The Ocracoke Community Multicultural Celebration, a new event celebrating the rich cultural diversity of Ocracoke Island, will take place from 1 to 3 p.m. onFriday, Nov. 1, at Ocracoke School.
Festivities begin with a student presentation in the school gym at 1 p.m., and then move to the main building for an open house.
The festival is open to the public and aims to bring together students, families, residents, and visitors to honor and celebrate cultural heritage through music, dance, food and interactive activities.
This year’s theme focuses on the shared histories and traditions of the many cultures that have influenced Ocracoke, highlighting both the diversity within the community and the universal experiences that bind us together
The event is free to the public, with food available for purchase.
The celebration is produced through a partnership between Ocracoke School and the non-profit Ocracoke Alive. Additional support provided by the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.
The Bread of Life Food Pantry on Lighthouse Road. Photo: P. Vankevich
Text and photos by Peter Vankevich
Through the journey called life, one may have ups and downs — some health-related, feelings of the blues or financial challenges. Churches have been safe havens to seek solace and get help to bounce back.
The Life Saving Church on Lighthouse Road not only provides spiritual assistance but also administers the Bread of Life Food Pantry that provides free food and household supplies for those in need.
With the assistance of the Ocracoke Occupancy Tax Board and some grants, the pantry was built after Hurricane Matthew hit in 2016 and before Hurricane Dorian in 2019 devastated the island. Its shelves are filled with a variety of foods, paper goods and cleaning materials along with a couple of refrigerators and freezers.
Pastor Tim Lynch inside the food pantry.
These days, the pantry is operated by Pastor Tim Lynch and his wife Paris.
“We are here for the community,” Lynch said. “We serve everyone: elderly folks on fixed incomes and young families. There should be no stigma or embarrassment in seeking assistance. We look at it not as a handout but providing a hand up.”
The food is primarily provided by the Albemarle Food Bank which monthly drives a truck to the Hatteras ferry parking lot and the church sends a truck across the inlet to pick it up. All meats are delivered frozen and remain so in the pantry until distributed.
The Albemarle Food Bank can deliver only what is has and sometimes there are shortages of needed items.
Bread of Life Food Pantry.
A major supplement to the food and supplies came from John Connor. He cleared part of an adjacent lot he owns to create parking for those wishing to visit the Ocracoke lighthouse or Springer’s Point. While parking is free, there a donation box installed there benefits the food pantry.
“Johnny Connor is a saint. He should walk around with a halo around his head,” Lynch said, which is quite a compliment coming from a pastor. “This money has been a tremendous help in allowing us to purchase special food needs that Albemarle cannot provide such as Ensure for older folks.”
In addition to these two sources, individuals and groups send checks and will drop off food donations, often left on the porch. Because this is a food pantry, clothing items are better given to the Village Thrift Store.
On one recent day, there were a few 50-pound bags of sweet potatoes and onions, which is a quantity that the Albemarle Food Bank will provide with some vegetables.
“Sometimes we get so much that is perishable that we place bags on the pantry porch or send out informally a note to come get some,” said Lynch.
The Ocracoke United Methodist Church on School Road has another food support program, which delivers meals to peoples’ home during weekdays. Items available at the food pantry can be used for supplementing these deliveries. “We are partnering with them to share our food resources,” Lynch said.
This safe food pathway is confidential, though someone requesting assistance will have to fill out a brief form that is required by the Albemarle Food Bank.
Open hours are on Tuesdays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., but if that is not a convenient time, one can call the church 252-928-9001 for an appointment.
Anyone wishing to make a tax-deductible donation can mail a check to Bread of Life Food Pantry, P.O. Box 68, Ocracoke, NC 27960.
Onlookers await a loggerhead turtle nest excavation by NPS staffers on the Ocracoke beach. Photo: P. Vankevich
Tuesday, Oct. 22 Red Cross Blood Drive: Community Center. 1 to 6 pm. To donate, call Kristin Willis 252-341-1325. Walk-ins available.
Wednesday, Oct. 23 Red Cross Blood Drive: Community Center. 8 am to 12:30 pm. To donate, call Kristin Willis 252-341-1325. Walk-ins available
An Evening at the Commons hosted by the Ocracoke Preservation Society to thank the community and sponsors for their support. Everyone is invited to drop by, tour the garden and have a glass of wine, 5 pm. See invitation below.
Island Trivia, 1718 Brewing Ocracoke, 6 pm.
Thursday, Oct. 24 Early voting for the General Election, from 8 am to 5 pm at the Ocracoke Volunteer Fire Department. See story for information on local candidates.
