A pastel painting by islander Mary Bassell is among the many small art works for sale during the Fourth Annual Ocracoke Through Your Eyes art auction to benefit the Ocracoke Preservation Society. View this work and others online of the OPS Facebook page.
The Ocracoke Preservation Society’s annual small artworks show this year on Saturday, Jan. 28 will feature close to 90 works of art for sale as a fundraiser for the island’s history museum.
Called “Ocracoke Through Your Eyes,” these small canvases depict the island in paint, collage, photography, mixed-media, and, new this year will be work by island youth as well as some off-island kids.
“I love it that the young people are helping with this,” said OPS volunteer and board member Ruth Toth.
Silent bidding will go on during a reception from 5 to 7 p.m., including a variety of hors d’oeuvres, desserts and beverages, in the museum at 49 Water Plant Rd.
Those who can’t make it to Ocracoke can still participate since photos of the canvases will be posted on the OPS Facebook page. where the artwork can be viewed and bid on. Participants can continually check the page as it is updated as the canvasses and bids come in.
OPS does not have the manpower to bid in increments for you during the event, so interested bidders are asked to bid high if they really want it.
The minimum bid is $10 for any piece. Online bid increments can be placed in even dollar amounts; at the event, the bid increments will be in $5 amounts.
Winning canvases from online bids will be sent to the winners with a $5 shipping charge added.
For more information, please contact OPS Administrator Allison O’Neal at 252-929-7375, or at the email above.
The North Carolina Ferry System’s Dredge Manteo will arrive at the north end of Ocracoke Thursday to repair severe shoaling in the ferry channel near the South Dock Terminal. This is the dock at the north end of the island is so-called because it is south of Hatteras.
In a press release by the NCDOT Ferry Division, dredging will likely begin Sunday, with service interruptions on the Hatteras-Ocracoke route possible beginning this weekend and into next week.
“The dredge cleared the channel back in November,” said Ferry Division Director Ed Goodwin in the release. “But in the past two months, rapid shoaling has nearly filled it back in. We need to make these emergency repairs immediately while we pursue a more permanent solution.”
The side caster dredge will arrive on site Thursday night and spend a day or two setting up before dredging operations begin. Dredging is expected to last about a week, with the Hatteras ferry route resuming normal operations after completion.
To stay up to date on any schedule interruptions, follow the Ferry Division on Twitter at @NCDOT_Ferry.
With the recent awarding of a contract, a new bridge around Rodanthe may be a reality by the summer of 2020.
The N.C. Dept. of Transportation awarded a design-build contract to Flatiron Constructors, Inc., of Broomfield, Colo., to build the 2.4-mile-long bridge, known as a “jug handle,” scheduled to begin construction next January after design and permitting have been completed.
This new bridge, extending from the southern end of the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge over the Pamlico Sound and into Rodanthe, will be a long-term solution to keep N.C. 12 open through an area that is prone to storm damage and ocean over wash.
It complements the replacement of the Bonner Bridge over the Oregon Inlet currently under construction.
“This new bridge will eliminate travel disruptions caused by beach erosion and storm breaches that have resulted in access issues at one of the most vulnerable sections of N.C. 12 for years,” acting transportation secretary Mike Holder said.
In December, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) issued the last environmental document for the project, which gave final approval to move forward with construction and allowed the NCDOT to award the contract for design and construction.
“We are excited that this long-awaited project will finally begin,” said division engineer Jerry Jennings.
In 2014, 1.6 million cubic yards of dredged sand was deposited around Rodanthe to protect Highway 12 in this area prone to frequent ocean over wash until a new bridge can be built.
“The construction of the new jug handle bridge will alleviate travel disruptions caused by storm damage and foster the free flow of traffic through the island,” said N.C. Board of Transportation member Malcolm Fearing.
The design-build method allows the design, environmental permitting, utility relocation and construction to take place under one contract, which reduces overall construction time, helps the department avoid cost inflation, lessens environmental impact and alleviates driving delays for motorists.
