to hide beneath the deck, rates on the colony of North Carolina,” Toth continwhile toasting the devil. Flying such a flag was meant to leaving the bloody evidence of the canued. Among them was Howard, Blackbeard’s quarintimidate one’s enemies. non fire for Blackbeard to see. termaster and a resident of Ocracoke. “Seeing all these bodies on the ship, BlackChip Stevens, owner of Blackbeard’s Lodge and direcbeard boarded…and that’s how Maynard got him to where he wanted him,” tor of the annual Ocracoke Pirate Jamboree, confirms that Howard, his great Toth said. Accounts of what followed indicate that Blackbeard boarded with (many times great) grandfather, was at the Virginia Colonial capital in late

300 y r a s r e v i n An

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blackbeard FEATURE

October or early November of 1718. “He went to Willamsburg for two reasons – to party and to buy land. When he was in Williamsburg, he got quite rowdy,” Stevens said. So rowdy the authorities were called. “They knew who he was and what he did,” Stevens said. Howard was arrested during that visit to Williamsburg, and there is some conjecture that he was the source of Maynard’s intelligence; however, after being arrested he was condemned to hang, so it is unclear what he would have gained. He did not die at the end of a rope, though. As Stevens recounts the tale, Howard was one day away from hanging when a general pardon that had been issued to pirates arrived. The prison ship he was on was the first to receive the letter. Howard returned to Ocracoke and lived a long life. “He lived to 108,” Stevens said. “His name is in the 1790 Ocracoke census.” Three centuries later and the tale still lives on among the residents and visitors of Ocracoke Island, an island that will forever be steeped in the legend of the dread pirate Blackbeard. ³

Kip Tabb is a freelance writer living on the Outer Banks. He has covered a wide range of community interest stories as well as environmental and related topics for a number of publications.

Calendar of Events

Don’t miss these Ocracoke Island events celebrating the 300th Anniversary of Blackbeard’s death:

A Tale of Blackbeard Ocracoke’s Favorite Musical by Julie Howard Mondays at 8 p.m. through August 13 Celebrate the 300th anniversary by attending this island favorite held at the Ocracoke School Gym. Tickets are $15 for adults and $7 for children. Doors open at 7:30 pm. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit ocracokealive.org.

Blackbeard’s Pirate Jamboree - 300th Anniversary October 25 to 28 This year’s annual Blackbeard’s Pirate Jamboree will commemorate the 300th Anniversary of Blackbeard’s last battle. Experience pirate life as reenactment crews re-create this historic battle on Silver Lake complete with pirate ships, cannons and swords. There’s something for everyone at this three-day event that includes musical entertainment, magic shows, pirate encampments and more.

300th Anniversary Commemoration Springer’s Point Nature Preserve November 21 to 23

The Ocracoke Preservation Society and Ocracoke Business and Civic Association will host a memorial service on Nov. 22 at 10 a.m. Royal Navy attaché Commander Dickie Underwood will be on hand to honor the dead and place wreaths. An English Tea will be held at the Berkley Manor following the service. The public is invited to attend. *An oyster roast on November 21 as well as a Pig Pickin’ on November 23 are ticket events. For more information on these events, call 252-928-7375.

Top, Middle, and Bottom photos all courtesy of the annual Ocracoke Pirate Jamboree.

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c.a. wright store A LOOK BACK

ld But Not Forgotten JARVISBURG’S C.A. WRIGHT STORE STORY BY:

myouterbankshome.com | Summer 2018

JANE FIEDLER

Donna Cedar-Southworth

here is a stretch of U.S. 158 in Currituck County that seems it will never end. It is an expanse of highway that passes through places like Moyock and Coinjock and for many who travel it, their thoughts are only on their destination. The small towns leading to the Outer Banks are simply places to be driven through. But those same small towns that dot the highway encompass an area rich in history, where generations farmed, fished, hunted and made lives for themselves. History was and is still passed down through word of mouth, from one generation to the next. And there’s one little store that has a story to be told. If we take pause and listen, perhaps we will take efforts to preserve the tale of what was once, in fact, the “center of it all.” Along U.S. 158, only about 15 miles or so from the Wright Memorial Bridge, is a sign that reads “Welcome to Jarvisburg.” It’s on a stretch where you will see from your car window mostly farmland and some homesteads. There are a few local businesses — Weeping Radish, The Cotton Gin, and Sanctuary Vineyards—which are very much alive and thriving. But continue traveling southbound for just a few miles and on the right-hand side of the highway near Fishers Landing Road, you will come upon a white, one-story frame-and-weatherboard building with a front porch and canopy and two rusty gas pumps, one that reads “Esso,” the other “Esso Extra.” Situated poignantly about 50 feet off the highway, the building is unoccupied, but the light fixtures still work; there is a meat scale, an empty cash register, cookie tins, some old irons and a sign for 25-cent bread. What looks like a cast iron meat grinder, a lantern, and a coal-burning stove still remain – all harkening back to a simpler time, when a general store and gas station were the gathering spot. But yet, even as the decades pile up, stories continue to live within these walls and pine hardwood floors – stories that need to be told. Though the doors of the C.A. Wright Store closed decades ago, memories of its heydays are very much alive and remembered by Virginia Caroline Wright. “My father built this store in 1930 to give a cousin of ours a job,” Wright explains. Her father, Charles Austin Wright, originally built it as a “filling station,” Caroline recalls. “It had two gas tanks outside that you had to pump, and we had an oil tank outside where you received oil for your car…you’d put the oil in a jar and put it in your car that way.” That is, she adds, “If you were lucky enough to have a car!”

Mr. Wright was one of nine children and of no relation to Wilbur and Orville Wright. “I’m not sure if daddy built the place or some of his brothers helped out,” Caroline continued. Unfortunately, she said, her father’s cousin wasn’t successful running the service station—he ran up a bill of $2,000 and moved onto other things within a year. “Daddy had to take the store and have it made bigger so he could put in groceries. We were a general merchandise store that carried everything from chicken feed to horse collars, to rope—everything that a farmer would need. ...Mama worked in the store because daddy had to be out directing the farming.” Caroline vividly remembers the long hours her mother put in at the store, sometimes leaving the house before Caroline woke up and closing down at 11 p.m. She carried a variety of food at the old store. “She had every kind of vegetable and all kinds

Caroline Wright reminisces about the heydays of her parents’ store. of cereal, 25 pound bags of flour – everything that you would have in a general store. We had a refrigerator there…one of the first [in the Currituck area]. We would keep Coca Cola on ice and if you had any meat…we would keep the meat in there until somebody bought it.” Most of the meat came from hunters and farmers who slaughtered livestock and game and brought it to the store to sell. The store also carried “yard goods,” or what we know today as fabrics. “They were sold by people who came through the area, called ‘jobbers,’ meaning salesman. They would sell fabrics they had on their vehicles—whether it was a mule or whatever they were traveling in because everybody didn’t have a car. We didn’t even have paved highways.”

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c.a. wright store

myouterbankshome.com | Summer 2018

CAROLINE WRIGHT

which came from duck feathers or geese feathers from when the men went hunting.” After working in the store for 50 years, Caroline’s mother could no longer manage it and closed the doors in 1982. Caroline was a full-time schoolteacher and couldn’t run it, but she still came to check on it on the weekends. Her mother died in 1985, and Caroline inherited the nostalgic store. For several years, Caroline hosted a fall and spring party and invited anyone she had “ever known who had been at the store.” For old time’s sake, they snacked on what the men ate so many years ago. “We’d drink bottled Coca Cola, we had hoop cheese, like daddy always had. The men used to melt the cheese and when they came to eat oysters, they’d melt the cheese and dip [crackers] in the cheese.” For her parties, Caroline opened the doors and served it up just like they did all those years ago. And on those evenings it was like the good ‘ole days with C.A. Wright and all the local men laughing and talking it up. Memories were relived of checker board games and oyster feasts, two-for-a-penny cookies, and tales of who caught what to eat. On those two nights each year, it was as if the place had never shut down. The laughter would rise and fall, bottle tops would pop, and dishes clink. It was the sound of community coming together to have some fun. According to the North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office, the C.A. Wright store has been determined “eligible” for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. If that were to be pursued, the store could become a protected historic site. But for now, it is a building with two gas pumps and a history that is very much alive there on that stretch of U.S.158 that leads to the Outer Banks.³ Donna Cedar-Southworth is a Northern Virginia-based writer who has been vacationing in the Outer Banks for 25 years. After a 20-year career in speechwriting and external affairs in Washington, D.C., she has been freelance writing; she specializes in articles about the visual arts and human interest stories. Her personal essays have been published in the Washington Post. She holds a B.A. and M.A. in English with a concentration in nonfiction writing.

