Contracts awarded for maintenance projects on Bonner Bridge

December 30, 2014

Herbert C. Bonner Bridge. Photo by C. Leinbach

Press release
Work to start in early 2015

RALEIGH — The N.C. Department of Transportation has awarded contracts for two maintenance projects on the Herbert C. Bonner Bridge, which carries N.C. 12 over the Oregon Inlet in Dare County. Work on each project will begin in early 2015. Additional information regarding the exact dates of the work will be available once schedules are finalized. Both projects are scheduled to be complete by mid- June 2015.

Concrete Repairs
A $331,250 contract was awarded to Precon Marine Inc. of Chesapeake, Va. for repairs to concrete along the underside of the bridge deck. This work involves removing loose or deteriorated concrete and replacing 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 this year.

Crutch Bent repairs
A $889,401 contract was awarded to Smith-Rowe LLC of Mount Airy for repairs to the steel crutch bents currently in place from bent 108 through 114. These steel crutch bents were installed in 1989 and after years of being exposed to the elements, need to be replaced. Work will involve removing the upper portion of each steel crutch bent from under the bridge deck to just below the water surface. New steel crutch bents will then be bolted into place.

The bridge will remain open to traffic during these projects with only a single lane closure in place. Both directions of traffic will be guided through the work site with either flagmen or automated traffic control measures.

Motorists are advised to use caution while traveling in the area and to expect delays. NCDOT reminds motorists to watch signs for construction information, stay alert and obey the posted speed limit.

For real-time travel information at any time, visit the Travel section of the NCDOT website, call 511, or follow NCDOT on Twitter. Another option is NCDOT Mobile, a phone-friendly version of the NCDOT website.

Ocracoke Christmas Bird Count Dec 30, help requested

December 29, 2014

0

By Peter Vankevich

The Ocracoke Christmas Bird Count will be Tuesday, Dec. 30. If you can identify and count birds on the island and report them to us, please do. Looking especially for House Finches and other birds at feeders and those big Eurasian Collared-doves that are all over the village. Send your reports to info@ocracokeobsever@.com . This is a Peregrine Falcon perched on the water tower this afternoon. We have a vegetarian chili/key lime social at Peter Vankevich’s house starting at 6 p.m. Let us know if you would like to attend (202) 468-2871 for more details.

Peregrine Falcon perched on water tower Dec 29, 2014 Photo by Peter Vankevich

Early morning fire strikes camper on Ocracoke

December 28, 2014

2

RV fire 2 WP_20141227_002 — A trailer along Bryant Lane is destroyed by fire early Saturday morning. Photo by P. Vankevich

(Dec. 27, 2014)
By Connie Leinbach

An unoccupied recreational vehicle along Bryant Lane (just off of Lighthouse Rd.) was destroyed in an early morning fire Saturday. No one was injured and the fire was contained within about 10 minutes but took more than an hour to be put completely out, Ocracoke Volunteer Fire Department officials said.

About a dozen OVFD members responded around 6:30 a.m. to the fully enflamed camper owned by Marky O’Neal of the New Bern area.

“I had just come back from duck hunting when Jordy Jenkins called me,” said Farris O’Neal, who lives across the street. “I ran right back outside. It was blazing pretty good. Jordy saw the flames from the road.”

O’Neal and his neighbor Adam Burleson, whose house is right beside the camper, along with Kevin Hardy, immediately began to spray water from three garden hoses on the camper, the privacy fence and on the side of Adam’s house.

“If the fire department had gotten there two minutes later, Adam’s house would have caught on fire,” O’Neal said. “It was very hot.”

Fortunately, three OVFD trucks arrived on the scene and got two hoses working.

“We made progress after we got the second hose working off the first truck,” said Ernie Doshier, second assistant fire chief. “It was 10 minutes before I felt good that Adam’s house wasn’t going to catch on fire.”

However, the siding on Burleson’s house got charred, the double-pane window was broken and another window was cracked, Doshier said.

