The Ocracoke Lady Dolphins basketball team pulled a stunning upset Saturday, Nov 22 at Cape Hatteras, beating the First Flight Nighthawks, 49-24 in the nonconference Tournament of the Beaches. This was a particularly significant win since they lost to the same team last Tuesday on their opening game, 60-48.
On Friday playing in Kill Devil Hills, they lost to Currituck County Knights in overtime. Behind throughout the game, the Lady Dolphins rallied in the fourth quarter to end regulation play with a 47-47 tie. The Knights dominated the overtime, outscoring them 13 to 1 and the final score 60-48. The Knights’ Amanda Gerni led all scorers with 28 points. .
The Ocracoke boys’ varsity teams fell to their much larger rivals in this tournament. On Friday at Kill Devil Hills, the Currituck County Knights beat them 55-38. Saturday’s game at Cape Hatteras High was a rematch with First Flight who won 76-32. This was a similar outcome to their opening game against them on Tuesday, losing 72-31.
Boys’ coach Dave Allewalt who is installing a new system, noted that this a young basketball squad. “It is always tough to replace 4 starters from last year’s team, but I feel this group is capable of putting together a solid year,” he said. “We have no seniors on this years’ squad. So the players will be together for the next two years.
“So far, the players are doing a nice job trying to figure out each of their roles and how it can help our team find success. The chemistry will eventually click and when it does, this team will be fun to watch.”
The teams have started the season playing against two division 2A monster schools (size-wise). Currituck County has approximately 1,100 students in grades nine through 12; First Flight, 800. Ocracoke? Grades nine through 12 this year have a total of 40 students. Last season, the boys’ team beat First Flight 52-41.
The next games will be at home, Tuesday Dec. 2, against the Cape Hatteras Hurricanes, Lady Dolphins tip off at 4:30 p.m., and the boys’ game will be at approximately 6 p.m. These two games will be broadcast on WOVV, 90.1 FM on the island and wovv.orgonline.
Cape Hatteras National Seashore, Wright Brothers National Memorial and Fort Raleigh National Historic Site announce two workshops designed to encourage local interest in the 2015 summer seasonal hiring process. The Outer Banks Group hires approximately 82 summer seasonal employees each year. The workshops will be held at the following times and locations:
Kill Devil Hills Library on Dec. 2, from 11 a.m. to 7p.m.
Manteo Library on Dec.r 4, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
The workshop is designed to assist interested persons in understanding the application process and to match their interest and skills with the appropriate positions. Positions are full-time and generally last from April through October. For the 2015 summer season, the following positions may be available:
Visitor Use Assistants – Perform fee collection and visitor information services at various in-park contact stations including lighthouses, campgrounds, entrance stations, and permit offices.
Biological Science Technicians – Perform a wide range of natural resource management and monitoring activities involving shorebirds, sea turtles, and habitat restoration.
Interpretation Park Rangers – Perform a wide range of information and education services including, but not limited to, working visitor center desks, presenting interpretive programs, and interacting with park visitors in public use areas.
Maintenance Workers – Perform grounds maintenance and custodial duties throughout the parks.Look for these positions to be advertised and announced in the coming weeks at www.USAJobs.gov. Announcements are usually open 7 to 14 days so check the website frequently. Applications must be completed online by the closing date of the announcement.
Hand-crafted artisan breads and sweets from the Graceful Bakery are available for order for Thanksgiving.
Ocracoke is almost wound down for the season, but a few restaurants are still open and ready to serve. Cafe Atlantic Customer Appreciation Party: Saturday, Nov. 22; 7:30 p.m. with refreshments and shag dancing. Shag dance lessons at 2 and 3:30 p.m. in the Community Center.
Graceful Bakery: offering a variety of breads and pies with unrefined flours and sugars for Thanksgiving: Braided Challah Bread, Artisan Sourdough Bread, Pumpkin Bread, Apple Pie, Pumpkin Pie, Pecan Pie.
Please order by Tuesday, Nov. 25. Orders will be ready for pick up on Wednesday, Nov. 26.
