The wintry Ocracoke beach on New Year’s Day 2018. Photo: C. Leinbach
By Connie Leinbach
See winter storm warning from the National Weather Service affecting the Outer Banks by clicking here.
Cooler—or rather, warmer—heads prevailed Monday (Jan. 1) when no one braved the freezing temperatures to jump in the ocean for a polar plunge.
Around 2 p.m. New Year’s Day, several vehicles ventured onto the airport beach to see if anyone would continue the New Year’s Day event begun in 2012.
“I have my bathing suit on,” Jenny Scarborough, a plunge aficionado who was among a handful of folks bundled up on the cold and windy beach. After about five minutes, she agreed to forego it this year, as did many others who typically join in since Ocracoke waters (and air temperatures) are relatively mild in the winter.
“I have to touch the water though,” she said and dipped her fingers in the surf. “Let’s go back and play board games,” she said afterwards to Kate Plyler.
Jenny Scarborough settled for a New Year’s Day dip of her fingers in the surf. Photo: C. Leinbach
Tom Cain and Donald Davis drove out to watch, but soon left, as did William Howard and Kate McNally and Roger Meacham and his daughter Whisper.
“I’d go in, but not today,” Meacham said. Then he rolled up his window and took a drive down Southpoint.
A few visitors awaiting the possible plunge also left.
“I’m glad they decided not to,” said one unidentified woman.
Cold temperatures will continue throughout the week. Wednesday will bring a bit of a respite with temperatures reaching the mid-40s and rain is expected. Wednesday night may bring some snow and feezing rain creating dangerour icy condition.
The night-time freezing temperatures are expected into early Sunday morning and may result in freezing and burst pipes that have already occurred to some residences. To read about possibly preventing this, clickhere.
Roger Meacham takes a drive along the beach. Photo: C. LeinbachOther-worldly sand landscape at Southpoint, Ocracoke, N.C. Photo: C. Leinbach
Last year’s polar plunge on Ocracoke at the airport ramp. This year’s event today (Jan. 1) will be at 2 p.m. Photo: C. Leinbach
According to reports from NOAA, the coldest week of our winter so far is upon eastern North Carolina.
“For inland, high temperatures may not get out of the 20s inland Monday,” Erik Heden of the Morehead City National Weather Service office, said in a press release.
Ocracoke will be a bit warmer as the weather today (Monday) will be mostly sunny, with lows in the 20s and a high near 30. A north wind around 26 mph will contribute to the wind-chill factor making it feel colder.
According to Weather Underground, Arctic high pressure will build into the area from the northwest through Tuesday bringing the coldest temperatures of the season.
Temperatures Tuesday are forecast in the low 20s and a high around 32. Wednesday, the temperature will rise to the mid-40 degrees, but then with another surge of Arctic air, go down into the 30s again on Thursday and Friday. Saturday’s temperatures will be back in the 20s.
The NWS service models having been showing a potential large storm in the ocean for several days now.
While most of the storm itself will be well removed from our area, over the past 48 hours the trend has been slightly farther west which would result in our area being brushed by the far western edge of the storm.
It is still three days out from coastal North Carolina and the disturbance that may spawn this storm is still in Western Canada, Heden said. For now, the NWS says to be aware that with cold air in place we have the potential for some snow starting Wednesday afternoon with the most impactful period being Wednesday night.
The Happy New Year’s Day polar plunge today (Monday, Jan. 1) is scheduled for 2 p.m. at the airport ramp. Jason Wells, who set the time, posted on his Facebook page that everyone is reminded to swim at their own risk and he doesn’t recommend it for those that are not in good shape. Several plunges in the north have been canceled due to the extreme cold.
Ocracoke’s Variety Store mid-morning on Aug. 1 is virtually empty, reflecting the effects of the week-long power outage in the high visitor season. Photo: Peter Vankevich
As the year closes, we look at some of the top newsworthy events that impacted Ocracoke and take a peek at 2018.
Power outage The big story of the year began early on July 27. Ocracoke got sucker punched in the middle of its high season when PCL Construction crews rebuilding the Bonner Bridge drove a piling through the underground cable at the bridge’s southern end causing a blackout to Hatteras and Ocracoke islands. Officials ordered visitors to leave both islands. Tideland EMC, Ocracoke’s electric company, brought in temporary generators until full power was restored Aug 3.
