Danny Halzworth is ‘Count Blackbeard, the vampirate.’ Photo by Debbie Leonard
By Connie Leinbach
In a scary turn of events, the Haunted Howard Street on Halloween night netted $2,700 to go towards smoothing out the unpaved road that, like most unpaved roads on Ocracoke, is beset by potholes.
The fundraiser (Oct. 31) was a series of scary vignettes all along Howard Street. While a private road, this much-photographed road has become iconic on Ocracoke.
Howard Street representatives requested money to smooth out the road from the Ocracoke Tourism Development Authority, but were declined with the board saying if they financed one private road they’d get requests from all of the other private road residents.
William Howard, who has lived on Howard Street all his life, said he’s seen the potholes come and go and is working on a road improvement plan.
‘Death Comes to Dinner,’ and what’s under that lid? Photo: C. Leinbach
Katy Mitchell, one of the organizers, said Jennifer Kidwell came up with the event idea, and then 40 cast members came together in two days to create 13 vignettes.
Mitchell herself was part of the “Witches Three” scene, boiling up something sinister in a cauldron in Kate McNally’s yard.
Susie Scott O’Neal, another organizer and the treasurer, said the proceeds and some pledges by neighbors should raise enough to start some work this winter.
O’Neal’s vignette was one where she could be seen on her porch dispatching trick-or-treaters.
“I was a babbadook,” she said
She noted how much fun the actors had putting it on.
“If you tell people they can get dressed up and play a role, they’ll show,” she said.
Mitchell said other scenes were “Choose or Die,” “The Gravedigger,” “Camping Slasher,” “Babba Yaga’s Bake House,” “Vampirate’s Lair,” “The Holy Man,” “Adrift Sailors and Sirens,” “A wedding Funeral,” “Graveyard of the Atlantic,” “When Death Comes to Dinner” and “The Narrowing.”
“It was such a fun event,” Mitchell said, echoing many who participated. “We were all lit from within by terrifying excitement. The community pulled together beautifully to make it happen.”
Earlier, along Lighthouse Road, costumed youngsters fanned out to gather treats from street residents and other community members who don’t live on the street.
Thing 1 and Thing 2 arrive to hand out candy. Photo: C. Leinbach
Trick or treating along Lighthouse Road on Halloween is an island tradition. Photo: C. Leinbach
Adults love to get in costume and join the trick-or-treaters. Above are Ben O’Neal with Scott Bradley, a mad scientist, and a robot woman, Kelley Shinn. Photo: C. Leinbach
Alien hunters Robert Chestnut and Rachael Pulwers. Photo: C. Leinbach
Gangsters Austin and Rachel O’Neal. Photo: C. Leinbach
Following a trend throughout the country, Ocracoke had a high early-voting turnout with 173 ballots cast in last week’s two-day early voting.
According to Hyde County Elections Office Director Viola Williams, as of closing on Wednesday, 199 had opted for early voting on the mainland and 40 absentee ballots have been received.
The Ocracoke voting location is at the Ocracoke Volunteer Fire Department on Irvin Garrish Hwy.
The general election is Tuesday, Nov. 8, and the Ocracoke polling place in the Ocracoke Volunteer Fire Department on Irvin Garrish Highway will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Ocracoke residents can travel to Swan Quarter during this early voting period and either vote early or register and immediately vote in the Hyde County Elections Office, 1223 Main St., Swan Quarter, weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Saturday, Nov. 5, from 8 am to 3 p.m.
Ocracoke has 832 voters with 372 registered Democrats, 132 Republicans, 6 Libertarians and 331 unaffiliated.
All of Hyde County, including Ocracoke, has 3,106 registered voters–1,386 Democrats, 637 Republicans, 17 Libertarian and 1,066 unaffiliated.
Democrats led the way in early voting with 93 on Ocracoke and 91 on the mainland. Unaffiliated voters were second with 54 Ocracoke and 69 mainland. A total of 58 Republicans voted, 21 on Ocracoke and 38 on the mainland.