Flatiron submitted a bid of $145,336,271. Last fall, NC DOT publishedan estimate of the cost between $179.3 million and $198.3 million.
Cape Hatteras National Seashore Superintendent, David Hallac, and other members of the Seashore staff are scheduled to visit the island from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 25, in the Ocracoke Community Center to answer questions related to the amended Final Rule for off-road vehicle (ORV) management.
The amended Final Rule for ORV management at the Seashore becomes effective on Jan. 20 and contains some modifications beach-goers have been seeking, such as earlier open beach hours, reducing the size of the vehicle free areas, and exploration of more sound side access.
The meeting will begin with Hallac explaining the new rules followed by questions from the audience.
The amended final rule is the last step to fulfilling requirements that Congress mandated in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015.
The legislation required that the seashore modify wildlife protection buffers, accelerate the construction of vehicle access points and roads, report back to Congress within one year of the date of the NDAA, and undertake a public process to consider changes to the final rule on ORV management.
The wildlife protection buffers were modified in June 2015, all vehicle access points were constructed and a report to Congress was finalized in December 2015.
The Park Service has been working on the final part of the requirements–the change in the rule.
Another public meeting on this will be held prior to the Ocracoke meeting from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 24, in the Cape Hatteras Secondary School (Room 303) in Buxton.
Below are the highlights of the proposed changes to Cape Hatteras National Seashore beach access:
BEACH OPENING TIMES
Most ORV routes would continue to open at 7 a.m., as they now do under the ORV rule. Certain “priority” beach routes could be opened earlier than 7 a.m., though no earlier than 6 a.m.
Priority routes, the Park Service said, were chosen by their proximity to villages and popularity with users. They would include Ramps 2, 4, 25, 27, 43, 44, 48, 49, 70 and 72. NPS resource staff would patrol these priority routes before opening so that park resources would be protected even while earlier access is allowed.
The NPS is proposing to amend the special regulation to state “no earlier than 6 a.m.” instead of stating a specific time in the regulation. Instead beach opening times would be published annually in the Superintendent’s Compendium.
The Superintendent’s Compendium is a summary of regulations that pertain specifically to the administration of the park, such as areas closed for public use and activities that require special permits, that are up to the discretion of the superintendent and do not require going through the federal rulemaking process.
This process will give the superintendent more flexibility over beach opening times without having to go through the cumbersome and lengthy federal rulemaking process each time.
SEASONAL ORV ROUTES
Under the proposed rule, seasonal ORV routes in front of the villages of Rodanthe, Waves, Salvo, Avon, Frisco, and Hatteras and the Ocracoke Campground would be expanded by two weeks in the spring and fall. Under the new rule, these seasonal routes would be open from Oct. 15 through April 14
Currently, they are open from Nov. 1 through March 31.
VEHICLE-FREE AREAS
The proposed rule would modify the size and location of vehicle-free areas and improve access in some locations.
The proposed Ramps 2.5 on Bodie Island and 59.5 on Ocracoke would not be constructed. Ramp 2 would be restored to ORV use, extending the existing ORV route by a half-mile to the north and providing ORV access to the route from either Ramp 4 or Ramp 2. Ramp 59 would continue to be open to ORV use, extending the existing year-round ORV route about a half-mile.
The seasonal ORV route at Ramp 34 would be extended 1 mile to the north into what is now a vehicle-free area. And the seasonal route at Ramp 23 would be extended 1.5 miles to the south into what is a vehicle-free area.
According to the proposed rule, “The NPS proposes making these changes to these particular VFAs because it would slightly increase ORV access on each of the islands without measurably impacting visitor experience, safety, sensitive wildlife species, or workload complexity of park staff.”
The change at Ramp 23 is especially important to residents of and visitors to the tri-villages, where ORV access is limited in the summer months.
Many wanted to see changes to the VFA south of Cape Point, in the area of the Hook, which is not in the proposal.
PERMIT DURATIONS
The Park Service is proposing to remove the specific times established for the duration of ORV permits from the special regulation and instead control the duration of the permits through the Superintendent’s Compendium.