PCL set up an online system for compensation. Some have received reimbursements for lost wages and business; others are still waiting. Several lawsuits against PCL are in court while construction of the bridge continues–to be completed in late 2018.
Hurricanes: Island brushed, not battered
Storms well out to sea can bring crashing surf on Ocracoke. Photo: Peter Vankevich
Three major hurricanes, Irma, Jose and Maria, all threatened to strike the Outer Banks. Unlike the Caribbean and Texas, Ocracoke was spared the brunt of these storms, although Maria caused a second mandatory visitor evacuation further hurting business.
A new county commissioner
Ocracoke County Commissioner Tom Pahl. Photo by Peter Vankevich
Islander Tom Pahl defeated incumbent John Fletcher in the November 2016 election. Pahl got right to work. He set up a new Ocracoke Waterways Commission to deal with ferry access and other important water-related issues. He helped improve and stabilize several important committees and held open meetings to discuss contentious issues, such as passenger ferry tram service funding and the 2 percent increase of the Occupancy Tax. While not all agree with Pahl’s views and votes, he has reached out to the community and has listened to islanders, sometimes modifying his positions. Not many politicians at any level are like that these days.
Third best-beach award
Ocracoke’s Lifeguard Beach captures third best beach in the nation in 2017.
In 2007, Ocracoke Island gained international fame by being named No. 1 on “Dr. Beach’s Annual America’s Best Beaches.” This was the first time a beach outside Florida or Hawaii had been named to the top position on this celebrated top-10 list. Ocracoke returned to the list as the third best beach in 2017.
Compiled yearly by “Dr. Beach,” who is Florida International University Professor Stephen Leatherman, he wrote: “It is my favorite getaway beach, but don’t expect to play golf or stay at the Ritz; the main pursuits are swimming and beachcombing.”
Occupancy tax boost with new Tourism Development Authority After initial vocal opposition, the Hyde County commissioners voted to raise the lodging occupancy tax rate by 2 percent. The new rate 5 percent is still below neighboring Dare County’s 6 percent rate. Monies generated from this additional tax will be managed by a new Tourism Development Authority, which is working with the Occupancy Tax Board as to how both funds will be allocated.
Ocracoke Child Care closes
Ocracoke Childcare closed its doors. Photo by Peter Vankevich
After several years of challenges and setbacks, Ocracoke Child Care closed in May. The final blow came when not enough qualified classroom teachers could be found. Child care workers are required to have background checks, a physical, inoculations, CPR and other training. The center had struggled with finances for several years and it closed temporarily in August 2015 after a continuing problem with scabies. On the good side, its mortgage was recently paid off. Reopening remains uncertain.
Ocracoke fire department contains two village structure fires
OVFD training session.
Ocracoke, fortunately, has not had a lot of structure fires, but there were two this year–one in April in a home behind the Variety Store and, most recently, a fire at the Pirates Chest in November. While severely damaging to the building, the Pirates Chest is in the midst of rebuilding, but the home behind the Variety Store was destroyed. No one was injured in either fire.
Rare as they may be, structure fires can be highly dangerous. The island is no stranger to high winds like those in the west that fuel flames and cause the destruction of countless homes, creating the potential of a worst-case scenario. The Ocracoke Volunteer Fire Department responded in a timely and professional manner containing both fires within a half-hour. Without the OVFD’s quick response, these fires could have been far worse. Our firefighters are all volunteers, dedicated to serving the community and deserve to be thanked for their service. Oh yes, they can always use a few more.
Passing of elder islanders Ocracoke lost several esteemed and beloved residents this year, including Preston “Jule” Garrish, Thomas Midgett, Vivian “Vickie” H. Cobb, James Barrie Gaskill, Russell Newell, Earl O’Neal Jr., Clyde Sherrill Austin, William “Billy” Potter Garrish, Jr., James Kenneth Gordon, Sr. and Merle Davis. They will be greatly missed. For obituaries, click here
Looking forward to 2018
Passenger ferry service
After years of discussion, a passenger-only ferry is under construction and service is expected to begin next summer. With Ocracoke visitors leaving their vehicles on Hatteras Island, the N.C. Ferry Division hopes that the long lines and wait times for car ferry service will improve substantially. Passengers will pay a fee while vehicle ferries will remain free. Making reservations in advance will be one of the big advantages as well as being able to bring bicycles. The plans include a tram service to shuttle visitor around the village. Whether this will be implemented next summer remains to be seen as this service is still under discussion.
