The Ocracoke year in pictures

By Peter Vankevich and Connie Leinbach

2015 was an eventful year on Ocracoke. Below are some of the highlights in photos.

A new, regulation baseball field opened in March at Community Park at the end of Maurice Ballance Road. This photo by Kari Styron shows the excitement of playing baseball on Ocracoke. Click here .

Karen, Kevin and Lulu Perez were winners in the 2015 5K/10K. Click here y acqui.

A mystery boat washed up to shore raising speculation its purpose. Click here

Philip Howard’s traditional clam chowder for the Ocracoke Preservation Society and Sherry Atkinson’s innovative clam chowder were the top winners in the Clam Chowder Cook-off in April to benefit Ocracoke Child Care. The 2016 event will be March 26 in the Ocracoke Community Center. Click here .

Penny and Victor perform at the 2015 Ocrafolk Festival. Click here  .

Islander Ruth Toth, left, won the traditional category for her cake and Danielle Kalnas of New Jersey won innovative in the annual Fig Cake Bake-off during the Fig Fest Aug. 14, Click here .

Maren Donlon and Emilia Jordan began their “Island Girl Talk” radio show on WOVV 90.1 FM. Click here

Passenger ferry from Massachusetts visits Ocracoke. Click here .

Kayaking in the Hurricane Joaquin flood waters in early October near Ocracoke Coffee Co.
Photo by Melinda Sutton.

For storm stories, click here.

All week long, Ocracoke had been under a Code Orange as pirates in large numbers were being seen in the Pamlico Sound. There was uncertainty as to whether they would invade Portsmouth or Ocracoke. On Oct. 30,  Ocracoke became CODE RED. The pirates had landed. Click here 

Blanche Jolliff Howard, left, kin to many islanders, received the Ocracoke Preservation Heritage Award in November. She is pictured here with cousin Amy Howard, OPS administrator.

Ocracoke‘s Sydney Austin was one of nine high school student-athletes nationwide honored by the WBCA and MaxPreps for the week of Dec.8. Click here

This just in… literally. Doing some late night work in the Ocracoke Observer office, i.e. Peter Vankevich’s porch, when this guy showed up to raid the cat dish.

High waters in Silver Lake Harbor after the fall storms. Photo by P. Vankevich

High waters in Silver Lake Harbor after the fall storms. Photo by P. Vankevich