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Harold Robinson
LAKE
MATTAMUSKEET TOASTY, TASTY WINTER RECIPES
THE
BALL COACH
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022 WASHINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022 | WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE • 1
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In this issue
FEATURES & DEPARTMENTS LOCAL LEGEND 22
ON THE COVER
THE BALL COACH
Harold Robinson has spent his life on the football sidelines of Eastern N.C.
22 HOME BY DARK 26
LAKE MATTAMUSKEET
This National Wildlife Refuge is a day-trip from Washington
26
22 PRESERVING THE PAST 32
GUIDE TO HISTORY
Local archivist helps people navigate Beaufort County’s past
IN EVERY ISSUE 50 54
32 WHAT'S TO EAT 40
GRAB A BOWL
Dish up a hearty, winter dinner with these favorite soups
50 40 4 • WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022
Cast a Line Why I Love Washington
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Publisher Ashley Vansant Editorial Steve Barnes Brandon Tester Contributors Richard Andrews Kimberly Elks Davenport Vail Stewart Rumley Karen Thiel Advertising Director David Singleton Marketing & Sales Kristen Smith Michelle Brewer Distribution Kim Riggs Art Direction Ryan Webb
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LOCAL ICON
Harold Robinson THE BALL COACH
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WASHINGTON’S HALL OF FAMER Two state championship rings at Williamston High School, a Conference USA ring from ECU and numerous ones from various bowl games make up Harold Robinson's collection.
Harold Robinson’s life on the sidelines STORY BY STEVE BARNES
Harold Robinson was the ECU football program's Director of High School Relations from 2003-2015. 14 • WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022
A
20-year old Harold Robinson, Jr. was excited to report for his first preseason football training camp at East Carolina University in the summer of 1969. Two years of hard work were about to pay off for the Washington native who, as a kid, dreamed about playing for the Pam Pack and maybe beyond that in college.
Two state championship rings at Williamston High School, a Conference USA ring from ECU and numerous ones from various bowl games make up Harold Robinson's collection.
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Two state championship rings at Williamston High School, a Conference USA ring from ECU and numerous ones from various bowl games make up Harold Robinson's collection.
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Williamston High School defeated Graham HS, 40-20 to complete a 15-0 season in 1999.
Former Duke and St. Louis Cardinals offensive lineman Mike McGee was in his first year as a head coach as Robinson arrived on campus. He cut an imposing figure at 6’1 and 230 lbs. and, back in his playing days, was named the best offensive lineman in the country before the Cardinals took him as the 14th pick in the 1960 draft. McGee needed to chat with his Washington walk-on about a medical issue that needed immediate attention. “I developed epilepsy when I was 12 and had seizures every now and then,” Robinson said. “According to NCAA rules, if a player had three seizures, he couldn’t play anymore and Coach McGee was concerned about me taking a blow to the head and not recovering. He told me to go home and talk it over with my parents and also said I would always have a spot on his team.” The Robinsons discussed it and young Harold headed back to Greenville determined to play for the Pirates. After all, a broken left arm as a sophomore, grade problems as a junior and
a knee injury that wouldn’t heal his senior year sharply curtailed a promising high school athletic career. A healthy post-graduate year at Randolph-Macon Academy led to success on the football field, basketball court and baseball diamond, so Robinson wasn’t going to let all that go to waste. “When I trotted onto the field the next day, Coach McGee gave me a look I will never forget and asked me what I was doing on his field,” Robinson said. McGee pointed toward the locker room and a confused, crestfallen Robinson trudged slowly that way. He had no idea why he was being sent away, but realized his playing days were over. When he finally made it through the locker room door, his future was laid out in front of him. “I had a locker stall with my name on it in the coaches section, a whistle, a hat, shirt, pants and the coolest pair of coaches shoes I had ever seen,” Robinson said. “That’s where it
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started and I never looked back.” He coached the freshman linebackers and wideouts, not much younger than him, and was in charge of equipment that first year. McGee went back to Duke after a 3-8 campaign and another NFL veteran, Sonny Randle moved up from his staff to assume the reins. Robinson’s duties increased, and by the time graduation came in 1972, he had done just about everything a young assistant could do. Well enough, it turned out, for Randle to offer him a graduate fellowship to stay on another year. “I was in on all the meetings and learned all the positions,” Robinson said. “There’s no way a student would have that kind of opportunity today. It was an invaluable experience and set the tone for the rest of my career.” What a career it turned out to be. Later this year, the 1967 Washington High School graduate will be inducted into his fifth Hall of Fame after a 42-year coaching career that included multiple state championships at Williamston High School, being one of the founding members of the North Carolina Football Coaches Association, nine Coach of the Year awards by different organizations and shaping the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas into a multiple-day event. Robinson also served as Williamston High’s Athletic Director and Assistant Principal during his 24-year tenure. The North Carolina High School Athletic Association will induct him as part of the Class of 2022 in August. Robinson joins boyhood hero, high school coach and coaching mentor, J.G. “Choppy” Wagner as Washingtonians in the state-wide shrine. “I’m very honored and quite surprised to be among such an amazing group of players and coaches,” Robinson said. “The biggest names in North Carolina high school sports history are in there and I’m very humbled to join them.”