Unaffiliated voters surpassed the major parties earlier this year as the largest voting group in the state representing more than 35% of registered North Carolina voters.
A souvenir from the 2020 election. Photo: P. Vankevich
More than 1.1 million North Carolinians have already voted in the 2022 general election, according to the Raleigh News & Observer.
As of Oct.29, there are 7,404,580 registered voters, reported the N.C. Board of Elections.
For questions regarding Hyde County voting, contact the Board of Elections Office, 252-926-4194. Official voting information is on the North Carolina State Board of Elections website.
Pictured (left to right): Carl Woody (DCS Board of Education), Mary Ellon Ballance (DCS Board of Education), David Twiddy (DCS Board of Education Chair), Steve Basnight (DCS Superintendent), Margaret Lawler (DCS Board of Education), and Susan Bothwell (DCS Board of Education Vice-Chair).
Educator had previously spent 28 years in the district
Steve Basnight, a longtime Dare County educator and former Hyde County Schools superintendent, will return to Dare County Schools as its new superintendent following the unanimous approval of his contract by the Dare County Board of Education during a special meeting on Nov. 2.
Basnight will succeed interim Superintendent Steve Blackstock, who was appointed to that post in July after the sudden resignation of then Superintendent John Farrelly. Blackstock will continue to work as an assistant superintendent in the Dare County Schools.
Steve Basnight. Photo by Peter Vankevich
“This is more than a job,” Basnight, who was accompanied by his family, told board members following the vote. “Dare County Schools is, and always has been, precious to me. I want our school system to be…in Dare County terms, a lighthouse for the rest of the state for how we treat our staff and for the work that we are committed to doing for the students in our schools because they deserve no less.”
Basnight will be sworn in during the board’s Nov. 9 meeting and his contract will be effective Dec. 1. Basnight retired as superintendent of Hyde County Schools in April of this year, marking a brief pause in a distinguished career in education in Dare, Currituck and Hyde counties.
Speaking of Dare County Schools’ new top administrators, Basnight and Blackstock, Board of Education Member and Search Committee Chair Mary Ellon Ballance told the Voice that, “Dare County Schools, for the first time in a long time, have the right people in the right place to go in the right direction.”
Basnight worked alongside Blackstock in the Hyde County Schools where Blackstock was the director of Instructional Programs and Assessments. When Basnight retired from the Hyde post in April, Blackstock was sworn in as interim superintendent in that district until he returned to Dare County Schools this summer to take on his current role.
A graduate of East Carolina University, Basnight was an educator in Dare County Schools for 28 years. He was a classroom teacher and coach at Manteo High School for 20 years before moving into administration, where he served as an administrative intern and assistant principal at First Flight Middle School, interim principal at Cape Hatteras Secondary School of Coastal Studies, curriculum coordinator at the district level and principal at the Dare County Alternative School.
Basnight also served as principal of the J.P. Knapp Early College in Currituck before becoming superintendent of Hyde County Schools.
Basnight extended his appreciation to Blackstock during the meeting for the work he has done as interim superintendent. “I would be remiss if I didn’t take an opportunity to say thank you for the job you’ve done in not only getting the school year off to a phenomenal start, but in beginning to rebuild some of those relationships that are so very important to everything we want to do,” he said.
Basnight added, “I can’t wait to see some familiar faces and colleagues, meet some new people and get in the schools and work alongside our incredible staff to move Dare County Schools forward.”
In its search for the new superintendent, the board of education chose to conduct an in-house search as opposed to hiring an outside search firm. To that end, it named a superintendent search committee made up of three school board members, three principals representing the elementary, middle and high school levels and three central office staff members. Reportedly, 22 candidates had submitted applications for the superintendent position.
The FBI was on Ocracoke this morning to investigate a threat to Ocracoke School that was posted Tuesday night.