Assistant Fire Chief Mark Justice noted that the response and fire-fighting effort went well.

“Nobody got hurt,” he said. “It was very successful. There was a little damage to Adam’s house and it was a very hot fire.”

Both he and Doshier said they do not know how the fire started but that it’s not suspicious.

“The front three quarters are completely destroyed,” Doshier said.

Both O’Neal and Doshier noted that the lack of wind was a factor in quickly subduing the flames and causing further damage.

Doshier noted that this was the first structure fire in two years on the island and stressed the need for young men and women to join the ranks of the fire department.

“With people constantly moving on and off the island, we have a turnover of fire company members,” he said. “We always need people to get certified; operate the trucks; get the gear on. Half of our guys weren’t here today.”

Thirty-six hours of training a year is all it takes for people to learn the basics of fire fighting, he said.

“You’re doing a service for the community,” Doshier said about the need for volunteers. “It will help keep your house or your neighbor’s house from burning. We need more young members.”

RV fire Jackson Eiland V__CB44 (2) — RV fire from a distance Photo by Jackson Eiland

Christmas Bird Count Is A Favorite With Locals and Visitors

December 28, 2014

0

Carol Pahl estimating the great number of Double-creseted Cormorants on Ocracoke Photo by P. Vankevich

December 2014
By Stacey Sutton

Fans of our feathered friends are all a-frenzy with anticipation for the 115th National Christmas Bird Count coming up here Dec 29 and 30. Folks young and old, will be donning mittens, scarves, possibly raincoats and their favorite pair of binoculars to survey the local bird populations both on Ocracoke and Portsmouth Islands.

The Christmas Bird Count (CBC), the longest running nationwide wildlife census in the United States, is held from Dec. 14 to Jan. 5 every year. The purpose of the CBC is to “study the long-term health and status of bird populations across North America,” according to the National Audubon Society website. The primary goal of the event is to provide data that will aid in conserving and protecting bird populations. However, the data have also been used to detect changes in weather patterns as well as locations of serious environmental contamination. For example, if a lake consistently has a large duck population but the CBC folks find the lake to be duck-deficient, scientists will first look at the larger geographic area to see if other nearby CBC sites also reported lower duck numbers. If duck demographics are normal in nearby areas, scientists will then check the water for contamination.

Snow Goose More common in winter on Pea Island than Ocracoke Photo by P. Vankevich

Each count location is a 15-mile wide circle. There are over 2,300 circles across the United States and while more circles can be added, the location must have volunteers who are willing to do the work. Every circle has a lead, known as the compiler, who is in charge of things such as; choosing the specific date of his/her count during the given timeframe, arranging logistics, and compiling and sending in the data. Once the date has been set, volunteers are assigned to different zones within the count circle. They then walk their zone and note what species and how many of each species they see or hear for the same few hours as everyone else in their count circle. At the end of the day, the numbers from each volunteer are tallied and sent in to the national headquarters.

Peregrine Falcon Portsmuth ps IMG_0681 — Peregrine Falcon on Portsmouth Island

The compiler for Ocracoke and Portsmouth Islands is Peter Vankevich. Not only did Vankevich help establish the CBC on the islands, he also hasn’t missed a single bird count since the first counts took place; 1981 for Ocracoke and 1988 for Portsmouth Island. The two islands have an average of 20 volunteers every year.

One local resident, Pat Garber, who has been participating since the 1990’s, is committed to contributing to the citizen science aspect of the CBC. Vankevich stated that there are approximately 70 species reported for Portsmouth Island and in the high 80’s for Ocracoke Island, but he has seen fluctuations in the numbers for each species over the years.

Savannah Sparrow PS _IMG_4789 — Savannah Sparrow Photo by P. Vankevich

Several of the repeat counters travel from places like Raleigh and Fayetteville in order to participate.

