Jetta Brown and Casey Robertson show what they’ve learned during a demonstration in December. Patricia Lopez and Gustavo Sanchez judge from the stage. Photo by C. Leinbach
Ocracoke Judo will offer self-defense classes especially for women, and has scheduled two introductory meetings at 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. this Saturday (June 25) in its dojo at 804 Irvin Garrish Hwy (behind Native Seafood).
The meetings are to gauge interest in and determine the best time for the classes, and will include a brief demonstration.
Sensei Gustavo Sanchez said he’s also looking at a possible class for Sunday mornings.
“By training in self-defense, students will learn to be more aware of their environment,”Sanchez said about the classes. “In this course, you will learn to be more aware of your environment and avoid dangerous situations. And if they can’t be avoided, have the physical and mental strategies that will help you control the situation.”
Sanchez said in this initial round, he will offer five classes for $30, or one class for $10. He said he might offer private lessons.
Women (of any age) interested in the classes may attend either of the Saturday meetings, or call Sanchez at 661-377-4997.
Find more info at www.obxjudo.com, or at Ocracoke Judo on Facebook.
Ocracoke traffic consists of bicyclists, golf carts, cars, trucks, animals, pedestrians and occasionally skateboarders. Observer staff photo.
Updated June 26, 2016
By Grace West
Bicycles are a big part of the transportation landscape on Ocracoke.
It may be hard to imagine that in the early 1890s when the two-wheelers that we know were first introduced, while the public took to them with fervor, some voices sounded an alarm.
According to the book “The Wright Brothers,” by David McCullough (Simon & Schuster, 2015), “bicycles were proclaimed morally hazardous. Until now children and youth were unable to stray very far from home on foot,” McCullough writes. “Now, one magazine warned, fifteen minutes could put them miles away. Because of bicycles, it was said, young people were not spending the time they should with books.”
Nonetheless, bicycling grabbed the public, and the Wright brothers, built their own bicycles for sale while also solving the problem of human flight, first proven in 1903 up the beach at Kitty Hawk.
Now, bicycles are a norm on Ocracoke and elsewhere.
Golf carts are the norm here, too, since North Carolina in 2009 passed a blanket law allowing the use of golf carts on roads in villages that accepted this ordinance.
Several businesses rent golf carts, realty companies rent bikes and other beach equipment, and many inns rent or provide bikes for their guests.
We also have a 3.5-mile bike path from the edge of the village to the NPS campground.
Being safe is what everyone wants, but we all know that in a split second accidents can happen.
My bike accident in 2014 resulted in a broken arm. Thank goodness that was all. However, even a broken arm is a big deal on a small island without a hospital and X-ray equipment.
After an almost three-hour ambulance ride to the nearest hospital in Nags Head, my medical treatment was only beginning. The closest sports medicine hand surgeons are three- to five-hour drives from Ocracoke.
I’m happy to say I am almost fully recovered now, although I lost nine months of work (massage therapy). After two years I am still paying medical bills.
I now always wear my helmet, pay close attention, and, if needed, get off my bike and wait while a potentially dangerous situation is happening around me.
If this article can help you do the same, perhaps an accident can be prevented, and even a life saved, for, several years ago, two golf cart accidents resulted in the loss of two lives.
Captain Jason Daniels of the Hyde County Sheriff’s Department here on Ocracoke stresses that law enforcement wants everyone to enjoy the island and be safe.
Whether you bring your own bike, own a golf cart, or rent these items, it is important to know and abide by the law for everyone’s safety.
“It takes a village” is a phrase often used here because the village is a close-knit community that works together.
Daniels said the deputies appreciate your help by calling their office at 252-928-7301 and reporting any concerns you have about bike and cart safety, identifying the location and a description so that they can follow up.
Both bikes and carts must follow the same traffic laws that apply to cars: stopping at stop signs, signaling when turning and driving with traffic.
Bicycle rules
Especially important is that the law mandates helmets for children ages 15 and under.
