Profile 2013

The voice of the pamlico 2013

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PROFILE

INDEX OF ADVERTISERS

Ace Paging 3 Allstate Insurance 3 Badcock Home Furniture 2 Beaufort County Development Center 47 Beaufort County Schools 11 Chubby’s Carpet Center 9 City of Washington 48 David C. Francisco 5 Eye Care Center 3 Farm Bureau Insurance 2 First Baptist Church, Washington 7 HES, Inc. 9 Hillside Funeral Service & Cremations John B. Tate III 9 Martha’s Thrift Store 9 Mayflower Restaurant 11 On The Waterfront 5 Orthopaedics East & Sports Medicine Center, Inc. 3 Pamlico Animal Hospital 11 PotashCorp 48 Rivertrace Nursing & Rehabilitation Center 7 Rutledge Mini Storage 4 Washington Montessori Public Charter School 47 Zion Episcopal Church 11

Profile | 2013 |5

A CALCULATED FUTURE

Student plans his return to S.H.S.

By MONA MOORE Washington Daily News

PHOTO BY WILL PRESLAR

Kyle White recently tore his ACL, ruining his chances of playing shortstop at Campbell next year. He said he loved being a shortstop at SHS, being a leader for the team and hopes to be a walk-on for his college team.

Kyle White has it all figured out.

The high school senior will attend Campbell next year, major in mathematics education, then return to Southside High School to take the jobs of his favorite math teacher and his dad, the school’s athletic director.

“They’re about the same age and should be ready for retirement at around the same time,” White said. “Kill two birds with one stone.”

He respected his teacher’s teaching style and said he would adopt the same system: a lesson, a quiz, a review and a test.

White practically grew up in the halls of Southside.

From age 9, he would take the

Chocowinity Primary School bus to the high school and act as team manager for whatever sport was in season.

Now, he plays basketball and baseball for the Seahawks.

“I’m here more than I’m at home,” he said.

As at home as he is on a team, White is just as happy in a mathematics class. He prefers the subject to all others because it has one set of rules that can be applied to any set of numbers.

“Math is constant. It’s universal,” he said. “The more you practice, the better you get at it.”

White had the highest S.A.T. math score in his class after only one attempt. He considered taking the test again, but his score was high enough to get him a scholarship from

Campbell and his mom said it would be a waste of money.

Math has always come easily for him. He recalled doing complex math equations in his head in grade school.

“My first-grade teacher already called me ‘Calculator Brain.’ Math has always come naturally to me,” he said. “And with my mom as a banker, I guess that kinda helps, too.”

White ran into some difficulty when he took precalculus. It was a fast-paced semester with a year’s worth of work crammed into it. He said the key to surviving any tough course is the teacher.

“If you have a really good teacher, get on her good side,” he suggested. “And if you’re having trouble with math, definitely ask someone for help, one-on-one help.”

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HORSE THERAPY Champion rider plans for future

Lindsey Woolard started giving horse lessons through her involvement in the 4H program.

PHOTO BY WILL PRESLAR

Profile | 2013 | 7

By MONA MOORE

Washington Daily News

Lindsey Woolard rode her first horse when she was 5 years old.

“My granddaddy took me out there one day and I knew that this was something I wanted to do,” she said.

A decade since that first ride, Woolard’s interest has only grown. Bad weather is the only thing that can keep her from her horses.

“Horses are kinda like my therapy,” she said. “Whenever I am having a bad day, I jump on one and go for a ride.”

Woolard gives riding and horse skills lessons on her farm. Her seven students range in age from 6 to 13. She stresses the horsemanship skills with her students because it is the mature, responsible way to ride.

Woolard loves seeing them progress. Her advice to all of them is to take their time.

“Start with a good foundation and you will progress faster,” she said. “It’s kind of like building a house. You have to have a really good base and go from there.”

Woolard also competes regularly. She has

competed at the district level for seven years and at the state level for the last six years.

Woolard is an A-rated rider, one level under a professional.

“I want to eventually be a professional at it, but that’s not what I want to do as a career,” she said. “I want to go into nursing.”

She hopes to be a trauma nurse and continue riding and teaching in her spare time.

The character traits that will make Woolard a good nurse is evident when she is around her horses. Over the years, she has taken on the responsibility of tending to her horses’ medical needs.

Janet Woolard, Lindsey’s mother, said riding has been a character-builder for her daughter.

“She has learned to be responsible. I don’t think there are many 15-year-olds that could teach. She is very mature for her age,” Janet said.

Woolard started competing when she was 6 years old. Her first big win came three years later when she won the 4H Northeast Division Championship. She was also the state champion for short stirrups (young riders).

Woolard’s prizes have included everything from silver platters to horse blankets.

“No money yet. I keep waiting for that,” Janet said.

She was such a strong hunting competitor, that the category was no longer a challenge.

She recently started competing in dressage, stadium jumping and cross-country and has enjoyed it, especially the cross-country riding.

Woolard is a mentor to her sister, Ashley. The 10-year-old won the 4-H State Championship last fall.

Janet said her daughters are very supportive of each other.

“As parents, we were proud of both of them.

Ashley would not have been as successful without Lindsey,” she said.

If you asked Woolard how many ribbons she has earned, she would be hard-pressed to answer. The competitions have never been about the ribbons and accolades.

“To me, It’s not about winning. It’s about knowing that you did good because every judge has an opinion,” she said. “My only goal is to become a better team with my horse and for us to progress together.”

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FAITH IN ACTION Doughtie girls practice what they preach

Kasey (left) and Sarah Doughtie are involved in several faith-based activities.

SUBMITTED PHOTO

Profile | 2013 | 9

By MIKE VOSS

Washington Daily News

As they have for almost every summer during the past several years, Washington residents Kasey and Sarah Doughtie plan to put their Christian faith in action again by helping others.

They will be part of a weeklong Youth Works mission project on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. Such projects are something they are used to, having participated in several World Changers mission projects through their church, First Baptist Church in Washington.

Kasey, a 10th-grader, and Sarah, a ninthgrader, attend Trinity Christian School in Greenville. The two girls auditioned for and made the All-State Baptist Youth Choir earlier this year. The choir will present a concert at First Baptist Church on July 19.

“My favorite (mission trip) was World Changers. You help people who physically can’t help themselves for their house. We would help them do their roofs, their shingles on their roofs, or build a ramp for a mentally disabled child,” Sarah Doughtie said.

Two years ago, she went to Walt Disney World

on a conference concerning human trafficking.

The project was associated with Bloom, an organization that empowers survivors of human trafficking and women at risk through vocational training and employment.

Sarah Doughtie, who wants to be a first-grade teacher, is active in the Acteens mission group at her church.

“The people are awesome. It’s a lot of fun to be with people you love. … You get to worship God with them in so many ways. Helping others is one of my favorite things. I love to read the Bible to people and teach them about God. Faith is important. You have to have faith in God to get through life, pretty much,” she said. “If you don’t have faith, you pretty much don’t have anything. That’s what I think.”

One of her favorite Bible verses is Romans 1:16. It reads, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.”

Kasey Doughtie, who was in foster care before being adopted by Penney Doughtie, shares her testimony when she accompanies Eternal Collision, a Feats of Strength ministry

that includes Bryan Lee, youth and education minister at her church.

“When they go to youth places, they ask me to give my testimony. That’s just one of the things I love being involved in,” she said. “I share my testimony as much as I can.”

Her testimony is based on Jeremiah 29:11, which reads, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

She also likes the World Changers missions.

“I like World Changers because of how we impact the people that we work with — the look on their faces of how much they appreciate what we do for them and just meeting our other friends and having the spiritual prospect of it. I love it,” she said.

Kasey Doughtie is considering a career in the evangelical field.