“The CBC is the oldest and largest wildlife survey in the world, and I consider it an honor to participate in it,” said returning volunteer Jeff Beane, who travels to Ocracoke from Raleigh for the annual event. He’s not the only one to travel several hours to get here just to participate. Hal Broadfoot Jr. comes from Fayetteville every year not only to assist with the count, but also to spend time with fellow birders from Ocracoke.

“The people associated with Peter’s counts are among the best birders and nicest people I know,” he said. He also agrees that…”it’s nice to immerse yourself in a group of people who share your passion.”

Lloyd Lewis IMG_0724 — Lloyd Lewis Photo by P. Vankevich

When asked why he loves birding, Beane explained that: “Birds were one of the most noticeable and observable to me when I was a child first learning to detect and make observations about my surroundings. Because of their colors, diurnal behavior, and abundance, they were one of the first things that caught my attention any time I would do so much as look out a window. I have always paid attention to birds. To ask why I like birds would be to ask why I like water.”

As for Broadfoot: “I like that birds fly, which means they can show up almost anywhere…Birds connect me to geography, geology, history, natural history, politics, weather, literature, popular culture, legend and myth.”

One of the benefits to participating in the Portsmouth Island bird count, which will be held Monday, Dec. 29 this year, is that volunteers get to go to the island transported by captains, Rudy and Donald Austin of Austin Boat Tours. This time of the year there are no tourists and more importantly few, if any mosquitos. There is a nominal fee that will cover the boat ride to the island, but for the experience of getting to visit the island’s wilderness at a time when most people don’t get to, it seems to be worth it. Because of the added logistics necessary to get to Portsmouth Island, volunteers must contact Peter Vankevich by Sunday in order to confirm a place on the boat. Volunteers will meet at the National Park Service dock at 7:30 a.m. and should bring binoculars. Many participants also bring cameras and get beautiful photos.

Several of the returning birders also say they enjoy the chili/key lime pie dinner hosted by Vankevich at the end of the bird count which has been dubbed the ‘Tally Rally’ during which volunteers feast and talk birds and the memorable experiences they’ve had over the years, while also going over the numbers for the two islands.

Snowy Owl seen on Ocracoke 2013 CBC Photo by Jeff Beane — Snowy Owl on Ocracoke 2013 Photo by Jeff Beane

Oysters, fish stew star at annual Oyster Roast

December 27, 2014

0

Al Dawes of Greenville on his quest to eat as many oysters as he can at the Ninth Annual Oyster Roast on Ocracoke.

Text and photos by Connie Leinbach

Al Dawes of Greenville was working on his second peck of steamed oysters mid-afternoon Saturday during the ninth Annual Oyster Roast at the Ocracoke Seafood Company in Ocracoke Village.

“He’s been eating for one and a half hours,” said his wife, Casey, with a laugh, as Al barely slowed his pace of shucking and slurping the freshly steamed oysters.

“This is the King Kong table,” Al continued, fully expecting to consume oysters until the end of the event. The Dawes’ came for the weekend especially to eat oysters, shrimp and fish stew.

“We were the first ones here,” Casey said.

The Oyster Roast is put on to thank the community, said Patty Plyler, who manages the retail store of the fish house.

“This event is so important to the community,” she said. “I’ve never seen so many people.”

Sunny, mild weather helped contribute to the event’s success.

Folks were lined up well before the 2 p.m. start of the event that Theresa “Tree” Ray, a commercial fisher person, took over organizing this year from longtime manager Hardy Plyler, who is retiring.

Ray’s changes this year included cooking the shrimp ahead of time, spreading out the tables in front of the loading dock, adding some picnic tables across the road, having the guys make two pots of fish stew, obtaining hush puppies from Topless Oyster and adding live music by Lou Castro, Jackie Willis and Aaron Caswell.

Dan Garrish and Theresa "Tree" Ray. — Dan Garrish and Theresa “Tree” Ray.

“The fish stew is to die for,” observed Mark Reisinger of Annapolis, as the afternoon waned. “Every year it gets better.”

