Washington The Magazine Sep/Oct 22

Making Music

Publisher

Ashley Vansant

Editorial

Steve Barnes

Holly Morgan

Contributors

Richard Andrews

Clark Curtis

Vail Stewart Rumley

Karen Thiel

Marketing & Sales

David Singleton

Kristen Smith

Distribution

Kim Riggs

Art Direction

Ryan Webb

Contact information

Washington the Magazine P.O. Box 1788

Washington, NC 27889

Advertising inquiries

252-946-2144 Ext. 221

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Washington the Magazine is published six times a year by Washington Newsmedia, LLC. © 2022

ROOTS

TURNAGE’S VARIETY SHOW

SELL OUT CROWD

PHOTOS BY HOLLY MORGAN

A VARIETY SHOW AT THE TURNAGE THEATER HAD A SELL OUT CROWD OF OVER 400 GUESTS ON FRIDAY, AUG.

THE ULTIMATE VARIETY SHOW WAS PRESENTED BY VEGAS’ EDWARD TWINS AND FEATURED TOP IMPERSONATORS AND IMPRESSIONISTS FROM LAS VEGAS.

PERFORMERS CAME DRESSED AS EITHER

STREISAND, CHER, DOLLY PARTON, BILLY JOEL, ELTON JOHN, NEIL DIAMOND, CELINE DIO OR ANDREA BOCHELLI AND OTHERS.

with

Chris and Jan MooreJerry and Marie Spangler

Buddy and Lisa Conner with Pam Larson and William Lloyd

Connie Elks and Lynnda Potter

Tommy Roberts, Linda Thompson, Donald Webb, Cindy Lilley and William Lilley

Ronnie and Dave Lott with Jeff and Cindy Gould

PHOTO 4 Lorene and D.W. Lane

From left to right: Ann Tess, Sue Curll and Katrina Combs

Beth and Michael Strange

STRONG ROOTS

David Lee Jones, of Bethel, currently lives in Washington. He is a three-time award winner for Best Male Artist by Carolina Music Awards.

It’s always been country music for David Lee Jones

STORY BY HOLLY MORGAN

PHOTOS CONTRIBUTED BY JONES FAMILY

Riding

in the backseat of his father’s car, David Lee Jones heard the voice of Hank Williams Sr. and other country music legends. He and his father, while traveling eastern North Carolina roads listened to and sang country classics.

A love of classic country music was instilled into Jones from the beginning.

At the age of ten, Jones got his first guitar, a Fender Stratocaster. He learned how to play by watching his cousins Danny Davis and Mike Greene. Straying from his country music upbringing, Jones played hard rock and heavy metal. At 16, he started his first band - Bad Influence in 1988.

“Growing up in the 80’s, it was the big hair bands. I played that music for a little while,” Jone said.

Jones is from Bethel, North Carolina. At the town’s harvest festival, Jones and his band opened for the Powell Brothers Band. Jones was a junior in high school at the time and worked at a supermarket.

While working in the produce section on a Sunday morning, Jones met the guitarist for the Powell Brothers. He asked Jones if he would be interested in playing country music. Jones firmly said

Jones won Best Male Artist in 2018, 2019 and 2022 for the Carolina Music Awards.

“no” because he was still interested in playing hard rock. The guitarist invited Jones to practice with the rest of the band. After practice, Jones was invited to join the band.

“I went from being the front man and guitar player in a rock/country to just a guitar player in a country band,” Jones

said.

Jones’ first show with the Powell Brothers was in 1992 at a place called Commotions in Richlands, North Carolina. It was the first time he ever made money from playing music. That’s when it “clicked” with Jones. In other words, that’s when he realized he could become a professional country music artist.

“If I’m going to make money playing music, I need to be playing country,” Jones said.

Thirty years later, performing on stage keeps stoking Jones’ passion for country music. “I’ve gotten to a point where people know my songs and I can literally stop singing in the middle of a song and they’re still singing. That’s a good feeling.”

He continued to say watching people in the crowd sing his songs, cheering, smiling and having a good time are reasons why he continues to perform. “It’s not about me. It’s about everybody else.”

According to his website, davidleejones.org, Jones has opened shows for Merle Haggard, Waylon Jennings, Johnny Paycheck, George Jones, Keith Urban, Toby Keith, Montgomery Gentry, Brooks & Dunn, The Marshall Tucker Band, Tracy Byrd, Blake Shelton and

Jones said he gets joy out of performing his music in front of crowds across the country.

others. He shared that if he could perform with any country music artist it would be the King of Country Music, George Strait.

He said performing on the same stage as some of the musicians he looked up to as a kid is an “indescribable” feeling. “A lot of times, it’s unreal,” he said.

His most memorable moment with a country music artist involved Toby Keith. Jones was with his band 8 Second Ride performing in Raleigh. They were performing an opening act for a concert that included Keith, Brooks & Dunn, Montgomery Gentry and Keith Urban. Everyone was backstage at the Longbranch venue. Ronnie Dunn signed Jones’ guitar. Dunn told Jones, “You tell Toby Keith that I said he’s going to sign this guitar or I’m going to whoop his behind.“

Jones walks out of the dressing room

Jones with his wife Amy. He said balancing being a father of three is tough, but Amy is a great mom.

toward Keith who turned a corner. Jones said he literally looked up to Keith and noticed his large biceps. “My legs weren’t even that big,” Jones joked. Jones relayed Dunn’s message to Keith. Keith replied, “Ronnie Dunn don’t know who he’s messing with.” Keith signed Jones’ guitar.

