The North Carolina State Board of Transportation today unanimously voted to name the new bridge across Oregon Inlet the “Marc Basnight.” The segment of the old bridge that will become a pedestrian walkway will retain the Herbert C. Bonner name.
The new bridge opened to traffic on Feb. 25.
The resolution also rescinds the 1983 designation that named the entire length of N.C. 12– from U.S. 64 to the Ocracoke ferry terminal, the “Marc Basnight Highway.”
The Board of Transportation vote follows a resolution was passed by the Dare County Board of Commissioners (BOC) to rename the bridge after the former state senator at their Feb. 4 meeting by a 3-2 margin.
The BOC resolution was then sent to the N.C. Board of Transportation’s Road, Bridge and Ferry Naming committee, which on Feb. 6 recommended naming the new bridge across Oregon Inlet the “Marc Basnight Bridge,” with a sign underneath that says “Oregon Inlet.”
Marc Basnight was born in Manteo and represented Dare County in the North Carolina Senate from 1984 until 2011. He was President Pro Tempore of the Senate from 1993 until 2010, holding the position longer than anyone in state history. He also championed the Bonner Bridge Replacement Project from its infancy, noting the vital need for a reliable transportation link to Hatteras Island.
A statewide litter clean-up week is scheduled for April 13 to 27. Photo: C. Leinbach
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RALEIGH – The N.C. Department of Transportation needs volunteers to help clean up trash along roads during the Adopt-A-Highway Spring Litter Sweep from April 13 to 27.
Each April and September, NCDOT calls on volunteers from across North Carolina to help remove litter from roadsides. Volunteers from local businesses, schools, non-profits, churches and community groups play an important role in keeping North Carolina’s roads clean.
“North Carolina is a more beautiful place thanks to the thousands of volunteers who donate their time every year,” says David Harris, state roadside environmental engineer. “We cannot do this alone, and their efforts ensure our state is a great place to visit and live.”
Volunteers are provided with cleanup supplies such as reversible orange and blue trash bags, gloves and safety vests from local NCDOT County Maintenance Yard offices.
Last year, volunteers, Adopt-A-Highway groups and NCDOT employees removed more than 500,000 pounds of litter during the spring litter cleanup sweep.
Visit the Litter Sweep web page for more information. Questions can be directed to Kim Wheeless at 919-707-2974.
Have you ever wondered how much rainfall fell during a recent thunderstorm? How about snowfall during a winter storm? If so, an important volunteer weather observing program is looking for help.
The Community Collaborative Rain, Hail, and Snow network, or CoCoRaHS, is looking for new volunteers across North Carolina. The grassroots effort is part of a growing national network of home-based and amateur rain spotters with a goal of providing a high density precipitation network across the country.
CoCoRaHS came about as a result of a devastating flash flood that hit Fort Collins, Colorado, in July 1997. A local severe thunderstorm dumped over a foot of rain in several hours while other portions of the city had only modest rainfall. The ensuing flood caught many by surprise and caused $200 million in damages. CoCoRaHS was born in 1998 with the intent of doing a better job of mapping and reporting intense storms. As more volunteers participated, rain, hail, and snow maps were produced for every storm showing fascinating local patterns that were of great interest to scientists and the public. Recently, drought reporting has also become an important observation within the CoCoRaHS program across the nation. In fact, drought observations from CoCoRaHS are now being included in theNational Integrated Drought Information System.
North Carolina became the 21st state to join the CoCoRaHS program in 2007, and by 2010, the CoCoRaHS network had reached all 50 states with nearly ten thousand daily observations. Through CoCoRaHS, thousands of volunteers, young and old, document the size, intensity, duration and patterns of rain, hail and snow by taking simple measurements in their own backyards.
Volunteers may obtain an official rain gauge through the CoCoRaHS website (http://www.cocorahs.org) for about $31 plus shipping. Besides the need for an official four-inch plastic rain gauge, volunteers are asked to review simple training modules online and use the CoCoRaHS website to submit their reports. The process takes only five minutes a day, but the impact to the community is tenfold: by providing high quality, accurate measurements, the observers are able to supplement existing networks and provide useful data to scientists, resource managers, decision makers and others.