PHOTO CREDIT

Caroline remembers thread cost 15 cents a spool and throughout her childhood she wore handmade clothes. “My daddy’s sisters were seamstresses and made all my dresses. It wasn’t until I was in the seventh grade that I had two dresses that were not homemade.” She, too, started sewing in fifth grade. Caroline likens the C.A. Wright Store to Iike Godsey’s store in the longrunning television show “The Waltons.” “We had everything for feeding your chickens—everybody raised chickens. You didn’t go to a grocery store and buy a chicken all ready to put in the pot like you do today. You raised them,” she asserts. “The chicken feed bags were printed and some people would use them for making clothes.” The store carried baby bottles, nipples and pabulum for babies; they carried soaps, cigars, and cigarettes. They had overalls and men’s shoes and heels and laces to put in the shoes. “My daddy used to wear something we called high-top shoes, which were laced up and came up to your knees. ...One time when I was little, I went into the store and wanted to play, and I saw both his shoes were in there. So I stuck my foot in one of them and what do you think I found? At the bottom of that shoe was a family of tiny mice. I took my foot out in a hurry and never again did I stick my feet in daddy’s shoes.” Lunchtime was a busy place at the C.A. Wright Store. “During the day, the farmers would come in with 25 cents to buy lunch—hot dogs, sliced bologna, a box of crackers—and cookies that were two for a penny.” The store was not only a place to get gas at 25 cents a gallon, or lunch, or buy provisions, but it was the social gathering spot. “Most of the men came to the store at night to talk about how many ducks or geese they shot that day or how many fish they caught,” Caroline reminisces. She remembers that the men conversed and played checkers, making an evening out of it. But mostly, Caroline remembers the oysters. “Daddy would catch a bushel of oysters in the Currituck Sound and bring them in the store at night. They would open the oysters and eat them raw and throw the shells out in the yard for cars or trucks to make a gravelly-type driveway” in the sand since the road wasn’t paved. Currituck County was called the “Sportsman’s Paradise” at that time because there was no law regulating how many Canadian Geese or ducks you could kill, according to Caroline. “To this day, I’m sleeping on a feather pillow

DW E

Left: Caroline Wright and her mother, Mattie Wright, pose outside the store in the 1940s. Right: Two gas pumps still stand at the storefront.

The store was not only A place to get gas at 25 cents a gallon, or lunch, or buy provisions, but it was the social gathering spot.”

CAROLINE WRIGHT

A LOOK BACK

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shredders MUSIC

: s r e d d e r h S s k c o R e y h l l a T e R t a h T d n a B A STORY BY:

Michelle Wagner •

PHOTOGRAPHY BY:

Dare2Care

ead singer Joshua Holland takes his position behind the microphone in a small makeshift music studio in Kitty Hawk. Cueing his fellow band members, he gives a slight nod and the room suddenly fills with the music and lyrics of Bob Dylan’s “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door.”

To Holland’s right are his loyal back-up singers, younger sister Allison Holland and fellow band member Emily McCoy, who also doubles as the band’s interpretive dancer. To his left, jamming on the keyboard is selftaught musician Zach Nelson and on lead guitar is local legend Phillip Harold “Bubby” Barkley, Jr. These talented musicians belong to the OBX Shredders, Dare County’s first Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities-inclusive band. With members ranging from 15 to 60, it really doesn’t matter whether they are rehearsing in the studio or are on stage in front of a crowd – the Shredders are always rocking. The brainchild of local radio personality Lisa Brickhouse Davis, the idea for the Shredders grew out of her efforts in 2015 to launch Dare2Care’s OBX Shred Fest, an annual spring event to raise funds for music programs for those with special needs as well as the local veterans’ community. Led by 2018 International Blues Challenge Semifinalist Ruth Wyand along with instructors John Wilkinson and Shelli Gates of the Motu Music Foundation and George Graham, the Shredders first debuted in 2016 and have definitely gotten into their groove. In fact, they’re a highly sought-after band – booked right through the fall with gigs both locally and out of town, including Elizabeth City and possibly Raleigh.

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The Shredders perform at the 3rd annual Dare2Care OBX Shred Fest in Spring 2018.

In the two years since its creation, the band has had a huge impact on not just its members but also the community. “Being part of the Dare2Care Shredders Band has not only had an impact on our athletes by boosting their self-esteem and overcoming shyness and stage fright, it has made them feel like part of the community,” said Dare County Special Olympics Executive Director Kathleen Morgan, who adds that the band members are all talented athletes that compete in a variety of sports. “When they are on the stage…everyone notices them not for their disabilities, but for their talent, their willingness to try something new and difficult and to step out of their comfort zones. They are sending a message of awareness that they are people, just like everyone else.” For guitarist Barkley, his sister and caregiver T-Gay Albert says it’s been a lifelong dream come true. “Bubby has always, since we were kids, strummed his guitar pretending to be Elvis, Johnny Cash, or any other musician singing on stage,” says Albert. “To watch him actually be on a stage strumming his guitar and singing fills my heart with joy, because I know how extremely excited he is about it.” Albert praised the instructors for their dedication to the Shredders as they’ve made their way to stardom, adding that it’s brought so much happiness to Barkley’s life, along with fellow band members. “Being a part of the OBX Shredders has truly added love and excitement to his life. He loves being with the other band members and feels so happy around each one of them. Music makes Bubby happy, and he feels that him playing is making others as happy as him.”

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shredders MUSIC

MICHELLE WAGNER

Above, Below Left & Below Middle: The Shredders, led by Ruth Wyand, practice often together and enjoy the camaraderie the band provides. Below Right: The Shredders smile for a picture before performing on stage at the Dare2Care OBX Shred Fest in Spring 2018.

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• Power Washing Above: With guidance from John Wilkinson (left), Bubby Barkley hits all the right notes during a recent practice session. “The word inspiration is so overused, but it’s true,” Wilkinson said. “He’s been given the chance to be Elvis.” Gates adds that the band provides a special place of belonging for its members, not to mention an outlet to showcase their talents. Being a member of the Shredders has also carried a level of prestige for its members, Gates notes. “They get to go backstage and get lanyards as well as meet members of other bands as peers rather than audience members.” For Wyand, she says it’s been amazing to just see the way they respond when you put a microphone in front of them. “They see stardom and they assume the position. It’s so powerful for them to see themselves on this side of the microphone.” Stagehand and bass player Josie Wilson has been with the band since its inception and says she was inspired to join the group to honor her brother, who had Downs Syndrome but died before she ever met him. “They are great people and it’s a blessing to be able to work them,” says 19-year-old Wilson. Whether they are covering for Bob Marley, Bob Dylan or Elvis, this band has undoubtedly found its groove and isn’t showing any signs of stopping. Back-up singer McCoy perhaps describes the Shredders’ enthusiasm perfectly when asked what her favorite song is that the band sings together. “I love all of them,” McCoy responds. ³ Michelle Wagner has been living and writing on the Outer Banks for nearly 20 years.

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JOHN MCCORD/COASTAL STUDIES INSTITUTE

As for the Shedders themselves, they offer a variety of reasons they love jamming with each other during practices and getting up on stage. “It’s a good way to express yourself,” says the oldest Holland. Nelson adds, “It’s a good opportunity to learn music.” Davis says it’s been an amazing journey since the Shredders first began practicing at the College of the Albemarle and then debuted at the 2nd Annual Dare2Care OBX Shred Fest. “It’s the most incredible thing you could ever imagine,” Davis said. “I love walking in and hearing them practicing their harmonies. There are all different personalities here and it is great to see how much they’ve bonded and grown.” She adds, “I’ve been in radio my whole life and music is one place we are all on an equal playing field, it’s one place we all connect. If we are going to bring people together, it should be through music.” The Shredders have performed at more than a half dozen events including the annual Dare2Care OBX Shred Fest, Tim Tebow’s Special Needs Night to Shine prom and the Special Olympics Spring Games. This fall they will entertain at an event in Elizabeth City and may travel to Raleigh for gig with the Career Council Development Council. The band’s instructors say they’ve all connected with the Shredders in different ways. For Wilkinson, it’s been Barkley he’s most connected with and whose guitar he custom made to help Barkley with chords.

architecture BETTER BUILT

Love the Lattice

In between all of those sturdy pilings, latticework was often mounted under the historic cottages. Lattice prevented shade-seeking livestock (and their fleas and flies) from wandering under the house where the humans also lived and slept. A look around at lattice used today reveals benefits that do not involve fleas, flies, or livestock. Is your restaurant perched near a busy road? A permeable barrier of latticework allows for a breeze and creates a little seclusion while maintaining a view for diners. Are you lacking storage space? Lattice creates impromptu storage for businesses to keep everything from kayaks to restaurant supplies behind their lattice “walls.” Trying to increase curb appeal with a limited amount of space? Lattice becomes a natural trellis for flowering vines, twinkle lighting, and artwork.

Exceeding the Code in

Coastal Style

Lean-out Benches and Endless Porches

STORY BY

Susan Selig Classen PHOTOS BY

Marie Walker

When it comes to new development, it is easy to dwell on the sort of construction we do not want, but how about paying attention to what we do want? The ‘power of the positive’ if you will.

hat follows is a call-out to local government and business buildings that were built, re-built, or re-used in a way that matches the beauty of the Outer Banks and its historic cottages. In each case we will highlight which architectural features are a nod to the “old Nags Head style” that give us our sense of place. When architects and builders of the original Nags Head cottages began construction in the mid-1800s, they built structures that were inhabitable on the hottest summer days yet could be boarded up and abandoned during a winter of high tides and nor’easters. The homes were also built economically with scavenged materials anticipating annual storm losses and cheap repairs. Their uniqueness was recognized when the Nags Head Beach Cottage Row Historic District was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977.

myouterbankshome.com | Summer 2018

Above: Nags Head Town Hall. Below: The Bird Store

Top: Weatherly Insurance in Kill Devil Hills. Above: Resort Realty in Nags Head.