Vince O’Neal, chef of the famed stew, noted that he, Dan Garrish, Rudy Austin and Donald Austin, peeled about 50 pounds of potatoes, chopped 25 pounds of onions and added 20 pounds of shrimp and at least 50 pounds of various filets to make two “humongous” pots.

All of the fish was locally caught, he said—red and black drum, sheepshead, tuna, flounder and tile fish.

Ray noted that the Fish House has been stashing filets away all year especially for yesterday’s roast.

“We had a really good pound-net season this year,” she said.

About 9 a.m., the group began cooking the 44 bushels of oysters and the 280 pounds of shrimp.

“We have six pots of oysters going at all time,” Ray said.

We all just jump in and help,” Garrish added. “Tree had this all set up. She did a great job.”

Rebecca and Phillipe Bardet of Washington, D.C., were enjoying the juicy treats for their second visit to Ocracoke for a low-key holiday with their 7-month-old daughter Olivia.

“This is exactly what we wanted in a vacation,” Rebecca said about the community event. “This has a nice community feel,” added Phillipe.

Rebecca, Olivia and Phillipe Bardet of Washington, D.C.

The oysters seemed especially good this year, noted islander Frances Miller, echoing many at the event.

“They’re so juicy and tasty,” she said.

Plyler said that oysters have been scarce this fall but the fish house eventually obtained what they wanted from O’Neals Sea Harvest in Wanchese, Dare County. “We lucked out,” she said.

Dessert and hot cider was offered at the Working Watermen’s Exhibit in Community Square.

The crowd at Saturday’s Ninth Annual Oyster Roast at the Ocracoke Seafood Company

Bill Evans takes a break from replenishing oysters on the tables to sample a few himself.

Tree Ray prpares for the forthcoming chaos — Tree Ray prepares for the forthcoming chaos.

The guys who cook the oysters, from left, Bob Jenkins, Erick O'Neal, Donald Austin and Dan Garrish. — The guys who cook the oysters, from left, Bob Jenkins, Erick O’Neal, Donald Austin and Dan Garrish.

Dec 27 015 — Steamed oysters are dumped on the tables and everyone digs in.

Lou Castro, Jackie Willis and Aaron Caswell provide some music for diners.

Ocracoke: Ein Wunderschöner Besuch (Ocracoke: A Wonderful Visit)

December 27, 2014

0

December 2014

By Antje & Pascal Hess

Antje & Pascal hess Photo by P. Vankevich

Für unseren USA Urlaub waren wir auf der Suche nach einem ruhigen Ort an der Atlantikküste in North oder South Carolina. Nachdem die Küstenorte dort nicht unbedingt ruhig, beschaulich und ursprünglich sind, fiel unsere Wahl auf die kleine, nahezu autofreie, ehemalige Fischerinsel Ocracoke, die neben Ursprünglichkeit auch Ruhe und Entspannung versprach. Schon allein die 50-minütige Überfahrt ab Hatteras, im Übrigen kostenfrei, ist ein Erlebnis.

Nach der Ankunft im kleinen Fährhafen im Norden der Insel fährt man ca. 15 Minuten in den Inselort. Im Ort selbst findet man kleine nette, Restaurants und Läden sowie Cafes, die zum Verweilen und Ausruhen einladen- jedoch keine einzige Kette (Fastfood, Kleidung oder ähnliches); was genau dem entsprach, wonach wir gesucht hatten. So haben wir uns 4 Tage lang durch kleine, familiengeführte Cafes und Restaurants geschlemmt, waren mit dem Inseltypischen Golfcaddy unterwegs (obwohl Autos erlaubt sind, fährt eigentlich niemand damit), und sind unterwegs auf viele Künstler (unter anderem Maler) getroffen, mit denen man wunderbar in der Sonne über ihre Kunst plaudern konnte.

