Both varsity basketball teams came away with victories in defeating the Mattamuskeet Lakers (boys 1-10; girls 0-11) at their homecoming games on Friday (Jan. 30). The boys (5-13) won 59-50. Junior Evin Caswell and sophomore Matteus Gilbert were unstoppable, scoring 28 and 21 points respectively.
The Lady Dolphins (13-5) had no trouble in defeating the winless Lady Lakers 76-25. This win comes off a disappointing loss on the road to the Gates County Red Barons (16-1) 71-33, when the team played without injured star Sydney Austin.
This will be a busy week for the teams. On Tuesday (Feb 3), they go on the road taking on the Creswell Tigers. Then there will be back-to-back home games Thursday they will host Gates County, and on Friday will play the Plymouth Vikings.
These games will be broadcast on WOVV, 90.1 FM on the island and wovv.org online. Call the station for starting times 252-28-9688.
Nancy Leach is so committed to children receiving art instruction during their school day that she recently launched a Change.org petition seeking to reinstate art.
“There are all facets of the mind,” Leach said in an interview, and art instruction helps children unlock them.
Leach’s efforts were prompted by her desire for the academic success of her kindergarten daughter, Essie.
Essie O’Neal speaks at the County Commissioner’s meeting. Her mother, Nancy Leach with her. Photo by Peter Vankevich
“I want her to have this opportunity to access this part of her personality during the school day, not after school,” Leach explained. “Art is a just as important as the other subjects.”
Leach was one of a few parents who spoke up to the Hyde County Board of Education when, in October, the board approved an $11.38 million schools budget.
In the spring, the Ocracoke School art position and two teaching assistant positions were eliminated when the district learned that the Small School Supplemental Funding would be cut from the state education funding package, leaving the district without any formal arts education in both music and art.
But in July, the General Assembly restored $1.7 million for Small School Funding, which funds teacher salaries in rural schools throughout the state, though it was about $300,000 less than what Hyde County received in prior years.
The October budget approved by the school board restored two teachers’ aids positions (one for Ocracoke) and a part-time custodian for Ocracoke, but no other personnel.
More parents again voiced their concern in December upon learning that the elected Board of Education is requesting a raise for their monthly stipends. (To read that story, clickhere.
Leach, who has a master’s degree in painting and teaches art appreciation online for Beaufort County Community College, said she does not have her daughter in the after-school program where Ocracoke Alive has stepped up to provide art instruction.
“Essie doesn’t attend the after-school program because that’s too long of a day for her,” Leach said. “She should be getting it during the school day from 8 to 3.”
Her reason for starting the petition is to keep her voice heard that art is an integral part of education for all children.
“After attending those compelling meetings myself and speaking time after time, but not feeling heard, the petition seemed like the obvious next step,” she said. “I also understand that many of those people do not attend the compelling meetings where one has a chance to stand up and speak their mind.”
She noted the comments of people signing the petition.
“I have read the comments written by the people who have signed the petition, and I am both touched and impressed by the wisdom and soulfulness found there,” she said.
Contacted at his home, Hyde County School Board chairman Thomas Whitaker said he feels the parents’ frustration.
“For the last three years we’ve been struggling to get funds,” he said about the constant battle to retain the Small School Funding appropriated by the General Assembly to rural schools such as those in Hyde County.
The district has lost 20 positions, including two arts positions on the mainland and one on Ocracoke, he said. One of those was his own son who lost his music teaching job in Hyde County schools.
“I love music and we are going back to the drawing board to see if we can get more money,” Whitaker said about the district’s efforts, adding that Hyde has been meeting with state Rep. Paul Tine and folks in Tyrell County, another rural county in Eastern North Carolina.
He stressed that school funding is controlled by the state Legislature and encouraged residents to contact their representatives to better fund rural schools.
“I know people on the island and mainland are angry, and it’s been rough, but I hope we can all get together and work together on this,” he said.
The following is the text of Leach’s petition: The community of Ocracoke is filled with artists and those who appreciate art, and a large number of the visitors to our island either come to enjoy our artistic community, or leave with a deep appreciation of it. Beyond our strong ‘feelings’ that art be reinstated at Ocracoke School, there are compelling facts to indicate that art is an integral part of any pre-K to 12 education. A study by Stanford University and Carnegie Foundation For the Advancement of Teaching indicates that young people who participate in the arts are: *4 times more likely to be recognized for academic achievement *3 times more likely to be elected to class office within their schools *4 times more likely to participate in a math and science fair *3 times more likely to win an award for school attendance *Participate in youth groups nearly four times as frequently *Read for pleasure nearly twice as often *Perform community service more than four times as often
Furthermore, studies of the arts leads to increased awareness of self (mind, body, and voice) and others (collaboration and empathy), improved clarity and creativity in communication of verbal and nonverbal ideas, and to understanding of human behavior, motivation, diversity, culture, and history. We, the signers of this petition, are interested in all of these things for the children who attend Ocracoke School. Please reinstate our art class.