Nags Head loves its porches so much that they are rewarded handsomely with points in a 2003 ordinance. The ordinance states, “The most desirable design element… is the wraparound porch which shall have the greatest value in the point system.” Revised in 2015, the ordinance is directed only at new construction and remodeling and has a detailed outline for scoring buildings that incorporate architectural features with a “Nags Head style” or “coastal style.” Nags Head Deputy Town Manager Andy Garman says, “What I typically hear is there are people who have an interest in building with the Nags Head look, and they don’t even look at the points because they are irrelevant. They are going to go beyond what we require.” And when it comes to porches? “You can almost meet your entire point requirements if you have a gorgeous, wraparound porch,” Garman adds.

Shingles, Shutters, Dormers

Pilings

The original homeowners didn’t need flood insurance policies or Base Flood Elevation (BFE) figures to tell them not to build on the ground level. Putting a house on pilings allowed waves and storm tides to pass under the home rather than flooding it. Pilings also granted homeowners a second or third chance at picking up and moving inland away from an eroding shoreline. Today, the use of pilings maintains those benefits and more. Pilings keep them in compliance with the BFEs that didn’t exist earlier. And if the building isJOHN inland enough and the pilings are high enough, shaded parking is created, MCCORD/COASTAL STUDIES INSTITUTE another concept that did not exist in the 1800s.

Left: Kitty Hawk Kites in Nags Head. Right: Traditional Outer Banks latticework.

Clockwise From Left: Jennette’s Pier, a Nags Head home on Cottage Row and The Bird Store.

Historic cottages had simple wood batten shutters that were hinged at the top and provided quick protection from a storm. Propping the shutters open with a stick captured even a tepid breeze while still shading the rooms from summer sun. Sharp roofline angles with dormers that met with a shallower porch roof allowed for more light, ventilation, and headroom while minimizing the amount of roof structure needed. Cedar shakes or shingles were left unpainted. As they weathered with age, they developed a natural, grayed patina that is a hallmark of the Cottage Row Historic District. Today, even with the availability of air conditioning and durable composit siding, area businesses will emulate the cottage style details even if they are design features only. Plus, the Nags Head ordinance grants points for hinged, board and batten style shutters, steep-pitched roofs with dormers, and real cedar, pine, or juniper shingles. They make the building “look like a residence, not a commercial building,” says Garman.

Clockwise From Top Left: Beach Realty in Kitty Hawk, Nags Head Hammocks, Village Realty in Nags Head, The Bird Store.

architecture BETTER BUILT

Sea-Watch

Nothing evokes “coastal style” like a tower or perch whose sole purpose is a view of the sea, sound, or horizon. We may not be looking for ships in distress anymore, yet ocean walks, watchtowers, and clerestory windows keep popping up in new construction. Garman can justify a modern coastal tower being placed in today’s buildings beyond just the points that are earned. “Some provide light below, or they will have a spiral staircase inside.” But at a store like Nags Head Hammocks he says, “It’s part of their brand. It’s part of an overall experience.”

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Clockwise From Left: The Visitors Center in Manteo, Kitty Hawk Lifesaving Station converted into a residence, Nags Head Hammocks in Kill Devil Hills, Nags Head Links Golf Course.

Raw and Reclaimed Interiors

Architects and developers who have grown up here or who have watched Old Nags Head Row cottages weathering storms season after season have a desire to keep the character of the place they call home. They will design and build what we know is “Nags Head style” architecture regardless of regulations. In fact, they will often exceed requirements even if means added time and money. “We do get comments that it enhances the community,” Garman says about the regulations. “And then there are other really good examples that would way far exceed our requirements. Once you put it on paper, and give people an idea what is being looked for, they embrace it.” ³ Susan Selig Classen spent childhood summers in a Nags Head cottage built in 1933. She has been living, writing, and editing on the Outer Banks for over ten years and was formerly the editor for Three Dog Ink Media.

myouterbankshome.com | Summer 2018

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Above: Owens’ Restaurant Below: Basnight’s Lone Cedar Café.

While the use of reclaimed wood may be trendy now, it was a necessity back in the early days. It was not an aesthetic decision to have walls of bare, reclaimed wood in the original Nags Head cottages. Residents used lumber that was readily available, sometimes salvaged from shipwrecks, because paint and wallpaper were finishing touches best left for homes in the city. Today it is purely an aesthetic decision (or an act of love) when a business preserves original wooden walls or designs an interior using drywall sparingly. “The ordinance does not cover the insides, just the exterior and how it affects the community,” says Garman. The unmeasurable benefit of this practice today is that visitors enter businesses like the Bird Store, Jennette’s Pier, or Basnight’s Lone Cedar restaurant and they are rewarded with an experience that brought them to the Outer Banks in the first place.

Summer 2018 | myouterbankshome.com

etheridge A LOOK BACK

Richard Etheridge: An Outer o r e H s k n Ba

STORY BY

Catherine Kozak

hen Richard Etheridge was appointed keeper of the Pea Island Life-Saving Station on January 24, 1880, he was the first black man to lead a crew of surfmen in the U.S. Lifesaving Service. Even with the Outer Banks’ rightful place as a land of firsts, there may never have been a native citizen as groundbreaking as Etheridge was in his time. 22

myouterbankshome.com | Summer 2018

He only lived 58 years - the last 20 at Pea Island. But he started out as a slave on a farm and ended as a commander of an important federal outpost. He and his all-black crew were responsible for one of the gutsiest ocean rescues ever conducted. Plunging into the seething sea at night with little more than a rope, the men saved all the passengers and crew on the wrecked schooner E.S. Newman in the throes of a October 1896 hurricane. Perhaps most remarkably, Etheridge lived his entire life as a successful black male in the South during a time of slavery, reconstruction, lynching and race riots. “What is also significant,” says Joan Collins, secretary of the nonprofit Pea Island Preservation Society, “is that he goes from the lowest in rank to being promoted to keeper of the Pea Island station. I think that Etheridge had obviously proven himself.” Collins has close ties to the story of the Pea Island station. Her father, Herbert Collins, was a Coast Guardsman from Manteo and locked the station for the last time when it was decommissioned in 1947. Even so, growing up in Maryland, she had not heard much about Etheridge. She would later discover that she wasn’t alone and that in fact, most people had not – even those who called the Outer Banks home. It even took the U.S. Coast Guard, the successor of the Lifesaving Service, an entire century to recognize the valor of the Pea Island crew in the E.S. New-

Left: Richard Etheridge and his crew in the late 1800s. From left are Etheridge, Benjamin Bowser, William Irving, W. Dorman Pugh, Theodore Meekins, Lewis Wescott and Stanley Wise. Etheridge and his crew were posthumously awarded a USCG Life-Saving medal in 1996 for the Oct. 11, 1896 heroic rescue of the schooner E.S. Newman. Below: The last Pea Island station as it existed in the 1940s before being decommissioned in 1947.

man rescue, awarding a posthumous Gold Lifesaving Medal in 1996. Collins, along with her first cousin, retired National Park Service historian Darrell Collins, is striving to bring Etheridge’s inspiring life story to the fore where it belongs. Now living on Roanoke Island, Joan Collins believes that Richard Etheridge is far more than a local historical figure, an Outer Banks hero, or even a symbol of black achievement. Etheridge, with the force of his character, was a trailblazer. It was respect for his experience as a waterman, his toughness in battle, his skill as a surfman and his integrity that earned him his keeper appointment. But it was Etheridge’s savvy about the political sensitivity of his position that made him and his black Pea Island crew too good for the government to lose. “Richard Etheridge opened the doors for so many African-Americans in this area to join the Coast Guard,” says Pea Island Preservation Society’s Collins. “For 67 years, Pea Island was staffed by African-Americans. Had he not been who he was and set the example he set, that would not have happened.” In 1880, the Lifesaving Service was under heavy political fire after losses of 206 lives and $500,000 in property off the Outer Banks in less than two years. In fact, Etheridge’s predecessor was fired because of an embarrassing failed rescue. Etheridge, who had served in “checkerboard” integrated crews at nearby

Summer 2018 | myouterbankshome.com

etheridge A LOOK BACK

DUCK POST OFFICE

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Collins Park in Manteo, a life-sized bronze statue of Etheridge depicts the keeper holding an oar of a rescue boat. In another more recent honor, the new Captain Richard Etheridge Bridge, located near where Pea Island Life-saving Station once stood, was dedicated in February. The bridge in Etheridge’s honor replaces the temporary bridge built following Hurricane Irene in 2011. Joan Collins says she’s encouraged by the forward movement of her mission to share Etheridge’s story. As proof, she points to the demand for and popularity of the Pea Island society’s free “Freedman, Surfmen, Heroes” program, as well as the positive reception of artist James Melvin’s new painting and poster depicting Etheridge standing next to a white surfman.

myouterbankshome.com | Summer 2018

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CROSSWALK SIDEWALK

WAT E R TOWER

BOARDWALK SHOPPING AREA

Above Left: Chief Boatswain Mate Maxie M. Berry, Sr. stands to the left of the crew that served during World War II. Berry was the last African American to command the historic station before it was decommissioned. Above Right: Herbert M. Collins served at station Pea Island for the duration of World War II, and was the last surfman left remaining at the station before it closed. He retired as a Lieutenant in 1973. The Herbert M. Collins Boathouse is located in Manteo next to the Pea Island Cookhouse Museum. Below: The newly constructed Hatteras Island bridge is dedicated to and named after the hero lifesaving captain himself, Richard Etheridge.