At one time, Jones aspired to be a country music superstar like Keith, Brooks and Dunn and others; however, now, he is happy writing music and performing music. He is not focused on fame, but rather soaking up the experience of being a professional musician.

Locally, he has acquired fame as a three-time Carolina Music Award winner for Best Country Male artist in 2018, 2018 and 2022. In 2019, he beat Luke Combs. He has had three Top 10 singles on the New Music Weekly Country Charts.

The biggest challenge Jones’ faces as a professional country music artist is balancing music with fatherhood. He said it is “tough” to do both.

Talking about his three children, Jones said, “It’s like the older they get and the older I get, it gets even tougher.” Kaylee is a student at Appalachian State University, Mason is 11 years old and Aubrey is nine years old.

“I hope they understand it’s my job,” Jones said. He added that finding work in eastern North Carolina that pays as well as music is difficult to find. There will be a day, he said, when he will retire.

His latest release is called “Carolina Sunset” which came out in 2019. It can be streamed on Spotify and Apple Music. He has a YouTube channel under his name where viewers can watch some of his performances.

FINDING THE RIGHT POLICIES FOR YOU!

Shop

Javonte (Tyrelle) Walston produces authentic, relatable music which helps him stand out in a crowd of new and young rap artists.

RAW EMOTION

Authenticity makes Tyrelle Walston stand out among burgeoning rap artists

STORY BY HOLLY MORGAN • PHOTOS CONTRIBUTED

years into making music, Javonte (Tyrelle) Walston learned to stand out from the crowd, he has to be authentic. Being authentic has led to his creation of emotionally relatable music. While current trends have rap artists making music for a night out in the clubs, Walston creates music which advocates for people who have reservations about showing their true emotions. It’s raw and vulnerable.

Ten

“I told myself and my parents if I was going to do this then stick out and be yourself,” Walston said. He knows there are people who prefer party, “get lit” music, but he wants his music to resonate with listeners giving them a comfort in knowing their feelings are being validated. “I want my music to be able to touch people,” he continued.

“When you hear my music, I want you to be able to relate,” Walston said.

“People who don’t talk about themselves or their problems, I’m kind of like their voice,” Walston said about the inspirations behind his music. He takes emotions and thoughts that people may be unwilling to be vulnerable enough to admit and uses them to weave lyrics together to form a song or a rap.

He listens to the struggles people go through like the death of a loved one, being betrayed by a friend or what it is like having depression.

Walson is from Beaufort County and takes pride in being from the country.

Walston shared that he “hit a rough patch” for a while and didn’t make music. He kept beating himself up because he couldn’t create music he liked. One day, he decided to shed a tendency to be perfect and just write down whatever came to mind. Ten minutes later he had a song. It didn’t have to be right. Instead, it was “pure, raw emotion,” Walston said.

His most popular song is “Closure.” It was produced by Walston and his friend Zach Woolard.

Walston listens to the beat then determines how it makes him feel. From there, the words flow onto a page. It could take as little as 15 minutes to write a song or it could take an hour (when he’s being a perfectionist, he joked). Being in the studio feels like a second job, Walston said. He has

a job at Food Lion, but he also makes music most days and nights when he is at home. His goal is to at least make a beat each time he is in the studio.

His step-father is Sean Trapp who is a rap and hip-hop music producer. Walston produces music using Trapp’s studio.

“He believes in me so much,” Walston said. Trapp encourages Walston to create his own journey in forming a career as a music artist.

At 13, Walston was introduced to the music industry by his step-father. They began with orchestrating beats using Trapp’s studio equipment. From there, Walston started rapping from beats he found on YouTube before transitioning to rapping on beats he crafted on his own.

In high school, he started rapping with one of his friends, Zach Woolard whom he still works with today.

Ten years later after being introduced to music production, Walston is beginning to perform music he’s produced with help from a team of people. Earlier this year, in the spring, Walston participated in the BRING EM OUT Festival. The festival acted as a contest where performers could showcase their craft in an effort to win a promotional package and go on tour with Reece Rae. Walston won the contest and is making plans to travel to Atlanta in October. His first performance was in July in Greensboro.

Walston was “so nervous” for the performance because he had to remember his lyrics and hype up and interact with the audience.

“It’s a cool experience. I never thought I’d see myself in this position,” Walston said. “It’s not where I want to be yet.” He looks forward to what the future holds for his music career.

The challenge of being a young artist is that everyone can produce a rap song, but it may not be good, Walston explained. Being authentic is what separates him from a lot of talent his age, but another way he is differentiating himself from the crowd is by singing, too.

He caters to two factions of critics - those who enjoy hearing him sing and the other that only wants party music. “This is a business and sometimes you have to give the people what they want,” he said.