Captain Joe Smith of the Hyde County Sheriff’s Department on Ocracoke said that “Don’t go to school tomorrow” was posted on a texting app called Yik Yak, which is intended for sharing primarily with those in proximity to the user and allows users to post anonymously.
Deputy Jay Neal said he was awakened at 3 a.m. today when Yik Yak flagged the post and told them it had been posted by a teenaged boy on Ocracoke.
Then he and Smith went to the boy’s house.
“We talked to him and searched the house,” Smith said. “We also searched the school.”
No weapons or anything was found in either location, Smith said.
An FBI agent from the Manteo office arrived on the island around 9:30 this morning to interview the youth and find out his intentions.
“The FBI had everything on this kid,” Neal said.
Neal said later in the morning that the youth told the FBI agent that he thought posting that phrase would be funny.
“But it isn’t,” Neal said.
No charges were filed, the FBI agent left and Neal said the youth’s mother took his phone away.
“When (the youth) gets it back it will be a flip phone (without social media apps),” he said.
Smith said this was the second or third time they have responded to possibly threatening Yik Yak posts.
One of those prior posts was lyrics to a song that Nikolas Cruz, who is set to be sentenced today to life in prison for killing 17 people on Feb. 14, 2018, at Marjory Stoneman Douglas Senior High School in Parkland, Fla., just before he began his deadly assault.
According to the Yik Yak website, the app allows people to create and view discussion threads within a 5-mile radius. The website says it’s anonymous, but other published reports, Neal and Smith, say it’s not.
The app had flagged the post and contacted law enforcement.
According to vice.com, Yik Yak, launched in 2013, shut down in 2017 after it was accused of being a platform for bullying and harassment.
After addressing some flaws, it relaunched in 2021.
Give the gift of life – your blood – at the Red Cross blood drive Nov. 9 and 10 in the Community Center. Photo: C. Leinbach/Ocracoke Observer
The Ocracoke School Beta Club and the American Red Cross will host a community blood drive in November.
The two-day drive Nov. 9 and 10 will be held in the Ocracoke Community Center. Hours for Nov. 9 are from noon to 6 p.m. and Nov. 10, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
“The need for blood is constant and only volunteer donors can fulfill that need for patients in our community,” said drive coordinator Bryson Schmidt. “Nationwide, someone needs a unit of blood every two to three seconds and most of us will need blood in our lifetime.”
Schmidt said the Beta Club is participating in the Red Cross High School Scholarship program, in which they recruit blood donors and help at the event. They earn a scholarship based on what is collected.
“Last year a student in the senior class was awarded a $1,000 scholarship because the island collected 157 units of blood,” she said, and this year, they hope to do the same. “If we hit 150+ again, a student will receive $1,000.”
To make an appointment online, visit http://www.redcrossblood.org and type in Ocracoke’s zip code, 27960, in the search bar.
Ghoulish display along Back Road, Ocracoke. Photo: C. Leinbach
Monday, Oct. 31 Haunted Howard Street: 6:30 to 9:30 pm. From 6:30 to 7:30 will be for small children (less scary); $5 for children under 12; $10 for adults. See story here.
Tuesday, Nov. 1 Medicare Advance Care Planning workshop, 10 am to noon: A session about the importance of planning for your future medical needs. Attendees will learn more about living wills and Health Care Power of Attorney documents. Participants will receive a FREE Toolkit to assist with future planning. Community Center. See story here for all Medicare workshops on Ocracoke.
Wednesday, Nov. 2 The NPS opens and staffs the base of the Ocracoke lighthouse from 1 to 3 pm Wednesday to Saturday October through January.
Thursday, Nov. 3 The NPS opens and staffs the base of the Ocracoke lighthouse from 1 to 3 pm
Ocracoke Decoy Carver’s Guild, 7 pm. Community Center Canceled
Friday, Nov. 4 Mobile mental health clinic, Community Center parking lot
Erik Heden will be the guest on WOVV ‘What’s Happening on Ocracoke’ at 11 a.m. Friday, Nov. 4.