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Tuesdays 7:30 am 10:00 am Artist James Melvin’s painting of Richard Etheridge with a white surfman. The painting’s caption reads, “Joined by upbringing, divided by race and rebellion, reunited by heroic service, ‘in behalf of humanity.’”

Until authors David Wright and David Zoby’s book Fire on the Beach was published in 2002, not much was known about Pea Island history. Even the graves of Etheridge and his family had been concealed under concrete on the north end of Roanoke Island since World War II where the Navy built an airstrip. Uncovered about 40 years ago during construction of the Roanoke Island Aquarium, a fence was erected around the graves near the aquarium entrance in 2016 and interpretive signage has been installed to explain the history. And across from the now-restored Pea Island Cookhouse Museum at

The painting’s caption reads, “Joined by upbringing, divided by race and rebellion, reunited by heroic service, ‘in behalf of humanity.’” Still, Collins notes that fundraising is a constant challenge and adds that she hopes to take her efforts to a new level by involving young folks in the outreach. Perhaps by teaching them to be historical interpreters, she suggests, in the process they can be promoting unity, inclusiveness and life skills. “We need money, we need helpers and we need people who are excited,” Collins says about maintaining the project’s momentum. “It’s important to the Outer Banks – and it’s important to the state and to the nation.” No doubt, Etheridge’s life story is ripe for the telling, and worth sharing for future generations. 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 Nags Head Woods with her dog, Rosie.

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townofduck.com 252.255.1286 Summer 2018 | myouterbankshome.com

JOHN MCCORD/COASTAL STUDIES INSTITUTE

DUCK ROAD

stations, was recommended as keeper by Revenue Cutter Service Lt. Charles Shoemaker, who called Etheridge “one of the best surfmen on this part of the coast of North Carolina.” “His station earned the reputation of ‘one of the tautest on the Carolina Coast,’” according to the U.S. Coast Guard Historian’s Office, “with its keeper well-known as one of the most courageous and ingenious lifesavers in the Service.” It is worth noting that Etheridge was keeper during Reconstruction, a volatile and dangerous time in race relations. Two years before he died in 1900, riots broke out in Wilmington N.C. when white supremacists violently removed black citizens in positions of power. Still, Pea Island continued to be staffed almost entirely by African-Americans for 47 more years after Etheridge died, a legacy that quietly branched far beyond the remote Outer Banks. “These keepers and these surfmen were highly respected in their communities,” Collins points out. “We’re in the South, and that station continued to thrive. Intertwined in all of this is how these surfmen performed their duties without having any modern technology. They saved thousands and thousands of people.” Born in 1842 on a Roanoke Island farm owned by John B. Etheridge, Richard Etheridge was rumored to be his master’s offspring, largely because he was treated almost as family. Although no documentation proves his genetic heritage, Richard Etheridge’s association with the family gave him a lifelong benefit few slaves had – Etheridge learned how to read and write. Growing up, he honed his skills as waterman. When the Civil War started, Etheridge served in the Union Army, earning a promotion to sergeant. At one point, Etheridge stood up for black residents of the Freemen’s Colony, writing a letter to the Union commissioner protesting that white soldiers were breaking into homes and stealing their possessions. He signed it “in behalf of humanity.” Etheridge later married and had a daughter, but besides his meticulous recordings in station logbooks, he left behind very little writing about his life. Slowly but surely, however, he is emerging from the shadows of history as he is boosted by the Pea Island society and previous supporters.

Duck’s walkable village has everything you could want or need, from a sound side boardwalk to stores, galleries, and eateries. Enjoy free live events at the Town Park and stroll along the newly completed pedestrian path on the east side of Duck Road. Find it all in Duck.

OBX COMMUNITY

memories

s k n a b r ou te

s e i r o m e M A

nev

kacey novello, 34 Brunswick, MD

“Gosh, how could I pick just one fond childhood memory of the Outer Banks? The memory that still makes my eyes glisten a little is spending nights at my great-grandfather’s house in Wanchese. My grandmother and grandfather would always ask me to travel ‘back home’ with them each Easter break. It always made me feel special because I was the only granddaughter out of three who would go. We would always end up at Poppy’s house. The smell, the old charm, and the scenery of that old, old house will never leave my senses. Watching Poppy take care of his more than 100-year-old house each spring made me realize just how special it was to our family. Picking figs off his big fig tree, fishing on the beach, exploring everywhere. That’s how I want my kids to remember their school breaks on the Outer Banks.”

faye white, 91 Wanchese, NC

STORY BY

Rebecca Orr

e d a er f

nyone who has spent time on the Outer Banks knows the magical hold it can have on you. If you’ve ever caught sight of the breathtaking sunrise growing from the Atlantic, each one as singular in its beauty and as unique in its definition as you are in yours, then you have a memory of the magnificence of these Outer Banks. Those who call the Outer Banks home have lifetimes of memories of this place, anchored to the harbors, the sand, landscapes, and of course the sound and the sea. But whether you’ve been raised with sand between your toes or only get to experience it once a year, the Outer Banks seeps into your inner world and leaves its imprint on your soul – memories that don’t fade with the seasons or even the years. My Outer Banks Home took some time this spring to interview people about their favorite memories of this sandbar we all love. Here are some that are certainly worth sharing:

roger whitehurst, 74 Kill Devil Hills, NC

“My people were from Coinjock and Portsmouth. Every summer we’d come down to Avalon as a big family thing. There was a big wooden bridge then from Point Harbor. We’d bring everyone to the beach…aunts, uncles, cousins, cats, birds. There was a casino at Jockey’s Ridge for the adults, a couple of motels and grocery stores, not these big ones like now, but little groceries like Cahoon’s and The Trading Post. Few restaurants then, except Sam & Omie’s and Owens’. We did three things when we got here: we swam, we fished and we had fun. Then they packed up and went home, until the next year.”

myouterbankshome.com | Summer 2018

(Note: Both Ms. Faye’s father and grandfather were lighthouse keepers when she was a little girl between the ages of 5 and 8.) “Daddy would take me, by boat, from Baumtown Landing up north to the lighthouse my granddaddy ran. It wasn’t one of those tall ones, but it was like that one in Manteo harbor now. (This type, a “screw-pile lighthouse,” is a two-level platform with a house and light built on top, commonly used in waterways and rivers.) When we got there, my granddaddy saw us coming, and he came down the ladder to the platform. Daddy would lift me up from the boat, and pass me to Granddaddy. Then I’d run on over and up the ladder to the house and my Grandmother.”

chris coleman, 40 Windsor Heights, IA

“One of my favorite childhood memories from the Outer Banks is the time that a number of family members gathered at the home of a cousin in Ocracoke. She lived in the keeper’s house of the Ocracoke lighthouse. I remember waking up, looking out the window, and having to put my face right near the glass just to see the top of the light. Later on we took a small boat into the sound. We spent the day looking for the ‘little keyhole-shaped’ openings in the sand that meant a clam was buried there. It was a great, fun outing. And I think that was the first time I ever had steamed clams!”

judy johnson, 65 Wanchese, NC

“Well, one of my fondest memories is of all of us kids riding our bikes into Manteo on a Saturday or Sunday to go to the matinee at the Pioneer Theatre. And, of course, we’d swim and fish in the sound, play games and run around, like kids do. We used to chase the mosquito spraying truck, too, which I’m sure wasn’t good for us. We didn’t take a summer vacation because Daddy was a fishing boat captain and that was his busy time. But every year we’d all get together for a family reunion at Coquina Beach with all the fixins’. Just all good fun!”

dave ogilvy, 43 Baltimore, MD

We’ve been coming down here off and on for about 10 years now. The kids love the beach, kayaking and hang gliding. Sometimes we all go to see “The Lost Colony” show; the wives like it. But the big memory is my brother and I love to get at least a day’s fishing trip offshore. Each time is an adventure, just him and I. And then we do fishing off the pier or off the beach, too. Nothin’ better than grilling up your fresh day’s catch for dinner!”

There you go, folks. Memories abound on these beautiful Outer Banks. They’re just down the road or around the next bend. Follow your nose and be alert. Grab that elusive “now” while it’s here! ³ Rebecca Orr is a recently migrated Midwesterner and has lived on the Outer Banks for a little more than a year. She is currently trying to reignite her long-ignored writing career to see what might happen. So far, her favorite memory of the Outer Banks is watching a blue moon rise from the Atlantic on Halloween night.

Summer 2018 | myouterbankshome.com

grand slam RECIPES

Grilled Marinated Tuna with Herb Butter RECIPES COURTESY

Joyce Taylor NC Sea Grant & Mariner’s Menu

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myouterbankshome.com | Summer 2018

Yellowfin is one variety of tuna and can often be caught in offshore waters off the Outer Banks or purchased fresh in a local seafood market. When buying, select tuna with no dry or brown spots and no iridescent sheen. Be wary of tuna that looks too pink as well, which could likely indicate it was gassed with carbon monoxide as an additive to preserve the color. And as always when buying fish, be sure that it smells fresh like the ocean. A 3 ½ ounce serving of yellowfin contains 108 calories and only 1 gram of fat. It is low in sodium. A very good source of protein, yellowfin is high in some essential vitamins and minerals, including magnesium, phosphorous, potassium, thiamin, niacin, vitamin B6 and selenium. 8 tuna steaks ½ cup canola oil 1/3 cup soy sauce ¼ cup fresh lemon juice 1 teaspoon lemon zest ½ teaspoon minced fresh garlic ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper Prepare Herb Butter and set aside. In small bowl, combine oil, soy sauce, lemon juice, zest, garlic and pepper. Reserve 1/3 cup. Place steaks in single layer in shallow baking dish. Pour remaining marinade over them. Marinate in refrigerator 45 minutes, turning once.