Das historische Lighthouse ist auf jeden Fall einen Besuch wert, allerdings nicht immer geöffnet. Ein weiteres Highlight sind die Strände, menschenleer, lang und breit- und nahezu unbebaut. Ein kleiner Teil davon lässt sich sogar mit dem Auto befahren. Im Sommer gibt es Lifeguards, oftmals Studenten, die ihre Semesterferien auf der Insel verbringen. Wer allerdings Nightlife und Freizeitparks erwartet, ist hier falsch. Dafür findet man herrlich unberührte Natur, Ausflugsmöglichkeiten zu den benachbarten und teils unbewohnten Inseln und freundliche, aufgeschlossene Insulaner, die, außer während der hektischen Sommermonate, wenn es sich ab der Fähre bereits in den Ort hinein staut, die Ruhe und Beschaulichkeit ihrer Insel zu schätzen wissen. Somit ist der Herbst und die Nebensaison mithin die beste Zeit, um die Insel zu erkunden. Das Wetter ist wunderbar, die Insel noch nicht im Winterschlaf und man kommt einfach mit den Bewohnern ins Gespräch über ihre Insel und ihren Alltag.

Wir haben unter anderem den Tag der offenen Tür der freiwilligen Feuerwehr besucht und haben mit mehr oder weniger Erstaunen zur Kenntnis genommen, dass auch hier Probleme, ähnlich wie in Deutschland, mit der Unterfinanzierung öffentlicher Einrichtungen vorliegen. Auch hier erhält die Feuerwehr nicht einmal einen Bruchteil dessen, was sie zum Überlegen braucht- und finanziert sich daher aus Spenden und Veranstaltungen wie etwa dem jährlichen Frühjahrsball. So konnten sie vor kurzem das neue Feuerwehrhaus und einen neuen Wagen einweihen. Bei dieser Gelegenheit trafen wir auch den Herausgeber der Ocracoke News, der uns um einen kurzen Artikel in deutscher Sprache für die Inselzeitung gebeten hat.

Wir haben 4 wunderbar entspannte Tage auf der Insel verbracht, sehr gut gegessen und herrlich entspannt. Ein Aufenthalt auf Ocracoke ist wie ein SPA-Urlaub, nur viel entspannter und relaxter. Wer nach Ruhe und Entspannung fernab der großen Touristenbadeorte sucht, die es auf den Outer Banks zur genüge gibt, der ist hier genau richtig!

in German

Ocracoke’s Annual oyster roast scheduled Dec. 27

December 27, 2014

0

December 2014

Christmastime heralds a much anticipated event on Ocracoke—the annual Oyster Roast at the Ocracoke Seafood Company from 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 27.

This year is the ninth year for this fundraiser for the Ocracoke Working Watermen’s Association which operates “the fish house,” as it is called, that supports the activities of about 30 commercial fishermen.

“We’re down-to-earth and homey,” said Patty Plyer, who along with her husband fisherman Hardy Plyler, works at the Fish House and helps organize the roast. “We’re all about community and how important it is to have fresh, local fish for sale.”

Along with all the oysters you can eat, there will be steamed shrimp and fish stew, the latter courtesy of Vince O’Neal, a fisherman who also owns Pony Island Restaurant.

For this annual oyster fest, the group sets up two rows of plywood tables on top of saw horses. Then they dump piles of steamed oysters on the tables while patrons, who are asked to bring their own oyster shuckers, stand and shuck away. Included in the price of admission (to be determined when the oysters are purchased) is cocktail sauce, vinegar, Saltine crackers and steamed shrimp.

Dessert and hot cider follows from 3 to 6 p.m. at the Working Waterman’s Exhibit in Community Square. Islanders and visitors alike are asked to bring a dessert to share.

The fundraiser grosses several thousand dollars each year and proceeds will help fund OWWA’s education and outreach activities.

Availability of food is first-come, first-served and there are no advance ticket sales. Inclement weather will not cancel the event, but it will move inside.

The fish house closes for the winter after Thanksgiving weekend and opens again in the spring when the waters are warmer and the fish return usually in March.