Grey, Hope and Will Robinson watch their dad coach at Williamston High School.
It all started in a house on 10th street in a neighborhood of sports-crazy kids during an era when they played outside all day every day, whatever sport happened to be in season until the streetlights came on, signaling that it was time to go home. “Mickey and Steve Cochran, Ted Day and Billy Pittman were my neighbors and we played everything,” Robinson recalled. “My house was right behind the old Washington High School and we knew from a young age that anybody who was anybody played for the Pam Pack. Friday nights at Kugler Field were sacred back then. We’d ride our bikes over there and scale the wall to watch the games because we didn’t have any money to get in.” Robinson watched Bartow Houston, Wade Marslender, the Cochran brothers and many more, coached by the legendary Wagner. While shooting baskets in the gym one
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summer day, Robinson, then a proud fifth grader, saw Wagner walk through and gathered the nerve to ask if he needed a water boy that fall. “He sized me up for a minute, then asked if I would be at every practice and every game,” Robinson recalled. “I said yes sir and that was the best day of my life to that point. I was around the coaches every day during the season and knew the offense and defense as well as the players did. We ran the Wing-T and never threw the ball, so I picked it up quickly.” Fast-forward 15 years or so, and the young ECU assistant had earned his Master’s in Health and Physical Education and was looking for a job. He landed at Smithfield-Selma High School in Johnston County for the 197374 school year. The following summer, he got a call from Williamston head coach Dink
Robinson has nine grandchildren. From left: Thaddeus Robinson, McCoy Jack, Zach Robinson, Emory Jack, Drew Palmer, Zoe Robinson, Paxton Jack, Geren Palmer and Calista Robinson.
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Robinson has multiple peices of memorabilia from his alma mater.
Mills with an offer to become his defensive coordinator. Robinson stayed until 2003, with many accolades and accomplishments along the way. The 1995 Tigers finished 13-2 and won the state title over Swain County, 21-7, then went 15-0 in ’99 with a 40-20 victory over Graham. He also coached four state runner-up teams, won seven conference titles and made 16 playoff appearances. His career record of 231-94 ranks among the best in state history with one school. Robinson was also the school’s athletic director, in charge of 17 sports and served as an assistant principal from 1995-2003. He led the North Carolina team to victory in the 2002 Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas with national high school player of the year Chris Leak at quarterback and future top overall NFL
draft pick Mario Williams on his roster. Leak was part of a 109 game winning streak at Charlotte Independence, while Williams wreaked havoc at Richlands High School before doing the same at North Carolina State and in the pros. “The Shrine Bowl always brought the best players and coaches from North and South Carolina together for a week and it was a ton of fun,” Robinson said. “It was really neat being around those young men and comparing notes with the coaches.”
BACK ON THE PIRATESHIP Robinson re-joined his alma mater in 2004 in the last year of the short John Thompson coaching era as the Director of High School Relations, then stayed on under Skip Holtz and
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Ruffin McNeill. He handled on-campus recruiting visits and was the point of contact for high schools and junior colleges across the country. The Pirates won the Conference-USA championship in 2008 over Tulsa and the following year over Houston, with eight bowl trips thrown in at the end of the season. Robinson created a seminar to help high school guidance counselors, principals, athletic directors and coaches in all sports understand NCAA recruiting guidelines. 13 people attended the first one before it eventually grew to 300. He also coordinated the Pirates spring clinics and summer camps and broke down game film to help prepare for the next opponent.
Two of the Pirates all-time greats, Justin Hardy (back left) and Shane Cardin hang out in the ECU weight room with grandsons Drew (middle) and Geren Palmer (right) and thier friend Will Rayne.