“I’m pleased they are willing to prepare themselves spiritually and spending their summer vacation going to do that work and also going to share God’s holy word.” said Penney Doughtie, the girls’ mother. “I think it’s a wonderful experience for them, and that makes me happy.”

Profile | 2013 | 10

OFF BROADWAY Freshman sets his course, straight to the stage

By VAIL STEWART RUMLEY Washington Daily News

Currin Styers rehearses at Le Moulin Rouge de Danse.

Styers plans to turn his love for theater into a career.

PHOTO BY WILL PRESLAR

He acts, he sings, he’s learning dance — all of which will give him the third element in theater’s triple crown.

At 14, Currin Styers knows exactly where he’s headed, and that’s the stage.

Styers started singing early in life, but it was his first theater experience, by way of tickets to an East Carolina University stage production, that pointed out the possibility of a future career in the arts.

“I just loved it — I thought, ‘I want to do that,’” Styers said. “Just be on stage, in any production — Broadway, Off Broadway, Off Off Broadway, school productions … I just want to do a show and keep going and going and get to where I want to be.”

That would be in the spotlight.

And the spotlight has found him a few times thus far: as one of the 160 members of the North Carolina Middle School Honors Chorus (for which 3,000 auditioned) and at the Stage Door Manor, a theater camp

in New York that he attended for the first time in summer of 2012. He said he will definitely be making an encore in summer of 2012.

“It was the most fun I’ve ever had,” Styers said.

At camp, Styers was surrounded by like-minded, budding performing artists sharing scenes, songs and the stage; at school, Styers faces any harassment he might get from others with a selfconfidence that makes him seem older than his 14 years.

“It really doesn’t bother me because I know that I am doing what I love and I’m going to continue doing it,” he said.

In addition to dance classes at Le Moulin Rouge de Danse, the Washington High School freshman has a full schedule with track, cross-country and swimming practices.

Hopefully, Styers’ high school efforts now will lead up to acceptance to the North Carolina School of the Arts his junior year, though he realizes competition in his chosen field is fierce.

“Everyone wants to be a star,” he laughed. “It’s nerve-wracking.”

Profile | 2013 | 11

AN UNSELFISH LIFE Gibbs learns the value of community service

By MONA MOORE Washington Daily News

PHOTO BY WILL PRESLAR

In addition to her community service, Danita Gibbs is Southside’s student-body vice president, captain of the cheerleading team and a member of Future Business Leaders of America and the Beta Club.

Danita Gibbs plunged into community service as a Southside High School freshman.

“I wanted to give back and wanted to get involved,” she said.

Once she became a part of the Student Government Association, she found a plethora of opportunities for service.

She organized a toy drive for the Children’s Miracle Network and made annual visits to local nursing homes.

In the span of her four-year high school career, Gibbs has

done everything from work with the mentally ill to pick up cigarette butts. She lends a hand at Special Olympics events and serves jury duty on Beaufort County’s teen court.

The highlight of her community service came last fall when she got to hear the North Carolina Symphony at Beaufort County’s Tricentennial Celebration.

After hearing about her mother’s experiences volunteering at homeless shelters and soup kitchens, Gibbs said she wanted to get involved with one, as well.

“My mother said it changes your whole outlook on life,”

she said.

By her junior year, Gibbs realized she had accumulated experience that would help her college applications and resume. Gibbs did not set out to benefit from the community service, but she said it was a great bonus.

Gibbs has benefitted in other ways. She amassed tons of memories and formed new friendships.

“It’s made me a better person,” she added. “I value things more and giving back … showed me I’m willing to do anything for anybody else.

It’s been really fun. It might take up a few hours of your day, but it’s really worth it.”

HEALTH

Linda T. Alligood, an operatingroom nurse at Vidant Beaufort Hospital since 1989, has experienced many changes in technology and equipment since the days of open procedures and cloth drapes for patients. For Alligood, regular training related to new equipment and procedures takes place almost weekly.

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ON THE CUTTING EDGE OR nurse Linda T. Alligood faces advancements in the surgical suite regularly

By MIKE VOSS

Washington Daily News

It’s a constant. We have new equipment, literally, weekly, where they’ve improved something. We have in-services (training) monthly to update you on the new equipment, the new features that the equipment has.”

Advances in medical technology continue to bring about changes in the operating room, where Linda T. Alligood has worked since 1989.

Alligood is a veteran OR nurse at Vidant Beaufort Hospital who had to keep up with those advances in the OR, whether they were changes in surgical procedures or implementation of new equipment.

Alligood has seen drastic changes take place in the OR during her career.

“When we first started in1989, everybody was an open procedure, which means there was a large incision made and whatever was wrong with them was fixed that way,” Alligood said. “Now, there are very few open procedures. Everything’s done laparoscopically, arthroscopically, endoscopically through small, little half-inch incisions. They put a camera in and look and do it with laparoscopic instruments. The procedures, per se, take longer, but the recovery time is so much better for the patient and so much quicker.

There’s a lot less pain post-op.”

As the advances in technology and procedures continue, Alligood goes through lots of training to become familiar with them.

“It’s a constant. We have new equipment, literally, weekly, where they’ve improved something. We have in-services (training) monthly to update you on the new equipment, the new features that the equipment has,” Alligood said.

Alligood said the advancements don’t always result in quicker surgical procedures.

“It’s probably a trade-off. Some procedures take long. Say an open gall bladder when we would have done it back in the early ’90s, the procedure to open from skin to skin was probably shorter

than it is now for a laparoscopic gall bladder, but the recovery time is better,” she said. “However, back then we would do four cataract surgeries a day and they would take two hours each. Their equipment has improved such much now we can do a cataract in eight minutes.”

Another significant change was implementing electronic health records, Alligood said.

“We’ve gone from paper to the computer.

That was a big learning curve there,” she said.

Alligood said the veteran nurses she trained under also witnessed changes in the operating room as they worked there over the years. She said those nurses used to have to “cut the suture, thread it on the needle and then they would autoclave (sterilizing equipment) that for suture.

Once I got here, it was already in the package.”

“When I got here, we were using cloth drapes, cloth doctors’ hats. Now, it’s all a disposable, impervious drape,” she recalled.

When she tells new nurses about some of the old procedures and practices once used in the OR, many of them don’t believe it, Alligood said.

A typical day for Alligood encompasses six to eight hours in the operating room.

“Our days vary, depending on the schedule. The light days are when we have the in-services and updates. We have reps who come in with the equipment and will update us and teach us,” she said.

“I’m not a people person, per se. I’m more of a hands-on. I can figure out just about anything. Everybody’s different, even though we’re all the same, we’re different. You have to be able to think quick on your feet. Patients are asleep.

It’s not waitressing. You’re actually doing something,” Alligood said about the appeal of being an OR nurse.

ENVIRONMENT

John Fullwood, superintendent of Goose Creek State Park, believes the park is an excellent outdoor classroom when it comes to educating people about the environment and the need to protect and preserve it. Fullwood wants to begin a reforestation project involving longleaf pines.

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ECO FRIENDLY Goose Creek State Park serves as outdoor classroom in wetlands education

By MIKE VOSS

Washington Daily News

In state parks all across North Carolina, it’s part of our mission to protect and enhance the resource and to also provide interpretive and educational opportunities for people, for exactly that, to let them gain an appreciation of it so they can be better stewards down the road.”

John Fullwood, superintendent of Goose Creek State Park, believes in environmental education is one of the most important functions he and other park rangers perform.

“There are a lot of different types of environments throughout the park, but our main interpretive theme here that we focus on is wetlands. We want people to gain an appreciation of wetlands,” Fullwood said. “We’ve got different facilities and structures throughout the park that allow people to get out there and get their hands wet and explore these things.”

Wetlands serve as a filter, helping to clean water as it makes its way from from one area to another, Fullwood noted. Wetlands help remove pollutants, thereby protecting water quality of lakes, creeks, rivers and estuaries, he said.