“Monitoring weather and climate conditions in North Carolina is no easy feat,” said Heather Dinon Aldridge, assistant state climatologist and interim assistant director of the State Climate Office, based at North Carolina State University. “CoCoRaHS volunteers help by painting a better picture of precipitation patterns across North Carolina, filling in data gaps where there are no nearby stations.”
“An additional benefit of the program to the National Weather Service is the ability to receive timely reports of significant weather such as hail, intense rainfall or localized flooding from CoCoRaHS observers that can assist meteorologists in issuing and verifying warnings for severe thunderstorms,” said David Glenn, CoCoRaHS State Co-coordinator and meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Newport/Morehead City.
To become a CoCoRaHS observer, visit the CoCoRaHSwebsite and click on the “Join CoCoRaHS” emblem on the upper right side of the main website. After registering, take the simple online training, order your four-inch rain gauge and start reporting.
“We are in need of new observers across the entire state,” Glenn said. “We would like to emphasize rural locations, areas of higher terrain and areas near the coast.”
North Carolina CoCoRaHS can also be reached onFacebookand throughTwitter.
Monday, March 4 Ocracoke Tourism Development Authority, 11 a.m. Ocracoke Community Center
The Hyde County Board of Commissioners will hold a Public Hearing on Duck Blind Safe Distance legislationin conjunction with their regular meeting , 6 p.m., Ocracoke Community Center
Tuesday, March 5
Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper. $5 suggested donation, $15 for families. United Methodist Church rec. hall. 71 School Rd. 5 to 6:30 p.m.
Ocracoke Preservation Society spring membership meeting and social. Bring a dessert to share. You do not have to be a member to come. Come hear about the latest projects, exhibits and plans for 2019. Ocracoke Community Center, 6 p.m.
WOVV Community Radio: Annual Meeting at the station at Back Road and Sunset Drive. Everyone is invited for drinks and snacks from 6 to 7; meeting at 7 p.m.
Coyote Music Den Jam Night, 6:30 p.m. All ages & levels players, singers, listeners. Bring instrument; no charge; donations welcome.
Gaffer’s: Texas Hold ‘Em Poker, 7 p.m.
Thursday, March 7 Decoy Carvers Guild, 7 p.m. Ocracoke Community Center
Friday, March 8 Gaffer’s: Blood Kin, 8:30 pm
Saturday, March 9 Ocracoke Oyster Co.: Girl Scout Cookie sale during the day; Martin Garrish and Coyote, 6 p.m.
Ocracokers line up for barbecue, compliments of Cedar Island, on the Native Seafood parking lot.
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Text and photos by Peter Vankevich
As Hurricane Florence headed to Eastern North Carolina last September, residents from Dare County all the way down to South Carolina had their personal Category 4 level of anxiety. Although Ocracoke and points further north were largely spared, it was not the casefor those to the south and communities on the mainland that dealt with major flooding from rivers.
Jessica Emory
Massive devastation hit the coastal counties south of Hyde County, including Carteret, which includes Cedar Island, all the way down to Brunswick.
Soon after Florence moved on, several Ocracoke Islanders launched their own relief effort, sending personal boats full of donated goods–water, gasoline, bleach, trays of bread, tarps, pet food and other necessities to Cedar Island which was cutoff by the hurricane.
To show their appreciation, the Cedar Island community thanked Ocracoke for its help with a free pig pickin’ barbecue with two roast pigs on Feb. 9 at the Native Seafood parking lot.
Isaiah Smith, a commercial fisherman, was one of the Cedar Islanders who showed up.
“We wanted to show our appreciation for the residents of Ocracoke that provided disaster relief assistance they provided after Hurricane Florence,” he said.
Commercial fisherman Vince Emory and his wife Jessica, along with Geraldine Gaskill, also showed up.
“It’s a great opportunity for us to share camaraderie for our friends of Ocracoke,” he said. “It was one of the few storms that affected Cedar Island and not Ocracoke.”
The loss of electricity for three weeks was particularly painful.
“We really appreciated getting ice,” Emory said.
Jessica is the principal of Beaufort Middle School.
“We wanted to thank the Ocracoke family for helping us out,” she said about the gift of the community barbecue. “It was a huge gift for us, and we were without power for three weeks. We greatly appreciated it. There is something about commercial fishermen that help each other. We wanted to say thank you from one island to another across the sound.”
Even now, she said, the island is still hurting and about one-third of her students are still displaced as contractors work to repair houses.