Robinson worked under three head coaches at ECU: John Thompson, Skip Holtz and Ruffin McNeil
“It was always about the players, high school or college,” Robinson said. “Senior night and graduation day were always very emotional because It was hard to say goodbye after having them during four pivotal years in their lives. I got into coaching to be a positive influence on a young person’s life, just like my coaches were for me. The best part is when they come back to say hello. That’s better than winning a state title.” Robinson stays busy with a part-time job at a local auto parts store and umpires high school baseball and softball in the spring and summer. He has three grown children, two in Maryland and one in Durham and likes to spend as much time as possible with wife Tracey, sitting on the porch overlooking the Pamlico River. “I think about how lucky and blessed I am for the opportunities I’ve had,” Robinson said. “I’ve had many positive influences in my life, starting with my parents and I’m very grateful to all of them. I couldn’t have accomplished anything without the players, coaches and administrators who helped me along the way.”
Robinson with wife Tracey at the New Orleans Bowl.
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HOME BY DARK
Pictured is a flock of swans at Lake Mattamuskeet. (Allie Stewart / U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) 24 • WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022
Lake Mattamuskeet JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022 | WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE • 25
LOOKING FOR THE
This photo shows a sunset at Lake Mattamuskeet. (Allie Stewart / U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)
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DRINK MACHINE
Lake Mattamuskeet is long on history, short on modern amenities BY DAVID SINGLETON
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ome days just cry out for a slow ride; a meticulously unplanned excursion where you can almost track the sun arcing over the bluest of winter skies. Those days happen often for me, and it’s usually not about a destination per sé. It’s funny to think about, but these are the kind of days where you’re chasing a feeling as much as anything. It’s hard to pin down, but it sounds like something the French would have a word for. The Algonquin have a name for it too. They call it Mattamuskeet. Translated literally, the Native American name for the largest lake this side of Gitche Gumee means ‘Dry Dust’, which to my mind is a surprisingly impractical and let’s face it, boring description. Anchoring Hyde County like a 130-square-mile primordial bathtub, Lake Mattamuskeet is a no-frills time machine, a quiet yet stark portal into the more existential road trip of dear old Mother Earth. Folklore of this terrestrial birthmark is interesting, if not head-scratching. The Natives say that a massive peat fire, just below a dense forest, carved a two-foot divot out of the soggy earth. However, the subsequent presence of zillions of small game fish confounds even the most forgiving of forensic naturalists. Mercifully, I’m not here to sleuth the Earth’s miraculous catalog of unexplainable occurrences, I’m just here for a day trip to a place that time forgot. The quick drive out is its own reward — you can feel civilization fade into the woodwork of the rail-thin Carolina Pines. From Washington, head east on Highway 264 for an hour a half and look for the weather-beaten sign. If you should find yourself in the tiny but proud fishing community of Engelhard, you’ve gone to too far. It’s not that you can’t access the lake from that vantage point, you can. It’s just not the Holy Grail experience you’re looking for. Egypt has its Pyramids, Rome has its Cathedrals and Lake Mattamuskeet has… the Lodge. It’s ground zero for any half- serious and deliberate walkabout.
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A wildlife-viewing platform at Lake Mattamuskeet Wildlife Refuge. (Garry Tucker / U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)
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Built over a hundred years ago as a colossal million-gallon-per-minute pumping station, this monument to man’s ingenuity and stubbornness has seen better days. Now closed to the public, all you can do is wonder about its strange history from behind the rusty chain links. Generations have tried to tame this lake, successfully pumping out untold millions of gallons to reveal the 50,000 acres of lush soil underneath. For a brief time, it was an agricultural Mecca and a good idea in theory. After all, it worked in Holland. It would’ve worked here too had it not been for the slow but relentless forces of nature, feeding water back into the basin, burning out the pumps and making the whole enterprise a formidable money pit. Eventually, farmers found other, less obstinate fields to sow, and allowed Mattamuskeet a chance to return to its old form. With a little of help from Uncle Sam, the ole’ gal made a mid-life transformation from pumping plant to hunting lodge, affording the Sporting Set the opportunity to enjoy the finer things in a location that is considered nothing less than bird hunting nirvana. With eighteen lodging rooms, a full service restaurant and an observation tower that would let you take in the bottomless scenery, it was another grand but short-lived experiment. For lodgers, the main draw was the seasonal appearance of the redoubtable Tundra Swan. Each December, these fifteen-pound flying fortresses swoop down from Northeast Alaska, cruising at speeds of up to sixty miles per hour, day and night, to reach their winter
home in Eastern Carolina. Then they regroup and head back in early spring, minus those who fell quarry to what was probably some pretty heavy shot. For those that make it, it’s a twelvethousand mile round trip. Others roost farther to the west in Alaska and make their annual migration to Northern California, saving their feathers considerable wear and tear. How these oversized balls of fluff hone in on this one particular reservoir remains a mystery, but I don’t have to know everything. I’m just hiking the heavy grass trails and trying to spot one of these modern day albatross; or even hear their distinctive French horn-like honks. I felt like a thirsty tourist walking the motel breezeways, looking for the drink machine… lost but determined. Correctly suspecting that there would be no foodservice here, I packed a can of smoked oysters and a sleeve of saltines in my bag. Imagining having to explain myself to the Park Ranger, I decided to leave the Chenin Blanc on the kitchen counter. I was relegated instead to the last few slurps from a styrofoam vat of fast food iced tea. In retrospect, it was a fairly satisfying combination. Then, sitting on the tailgate and trying to be as still as possible, I realize that I had found what I was looking for. Or at least I think I had. The cry of the seagull and the distant gunshot are all part of the silence here. It’s fleeting to be sure, but that very specific, yet ultimately vague mood washed over me like a wave of cool December air. It’s a destination within a destination, but it’s not hard to find if you know where to look.