“This Pamlico River is connected.

We’re not just the Pamlico River.

It goes all the way up to Oxford. …

This is the best place for people to learn the best practices, letting the wetlands do their job,” Fullwood said.

The position of environmental specialist has been added to the park’s staff, Fullwood noted.

“The rangers, environmental specialist and myself are all involved, actively teaching and giving interpretive programs. Our main focus is on wetlands, as I said. … We offer a lot of different programs throughout the year,” Fullwood said.

Although the park has its Environmental Education Center

with exhibits, a small auditorium and classrooms, the park itself is the best facility when it comes to environmental education, Fullwood said. Through the park’s nearly 1,700 acres, the center and staff, the goal is to instill an appreciation for the environment and a desire to preserve and protect the environment in park visitors not familiar with wetlands, he added.

“In state parks all across North Carolina, it’s part of our mission to protect and enhance the resource and to also provide interpretive and educational opportunities for people, for exactly that, to let them gain an appreciation of it so they can be better stewards down the road,” Fullwood said.

As part of the enhancement component of Goose Creek State Park’s mission, Fullwood would like to implement a new project at the park.

“We hope to start doing some reforestation efforts. Our forests are not in the best of shape in this part.

So, we want to do some longleaf (pine) restoration. I think that would be right up on the top — try to bring the longleaf back into the park and this area of the state,” Fullwood said.

“There are a few old longleaf pines in here, a 130 years old or so. They’re pretty much solitary.”

The proposed longleaf pine restoration effort has an education component to it, Fullwood said.

“Once we start some of these practices we can develop programs to educate people on why this is important. It’s one thing to just put them all in the ground, but it’s important to tell them why you are,” he said.

TRANSPORTATION

Capt. Joe Sizemore still fits in a music gig, or two. He was a guest artist with Craig Woolard on several Carnival Cruises and directs Beaufort County Schools’ annual “Stepping Out” talent show every year.

Profile | 2013 | 17

IN HARMONY Retired band director sails the deep blue sea as ship captain

By MONA MOORE Washington Daily News

How many retired band directors have been captain of a vessel that passed through the Panama Canal? it’s a great life.

I pinch myself every day.”

When Joe Sizemore graduated from Old Dominion, he pulled out a map and circled the locations where his job search would focus, areas that would allow him to teach and continue his passion for sailing.

Sizemore came to love sailing while serving as co-captain of the college’s power sailing team.

The marked territory on Sizemore’s map included Elizabeth City, New Bern, Wilmington, Washington and the coasts of South Carolina and Virginia.

“I was offered a job at every single place,” Sizemore said. “I picked eastern North Carolina and never looked back.

“I can’t tell you how much I love the Washington area. It’s been good to me. It’s been good to my family and supported me in my profession,” he said.

Sizemore directed high school band at Washington and later at Northside.

“I came to Washington as band director and I was able to pursue my sailing addiction,” he said.

Sizemore considers himself fortunate to have taught for 30 years. He said the experience helped prepare him for his career as a captain.

“The responsibility as a band director has helped me accept responsibility as a captain,” he said.

As a teacher, he was responsible for dozens of students per class. As a band director, that responsibility extended to overnight trips and competitions.

Now that Sizemore is a captain, he is responsible for every person on his vessel, for the property he sails around and for the vessel, itself.

Sizemore’s 2007 retirement from teaching only seemed to feed the addiction. His daughters tell him he had more free time when he was still working than he does now.

A neighbor got him involved with the Coast Guard, where he picked up navigating and search and rescue skills.

The rest of his sailing experience came from boat deliveries. Sizemore has been delivering boats for about 30 years. It’s become a business, of sorts. When Sizemore is offered a job he does not want, he assigns it to one of three other captains he has sailed with for decades.

Sizemore has several thousand nautical miles of delivery on both sailing and motor vessels up to 85 feet. His delivery Port O’ Calls include; St. Marteen and Antigua to Rhode Island, the Bahamas to Annapolis, Costa Rica to Florida, including a Panama Canal Transit, the U.S. east coast and the ICW from Rock Hall, M.D. to Florida. Capt.

Joe has served as Tow Captain for TowBoat River Forest and as captain for several private charters. He has served on the Belle of Washington since her original U.S. Coast Guard inspections for her service on the Pamlico River. He is recognized as a qualified officiate for weddings on land or at sea.

He earned his captain’s license about six years ago and now holds a 100-ton master’s rating.

“Masters takes a lot of sea days. You have to have 120 sea days and the vessels have to be of a certain tonnage,” he said. “The Belle of Washington was one of the vessels that helped me reach that tonnage. She weighs in at 85 tons.”

The captain’s courses were a birthday present from his wife.

“She’s encouraged me from the very beginning,” he said.

Sizemore gushes when he talks about sailing. Out on the open water, he said there is a harmony and solitude that restores his soul.

“How many retired band directors have been captain of a vessel that passed through the Panama Canal?” he said. “It’s a great life.

I pinch myself every day.”

HISTORY

Bill Clark may have one of the best volunteer roles in Washington.

He gets to portray George Washington in the first town named for the nation’s first president.

Donning his general’s uniform, wig, tricorner hat and knowledge of Washington the man and Washington the city, Clark appears at many downtown events such as festivals and celebrations of historic events in the city.

Clark tells people that Washington had no wooden dentures; they were made from animal ivory. And he knows Washington never slept in the first town named for him.

Profile | 2013 | 19

BY GEORGE Clark brings Washington — the person and city — to life

By MIKE VOSS

Washington Daily News

I had to do some homework. Every child learns about Washington in grade school.

Some of those memories came back as I was going through things.”

George Washington may never have slept in the Original Washington, but it was the first town to be named in honor of him.

Washington did not have wooden dentures.

They were made from hippopotamus and elephant ivory. Washington never chopped down the cherry tree. He never skipped a silver coin across the Potomac River.

Those are facts that Bill Clark, known to resemble Washington at times, has to know. That’s because Clark often portrays Washington at festivals and other events in Washington and surrounding environs.

Although other folks portray Washington in the Original Washington, it’s Clark who most often puts on the costume, wig and tri corner hat.

“Trying to make everyone happy, especially the kids,” Clark said about his top priority when portraying Washington. “Normally, when we’re out at Festival Park and places like that, we have a lot of pictures taken with the kids.”

Clark said he also focuses on the message that the city was the first municipality named after Washington — before he became president.

“It’s relating George Washington to the city of Washington and what his connections are or aren’t. Sometimes that’s a little difficult because George, as you know, was never here,” Clark said. “He tried to get here. He spent the night in Tarboro, and he was coming, but the roads were so bad he couldn’t get here.

So, he had to go to Greenville to cross the Tar River and go on to New Bern. That was during his Great Southern Tour on the way to Charleston,” Clark said.

Clark said there’s no typical question or comment from people who approach him when he’s portraying Washington.

“I think they are having a good time, seeing George and having their picture taken

with him,” Clark said. “Sometimes Martha (Washington) comes with me, and other times she doesn’t. When Martha’s there, we have a great time. When she’s not, we still have a good time.”

Since taking up portraying Washington, Clark has furthered his education about the nation’s first president.

“I had to do some homework. Every child learns about Washington in grade school.

Some of those memories came back as I was going through things,” Clark said.

When Washington died, Clark said, he had one adult tooth left.

Washington declined to seek a third term as president, setting a precedent of presidents not serving more than two terms, Clark noted.

That tradition continued until Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected to four terms.

Clark said Washington had an impressive life.

“He accomplished an awful lot, running for president, being president for two terms, being commander in chief of the army. … in his childhood, be became a surveyor at 17, and that paid quite a bit of money. That’s where he starting making some money, but he never really made that much. … He didn’t participate a whole lot in cursing or drinking or smoking.