For details and pricing call Lauren Strohl 614-410-99681. ART SHOW OPENING at Down Creek Gallery Nov. 26, 5 to 8 p.m., showing photos of Ocracoke’s beauty by islander Melinda Fodrie Sutton. Music. Refreshments Dajio: Open through Thanksgiving weekend. Serving Thanksgiving dinner buffet from noon to 4 p.m. Last seating at 3:30 p.m. $23/adults; $13/children 12 and under. Reservations required. Closing Nov. 30. Topless Oyster: Open all year. In addition to Sundays, serving brunch Saturdays 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. starting Nov. 22.
Serving Thanksgiving dinner and desserts made from scratch all day Thanksgiving Day, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. plus regular menu. Thanksgiving take-out available. Gaffer’s: Open 365 days. Serving traditional Thanksgiving Dinner starting at noon. $21.99. Take-out available. Open Christmas. New Year’s Eve party. Thai Moon. Spencer’s Market. Thanksgiving week open Tuesday and Wednesday; closed Thursday; Open Fri to Sun. Closes for the winter. Zillie’s Island Pantry Dec. 1 to 23 4 to 7:30 p.m. daily
Dec. 24: 1 to 4 p.m.
Closed Dec. 25
Dec. 26 to 30: 1 to 7:30 p.m.
Dec. 31: 1 to 5 p.m.
Dec. 27: Wine tasting
Dec. 29: Afternoon beer sampling with Lee Devine – Stone Brewery
Later: Sparkling Tasting In addition to Topless Oyster and Gaffer’s, the following will be open all winter: The Community Store in Community Square in January will begin Friday night gatherings with music and pot luck around the wood stove. Available for purchase are organic produce, meats, breads; beverages; green cleaning supplies, boat supplies; art and more. “The whole thing is an experience,” says Joseph Ramunni, manager. S’MacNally’s: open weather permitting to end of November Ocracoke Pizza: open all winter, Thursday to Sunday, 4 to 9 p.m. Eduardo’s: open all winter, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 5 to 7 p.m. every day. The Variety Store Ocracoke Gas Station Pirate’s Chest
Closing for the winter: Jason’s: Nov. 23 to Feb. 7 Howard’s Pub, The Back Porch, Pony Island Restaurant, Flying Melon Cafe: Closed until March
Ocracoke Coffee Company: last day for the coffee shop is Nov. 30
The Dolphins in an exhibition game with adults and Ocracoke School staff at Homecoming Oct. 17.
You can listen live to Dolphins basketball on WOVV, Ocracoke’s community radio station. 90.1 FM on the island and online at wovv.org. Calling the next four games will be Ocracoke School principal Walt Padgett. The next two games will be in the Battle of the Beaches tournament. Friday (Nov. 21) both teams play the Currituck County Knights at First Flight High School in Kill Devil Hills. Lady Dolphins start at 3:45 p.m. and boys approximately 5:15 p.m. Saturday’s games (Nov. 22) will be at Cape Hatteras High School and the teams will have a rematch with the First Flight Night Hawks. Girls tip off at 1 p.m. and Boys approximately 2:45 p.m.
Aaron and Rebecca Gallaher’s house on Back Road on its journey from along Creek Road to First Avenue. Photo by C. Leinbach
Note: This story was originally posted Nov. 19 then held for revisions and reposted Nov. 27.