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PRESERVING THE PAST
Farrell said there is “nowhere housing anything like what we have” at the Brown Library. He said there is plenty of unpublished material within the history room.
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YOUR GUIDE TO LOCAL HISTORY Archivist helps people from around the world navigate Beaufort County’s past STORY BY KAREN THIEL PHOTOGRAPHY BY BRANDON TESTER
W
hat do cookbooks from 1895, a set of confederate soldier’s gloves, ledgers from businesses open in 1789, land deeds from 1724, old bibles full of family genealogies, nautical maps of the entire state of North Carolina, and a complete list of Beaufort County’s cemeteries have in common? Those items and much, much more are part of a new archive now open to the public at the George H. and Laura E. Brown Memorial Library. The collection has been accumulating “in several parts of the building from people who have been donating for 111 years, since the library first opened its doors,” said Stephen Farrell, who became the library’s reference specialist and archivist just over a year ago. “We knocked out a wall for the actual archive,”
he said of the space, which is part of the Local History Room. A quick tour will boggle the mind of anyone not familiar with the vast amount of available historical information about Washington and Beaufort County. Farrell said the 61 collections currently housed there include material from Mayflower families who lived in town, seafaring journals back to the 1750s, land deeds back to 1724, letters from residents alive during the Civil War, antique area maps, charts, political and business ledgers, family histories, a wide variety of historical publications including African American history dating back to the Colonial Period, and a definitive set of Colonial North Carolina records dating from 1662 – decades before the Revolutionary War began in 1775 – all the way through 1790. Among his most treasured items, Farrell has carefully protected numerous historical clothing items including a ring made from a Confederate soldier’s button for 7-year-old Matilda Lamb Morton, and that fabled set of gloves, which
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Documents from Beaufort County’s past are examined and stored within the Brown Library’s history wing.
Various historic displays can be found in and around the library’s history room. 34 • WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022
The history room contains a wide selection of books detailing the history of Beaufort County and surrounding areas.
The library’s microfilm reader is one of many tools visitors can use to learn about Beaufort County’s history. Farrell is pictured looking at a past edition of The Washington Daily News.
were worn by Col. John C. Lamb of Martin County, still blood-stained from the day he was killed in battle. A fountain of local information, Farrell will tell visitors about practically anything relating to Washington – including the fact that a female baseball team actually existed in town in 1923. “We have vast amounts of unpublished material here. To my knowledge, there is nowhere housing anything like what we have. There aren’t a lot of 1924 deeds floating down the Pamlico, but you can find them here,” Farrell quipped, adding that the entire collection has been catalogued for easy access by library patrons and staff, including two
computers set up for microfilm searches. “If we don’t have it, we can find it through the Cardinal System, which extends our reach through most libraries statewide. If you can’t find something, I will help. There are all kinds of different channels to find the information people are looking for.” More is in store for the archive, and coming soon. An internet-based addition to available information is expected to launch in March as part of the library’s 111th birthday celebration. “It will be a living archive, not ever complete, always living and always changing,” Farrell said, “because this area is always changing.” Word has spread quickly about the
archive’s storehouse of information. Farrell said inquiries have come from as far away as Spain and France. Visitors have arrived from New England, California and Washington State, often spending several days in town for research – and walking tours. “There are also lots of builders currently restoring local sites. There is renewed interest in historically correct buildings, in terms of returning a facade or interior to original shape, and our pictures and information about historically correct buildings are helping that happen,” he said. Appointments for help with larger projects are available at no cost for history buffs, genealogy fans, or anyone interested in the
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Brown Library archivist Stephen Farrell stands next to a painting of the library. Farrell works in the library’s history room, where he maintains various artifacts, documents and other items from Beaufort County’s past.