“It seemed difficult at first,” Walston said, “but if they really love what I do and they support what I do they’ll listen to whatever I put up.”

One of the benefits but also challenges of producing music today is that there are many outlets where artists can share their music. Which means, there are many outlets record labels and full-time producers have to check. This also means it can be easier for a young artists’ music to get lost in a crowd. Walston said part of the thrill and stress of being a young artist is having to keep sharing and posting music in hopes that a professional in the rap genre will listen to it and like it enough to work with him

“Really anybody can do it at this point,” Walston said. With modern technology, a young artist can post and continuously repost the music they are creating. “Eventually, somebody somewhere is going to see that” and like it and want to work with that artist, Walston shared. An artist like Walston could experience overnight success or it could take years of putting work and effort into their craft.

“I really feel like if you put the work in and do what you need to do then anything is possible,” Walston said.

Walston’s music can be streamed on Spotify, SoundCloud, YouTube and Apple Music. His music is explicit.

Walston won a contest at the Bring Em Out Festival this spring that includes going on a promotional tour.

Walston, with help from his team, produces beats and lyrics using his step-dad’s studio equipment.

LOCOMOTION

Remembering Belhaven's Little Eva

was short-lived for Belhaven native, Eva Narcissus Boyd, or Little Eva as she was known when her hit, “The Loco-Motion” hit the charts in 1962. As she told the London Daily Telegraph, “I had an aunt called Big Eva, and I was Little Eva.”

Fame

She was the 10th of 13 children born to Laura and David Boyd who resided on Railroad Street in Belhaven. At age 15 she moved to Brighton Beach, New York to attend high school and lived there with relatives. She went on to take a Sleep in Job, as they were known in the 60’s, in New York City for singer songwriter Carol King and her songwriter husband Gerry Goffin. To this day there are many stories floating around out there as to how the trio collaborated on the hit “The Loco-Motion”. Carol King set the record straight back in 2003 after Little Eva’s death during an interview with NPR’s Michelle Norris.

“We knew she could sing and had a great voice,” said King. “I recall the fact that she could sing came up when we first talked to her about babysitting. We had her sing something and said this is really cool. Make note to ones selves,” she recalled thinking to herself. King says this was right around the time of the success of Philadelphia artists Dee Dee Sharp and Mashed Potatoes, and she and her husband said it was time for them to write a dance song for their own artist and wrote the song “The LocoMotion”.

“We came up with the song, and Little Eva invented the dance that become the “The Loco-Motion”, said King. “She had such honesty and sincerity in her voice. There was nothing phony about it.” “The LocoMotion” went to the top of the Billboard charts in 1962. That same year Little Eva’s hits “Keep Your Hands Off My Baby” made

it to #12 and was followed by “Let’s Turkey Trot” which made it to #20.

However, her stardom began to quickly fade. She did sing backup with the Drifters and Ben E. King, but never saw the fame she once had in the early 60’s. By 1971 and by all accounts, she was penniless, she left the music business to return home in Belhaven with her three children. It was during that time that she became the custodian for the town of Belhaven, and her path crossed that of Steve Smith, who was a police officer there at the time. “She would come in a couple of times a week, which is how I got to know her,” said Smith. “I, we, thought the world of her. She was a very religious woman and was always singing gospel songs while she cleaned.”

Smith says he asked her about her glory days but she was very reluctant to share much, other than she had been taken advantage of and never saw a penny of the money she had made. “It struck me as a very sad story,” said Smith. “She was a genuine

small town girl and such a sweet person. She would do anything she could to help you. She just had been taken advantage of in a really bad way, and seemed ashamed that she had been so gullible.”

Though Smith’s cousin, Norma Midyette-Lindsey, never met Little Eva, her grandmother Annie Jane Sawyer-Smith, apparently did. Lindsay says family members told her that her grandmother used to fish near the Cee Bee Marina near Belhaven, and it was there that she met Little Eva, who would often times row out to the same point to do some fishing with her, and they got to know each other. “I was also told by family that when her hit record “The LocoMotion” came out, she personally gave a copy to my grandmother. The flip side, she told my grandmother, was dedicated to her.”

Though the lights had dimmed on her once short-lived step into stardom, she resumed her singing career in the early 90’s. She became a popular attraction on the ‘oldies circuit”, touring several times with Little Richard. She would continue to tour until her three year battle with cervical cancer made that impossible. She eventually moved to Kinston, NC where she spent her remaining days.

On April 10, 2003, Eva Narcissus Boyd, passed away. She was laid to rest at Black Bottom Cemetery, the all Black cemetery in Belhaven that dates back to the 1800’s. For several years a small white cross marked her gravesite, which had deteriorated over time as had the entire cemetery. In 2008, local monument maker, Quincy Edgerton, volunteered to build the headset that now marks where she is buried. The encryption at the bottom reads, “Singing With the Angels.”

In 2014 Little Eva was inducted into the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame.

You

YOUR NEXT MAMMOGRAM

BE, EITHER.

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LOCAL GIN

The Hackney shares classic pairings to try this fall

The Hackney recommends starting dinner with baked oysters with a dollop of Asher Blue, blue cheese. Any creamy blue cheese will do.