He quit smoking, even though he had a tobacco plantation, but the plantation never made that much money for him.”

Washington selected the site for the White House, but he never lived there, Clark said.

What’s the appeal of portraying Washington?

“It’s fun. I think he’s a good president to portray. Abraham Lincoln would be another one — Thomas Jefferson,” Clark said.

If alive today, what would Washington think about the federal government?

“I think he would be appalled,” Clark said.

“He was totally against partisan politics. He really didn’t belong to a party, although the Republicans claim him. He believed in working with Congress, not divisiveness in Congress.”

FAITH

Greg Barmer, minster of music at Washington’s First Baptist Church, is known for his ability to make worship services a mixture of traditional Baptist worship, contemporary worship events and liturgical worship.

Barmer, who has a doctoral degree in worship, said changing his worship experiences led him to incorporate some of those changes into the worship experiences at First Baptist Church.

Barmer is taking experiences from a recent sabbatical that included trips to an abbey and monastery and finding ways to share them with the congregation to enrich their worship experiences.

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WORSHIP

Barmer has an eye toward worshippers being trilingual

By MIKE VOSS

Washington Daily News

I’m proud to say I think we’ve been — and I’m not sure successful is the right word — those things have happened for us because we’ve been careful to try to be obedient to God’s leadership.”

Greg Barmer is much more than just the minister of music at Washington’s First Baptist Church. He often sets the tone for the worship services.

This past summer, Barmer went on sabbatical to study and renew his approach to his spiritual life, including worship.

Barmer, who grew up in Bertie County, has a doctoral degree in worship. He is a graduate of East Carolina University, the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and the Robert E. Webber Institute of Worship Studies. He began serving at First Baptist Church in 1995.

“With that degree, my doctoral work sort of transformed who I am and transformed my own personal worship. Though First Baptist may not realize it … they’ve been on this journey with me for several years now. In the process of our transformation, and I think our worship has been transformed because of my own personal transformation, in the midst of that, we’ve maintained our roots, but we’ve found some deeper roots and expanded our roots some, too,” Barmer said.

In addition to being a pianist and choral conductor, Barmer has a special interest in worship renewal and meaningful worship.

Taking a cue from Christianity’s Holy Trinity, Barmer tries to bring a threeprong approach to worship at the church.

“I’m fond of saying that I’d like us to be trilingual worshippers who would be fluent in traditional Baptist worship, which is the easy part. We know all about that. But then we’d be more adept at liturgical worship and understand the depth and the richness and the beauty of historic church practices and grow in that area. … Then, I’d like us to be fluent with more contemporary practices, the freedom of expression, songs from the heart, the spontaneous moments

of worship that happen more easily in contemporary settings.”

Barmer believes the church is seeing some success in working toward that approach.

“I’m proud to say I think we’ve been — and I’m not sure successful is the right word — those things have happened for us because we’ve been careful to try to be obedient to God’s leadership,” Barmer said.

Barmer believes sermons do not always have to be the focal point of a worship service. Other elements such as music and responsive readings can be the focal point of worship services, he said.

“So man times I think we mistakenly see the sermon as the most important element in worship. I don’t mean to downgrade that at all. It’s one element — the proclamation of the Word is one element,” he said. “I want us to understand that sometimes we have to be jolted out of our complacency.”

During his sabbatical, Barmer spent time at two monasteries, Saint Meinrad Monastery in Saint Meinrad, Ind., and the Abbey of Gethsemane near Louisville, Ky. “To have that extended time of personal, quiet worship and conversation with God — some days that were full of nothing but prayer, reading scripture, having a meal, coming back to prayer, reading scripture and worship at the daily hours at the monastery. Some days, I went to all of seven or nine services; some days, I didn’t do them all. … To have that sort of extended, intense time was really transformational,” Barmer said. “I began reading the Bible more seriously and more passionately than I ever have in my life, and it’s embarrassing to say that, but it’s an honest statement.”

The experience has caused change.

“I am intentionally trying not to let life interrupt my personal worship and study time,” Barmer said.

PUBLIC SERVICE

Terry Cooper, Chief of Pungo Volunteer Fire Department, in uniform.

With 33 years of volunteer firefighting behind him, he still prefers to “be where the nozzle is� at the scene of a fire.

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LIFELONG MISSION Volunteer firefighter serves to help others

By VAIL STEWART RUMLEY Washington Daily News

When that pager tones, somebody at the other end needs help and if I am at all able, I want to be able to provide that help.”

Terry Cooper was 4 1/2 years old the day his mother was severely burned. He and his brother witnessed the freak accident triggered by gasoline fumes and a lit stove, an accident that has shaped his life ever since.

“From that day forward, I wanted to be a firefighter. I didn’t want to see anyone suffer like that again if I could help it,” Cooper said, explaining how he came to be a 33-year veteran of volunteer firefighting.

“When that pager tones, somebody at the other end needs help and if I am at all able, I want to be able to provide that help.”

In 1980, at the age of 16, Cooper was there when Pungo Volunteer Fire Department was incorporated. He rose through the ranks to chief, backed off for awhile, then made his way back up the ladder to chief again. He estimates he’s been on more than 1,000 calls in the years he’s been a volunteer firefighter, even responding to other departments’ calls when they were shorthanded.

Cooper makes no bones about the fact that every volunteer firefighter should be recognized, that his dedication to helping others is no different than that of any other.

“I don’t think the general

public really understands — all of them, they give up family time. We get up from hot meals, we leave warm beds, we leave our kids’ ballgames, because we want to help,” Cooper explained.

Service aside, Cooper is very proud of the strides he’s taken to bring women on board Pungo’s volunteer roster. Driven by low volunteer numbers in the late 1990s, Cooper opened Pungo’s membership to “anyone” who wanted to apply at the department’s annual meeting.

“Anyone?” a woman in attendance asked.

“Anyone — including you,” Cooper answered. Now, over a decade later, she’s first lieutenant on the force, which includes eight other women.

“I am proud and honored to jump in a truck to fight fires with them, too,” Cooper said, adding that it’s his dream to one day fight fire alongside one of his kids — of his three girls, two of them already seem to be following in daddy’s footsteps.

While Cooper makes a living farming, it’s obvious his volunteer job is his passion. For him, volunteering and being able to help others occupies a higher purpose.

“I’ve always looked at volunteer firefighting as a mission,” he explained. “I don’t have a lot to offer people monetarily, but I do have the desire to help — that’s my mission.”

MARINE

Tommy Franz has been crabbing on the Pamlico River for the past 24 years. He says that the blue crabs the region is known for actually vary dramatically in color: green crabs are found in the sound, a darker greenishbrown in the river, and close to black in the creeks.

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LIFE ON THE WATER Blue crabs a way

By VAIL STEWART RUMLEY Washington Daily News

Of course, every crabpot is like opening a present on Christmas morning — you never know what’s going to be in there.”

Tommy Franz didn’t plan on becoming a crabber — he thought he was buying a boat and some crabpots for his son, Tom. But the story goes that Tom got injured — a fish fin to the knuckle caused a staph infection— and his short-lived career as a crabber was over (it lasted a week).

But that’s when Tommy stepped in and took over what was supposed to be Tom’s summer job. He thought it was a lot more fun than his day job — he owned an industrial glove company and was its top salesperson. That’s when the freedom of being on the river began to call.

“The next year, I bought more (crabpots) and I sold less (gloves),” Franz said.

Now, 24 years later come April to the fall, Franz is still catching some spectacular sunrises and finding some interesting surprises.

“Of course, every crabpot is like opening a present on Christmas morning — you never know what’s going to be in there,” he said, listing the different fish species

he’s found in his pots, as well as the different brands of beer cans he’s caught.