Blackbeard’s 300th anniversary Brace yourself. Nov. 22, 2018, will mark the tricentennial of Blackbeard’s demise off Springer’s Point at the hands of British Lt. Robert Maynard and crew on Nov. 22, 1718. Curious visitors may be asking a lot of questions. Blackbeard’s Pirate Jamboree Oct. 25 to 28 (with an additional day added) and plans by the Ocracoke Preservation Society’s to honor Lt. Maynard will draw much attention. Expect lots of media and first-time visitors.
Islander James Kenneth Gordon, Sr., died unexpectedly at his home Dec. 28.
He was 82 years old.
He was the husband of Joyce, to whom he was married for 63 years. The couple had known each other since elementary school.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Lucian and Valli Gordon, his brother, Odell Gordon, and a great-granddaughter.
In addition to his wife, he is survived by children Debi, Cindy (Richard), Ken (Christie), and Lisa (Steve); 10 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren; his sister, Jean, as well as numerous nieces and nephews.
Per Ken’s wishes, there will be no public service.
During this difficult time, the family would like to thank the loving friends who have provided so much support and prayers.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to an organization close to Ken’s heart, the Ocracoke Working Watermen’s Association (www.ocracokewatermen.org) P.O. Box 1165, Ocracoke, NC 27960).
Twiford Funeral Home, Manteo, is assisting the family with arrangements. Condolences may be expressed here.
Islander Merle Smith Davis, 73, died Thursday (Dec. 28) at home. She was the wife of Donald D. Davis author and storyteller.
Born Feb. 11, 1944, in Durham, Merle was a daughter of the late Irma Gunther Smith and Laurence Smith and grew up in Chapel Hill.
After graduating from Chapel Hill High School in 1962, she attended the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and received her education degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1966.
Half of Merle’s career was spent as an elementary classroom teacher in Charlotte, Chapel Hill and on Ocracoke. The other half of her professional life was spent as an arts administrator. She was director of the Dublin County Arts Council in Kenansville, Duplin County, and later Director of Artsplosure in Raleigh.
For the last 25 years she has been the arts administrator for Donald’s, storytelling business.
In their time together, she and Donald loved travel, camping, reading and cooking.
In addition to her husband, Merle is survived by four sons, Patrick Jubal Creech of Thailand, Douglas Davis (Jill) of Raleigh, Jonathan Davis (Koran) of Greensboro, and Kelly Davis (Erin) of Durham; two grandsons, Tommy and Frank; and a brother, Larry Smith (Robin) of Richmond, Virginia.
A celebration of Merle’s life will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 6, in the Ocracoke Community Center. This will be a potluck and all are welcome to share stories and remembrances of Merle.
Memorial gifts may be directed to the Ocracoke Preservation Society, P.O. Box 1240, Ocracoke, NC 27960.
Twiford Funeral Home, Manteo, is assisting the family with arrangements. Condolences may be expressed online here.
This year’s annual Ocracoke Oyster Roast is today, Saturday, Dec. 30, from 2 to 5 p.m. at the Fish House. Dessert will be from 3 to 5 p.m. at the OWWA exhibit in Community Square. Photo: C. Leinbach
Though the temperature will be cold, the Ocracoke Working Watermen’s Association’s 12th annual Oyster Roast and Shrimp Steam Fundraiser will be held from 2 to 5 p.m. today (Saturday, Dec. 30) outside at the Fish House.
This event will feature steamed oysters, steamed shrimp, Vince & Rudy’s Famous Fish Stew with black drum, soft drinks and live music. Price depends on the cost of the oysters. Tickets for a variety of raffle items will be sold separately. The Fish House will open today at noon to sell a bounty of newly caught black drum.
Desserts and hot cider will follow from 3 to 6 p.m. in the Ocracoke Working Watermen’s Exhibit, located in the nearby Community Square. All are invited to attend and also bring a dessert.