Friday, Oct. 25 Early voting for the General Election, from 8 am to 5 pm at the Ocracoke Volunteer Fire Department. See story for information on local candidates. Tourism Development Authority meeting, 9 am. Community Center. Battle of the Ocracoke Infield, five adult teams from the Triangle will take on Ocracoke; view and/or play at the Community Ballfield. See flyer below. Ocracoke School Carnival, begins with parade at 3:30 around the front of the school and games, cakewalk and more to follow in the school gym. See flyers below. Ocracoke Oyster Company: Shane Thomas, 7 pm
Saturday, Oct. 26 Installation of the dedicated brick pathways at the Island Inn Commons Fig Garden. We invite anyone who wants to help us to please volunteer and come by. All day Saturday and possibly Sunday. Battle of the Ocracoke Infield, five adult teams from the Triangle will take on Ocracoke; view and/or play at the Community Ballfield. See flyer below.
Ocracoke Oyster Company: Ray Murray, 7 pm
Sunday, Oct. 27 Church services: Ocracoke United Methodist Church, 11 am Ocracoke Life Saving Church, 11 am Stella Maris Chapel, 3:30 pm
Capt. Horatio Sinbad with Lt. Terry Brown on the MEKA II docked in Silver Lake for Blackbeard’s Pirate Jamboree Nov. 1 & 2. Photo: C. Leinbach
Capt. Horatio Sinbad and his crew will be among the living history reenactors at Blackbeard’s Pirate Jamboree Nov. 1 & 2 on the Berkley Manor grounds. His documentary about building a boat will be shown at 2:45 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 2.See schedule below and more info here.
By Kevin Duffus
It was a momentous turn of fate.
Imagine, the entire course of your life’s journey, an adventure lasting nearly 75 years, the result of seeing a 96-minute movie when you were eight years old?
It’s an extraordinary story that could have been spun from the imaginations of writers Jack London or Mark Twain.
An eight-year-old boy from middle America sees the 1950 movie “Treasure Island.” He dreams of life on the sea as a pirate, builds his first ship—an eight-foot pram—to sail and plunder vessels on a nearby lake.
The lake was too confining for a budding pirate. It also had a scarcity of prospective victims. A few unsuspecting fair maidens, however, could be had, one of whom would later become his first wife and the mother of his four children, but that came later.
Bored with school at the advanced age of 16, he runs away from his Michigan home and winds up serving as a mate on a 96-foot schooner in the Windward Islands for three years. There, he earned the nickname, Sinbad.
You know the name, but you probably don’t know the entire story—how he and his wife, Marilyn,were nearly drowned after his second home-built sloop, the 22-foot MEKA I, sank during a hurricane in the deadly Graveyard of the Atlantic 200 miles east of the Outer Banks.
After drifting for two days in a life raft they were fortuitously rescued by a passing freighter.
Undaunted, while working for a few years as a draftsman for General Motors back home, Sinbad scrimped every dollar—he prefers to call them doubloons—to build in his backyard a proper 16-ton, ocean-going pirate vessel, the majestic brig MEKA II.
Without much forethought, he could hardly have predicted the ordeal he would suffer trying to get his ship out of his backyard and afloat two years later.
The adage “Life’s a journey, not a destination” could be his motto.
In a recent interview, the one-of-a-kind Sinbad told me, “You’re just looking down this horizon and you decide, ‘I’m gonna set sail and see what happens.’ And that’s the whole adventure of it for me because I didn’t know all the answers. But (seeing the movie ‘Treasure Island’) was the driving force that sent me on that road.”
What an adventure it has been.
He and various members of his family have lived aboard the MEKA II for 57 years, sailing more than 65,000 miles.
When his fraternal twin daughters, Molly and Sarah, were born, Sinbad constructed a double gimbaled highchair so that the girls could sit upright to be fed no matter which way the MEKA II was pitching or rolling on the ocean waves.
During the times that the boat was docked and the two-year-old girls were temporarily left on deck unsupervised, they wore harnesses attached to the boat’s lifelines. “We’d go on deck to look for them and if we didn’t see them, the first place we’d look was aloft in the rigging, and there they’d be up on the crow’s nest,” Sinbad recalled, laughing.
It was among Molly’s earliest memories.
“At that time, we were docked down in Florida,” she said. “Against our parent’s orders, Sarah and I had been feeding marshmallows and even our diapers to an alligator that would sometimes swim up to the boat.”
Molly and Sarah on the quarter deck of the MEKA II. Photo courtesy of Sinbad.
One day, mad that she was sternly ordered not to feed the alligator, Molly threw her diaper overboard and then wiggled out of her harness. She then climbed the ratlines to the crow’s nest. “Mom came on deck looking for me,” she said. “My diaper was floating in the water and mom immediately thought that the alligator had eaten me. She screamed for dad but then she heard me laughing up in the crow’s nest.”
You can relive many of Sinbad’s adventures at Ocracoke’s Berkley Barn at 2:45 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 2, during the annual Blackbeard Pirate Jamboree when we screen Sinbad’s documentary film, “Boat Building in Your Own Backyard.”
What else should you know about the adventures of North Carolina’s pirate?