Hackney bartender Braedon Burbaqc starts things off with a classic gin and tonic. He is using 1000 Piers Coastal Gin which is made in The Hackney’s gin distillery.

Abottle

of gin is a classic addition,or a staple some say to any bar cart. The Hackney is part upscale farm-to-table restaurant and gin distillery. They’ve crafted flavors of gin that fit perfectly into any collection.

Using their gin, 1000 Piers Coastal Carolina, you too can make delicious cocktails for invited guests (or yourself) to pair with recipes prepared by the Hackney.

The Hackney recommends starting with gin and tonic with Southern grapes, muscadines. You can even start with a classic gin and tonic.

To make the “Grape of the South” gin and tonic, use two ounces of 1000 Piers Costal Carolina gin, three Scuppernong

grapes (white muscadine grapes), an ounce of simple syrup, and ounce of lemon juice and a half ounce of Brandy and Benedictine. Start with a cocktail shaker, muddle three grapes, add all other ingredients, add ice and shake. Strain into a gin and tonic glass filled with ice. The Hackney recommends topping the drink with Fever Tree Indian Tonic. Garnish with a lemon twill.

A classic gin and tonic will need two ounces of 1000 Piers Coastal Carolina Gin, Fever Tree Indian Tonic and an orange slice or blood orange slice (when they are in season). Fill a gin and tonic glass with ice, add gin, topic with tonic and garnish with an orange slice.

The Hackney recommends pairing either version of a gin and tonic with baked oysters

and a dollop of Asher Blue cheese or any creamy blue cheese. Put NC wild oysters (as many as your heart contents) into a broiler on high for four minutes until the cheese bubbles and oysters are just cooked.

The Hackney says “the gin brings out the floral notes in the cheese and the bitterness of the tonic cleanses the palate.”

In the middle of dinner, it’s time to try the Purple Sky martini. It uses two ounces of 1000 Piers Blueberry Gin. Three-fourths of an ounce of lemon juice, a quarter of an ounce of Creme de Violette and a half ounce of Luxardo Maraschino. Start with a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Add all ingredients and shake then strain into a coupe.

Suzanne Hackney, co-owner of the

Forward, is the Grape of the South gin and cocktail. It uses three Scuppernong grapes. Behind it is a classic gin and tonic with an orange slice.

Blackberries in the bramble balance the juniper flavors of the gin and complement the lemon juice and lemon wheel, The Hackney says. Dessert is a creme brulee without fresh berries, because blackberries are used to make a bramble using 1000 Piers Coastal Carolina Gin.

restaurant, has not heard of another gin distillery that produces a blueberry flavored gin. To her knowledge, it is entirely unique to The Hackney.

The Purple Sky is paired with a wild mushroom risotto. This cozy dish is great as an entree on a chilly night. The martini and the risotto make great partners because “the gin and berry flavors deliver punch and tang that work like the mushroom to intensify and balance simple risotto. The spices in 1000 Piers Blueberry gin complement and add value to the dish contributing to its balance. Together, they deliver a soothing feeling like a warm blanket in the cold winter”, The Hackney says.

Finally, for dessert The Hackney takes berries off of a creme brulee, opting to instead use blackberry

in a bramble. “Berries balance the juniper and complement the citrus. Smooth and creamy creme brulee rounds out the flavors and they go together like a combined dessert,” The Hackney says.

To make a bramble, use two ounces of 1000 Piers Coastal Gin, an ounce of lemon juice, a half ounce of simple syrup, a half ounce of Chambord, a lemon wheel and fresh blackberries. Combine gin, lemon juice, simple syrup and shake over ice. Pour over ice in rocks glass then slowly pour in the chambord so it settles to the bottom. Garnish with the lemon wheel and blackberries.

The Hackney is located at 192 West Main Street in Washington. It has been open for four years.

The Purple Sky martini with 1000 Piers Coastal Carolina Blueberry Gin

Burbaqc happily strains the Purple Sky into a coupe. Burbaqc is using The Hackney’s unique blueberry gin to make the Purple Sky.

Cruising Highway 12

STORY AND PHOTOS BY DAVID SINGLETON

something impossibly sad about this. It’s Labor Day and my favorite time of year is winding down. The morning skies are filled with an exact shade of late summer purple clouds that always show up near the end of the season. The sun rose exactly as predicted and, to the south, the cicadas in the woods have settled down for the night. It’s almost like it’s ordained; this season cycle. Sure, there are aberrations, but in the Grand Scheme of Things, our dear Old Mother Earth is more consistent than we give her credit for.

There’s

At least culturally, today marks the end

of the travel and tourism season. The solstice is weeks away and meteorological summer probably extends further than that, but take a giant gulp of that fresh September morning air and it emanates back to school, football games and waiting for the first leaf to fall. That’s where the sadness comes in. Autumn is beautiful and royal, but Summer has always been my first love.