Place steaks in well-greased hinged wire grill. Cook about 4 inches from heat until done on one side, about 6 minutes. Baste top side with reserved marinade and turn. Cook until done, about 6 minutes. Place on serving dish and spread with Herb Butter.

Herb Butter: ½ cup margarine or butter, softened 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 2 tablespoons minced green onion, including tops 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley 1 tablespoon minced fresh tarragon In small bowl, combine margarine, mustard, onion, parsley and tarragon. Set aside for flavors to blend. Serve over tuna steaks.

Summer 2018 | myouterbankshome.com

grand slam RECIPES

home of the happy oyster

Creole Sauteed Mahi Mahi Centuries ago, early French and Spanish flavors blended. Later the English brought their style. And African-Americans came to infuse the flavors of Africa as well. Legendary Cajun and Creole cooking associated with Louisiana was inspired and enhanced by Native Americans and African-Americans. 2 medium mahi-mahi fillets (about 1 ½ pounds total) 2 ½ tablespoons minced green onion 4 tablespoons vegetable oil 4 tablespoons margarine or butter Prepare Creole Sseasoning. Cut fillets into serving-size pieces. Sprinkle green onion and Creole Seasoning over them. Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add margarine and heat. Place fish in pan, seasoning side up, and sauté until golden brown, about 6 minutes, longer if pieces are thick. Turn and repeat on other side. Cook until golden brown and fish flakes easily with a fork, about 6 minutes more. Serve seasoning side up. Serves 6 to 8.

Creole Seasoning

1 teaspoon pressed garlic 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano 1/2 teaspoon dried basil In small bowl combine garlic, salt, cayenne, pepper, thyme, oregano and basil.

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Place fish in baking dish. Cover both sides with marinade. Cover and refrigerate 20 minutes. Place fish in well-oiled hinged wire grill. Cook about 4 inches from heat until done on one side, about 4 to 5 minutes. Turn and repeat on other side.

myouterbankshome.com | Summer 2018

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Summer 2018 | myouterbankshome.com

JOHN MCCORD/COASTAL STUDIES INSTITUTE

Wahoo fish is called ONO in Hawaii. ONO means “delicious.” And its delicate, white flesh is just that—delicious. Grilling seems to be everyone’s favorite cooking method for wahoo. Simply prepared, with a touch of fresh lime and some smoked paprika, this recipe is sure to be a hit. 1 ½ pounds wahoo steaks 3 tablespoons butter, melted 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice 1 teaspoon lime zest ½ tablespoon smoked paprika (Pimentón) ½ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper In small bowl, combine butter, lime juice, zest, smoked paprika, salt and pepper.

OBX COMMUNITY

obx arboretum

Inch by Inch OUTER BANKS ARBORETUM TAKES ROOT

In the heart of Kill Devil Hills lies a place that feels far removed from the sound of crashing waves, whoops of joy emanating from corn hole games on the beach, and the busyness of the Bypass. Here, dappled sunlight filters through the leafy canopy of live oaks as their branches spread wide like great welcoming arms. A walking path meanders by sun-loving plots of succulents and past thick stands of yaupon hollies, familiar crepe myrtles, and variegated aucubas. A wisp of a breeze carries the pungent scent of spearmint and the citrusy aroma of lemon thyme. STORY BY:

Kimberly Armstrong •

myouterbankshome.com | Summer 2018

PHOTOGRAPHY BY:

Andi Hopkins

his is the Outer Banks Arboretum and Teaching Garden. Nestled on five acres in between the Baum Center and Aviation Park on Mustain Street, this horticultural haven is rooted in the efforts of an engaged and supportive community and has blossomed into a garden of wonder and delight. Even on this laid-back barrier island, daily life can quickly get a little hectic – but here under the garden’s canopy, you can get away from it all for a few hours, or even an afternoon. Whimsically decorated benches are tucked into thickets of wax myrtles or under pergolas draped in coral honeysuckle, beckoning you to sit for a spell and enjoy the solitude and the trill of birdsong. Dare County Extension Director Shannon Brookes estimates the Arboretum receives an average of 100 visitors per week. Social media proclaims it “a hidden gem” and gives it a thumbs-up as a great place to walk - whether alone, in a group, or with Fido. “Every week there’s something new blooming in the garden,” says Ruth Engdahl of the Dunes of Dare Garden Club. “Even in January, the camellias and paperwhites are in full bloom.” The idea for the Arboretum first began to germinate in 2002, when a core group of master gardeners desired to establish a demonstration area for showcasing plants best suited for our sometimes wild and wooly coastal climate. Through the collaborative efforts of Dare County’s N.C. Cooperative Extension Service, Extension Master Gardeners, and the Dare Master Gardener Volunteer

Association, the plan came to fruition. Strolling through the garden, it doesn’t take long to learn that there is plenty to experience around every corner. Visitors meander along trails lined salt- and pest-resistant native plants that are able to thrive in our coastal microclimate of beach dunes, wetlands and maritime forests. “There are about 300 mostly native plant varieties,” explains Brooks. Becky Cade is a member of the Extension Master Gardeners and volunteer at the Arboretum. She’s also one of its biggest fans. “The Arboretum design allows for an easy, level walking path that is shaded on a hot summer day,” Cade said of the garden, maintained by an all-volunteer force. “It has several areas with seating to allow for rest as well as time to take in the fragrance and beauty of nature.” There’s no head scratching when it comes to identifying this assortment of plants and trees, either. Plaques bearing the common name as well as the botanical name are placed throughout the garden, letting wanderers know what to call the sweet aroma of candytuft and cherry truffle and the earthy scents of chives and dill. Groundcovers with names such as creeping jenny, dianthus, and black mondo may even remind one of characters from the latest Netflix drama. As you venture into the garden, you’ll discover various areas that have a story to tell. Pack a picnic and head to Blueberry Cove education area where black high bush blueberry plans are interspersed with signage that explains

Summer 2018 | myouterbankshome.com

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the construction of a rain garden and how it works, as well as what a wetlands area is and what plants and animals can be found there. This cove makes the perfect spot for a lunch-and-learn session with the kids, who are sure to also delight in taking a stroll around the turtle pond as well. Garden visitors also love to flit into the Butterfly Garden, where a bit of magic happens. Devoted to the care and nurture of one of nature’s loveliest creatures, this is where Engdahl and other members of the Dunes of Dare Garden Club cater to the palate and life cycle of the butterfly by tending to milkweed, lantana, downy skullcap, pentas, vinca, and the sweet-smelling butterfly bush. If you are looking to catch sight of some winged beauties such as the Painted Lady, Palamedes Swallowtail or familiar Monarch, Engdahl recommends a sunny summer day. Over in the Dune Garden, visitors will come upon the quirky statute entitled, “A Nod to Our Wildlife Friends.” The limestone totem celebrates the diversity of animal life found on the Outer Banks with featured carvings of a laughing gull, Carolina Wren, loggerhead turtle, ghost crab, brown pelican, and great egret. During a visit to the Arboretum, visitors not only learn the names of native plants while strolling the garden, they can also learn about the plants best suited for their own plot of land here on the Outer Banks – everything from a feathery clump of ornamental pink muhly grass to daylilies, the graceful beauties defy the elements, require little care, and are faithful bloomers.

myouterbankshome.com | Summer 2018

Visitors also get a quick lesson in lawncare on the Outer Banks. As anyone who has attempted to establish a lawn in our stubborn sandy soil knows, it can be quite a challenge. The turf exhibit in the Demo Garden let’s visitors know the best choices from the line-up of St. Augustine, Bermuda, Zoysia, Fescue, or Centipede. When Sara Haigh, co-manager and administrative coordinator of the Arboretum, selects plants for the garden, foremost on her mind is its location with the ocean on one side and the sound on the other. “We choose plants that are easy to grow and are resistant to salt, wind, drought, and disease. Some are for wet and woody and some are for salt and sand.” Though the focus is on native plants, some non-native plants are included for their aesthetically pleasing characteristics. Containers along the garden path brim with their vibrant colors. “In every place we have lived,” says Haigh, “my husband and I have established a garden.” Whether minding plants in her personal garden or in the Arboretum, she derives much pleasure in seeing them evolve as the seasons change. Haigh is among a group of about 70 certified master gardener volunteers that dedicate their time and efforts to the Arboretum. Wednesday mornings (weather permitting), the group can be found tending to the Hens and Chicks in the Demo Garden, surveying the fern collection in the Rain Garden, or toiling away in the composting and propagation area. Dare County groundskeepers

are available to handle large limb removal and to assist with mulch. An irrigation system helps with watering needs. One of Haigh’s chores on Wednesdays is raking the meandering garden path. Bricks make up a portion of the path, but mostly it consists of what Haigh describes as “rocks screenings.” This is the byproduct of gravel having been sifted through several different screens so that the smaller material or “screenings” falls through the screen. Regular raking keeps the surface of the path in tip-top shape. Master Gardener volunteer Mary Keith Lillie coordinates the Greenline OBX Program, a gardening question and answer forum. On Workday Wednesday, Lillie sets up shop on the back porch of the Baum Center, eager to field questions. In addition, the group hosts monthly workshops at the Arboretum covering such topics as pruning and weed control. Regardless of their tasks in the garden, inch-by-inch, the volunteers have made the Arboretum blossom for hundreds of visitors who come walk its trails every day to learn more about gardening or simply to enjoy the beauty and solitude that nature offers right here in the heart of Kill Devil Hills. ³

NO TREE TOO BIG • NO YARD TOO SMALL

Kimberly Armstrong doesn’t sport a green thumb; however, her husband does and she greatly admires his horticultural handiwork.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Gardening questions for the Greenline OBX program can also be addressed by email to greenlineobx@gmail.com or by phone at 252.473.4290. The Dunes of Dare Garden Club, the Outer Banks Community Foundation, the Outer Banks Visitors Bureau, and the Town of Kill Devil Hills are also partners in the Arboretum.