“One day, I was right off Bayview and I pulled up a pot and there was nothing in it. Then I pulled up the next one and there was nothing in that one. By the 10th one, I pulled up, I was getting mad because somebody had stolen my crabs. But when I pulled up the 11th one, I found a Ziploc bag with $10 in it. Somebody had taken my crabs and then paid me for ‘em,” Franz laughed.

Franz doesn’t work full-time in the crabbing business anymore; he’s got about 500 pots out — only 300 of them serious, he adds — which is far cry from 1,300 he once had when he fished from Intercoastal Waterway to the railroad trestle in Washington. Nowadays, the end of Franz’s crab season corresponds suspiciously with the beginning of football season.

And that’s the way he likes it — that and being out on the river at daybreak.

“That’s the best time of day,” he said. “It’s beautiful out there.”

EDUCATION

George Burgess was so excited when he paid for his cap and gown that he made the rounds at BCCC to thank those on campus who had helped him most.

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A DRIVE TO SUCCEED

By MONA MOORE Washington Daily News

Everybody that stopped and picked me up gave me encouragement, I never thought there were so many good people in the world.”

About two weeks into his first semester of college, George Burgess’ car broke down.

Without the funds to fix it, Burgess started walking to Beaufort County Community College from his River Road home, a seven-mile roundtrip.

“It took me three days to swallow my pride and walk to school,” he said.

He remembered the stories he heard growing up. His parents used to walk two or three miles to school every day. If they could do it, so could he.

The treks to school turned out to be blessings in disguise. Strangers would stop and offer Burgess rides.

When people learned where he was heading and why, their kind words motivated Burgess to continue.

“Everybody that stopped and picked me up gave me encouragement,” he said. “I never thought there were so many good people in the world.”

Burgess continued walking to school for his first two years at BCCC. That ended when he met his wife, Gertrude. When they started dating, she started giving him rides to and from school.

Returning to school at age 53 presented other challenges for Burgess. He said he was scared to death and worried about all that he did not know.

“I didn’t know what a periodic table was until I came to Beaufort,” Burgess said.

He recalled his first computer course. The instructor told the class to turn on their computers and Burgess was stumped. Embarrassed,

he raised his hand and accepted the snickers that came with asking for help in front of his teenage peers.

Burgess decided to return to school when he moved home to take care of his father. He spent most of his life working on the family farm, but had moved to Rocky Mount in 1983.

Burgess was working at a textile mill when he and his nine siblings decided he would be the one to move back to take care of the farm and of his dad.

Complications of diabetes caused Burgess’ dad to lose his sight. By the time Burgess returned to school in 2009, his dad was completely bedridden. Burgess would tend to his father until his sister relieved him for the few hours he attended school.

Watching his dad’s health deteriorate from diabetes, Burgess felt helpless. He decided to go to school and become a part of the solution.

Burgess started out majoring in medical lab technology and switched to biology in order to transfer to a four-year program after graduation.

He plans to go to East Carolina University and study nanotechnology.

Once he graduates, he plans to work on finding a cure for diabetes.

“There’s got to be a way to find a cure,” he said. “That’s what’s been driving me these last few years.”

With two years at BCCC under his belt, Burgess could have transferred to a four-year school last fall, but he wanted to leave BCCC with a degree. Now, he is weeks away from graduation, and he is counting the days.

“I was tickled to death to pay for my cap and gown. I can hardly wait,” he said. “It’s been hard-going.”

ATHLETICS

Gray Hodges nets 25 years on the hardwoods.

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CONSISTENCY Veteran referee nets 25 years on the hardwoods

By MIKE VOSS

Washington Daily News

That was one that stood out. I remember I did not blow my whistle until two minutes into the second quarter, that’s how good the game was. The players played, and we just did our jobs when we had to.”

After 25 years of officiating basketball games, mostly at the high-school level, Gray Hodges is familiar with the game from a perspective most people don’t have.

That familiarity began to take shape when he played basketball at Washington High School in the mid1970s, when the Pam Pack lost the state championship game two years in a row.

The Pam Pack had just one loss in each of those two years.

“We went 24-1 in my junior year and 25-1 in my senior year,” he said.

Hodges also coached basketball for six years in the Raleigh area after graduating from college with a degree in education. After returning to Washington and getting a job at East Carolina University (not coaching), Hodges decided to become a basketball referee.

He called his first game at Aurora High School in 1988. Since then, Hodges said, he’s called about 1,125 games, mostly in northeastern North Carolina.

He’s never called a state-championship game, but he did officiate an Eastern Regional championship game at Minges Coliseum on the ECU campus. South Columbus defeated High Point, 61-60.

“That was one that stood out. I remember I did not blow my whistle until two minutes into the second quarter,” Hodges said. “That’s how good the game was. The players played, and we just did our jobs when we had to.”

Hodges said the best high-school player he ever saw play was local standout Mychal Parker, who was recruited by the University of Maryland.

Hodges explains the appeal of calling basketball games.

“No. 1, it keeps me active on the floor. I enjoy the competition. … I enjoy working with the schools. I enjoy working with the student-athletes,” Hodges said.

What’s his primary focus while calling a game?

“Get the calls right and keep the game moving so players can play,” Hodges said.

Hodges said it’s important for referees “to keep the calls consistent and let the players win it on the court.”

“Call the calls so the coaches and players understand that you’re being as fair as you can. … We are there to manage the game — we call it game management. Coaches coach, and players play.”

Officiating games means traveling to them. About 10 years ago, Hodges drove from Washington to a school near Lake Waccamaw, about a three-and-half-hour drive. Of course, his shortest drive was to Washington High School.

“I usually don’t do Washington because I graduated from there,” Hodges said.

Hodges said most people don’t know what it takes to be a referee.

“The fans don’t know how much the state of North Carolina puts together as far as training and hard work that goes into officiating to make sure the studentathletes and coaches are getting quality officials on the court and the amount of time you have to put into that training,” Hodges said.

As for coaches calling him some choice names or things over the years, Hodges said, “When I first started out, maybe one or two. Since I’ve seasoned, as they say, or become experienced, not so much. … I can’t say I’ve had much (denigration from coaches), maybe one or two questions. No name calling.”

MUSIC

Matthew Brown is known as “Originale” in the rap world. Even his Bible has a pseudonym, “The Word.”

The Bible was a gift from his mother and provides the full King James text with contemporary translations.

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AN ORIGINAL Brown finds salvation in music

By MONA MOORE Washington Daily News

As a kid, Matthew Brown used to tell his mother there was no back up plan. He was going to be a rapper.

“I took to rap music immediately, as soon as I could understand it,” he said.

A wife and four kids changed that philosophy, but it didn’t kill his aspirations.

Matthew “Originale” Brown got his start making up rhymes and rapping for his classmates. He never practiced the skills, but had a knack for memorizing his rhymes and would rap on demand. Brown said he got a little cocky performing for his friends.

“They acted like it was the best thing since ice cream,” he laughed.

Brown recognized the power of the music as early as age 13. He saw that people would quote rap lyrics from popular artists and thought it was a waste when those lyrics did not live up to the that sort of reverence.

Brown said he hated trashy lyrics and was dead-set on writing lyrics with meaning.

He was also against record deals.

In most, the record labels collected 65- to 75- percent of the profits and the artist covered the costs of promotion, videos and management from what was left.

Brown learned how to produce his own music then formed About My Father’s Business Music. He is the first to admit that producing his own music is a lot of work, but he calls his “DIY” attitude a gift from the Lord.

Brown’s music took a turn after

he was saved in 2009. He evolved into a holy hip-hop artist, rapping about his experiences and giving thanks to God. In his music, Brown made amends for not being the father he wanted to be. He vowed to be a better husband.

He also apologized to his mother for defying her and crashing her car, not once, but twice.

Brown’s parents split up when he was around 13. The deviant years started soon after.

“Without my father in the house to enforce my mother’s rules, I became a wild child,” he said.