By Connie Leinbach
It was moving day on Ocracoke. House-moving day, that is. Earlier this year, Aaron and Rebecca Gallaher were given a historic home along Creek Road and have moved it to a lot they own on First Avenue. “There were a lot of logistics to this,” Aaron explained as the house was paused in front of Blackbeard’s Lodge on Back Road while Tideland EMC crews raised up two of the many overhead electric and cable lines across streets the house traveled. After disconnecting the older portion of the house with help from Rebecca’s father Bill Steimer, the move began early Nov. 19 after Bray’s House Moving of Camden took a day to raise it up in preparation for its journey. Before that, Aaron and a team of five others had to prepare the way along the streets by trimming tree limbs so that the house had at least a 22-foot clearance along the streets. More logistics included organizing the electric and cable companies and sheriff’s deputies to be on hand during the move, and getting all the permits. The entire middle school visited the house the day before the move to see the preparation, look at the historical features, planned recycling and to have the science of the move explained by veteran mover Julian Bray, owner of the company. The early-morning Ocracoke Coffee Company crowd was out by the street, along with some of the Ocracoke School classes, as the house rounded the curve on Back Road. A cheer rose up as the house came into view in front of the Coffee Shop corner. “It’s like a parade,” said Jude Wheeler. The trickiest part was making the turn at Back Road and Sunset Drive, Aaron said, but that happened without a hitch. Then, backing the house onto the lot, which only took several minutes of maneuvering. “Stage one complete,” Rebecca said as the truck was turned off shortly after 10 a.m. The next step was raising the house 12 feet before it is lowered on Dec. 8 (weather permitting) to its final height of 8 to 9 feet off the ground, said Julian Bray, owner of the moving company. Two days after the move, the pilings on which the house will stand arrived. Almost three years ago, the Gallahers heard about this house owned by Keith McDermott. “We heard he wanted to give the house to a local family who would live in it year round and not rent it out,” Rebecca explained in an interview. While the Gallahers were not first in line for this gift, they kept in touch with McDermott. In February, they heard from McDermott that they could have the house and began making preparations for the move. The house had two parts, Aaron explained. The portion of the house that was moved is a newer part built in the 1920s while the oldest part, built around the turn of the 20th century, was not moved since it has sustained irreparable damage over the years. Extensive old termite damage, structural issues and rot forced the Gallahers to make this difficult decision just two weeks ago. All plans had included moving both buildings, and now they plan to replicate the old kitchen in their new home and use all the salvageable materials they can to pay homage to it. “We moved a shell,” Rebecca said. “A beautiful shell.” All electric, insulation and HVAC will need to be redone. Following building plans drawn up by islander Garick Kalna of The Kalna Group, the Gallahers will take next nine months to renovate and build the addition. Also following in the tradition of Ocracoke Islanders, they will recycle as much from the older portion of the house as possible, such as the original bead board in the kitchen, original beams, which they will reuse in several spots and the steep old stairs that they will rebuild into a bookshelf. All original flooring will be resurfaced and reused, as well as all bead board from both parts of the house. “We have piles of recycling organized at the Creek Road site,” Rebecca said. They also will build a new addition to replicate the older portion not able to make the move. When it is all complete by September, the house will have three bedrooms and two and a half baths, up from the two bedrooms and one bath of the original, Aaron said. “My job is to build it; her job is to decorate and paint it,” Aaron said. Aaron, who is a bartender at Howard’s Pub during the season, works in construction in the off season and has done construction work of all kinds since he was 15. He will spend the winter working fulltime on the house. Rebecca is the middle school language arts teacher at Ocracoke School. This wasn’t the most difficult house-moving job his company has done, Bray said. “It went good,” he said as the crew took a break awaiting the arrival of the equipment to raise the house up. “The neighbor was outstanding and (Belhaven Cable) and Tideland did a nice job.” Bray had to back the house over the yard of a house owned by Dick Tunnell of Swan Quarter. “Dick was very kind in letting us go over his lot,” Aaron said, noting that he had to cut down 2 trees, which the Gallahers will replace, prior to the move. Bray, standing with Carl O’Neal, who will do the foundation work and the addition, said the last buildings he recalled moving on Ocracoke were two in the mid-1990s for Wayne Clark, who owns Edwards of Ocracoke. The Gallaher’s house is 900 square-feet, Bray said, but recently his company moved a 4,000 square-foot house in Corolla. That took five working days; the Gallaher’s house took three days. Bray said his company mostly raises houses up off the ground, most recently raising a home on Lighthouse Road across from the church for a historic renovation. The Gallahers are excited about this adventure. “We just like old houses and saving old houses,” Rebecca said. “We feel very lucky to have this house.”
Aaron, Rebecca and Emmett Gallaher on moving day before their house along Creek Road was moved to First Avenue.The house is backed into its new location at First Avenue from Sunset Drive.The early-morning customers of Ocracoke Coffee Company watch the action.The house along Creek Road being prepped last week for its move.The house is raised up before it will be lowered onto pilings in early December.The house in its new location. Steve Bray and Julian Bray are facing front.