Summer 2018 | myouterbankshome.com

SPORTING LIFE

kayaking

Zen

discovering the

Kayaking the waters off the Outer Banks offers a front row seat to some of the region’s most stunning landscapes.

of kayaking

STORY BY:

Steve Hanf •

PHOTOGRAPHY BY:

azy conditions meant limited visibility as John Thomas and his friend pushed off the shore and began making their way from Jockey’s Ridge to Pirate’s Cove on the other side of the Croatan Sound. Once out on the water, Thomas looked back and realized he’d gotten too far ahead. Just before back-paddling his kayak to close the gap, Thomas spotted a single fin following his buddy’s kayak. “Shark!” crossed his mind before he spotted countless other fins slicing through the water nearby. He shouted a warning to his friend to pull in his paddle, and not a moment too soon: “Fish were jumping over our kayaks to get out of the water and the dolphins just missed us,” Thomas recalls. It’s that kind of adventure that Thomas loves about kayaking. He started out in canoes in 1956, got his first kayak in 1976, and has paddled with seals in Cape Cod and manatees in Florida on trips with his brothers. Since moving here in 2003, Thomas has explored the waters of the Outer Banks from the Virginia/NC border to Cedar Island. “You see otters all the time, alligators occasionally, a lot of dolphins. In the shallows, you can see rays, hundreds at a time, nutria, snakes – I even had an eagle crap on me,” Thomas says. “You just see everything when you’re out

myouterbankshome.com | Summer 2018

Lizzy Carlson

there. It’s a really fun sport. You can have countless hours of enjoyment out of it.” Thomas is an active member of the OBX Paddlers Club, a group of kayaking enthusiasts who explore all the nooks and crannies the waterways of these barrier islands have to offer. He can attest that kayaking has exploded in popularity over the years, and for good reason. Longtime club member Dru Ferrence shares Thomas’s enthusiasm, adding, “We just have so many places in northeastern North Carolina that are beautiful and not crowded.” Ferrence got her first taste of kayaking in an inflatable model on a rafting trip out West in the 1990s. Later, on a trip to Cat Island in the Bahamas, she discovered the joy of exploring the Caribbean from a sit-on-top kayak. When she moved to the Outer Banks in 1998, she soon discovered the OBX Paddlers Club and “from then on, I was in a kayak,” Ferrence says. Like many kayakers, Ferrence says she’s drawn to the rhythm that kayaking offers. “The rhythm, the silence. I love that moment of zen when you’re just drifting.” Alligator River National Wlidlife Refuge offers up some of her favorite spots

You could paddle from now to the end of time and not see all the water here.” ~ John Thomas

to kayak – East Lake Bay, Mashoes Road public boat ramp, Davis Pond, and the access from Brier Hall Road to reach Durant Island. “The Alligator River is just phenomenal,” Ferrence points out, and laughs when asked about the prospect of encountering an alligator out on the water. “Alligators don’t see a big yellow kayak as a food source… just be cautious and don’t dangle your hand in the water.” Ferrence has seen a few gators from her kayak, but none were that close to her. She has seen plenty of snakes, bears and bobcats on trips through the refuge. In her mind, the biggest danger for kayakers actually can come from boats at popular spots like the Oregon Inlet. “You have to be very wary,” she says. “They don’t always cut their wake when they see paddlers.” Because anything can happen when you’re on the water, Ferrence recommends new paddlers take lessons from a local enthusiast. College of the Albemarle even offers a kayaking class. Thomas takes safety seriously as well, and he doesn’t skimp out when it comes to precautions on his kayaking trips. Thomas carries a cell phone, VHF radio, GPS, ACR emergency beacon satellite system, a signal mirror, a spare paddle (carbon-fiber so it’s non-conductive) and a first aid kit when he kayaks. His cell phone has apps for the Coast Guard, NOAA and the American Canoe Association, where paddlers can file “float plans” to let people know their intended route in case something goes awry. One day, paddling between Grandy and Corolla, Thomas was enjoying having the sound to himself when he was stopped by the Coast Guard.

“They asked, ‘You OK? You’re out here all by yourself.’ I told them I’m always here by myself – where have you guys been?” Thomas recalls with a laugh. “People will ask why do you carry this stuff. For years, I kayaked by myself – I always came back.” Thomas volunteers at the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service office (USFWS) once a week and always gets questions about kayaking. He warns about weather and wind, checks on what kind of equipment people have and what conditions they’re used to kayaking in. The safest bet, Thomas said, is to enjoy the endless protected spots on the Outer Banks, such as Milltail Creek and Sawyer Lake at the Alligator River as well as Jean Guite Creek, which connects the canals of Southern Shores to the maritime forest in Kitty Hawk. He cites www.paddling.com as “one of most indispensible ways of looking for kayak locations,” and the OBX Paddlers’ website offers details on that front as well. Thomas also hopes to work with USFWS, as well as local communities and businesses, to install channel markers to help visitors and other newcomers to the sport more easily navigate the endless waterways of the Outer Banks. “You could paddle from now to the end of time and not see all the water here,” Thomas says. Ferrence would love to take the time to see it all – but business is booming for her at Village Realty where Ferrence works as a real estate agent. She still gets in as many trips as possible, taking advantage of the kayak launch in Nags Head between Sugar Creek and Tale of the Whale that lets her circle the islands in the sound. Ferrence also enjoys the watery trails of Kitty Hawk Woods,

Summer 2018 | myouterbankshome.com

SPORTING LIFE

kayaking

on Fishing By Steve Hanf

Jason Hanson shows off a recent catch while kayak fishing in the sounds. Pedal-powered kayaks are a perfect way to cast a line while gliding along the water’s surface. where she launches from Bob Perry Road, as well as taking off from the base of the old Manns Harbor Bridge. Bob and Tanya Hovey, owners of Duck Village Outfitters, have discovered the joys of kayaking over the years as they’ve taken countless visitors and locals on tours through the waterways of Kitty Hawk Woods where guests can experience three unique ecosystems. “It’s a pretty dynamic little piece of water,” Tanya says. “Every single time you go out, it’s always different. The bird family itself is enormous. You’ve got deer swimming, bobcats…The other day I saw a turtle I couln’t identify. You get it all.” As for that zen feeling Ferrence feels everytime she gets in a kayak, she says it comes from a deeply personal place. Ferrence’s mother never learned to swim and was afraid of the water. So when her mother passed along $1,000 to each of her children, Dru bought a second kayak – an Eddyline Carbonlite 12.5-foot Sandpiper. It’s got a big cockpit and it’s light enough for anybody to handle. “Anytime anybody says to me, ‘I’ve always wanted to do that, but I don’t think I can,’ I take them out,” Ferrence says. “I have put so many women over 50 and kids under 13 in that boat.” Then they soak up the silence and the scenery, and the cycle – with its perfect rhythm – continues. 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.

myouterbankshome.com | Summer 2018

Like many beach kids, Jason Hanson craved the action of surfing, skimboarding and skateboarding over the more mundane pursuits of kayaking and fishing. Then Hanson discovered the sport of kayak fishing. And yes – he was hooked. “As soon as I was able to catch a fish from a kayak, it all changed for me,” Hanson explains. “Kayak fishing is absolutely exploding.” Hanson should know. The First Flight High School and Appalachian State University graduate is putting his local knowledge and degree in recreation and tourism to good use. As the Waves Village manager and watersports buyer for Kitty Hawk Kites and Kitty Hawk Surf Company, one of Hanson’s biggest jobs has been putting people in fishing kayaks. Pedal-powered kayaks, such as Hobie kayaks that feature a high-tech “MirageDrive” system, are popular among the kayak fishing crowd, Hanson says. As kayakers pedal with their feet, the drive mimics the motion of penguin flippers to propel the kayak. Steer with one hand and fish with the other – all without the expense and maintenance of a motorboat. “Kayak fishing presents itself as a new way to more easily get out on the water,” Hanson says. “My biggest customer base are guys selling their motorboats.” Fishing kayaks allow anglers to navigate in as little as five inches of water and approach fish quietly without spooking them, Hanson explains. They’re stable and comfortable so people can stand up and fish, or lean over to haul in a big catch, and also loaded with compartments for gear – and keepers. The bottom line for Hanson is that there’s just something a little extra fun about catching a fish from a kayak. “With a decent-sized fish, you’ll go for a sleigh ride,” he says with a laugh. “I haven’t caught too many massive fish from a kayak. I got pulled around by a giant stingray once. That’s one thing I’m waiting to have happen. My goal is to catch a big ol’ drum or cobia.” He’s had friends catch 50-pound cobia that they’ve strapped on top of their kayaks and pedaled triumphantly back to shore. Until that day arrives for him, Hanson will have to hang his hat on that firstplace trophy from a local kayak fishing tournament. He won the flounder division. “There were not that many entries that day,” he admits with a smile.