By age 14, Brown was smoking marijuana daily. To keep up that habit, he started selling the drugs, too. He hated cigarettes, but started smoking them to camouflage the smell of marijuana in his clothes.

“At 17, I was just tired of playing by my mother’s rules,” he said.

When she scolded him one day, Brown challenged her, saying something to the effect of, “What are you going to do, kick me out?”

And kick him out, she did.

“She was in the right. I knew I should apologize,” he said. “Instead, I got high.”

Marijuana was Brown’s answer to everything. He said he could not do anything without getting high first.

He could not hold a regular job and started selling crack to support his weed habit.

Now that he is sober, Brown often shares his testimony. People sometimes ask if the marijuana was a gateway drug for him. Although he never tried anything other than the pot, Brown’s answer is a resounding “yes.”

“I wasn’t even drinking, but it is a

gateway drug. That’s the truth,” he said. “Because it led me to the gates of hell.”

Brown’s life changed in 2009.

His infidelity was threatening his marriage and members of a drug cartel were threatening him.

That Easter, Brown’s wife asked him to join her and the kids at church, but he declined.

Instead, Brown started cleaning his daughters’ room and praying.

He told God he would devote his life to him if God would take away his troubles.

Brown did not feel a change. He assumed he was beyond God’s good graces and continued cleaning. But as he left his daughters’ room, he heard God tell him he would step out of the room unburdened.

“When I did come out of the room, I just started crying,” he said.

“Everything that had me stressed out, it seemed like those problems just left me alone.”

Brown never heard from the threatening cartel again and his drug connection was soon out of his life, arrested and convicted of drug charges.

Brown’s wife returned from church Easter Sunday and sat him down for a talk. She told him she wasn’t ready to end a good thing.

“After all I’d put her through, she called me a good thing. I started crying again,” he said. “That was the biggest turnaround in my life, but I was still smoking.”

The smoking ended a few weeks later. Brown went to the doctor for migraines and learned that he had high blood pressure. His doctor told him no treatment would help him if he did not stop smoking marijuana.

From age 14 to 32, Brown had smoked daily. If he continued smoking he would die. He heeded the warning and never smoked again.

Brown says he is not a perfect man, but he is better than he has ever been. Since being saved, his career goals have changed. He used to want to build a brand for himself. He wanted album sales and everything that came with them.

Now, his goal is to reach the souls you won’t find in church every Sunday.

“As born-again believers, we’re supposed to be winning souls for Christ,” Brown said. “I believe God gives each of us a number of souls to reach. I want to make it my mission to reach every soul God planned for me and to make sure that the message in my music is God’s.”

Brown raps under the name, “Originale” and has a YouTube channel that can be found by searching for Matthew Brown Jr. or “Origi77LWF.” He teamed up with local artists Cappello and Sound the Messenger on a project called “52 Weeks of Reign” from Sons in Service. The trio gives away a free song every Tuesday on Reverb Nation. To download the music, go to www. reverbnation.com/sonsnservice.

He released “The Book of Matthew” last fall through Tate Music Group. The album is available on Amazon, iTunes and at www. tatemusicgroup.com.

Brown’s latest project is a 22song album he will release in April on bandcamp.com. He can be reached at matthew.jr@live.com or by calling 252-702-5465.

SOCIETY

Martha “Bubbles the Clown�

Seighman once won $10,000 from a cable television channel. Her son entered the contest for the most unique family and, since he had a clown for a mom, they won it.

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‘TIME FOR US’ Seighman celebrates life in red

By MONA MOORE Washington Daily News

We are WOW Girlz: Women Of Whimsy, who go wherever whenever for whatever or whoever, my son calls us the ‘Wacky Old Women.’ That’s all right. I can take it.”

One can never be in too many Red Hat Society chapters. Just ask the effervescent Martha Seighman. She is in three.

“I’m in the Bodacious Babes, the WOW Girlz and the Red Hot Honeys,” she said.

The Red Hat Society is celebrating its 15th anniversary this year. Founder and “Queen Mother” Sue Ellen Cooper was inspired by the Jenny Joseph poem, “Warning,” which begins with the line, “When I am an old woman I shall wear purple with a red hat, which doesn’t go and doesn’t suit me.”

The poem was about embracing middle age with joy. Cooper started giving a red hat and a copy of the poem to friends as birthday gifts. Eventually, the women realized they had become their own society of red hatters and went out to tea. The idea spread. Now there are Red Hat Society members in all 50 states and 30 countries, according to www.redhatsociety.com.

“I thought it was a cool story,” Seighman said. “And you know, the (original) hat is in the Smithsonian.”

Today, there are chapters worldwide, each with its own agenda and traditions. Red Hats travel together, see shows, throw parties and play games. In one of Seighman’s chapters, the ladies get together once a month for bingo. Other chapters meet regularly for lunch.

Seighman and her friends started the WOW chapter to do nothing on a “regular” schedule.

“We are WOW Girlz: Women Of Whimsy, who go wherever whenever for whatever or whoever,” she said. “My son calls us the ‘Wacky Old Women.’ That’s all right. I can take it.”

She reigns as Queen of the WOW Girlz, which was never her intention. Seighman wanted each of the members to serve as “co-

queens.” Her friends deferred the title – and the responsibilities – to her. Seighman plans outings and organizes “hoots,” or parties arranged on a whim.

The WOW Girlz will use any excuse to have a party. They celebrate Hamburger Day and National “Hello” Day. The women have dressed as circus acts and held a graduation party for an 81-year-old who decided to get her G.E.D. At one of Seighman’s soirees, the women were told to choose a horse and saddle up.

They found broom horses lining the fence.

Seighman is somewhat of a professional at fun and whimsy. For nearly 40 years, she has volunteered at events and visited nursing homes as Bubbles the Clown. These days, all it takes to plan a hoot is a visit to her clown room and its treasure trove of costumes.

There is nothing Seighman will not attempt for a good time.

“Women are unique creatures,” she said.

“We start as someone’s daughter, then someone’s bride. We become someone’s employee. We become someone’s mother.

Then, we get old and it’s time for us.”

Seighman values the friendships she has made as part of the Red Hats. Members are never alone in tough times. They look out for each other and lift each other’s spirits.

Seighman’s friends often call her for a “Martha fix,” a quick laugh or two, and she is always happy to oblige.

When members travel, they are never far from a Red Hat chapter ready to show some hospitality.

Seighman is counting the days to her next Red Hat adventure: an anniversary celebration in Atlanta. The highlight of the trip will be a “hospitali-tea” at the aquarium, catered by Wolfgang Puck.

“It’s gonna be three days of fun, frivolity and teas,” she said.

In other words, it will be your typical Red Hat affair.

BUSINESS & INDUSTRY

William Lowery says he and his team are always looking for easier, safer ways to keep up with standard operating procedures.

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SECURE FUTURE Job safety paving the way to retirement

By MONA MOORE Washington Daily News

I am very protective of my hands and my fingers. They mean a lot to me.”

The magnitude of the work done at Potash Corp. often amazes William Lowery.

In the 12 years he has worked as an operator for the company, Lowery’s appreciation for his employers has only grown. Potash may employ thousands worldwide, but Lowery has seen firsthand how the company values its employees.

He said he especially likes that his employers make employee health and safety a priority.

“In a job like that, it really matters that the first 15 minutes of every shift is safety meetings,” he said.

Employees are given tons of safety equipment, from safety vests to hardhats.

Lowery always uses his earplugs and gloves. As a bass guitarist in the band Boogie Dawgs, he values his hearing and his hands.

“I am very protective of my hands and my fingers. They mean a

lot to me,” he said.

Lowery is on the steering committee of the Light Keepers, a behavior-based system of peer-to-peer observation that was established to reduce risky work behavior.

The company also has health teams.