topics that have been a lifetime attraction for Farrell, who is a graduate of UNC Pembroke. “I grew up liking all this stuff. History has always fascinated me, but this whole history room can be overwhelming for people who aren’t used to it. I can help answer their questions,” said Farrell, who has garnered praise from community leaders on the Historic Port of Washington Project, where he recently accepted the challenge of becoming its current vice president. “Stephen has done a magnificent job, preserving everything in a manner that it can be retrieved. HPOW doesn’t have the ability to do that, but Stephen is doing it the correct way,” said HPOW trustee Henry Blount Rumley, whose family line dates back
at least three generations in Washington and Beaufort County. Former HPOW vice president Gillian Hookway Jones, now also a trustee, added to Rumley’s praise, noting that Farrell has been “a fabulous synergistic player in our organization’s leadership. He has shared access to the archive’s materials so, among other things, we could publish a calendar featuring vintage images from the past.” Farrell also arranged for his father, an avid history buff and collector, to loan priceless World War Two uniforms from several countries for a recent HPOW exhibit relating to that period of history. “Our town and county are unique in that we go back to the Revolutionary War,” Jones said, “and we just want to encourage the
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general public to use and appreciate these new resources. If you come across something that has anything to do with Beaufort County and local history, don’t throw those things away! If you find them in a cardboard box in the attic, they are probably precious! Bring them to Stephen!” The George H. and Laura E. Brown Memorial Library is located at 122 Van Norden Street in Washington. Appointments with Farrell may be requested by calling 252946-4300, selecting extension 105, and leaving a message with name and contact information. Masking guidelines and other COVIDrelated information is available by dialing the main number and speaking to whichever staff member answers.
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WHAT'S TO EAT
SOUP’S ON! Warm up your winter with some toasty, tasty fare FOOD PREP, PHOTOGRAPHS AND STORY BY VAIL STEWART RUMLEY
C
ome winter, eastern North Carolina is home to a unique kind of cold — the kind that “gets in your bones.” Best thing to ward it off ? A bowl of hearty goodness straight from the kitchens of some of the best cooks in Beaufort County. Whether it’s a spicy chili accompanying a Sunday afternoon football game on TV or a steaming bowl of chicken noodle soup to ease a cold, these soups and chowders will warm you up from the inside out. Here’s a serving of soup history: long known for its restorative powers, soup dates back to the Paleolithic Age when our closest ancient human relatives, Neanderthals, are thought to have boiled bones to render fats, resulting in a drinkable broth, according to the Campbell’s Soup website. The first example of a soup bowl, discovered in China, dates back to 20,000 BC, but it was the Romans who spread the delight, and recipes, for soup across the Roman Empire. What made a soup was what grew locally, and it’s still the case for many of these recipes that have been handed down through generations. From Mickie Johnston’s Clam Chowder to Donna Parker’s Old Fashioned Bean Soup, these delicious dishes make the most of eastern North Carolina bounty. Serve them up with a side of Milford Mann’s Jalapeno Cornbread or Ruthie Carter’s creamy Buttermilk Macaroni and Cheese, and you’ll have just the recipe to shake off that winter chill.
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CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP RECIPE BY VAIL STEWART RUMLEY Split chicken breasts (more than 2 pounds); 6 celery stalks; 6 large carrots; 2 white onions; 1 yellow onion; 1 head of garlic; 1 rutabaga, peeled; 5 sprigs of fresh thyme; 3 bay leaves; a handful of whole black peppercorns; 2 teaspoons salt; package of wide egg noodles; 1 tablespoon olive oil; water. The key to this recipe is the homemade chicken stock. Chop celery and carrots into large chunks; slice onions, garlic head and rutabaga in half. Add to a large Dutch oven, along bay leaves, peppercorns, salt and three sprigs of fresh thyme. Add the chicken breasts and cover with water. Bring to boil, then simmer, partially covered, for at least an hour. Remove stock from heat, place chicken in a bowl to cool, then pour the rest of the contents into a strainer sitting in a large bowl. Keep the stock; discard the vegetables. Shred the chicken when it’s cool enough to touch, dice yellow onion and slice remaining celery stalks and carrots. In the same Dutch oven, sauté celery and carrots in olive oil until just tender. Add the chicken stock, remaining two sprigs of thyme and bay leaf, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Add shredded chicken and 3/4 of the package of wide egg noodles. Serve when noodles are cooked through. (Cook’s note: the noodles tend to absorb any salt you add to the soup, so plan to have a salt shaker on the table, and let everyone salt to taste! Sourdough bread goes great with a bowl of this soup.)