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Filling the Shelves: One Avid Reader Re-Discovers Love for ‘Real Books’ STORY BY

Greg Smrdel

have a home office where I do my writing. Writing for this magazine. Writing my books. Writing my jokes for my comedy. Until recently, however, my home office was a sad place. It was sad because the bookshelves in it were bare. Nary a book to be found in them. I had succumbed to the eBook trend that has been sweeping the nation over the last several years. In fact, eBooks have been outselling the real, hold-in-your hands books by 3-1 (totally made up numbers, so don’t look it up to correct me). Recently I’ve become a James Dean of sorts. I am a rebel, but I do have a “cause.” I realize some of you readers out there may be too young to get this reference, so just use your handheld device and Google it. My “cause” as of late? Filling those bookshelves back up with actual, real books. I mean, the least I can do is start with the five books that I’ve written, right?

Another reason a real book is better than a tablet or phone...

As I ponder the real book vs eBook question, it has become a no-brainer for me. I have long said that I wanted technology to stop for just like six months. Just long enough for me to catch back up. The newest iPhone, the latest iPad, the latest Mac…..it goes on and on. I am sure that many of you feel the same way. I can’t keep up with technology. And I’m making my stand with books! Who’s with me? I know, I know, I can hear you now… ‘But Greg, a real book might give me a paper cut.’ Yeah, if you’re not careful, it might. And if that’s your biggest worry, then please have someone roll this magazine up and hit you over the head with it. Consider this: If you weren’t careful with your Kindle, or Nook, or whatever device you read your electronic books on, the consequences would be even

myouterbankshome.com | Summer 2018

more dire than a mere paper cut. You’re on the Outer Banks. You want to read on the beach. It’s a sunny day. It’s a reasonable assumption in my book (pun intended). But then a mosquito lands on your significant other. What to do? Well, with a book you can swat it and just wipe the dead bug off the book cover. With your device? Well, first of all, you’re likely to leave a 6-by-9 inch red welt on that person. And who wants to deal with the accusatory stares of those around you for that? You’re also in danger of cracking your eBook reader screen. See? Not so handy now, is it? ‘But, Greg,’ you say, ‘I’m not exactly a monkey. I won’t do that.’ Ok, maybe you won’t. But what if you are reading your book while in the restroom? Boom! By accident you drop your book in the toilet. What are you out at this point? A single book? Not a big deal. You can just go to any local bookstore and replace that book. But imagine dropping your device into that same toilet. Now it’s not just one book you have to replace. It’s your whole library that is gone – all because you were clumsy. Still not convinced that a real book in your hands is the way to go? Well, I present to you the economic reason for my argument. When I was a kid growing up in the suburbs of Cleveland, Ohio, I would walk to my public library every week to return and check out books. In addition to my baseball and swimming activities, I loved to read. Perhaps you were the same way. Are you willing to risk having your children and your children’s children go to the library to only find a laptop or an iPad on shelves rather than actual books that you can hold in your hands and peruse before checking out? Just think of all the librarians you would be putting out of work. If you ask me, that’s a pretty selfish way to go through life. I know if it were me, I wouldn’t want that on my conscience. And I suspect that you wouldn’t either. And can someone tell me what ever happened to Rand or McNally? Can someone please check in on them to let me know they’re alright? I recently had a comedy gig at a casino in one of the more remote areas of the lower 48. I had to travel to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. There was national forest on my right, Lake Michigan on my left for nearly two and a half hours before I arrived at my final destination. The Google map app on my phone got me there and it got me back home just fine. But I have to tell you that travel has become a two-dimensional experience. I knew nothing about the Upper Peninsula on my trip. If I had an honest to goodness Rand McNally Road Atlas in the car like I used to, I would have learned more about the area I was traveling and would have been a better person because of it. There you go! Some solid reasons as to why I think society is quickly rushing to its demise. All because we choose to continue to read our books, magazines and newspapers on hand held devices rather than in the tradition manner of holding it in your hands and turning the pages manually. But now that I reflect on it, I usually read my articles from “My Outer Banks Home” magazine online, so I could be wrong about all this. Carry on….. ³ Greg Smrdel is a comedian and author of five books including the novels “Hurricane Izzy - An OBX Story,” “Home Sweet Outer Banks Home?”and “The Andy Griffith Show Complete Trivia Guide.” All are available on Amazon in both paperback and eBook. Greg will also be performing at the Outer Banks Comedy Club August 7-10.

WANCHESE

PROGRAM OFFERS

HOPE

IN RECOVERY STORY BY

Dave Fairbank

umility and service to one’s fellow man takes many forms. For Jerron Feaster, it arrived as yard work and burnt pizza. Feaster and three fellow residents of Dare Challenge, a Wanchese-based substance abuse recovery and outreach program, labored for five hours on a cold, windswept, sunless March day at a house belonging to a Kitty Hawk couple whose grounds had fallen into disrepair. Under the homeowner’s direction, they raked leaves, trimmed shrubs, removed debris, dug around the foundation, and tidied up the property. The project carried Feaster back to memories of his childhood on his grandparents’ 40-acre farm south of Gainesville, Fla., a time long before he had fallen under the grip of addiction and despair. He and his siblings tilled the soil, helped with the garden, tended to livestock and baled hay, developing an appreciation for discipline, work and tasks completed. Hunger brought him back to the present and when it came time for a lunch break on that March day, the homeowner accidentally burned one of the pizzas he prepared for the work crew. He chose to serve it anyway, rather than waste it. And Feaster, rather than feel disappointed at the prospect of eating burnt pizza, actually valued the experience. “I felt like it was a lesson learned, that we had earned the man’s efforts, as well, no matter what the outcome was,” Feaster said. Feaster and his colleagues gratefully ate lunch and bonded with the couple’s two dogs. They viewed some of the many photos throughout the house and listened as the couple told stories of their lives and family. The crew then eagerly tackled the last couple hours of yard work. They did this all at no charge – Dare Challenge never charges for work in the community. “It was really awesome, because at the end, it wasn’t just a work job,”

Summer 2018 | myouterbankshome.com

OBX COMMUNITY

Feaster said. “It was relationships built. It was something to hold on to, to know that we were a great asset in this community…that we had purpose. And that people welcomed us. Once being unproductive members of society, now becoming productive members.” Outer Banks Dare Challenge refers to itself as “a Christ-centered, residential discipleship program for individuals experiencing life-controlling problems.” Program Director Dustin Daniels puts it this way: “We take guys who are sick and tired of be“...IT WASN’T JUST A ing sick and tired, and ready for a change in their WORK JOB, IT WAS life.” Participants – “students” they’re called within RELATIONSHIPS the program – are men who range from their teens BUILT. IT WAS SOMEto their 50s. They’re wracked with substance abuse and addiction problems. Some who enter THING TO HOLD ON the program recently completed detox programs. TO, TO KNOW THAT Some have lapsed after lengthy periods of sobriety. Many have alienated family and friends, and WE WERE A GREAT they view the program as their last option before ASSET IN THIS homelessness or death. COMMUNITY…THAT Dare Challenge usually accommodates 15 students at a time – up to 18 in a pinch. They’re WE HAD PURPOSE. housed, dormitory-style, in a three-story building AND THAT PEOPLE on Highway 345 just outside of Wanchese, where they’re closely supervised and tightly scheduled. WELCOMED US.” The program lasts eight to ten months and is - Jerron Feaster conducted in two phases. Phase One lasts four months and consists of three days per week of bible study, class time and counseling, and three days on work crews in the community. Phase Two also lasts four months and includes three days of classes and three days of work at the Dare Challenge Thrift Store on Route 158 in Kill Devil Hills. An optional third phase is a structured, halfway house kind of transition back into the community, with assistance in building a resume, finding a job and housing, and handling personal finances. “They’re a great group of guys, all getting clean through Christ,” said Interfaith Community Outreach Executive Director Jenniffer Albanese. “A lot of people only think of them as having the thrift store, but they’re invaluable in the community with all the things they do.” Albanese said that since 2010, her outfit has partnered with Dare Challenge on numerous projects such as moving furniture, yard work, setup and breakdown of events, bulk deliveries, even cleanup after Hurricane Irene in 2011. She doesn’t hesitate to recommend Dare Challenge for projects that residents are unable to do themselves or

myouterbankshome.com | Summer 2018

KEVIN GROAT

Top Left: The students at Dare Challenge make sure to keep their own property in top shape. Top Right: Dare Challenge participates in a group activity with the Kitty Hawk Methodist Youth Group.