Erik Heden, Warning Coordination Meteorologist for the National Weather Service out of Newport/Morehead City, will be a guest on What’s Happening on Ocracoke, WOVV 90.1 FM, at 11 am. Prior to that, at 10 am, he will be in the Green Room of the radio station to meet people and answer questions. The radio station is located on the second floor of the old firehouse, 215 Back Rd.
The NPS opens and staffs the base of the Ocracoke lighthouse from 1 to 3 pm
Ocracoke Oyster Company live music: Ray Murray, 7 pm
Saturday, Nov. 5 The NPS opens and staffs the base of the Ocracoke lighthouse from 1 to 3 pm
Howard Street will be the scene of some special hauntings for a fundraiser on Monday, Oct. 31. Photo: C. Leinbach
Residents of Howard Street will host a Haunted Howard Street fundraiser Halloween tonight (Oct. 31).
The residents have been musing on ways to smooth out the potholes on this iconic Ocracoke road, considered the historic section of the village.
While it is much beloved and photographed, it is a private, unpaved road. The numerous potholes can wreak havoc on vehicles.
The street also is rife with legends. So, the residents have been working on creating a spooky experience for young and old.
Participants will be given “tours” of the street populated with several scary vignettes, said Katy Mitchell, who is organizing the evening with Jen Kidwell and several Howard Street neighbors.
Mitchell said the tours for small children will be less scary and will be from 6:30 to 7:30.
Then from 7:30 to 9:30 will be “full on fright night,” Mitchell said.
Admission will be $5 for children under 12 and $10 for adults and tours will begin at the entrance to Howard Street on School Road.
Proceeds from admission will go toward road repair.
The Howard Street sentinel. Photo: C. Leinbach
Spooky decorations along Howard Street. Photo: C. Leinbach
Residents along Lighthouse Road are gearing up for trick-or-treat night Monday, Oct. 31. Photo: C. Leinbach
Another display along Lighthouse Road, the traditional, though not exclusive, road where island children trick-or-treat. Photo: C. Leinbach
Festive pumpkins along Silver Lake Drive. Photo: C. Leinbach
Brooke German creates a soundscape for sound meditation. Photo by Grace West
By Grace West
On Ocracoke Island, fall and winter is a time to slow down for locals who have worked their tails off during the summer months.
Many opportunities exist in the off season to enjoy nature and learn more about the island, attend a variety of yoga classes, music venues and other activities.
New this fall is an opportunity to experience sound meditation at the Little Rituals shop in Spencer’s Market.
What is sound meditation?
As our very fast pace of life increases, so does stress and the need to find stress relief. Meditation is a stress reliever and works to help train your mind to focus on a particular object, thought or activity that in turn brings mental clarity and relaxation.
During a sound meditation session, a practitioner uses instruments that provide tones rather than melodies to help bring you into a meditative state of wellbeing. These tonal instruments can include gongs, drums, singing and crystal bowls, chimes and even the human voice.
Sound meditation is sometimes called “sound bath” because the vibrations of sound surround you and can lead to a feeling of being held.
Recipients of sound meditation often say they feel like they are floating during a session. Sound meditation is a way to slow down, get back in touch with your body and experience deep relaxation.
There is research showing that sound meditation lowers both blood pressure and heart rate which results in a shift in brain waves to a state of deep relaxation which then lowers anxiety, depression, and even physical pain. (soundmeditation.com; himalayanacademyofsound.com; vibrationalsoundassociation.com).
When sound meditation originated and how exactly it works is unknown.
The roots of using sound therapeutically date back to the ancient cultures of China, Tibet, Egypt and Australia.
What can you expect?
Brooke German, sound meditation practitioner, has a gathering space: a quiet place set up with mats and bolsters to sit or lie down on.