Observed on Ocracoke: fishing with Morty Gaskill

December 24, 2014

1

Morty Gaskill buoy PS 2014-11-04 08.14 — Morty’s buoy marker

Text and photos by Peter Vankevich
Heading out of Oyster Creek in a 20-foot skiff with commercial fisherman Morty Gaskill, it is a cool November morning.
After 10 minutes, he slows down about three miles into the sound. Morty, 20, has had a commercial fishing license since he was 9. Descending from a long line of Ocracoke watermen, he learned how to fish from his father, James Barrie Gaskill.
In 2006, the Ocracoke Observer profiled him as a 12-year-old commercial fisherman.
A graduate of the prestigious North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, he is taking a break from his studies at North Carolina State University to earn some money and reflect on the direction of his major which has been marine fisheries science.
With the familiar silhouette of the village and its prominent water tower in the background, we approach an orange buoy with a painted G indicating one of his seven nets.
Other than Morty’s buoys, there are no others that can be seen.
This is definitely a one-man operation with little room at the stern as he hauls the 100-yard long nets in, taking the fish caught by their gills, throwing the keepers into a large bucket and tossing the others back.
The first net brings in only a few menhaden—small fish that Morty will use for bait in his crab pots.
The next net has more menhaden plus a few black drum that were too small and were released alive.
By the fourth net, some gray trout start to show up as well as a couple of blue fish. Both are keepers.
“This is pretty much the end of the blue fish season,” he explained. “So I’m not surprised to see so few of them.”
After checking three of his seven nets, it becomes apparent that this will not be a big-catch morning.
“When there are big storms with high winds like two nights earlier, the tumultuous water conditions may make the fish less mobile and less likely to be caught,” he says.
A couple of northern sea robins are in the next net and tossed back. This is a cold water fish and at the end of its southern range and not that common around the waters of Ocracoke. Although interesting to look at, they are not commercially valuable.
Great black-backed gulls and brown pelicans start to gather, floating near the boat in hopes of getting some of the tossed fish.
There are no sea jellies in the nets. “They can be a problem in the spring when the stinging sea nettles enter the sound. This time of year, I would expect the nontoxic cannonball jellies.”
The next net has several sea mullets, also known as whiting, which he keeps.
He will deliver his catch to the Ocracoke Seafood Company’s fish house which is run by the Ocracoke Working Watermen’s Association (OWWA). The fish house, located along Irvin Garrish Highway in the village, has both a wholesale and retail component.
The boat fills with the seven nets and we head back to Oyster Creek. The day’s catch will be taken to the fish house in his pickup truck.
Later in the afternoon, he will head out again to reset them. The time on water was just a couple of hours. In calm weather like today, it is quite pleasant. “It’s a lot tougher when the winds exceed 20 knots,” he said.
“Overall, I’ve been happy with what I’ve earned this fall, especially when I’ve been able to use the larger mesh nets that can catch the high-priced flounder and red drum,” he said.
Red drum is a bycatch (an unintentional catch) fish with certain restrictions as to how many he is allowed to harvest on a given day.

Today he uses the smaller 3 ½-inch mesh nets.
The larger sized ones were under a restriction for about 10 days around this time due to interactions with sea turtles.
Both a student of marine fisheries and a seasoned watermen, Morty says that he agrees “with what many fishermen

have said, there are plenty of red drum and flounder in the Pamlico Sound right now. As for the other species, my catch this season was pretty much what I expected.”
It was a pleasure to get an insight into a typical day with the young Ocracoke waterman, and a comfort to see the younger generations carrying forth with this vital service to our community.

From the Archives: Morty Gaskill Ocracoke’s youngest commercial fisherman

December 24, 2014

2

August 2006

“I’m glad he showed up when he did. Morty jumped right in, he knows what he’s doing,” says Tom Payne about Morty Gaskill, who at age twelve is Ocracoke’s youngest commercial fisherman.