The Ocracoke Lady Dolphins Girls basketball team lost their first game of the season to the First Flight Night Hawks 60 to 54. This was a non-conference game. Trailing at the half 39 to 20, the Lady Dolphins outplayed their opponent in the second half, including 19t to 8 in the fourth quarter.
The Boys basketball team lost Tuesday’s away non-conference game against First Flight by a score of 72-31. The Night Hawks jumped to a quick lead and never looked back.
Principal Walt Padgett, who broadcasted the game noted the teams played well considering they have had only 10 practice sessions. He said that he expects both teams to improve. First Flight High School is in Division 2A, classified as a larger sized school than Ocracoke which is in Division 1A. First Flight has approximately 800 students in grades 9 to 12. Ocracoke has few than fifty students in these grades.
The next two games will be in the Battle of the Beaches tournament starting Friday Nov. 21.
Friday both teams play the Currituck County Knights, another Division 2A team, again at First Flight High School in Kill Devil Hills. Girls starts at 3:45 PM and Boys approximately 5:15 p.m.
Saturday’s games will be at Cape Hatteras High School and the teams will have a rematch with the Night Hawks.
Girls tip off at 1:00 p.m. and Boys approximately 2:45 p.m.
These four games will be broadcasted by WOVV, 90.1 FM on the island and online at wovv.org.
The crew of the M/V Cedar Island. From left to right: Ferry Crew Member Glenn Salter, Ferry Crew Member Daniel Smith, Oiler David Paul Styron, Ferry Crew Member Randy Willis, Captain Steven Goodwin, Chief Engineer Gerry Gilliken, Mate Paul Morris. Photo courtesy of NC Ferry Division.
Press release M/V Cedar Island Crew Rescued Two Sailboat Passengers From Rough Seas Off Ocracoke Raleigh—A Cedar Island ferry crew was honored today with the Governor’s Award for Excellence in Safety and Heroism for the September 2013 rescue of two people in rough seas off of Ocracoke Island. The crew received the award in an afternoon ceremony at the North Carolina Museum of History in Raleigh. The rescue occurred on the evening of September 26, 2013, when John and Renee Hoffman of Black Mountain, NC, were sailing in the waters of Big Foot Slough. Suddenly, deteriorating weather conditions caused their sailboat to capsize. “It all happened so fast”, said John Hoffman. “The boat flipped and we were thrown into the water.” Fortunately, the M/V Cedar Island was nearby, having just departed Ocracoke on its 8 p.m. run across Pamlico Sound. Captain Steven Goodwin maneuvered the Cedar Island into position and launched the ferry’s 16-foot rescue boat, which crew members Glenn Salter and Daniel Smith piloted through 4- to 5-foot seas and 30-knot winds in the dark. Salter and Smith were able to pull the Hoffmans out of the water, and the rest of the crew brought them all back onto the ferry where passengers already on board the Cedar Island erupted into cheers. “We could not be more proud of this ferry crew,” said North Carolina Ferry Division Director Ed Goodwin. “Our crews are well trained to respond to emergency situations on the open water, and in this case that training and this crew’s bravery saved two lives. These people deserve every bit of recognition they’re getting today.” Receiving the award were: Captain Steven Goodwin; Chief Engineer Gerry Gilliken; Oiler David Paul Styron; Crew Members Glenn Salter, Daniel Smith, and Randy Willis; and Mate Paul Morris.
Ocracoke Yadkin Bank branch manager Judith Garrish, standing second from left, presents a check for $4,055 to representatives of Ocracoke Community Park, Bob Toth, left and Bob Chesnut, right. Bank employees, Karmen Laton, right, and Brooke Wells, front, join in the fun of the Hollywood theme for customer appreciation Nov. 6. The Ocracoke branch raised the most money during the month-long charity fundraising drive among the 73 branches of the bank. Photo courtesy of Yadkin Bank.
By Connie Leinbach
The Ocracoke branch of Yadkin Bank was the top fundraiser in the bank’s October charity drive to raise money for non-profits designated by each market.
The Ocracoke branch raised $4,055 for Ocracoke Community Park, the most out of any single of the 73 bank branches in North and South Carolina, according to a Yadkin press release.