He’s done just about everything imaginable to sustain his dream. He’s designed and built boats, a restaurant, a house and a barn. He’s operated a sailing school and attended more pirate festivals and tall ship events than he can remember.
He’s written books, made a documentary and even a feature-length movie.
By Sinbad’s side for more than 45 years has been Lt. Terry Brown, his second wife. When she signed aboard the crew, she had no idea what she was in for or how much work and danger would be involved.
“Through all these years she stuck with me, Sinbad said. “I mean, the worst times, the worst storms, the worst everything, she’s stuck with me and she’s still here. And I marvel at that. I feel so lucky, so very, very, very lucky.”
Over the years, the Meka II’s nine cannon have fired at U.S. Navy submarines, warships, North Carolina ferries and other pirate vessels, expending thousands of pounds of black powder.
He brought a tall ship event to Beaufort in 2006 by winning a race at Jamaica with a crew of teens.
But what is Sinbad most proud of?
A framed parchment hangs on a wall in his captain’s cabin with then-President Ronald Reagan’s signature identifying Sinbad as an officially commissioned privateer.
The document is known as a “Letter of Marque.” (Allowing a privateer to legally plunder ships of an enemy nation in wartime.)
“That was a pretty interesting accomplishment and an adventure in itself,” Sinbad said.
Pretty interesting? Did I mention that Sinbad can be subtle at times.
The MEKA II was invited to participate in “Operation Sail” for America’s Bicentennial in New York Harbor in 1976.
Knowing that his little pirate ship would be dwarfed among the 225 sailing vessels, 16 tall training ships from around the world and 50 naval warships from as many nations, Sinbad sought a way to stand out. What he needed was a Letter of Marque that no one else had. He petitioned the government.
Sinbad on the MEKA II, circa 2016. Photo courtesy of Sinbad.
Secretary of the Navy John Warner invited Sinbad to Capitol Hill before they went to the White House to meet then-President Ford.
Always keen on putting on a good show, Sinbad and his crew arrived in Washington wearing their full privateer accoutrements.
“Heavily armed! I mean cutlasses and many pistols,” Sinbad recalls. “Being naïve my whole life, I didn’t realize what I was doing.”
Needless to say, it caused quite a commotion.
After being temporarily handcuffed and pressed against a wall by the Capitol police, Warner intervened, and off to the White House went the pirate crew from North Carolina.
It’s all because Sinbad watched the 96-minute movie, “Treasure Island,” when he was eight years old.
Now, in the words of the inimitable Sinbad, “Carry on.”
Sinbad’s MEKA II, left, and Carl Cannon’s Adventure enter Ocracoke’s Silver Lake harbor for Blackbeard’s Pirate Jamboree. Photo: C. Leinbach
Some local candidates attended the OCBA candidates night Oct. 15 in the Community Center. From left are Ocracoke Sanitary District candidate Scott Bradley, Hyde County Commissioner candidate Randal Mathews, NC House of Representatives District 79 candidate Mary Beedle (on screen), Hyde County Commissioner write-in candidate Mark Carawan, Hyde County Commissioner candidate Jeffrey Berry and NC State Senate District 2 candidate Tare ‘T’ Davis. Photo: C. Leinbach
Editor’s note: The General Election will be held Nov. 5 and early voting has begun in North Carolina. The Ocracoke Observer published the comments of local candidates in the October print issue because the November issue will come out after the election. We will update this guide as more candidates representing Ocracoke weigh in. A sample ballot can be found at the end of this post. Here are some key dates and deadlines for voting in North Carolina: Oct. 11: Voter registration deadline (5 p.m.)* Oct. 17: In-person early voting begins statewide; same-day registration available. All Hyde County voters can early vote at the Board of Elections office, 1223 Main Street, Swan Quarter, weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and on Saturday, Nov. 2 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 24 and 25: Ocracoke early voting will be two days only, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Ocracoke Volunteer Fire Department. Oct. 29: Absentee ballot request deadline (5 p.m.) ballot at votebymail.ncsbe.gov.* *Voter registration and absentee voting deadlines are different for military and overseas citizen voters. Nov. 5: General election, 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Ocracoke Volunteer Fire Department.
An important source of voting information is the North Carolina State Board of Elections: www.ncsbe.gov.
The website forYou Can Vote is particularly helpful for college students wishing to vote on campus by providing the official campus address: www.youcanvote.org/students
Hyde County Board of Commissioners candidates. Hyde County voters vote for all candidates. Name three important issues that you as a county commissioner and the board could address and actually accomplish.
Thomas Midgette
Thomas Midgette (D), Lake Landing Township: The first thing I want to address is transparency.
I believe we need to keep the citizens as informed as is legally possible. Rumors and false accusations are damaging to the morale of county employees, who I believe are the best advocates for the county.