Special to the Ocracoke Observer. Read the full story at Island Free Press.
By Frank Tursi
Coastal Review Online
The Obama Administration did the expected Tuesday and announced plans to potentially open portions of the Atlantic coast, including offshore North Carolina, to oil and natural gas drilling for the first time in almost three decades.
In keeping with Obama’s all-of-the above approach to energy development, the federal Bureau of Energy Management, or BOEM, yesterday released a draft five-year leasing plan that would begin in 2017 for offshore drilling. BOEM last week started the process to lease portions of federal waters off the North Carolina coast for commercial wind energy.
The drilling plan includes all the federal waters 50 miles off the mid- and south-Atlantic coasts, from the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay to the Georgia-Florida border. Also included in the plan are areas in the central and western Gulf of Mexico and off the north coast of Alaska.
This graphic from the NC Ferry Division in August shows the various depths of Hatteras Inlet, with the red areas the shallowest. Photo by C. Leinbach
Ocracoke Observer editor’s note: Donny Potter, chief of physical support branch of the Army Corps of Engineers confirmed today that dredging work will resume Jan. 29. Total dredge time is 12 days.
The federal dredge Merritt is scheduled to arrive at sand-clogged Hatteras Inlet on Saturday, although there’s a good chance that the project may be delayed by a strong, fast-moving coastal low.
“If there is a significant weather event, the Merritt will probably not work,” said Daniel Sinclair, deputy chief of the plant section for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Wilmington District.
Dredging Hatteras Inlet Jan. 2015. Photo by Stacey Sutton
Sinclair said that the Merritt has been scheduled to work a half-day on Saturday and all of Sunday, followed by a layover of three days. Work would then resume on Jan. 29 and continue through Feb. 4.
Cape Hatteras National Seashore Superintendent David Hallac announced today that between Feb. 1 and March 30, weather and conditions permitting, National Park Service fire management staff, as part of the Outer Banks Group Fire Management Plan, will conduct prescribed burning on sections of Bodie Island within Cape Hatteras National Seashore.
The planned burn(s) will consist of approximately 500 acres located east of NC Highway 12, from Whalebone Junction south to Old Oregon Inlet Road, and a 400-acre section west of Highway 12 from Whalebone Junction south to areas that were burned by the seashore in 2014.
A primary goal of the planned burning is hazardous fuel reduction which reduces the threat of damaging wildfire to the 256 houses adjacent and bordering this section of the National Seashore boundary. In addition, the fuel reduction will facilitate restoration of vegetative communities in migratory water fowl and marsh areas to historically accurate patterns.
In order to safely accomplish the burn, firebreaks around the burn unit will require improvements that effectively reduce the amount of vegetative fuels adjacent to the fire break. All of these breaks will be constructed utilizing a combination of light weight mowers and hand tools. Ignition will be accomplished utilizing US Fish and Wildlife Service specialty tracked equipment from the Alligator River NWR and drip torches.
The actual ignition operations will not exceed a three-day period. Public safety is the highest priority during all wild land fire operations. NC Hwy 12 will be closed during active fire ignition and when smoke may cause low visibility conditions for motorists. Traffic will be re-routed via Old Oregon Inlet Road during road closures on NC Hwy 12.
For more information, call 252-473-2111, or 252-475-9034.
Editor’s note: The following is from an email from state Rep. Paul Tine, I-Kitty Hawk. No additional reporting was done.
January 26, 2015
Message from Rep. Paul Tine about the priorities for the district over the next legislative session and inviting input.