Isaiah Smith, right, a commercial fisherman from Cedar Island, was among several ‘Down Easters” who thanked Ocracoke with a free barbecue for its help after Hurricane Florence. Albert O’Neal, Ocracoke oyster harvester, fisherman and Volunteer Fire Department chief, is at left.
ANIMAL HOUSE! Raccoon to opossum as both raid the cat food dish: ‘Hey! That’s mine!’ Photo: P. Vankevich
This commentary was first published in the March 2019 Ocracoke Observer.
By Peter Vankevich
Winter on a remote coastal island can have its challenges, especially when it comes to weather. But unlike last year, when the island sustained a prolonged freeze, the island was relatively calm with a few December storm systems that caused some overwash on the highway beyond the pony pasture.
Here are some of the highlights of the last few months on Ocracoke.
The 35-day federal government shutdown that began on Dec. 22 caused relatively little disruptions compared to a lot of other locations. The furlough affected about six National Park Service employees. Law enforcement officers were on duty (albeit without pay) and Ocracoke did not suffer vandalism and destruction that occurred at national parks elsewhere. It was possible to drive on the beach with a legal permit which were available online during the shutdown.
The 13th annual Oyster Roast on Dec. 29 drew a line that stretched past the Jolly Roger restaurant. The Ocracoke Working Watermen Association puts on the roast each year as a fundraiser and community thank-you.
What a difference a New Year’s Day makes. About 45 kids and adults participated in Ocracoke’s version of the Polar Plunge at the airport beach. With temperatures in the upper 60s and an ocean temperature of about 58 degrees, it was a perfect day for a dip in the ocean. Last year’s dangerous 20-degree weather canceled this informal event.
The Ocracoke Preservation Society Sixth Annual “Ocracoke Through Your Eyes” Art Auction on Jan. 26 raised more than $6,000.
The Cedar Island community thanked Ocracoke for its help after Hurricane Florence with a free pig pickin’ barbecue at the Native Seafood parking lot on Feb. 10.
Ocracoke Dolphins boys’ varsity team won their Atlantic 5 1A Conference with a 11-1 record, but they lost 58-56 in the first round of the state championship playoffs. For the first time in many years, there were not enough student-athletes for field a varsity Lady Dolphins team but both boys and girls middle-school teams were the best in their conferences and the boys’ JV team got better after each game. The Dolphin basketball future looks bright.
Ocracoke United Methodist Church Pastor Richard L. Bryant will move on sometime this summer. His service here began in the summer of 2014 when he replaced Pastor Laura Stern. Methodists tend to move on to another church after about four years.
Politics In January, James (Little Brother) Topping and Michael (Shannon) Swindell were sworn in as new county commissioners. County commissioners must reside in the township they wish to represent and all registered voters in the county vote for the candidates. County commissioners have a lot of clout when it comes to matters affecting Ocracoke since it is the only local-level government. The Ocracoke commissioner seat will be up for election in 2020. No word yet as to current commissioner, Tom Pahl, will seek reelection.
Ocracoke has two new reps in Raleigh. Bob Steinburg for the District 1 Senate seat and Bobby Hanig for House District 3. Both are Republicans and have said they plan on visiting Ocracoke soon to meet the islanders and hear their concerns.
At the national level, Ocracoke lost its long-serving House representative Walter B. Jones Jr. who, after a prolonged illness, died on Feb. 10. He represented Ocracoke since 1995. Jones was a faithful representative to his constituents, a social conservative and not afraid to break ranks with his Republican party, especially over war and legislation that would add to the deficit. Those candidates wishing to replace him should be asked if they will have his courage and willingness to vote their conscience–what’s best for their constituents–and not just the party line. An election for this seat is scheduled for July 9.
Nature Joining the already numerous raccoons in the village are opossums. This is the only species of marsupial that is native to the United States. Many villagers have reported seeing more in the past several months. Readily available food and water left outside overnight will only lead to increases of both species.
Birds: Duck hunting guides have noted the high numbers of Redhead and Northern Pintail Ducks in the Pamlico Sound. The Ocracoke Christmas Bird Count on Dec. 30 estimated 5,000 Redheads and 2,000 Pintails. A total of 80 species were tallied that day on the island and surrounding waters. Other species present in good numbers were Buffleheads, Brant, Red-throated Loons, Lesser black-backed Gulls and several days later, a brief glimpse of a rare Western Kingbird.