Secondly, we need to make sure that our taxes are fair and that they are being used in the most effective way possible.
Thirdly, we need to find ways to attract tourists to the mainland as well as the island.
Education and employment are other areas that need attention. Our youth have to leave the county in order to build a family and a life because of lack of employment opportunities.
I also believe that we need to explore with neighboring counties to attract businesses to the area.
Mark Carawan (D), write-in candidate for Lake Landing Township: My candidacy for County Commissioner offers me an opportunity to serve all of Hyde County. The first thing is the high taxes we are paying and
Mark Carawan
receiving very little service. We can’t keep up with Wake County. We are Hyde County with Ocracoke paying the biggest part of the taxes, about 40%. This is putting a burden on the local people of Ocracoke. With that being said we need to bring the Dare County traffic to Ocracoke through Swan Quarter with high-speed ferries, so mainland Hyde County can start paying some of the taxes.
If 70% of the traffic to Ocracoke was funneled through mainland Hyde look at the revenue it would bring to the mainland. It can be done. The ferry system is Ocracoke’s lifeline. We can make it better with faster ferries and less red tape. It’s a highway service.
Why should you need a permit every time you need to channel dredge. It’s been done for years. Get an open permit. The people need to come first.
EMS needs to be improved. We are a long way from a hospital and minutes matter. EMS should be the best of the best for mainland and Ocracoke. For $2.5 million I think it can be made a lot better. I will work to ensure the best standards in the county and of the economic process for all the citizens. Every business in Hyde County is suffering from the condition of Lake Mattamuskeet and the ferry services to Ocracoke. Write my name in when you early vote or on November 5.
Jeffrey Berry.
Jeffrey Berry (U) Hyde County commissioner, Fairfield Township I have lived and worked in Hyde County all of my life. I truly Love Hyde County and want better for the county’s people.
I have many more concerns than three but as for the question here are my three important issues that I would like to try to accomplish:
1. Dredging of all the inlets concerning our waterways. Acquiring the funding to keep the dredging in place would be a massive challenge but I would do my best.
2. Improvements to NC 12 to bridge the overwash area or possibly move South Dock closer to the village beyond the continual overwash area.
3. Our EMS system needs much improvement. I feel lack of communication among all involved is among the biggest issues. Also, it takes far too long for response from Dare to Hyde.
Hyde County must communicate with our legislators and governments, continually, to ensure they know our needs.
Through asking people in our county what they worry about, I’ve come up with these problems too: Taxes. I will work to find an answer. Our school system needs as much help as possible. Bringing employment to Hyde County is needed.
Thomas Whitaker, Hyde County commissioner, Fairfield Township Building, enhancing and maintaining the infrastructure, on the mainland and on the island will be important. There are three types of infrastructure that are required for a county or business to function.
* Hard infrastructure: physical systems needed for operation, such as transportation, energy, telecommunications, waste management and removal services, and electric power.
* Soft infrastructure: Access to education, government, health services and emergency services.
* Critical infrastructure: the minimal systems that are necessary to operations, such as access to food and water, heat, shelter, and medical care.
This is the mindset and vision we need working together as a unit. We can accomplish this task.
Randal Mathews (D), Hyde County Commissioner, Ocracoke Township, unopposed: I think my record of accomplishments in the last four years speaks for itself. Here are great examples of what the future possibilities may be.
Randal Mathews.
Here are some of the things I am proud of:
The lobbying effort for the million-dollar funding of the Tekniam project that provides emergency communications during telecommunication outages on Ocracoke Island.
Initiated federal and state funding grants for Brightspeed to place a submarine fiber optic cable to the mainland.
Used ARPA matching funds $100,000 to expand broadband service on mainland Hyde County.
Increasing the school district funding from Hyde County by more than $700,000 to over $1.8 million.
Increasing the EMS budget by more than $200,000, acquiring new vehicles and also the purchase of the Ocracoke Masonic Lodge for our new EMS station on Ocracoke.
Acquiring more than $100,000 for maintenance and operation of the Ocracoke Community Center since 2021.
Enhancing the Ocracoke Development Ordinance to address food trucks, travel trailers and roaming dogs.
Hyde County (Manager Kris Noble) has taken great steps to involve us in expediting the dredge permitting process, funding of projects, funding of the ferry division, Army Corps, and even NCDOT as co-chair of the RPO as an Rural Transportation Advisory Committee. Manager Noble created and got legislation passed that does not require Hyde County to provide matching funds while using the Shallow Draft Fund for dredging projects.
Acquiring permits and funding for the use of the Miss Katie hopper dredge to widen and deepen Sloop Channel between Ocracoke and Hatteras. (Manager Noble with guidance from our Waterways Commission)
We will continue our efforts to find additional funding for capital expenses for the Hyde County School District by lobbying our legislators.
We will be tireless in our support of the Ferry Division and its funding from the Transportation Appropriations Committees in our legislature.