Somewhere in the back of our minds, I feel like we all keep that notion safely tucked away; that steamy July night when we first tasted freedom, the wildness of the dirt road crunch beneath our vulcanized Chuck Taylor soles, that first illegal dawn when we should

have been home hours before. That was the perfection of Summer Youth, it’s doubtful that any of us have felt as alive ever since. So we love summer, much as we should, but with each year that cascades from that nexus, we become one shade paler. We can see it, but we can no longer taste it. That perfect summer is never coming back. It’s as close to a ghost as we are ever likely to see.

So whether it’s chasing ghosts or just putting whatever punctuation mark most closely befits the summer just past; I’m driving out to the Hatteras National Seashore to drink in the sights, catch a few waves and just like clockwork, break up with

(L) Bodie Island Light's striped designed stands sentinel from Southern Nags Head to Pea Island. Tourist equistrian tours pause at Coquina Beach.

BREAKING UP WITH SUMMER

my first love all over again.

Day-trips to the beach are nothing new for most of us. Some hard-core River Rats may cast a weary eye, but after all, this is really not supposed to be a competition. The river is home, but the sea is the edge of the world; and if you believe modern science, the home to us as a species. Geometrically speaking, Washington is located at the fulcrum of an acute geographic angle that allows for any number of convenient homeby-dark beach destinations. The shortest drive and probably most popular beachfront terminus for Washingtonians is Fort Macon State Park, a familiar collection of over two million bricks and adjacent lands on the northern end of the Bogue Banks. It’s a busy place, with over a million visitors a year and during the summer months, a challenge to find any sort of privacy. After all, this breakup is personal and requires a certain level of decorum.

Today, we take the road less travelled; more specifically, highway 32 up to Plymouth. From there it’s a an easy roll down to Columbia, across the harrowing Alligator River bridge, through wetlands, marsh, native

forest and decrepit homesteads. It’s a little further drive, but a much more interesting ride. If you really want the scenic route, stay on 264 and be taken away by the vast and giant landscapes of the pure east. It’s hard to find a flatter horizon this side of the great state of Texas. There’s a lot of desolation packed into the extra 20 minutes. Just make sure your AAA is paid up.

Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge

After cruising the sling shot causeway from the Roanoke sound into Whalebone Junction, passing the impressive yacht collection of Pirate’s Cove and the megaeateries that stand sentinel to the famous ribbon of sand known as the Outer Banks, it’s seems only natural to bear right, away from the madding Virginians who swarm the OBX upper townships, and into the largely undeveloped and protected isles. After the low key roller coaster ride over Oregon Inlet on the Marc Basnight Bridge (a spectacular marvel in its own right) I find myself in the middle of two massive berms of yellowish sand on either side of Highway 12: flanked on one by the sometimes menacing but

always mesmerizing Atlantic and on the other, the backwaters of the Pamlico Sound’s mighty lagoon. Just a few miles down I find the oasis of the Pea Island National Refuge Center, a small museum and gift shop dedicated to the education and preservation of the wild confluence of geographies in which I’ve suddenly found myself.

The guides inside are quick to point out as much local knowledge as I have patience for. That buoy I see out in the ocean is actually the boiler from the shipwreck from The Oriental, a two hundred foot plus cargo vessel that had been requisitioned by Union forces in 1862. She was a steel-hulled steamer on just her second voyage, but she was geared with a faulty compass (if we are to believe Captain Tuzo) running aground at midnight under a moonlit sky. The Oriental is one of five OBX wrecks that are diveable from shore. But I’m almost relieved to recall that I left my snorkel at home.

I squint as a make my way out of the air conditioning and in to the wet blanket heat of midday, around to a cutaway in the dunes providing easy beach access. No lifeguards are on duty here, but if you’re looking for a

A hike down the backside of the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge is a birdwatching bonanza.

beach that’s as convenient as it is desolate, Pea Island is an easy choice.

Bonner Bridge

After an interesting but buggy walk down the Pea Island Nature Trail, I head back north to check out the engineering feat that is the Marc Basnight Bridge (or the New Bonner Bridge as some locals insist). The new, nearly three mile span was completed in 2019 and arches high over Oregon inlet with achingly beautiful vistas all around. Underneath, the DOT left 1,000 feet of the ‘old’ Bonner Bridge for pedestrians and fishermen. It’s a nice stroll to enjoy the views and to get an up close and personal look at the underbelly of the quarter of a billion dollar span. Noted for it’s innovative concepts to combat bridge scour, the replacement for the original 1963 Herbert C. Bonner Bridge was a contentious environmental issue for years. Eventually, with the necessary compromises made and the money allotted, both tourists and locals alike could get back to making their way without having to worry about falling through the notoriously weather-beaten and failing bridge and into the inlet. The bridge’s original namesake, it should be noted, was for Washington native and US Representative H.C. Bonner, a tireless promoter of the East, who helped to replace the old Bodie Island-Pea Island ferry with a fixed bridge; the idea being that upon completion tourism would flourish on the Outer Banks. Needless to say, he hit that nail on the head.

Coquina Beach

If spending the day on the beach with adult supervision is your thing, you’ll want to cruise just north of the inlet to Coquina Beach. The only lifeguarded beach for miles on end, Coquina Beach has nice facilities, parking and a gnarly shorebreak that will snap a fibia. Upon gazing at the ways the sea was throwing herself against the coarsely ground sand, my bloodlust for surfing took a backseat to my more priggish sensibilities; leaving my board in the truck and my skeleton in tact.