“We’re always looking for ways to make the job easier and safer,” he said.

Lowery loves the stability of the job and the flexibility of the hours. Because he works days one week and nights the next, Lowery said he doesn’t miss anything at home.

He can take care of errands, see family and handle “honey do” lists over the course of a month.

There is also plenty of time for fishing for bass and pan fish out of his backyard pond.

Because of Potash’s safety measures, Lowery said he knows he will be fishing for years to come.

“You can stay here for 30 years, retire and enjoy your life after retirement in good health,” he said.

COMMUNITY SERVICE

Brenda Rogers started Freedom for Friends in 2012 and has spent weekends building fences ever since. Rogers said 99.5 percent of every dollar contributed goes “to the dogs” — fence materials and vet costs — though she does buy stamps for the thank— you cards she sends volunteers.

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FREEDOM

Nonprofit sets chained dogs free, one fence at a time

By VAIL STEWART RUMLEY Washington Daily News

The best part is when I go back days, a week, afterwards, and get to talk to the people and watch them interact with their dog, which they didn’t really do before, all of a sudden they’re paying more attention to their dog.

The bond is noticeable — you can see the difference.”

Toot, Roscoe, Midnight and Yogi.

Night, Marley, King and Lightning.

Beast, Snow, Yacht — they’re all dogs, of all ages and breeds. The one thing they have in common?

They lived their lives at the end of a chain.

Not so anymore, thanks to one caring person and an army of volunteers.

In 2012, Brenda Rogers founded Freedom for Friends — its mission, to deliver the small luxury of a fenced-in yard to dog-owners who can’t afford to build their own.

It started small enough: a yard sale to raise money for the first fence, a group of friends who were willing to do the weekend work. Once people found out what Freedom for Friends was doing, the contributions, volunteers and those hopeful for a fence started to add up.

Rogers works as coordinator of computer support services for Beaufort County Community College, but one weekend a month, she and as many as 22 volunteers will descend on a yard and get to work. Total time it takes build a fence: 2 1/2 hours. So far, Freedom for Friends volunteers have built 19 fences for 25 dogs and 15 more fences are on the waiting list.

Volunteers range from kids to 80-year-olds, vet techs to professors. They are friends, family and animal-lovers.

“You don’t have to be a big brute of a person,” Rogers said. “There’s something for everyone to do and none of it is very hard.”

The reward for volunteering is watching an unchained dog romp around its new yard, in addition to the traditional after-fence-building party at Backwater Jack’s.

“Backwater Jack’s is the official host bar of our organization,” Rogers laughed. “When (owners Laura Scoble and Cathy Bell) are not working, they come out and build fences and half their staff does, too.”

The after-party may be fun, but for Rogers, it’s not what drives her to spend her weekends building fences.

“The best part is when I go back days, a week, afterwards, and get to talk to the people and watch them interact with their dog, which they didn’t really do before,” Rogers said. “All of a sudden they’re paying more attention to their dog.

The bond is noticeable — you can see the difference.”

There’s really only one requirement for a Freedom for Friends fence: dog-owners must agree to have their dog spayed or neutered, a procedure also paid for by the organization and part of Rogers’ effort to cut down on the number of animals who are euthanized in the county animal shelter.

“I’d like to think that eventually with time, we’re going to make a difference in the community,” Rogers said.

But if one were to ask Midnight, Yogi, Roscoe, Snow, and the rest: the difference has already been made — one fence at a time.

For more information, visit the Freedom for Friends Facebook page.

HISTORY

Gary Riggs in full Civil War Regalia.

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FROM THE PAST A love of history inspires historical re-enactor

By VAIL STEWART RUMLEY Washington Daily News

Most re-enactors actually do both sides, but I had numerous Confederate ancestors and five Union ancestors — believe it or not, they were all from North Carolina.”

To say Gary Riggs is a history buff is an understatement. At the age of 13, he knew what he wanted to do: become a historical re-enactor. At 15, he bought his first uniform, a handmade North Carolina depot jacket with matching military-style hat and pants — a Confederate private’s uniform — and his career as a re-enactor took off.

Thirty-some years later, Riggs has participated in Colonial and Civil War reenactments across North Carolina, in schools and at historical sites. He’s played an extra in two big-budget Hollywood movies, but his specialty is the often overlooked part of war, any war — the medical surgeries set up on battlefields and in camps.

In addition to period medical supplies he carries to re-enactments, Riggs owns many period uniforms, from both sides of the Civil War. “Most re-enactors actually do both sides,” Riggs explained. “But I had numerous Confederate ancestors and five Union ancestors — believe it or not, they were all from North Carolina.”

But Riggs’ specialty goes hand in hand with his community service. While

he works as an electrical contractor, Riggs also volunteers with Gardnerville Volunteer Fire Department.

When he attends reenactments, it’s often with dual roles: re-enactor and emergency medical provider.

Riggs’ period-looking medical bags are stocked with modern medical supplies, a detail that has meant life or death on at least one occasion, when a re-enactor loading a cannon 25 feet away from Riggs lost his hand to a misfire at a Plymouth re-enactment four years ago.

While the incident marks a low point for Riggs’ reenactment experiences, the highlights have been his work on the movies, “Gettysburg” and “Gods and Generals.”

“It’s exciting, when you go to Gettysburg and make a movie and you’re walking on the actual ground that it took place on,” Riggs said.

Riggs loves to do reenactments locally, to show people the events that actually happened in a given place, albeit many years ago, and that’s what creates the camaraderie he finds with other re-enactors.

“You meet different people, but they have the same passion to tell a story,” Riggs said. “Most of the people have a sincere love of history.”

ART

Carolyn Sleeper holds some of her unfinished work. Sleeper is owner of Slatestone Studio and is known for her whimsically styled, handbuilt clay creations.

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POTTER PARTY Good art, good times at Slatestone Studio

By VAIL STEWART RUMLEY Washington Daily News

I love it all — weaving, painting, all of it, but you can do it all with clay. And then you can eat out of it.”

There are some people who are blessed from a very young age — those who never doubt their calling and love every minute of “work” the rest of their lives have to offer.

That’s Carolyn Sleeper — artist, potter, teacher.

“I was always an artist.

Me and my sisters arted at home — we kind of competed with each other,” Sleeper said, adding that both sisters are artists too.

While Sleeper “taught forever” after she received a degree in art education from Morehead State University in Kentucky, she’s now well known for her whimsical, colorful, hand-built ceramics.

“I love it all — weaving, painting, all of it, but you can do it all with clay. And then you can eat out of it,” Sleeper laughed.

Sleeper didn’t do much with clay until she came across a kiln at a middle school where she taught, a kiln that had never been fired up though its five-year warranty had expired.

“I thought that was just wrong and made it my business to learn how to use it and then use it,” Sleeper said.

“And, boy, did mud get in my blood.”

Since, she’s moved away from functional and toward the decorative, using more color, under-glazes and doing

more hand-built works than she’s ever done before, a process she describes as “engineering.”

“You’re like the architect of clay and making something from nothing is just incredible. I don’t consider the potters wheel the endall in making pottery,” she explained. “About the most boring thing I could do would be to make a set of dishes. You can go to Walmart and buy dishes.”

Instead, her favorite thing to do is go to workshops, learn how to make something new then make it her own. Next, she’ll pass the newfound skill along to her students, of which there are many. At Slatestone Studio, Sleeper holds five classes a week and has two kilns to handle the sheer volume of work being created in her studio.

Much of her own work goes to a variety of festivals: Bath Fest, New Bern’s Eastern North Carolina Pottery Festival and Farmville’s Dogwood Festival, among many others. Locally, her work is sold at River Walk Gallery and Arts Center on Main Street in Washington.

“It’s all a blessing from God — I’ve just been very blessed,” Sleeper said. “Who would’ve thought I could come down here and set up my own business and have such a good time? It’s such a good time.