We will continue to pursue funding in addition to the $490,000 in NCDEQ resilience grants to address flooding and drainage issues in Ocracoke Village.
We will continue to advocate to move the existing federal ferry channel from Big Foot Slough to Nine Foot Slough which will ultimately save the taxpayers hundreds of thousands in dredging and maintenance cost.
It takes the “yay” of three County Commissioners to take official action on anything that comes before the board. That means building positive relationships with my fellow commissioners, which I will continue to do.
Hyde County Schools Board of Education candidates What’s the biggest issue facing Hyde County Schools and how will you address it? Edward Torres (U), Swan Quarter: All issues in the school system are of high importance. To focus on one single issue could potentially deny addressing matters that are contributing factors to the challenges faced by public education.
As a longtime resident of Hyde County, a graduate of Mattamuskeet High School and a small business owner, I have seen the struggles of our school system, from retaining students, securing and retaining staff, having adequate facilities to facilitate proper education, and the influx of ESL students to mention a few. (myself being a product of the latter)
As a candidate for the Hyde County Board of Education, one of my areas of interest for our school system is to work with other peers to build a program that prepares young students as they progress through the grades and continue their post-secondary education whether it is at the university level, a local community college or if they decide to enter the workforce immediately following their high school graduation.
We must provide the proper tools so our younger generation is ready and successful as they face the challenges of becoming responsible and productive members of our society.
Chanta Kaila Gibbs-Rickard (D) Fairfield: one of the biggest issues facing Hyde County Schools is inadequate funding and resources, which affects facilities, technology, and educational programs. This leads to outdated materials, and limited extracurricular activities, ultimately impacting student performance and engagement. To address this issue, the schools should: Advocate for Increased Funding: Engage with local and state representatives to push for better financial support.
Pursue Grants: Actively seek grants from educational foundations and federal programs designed for underfunded schools.
Build Partnerships: Collaborate with local businesses and organizations for sponsorships and mentorship opportunities that provide additional resources.
Engage the Community: Involve parents and community members in fundraising efforts to foster a sense of investment in education.
Strategic Planning: Create a long-term plan identifying specific needs and goals to allocate resources effectively.
By tackling these funding challenges, Hyde County Schools can enhance educational quality and create a more supportive learning environment for all students.
Ocracoke Sanitary District boardof supervisors
Scott Bradley: The Ocracoke Sanitary District (OSD) has been awarded two significant grants to upgrade the island’s water infrastructure, most of which is over 45 years old, having been put into service in 1977, and aging from our salt-air-corrosion environment.
The Water Tower Replacement Project Grant of $5.6 million will provide for replacement of OSD’s 150,000-gallon elevated water tank with a concrete composite pedestal tank.
The grant also funds partnering with the OVFD to replace 68 fire and flushing hydrants. Completion deadline for the project is December 2026.
A smaller grant of $150,000 will help inventory, map and assess water infrastructure assets and needs to identify water quality issues and areas of low pressure and flow, leading to improved water quality and enhanced fire protection.
I was appointed to the board in June 2003 and re-elected by Ocracoke voters in 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016 and 2020. I was elected chairman by the board in January 2010.
I am on the ballot for re-election now in 2024.
As I have been involved in the process with the board and our engineering firm, MESCO, to help secure these grants, I am seeking re-election to the board to continue working to help complete these projects.
Regina Boor The Ocracoke Sanitary District (OSD) has been awarded two significant grants to upgrade the island’s water infrastructure, most of which is over 45 years old, having been put into service in 1977, and aging from our salt-air-corrosion environment.
Regina O’Neal Boor
The Water Tower Replacement Project Grant of $5.6 million will provide for replacement of OSD’s 150,000-gallon elevated water tank with a concrete composite pedestal tank.
The grant also funds partnering with the OVFD to replace 68 fire and flushing hydrants. Completion deadline for the project is December 2026.
A smaller grant of $150,000 will help inventory, map and assess water infrastructure assets and needs to identify water quality issues and areas of low pressure and flow, leading to improved water quality and enhanced fire protection.
I was appointed to the board in June 2003 and re-elected by Ocracoke voters in 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016 and 2020. I was elected chairman by the board in January 2010.
I am on the ballot for re-election now in 2024.
As I have been involved in the process with the board and our engineering firm, MESCO, to help secure these grants, I am seeking re-election to the board to continue working to help complete these projects.
More information on the various statewide candidates is available online but Jason Williams visited Ocracoke in September and sent the following statement: District Court Judge Judicial District 2 Seat 3 M. Jason Williams (D): I am serving as a district court judge covering Beaufort, Martin, Washington, Tyrrell and Hyde counties. I was appointed by the governor last year to fill the unexpired term of a judge who retired, and I am running now for my own four-year term.