TOMATO BASIL CREAM SOUP
CLAM CHOWDER
RECIPE BY DEBBIE CLANCY “WITHOUT A DOUBT, ST. THOMAS’ BEST,” ST. THOMAS EPISCOPAL CHURCH, BATH 4 shallots, diced; 1/2 pound leeks, chopped; 1 celery stalk, chopped; 2/3 garlic cloves, pressed; 2 tablespoons oil; 2 (14-ounce) cans Italian-style tomatoes, undrained and chopped; 1 tablespoon dried basil; 2 (14 1/2-ounce) cans chicken broth; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 1 cup whipping cream. Cook shallots, leeks, celery and garlic in hot oil in a Dutch oven for 10 to 12 minutes over low heat or until tender (do not brown). Add tomatoes and 1 tablespoon basil; cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Add broth and salt. Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for one hour. Cool. Process mixture in food processor or blender until smooth. At this point, you may cover and freeze up to one month (then remove from freezer and thaw in refrigerator). Heat in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in whipping cream. Cook, stirring constantly, until heated through — do not boil.
RECIPE BY MICKIE JOHNSTON “KEYS TO THE KITCHEN, GRACEFULLY REKEYED,” ST. PETER’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH, WASHINGTON 6 to 8 slices bacon, cooked; 1 cup minced onion; 1 cup finely chopped green pepper; 1 1/2 cloves garlic; 8-10 cups water; 4 cups diced potatoes; 1 cup diced celery; 2-3 teaspoons salt, or to taste; 1/2 teaspoon black pepper; 1/4 red pepper pod; 1 teaspoon thyme; 1 quart clams (30), chopped. Cook bacon until crisp. Remove from skillet. Sauté onion, green pepper and garlic in bacon drippings. Put potatoes and water in Dutch oven with contents of skillet. Add celery, salt, pepper, red pepper pod, thyme, clams and crumbled bacon. Simmer for two hours or more. Makes eight servings. JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022 | WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE • 41
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PORTER CHILI
JALAPENO CORN BREAD RECIPE BY MILFORD MANN “SECOND HEAVENLY HELPINGS,” SWAN QUARTER BAPTIST CHURCH, SWAN QUARTER 1 cup self-rising cornmeal; 1/2 cup shredded cheese; 1 small onion, diced; 3/4 cup milk; 1 egg; 1/2 stick butter, melted; 1/4 cup jalapenos, chopped; 1 teaspoon sugar. Mix all ingredients together. Pour into a baking dish or skillet. Cook at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.
RECIPE BY VAIL STEWART RUMLEY 1 to 1 1/2 pounds ground beef; 1 yellow onion, diced; 1 clove garlic, minced; 2 tablespoons chili powder; 2 tablespoons ground cumin; 1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle pepper; 1 teaspoon salt; 1 teaspoon salt; 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper; 2 tablespoons tomato paste; 1 (15-ounce) can of diced tomatoes; 1 (15-ounce) can dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed; 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed; 1 (12-ounce) bottle of porter beer; chopped cilantro; sour cream (or Greek yogurt); shredded cheddar; diced fresh jalapenos. Pour tablespoon of olive oil into a large saucepan or Dutch oven. Over medium heat, sauté onion and garlic until onions are transparent. Add ground beef and cook until browned, stirring occasionally. Add chili powder, cumin, ground chipotle, salt and pepper; stir over heat until well blended. Add tomato paste and sugar; stir until blended. Add diced tomatoes (with the juice), kidney beans and black beans to the mix and stir some more. Pour in the bottle of porter and bring to a low boil. Simmer anywhere from half an hour to a couple of hours — if the liquid gets low, just add a bit of water. Serve with chopped cilantro, sour cream (or Greek yogurt), shredded cheddar and diced fresh jalapenos. (Cook’s note: spice this dish up with a 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper!)
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BUTTERMILK MACARONI AND CHEESE RECIPE BY RUTHIE CARTER “HEAVENLY TREASURES,” HODGES CHAPEL PH CHURCH, CHOCOWINITY 7-ounce box small elbow macaroni (cooked); 1 stick butter, melted; 3 eggs; 2 1/2 cups buttermilk; 2 pinches salt; pinch of sugar; ground red pepper (sprinkle); black pepper to taste; 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded.\ Cook macaroni for seven minutes in salted water; drain. Beat eggs and add to melted butter. Add buttermilk, sugar and ground red pepper to butter Fold in cheese and cooked macaroni. Pour into greased 8-inch-by-8-inch dish. Bake at 350 degrees, uncovered, for 45 to 50 minutes.