This means that any future changes to the duration would require the proper compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), but would not require going through the more complicated rulemaking process.
In choosing Alternative 2, the Park Service would change year-round permits from being valid for the calendar year to being valid from the day they are issued — a change that has long been asked for by beach drivers.
The current 7-day permit would be changed to a 10-day permit, which, the NPS says, could allow many users to access the beaches over two weekends.
OCRACOKE ACCESS IMPROVEMENTS
The proposed rule would remove the ORV route designation from Devil Shoals Road, also known as Dump Station Road. This is an existing dirt road located across Highway 12 from the Ocracoke Campground.
This road would be designated a park road and no ORV permit would be required for driving on it.
The NPS says it proposed these changes to allow for limited vehicular sound side access on Ocracoke Island without the requirement of an ORV permit, since there is currently no sound side vehicular access areas on Ocracoke as there are on the other seashore islands.
HATTERAS ISLAND ACCESS IMPROVEMENT
The proposed rule would extend the existing Cape Point bypass route south of Ramp 44 by four-tenths of a mile to the north so it will join with Ramp 44. NPS also proposes extending the existing bypass approximately 600 feet to the south.
The Park Service proposes extending the bypass to provide additional access to Cape Point when the ORV route along the beach is closed for safety or resource protection.
Although the southern extension was not originally part of the Environmental Assessment, impacts associated with the bypass route extension would be negligible at most and would have no impact on wetlands.
The rulemaking process does not provide for a public comment period for a final rule.
The final rule will be effective in no fewer than 30 days after the date of publication in the Federal Register. The seashore intends to implement most changes, other than those that require construction, prior to the 2017 summer season.
The seashore published an Environmental Assessment in February 2016. That document can be found here.
Vendors to Ocracoke have been purchasing passes to get into the priority loading lane for Ocracoke docks since Jan. 1, but they’re not all that happy about the $150 price tag per pass.
They are able to purchase as many passes as they want, but there was some initial confusion about it prior to this week since the application on the NC Ferry System website had said vendors are limited to two passes.
The priority lane at the Hatteras-Ocracoke ferry terminals was established to expedite islanders’ and vendors’ access to and from the island. Only island residents and vendors may use this lane.
Tim Hass, spokesman for the Ferry Division, said Wednesday that online vendor application is in the process of being changed to show that they may purchase unlimited passes.
“They can go into the Hatteras Ferry terminal and get as many passes as they need,” he said.
But this change occurred after Chris Bock, District One superintendent, and Hyde County Manager Bill Rich went to bat for the vendors, said Nathan Spencer, owner of Coastal Gas in Powell’s Point.
He said he has to purchase at least five passes for his propane trucks to deliver to Ocracoke businesses and residences.
Some of the other vendors will have to purchase even more passes, said Tommy Hutcherson, manager of the Ocracoke Variety Store, who deals with about 75 vendors each year.
Such as Budweiser.
“They send two bulk trucks here on Wednesdays for us and the gas station,” he said. “Then they have a salesman who comes on a Tuesday, then the draft truck and sometimes supervisors have to come. So, they must have passes.”
Then there are the numerous smaller vendors who deliver to the island who will have this added expense.
While this is good news that the vendors can purchase multiple passes, they still aren’t happy about it, Hutcherson said.
Vendors must be verified as a provider of regular commercial services to Ocracoke Island and they will be monitored to make sure they are actually making deliveries and not just jumping in the priority lane for a fishing trip, Hass said.
“We don’t want people abusing it,” he said. “Even Ocracoke residents have said there are too many priority passes out there and the priority lane is too busy.”
To ensure this, the vendor pass holder must also make at least 24 trips to Ocracoke annually, Hass said.
The N.C. General Assembly approved this new fee in June along with an annual appropriation for ferry replacement and a one-time appropriation for infrastructure and maintenance as well as money to activate a passenger ferry between Hatteras and Ocracoke.