I grew up in the southern Pitt County town of Grifton, and I attended college at East Carolina University and law school at the University of Florida. I started my career at Legal Aid in New Bern and also worked as an assistant public defender in Greenville before opening up my own practice in 2003 in Washington.
During my time in private practice, I represented people in matters including family law (divorce, child custody, property distribution), criminal law (felonies, misdemeanors, and traffic tickets) and juvenile law (child welfare and juvenile delinquency). These are exactly the kinds of cases that I preside over today. My extensive experience across civil, criminal and juvenile courts makes me uniquely qualified to continue serving as a District Court Judge.
I also know what it is like to run a small business and to meet payroll, something I did for 20 years while practicing in my law office. Although I would never say that “I’ve seen it all,” there isn’t much that goes on in district court that I haven’t had more than a little experience in.
Although mine is a partisan race, the position of district court judge is certainly not a partisan job. There is no Republican way to decide a child custody case, or no Democrat way to decide who is guilty in a misdemeanor criminal case. My judicial philosophy is simple: listen to each individual case without bias and apply the law to the facts while making a decision. During my time on the bench, I have earned a reputation for treating people fairly and respectfully and for knowing and following the law. I have presided over all kinds of cases throughout each of the five counties, and I look forward to serving the people of eastern North Carolina for many years to come.
NC state Senate District 2 More information on the various statewide candidates is available online but Tare Davis visited Ocracoke in Oct. 15 (and before) and sent the following statement:
Tare “T” Davis (D): I am running for NC Senate District 2 because, while I will soon retire from service as a state trooper, I still have a desire and passion to serve the people of North Carolina.
Seven of the eight counties in District 2 have lost population, which means a decrease in funding.
As a Warren County commissioner for almost 10 years, I have learned that we need representatives from the state and federal levels to invest in Eastern North Carolina rural communities so local officials don’t have to rely solely on property taxes to continue providing services to residents while maintaining stability of the county and pushing its growth.
Being president of the NC Association of County Commissioners, elected by my peers in all 100 NC counties, has placed me in the room with local leaders from across the state, and recently sent me to our western counties, accompanied by high level state and federal officials, to help address needs in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.
Compared to my opponent I have a more moderate mindset of bipartisan leadership to make governing work for all people.
I have dedicated my life’s work to serving others. Joining the Army National Guard at age 17, my 28 years of service in law enforcement, and my work as a county commissioner have helped me hone my servant leadership skills and work within the communities that I have protected and represented to address and meet their needs.
As your next state Senator, important issues that I would address include:
Economic stability for working- & middle-class families
Prioritization of teachers & schools
Increased support for the ferry system & tourism
Defending individual rights, including the right to choose
Support for farmers, small businesses & public service providers
Mark Thomas Justice, 69, of Ocracoke passed away peacefully on October 15, 2024, at ECU Health Medical Center in Greenville.
He was the husband of Sharon O’Neal Justice.
Born on November 26, 1954, in Baltimore, Maryland, to the late Shirley E. Anderson and John William Justice, Mark lived a life filled with passion, dedication and love for his community.
Mark was a cherished member of the Ocracoke community, where he owned and operated the beloved Fudge and Ice Cream Shop in Ocracoke’s Community Square. His shop was not just a place of business but a gathering spot where locals and tourists alike found comfort in his warm hospitality and sweet treats.
Beyond his entrepreneurial spirit, Mark was a committed firefighter with the Ocracoke Volunteer Fire Department for over two decades.
He served as the first assistant fire chief for several years, showing unwavering dedication to the safety and well-being of his neighbors. Mark’s courage and resilience were evident in every call he answered, and his legacy will live on in the lives he touched.
An artisan at heart, Mark had a passion for carpentry and woodworking. His skillful hands crafted pieces that brought beauty and functionality into the homes of many.
In addition to his wife, Mark is survived by a son Robbie Lewis and wife Claudia; and granddaughter Camryn, who was his pride and joy; all who will forever cherish his memory. Mark is also survived by his sister Shirley Justice of Virginia Beach, Virginia, who, along with countless friends, will miss his kindness, humor, and generous spirit deeply.
His twin brother, Kevin Justice, preceded him in death.
In accordance with his wishes, there will be no service at this time. The family appreciates the outpouring of love and support from the community.
Mark Thomas Justice’s legacy is one of service, compassion, and an enduring love for his family and community. He will be remembered always by those who were fortunate to know him.
Twiford Funeral Homes, Outer Banks is assisting the family with arrangements. Condolences and memories may be shared at www.TwifordFH.com.
This editorial was completed on Sept. 23 for the October print issue.
The weather is beautiful. Many consider October to be the nicest month of the year.
So far, Ocracoke, while getting overwash from distant storms and king tides, has not had a hint of the most recent large hurricanes that have devastated the United States, particularly western North Carolina and Florida, in the last few weeks.
But another high category storm may be brewing — not out in the ocean, but on the mainland.