Springer’s Point on Valentines Day. Photo P. Vankevich
Amid the tangled mire of Ocracoke’s mysteries is the perplexing question of when did the first “Ocracat” arrive on Ocracoke?
Ocracats are the “wild,” or feral, cats that roam the island. No one is sure when the first cat became an island resident and several theories exist.
A plausible though fictional account of how this could have occurred is found in Pat Garber’s new book, Little Matey, (2018), a story that will entertain those young or young-at-heart.
Set on Blackbeard’s ship, “Adventure,” Little Matey tells the tale of a little black kitten who, given her position as ratter on the iconic pirate ship, finds herself in a heap of trouble as the final battle of Blackbeard’s life draws near.
Leading up to the perilous skirmish, Garber describes life on a pirate ship with Little Matey, whiffing the stale stench of the crewman, hearing the thunderous boom of the cannons and even developing a fondness for the sometimes gentle and heartwarming Blackbeard.
Little Matey has no feline pals until she spies another cat whose ship has also docked at Ocracoke to partake in the raucous pirate parties.
A grey tabby, Grog longs for a life on land and plans his eventual escape to Ocracoke. In becoming a “landlubbing” cat, he tries to no avail to persuade Little Matey to join him.
Loyalty to the pirate and her duties on ship keep the little black ratter’s paws firmly on board. Action moves smoothly as Garber’s words flow effortlessly and the anticipated conclusion begins.
Excitement, tinged with a bit of sadness, follows Little Matey as she finds herself cast ashore, destined to become the first Ocracat momma, joined by Grog, the first Ocracat daddy.
Garber’s plentiful illustrations embellish the story with details that reveal themselves the longer you look at them. They are a delightful and whimsical addition to the text.
Garber donates a portion of her profits from Little Matey to OcraCats Inc. and other Outer Banks cat rescue organizations.
Little Matey can be found at Books to be Red, the Variety Store, OPS and online at Amazon.
Pat Garber resides on Ocracoke and in the Adirondacks. She has published numerous books about Ocracoke including “Ocracoke Odyssey,” “Ocracoke Wild,” “Little Sea Horse and the Story of the Ocracoke Ponies” and “Paws and Tales.”
Hyde County, North Carolina. Most of the county is water. Ocracoke has the largest population center. Graphic by Wikipedia
Providing government services in a geographically large and sparsely populated county can be a challenge. It is even greater when many of its residents are separated by 23 miles of water. Welcome to Hyde County.
With a population of fewer than 6,000 residents, about 20 percent reside on Ocracoke.
Hyde County provides many of the same services as the 99 others in North Carolina, such as issuing building permits, property inspections, registering deeds, health and other services for seniors and veterans.
To visit a county office, an island resident must take the two-and-a-half-hour ferry to Swan Quarter, the county seat, where most services are in the government center or one of the other buildings in the hamlet. Whereas in less rural places, folks can visit the county offices in an hour or two, it takes the greater part of daylight for islanders to visit the county offices.
Apart from the county manager, Ocracoke sees few administrative employees. We were heartened in January to see Gwen Cahoon, manager of the Swan Quarter Convenience Site, spending the day at the Ocracoke site to rally the troops and straighten the place up.
We have numerous issues here to deal with, as does any place, and cyberspace is not always reliable.
Access to information has exponentially changed in the last two decades. The Internet, with its myriad web sites, search engines and social media, has yielded fractured digital overload amidst necessary information.
Hyde County has a website but not everyone has access to the Internet or are tech-savvy to obtain the information they are seeking. Sometimes it’s just better to meet or to speak with a real person rather than travel through cyber space in search of information.
Hyde County has a small office space in the Ocracoke Community Center.
Currently only the Department of Social Services has a regular schedule of two days per month at the center to take applications for the Food and Nutrition, Work First and Medicaid Programs. We propose that this office be staffed on a fixed schedule – perhaps one day a week under the Hyde County Public Information Office– to meet with residents and answer questions, print forms and help solve problems.
Staffing this office could be done by a trained Ocracoke resident or a Hyde County employee who can continue to do work when there are no visitors.
Another possibility is having volunteers trained to provide this important public service.