Transportation The first issue I will attempt to address for the District will be transportation. From Bonner Bridge, to dredging our ports and inlets, to funding of our ferries and local roads we have a lot of issues that need work. We need to make adjustments to the transportation funding model and this will be one of my highest priorities. Public Education Enhancing our public education in the region is another priority. I will be looking to protect our small schools funding while we revamp how we fund our community colleges. There are two bills that I will be putting forward, one to help establish a presence in Washington County and one that will help our colleges respond more quickly to workforce development needs in the area. I will explain in more depth in future communications. Medicaid Expansion The third priority will be to push for Medicaid expansion so that we can keep our rural hospitals open. To be sure, this is only a temporary solution. To really solve the problem we need to get people back to work so they can afford their own health insurance. In the meantime, however, we are in a difficult position. The federal government withheld billions of dollars and said the only way we will get our own tax dollars back is if we follow their model. My hope is that we will be able to develop a state system of expansion that will keep our hospitals open while our economy recovers. Homeowners Insurance We also must continue to push for property insurance reform. We need better information and more transparency in the rate-making process so that we can develop more equitable rates across the state. This session I will be working to bring about these changes. More To Come In future communications I will be talking about several other initiatives including an overhaul to our oyster fisheries so that we can put fisherman back to work while helping to clean up our waterways, making some adjustments to our unemployment system and some local bills to help with beach restoration and protection.
In the meantime, please reach out to me with ideas on how to make our district better. My cell is (252) 305-5133, or you can email me at paul.tine@ncleg.net.
Special to the Observer from the Island Free Press
January 26, 2014
Starting Wednesday, Jan. 28, weather permitting, the North Carolina Department of Transportation will close a section of one lane of the Herbert C. Bonner Bridge on Highway 12 over the Oregon Inlet.
The lane closure will enable crews with Precon Marine Inc. of Chesapeake, Va. to begin repairs to the concrete along the underside of the bridge deck. The project is expected to be complete by mid-June.
As part of this $331,250 contract awarded in December 2014, crews will remove loose or deteriorated concrete and replace it with shotcrete – a form of concrete that is projected or “shot” onto a surface. These repairs will be made at approximately 249 locations identified as priority areas during the most recent regular two-year inspection of the bridge in May of last year.
Ocracoke islander Eleanor Garrish is 99 today (Jan 26, 2015).
Pat Garber spent many hours with Eleanor and assisted her with an in-depth, three-part series published in the Observer last summer on her extraordinary life that you can read here: Part One Part Two Part Three
On Sunday, the Ocracoke quilters headed over to wish her happy birthday.
Eleanor Garrish seated Ocracoke quilters from left to right: Cindy Hitchens, Nancy Carlson, Brenda Kremser, Jane Griffin, Mary Vankevich and Ann Borland. Photo by Jim Garrish
Ocracoke Community Park in November in the beginning stages of construction. Photo by C. Leinbach
A volunteer work day at the Ocracoke Community Park at the end of Maurice Ballance Road is scheduled for Monday, Jan. 26.
Anyone with carpentry skills is encouraged to attend and help complete the team dugouts and scorer’s box. Those not so good with a hammer but who still want to contribute are welcome to consider donating food or drinks to keep the workers feuled.
For more info, contact Vince O’Neal at 252-921-0112.
Editor’s note: Below is an update on the park’s progress that was in the October print issue of the Observer. However, the park was not completed in the fall and is expected be completed in the spring:
By Ruth Fordon
Ocracoke’s long-held dream of having a bona fide baseball field to host home games will soon be fulfilled.
Decades in the dreaming, and four years into the making, the baseball field at the Ocracoke Community Park is expected to be completed “by the end of this fall,” according to Vince O’Neal, president of the Ocracoke Community Park organization.
What began in 2010 when the Ocracoke Youth Center, an island nonprofit, started teaching basic baseball skills to the island children has truly become a major, community-supported field of dreams.
In 2011, there was enough interest from the kids that the Youth Center contacted the Hatteras Island league to ask if Ocracoke could participate with them in the Cal Ripken Division of Babe Ruth Little League Baseball.
This has required off-island travel for all Ocracoke players. And yet, the response from the youth continues to fuel the project.
Out of 170 students enrolled in Ocracoke School pre-K through 12th grade last year, more than 80 students participated in baseball from T-ball through middle school.
In 2012, the first step toward the dream of a home field became a reality with the purchase of the Burrus property along Maurice Ballance Road.
It was the last suitable and sizeable land within the village to accommodate the project, and the Burrus family agreed to 100 percent owner financing, with 3 percent interest and a 10-year-term. The Youth Center took possession of the property May 1, 2013, and by July of that same year, approximately $750,00 in pledges and donations had been received.
Funds for the project have come not only from the Ocracoke community, but also from the extended Outer Banks community.
Barbara Jemison, treasurer for the Park, said that as of April 30, donations to the project were $180,867 toward the capital fund for land acquisition with $800,000 in pledges.