When I have classes, it’s not like classes, it’s like a party.”

AGRICULTURE

Steve Griffin holds a handful of wheat cut from his farm in the Big Swamp community.

Griffin’s son, Archie, a recent graduate of North Carolina State University, is the fifth generation of Griffins to farm eastern North Carolina land.

Profile | 2013 | 43

FAMILY TRADITION Fourth generation farmer still growing in Beaufort County

By VAIL STEWART RUMLEY Washington Daily News

In the spring of the year when you plant those little corn seeds and watch them grow — it’s hard to explain, but it’s a feeling you don’t want to give up.”

His father, his grandfather, his great-grandfather farmed the land of eastern North Carolina before him. Steve Griffin hadn’t planned on becoming a farmer — he went to college and studied business — but 38 years ago, when both land and duty called, Griffin came home to Beaufort County and took over the family tradition of growing.

“Farming is something that’s in your blood. Once you’re a farmer and been born on a farm, it’s what you do,” Griffin said.

Griffin’s spread occupies 1,500 acres in the Big Swamp community, out Washington’s Market Street Extension. At any given time of year, the constant cycle of agriculture is evidenced in the fields and the work. In midApril, Griffin and his employees (three full time, eight seasonal) can be found setting tobacco and planting corn. In June, wheat that’s grown through the winter is harvested while soybeans are planted. Late August, early September, the corn comes in and November brings the planting of wheat again.

“It’s a continuous cycle,” Griffin said.

It’s one not without risk, however. The difference between a good crop and none at all often hinges on the goodwill of Mother Nature.

“When you hear thunderstorms are coming up, a chance of hail or high wind,

it keeps you on edge. There’s nothing you can do to prevent it,” Griffin explained. “You’ve got to put a lot of faith in God and you do a lot of praying at times. In 15 minutes, it could all be gone.”

To Griffin, the risks are worth the rewards: there’s freedom in being his own boss and not having to punch a time clock. Being able to set his own schedule means that Griffin has dedicated much of his time to the farming community, sitting on many agriculture-related boards: North Carolina Tobacco Growers Association, the advisory board for Crop Production Service (a fertilizer and chemical company based in Belhaven), Wells Fargo advisory group and Beaufort County Farm Bureau. For some 20 years, he served as the elected chairman of Farm Service Agency, a governing body for farmers, and at the end of his 2013 term as vice president, will take over as president of the North Carolina Small Grain Growers Association.

“It’s been rewarding. It’s very educational sitting on those boards because you see what’s happening all over the state,” Griffin said. “The problems we have — they’re problems everywhere.”

But Griffin points out that the most rewarding part of his job comes down to the land itself: “In the spring of the year when you plant those little corn seeds and watch them grow — it’s hard to explain, but it’s a feeling you don’t want to give up.”

PERSON OF THE YEAR

Cliff Harvell, disaster response superintendent for the North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church, says there is still much work to be done. To see how you can help, call 888-440-9167.

Donations may be made to NCCUMC – Hurricane Irene, 700 Waterfield Ridge Place, Garner, NC 27529, attention: Chrisy Powell.

PHOTO BY WILL PRESLAR

Profile | 2013 | 45

‘THE LEAST, THE LAST, THE LOST’ Harvell answers call to provide disaster relief

By MONA MOORE Washington Daily News

In the year and a half since Hurricane Irene devastated eastern North Carolina, the N.C. United Methodist Church Disaster Relief Fund has been a godsend to more than 550 families.

At the helm of the organization’s rebuilding efforts is Superintendent Cliff Harvell. The Methodist minister gave up his post with two churches in order to lead disaster recovery efforts.

To date, the organization has completed more than 550 rebuilds and recently started its sixth new home.

“It’s wonderful,” Harvell said. “We give God all the praise and glory for what we’ve been able to do. We’re just so thankful for what we’ve been able to do with the funding and volunteers.”

The organization has enough work to keep them busy through the year, barring no more hurricanes. They have four more homes to build and 150 requests for help to answer.

“We’re at that point now where I’m starting to see the end of the tunnel,” he said.

The organization closed down the Manteo Center and opened one in Stumpy Point where there are still about four or five jobs to complete.

Most of the remaining work is either in Hyde County or north of the Pamlico River.

The last 150 requests are some of the most difficult. They include homes that have been put on the back burner because of zoning, costs or code issues.

Harvell’s biggest fear is that funding will run out before all requests are answered.

With Hurricane Floyd, the organization had about 125 requests that went unanswered.

One of his roles as superintendent of the operation is seeking funding. He speaks to churches and civic groups regularly. The challenge is to keep people informed of the need that still exists more than 18 months

after a hurricane.

“I’ve been talking to people all the way down the east coast to bring the money in,” he said.

“We’ve been blessed. We’ve been able to bring in new funding,” he said. “But we’ve got some (requests) we still might not get to.”

Harvell also acts as an advocate for the homeowners, cutting through red tape with insurance companies and federal agencies to acquire the necessary funds.

In some cases, Harvell has had to submit documentation multiple times and challenge insurance companies that claimed damage was due to “deferred maintenance” instead of the hurricane. He recalled one case where he had to show that a roof was supposed to last for 25 years and had been blown away after only 20 years.

“Not only did we get the money we asked for, but $500 more,” he said, grinning.

One of the biggest roles Harvell plays is that of volunteer coordinator. In the past 18 months, the organization has had somewhere in the neighborhood of 6,500 volunteers from 32 states who have completed more than 150,000 volunteer hours.

“I’ve been amazed what we’ve been able to do with the funding that we’ve had,” Harvell said. “Somebody said it’s like we make dollars out of pennies.”

The organization receives no federal funding. Through donations, the disaster relief fund has managed to devote about $15,000 to each project.

Harvell understands what volunteer groups expect from the experience and does everything he can to meet those expectations. The number of repeats he gets, volunteers who return for another week of work, is proof he is on the right track.

At the end of the day, volunteers want to feel they have accomplished something.

They look for projects with plenty of leadership on the building site and plenty of work at the ready.

“We’ve got to keep teams busy,” he said.

Many of the volunteers are with church groups who want to stay in a place together, a place with a kitchen and a space to commune together at the end of the day.

Volunteers also want to meet the people they are helping. They want a name and a face, a person to hug and relate to.

One of Harvell’s favorite moments was when he witnessed the reaction of a homeowner who had been away during the installation of a ramp and the painting of her home. A group of college students completed the work in the six hours she was out of the house.

“It was like that TV program, “Home Improvement,” Harvell said. “When we came around the corner, she started crying and said she never thought she would see her house painted again. The kids just fell in love with her and she gave God the praise for the gift.”

Because volunteer teams know they will get the experience they seek at Harvell’s sites, he has been able to call and book them for multiple visits.

“This fall has been questionable. We’re hoping we can get on the phone and get teams to come back to us,” Harvell said.

He said the same thing last year. There is always a lull in volunteers in the fall that Harvell manages to fill.

Harvell became a minister about 25 to 30 years ago.

“I just felt I was being called to help the least, the last and the lost,” he said. “I truly feel that, as believers, we are all called to help the least, the last and the lost. I don’t care where you are, there is someone you can help.”

Harvell thought that help would always be a pastor, but he has found a rewarding life in disaster relief.

“We’ve just done tremendous work in God’s name to help the people that needed the help,” he said. “This is where I was needed.”

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As one of the largest employers in eastern North Carolina, we value our employees and contractors.

While PotashCorp plays an integral role in global food production, the Aurora facility does more than produce phosphate products for agriculture, animal nutrition and industrial uses. With more than 900 employees and hundreds of contractors, we are a driving economic force in eastern North Carolina.

PotashCorp-Aurora provides jobs in eastern North Carolina, and these employees help us feed the world.

Helping nature provide.