A check in that amount, which included $500 matching money from Yadkin, was presented Nov. 6 to Bob Chestnut, president of Ocracoke Youth Center, the umbrella organization for the ball park.
“I was amazed at what we were able to accomplish in a month’s time,” said Judith Garrish, Ocracoke branch manager.
She noted that this fundraising event came at a time when islanders are getting laid off from work. So, she was surprised that the branch won.
“The community really pulls together,” she said. “The community park is something that not only benefits the kids but others in the community.”
In total, Yadkin Bank branches in both states raised $55,000 for local charities.
The campaign was the final step in uniting branches across the Carolinas following the recent merger between Yadkin Bank and VantageSouth Bank.
In conjunction with the charity drives, Yadkin branches invited customers and members of the community to enter a raffle.
Ocracoke’s customer appreciation day was Nov. 6, and the staff chose a Hollywood theme, said Laura Belch, personal banker in the branch.
Jamie Tunnell Carter, one of the raffle winners, will be included in the drawing tomorrow (Nov. 19) for a grand prize of a vacation giveaway.
Other local raffle winners, who won Yadkin merchandise, were Bob Toth, Darlene Styron-Doshier, Laurie Garrish, Alfredo Trejo Contreras, Heather Johnson, Robert King, Lynette Waller, Alan Sutton and Megan Aldridge.
“I am humbled by the enthusiastic involvement and generosity of our employees and customers,” said Scott Custer, Yadkin Bank CEO, in a press release. “Helping our local communities is a priority for Yadkin Bank, and it has been amazing to see that echoed by each of our 73 branches across the Carolinas.”
Jann & Gil Randell on the dunes of Ocracoke Photo by P. Vankevich
November 2014 By Peter Vankevich
Peregrine falcons are spectacular birds.
Peregrine Falcon on power line, Ocracoke. Photo by P. Vankevich
To see one in flight, perched in a tree or on a water tower is an exciting experience. They can be seen on Ocracoke from fall into the early winter as they migrate south. Very little was known about their passageway over Ocracoke until a couple of experienced raptor counters showed up on the island several years ago and started taking note.
Gil and Jann Randell, from Mayville, NY, and who have a second house on Ocracoke, have been spending several hours a day in September and October to record migrating raptors, i.e. birds of prey which include falcons, hawks, eagles and new-world vultures.
This fall on Ocracoke, 11 species have been observed. See the tally below.
By far the highest number seen are peregrines, which can be identified by their long pointed wings and dark sideburns that give them a helmet look. Adults have blue/gray backs; immature birds are brown.
They are considered to be one of the fastest animals in the world, clocked at more than 200 mph.
Regional populations of these birds plummeted during the mid-20th century. The main culprit was attributed to the use of the insecticide DDT that was banned in 1972 because a chemical compound in it caused eggshell thinning which led to nest failure.
Other scientific theories attributed to their longer pre-DDT decline include the extinction of the passenger pigeon (which, when abundant, served as a ready food source), hunting, egg collecting and even climate change.
By 1970, peregrines were gone from the East leaving only a rapidly declining arctic/tundra population in North America, and it was declared an endangered species.
According to the Fish and Wildlife Service, in 1975, there were only 324 known breeding pairs of American peregrine falcons.
Extensive efforts to reestablish them have been successful and there are now about 3,000 breeding pairs in North America. In 1999 they were removed from the Endangered Species List.
Peregrine falcon flying over Ocracoke Photo by P. Vankevich
The name “peregrine” means wanderer, and the tundra-nesting falcons winter in southern South America, traveling more than 15,000 miles in a year.
Interestingly, many of the reintroduced birds to Eastern North America have adapted to urbanization and nest on bridges and high buildings.
Web cams of urban peregrines proliferate on the Internet.
American kestrel. Photo by P. Vankevich
Gil Randell’s interest in raptors began in 1956 when he made a fall visit to Hawk Mountain, Pa., one of the best locations to observe migrating raptors. He is active in the North American Hawk Migration Association (HMANA), serving as a past president, a current director and is chair of its conservation committee.