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SHIRLEY’S CORN CHOWDER RECIPE BY SHIRLEY STOKES “SAY GRACE,” GRACE LUTHERAN CHURCH, WASHINGTON 4 slices bacon; 2 tablespoons finely diced onion; 2 cups potatoes, finely diced or julienned; 1 (14-ounce) can chicken or vegetable broth; 1 cup celery, finely diced; 2 medium carrots, shredded on a grater; 1 teaspoon salt; 1/2 teaspoon pepper; 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme; 1 (16-ounce) can plain diced tomatoes; 2 cups fresh or frozen white corn; 1/6 cup cream or half and half; snipped parsley or chives to garnish. Dice the bacon and brown in a Dutch oven or frying pan until crisp. Add the onion and cook until soft. Set aside in slow cooker. To the bacon and onion mixture, add the potatoes, broth, celery, carrots and seasonings. Simmer until potatoes are tender. Add the tomatoes and corn; bring to boil gently. Remove from heat and add the cream. Gently reheat and serve with parsley or chives as garnish. (Note: Shirley recommends using Food Lion’s shredded hash browns on the dairy aisle. It saves a lot of work!)
OLD FASHIONED BEAN SOUP RECIPE BY DONNA PARKER “A TASTE OF HEAVEN,” WARE’S CHAPEL UNITED METHODIST CHURCH, WASHINGTON 1 pound dry navy beans, or beans of choice (soak overnight); 2 quarts water; 1 pound ham bones or ham pieces; 1 teaspoon salt; 5 whole peppercorns or 1/2 teaspoon pepper; 1/2 cup chopped celery leaves; 1 medium onion, chopped; 1 bay leaf, optional. Put all ingredients in a crockpot. Cover and cook 10 to 12 hours on low, or five to six hours on high if beans have been pre-soaked. Makes 2 1/2 quarts.
HERBED VEGETABLE AND POLISH SAUSAGE CHOWDER RECIPE BY JAN DE HOOG “WELKOM, TERRA CEIA COOKBOOK III,” TERRA CEIA CHRISTIAN SCHOOL, TERRA CEIA 1/2 pound Polish sausage, thinly sliced; 1/2 cup celery, diced; 16 ounces Green Giant American Mixtures Wester Style frozen potatoes, green beans, onion and red peppers or 3-4 fresh potatoes, 1/2 an onion, 1 can beans and 1 red pepper; 14 1/2 ounce can chicken broth; 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard; 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves; 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley flakes; 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano leaves; 1 bay leaf; 2 cups half and half or milk; 4 teaspoons corn starch. In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, over medium-high heat, combine sausage and celery; cook until lightly browned. Drain; add vegetables, chicken broth, mustard, thyme, parsley, oregano and bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer four to five minutes or until vegetables are crisp and tender. Stir in 1 1/2 cups of the half and half. In a small bowl, combine the remaining half and half and corn starch; blend well. Gradually stir into chowder. Cook over medium heat 10 to 12 minutes or until chowder is thickened and bubbly, stirring constantly. Remove bay leaf. Makes 4, 1 1/2 cup servings.
ADVERTISER INDEX Adams & Associates
Page 9
Kenefick, Gail/Coldwell Banker Coastal Rivers Realty
Page 23
Allstate Insurance/Ryan Whitford
Page 23
King Chicken
Page 2
Avalanche Motorsports
Page 38
Little Washington Sailing School
Page 37
BCS Recognition
Page 10
Nan McLendon
Page 52
Beaufort County Schools
Page 51
Precision Eye
Page 9
Bertie County Peanuts
Page 8
Respess Real Estate/United Country Real Estate
Page 52
Big Bargain Furniture
Page 55
Truist Wealth/Scott West
Page 52
Carryout by Chrislyn
Page 37
Slade landscaping
Page 8
Century 21
Page 39
Sloan Insurance
Page 37
City of Washington
Page 22
State Farm Insurance/Mauri Evans
Page 52
Coldwell Banker Coastal Rivers Realty
Page 3
Stewart's Jewelry Store
Page 7
Daughtridge Patio & Hearth
Page 9
The Rich Company
Page 6
Dave Alton Agency
Page 9
Tideland EMC
Page 53
East Coast Radiator
Page 22
Vidant Beaufort Hospital
Page 56
Executive Personnel Group
Page 22
Washington Funeral Home
Page 11
Feyer Ford
Page 5
Washington Montessori
Page 8
First Bank
Page 23
Wine and Words
Page 37
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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022 | WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE • 49
CAST A LINE
Spring brings March Shadness
S
STORY AND PHOTOGRAPH BY CAPT. RICHARD ANDREWS