have limited means to pay for work. Challenge staff and students routinely connect with and visit multiple churches throughout the Outer Banks. They offer their services and support as atonement and a means to give back to a community that has embraced them. The organization relies almost exclusively on private donations and keeps its overt fundraising efforts to a minimum. Daniels estimated that it costs approximately $45 per day to house, feed and care for each man. The monthly budget, he said, is roughly $27,000, which equates to $324,000 annually. “We go out and we serve people, and at the same time, while we’re serving people, things come back to us,” said Daniels, a 43-year-old Wanchese native who has directed the Challenge for a decade. “Therefore, we are able to pay our bills, pay what we need to do. Somehow or another, it always comes back and works in our favor, because we’re always helping somebody else out.” Community work has become a point of emphasis under Daniels and assistant director Doug Henriott, who manages the thrift store and schedules work projects. Daniels and Henriott oversee a staff of four. All of them have been through Dare Challenge, or similar programs. All have had their own struggles with substance abuse. “Addiction is always taking,” Daniels said. “Taking from your parents, taking from your job, taking from your family, taking from your community. Anything you can get your hands on to feed your addiction. You’re always taking. We train these guys and teach these guys that in order to be like Jesus and in order to turn your life completely around, you have to learn to serve people…. people who can’t always give you something back for what you give them.” As Henriott puts it, “We want to be the hands and feet of Jesus out in the community.” That perspective often requires a shift in the students’ thought process. Daniels said that one primary task in a student’s first two months is to read and summarize the biblical books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, because they deal closely with Jesus. “At first, you wonder why am I doing all this stuff for free? I’m not doing stuff for free,” said student Dylan Cameron. “But then you get to see how thankful the people are and you want to do it. It’s a changing experience. It’s a change of the heart, really.” Cameron, an 18-year-old from Wilmington, NC, arrived in March. He is a wiry 5-9 and 150 pounds, with dark hair, brown eyes, smooth features and an inquisitive nature. He declined to discuss the circumstances that brought him to the program, saying only that he lacked

KEVIN GROAT

structure and was headed down “a dark path.” Bible study, fellowship and work have changed him, he said, and he will pursue whatever path God places before him. “I work in the thrift store. I make no money,” Cameron said. “Even though I make no money, I feel richer than I’ve ever been.” Dare Challenge founder David Daniels, also a Wanchese native and distant relative of Dustin’s, started the organization in the early 1980s and has watched it grow in the 10 years since Dustin assumed full control. It began as a respite and stopover for men with addiction problems, who were then placed in more extensive programs elsewhere. Under Dustin Daniels, the organization enlisted volunteers – teachers, counselors, local clergy – to assist in its “EVEN THOUGH I efforts in expanding the program. David Daniels, who has MAKE NO MONEY ministered for more than 40 years, called it as fine a ministry for its size and mission that he knows. Its service and [WORKING AS A work components are key, he said. VOLUNTEER], I FEEL “It balances out the gospel,” he said. “If you don’t work, RICHER THAN I’VE you don’t eat. If you love God and don’t love and serve your neighbor, you don’t have the fullness of a relationship EVER BEEN.” with God.” - Dylan Cameron For Feaster, he said he reached the point where a relationship with God was his last hope. A five-year downward spiral ended in a small town in Tennessee, where he was a cook at a micro brewery who drank to excess, was consumed with rage and entertained thoughts of suicide. “Not a good place for someone with alcohol problems,” he joked. Feaster worked up the courage to call his oldest sister, who lives on the Outer Banks and works with a local ministry, and ask for help. She arranged for him to enter a detox facility and then steered him toward Dare Challenge, which he entered in February. “I couldn’t ask for a better opportunity for a change,” he said. “Dare Challenge received me with open arms. The staff and clients are helping establish the structure and discipline that I need. The routine of life. It’s helped me to grow closer to God, because of the intense discipleship that it instills within me to pray and seek God and to read his word.” Feaster, 33, is a thoughtful, detailed conversationalist who grew up in Tampa, FL., and at one point was enrolled at the University of Florida’s creative writing program. His parents split when he was a toddler, and he was raised in a home where he said his step-father was verbally and at times physically abusive. Regular trips to his paternal grandparents’ farm were a welcome and valuable escape growing up, providing stability and instilling a work ethic. He had used drugs and alcohol for intervals dating back to high school, though he was sober for four and a half years as he pursued an education. But when his mother and grandfather passed away within a 12-month period several years ago, he said that began the addictive, hellish spiral that led to him ending up in Tennessee and now the Outer Banks.

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dare challenge

Top Left and Below: The Dare Challenge crew services the community, no matter the size of the job. Top Right: Dare Challenge students mentor young volunteers of Kitty Hawk Methodist Youth Group.

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dare challenge

Through faith and work, Feaster hopes to remain in the area and to rebuild his life when he completes the program. He said that he can feel that his heart has changed, and that he’s cultivating social skills that had deteriorated under addiction. Each opportunity to serve others, to go out into the community, is a blessing, he said, and a reminder of lessons learned as a boy. “It was something that I cherished,” he said, “but I lost sight of that for a few years, that hard work builds discipline and character, strength and integrity. Dare Challenge has re-lit that flame inside of me.” 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 to the Outer Banks.

Summer 2018 | myouterbankshome.com

Re-Discovering G

the Outer Banks

It wasn’t even mid-week and I was already hooked on rowing up we didn’t have a lot of money. My dad STORY BY this place I so wanted to hate. worked in a factory – a blue collar job in the blueGreg Smrdel The laidback lifestyle of the Outer Banks, with its friendly collar city of Cleveland, Ohio. There were layoffs and people and southern hospitality, appealed to me even as a strikes that my parents had to contend with while raising five nearly 15-year-old. It clicked instantly in my soul. children. Though there may not have been a lot of “extra stuff” in our house, As I crossed that bridge in the summer of 1976 as that awkward, defiant there were always the family vacations that first week of August every year. teenager from Cleveland, Ohio, I was coming home to a place I had never even That week was precious to all seven of us. known existed. As kids, we may not have appreciated what it meant as much as our parLife has so many niches and finding one’s own can be a lifelong journey. ents did. We were a family of swimmers and pool rats but each August, the Mine came early – it was the “ribbon of sand” in Dare County. Unfortunately, for Atlantic’s shoreline was our destination. One year it was Cape Cod. Another it various reasons, life has taken me physically away from the Outer Banks, but it would be Virginia Beach or Chincoteague Island. You get the picture. has never been able to spiritually take me away. But in 1976, just prior to me turning 15, that magical age when you know As I enter the latter part of my fifties, with more of my life in the rear view more than everyone else (especially your un-cool, un-hip parents), my mother mirror than outside my windshield, I am as much a part of the Outer Banks as announced to the family that she had heard about this place called Kill Devil I ever have been. Hills and that, she affirmed, would be this year’s spot. That ribbon of sand in Dare County remains a large part of who I am and “North Carolina?” I recall yelling, first in my head and then out loud. “I its lure has taken hold of others in the Smrdel family, including my brother, thought we always go to the ocean for vacation,” I said disgusted, proving who has lived in Kitty Hawk for 33 years and my mother, who retired to Manteo once again that a soon-to-be 15-year-old didn’t exactly know everything there several years ago. was to know about the world. I’m sure my family is not the only one who has been lured by this island’s But my objections fell on deaf ears and the down payment was made. The beauty. After all, the Outer Banks is a magical place. ³ family was headed to North Carolina that first week in August during the summer of 1976. On the ride down from Cleveland, I was bound and determined to hate the Greg Smrdel is a standup comedian and author. He has written two books place with the bizarre name that sounded like it was out of some ghost story. based in the Outer Banks: “Hurricane Izzy - An OBX Story” and “Home Sweet And besides, my feeling at the time was that North Carolina was a state inhabOuter Banks Home?” And oh, by the way, he now knows less than he did at ited by hillbillies so, really, how fun could it be? the age of 15.... While the tarpaper shacks that lined U.S. 158 in Currituck County have since been replaced by gift shops, fast food joints and massive billboards, that stretch of road back then only cemented my feelings that North Carolina was hardly what you could consider a vacation destination. But I remember that my attitude began to shift dramatically on the Wright Memorial Bridge as we crossed that blue water of the Currituck Sound. The sand. The windswept beach houses. The vistas that were not impeded by high-rise hotels caught my attention immediately. As my dad pointed our red Mercury station wagon south toward our final destination, a house named “Skipper” on Clark Street at milepost 9, I had already made up my mind that I would someday live here. Forty-one years later, I still drive by that house and remember how it made me fall in love with the beautiful, magical place called the Outer Banks. Our first day there, I remember running out of the house barefoot across the yard only to make it about six feet before coming to an abrupt halt from what felt like needles nestling into the bottom of my feet. In Cleveland, there was no such thing as sand spurs, but I learned quickly that a good pair of flip flops, or shoes, would be required on our walk down to that beautiful Atlantic Ocean. All these years later, I still remember sitting on the Skipper’s front deck, and just staring at the lit up Wright Brothers National Memorial. I had always been an American history buff and being able to see a part of history as I sat on my vacation roost, even for a full-fledged teenager, seemed like the coolest thing ever. Then came The Lost Colony, and Perry Turner’s hilarious performance Author Greg Smrdel has fond memories of “Skipper,” the beach box on Clark as Old Tom. Street he vacationed in with his family as a teenager.

myouterbankshome.com | Summer 2018