Airguns behind a ship. (Bureau of Ocean Energy Management)
The N.C. Division of Coastal Management has asked four companies to submit more information about proposed seismic surveying for offshore oil and gas because the original proposals did not consider the latest scientific studies on the harmful effects to marine life.
Documentation to show that the companies’ plans are consistent with state coastal management rules were submitted and approved in 2015, according to a statement Dec. 22 from the Division of Coastal Management.
Since then, additional studies not previously available have suggested that seismic airgun arrays can significantly affect marine life.
Spectrum Geo Inc., GX Technology, MCNV Marine North America and TGS-NOPEC Geophysical Co. want permission to tow arrays of the airguns behind ships to send pulses to the ocean floor to locate oil and gas deposits.
The N.C. Division of Coastal Management sent the companies letters requiring more information supporting their position that the plans meet state coastal policies.
Gov. Roy Cooper and Michael Regan, secretary of the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality, in August submitted comments in opposition to oil and gas leasing for offshore drilling along North Carolina’s coast.
Cooper and Regan said that offshore drilling threatens North Carolina’s coastal economy and its environment, while offering little economic benefit to the state.
“New studies published after the state’s initial review indicate seismic testing may have even more significant impacts on North Carolina’s coastal marine life,” said Braxton Davis, director of the N.C. Divisions of Coastal Management and Marine Fisheries. “Based on the new studies, we believe the proposed seismic testing could severely impact North Carolina’s commercial and recreational fisheries, and we are requesting more information for review by state officials and the public.”
The companies are also seeking federal permits from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.
In August, the state conducted three public hearings in Wilmington, Morehead City and Manteo to gather comments on the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s request for information and comments on the preparation of the 2019-2024 national outer continental shelf oil and gas leasing program.
The N.C. Department of Environmental Quality sought public input and information on the potential impact of oil and gas exploration on the biological, social, economic and aesthetic values of North Carolina’s coast.
In total, 465 people attended the hearings in Wilmington, Morehead City and Manteo. Of the 104 people who spoke, 96 were against oil and gas exploration off North Carolina’s coast.
A graphic illustrating the oil and gas leasing process can be found here.
For more information on BOEM’s five-year oil and gas leasing program, click here.
Due to unforeseen circumstances, there will be no boat transport for the Portsmouth Island Christmas Bird Count.
As a result, the count, scheduled for Dec. 30, is canceled.
As part of a ripple effect, the Ocracoke Christmas Bird Count will be shifted from Sunday to Saturday, Dec. 30. The weather forecast for Sunday calls for high winds and borderline freezing temperatures.
Peregrine Falcon on Portsmouth Island. Photo by P. Vankevich
The traditional vegetarian chili/key lime pie tally rally will take place on early Sunday evening.
For further information and possible participation, contact the compiler Peter Vankevich cell/text 202 468-2871, messaging on Facebook or email:petevankevich@gmail.com
The Portsmouth Island Christmas Bird Count, began in 1988. It is one of the most isolated bird counts in the state, requiring a private boat ride from Ocracoke.
Following N.C. Route 45 through mainland Hyde County, one passes swamps, canals and fields, but it is only by veering off the main highways that one can appreciate the extent of agriculture in this large coastal county.
These are “the Blacklands,” reminders of early, old-fashioned farms and modern mega-agricultural businesses that have been and continue to be an important part of county history and economy.
During the early 1700s, colonists from Virginia and farther north began moving to the Albemarle-Pamlico Peninsula in eastern North Carolina, of which Hyde County is part.
They found themselves in a vast inland wetland, which the Mouzan Map of 1775 called the Great Alligator Dismal Swamp.
Settlers built houses and cultivated land for agriculture, but before long they learned that much of the land would have to be drained. Canals and ditches were soon in the works with convict and slave labor used to build the drainage canals.
The soil in the drained swamplands was a rich black color, deriving its tone from accumulated organic matter, and the farmlands soon came to be known as the Blacklands.
A new book, “North Carolina’s Blacklands Treasure,” by Philip S. McMullan Jr. (2016), describes in text and photographs the history of farming on the mainland.
Among the most significant of the drainage projects, the book says, was at Lake Mattamuskeet.
Edmund Ruffin wrote that there were 32,000 acres in and around Mattamuskeet in 1839. While the 1882 Kerr-Cain map shows five canals draining the lake, farming the drained land was only marginally successful and draining was later abandoned.