The enacting of this priority pass fee was a compromise between legislators who have been pushing for both a toll on the Hatteras Ferry and for Ocracoke residents to pay for their residential priority passes.
And vendors will be passing on the cost of these passes to the island.
“They’ve created a toll for us that will burden the businesses and residents of Ocracoke,” Spencer said. “I don’t see how it’s fair.”
In addition to monitoring the vendors’ usage of the priority passes, workers at the ferry docks are logging residents’ use of the passes.
“It’s just record keeping,” Hass said.
According to a press release from the Ferry Division, applications can be found on the Ferry Division’s website or picked up at the Hatteras Ferry Terminal. Completed vendor applications will take a minimum of one week for processing.
Upon approval, the fees can be paid by cashier’s check or money order and the pass will be issued at the terminal. Passes may be purchased between December and January and will expire end of applicable year.
The new legislation does not affect the Ocracoke resident priority passes, which are issued free to Ocracoke residents every three years.
The Village Thrift on Irvin Garrish Highway across from Community Square.
Jan. 12, 2017
The Village Thrift on Irvin Garrish Highway, across from Community Square, reopens today after having been closed for inventory.
All clothes will be half price, said Gael Hawkins, one of the managers, and the store has received a stock of new items from the former Natural Selections Shop.
Hours are from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday to Saturday.
The Village Thrift operates under the umbrella of the Ocracoke Youth Center, which is the parent company for the both Community Park ball field and the store.
Proceeds from the Thrift are the Youth Center’s ongoing fundraiser.
High school birders join in the recent Christmas Bird counts on Portsmouth and Ocracoke. On Portsmouth, from left, are Matt Janson, Marky Mutchler, Jack Rogers and Martina Norstrand. Photo by P. Vankevich
Jack Rogers, a high-school student from South Carolina, loves bird watching for the simple thrill of seeing something he’s never seen before.
Rogers, 16, of Mount Pleasant, S.C., was among five teenagers who joined about 20 adults New Year’s weekend for the annual Christmas Bird Count on Ocracoke and Portsmouth islands.
Accompanying Rogers were Matt Janson, 18, of Charlotte, Marky Mutchler, 17, of Kansas City, Mo., and Martina Nordstrand, 18, of Indian Trail, Union County.
The four had met at a birding camp and are well versed in birding information, easily conversing like experts.
Marky Mutchler and Matt Janson chat with Crystal Canterbury during the Jan. 1 bird count on Portsmouth Island. Photo by P. Vankevich
“My favorite thing to do is practice birding by ear,” Rogers said, explaining that more often birds can be identified by their calls since they may not be easily seen while they are flitting about in trees and shrubs.
All four agreed that knowing bird calls may be more crucial than actually seeing a particular bird.
Their group leader, Peter Vankevich, who organizes the count each year, was amazed at their expertise.
“We pulled into the Hammock Hills parking lot and on the sandy road to the sound, they heard an orange-crowned warbler,” Vankevich said. Everyone jumped out of the jeep to try to spot the bird they’d just heard. Within moments, the bird appeared giving all a view.
A target species for the annual count, this bird is not seen every year, and then only in small numbers.
Soon after seeing the Orange-crowned Warbler, Rogers yelled he had heard an Audubon’s Warbler.
“This is the Western sub-species of the Yellow-rumped Warbler,” Rogers said. “And it’s a great bird for the East.” Rogers recorded the call on his smart phone.
He knows whereof he speaks since his great-grandfather was an ornithologist at the Patuxent Wildlife Refuge in Laurel, Md.
Captain Donald Austin takes birders to Portsmouth Island. Photo by P. Vankevich
His grandfather Robert Stewart was head of the Fish and Wildlife Service in Louisiana who specialized in marsh studies.
“We’ve lost thousands of miles of coastline and ducks,” said Rogers, who hopes to follow in his elders’ footsteps to someday work as a biologist, preferably in Central America where rare birds are in still present in decent numbers.
Rogers and his birding buddies do a lot of listening for birds.
“My favorite thing is birding by ear,” he said. He and the others had bird call apps on their phones that help with field identification.