It is a good idea for adults also to wear helmets.
Bikes are required by law to have a light for night riding. Ocracoke has many dark streets and a bike without a light is an accident waiting to happen, both in not seeing obstacles nor being seen by cars. Also, you could receive a ticket.
Bike on the right side; walk on the left side of the roads.
Golf cart rules
To drive a golf cart, it is the law that you must be at least 16 years old. Being 15 years old with a driver’s permit does not apply. Most golf cart rental businesses require a person to be an 18-year-old licensed driver.
Golf carts may pull over to the right and stop to let traffic pass, but they must come to a full stop.
Daniels said that about 75 percent of the DWIs on Ocracoke are given to golf-cart drivers. For that infraction, you lose your license and your golf cart.
It is very important not to be impaired when you drive. Ocracoke Village is small enough that you can walk home if need be.
A law for golf carts especially important for children under 8 years old is to wear a seat belt. Infants must have their appropriate seat strapped in. And all children need their own place to sit (not on your lap).
Golf carts are not allowed on the bike path, on Highway 12 past Howard’s Pub, or in the Community Cemetery.
Golf carts are not allowed on Highway 12 past Howard’s Pub, or on the bike path. Photo by Grace West
Louise Paul Midgett, 71, of Ocracoke, died on Sunday, June 19, in Chesapeake General Hospital, Chesapeake, Va.
Born in Grantsboro, NC, July 19, 1944, she was a daughter of the late Wilford C. Paul and Helena Parsons Paul. Louise was a member of the Ocracoke Assembly of God Church.
Louise is survived by her husband, Gerald E. Midgett of Ocracoke; two daughters, Teresa Sutton of Lincolnton, NC and Pat Gaskins and husband, Dennis of Buxton, NC;
A son, Tim Donaldson of Lincolnton, NC; three grandchildren, Galen Brown, Megan Van Landingham and Kelly Sutton; and four great-grandchildren, Gabriel Brown, Tatiana Martinez, Riely Brown and Daleyza Resendiz.
She is also survived by two brothers, Jim Paul of Washington, NC and Jerry Paul of Greenville, NC. Along with her parents, Louise was preceded in death by a sister, Rita Corbin; and a brother, Winfield Hunnings.
A funeral will be held at 1 p.m. Friday, June 24, in the Ocracoke Assembly of God with Rev. Ivey Belch officiating. Burial will follow at the Ocracoke Community Cemetery.
The family will receive friends and relatives at the church prior to the service from 11:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m.
Twiford Funeral Home, Hatteras is assisting the family with arrangements. Condolences may be expressed atwww.twifordfh.com.
Passenger ferry visiting Ocracoke in May 2015. Observer staff photo.
By Sam Walker of the Outer Banks Voiceon June 20, 2016. (used by permission)
Passenger-only service has been discussed as a potential option to alleviate delays for travelers getting across Hatteras Inlet due to shoaling that has forced vessels to take twice as long to cross. Results have yet to be released of a study of the N.C. Department of Transportation instituting passenger ferry service between Hatteras and Ocracoke villages, six months after it was supposed to be completed.
Long delays at the docks have slashed the number of day trips to the island by visitors staying on Hatteras Island and the northern beaches, hurting businesses on Ocracoke.
The Ferry Division has to pay more in fuel and labor costs because of the longer trips and additional vessels running the route to meet demand.
At the monthly meeting of NCDOT Ferry Division officials with Ocracoke residents June 13, Deputy Director Jed Dixon said it has yet to be seen by the department’s oversight panel.
“We haven’t been able to get it in front of the Transportation Board,” Dixon said, according to the Ocracoke Observer. “It keeps getting pushed back. I can’t bring it to you until they approve it.”
Officials said last year the feasibility study, which began in April 2015, was to be completed by December.
“It should be considered at their July (Board of Transportation) meeting,” said Angela M. Welsh, director of the Albemarle Rural Planning Organization on Friday.