German is a musician and plays cello in her Brooke and Nick Americana folk duo.
Her inspiration comes from Alexander Tannous (soundmeditation.com) and through workshops and study with the founder of the Academy of Sound: Yogi Bahnu.
Experimentally, German explains she has gained a lot of knowledge from her immersion in numerous sound meditations while living in Asheville.
Her love of and being attuned to the power of sound informs her choices about when to play specific instruments and when to allow for silence.
After an hour, German’s voice leads you gently back into the present.
I left basking in a spacious awareness of my body and surroundings.
As I gazed up into the starlit night sky, it seemed only too apt to see a shooting star and feel the wonder of nature and this small island where so many talented people share their gifts.
I highly recommend both the small group sound mediation and the one-on-one sound massage which German offers.
Pre-registration is required for Sound Meditation from 7 to 8 p.m. Wednesdays. To sign up, visit the Little Rituals shop, or call 757-275-6897 or email littlerituals.islandapothecary@gmail.com; $35 visitors, $25 locals.
The Nov. 6 mid-term election will be here soon, but early voting begins this week from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday and Friday (Oct. 27 and 28) in the Ocracoke Volunteer Fire Department.
Early voting times for mainland Hyde will be from now to Nov. 5 in the Hyde County Public Safety building. Hours are weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday, Nov. 5, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
As you will see in the sample ballots here, several seats have candidates who are unopposed. This includes representation in the North Carolina General Assembly.
In the newly redrawn political boundary lines for the N.C. House, Ocracoke finds itself in House District 79 where Keith Kidwell (R-Chocowinity), the incumbent, is unopposed.
State Senate District 1 also has just one candidate, Norman W. Sanderson (R-Pamlico). He beat our former senator, Bob Steinburg in the Republican primary.
So, these two will be our state representatives as no Democrats are running for these important seats.
The Hyde County board of Commissioners Currituck Landing seat does not have a name on the ballot since no one met the deadline to be listed. M. Shannon Swindell is the current commissioner. He met the requirements to be a write-in candidate and is the only one who did. So, just one write in with his name on the ballot will ensure that he will win this election.
The Observer asked some of the local candidates in contested elections to present their views and we are publishing the answers.
We also asked Sen. Sanderson and Rep. Kidwell to introduce themselves to their new constituents, but they have not responded. Here are links to their Ballotpedia profiles:
The North Carolina Board of Elections sent a printed Judicial Voter Guide for this election to Ocracoke post office box holders. It shows the various candidates for N.C. Supreme Court and N.C. courts of appeals candidates. If you no longer have that booklet, it is in the “upcoming election” section of the North Carolina State Board of Elections website. You can view it in PDF form here.
Candidates’ responses/statements below are presented in alphabetical order.
Hyde County commissioner candidates
What is the biggest issue facing Hyde County?
Eyleen Gibbs Brooks Democrat candidate for Hyde County commissioner, Swan Quarter: I was born and raised in Hyde County and have always called it home. My husband is Gregory Brooks, and my daughter is Summer Cahoon. This is my family’s home. Anyone that knows me will tell you I am outspoken. I say what is on my mind, and I am a fighter for what I believe is right. I am not a politician, and you won’t see me out “politicking,” as my grandma would say.
Everyone keeps asking me, “Why are you running for County Commissioner?”
Eyleen and Gregory Brooks
Well, the best answer is this. Hyde County is my home and the home of all the people I love. I look at my home county and see things not heading in a direction that will make me proud to tell people that Hyde County is my home and I believe most of the citizens of Hyde County feel the same way.
I want the people of Hyde County to feel that the Hyde County Board of Commissioners are representing them and that they can come to the board with their needs and voice those needs and views on the direction their county is going, and they will be listened to.
I am not delusional. I know as one person I cannot change everything going on in Hyde County, but I can make the Hyde County Board of Commissioners more accessible to the citizens of Hyde County. I can make the citizens aware of things going on in Hyde County, and I can make Hyde County’s citizens voices heard.