Knowing these calls can make the difference in identifying unusual species.
“I saw a Pine Siskin!” Mutchler interjected.
This is a rare bird for Ocracoke, and Mutchler said she heard it first—in a pine tree outside the Bluff Shoals Motel the day before the count day, where the four were staying.
Contrary to the idea that all birds go to sleep at night, nighttime is also a good time for listening for nocturnal flight calls, Rogers said.
“Birds can fly a lot farther in the night,” he said. “There are no predators at night hunting them.”
Mutchler met Rogers at Camp Colorado in Estes Park. She’s been birding since she was 5 years old, which was an outgrowth of a prior interest.
“I started with snakes at age 4,” she said, when she attended a snake party at a local sanctuary.
“I love all these things people don’t pay attention to,” she said about her nature passions.
She quickly outgrew snakes and focused her interest on birds, also parlaying that interest into colored pencil drawings of some of her favorite species, photos of which she has on her iPhone.
“I’ve been doing art as long as I’ve been interested in birds,” Mutchler said.
A drawing of a precocial Pectoral Sandpiper Chick by Marky Mutchler.
Janson was making his fourth trip to Ocracoke for bird watching, the most memorable one having been in the winter of 2014 when two snowy owls—typically denizens of the far north—made rare sojourns on Ocracoke.
At that time, around 300 people made winter trips to Ocracoke to see this owl which some ornithologists speculated came here after an unusually successful nesting season forced many first-year birds out of the adults’ territory and farther south for food. While here, Janson helped islanders Merle and her husband acclaimed storyteller Don Davis who had recently visited his school, see one of the owls.
A longtime birder, Janson has participated in the Christmas Bird Count in Charlotte for four years and persuaded his friends to make the trip to Ocracoke for this year’s count.
During the count, both islands are divided up and teams take various sections to ensure adequate coverage and avoid double counting species. The youths had the beach area from South Point to the airport. This includes the daunting task of counting the thousands of Double-crested Cormorants present this time of the year, which is not done by counting each bird but making very educated estimates.
“We’ve been birding for a while and know what (the various species) abundance is,” Janson said.
A Savannah Ipswich Sparrow seen in the Ocracoke dunes duirng the count. Photo by P. Vankevich
For example, they know that robins usually hang together in flocks about 50 while cormorants can number in the tens of thousands.
Norstrand said what piqued her interest in birds was seeing a photo in 2013 of a purple gallinule—a colorful bird found in Florida.
“I told myself I was going to find one,” she said. During a trip to Lake Okeechobee in Florida, she happened up a pond full of water lilies.
“And there were two of them,” she said.
The gallinule is just one of her four “spark” birds, as she calls them, or birds she is on a quest to find. The others are a peregrine falcon, a tropic bird, which sometimes can be spotted off Cape Hatteras, and a green jay.
Lily Gracovetsky, 17, of Montreal, Canada, though not a birder, joined the other young friends for her first birding sessions ever.
“I enjoyed how unusual and unknown it was,” she said enthousiastically after a day of birding on Ocracoke and next day on Portsmouth. “I learned from everyone.”
She even saw a bald eagle—an unusual bird for Ocracoke.
A Nelson’s Sparrow seen on South Point Road. These birds are difficult to spot owing to their coloring which mimics the marshes they live in. Photo: Marky Mutchler.
Vankevich said that along with the youths, about 20 adults—some islanders and several from North Carolina, Virginia and Washington, D.C.—participated in the count.
After the second day of counting on Portsmouth, the group gathered to make an official tally of all the species. The count numbers are recorded at a social that features vegetarian chili, key lime pie and clam chowder.
Unofficially, 83 species were recorded on Ocracoke, up from 69 last year, Vankevich said. Portsmouth had 62 species.
Perhaps the high winds in the preceding days caused the local shorebirds to depart the islands as the numbers of Willets, Sanderlings and Black-bellied Plover, were down. No Red knots were reported, though they have been recently seen on the island. On the other hand, a record number of 46 Red-breasted Nuthatches were reported. The previous high number was 41 in 2011.