The organization is part of the Albemarle Commission, a consortium of the local governments in 10 northeastern N.C. counties, and provides recommendations to the NCDOT on funding of the area’s transportation projects.
According to the N.C. Board of Transportation’s schedule published in August 2015, the next meeting is slated to take place June 29 and 30.
Newly built Ramp 63 on Ocracoke. Photo courtesy of National Park Service
The Cape Hatteras National Seashore’s newest off-road vehicle access, Ramp 63 on Ocracoke, has opened.
Ramp 63 is located a few miles north of the Ocracoke pony pens. Construction began earlier this spring and it is the last of four new off-road vehicle ramps completed in the past two years in the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. The others are on Hatteras Island.
With the construction and completion of the new off-road vehicle ramp, additional access to Cape Hatteras National Seashore’s beautiful beaches are available for visitors to explore, said Outer Banks Group Superintendent David Hallac about the new ramp.
RALEIGH – Gov. Pat McCrory, in a letter dated Tuesday to U.S. Interior Secretary Sally Jewell, urges federal agencies to promptly complete their review of applications to permit seismic surveys for oil and natural gas off the North Carolina coast.
Governor Pat McCrory
McCrory writes of his disappointment in the Interior Department’s decision announced in March to remove from consideration offshore lease sales in the mid-Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program for 2017-2.
“At a time when the United States should be moving toward energy security, we should not close the door on offshore energy exploration before we know what Mid-Atlantic OCS resources can be harnessed in an environmentally sound way,” according to McCrory’s letter. “The proposed federal program unreasonably elevates the demands and unsubstantiated concerns of special interest groups above the interests of the vast majority of Americans who seek the economic prosperity and energy independence that offshore exploration would bring to our nation.”
For the rest of the story on Coastal Review Online, clickhere.
Captain Jason Daniels of the Hyde County Sheriff’s Department today reported that his office is investigating a sexual assault that occurred on the island early Friday morning (June 17).
There is no suspect in custody, the case is still active and being investigated by Corp. Jaren Mutro.
He declined to provide more details due to the investigation.
Daniels said that anyone with any information on this case should contact Mutro at 252-542-0617.
The base of the Ocracoke Light Station is open to visitors Monday afternoons at 1. Photo: C. Leinbach
Maker’s Market on Ocracoke
The Maker’s Market begins today (Monday) from 3 until 7 p.m. on the grounds of the historic Wahab House, 161 Irvin Garrish Hwy, across from SmacNally’s.
This is a market of locally-made or offered goods and services that continue every Monday night (except July 4, in which case it will be July 5) into the fall.
Spearheaded by Kim Meacham of Milk Street Soap and Open Source Ocracoke and Helena Stevens, on whose yard the market will be held, attendees will be able to sample Ocracoke culture and business.
“This is a grass-rooted, volunteer effort to get-something started a kind event,” Meacham said.
161 Irvin Garrish Highway.
“This is meant to be a place to sell soulful, handmade products directly to the people, one day a week,” said Kim Meacham, owner of Milk Street Soap and co-organizer with Helena Stevens, on whose lawn the market will be held. “It’s not compete with what already exists but to support these businesses and the whole community,”
Items for sale will be the vendors’ own, hand-crafted items, local foods, wine and beer, and a farmer’s market with fresh, organic vegetables.
“I’ve had this idea for several years,” Stevens added about the project. “It’s a great opportunity to share the works of local artists that don’t have a venue.”
And visitors love to hear the stories of local people and how they live here.
The concept also supports Meacham’s “Open Source” mission to help Ocracoke’s small businesses and creators extend a seasonal work cycle.
Artists, crafters and food vendors are invited to contact Meacham for details and an application at millkstreetsoap@gmail.com, or call 252-588-2205.
A preview of who what vendors will be there are as follows:
Casey Winslow of Stillwater Spa will give chair massage, sell products, talk benefits and book massages.