Ocracoke is the largest economic and population center in the county, which, granted, has the largest acreage in the state. Its population provides the lion’s share of county real estate and sales tax revenues to the county’s budget.
It’s time for Hyde County to have an actual staff person on Ocracoke to assist residents with the many issues affecting them.
This would be good for Ocracoke and Hyde County government.
To catch up on Ocracoke news and much more, clickhere
By Peter Vankevich
Gov. Roy Cooper announced Tuesday new election dates to fill the seat in North Carolina’s Third Congressional
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper talks to members of the North Carolina Press Assn. Feb. 22 in Raleigh. Photo by Peter Vankevich
District, which has been vacant since Congressman Walter Jones, Jr. died in February. A special general election to elect a representative to serve out the remainder of Jones’s two-year term will be held on July 9.
A special primary election will be held on April 30. Absentee voting for the special primary election will begin on March 15.
Candidates seeking to fill the seat must file notices of candidacy with the State Board of Elections between March 4 and March 8.
The July vote could be pushed back if a primary runoff is required which would occur if the winner failed to win 30 percent of the votes. In that case, the special general election would then be held on Sept. 10.
“People in eastern North Carolina need a voice in Congress,” Cooper said. “We’re moving ahead so they can choose their new representative quickly.”
Absentee voting for the July 9 election will begin on May 24. If the Sept. 10 election date is needed, absentee voting will start on July 26.
At least three North Carolina state lawmakers have entered or planning to enter the race for the Republican nomination: Greg Murphy (District 9), Michael Speciale (District 3) and Phil Shepard (District 15).
Also planning to run are state Republican Party Vice Chairwoman Michelle Nix and these other Republicans, Phil Law, a Marine veteran and information technology manager, who lost to Jones in the past two Republican primaries, Jeff Moore, a former official in the McCrory’s administration and Sandy Smith, a political newcomer of Greenville.
Ollie Nelson, a retired Marine, educator and pastor from Jacksonville is the only Democrat so far that said he intends to run.
Federal and state laws require the governor to schedule election dates to fill the vacant seat in the Third Congressional District.
There is one other open congressional seat in North Carolina. Following the general election last November, no winner was declared in the Ninth Congressional District race due to allegations of absentee ballot fraud. On February 21, 2019, the state Board of Elections voted 5-0 to call a new election. The State Board of Elections is responsible for scheduling a new election in that district and will meet next Monday to set a date.
Two touching moments–one before tip-off in Ocracoke’s 58-56 state playoff loss to the Chatham Central Bears Tuesday night, and one following that game–said as much about Dolphins’ basketball and the community which supports them than merely the final score in the final home game of a remarkable season.
Before the National Anthem and player introductions, Charles Temple directed fans’ attention to the rafters of the gym. He pulled a rope attached to a sheet, revealing a gleaming new white banner hanging above the stage-side of mid-court.
Temple articulated the dark blue letters with enthusiasm: “Atlantic 1A Conference Champions, 2018 to 2019,” he said. Dolphin fans clapped and roared their approval.
Intense timeout. Coach Dave Allewalt, center, plots strategy. Assistant Coach Scott McNally is on right. Photo: Peter Vankevich
Yes, the Dolphins are league champions for the second straight year. The banner represents their 11-1 regular season record.
Tuesday night’s game was tied 21-21 after the first quarter. Ocracoke led 34-30 at the half; then, fell behind 50-49 after three periods. Missed shots, turnovers and an aggressive Bears defense kept the Dolphins from winning the hard-fought game in the end.
Not that the team did not try. Colby Austin missed a 3-pointer with 29 seconds left. Coach David Allewalt called two time outs with under 15 seconds left to plot strategy. Reese Gaskins missed a desperate 3-point corner attempt with :06 left.
The game was over. High school careers for Colby Austin, Sam Evans and Kalai Samick also were over.
Gaskins led the Dolphins with 19 points. Colby Austin had 15. Both hit four 3-pointers. Senior Jamieon Degraffenreaidt led the Bears with 19. Sophomore Michael Moore had 18.
Normally, Dolphin players would leave the Tank following games and quickly go home. But Tuesday night, the team sat around three tables set up on the stage and exchanged small talk.
Coach Allewalt passed out pepperoni pizza, but said little. There would be time for reflection later.
Colby Austin and other starters greeted by the Ocracoke Cheer Club. Photo by Peter Vankevich