For those that don’t know me, I speak my mind and I stand up for what I think is right and I will tell you right now that listening. The citizens of Hyde County are, in effect, the employers of the Hyde County Board of Commissioners and If elected to represent the citizens of Hyde County on the Board of Commissioners I will listen to what the citizens of Hyde County want for their home county and I will fight with all I have to make their voices heard and do whatever I have to do to make Hyde County a place we can all be proud to call our home.
Jan Cabe Moore, Republican candidate for Hyde County commissioner, Swan Quarter: Fiscal responsibility and overall management. We cannot continue to operate under the “rob Peter to pay Paul” mindset.
Jan Cabe Moore
Often, those in control have no real working concept of how programs or funding that comes with strings attached operate.
We have just witnessed how with the recent school funding situation that not understanding and/or accepting that when the state is involved certain things are “just how it has to be” that produces, in the long run, a financial nightmare for all concerned.
I have worked in state and county government for 37 years plus five with a federal jobs program. I understand government programs, formulas and budgets which will assist me in future decision making.
This county will not prosper if we don’t figure out a way to have a better control of our finances; keep our young people here and gainfully employed; provide affordable housing; make sure our waterways are kept open and maintained regularly; give our citizens the services they deserve for the taxes they pay; and continue exploration of affordable wireless broadband.
Three candidates are running for Hyde County Board of Education
What are the biggest issues facing Hyde County Schools?
Aleta Cox, incumbent, Republican: Education is my passion. I came to Hyde County in 1975 as a reading teacher. I have taught grades two through five, written grants and was a director of programs. After 38 years with the Hyde County School System, I decided it was time to retire.
Aleta Cox
I had many people encourage me to run for the Board of Education after I retired, with the statement, “We need someone on the board that has been in the classroom.” After much thought I decided to run. I have been on the board for the past eight years. It has truly been a learning experience and very rewarding working for our teachers and students. They are the main and most important reason that I am running again.
Together the board works tirelessly to make sure our teachers have what they need to teach our students. It is a privilege being a part of helping to provide services for our students so they will have a well-rounded education and be able to make decisions about their futures.
I do feel I still have more to contribute as a member of the Hyde County Board of Education. I will always strive to do what is best for the students of Hyde County. I appreciate all the support I have received over the years from the classroom to now.
Lindsey Mooney, incumbent, Democrat: Several issues are facing Hyde County Schools.
Lindsey Mooney
1. is the completion of Ocracoke School in a timely manner and making sure there is funding to complete the project.
2. Is the construction of a new school bus garage for our district.
3. Filling teaching positions with qualified teachers to further our children’s education.
4. Support our new superintendent as she grows our schools and enhance community involvement.
I plan to continue to listen to parents, staff and students to bring their concerns before the BOE and make the best decisions in the interest of our children’s future.
Robert Wayne, unaffiliated: A current issue is the drop in enrollment. The reduction in the student body both enhances issues with loss of funding (dollars per student) but makes extracurricular activities such as sports more difficult for our students.
Robert Wayne
I would like to meet with those who have left the school system, find out why, and build on those issues. Additionally, I would share with them some positive changes that have occurred this school year.
An issue that we’ve always faced is funding two separate schools based on a student body number that supports only one. I would like to work with our local and state leaders to help bring more awareness to this matter.
A constant issue that most school systems face today is teacher recruitment and retention. I feel the best source of staffing for our future is the students in our classrooms today, therefore I would like to suggest a student-teacher mentoring program for the future.
There is no doubt sign-on bonuses and better pay will help. Our schools are the heart of the communities we live in and I’m a proud parent of two students that will work just as hard for yours as my own.
Hyde County Sheriff
Guire Cahoon, Democrat, incumbent: I have been serving the citizens of Hyde County in the capacity as a law enforcement officer for 15 years.