Fresh, organic produce from farmers of Hyde and Currituck counties
Local art
Greek and Mexican take-away dinners
Bridges on N.C. 12 update
The N.C. Department of Transportation will hold an open-house type meeting on the proposed bridge on Pea Island around Rodanthe, Dare County, from 4 to 7 p.m. tonight (Monday) in the Ocracoke Community Center.
On hand for public review will the a Revised Environmental Assessment (EA) for Phase IIb (Rodanthe Breach) of the Bonner Bridge Replacement Project.
This phase is a long-term solution for the section of NC 12 in Pea Island Wildlife Refuge that was washed out during Hurricane Irene in 2011 and over which is a temporary bridge. It also includes the area of Highway 12 north of Rodanthe (at the “S” curves) that is subject to continued over wash after storms.
According to information from NCDOT, the preferred plan would build a 2.4-mile bridge starting north of the S curves, swing out into the Pamlico Sound and join the land in Rodanthe. In the Refuge, the existing surface road would be removed and that land would be returned to the refuge.
In Rodanthe, the existing NC 12 roadway would remain to provide access to private properties.
Traffic would be maintained on NC 12 throughout construction of the new bridge.
Study team members will be available to discuss the projects and receive comments. Written comments for the record can be placed in the comment box, mailed, emailed or faxed until July 5.
Eighth annual WOVV Women’s Arm Wrestling Champion is Kim Hansen, center, with third-place winner Melessa Owsley, second from right, and second-place winner Katelyn Murphy, right. Giles Russell, referee, is at left.
Amidst a cheering crowd, islander Kim Hansen captured the Eighth Annual WOVV Women’s Arm Wrestling Tournament championship Thursday night in the Ocracoke Community Center.
Melessa Owsley as “Fat Jesus,”of Rittman, Ohio, defended her 2015 title against about 20 other competitors in the double elimination contest, but came in third. Second-place winner Katelyn Murphy of Atlanta, a first-time island visitor, vied as “the Ripped Reader.”
Hansen, whose moniker was “Wrestles with Bears,” competed for the first time in the contest that drew more than 180 viewers and volunteers.
Kim Hansen, aka ‘Wrestles with Bears,’ right, takes down ‘The Ripped Reader.’ Volunteer scorekeeper Charles Temple holds the championship belt at rear while referee Giles Russell monitors the wrestlers’ form.
Competitors are encouraged to wear costumes, and on their registration form to create colorful personae.
Islander Bill Cole donned a rainbow-colored wig and announced the contestants as if it were a WWE Smackdown accompanied by loud hollering from the audience.
It was Hansen’s first time competing, and as she cradled the victory belt the champions pose with after winning, said she was overwhelmed.
“It’s nice sometimes to be a powerful and a woman, and that’s OK,” she said. “Sometimes being a strong woman pays.”
Chrissi Gasklill, calling herself “Girl-zilla,” was the first-place winner for the costumes with her full-body, inflatable Godzilla costume.
“It was like living in a greenhouse for three hours,” she said after the event.
Chrissi Gaskill, left, as ‘Girl-zilla.’
Gaskill has competed in seven of the eight contests since it began.
“It’s so much fun,” she said. “It’s an excuse to get into a costume and drink alcohol.”
Other costume winners were islander Connie Leinbach, second place as “HB2,” and three visitors who all dressed Jolly Green Giant-fashion as “The Green Team” won third place.
Event coordinator Tommy Hutcherson said the event cleared about $3,800 for the community radio station 90.1 FM.
Hutcherson said the committee decided to move the event from the original location of behind the Village Thrift across from Community Square after rain deluged the island on Wednesday and again on Thursday.
But they were happy with the inside location that was away from mosquitoes and had air conditioning.
“It went really well,” Hutcherson said Friday about the event. “All and all, it was a very good time with great response.”
The organizing committee consisted of Hutcherson, John Simpson, Cole, Debbie Wells, Brad Yeatman and Sarah Fiore.
Among the major sponsors were Dajio Restaurant and Devil’s Backbone Beer.