Instead, I’m content to bob like a cork in the relatively chilly Labrador Current that govern the sea temperatures north of Cape Hatteras; the sultry Gulf Stream waters flow tantalizingly off shore. This is the place I had in mind when I started this trip, the place where I can reminisce about those hazy summers long gone and consume myself with nostalgia. Predictably, that never really happened like I hoped it would, instead my head was filled with a whole lot of nothing; mindlessly floating with a salt-water assist and imagining nothing but what animal I can manifest from the cumulus cloud forms overhead.

Mann’s Harbor

Looking over my shoulder at the steady stream of cars, RV’s and beer trucks pulling up Highway 12, I get the very real feeling that that summer travel trade is ending en masse. All that will be left are the retirees, the locals, the fishermen and

Coquina Beach is a popular guarded access just north of Oregon Inlet.

The Maritime Forest at Pea Island serves as a natural barrier for the estuary.

crabbers, the odd vagabond. I’m sure they’ll all be breathing their annual sigh of relief. I jump in line and make it back through Whalebone Junction, back over the causeways and bridges and into Mann’s Harbor for what’s becoming a traditional pit stop. White’s Harbor Grill has a clean and courteous little lunch counter in the back. It’s generally not too crowded by the time I get in there and I’ve been in there just enough to where they just might think they recognize me, but they don’t say anything. I order a BLT and the biggest iced tea they can scrounge up while I make my way next door to Outland Seafood to get supper. I walk in and see the Big Eye

Tuna stacked up high and I asked how long they’ve been in. “He was swimming off of Salvo this morning” the fish monger replied. They’ve always got an answer for everything.

With the fish iced down in the back, a crumbly BLT in hand and a ecologically disturbing amount of styrofoam in the form of a tea vessel between my legs (no cup holder can deal with this monster) I head back into the beautiful but slightly scary maritime woods on my way home. I’ve had a good day, I learned some things, and this bacon is curly and perfect against the fresh tomato, but I feel as though I’ve forgotten something.

Oh yeah. I never got around to saying goodbye.The original span over Oregon Inlet opened in 1963 (NCDOT).

FALL FARE

Savory recipes to spice up your suppers

PHOTOGRAPHS AND STORY BY VAIL STEWART RUMLEY

It’s

that time of year again, when warm days end at sunset and night descends with a chill in the air. Fall in eastern North Carolina can be both temperate and temperamental, but whether you’re hot- or cold-natured, it’s an ideal time to add some spice to your season.

A little bit of spice goes a long way to elevate any recipe from good to great. Look no farther than Carol Jones’ “Mimi’s Royal Apple Cake,” where cinnamon, sugar and vanilla soften tart apples into a sweet, seasonal celebration. Irene Glover Forbes’ Turkey Pie with Sage Pastry is comfort food for fall-lovers — hearty and delicious (and a great way to use those holiday leftovers!). Mrs. Marshall Cutler’s Hot Spiced Cider will warm up those chilly nights, while Eve Ide’s Mediterranean Orzo Salad with Feta Vinaigrette is the perfect light, healthy dish for fall’s still-warm days.

Make the most of fall by introducing your kitchen, family and dinner guests to these recipes from some of the best cooks Beaufort County has to offer, both past and present. They’re guaranteed to spice up dinner-time!

MEDITERRANEAN ORZO SALAD WITH FETA VINAIGRETTE

RECIPE BY EVE IDE “WITHOUT A DOUBT, ST. THOMAS’ BEST,” ST. THOMAS EPISCOPAL CHURCH, BATH

1 cup uncooked orzo; 2 cups bagged, prewashed baby spinach; 1/2 cup oil-packed, sundried tomato halves, chopped and drained; 3 tablespoons red onion, chopped; 3 tablespoons pitted Kalamata olives, chopped; 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 1 (6-ounce) jar marinated artichoke hearts, undrained; 3/4 cup Feta cheese, crumbled, divided.

Cook orzo according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain and rinse with cold water. Combine orzo, spinach and next five ingredients in a large bowl. Drain artichokes, reserving marinade. Coarsely chop artichokes and add along with marinade and 1/2 cup Feta cheese to the orzo mixture. Toss gently to coat. Sprinkle each serving with remaining Feta cheese.

BLACK BEAN SOUP

RECIPE BY SHARON STEINBACHER “OUR CELEBRATION COOKBOOK,” FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, WASHINGTON

1 1/2 cups onion, finely chopped; 3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed; 1 jalapeño, chopped; 2 tablespoons vegetable oil; 1 teaspoon cumin; 1/3 cup water; 28-ounce can of tomatoes, undrained; 32-ounce can of black beans; 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped; additional water or tomato juice; sour cream; cayenne to taste

In soup pot, sauté the onions, garlic and cayenne in the oil for about five minutes stirring frequently until the onions are translucent. Add the cumin, 1/3 cup water and the juice from the tomatoes. Break up the tomatoes by squeezing them into the soup pot or chop them coarsely right in the can and add them to the pot. Cover and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer, covered, for five minutes. Add the black beans and their liquid and continue to simmer, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Purée half of the soup in a blender or food processor and return it to the pot. If the soup is too thick, add some water or tomato juice.