The Ocracoke Occupancy Board has provided over $240,000 to date, and more than $100,000 of labor costs have been donated as well. The Outer Banks Community Foundation awarded their largest grant of $75,000 toward the purchase of the land over a three-year period, according to Lorelei Costa, executive director.
“It was much needed on the island,” she said. “We are really excited to support the park. It’s been gratifying to watch the community come together for this project, especially the fundraising efforts and the incredible volunteer work.”
The foundation will also provide a $7,000 three-year, matching challenge grant for a designated, permanent endowment for the Park.
Other revenues from the Youth Center’s Village Thrift store on Ocracoke and other fundraising bring the total of money received to $351,708.
Today, thanks to the dedication and enthusiastic efforts of the Ocracoke community, volunteers and financial donors, those two acres of marshland located are well on the way to becoming the Ocracoke Community Park with not only a baseball field, but also a 2400 sq. ft. activity center and recreational trails for environmental education and fitness.
“The Activity Center building is phase two (of the project) and is scheduled to be completed after the park is functioning,” O’Neal said. “There has been tremendous support from all—residents, tourists, and businesses. Probably the biggest obstacle is the same one all construction projects face on the island—coordinating logistics and sub-contractors to do the work.”
Donations to the Ocracoke Community Park can be made to Ocracoke Youth Center, P.O. Box 1684, Ocracoke, NC 27960, designated to the Community Park.
The park’s web site is www.ocracokecommunitypark.org.
Dr. Randolph H. Latimore Sr., superintendent of Hyde County Schools. Photo by C. Leinbach
Special to the Ocracoke Observer
As reported in the Rappahannock Record with additional reporting by Connie Leinbach
LANCASTER, Va.–The trial in a lawsuit by Lancaster County, Va., against Hyde County Schools Superintendent Dr. Randolph H. Latimore Sr., has been postponed to Aug. 17.
Lancaster County is seeking to recover $208,261.04 from Latimore, a former school superintendent there, which was reportedly authorized by then Lancaster County School Board Chairman Don McCann without the school board’s knowledge.
According to the county’s March 2008 lawsuit, after Latimore’s contract was not renewed in 2007, he requested payment on accumulated unused leave and sick days that amounted to 300 days more than he had previously certified he was due or that his contract allowed.
Events leading to the lawsuit began June 29, 2007, one day prior to Latimore stepping down as superintendent after the board voted not to renew his contract.
Latimore claimed to have accumulated 491.75 days of unused sick and leave time over his years of working in the Virginia school system as a teacher, principal and superintendent.
After then school finance director consulted with the school attorney on wording of Latimore’s contract, the board chair at the time authorized the finance officer to cut a check to Latimore for the full amount without consulting other members of the school board.
Apparently, the other school board members were not aware of the payment until auditors uncovered it during the annual audit and notified the board in September 2007.
The discovery prompted the Lancaster County Board of Supervisors to investigate and audit the school budget and the appropriation, as well as make a claim for recovery of public funds.
In an earlier opinion, Circuit Court Judge Harry T. Taliaferro III, who is presiding, noted that eight months prior to the termination of Latimore’s contract on October 26, 2006, “…Latimore certified…to the auditor that he had accumulated 40 days of annual leave and 140 days of sick leave. Latimore’s accumulated unused leave time as then reported was contrary to the provisions of his employment contract because the leave hours reported exceeded those agreed to in such contract.”
The day before Latimore’s employment ended, he and (the finance officer) obtained the $208,261.04 payment.
“This exceeded the maximum number of days allowed in the employment contract,” the judge wrote. “Despite this error, Latimore accepted the payment which both he and (the finance officer) approved by signing the (transmittal) form. The school board did not approve the payment prior to it being made.”
The jury trial had been scheduled for March 3 to 5.
After serving as principal of Mattamuskeet School for a few years, Latimore became superintendent of Hyde County Schools in November 2011.
David Tolson, the Hyde County school board member from Ocracoke, confirmed that the board had known about Latimore’s troubles in Virginia.
“He explained it to us and even had his lawyer talk to us,” Tolson said in an interview. “Yes, the board members were concerned about this (lawsuit). It was a mark on his record, but we thought he was what Hyde County needed at the time.”
While he can’t comment on the pending lawsuit, Tolson said that compared to the other applicants, this incident did not override Latimore’s qualifications and his professional demeanor.
“We interviewed him thoroughly,” Tolson said. “He’s done a good job and he’s a good, decent man.”