It was early one morning last week after a load of flounder had been brought in to the Ocracoke Seafood Company. Payne was there early to check on the coolers and when the fish arrived, they needed the extra help.

“Those fish showed up and Morty started doing what needed to get done,” said Payne.

Morton Lumley Gaskill is the son of James Barrie and Ellen Gaskill. He follows in the footsteps of some
of his ancestors of Ocracoke fishermen. Morty’s father, James Barrie, is an Ocracoke native. Born and raised with fishing in his blood, he’s seen how the fishing industry has changed over the years. Morty’s great-grandfather on his father’s side, James Lumley Gaskill, ran a fish house that was located on the sound at the end of Lighthouse Road. It was in the area that the Pamlico Inn and The Cedar Grove Inn thrived in the 1930s. It was well before Silver Lake was dredged and fishing boats brought in their catch at the point closest to the inlet. Ocracoke was popular for sport fishing even then, and is evidenced in old photos taken on the docks of the Pamlico Inn. The Pamlico Inn was lost in the storm of 1944 but theCedar Grove Inn still stands; it is now called the Sound Front Inn and is privately owned by a local family.

Morty’s grandfather, “Lum” Gaskill, Jr., worked with the Coast Guard when their primary mission was saving fishermen and their boats in rough seas. He fished whenever he got the chance as much for the enjoyment but also to make ends meet, as most fishermen need to do these days.

Morty’s great-grandfather on his grandmother’s side was Albert Styron, also a fisherman but best remembered today for Albert Styron’s store, still a thriving local landmark.

This summer Morty is busy helping his father with Fat Boys Fish Company – a mobile seafood retail business that can be found most afternoons at the Pony Island Restaurant parking lot. But in the morning, Morty is out casting nets.

“I have had a commercial fishing license since I was nine. My license now has a shellfish endorsement, which means I can sell clams, crabs and oysters. I have two boats; a 17 ft. Southern Skimmer and an 18 ft. International Skimmer,” said Morty.

Morty says he likes pound netting. “We catch flounder, butterfish and red drum. For eating, I like spade fish the best. It has colorful stripes when you first catch it. We fillet it, salt it over and then broil it. I don’t know why its only thirty cents a pound wholesale; it should be more since it tastes so good.”

In the hours before he helps his Dad, Morty can usually be found at the fish house helping. Located on the harbor, Ocracoke Seafood Company is Ocracoke’s last fish house. Fundraising efforts are underway for a local non-profit, The Ocracoke Foundation, to purchase the business. It will then be run by the Ocracoke Working Watermen’s Association (OWWA), of which Morty is the youngest member. OWWA has over 26 local fishermen participating – some part time, some full time. Many have renewed their fishing licenses since they now have a way to get ice and sell their catch either to the retail or wholesale market.

Ocracoke’s history shows how the islanders are adept at adapting to change, their resourceful and independent spirits at work. As times changed, the fishing industry changed and other forms of work had to be sought: taking tourists out for sport fishing, working for the US Coast Guard, working with the NC Ferry system, or doing construction.

Still the desire to fish is alive and so the potential loss of the fish house threatens more than just a way to make a living. It would be a loss of culture; a loss of tradition. With the loss of the fishermen, Ocracoke will lose its heart and soul. It is encouraging to see someone Morty’s age fish commercially. There are other youngsters of local fishermen, who if they see a viable way to make a living, even if it is only part time, may want to do it if they love it. The saving of the fish house definitely helps what is happening today, but for those who want to carry on the tradition, the Ocracoke Working Watermen’s Association will help see that mission through for the next generation.

Morty’s future ambition? To go to college and be a Marine Biologist but he is quick to say, “I’ll always be fishing though”. To make donations to the Ocracoke Working Watermen’s Association, you can stop in the Ocracoke Seafood Company, located on the Silver Lake.