MIMI’S ROYAL APPLE CAKE RECIPE BY CAROL JONES

3 cups all-purpose flour; 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 2 teaspoons cinnamon; 1 cup sugar; 1 cup brown sugar; 1 1/2 cups Wesson oil; 3 eggs; 2 teaspoons vanilla; 4 cups peeled, cored and chopped tart apples; 1 cup raisins.

Glaze: 1 cup brown sugar; 1 stick butter; 1/4 cup milk; 1 teaspoon vanilla.

Combine flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Set aside. Beat together the sugars, oil, eggs and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Gradually add flour mixture. Mix well. Stir in apples and raisins.

Pour into a greased and floured 10-inch tube pan. Bake at 340 degrees for 55 minutes. Check for doneness with a toothpick. Cool on wire rack for 20 minutes.

Prepare glaze during this time: bring to a boil first three glaze ingredients. Boil for three minutes, stirring frequently. Add vanilla and stir well.

Remove cake from pan and pour glaze over the warm cake, allowing some to run down the sides.

(Quick note about this recipe: Carol — or Mimi, as her grandchildren call her — couldn’t find her apple cake recipe, so she made this one up on the spur-of-the-moment and named it in celebration of the life of Queen Elizabeth.)

HOT SPICED CIDER

RECIPE BY MRS. MARSHALL CUTLER “THE TERRA CEIA COOKBOOK, FROM OUR KITCHEN TO YOURS,” TERRA CEIA CHRISTIAN SCHOOL, PANTEGO

1 quart cranberry juice; 1 quart cider; 4 cinnamon sticks; 8 whole cloves; juice of two lemons.

Combine all ingredients and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove spices and serve hot. If not sweet enough, add 1 or 2 tablespoons of sugar before serving.

TURKEY PIE WITH SAGE PASTRY RECIPE BY IRENE FORBES

“PLATE & PALETTE,” BEAUFORT COUNTY ARTS COUNCIL (ARTS OF THE PAMLICO), WASHINGTON

1/2 cup butter; 1/2 cup all-purpose flour; 1 1/8 teaspoons salt; 1/4 teaspoon ground sage; 1/8 teaspoon pepper; 1/8 teaspoon mace; 1 teaspoon lemon juice; 1 ½ cups turkey broth (can use chicken broth); 1 cup milk; 3 cups turkey, cooked and diced.

Sage pastry: 1/2 cup all-purpose flour; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 3 tablespoons water; 1/2 teaspoon sage; 1/2 cup cornmeal; 1/3 cup butter.

Melt butter and blend in flour and seasonings. Add lemon juice, broth and milk. Cook, stirring until thickened. Add turkey and heat. Pour into a quart casserole dish, which has been sprayed with vegetable cooking spray. Cover with sage pastry. Cut gashes in top of pastry to vent. Bake at 425 degrees for 20 minutes. Sage pastry: combine dry ingredients, cut in butter, add water and roll crust to fit over casserole. (Cook’s note: Turkey Pie with Sage Pastry is truly delicious! For the pastry, however, freeze your butter and cut into the other ingredients then mash ingredients together with your fingers. You can either pat the pastry our by hand or roll it—regardless, make sure you do it on a well-floured surface!)

BROCCOLI SLAW

RECIPE BY SAINT PETER’S ECW “KEYS TO THE KITCHEN, GRACEFULLY REKEYED,” ST. PETER’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH, WASHINGTON

1 (12-ounce) package fresh broccoli slaw; 1 cup red seedless grapes, halved; 1 Granny Smith apple, diced; 1 cup Vidalia onion or poppy seed dressing; 1 orange, peeled and sectioned, or 1 (10-ounce) can Mandarin oranges; toasted, chopped pecans (optional).

Stir together the first six ingredients in a large bowl. Top with chopped pecans, if desired.

CLAM CHOWDER

RECIPE BY NANCY CHALKER “SECOND HELPINGS, SOUTHERN COOKING IN HISTORIC BATH,” BATH UNITED METHODIST CHURCH, BATH

2(8-ounce) bottles clam juice; 1-inch cube salt pork; 3 sliced onions; 2 cups potatoes, diced; 1 teaspoon raw salt; 1/4 teaspoon pepper; 2 small cans minced clams; 2 tablespoons butter; 2 tablespoons flour; 2 cups scalded milk; 1 cup cold milk, to cover crackers; 6 chowder crackers.

Place salt pork in frying pan with onions. Cook five minutes, until browned; strain into saucepan. Add clam juice, potatoes, salt, pepper and clams. Cook until potatoes are soft. Melt butter; add flour. When smooth, add scalded milk. Stir until sauce boils. Add to soup stock. Split crackers; soak in cold milk and add to soup. Bring to boiling point; season to taste. Serve hot.