I started my career with the Hyde County Sheriff’s Office as deputy sheriff in 2007, then served as chief deputy until I was elected as sheriff in 2014.
Guire Cahoon
The qualities of being a good sheriff and public servant were instilled in me through my childhood and early adult years.
Growing up, the sheriff’s office was a place I was very familiar with since my grandfather, the late Charlie Cahoon, was the elected sheriff. For me, becoming sheriff has not only been a dream but a legacy. In my opinion it’s the greatest job in the world. I have always approached this position as a calling, and I do this because I truly want to help people. That is the greatest reward for me.
I take my oath of office very seriously, if re-elected, I will continue with the mission to protect and serve the residents of Hyde County by providing a strong, impartial law enforcement presence that incorporates integrity, professionalism, and compassion into the daily activities of the sheriff’s office.
I will continue with the strategies and training necessary to combat crime. This revolves around taking all the steps needed to improve a close-knit, working relationship with my fellow citizens, as I feel my office has done over the last eight years.
My deputies and I strive to have daily interaction with the community, to bond, to build those close relationships and get a better understanding of the needs and problems my office should be focused on.
It is my desire to continue to serve as sheriff of Hyde County. I have a heart to serve, and I take being a public servant very seriously because the people of Hyde County are whom I work for in my capacity as sheriff.
I remain committed, available, and supportive of all who reside in Hyde County. I am truly thankful for your confidence in me and my office over the last eight years and ask for your continued support in the upcoming election on Nov. 8.
Larry D. Weston, unaffiliated: My reason for running for Sheriff of Hyde County is because I believe we need a new law enforcement leader that’s going to enforce the law for everyone and not just for a few.
I retired April 7, 2021, from the North Carolina Department of Transportation with 25 years of service.
Larry Weston
I also held the positions of maintenance mechanic manager, spray painter, member of the DOT Hazmat Spill Response Team, member of the Shipyard Rescue Response Team, leader of Hazardous Waste Material Pick-up and Disposable. I’m a former supervisor of the inmates from Tyrell County Work Force.
I’ve been a volunteer fire fighter on the Engelhard Fire & Rescue and first responder with the rank of captain for approximately 18 years with five of those years and as a captain presently. Having served this county (my home sweet home) for 10 years as a deputy sheriff I not only have the experience in law enforcement, but I believe that I have something to contribute towards helping to build a stronger, more controlled, more diverse, and qualified police force for Hyde County.
I promise that if I’m elected as your sheriff, I will diligently build a police force with all deputies, including myself, and get better responsible training that will work on the drug problem that we have in Hyde County.
I will be a leader that will go out in the community and build a relationship with the citizens to find out their needs. I believe it’s important to have trust within the citizens you serve and not just when it’s election time or when something is wrong.
However, it’s my desire to see law enforcement in Hyde County become admired throughout the state of North Carolina for its diligence and devotion to honesty, fair pay, and reliability in the performance of our sworn duty and believe that we can do it together. Thank you, in advance for your vote.
Rena Grace Garrish Gaskill, 87, of Ocracoke, died Sunday, Oct. 23, at her home.
Grace Gaskill
Born Oct. 19, 1935, she was a daughter of the late Maude Williams Garrish and Uriah Wahab Garrish.
Grace was a member of Ocracoke United Methodist Church and the United Methodist Women’s Group.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Thurston F. Gaskill; her son, David Fuller Gaskill; and her sister, Helen Brittina Helpinstill.
Grace is survived by her daughter, Rena Dell Garrish; two grandchildren, Crystal Brooke Wells and Alex Daniel Garrish; one great-grandchild, Griffin John Ivey Wells; and three siblings, Maude Ellen Ballance, Chloe Ann O’Neal, and Robert Charles Garrish.
A graveside memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 29, at the Ocracoke Community Cemetery.
Twiford Funeral Homes, Outer Banks is assisting the family with arrangements.