Casting fishing lines, walking on the beach or sitting on a dune watching the shore life offer respite from the hubbub of our daily lives and from the incessant news cycles.
It would be nice to continue with these thoughts, but stones have been hurled into the political water that have had major detrimental ripple effects in our lives, and more ripples loom.
Many have a sense of dread regarding the Nov. 5 General Election and its aftermath.
People are increasingly fearful of expressing political opinions in the so-called social media and personal attacks and intimidation have sadly become the new normal.
How much of this is due to foreign social media influencers like Russia is being investigated, but there is no doubt that it is going on.
Our adversaries want to divide us and that online “Joe from Iowa” may very well be Ivan from Moscow. Artificial intelligence (AI) has become so advanced that not only can it manipulate an image, but it can also manipulate our views.
People getting their news from within their own perception bubble and through media variations of hate and fear is not promoting measured discourse.
Something has happened to our society, and it is not good.
We need to right this ship and restore our country to civility in our spirited political discourse.
We can no longer rely on politicians to be the voice of common sense, provide thoughtful advice and reassurance that we have good leadership.
Yes, there are elected officials who serve out of a dedication to public service, but their voices too often are not heard or when they do express a view that does not fall in line with their political party’s affiliation, they are quickly threatened with primary opponents who will drive them out of office.
Political intimidation and violence have escalated in the last 10 years, and we are now seeing political assassination attempts.
On both sides, party leaders say we need to tamper down the rhetoric. A détente, if you will, and these will last maybe an hour or two and then the attacks resume.
Senator Mitt Romney (R-Utah) and the late John McCain (R-Arizona) and have spoken up to call out lies that circulate in the media. Yet they, in turn, received attacks for saying so.
What has happened to us?
Why can’t national candidates discuss the inflation rate, the stock market, employment rates and affordable health care and housing instead of the culture wars nonsense they talk about?
Ten years ago, if a survey asked if one supported a candidate who called for jailing political opponents and shutting down the free press, the response would have been overwhelmingly “Absolutely not.” Sadly, that would not be the case today.
How can the average person help restore our nation to sanity?
One way is for people to take a “tough love” approach to their favored politicians.
If a politician lies or makes outrageous comments, contact that person and politely say that you are a supporter but will reconsider if this behavior continues. Politicians will listen and respond to criticism from their supporters far more than their detractors.
The November ballot is rather long with candidates, and we have provided some information on our local candidates for county commissioner, school board and sanitary district in our print issue.
We will ask some of the candidates seeking statewide representation questions, and these answers, along with those of the local candidates, will be posted online.
There are plenty of nonpartisan sources that provide accurate candidate information. Do not rely solely on the paid advertisements that deluge the airways and the internet.
Numerous local, statewide and national offices have been decided by a few votes. So, don’t think that your vote doesn’t count.
Make sure now — not later — that you are properly registered. There are too many efforts going on to disenfranchise voters and possibly change the will of the voters.
Our ship needs to head into a beautiful, starry, autumn sky and not, as our enemies would have it, into “The Twilight Zone.”
Tuesday, Oct. 15 Hyde County Health COVID-Flu shot clinic, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Community Center.
Last home Lady Dolphins volleyball games for both Middle School and Varsity vs. Mattamuskeet Lady Lakers. The Middle School game will start at 4pm. Varsity to follow.
A memorial service for Reggie O’Neal will be held at 1 p.m. in the Ocracoke United Methodist Church, 71 School Rd. The family will accept friends immediately following the service at a potluck in the rec hall. A small private graveside service will be held after.
OCBA meeting “Candidates Night,” featuring local candidates for office, 6 pm. Community Center
Wednesday, Oct. 16 Ocracoke Waterways Commission, 6:30 pm. Community Center
Friday, Oct. 18 What’s happening on Ocracoke: Award-winning veteran journalist Joy Crist, editor of the Island Free Press, will be the guest, 11:30 am, WOVV, 90.1 FM and online wovv.org Ocracoke Oyster Company: Ray Murray, 7 pm
Saturday, Oct. 19 Working Waterman’s Festival, 9 am to 4 pm; fish fry noon to 2 pm; Ocracoke Preservation Society, 49 Water Plant Rd.
Sunday, Oct. 20 Church services: Ocracoke United Methodist Church, 11 am Ocracoke Life Saving Church, 11 am Stella Maris Chapel, 3:30 pm
Alton Ballance shows how high the flood waters of Dorian came into the inn.
Text and photos by Connie Leinbach
When many Ocracoke residents chose to raise their houses after the historic flooding five years ago from Hurricane Dorian, island native Alton Ballance chose a different path to resilience.
Ballance, who is author of the iconic book about Ocracoke, “Ocracokers,” was a Hyde County commissioner for Ocracoke for eight years in the mid-1980s, has been a teacher, is a retired NCCAT staffer and is the owner of the Crews Inn, built in 1908.