pring is a much anticipated time of year for fisherman on the Pamlico River. For the true river rats, spring brings many options: shad in lower Tar, stripers in the lower Tar and upper Pamlico, speckled trout in the creeks off the Pamlico, and puppy drum in the higher saline marshes of the lower Pamlico. One of my favorite pastimes of early spring is fishing for the “poor man’s tarpon” or shad. They are aptly named because of their amazing fighting ability on light tackle and ability to make acrobatic leaps in the air in attempt to throw your hook. Growing up in Tarboro as boy, I remember all the die-hard shadsters hitting the river early in the spring and getting a jump on most of the other fishermen. Everyone was chomping at the bit after a long winter of no fishing, so the shad run slowly became referred to as “March Shadness”, after the ACC Tournament slogan, “March Madness”. The old-time veteran shadsters in Tarboro used to say that the shad would arrive when the dogwoods first started blooming. In the Washington area, the shad run typically starts a bit earlier in late February. Shad are an important resource for both commercial and recreational fishermen in the spring on the Tar-Pamlico River system. On the Tar, we have two species of shad: hickory and American or white shad. Hickory and American shad are anadromous fish, which means they live most of their life in salt water and spawn in fresh water. Each year, they make the long trek in from the Atlantic Ocean (many of the fish that spawn in North Carolina spend much of the year in the Bay of Fundy in eastern Canada). The area between Tarboro and Rocky Mount is the primary spawning ground for the Tar River shad. Other rivers such as the Neuse and the Roanoke experience similar shad
Tripp Andrews with a Tar River Hickory Shad caught in March near Greenville. (Submitted photo)
spawning runs. While the Roanoke hosts a greater quantity of shad consisting of mostly hickories, the Tar is known for a better variety with its abundance of mature female white “roe” shad, a much sought after catch by local shadsters. The shad has a prominent position in American history, and some would argue that it led to the founding of our country. Some refer to shad as “The Founding Fish”, and there is even a book entitled “The Founding Fish” by John McPhee, which is a very detailed and interesting account covering every detail
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of the species. Some argue that the great early spring shad run up the Schuylkill River in Virginia in 1778 saved George Washington’s Army at Valley Forge from starvation and subsequently influenced the outcome of the Revolutionary War. If you would like to be a part of history and enjoy the spring shad run in the Tar River, I encourage you to get out there and experience March Shadness. You’ll be hooked! Richard Andrews captains a private fishing boat and knows all the best spots in Eastern North Carolina.
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022 | WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE • 51
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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022 | WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE • 53
WHY I LOVE WASHINGTON
WHAT'S not to love WRITTEN BY KIMBERLY ELKS DAVENPORT
M
y love for Washington or iginates with my parents; two former Wa s h i n g t o n H i g h School sweethearts raised just a few streets apart. Dad was a builder, mom worked at the Sampson Shirt Factory, and later they married and began their family. Growing up, I remember numerous cookouts, flying kites, and plenty of quality time with my grandparents and cousins. One of my fondest memories is the bird's eye view of Washington I got to see when gliding along the river in dad's Piper airplane. We'd take off from WashingtonWarren Airport, and my friends would know to look for us flying over the river shore or doing a quick buzz over their house on the weekends. Fast-forward to my teenage years; I spent
quite a few hours working at Granny's Donut Shop, followed by People's Drug Store. Like many teens at the time, my friends and I shopped at Washington Square Mall on weekends, purchasing cans of hairspray for our voluminous eighties hairdos, and then drove around the mall after hours. My family ended up moving to a farm in Chocowinity during those years, but as soon as the weekends arrived, my friends and I made a beeline back to Washington. Once I graduated from East Carolina University, married, and bought my first home, I once again became a full-time Washington resident. Living in Washington with my daughters has given me the chance to share everything this town has to offer with them. At various ages, the girls enjoyed
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summer reading at Brown Library, trips to Haven's Gardens, donuts from Brownie Bakery, shopping downtown Washington, eating Bill's Hot Dogs while surrounded by the beauty of Washington Waterfront views, and seeing many homes their grandpa helped build or restore. Ultimately the question is, what's not to love about Washington? Washington is a vibrant community with everything you need to raise a family in a beautiful coastal town. My children have had the opportunity to experience many of the same things I did growing up, creating a legacy of rich experiences and a lifetime of fond memories. Kimberly Davenport is the technical services supervisor at the George H. and Laura E. Brown Library.
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WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022
VOL. 11
NO.1