Counting birds provides important scientific data, Vankevich said. Historical results can be searched here.
“You do your best to find as many species as you can,” he said. “If you don’t find a species or get low numbers, over time that may be an indication that they may be in decline. That’s why we need this data–high, average and low.”
After two day’s work, the group does a tally of all of the species found. Photo: C. Leinbach
A Western Willet. Photo: Marky MutchlerTricolored Heron. Photo by Marky MutchlerRed-breasted Nuthatch photographed by Marky Mutchler on Portsmouth Island.
Dr. David M. Parry, 58, of Altoona, Pa., passed away unexpectedly Jan. 3 in his residence.
Parry loved his vacations on Ocracoke and was a frequent visitor to the island.
Born Jan. 27, 1958, in Allentown, he was a son of the late Albert and Emily (Fritsch) Parry.
Surviving are a daughter: Olivia J. Parry of Pittsburgh; a sister, Susan Pagni (Dennis) of North Hampton; a nephew, Justin Pagni; a niece, Sarah Pagni; and his best friend Gwen Fisher.
David was a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and received his Ph.D. in philosophy from The Pennsylvania State University where he remained a tenured professor of philosophy for over 30 years.
A talented musician, he was a member of the Allegheny Bilge Rats Shanty Choir.
A memorial service was held Sunday Jan. 8, in the Stevens Memorial Chapel, Altoona.
A sun dog (the small rainbow effect visible to the left of the setting sun in this shot) is a weather phenomenon that can be seen on Ocracoke. Photo: C. Leinbach
B. J. Oelschlegel Broker w/Ocracoke’s Lightship Realty …Before there was a lighthouse, we had a lightship to light the way for mariners…
Along with the beauty of the island and access to the natural elements, our guests time and again mention the sense of community that they feel on Ocracoke.
I often wonder what their experience might have been to give them that impression. I can imagine it might be when one shop owner says that they don’t offer that product or service but directs them to another island vendor who does. Or maybe it is when they see the waitress from lunch, scooping their afternoon ice cream cone. It would be an interesting research project.
I have collected a couple of personal stories which illuminate the inner workings of the island community experience.
Ken DeBarth told me a quick story about helping a friend with securing a fishing license. This wasn’t a straight forward transaction at Ken’s place of work, at The Trade Winds Tackle Shop. No, this friend found herself on the Swan Quarter ferry, about to join other friends on the mainland for a day of crabbing–without a fishing license. Ken filled out the paper work, paid the fee and texted her the license number, in case anyone asked.
Only on Ocracoke?
At this point, you may also have a story. A boat sinks at the dock and two guys rush to get their jet pumps and work until the boat is floating again. The “knock-on-wood” rare fire starts and neighbors rush to the scene with hoses and jet pumps to assist before the Ocracoke Volunteer Fire Department arrives.
My story involves islander Philip Howard.
About a year ago, I was working at the real estate office when the phone rang. Philip started the conversation with, “Now BJ, you don’t have to do this if you don’t want to and we will still be friends if you say no.”
Of course, my curiosity was piqued, and I asked him to tell me what’s up. Philip was in the market for a memory foam mattress and found the one he wanted–on the Costco website.
Philip knows that I am a Costco devotee. He also knows that he didn’t want to pay the membership fee.
“So, Philip,” I said. “You want me to use my membership and order this mattress for you? I will have to use my credit card to match the name on the membership.”
“Would you be willing to do that?” he replied. “I will walk a check over to you right now.”
I have known Philip for the 39 years that I have lived on Ocracoke and so together we set up the online purchase, comparing product numbers and description.
I placed the order and he walked over with a check made out to my credit card company.
That afternoon, he called me with a story of his having been at the post office.
He had related the story about his new mattress to another villager.
“Only, on Ocracoke could you ask someone to place an order, ship it to your house, and pay for it with their credit card!” he said.
Yes, only on Ocracoke.