Both the inn and his old Ocracoke home along Irvin Garrish Highway were flooded when Dorian brought a 7.4-foot storm surge, the highest yet on Ocracoke.
The Crews Inn, along Back Road, has been reopened for business since June 2021 after Ballance made major renovations to the first floor with a nod to resilience the O’cocker way. O’cocker is the moniker for natives whose families go back generations.
His response to the deluge was to take out the damaged drywall, replace it with washable beadboard, redo the floors and raise all the outlets up four feet.
From that outlet line to the floor there’s washable foam insulation instead of fiberglass, which is above that line.
When he removed the wet drywall, underneath he found beadboard, a popular Ocracoke wood style for walls.
“This is the old, original beadboard from 100 years ago,” he said, as he showed a visitor the renovations.
And like past islanders, he chose to salvage it, clean it, Kilz it, prime it and caulk it.
After rebuilding his own house in this way, he did this second year-long rebuild with the help of Clayton Gaskill and Clifton Garrish and others.
“One of my big things is I would not go back for it (the Dorian flood) not to have happened,” he said, “because so many good things happened. This place is so much better.”
The living room walls had never been insulated, he said. The studs were done with the lumber they had at the time, and they also weren’t regularly spaced.
“We were able to get in there and restud the walls and heavily insulate it,” he said.
They also rewired the building so that instead of one single outlet on the baseboard in the dining room from which he had to run an extension cord there now are seven high-up, upgraded outlets on three different circuits.
The house was original to Ike and Sue O’Neal. Their daughter, Lucille, married a man named Jesse Garrish and the couple ran the Community Store, Alton explained.
They had one son, Danny Garrish, two of whose daughters, Mandy Jones, who works at the Variety Store, and Melissa Garrish, who works at the post office, live on the island along with a son, Wayne Garrish who with his wife, Jennifer, are former owners of the Bluff Shoals Motel.
Alton Ballance shows how he refurbished his Crews Inn after the Hurricane Dorian flood. The raised electric outlets can be seen on the walls
After Lucille died, the children sold the house in 1985 to Alton’s brother, Kenny, who, with two other men, started the Crews Inn.
Alton and his crew rebuilt the floors, the planks of which originally had simply been nailed to the floor joists. They removed the planks, one piece of which was stamped Jesse Garrish, and installed subflooring.
“Then every one of these boards got put back and refinished,” he said. “We were able to save all of them.”
The upgraded bathrooms got waterproof flooring that many island homes have installed in the last five years.
“We even took time to build headboards out of leftover beadboard,” he said.
Resilience also means replacing massive sofas in the living room with furniture he can move himself.
Raising his home and the Crews Inn are not options.
“I like the level it’s on,” he said.
Moreover, the way old Ocracoke houses have multiple add-ons, though not impossible, his homes would not be easy to raise up.
A lot of old Ocracoke homes were built with a ground floor trap door to let the water in (and later out) so they wouldn’t float away, noted Tom Pahl, a building contractor and Ballance’s neighbor.
Alton is OK with how he is embracing resilience with a nod to the past.
“I have concerns,” he said. “Without old houses like mine and the inn, Ocracoke will lose its architectural history and look like other beach areas,” he said.
Ballance shows one of the headboards he made out of leftover bead board.
Reginald E. O’Neal Jr., 53, of Ocracoke, gained his heavenly wings on Thursday, October 10.
He passed peacefully in his sleep surrounded by his wife Kimberly M. O’Neal, friends and his loving pups after a long hard battle with serious health issues. “Rockin’ Regg” will be remembered as a quick-witted and fun-loving friend to all, a great son and brother, and a loving husband.
Born Aug. 13, 1971, on Ocracoke, Reggie was raised on the island where he fell in love with Kim in the late 1990s, and they married in 2003. He worked with the NCDOT-Ferry Division for 21 years before the onset of health issues forced him to end his career.
When not working, Reggie loved spending time with friends and family, traveling, cruising on his motorcycle, and pulling for the Tarheels.
Reggie is survived by his incredible, loving, and supportive wife Kim, and their beloved fur babies Sheldon, Ridley, and Kybble of their island home. Also surviving are his parents, Reginald E. O’Neal, Sr. and Elva S. O’Neal, his sister Regina O’Neal Boor and husband Justin C. Boor, and his very special niece Kinsley M. Boor all of Ocracoke, as well as numerous aunts, uncles and cousins.
A funeral service will be held at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, October 15, at the Ocracoke United Methodist Church, 71 School Rd.
The family will receive friends following the service. A private family graveside committal will be held in the Ocracoke Community Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Reggie may be made to the Ocracoke Health Center, the American Kidney Fund or the American Heart Association.
Twiford Funeral Homes, Outer Banks is assisting the family with arrangements. Condolences and memories may be shared at www.TwifordFH.com.