Merlin at Ocracoke campground. Photo by P. Vankevich
Jann, in spite of her modesty, is an excellent spotter, often being the first to see a speck high in the air coming across the Hatteras Inlet that often morphs into a hawk or falcon.
The Randells observation location is on the dunes at what locals have dubbed the “North Pony parking lot.”
This is one of narrowest parts of the island and migrating birds will funnel through and more easily be seen.
Up to Oct. 26, the Randells counted 290 peregrines (see below), with the highest single day 122, occurring on Oct 4. Is this a particularly high number? Gil is not so sure. He professes that coastal migration is still a bit of a mystery to him.
“Without a consistent and sustained time period staffed by good observers over several years, one cannot really know how many of these magnificent birds fly over Ocracoke,” he noted. Throughout North America, there are hawk observation sites that do just that. To see hawk counts in a particular area, go to http://hawkcount.org/ . The site has extensive reports from more than 100 locations.
One of the ways to help predict whether there will be a big flight passing over Ocracoke, would be to check reports of the previous couple of days at the Kiptopeke Hawkwatch located at the tip of Virginia’s Eastern Shore.
A lot of these birds are following the coastline and may fly over Ocracoke. The day before the 122 Peregrines were observed on Ocracoke, 214 were reported at Kiptopeke.
2014 OCRACOKE Raptor Report
Turkey Vulture — 85
Bald Eagle 2
Osprey 61
Northern Harrier 30
Sharep-shinned hawk 52
Cooper’s hawk 24
Red-tailed hawk 1
Broad-winged hawk 1
American kestrel 105
Merlin 67
Peregrine falcon 290
________________________________
TOTAL 718
September 14 through October 26: No count was taken on 10 different days because of rain; otherwise, typically, the count was taken for roughly 2 hours each day between 10:30 and 2:30.
The National Park Service is proposing to raise camping fees to $28 per night, up from $20 per night, a rate that has been in place since 2004. The campground rate increase will allow campsites reservations to be made via the national campground reservation system ensuring that visitors will be able to reserve a campsite in advance of their visit. The new fees could be implemented in early 2015. However, the implementation schedule may vary based on the results of civic engagement. The park will develop an implementation schedule that supports local communities and interested stakeholders.
Cyndy Holda, Seashore spokesperson, said the fee evaluation does not include the fees for driving on the beach. Those are under a different pot of money and were implemented through different federal legislation than the camp ground fees. The park is considering adding new campground amenities, such as electrical hookups at some individual campsites. The new fee structure for this amenity would be $7 per night for these sites. In addition, the park proposes to change the group camp site fee structure from $4 per person per night to $70 per site per night.
Each group site is limited to a maximum of 30 occupants.
Mike Colopy, revenue and fee business manager for the Seashore said the only group campground site in the Seashore sites is at Oregon Inlet.
Interagency Access and Senior Pass holders will continue to receive a 50 percent discount on camping. Interagency Passes, which are honored at all federal managed land units, are not affected by the proposed fee increase and will remain at $80 for the regular pass, $10 for the Senior Pass and free for Access and Military passes.
In addition, the Wright Brothers National Memorial is proposing to increase the entrance fee into the Memorial. The proposed change would transition the entrance fee from a per-person to a per-vehicle cost structure.
The proposed entrance fee would be $15 per vehicle and $10 per motorcycle. All entrance passes are valid for seven consecutive days. The Memorial’s annual pass would increase from $20 to $30. The current park entrance fee of $4 per-person, in place since 2006, is significantly below the national minimum entrance fee for this type of site. The fee increase is part of a larger National Park Service initiative to standardize fees in similar national parks across the country.
A 30-day public engagement period on the proposed fee increase opened Nov. 10 and continues through Friday, Dec. 12. Comments will be accepted via the National Park Services Planning, Environment, and Public Comment System (PEPC) at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/comment and U.S. Postal mail addressed to: Outer Banks Group Superintendent, Attention: Proposed Fee Increase, 1401 National Park Drive, Manteo, NC 27954. For information on visiting the parks of the Outer Banks Group, please visit the park’s websites at www.nps.gov/wrbr, www.nps.gov/caha, and http://www.nps.gov/fora, or by calling 252-473-2111.