Fall fishing on the Inner Banks

Fall

is my favorite time to be out on the water fishing the Pamlico. We have such an abundance of species to catch in the fall. The summer doldrums are over. Water temperatures are starting to cool, and fish are on the feed as cooler weather approaches.

September is peak season for the giant redfish which enter our rivers for their annual spawn. Peak spawning activity occurs around the full moon and catchable numbers are in our area until late September and early October. This is truly a world class fishery, attracting anglers from all over the country looking to score the largest redfish of their life. Fish over 50 inches and pushing 60 pounds are not uncommon. Being a member of the “50 Inch Club” for Redfish does not come easy, and many anglers spend the majority of their lives trying to break this mark. North Carolina’s Pamlico Sound and tributaries is one of the best places in the country to do this. Another highlight of the fall is our speckled trout (spotted sea trout) fishing. Speckled trout

are not the hardest pulling foes and are not known for their drag screaming runs like redfish; however, what they lack in strength they make up in guile and lack of consistency. At times, they can be very easy to catch, but other times they are the toughest fish to master, especially the larger older fish. That is what gives them so much appeal among local anglers. They are arguably the most revered and targeted fish in our area, and the challenge of catching them is exactly what gives them their captivation.

As water temperatures cool into the early fall, we also see some excellent striped bass fishing in our river. Striped bass (rockfish) are one of my favorites, and we fish for them throughout the year, especially in the cooler months of fall, winter, and spring. They offer excellent topwater fishing opportunities but can be caught many different ways. Once located, they are not as picky as the speckled trout and their opportunistic nature usually overpowers their sense of judgement (if that exists in a fish) and can be caught easily

on a variety of artificial lure or live bait. In the fall, they tend to school up around bait concentrations and can often be seen crashing the surface under birds, which are enjoying picking at the baitfish as they are driven to the water’s surface.

Fall is a time when many families are distracted by the sports and the holiday season; however, it’s one of the most underrated times to fish the Pamlico and can offer some of the finest fishing of the calendar year. While the colder temps can bring a certain degree of inconsistency to the fishing, when it’s good, it’s some of the best fishing of the year. It’s never too early to secure your holiday gifts. If you are searching for gift ideas during the holiday season, then how about giving the gift of fishing to a loved one, so that that they can go fishing later in the year. We have gift certificates available and they make a great gift for the fishermen in your family. Those can be purchased on our website at www. tarpamguide.com.

STORY

BY CAPT. RICHARD ANDREWS

Randy Osburn from Greenville NC with a giant redfish caught in the Pamlico.

Mauri F Evans Ins Agcy Inc

Mauri Evans, Agent

521 W 15th Street

Mauri F Evans Ins Agcy Inc

Washington, NC 27889

Mauri Evans, Agent

Bus: 252-946-5114

521 W 15th Street

Washington, NC 27889

Bus: 252-946-5114

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LIVING along the river

BY CRAIG WOOLARD

PHOTO BY HOLLY MORGAN

Mydad was born in 1920 at 612 East Main Street. He died in 2000, in the same house. Amazing. He didn’t care about the river. It might as well not have been there to him. But, in all fairness, after having served in the Navy in the Pacific during World War II, I guess he may have seen enough water.

But to me, the river was and is magical. I had the double benefit of growing up a block from the river in town; and spending much time at my grandmother’s house in the totally rural and much-loved Core Point. I saw the river from two vantage points. Catching flounder on the shore, fishing from the pier, swimming, “borrowing” a rowboat to go to Castle Island with Zeno Edwards, watching the glorious sunsets… I have much more to say about that river, but it’s only a part of why I love Washington.

There is still soul food and unbelievable fried chicken at King Chicken, and Bill’s Hot Dogs are always a favorite and readily available!

Plus, now there are uptown restaurants like the Hackney, among others.Waterfront in town living is now a reality there at Moss Landing; where all the neighborhood kids used to play on the mountains of sawdust. Upscale is now a word that accurately describes Washington!I love the Turnage Theatre, where I performed on Saturday mornings with a group of friends.

Arts of the Pamlico is doing a great job keeping the Turnage going, so please support them.Evans Seafood is gone, but there is now the Mac “Bear” Hodges Festival Park, a great memorial to Mayor Bear. Each of the river neighborhoods are still like a small piece of paradise to me. The Spanish-moss-laden trees in Washington Park remind me of Savannah. The people.

It’s as though time has stood still when I see schoolmates…no awkward silences, we just talk like before.

I meet new residents every time I come back. They all share the same love for the town that I feel.

That’s like a requirement, right? The history.

We all knew about the Civil War battle, and the piling in the river designed to stop Union gunboats. But I never knew that Washington was a stop on the Underground Railroad. Thank God for the FB page “I’m from Washington and Nobody Told Me This”.

Nor did I know that Castle Island had a herring prep facility.

The town has such a rich history!I could write so much more, but this should suffice for now.

I grew up in Washington, I love the town and it still feels like home to me!

We have a brand-new story to tell. And it’s all about you.

This is a story about a new health system, created for you. So you can live your healthiest life. Your best life. It’s about educating tomorrow’s providers and bringing together some of medicine’s greatest minds and caring hearts for one purpose, to make health and health care more of what you need it to be.