Editor’s note: This story was published in the December/Winter 2016 edition of the monthly print paper. Since then, the editor heard an interesting “Only on Ocracoke” story from Melissa Sharber, an Ocracoke post office clerk and a font of island knowledge. Herewith: Melissa told about an islander whose son was ill in the middle of the night and posted a request to Facebook asking if anyone had certain medications. One of the replies was from Cathy Hutcherson of the Ocracoke Variety Store, who had said, “I’ll give you the keys to the store and you can go and see if we have what you need.” Only on Ocracoke!
We invite you to share your own “Only on Ocracoke” stories.
BJ Oelschlegel is a regular columnist and a broker with Ocracoke’s Lightship Realty
To listen to Emily’s song, Bread N Water, click below.
After a few visits to the island, Singer-songwriter Emily Musolino of Durham has become an Ocracoke convert.
Her first performance on Ocracoke was in August 2015 at Gaffer’s Sports Pub.
“I was struck by how serene and beautiful the beaches were and how charming the village was,” she said about the island. “It was paradise.”
Like Ocracoke weather that can drastically change in moments, her next visit was far from the serenity of her first experience.
Her trip here in June included her band, the Emily Musolino Band, and another gig at Gaffer’s.
“But my favorite part of the trip was competing in the Women’s Arm Wrestling Tournament,” she said. “What a blast! This is when I really got to meet and get to know a lot of the locals.” The fun and campy event which is a fundraiser for Ocracoke’s WOVV community radio station, is also a serious competition.
She loved the names and costumes of the competitors, such as “Army Winehouse” (Kelly Shinn), “HB2” (Connie Leinbach), “Fat Jesus” (Melessa Owsley) and “Wrestles with Bears” (Kim Hansen, the winner). Her own wrestling moniker was “Lady Clamalot.”
Her most recent visit was in December.
Emily Musolino visits WOVV, Ocracoke’s community radio station. Photo by P. Vankevich
“It was the off-season, but this time around I felt like we had been officially accepted into the Ocrafolk family. We stayed at Pam’s Pelican, a super cute bed and breakfast right across the street from Gaffer’s, which was very convenient,” she said
“It was great hanging with pub owners Ashley and Red Harrell and the rest of the Gaffer’s crew. We had the pleasure of working with Dale Russell, the new sound man at Gaffer’s, who gave us one of the best and easiest sound checks we’ve had as a band.”
Her most recent visit, included an interview and performance on WOVV (90.1 FM and online at wovv.org).
A musician all of her life, Musolino has studied music, plays acoustic and electric guitar, has performed solo and with her band all over the country and is a recording producer.
She has released two albums. Her latest release 2014 is the EP “Jealous Girl.”
A Berklee College of Music graduate, she focused on voice and majored in contemporary writing and production.
Her training at the esteemed school near Fenway Park in Boston, gave her the skills to start her own recording studio, Blue Moose Studios.
She counts some high-powered vocalists as musical influences, including Etta James and Janis Joplin.
“They’ve been really big inspirations,” she has said in prior interviews. “Anything with a big vocalist I’m a big fan of, like Ella Fitzgerald and Frank Sinatra.”
Musolino, 27, has always been a fan of older jazz music, but she also grew up on the heavy metal of Pantera and Metallica.
“It just seems to come out through my filter in a bluesy, soulful way,” she said.
She has also performed, recorded and collaborated with various local and nationally-recognized artists, including Vinx, Shelley Nicole, Shana Tucker, Anna Wise (SonnyMoon, Kendrick Lamar, Cunnylinguists) and Eric Hirsh (The Beast, Orquesta GarDel, Eric Hirsh Quartet). She is also the newest member of Dark Water Rising, a Pembroke-based (N.C.) “rocky soul” band fronted by American Idol semi-finalist Charly Lowry
Musolino has been featured on NPR’s the State of Things with Frank Stasio and Durham’s online media site, Clarion Content.
Her next recording project will be entitled “The Vault,” named as such because it is a combination of new and older but previously unreleased material.