Despite the drainage failure, farming continued to grow in importance in Hyde County during the 19th century.
Near the beginning of the Civil War, Confederate Gen. Daniel Harvey wrote in a report that “Hyde is the richest county in North Carolina in agricultural products.”
Abundant as the crops might have been, the majority of people growing them were not reaping the rewards.
In an 1888 report submitted to the N.C. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 75 percent of Hyde County’s labor force was farmers, many of them tenants working on lands owned by others.
The report presented a revealing look at their lives, which meant hard labor from sunup to sundown.
Farm laborers in the 1880s made between $.75 and $1.25 a day. They typically bought store items on time, paying up to 40 percent more than cash value. According to a report by a landlord listed only as G.H.W., “the tenants and laborers are interested in education and are trying to send their children to school; the landlords are not caring much about it; they want work done and have no interest in anything further…”
Around 1950, large-scale farm developers moved in and flourished through the 1980s. Many of the landowners were from other countries–Germany, Italy, Japan and China—and the Church of the Latter Day Saints also acquired large tracts.
Farmers today hail from North Dakota, the Midwest, West Virginia and other parts of North Carolina, as well as Hyde County.
Blackland soils are still considered to be some of the best in the country, according to McMullan, but to be productive require lime, pesticides and nutrients. Most local farmers lease the land, although some own their own farms. Wheat, corn, soybeans, and cotton are the main crops, but produce such as potatoes, cabbage and onions are on the increase.
Bill Rich, Hyde County manager and former manager of a 35,000 acre mega-farm, said that most of the big agri-businesses are no longer raising food crops.
Of the farm he managed only 7,000 acres are now planted in crops and 28,000 acres have been converted into wildland for conservation and hunting, notably the increasing number of black bears.
Bear are abundant on mainland Hyde. Photo courtesy of Dare to Hyde Outdoor Adventures
The same has happened with the other large farms.
Today, according to Rich, many farms are from 2,000 to 6,000 acres. Of the foreign-owned farms only an Italian one remains and it is 55,000 acres in Carteret County.
Hyde County Commissioner Benjamin Simmons III owns and leases the largest amount of working farmland in Hyde with row-crops of corn, soybeans, potatoes and green beans.
Of the farms Rich calls “the big boys,” there are about six with 5,000+-acre tracts, big houses and airplanes or helicopters. They farm for wildlife, he said, raising grains for quail and turkeys, and then flooding the fields for geese and ducks.
Among those, Benjamin “Jamin” Simmons, father of Benjamin Simmons III, is in charge of about 50,000 acres that serves as habitat for hunting deer, quail and bear with Dare to Hyde Outdoor Adventures.
RALEIGH – Islanders and visitors wishing to access Ocracoke and the Outer Banks should beware of the closure on a section of Route 64 requiring a detour Jan. 10 to 16.
The North Carolina Dept. of Transportation will close the Alligator River Bridge between Tyrrell and Dare counties to all vehicle traffic and boat navigation from 12:01 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 10, through Tuesday, Jan. 16, to allow crews to perform major renovation work on the bridge’s swing-span drawbridge.
Workers will repair and replace electrical and mechanical components located beneath the bridge’s swing span.
During the closure, NCDOT will have detour signage and variable message signs in place to guide motorists through the following detour routes:
Motorists traveling east from Columbia should use N.C. 94 South to U.S. 264 East to U.S. 64.
Motorists traveling west from Dare County to Columbia should use U.S. 264 West to N.C. 94 North to U.S. 64.
Motorists traveling to the Outer Banks from areas west of Williamston should use U.S. 17 North to U.S. 158 East.
Motorists traveling from the Outer Banks to points west of Williamston should use U.S. 158 West to U.S. 17 South to U.S. 64 West.
The project will require another week-long closure for the bridge in March 2018. The dates for that closure have not been determined at this time.
The work is part of an extensive renovation project designed to extend the life of the 58-year-old bridge. The $16.7 million contract was awarded to Flatiron Constructors of Morrisville, NC, in March 2017.
For real-time travel information, visit DriveNC.gov.
The Alligator River Bridge on N.C. Route 64 will close Jan. 10 to 16 for repairs. Photo: C. Leinbach