Make sure you sign the book to receive newsletters on future progress. You can also mail in your tax-deductible donations to Ocracoke Working Watermen’s Association, c/o The Ocracoke Foundation, PO Box 1165, Ocracoke, NC 27960.

North Pole returns O’cockers’ Santa letters 50 years later

December 24, 2014

0

Joyce Midgette Spencer, who recently retired from working in the hardware section of the Variety Store, with her children's found letters to Santa. Photo by Trudy Austin — Joyce Midgette Spencer, who recently retired from working in the hardware section of the Variety Store, with her children’s found letters to Santa. Photo by Trudy Austin

December 7, 1964
Dear Santa,
I am five years old and my Sister is two years old. We would like you to bring us a Chatty doll, tea set, and bunk bed, and a new dress…Love, Joy and Roberta Spencer, Ocracoke Island

By Pat Garber
What becomes of all those letters American children write to Santa Claus each December before Christmas?
Earlier this year, several Ocracoke residents sort of found out.
Fifty years ago on Ocracoke Island, television reception was hard to get. There was no cable, no satellite service.
The screens, if you were lucky, were discernable, though fuzzy and in black-and-white.
With a big antenna on the house one might get three stations from the mainland, but more likely just one.
Nonetheless, December of 1964 found at least three island families sitting before their television sets, watching Santa Claus on Channel 7’s evening children’s show.
The Washie Spencer family, who lived in a house on Ocracoke’s Cedar Road, was one of these families.
Joyce Midgette Spencer sat with her daughters, Joy and Roberta, and as they watched, Santa Claus came on the screen.
He encouraged all the kids to write to him with their Christmas wish requests, and he even read aloud a few of the letters he had already received.
Santa suggested that the letters be sent to him at the television station, WITN, in Washington, NC.
Joyce and her daughters thought this sounded like a great idea. Joy, 5, and Roberta, 2, were too young to write the note. So Joyce penned the letter for them.
They asked for new dresses, a tea set, a bunk bed, and a Chatty doll that talked when you pulled a cord. They also promised Santa that they would set out cake and coffee for him when he came.
Santa must have received that letter, because on Christmas morning at the Spencer’s house, all those wishes were fulfilled.
Fifty years later, in 2014, Byron Miller walked into the Variety Store where Joyce was then working and asked her if she ever went on eBay. He said that a letter to Santa Claus from Joyce’s girls had turned up for sale on the Internet.
Completely amazed, Joyce said that she would like to bid on it, but didn’t know how. So Byron offered to do it for her.

The letter to Santa purchased on eBay Photo by Trudy Austin

Joyce called her daughters, now grown women with husbands and children of their own, and they were equally excited.
Roberta’s husband, Rick Litka, emailed the owner of the letter and offered to buy it right off, but he was told he would have to wait till the bidding ended.
Unbeknownst to them, Byron and Rick actually bid against each other, but when the bidding closed, Rick won the still un-opened, letter for $12.50.
It was mailed out, and 50 years after its writing, it was returned to Ocracoke.
The letter now sits on a table in Joyce Spencer’s house.
Meanwhile, a similar scenario was taking place in two other Ocracoke homes.
When Byron Miller came across Joyce’s letter to Santa on eBay, he also saw letters to Santa from Ocracokers Ikey-D O’Neal and Evelyn Carol Lynn.
Evelyn’s younger brother, Chester Lynn, owner of Annabelle’s Antiques and Florist, learned of the letter sent by his sister and bought it. Evelyn had asked for gifts for her parents, her brother, and herself.
Starr McKay bought the letter with Ikey-D’s name and presented it to him on Father’s Day.
Ikey, who had only been three at the time, had no memory of the letter, but he guessed that his mother, the late Louise O’Neal, had seen the same show as Joyce. She had written in her son’s name, asking for a wagon, a big airplane and a dump truck. Whether Santa brought the toys, Ikey does not recall.
The letters bring back memories from that long ago Christmas, but where they have been for the last 49 years, and how they ended up on eBay is still unknown.

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: