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February 2014 Tyrrell County’s Country Magazine

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Photo by Tim K. Nielsen

Maggie Duke

Antiques, Books & Art in Columbia, NC

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REWARD for Rose Bay & Chief Engelhard Oyster Cans!

Specializing in items of unusual quality and desirability Always buying Antiques and Collectibles -- Single Items or Entire Estates Come find us off U.S. Hwy 64 at 210 HISTORIC MAIN STREET. Now open daily from 10 to 5 and weekend nights (closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays), also by chance or appointment!

Contact us at (252)706-0534

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PUBLISHER: INGRID LEMME ~ EDITOR: TIM NIELSEN

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Quote of the Month

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“The Eskimos had fifty-two names for snow because it was important to them: there ought to be as many for love.” ~ Margaret Atwood

DEAR READER

Jay Fleming

Last month's cover photography was by Jay Fleming, now displayed at Southern Dreams Gallery on Historic Main Street in downtown Columbia. www.jayflemingphotography.com nnn

4-H Livestock Show April 16th at Tyrrell Hall www.ScuppernongGazette.com

WOW! That’s what we call winter! Even our old-timers don’t remember cold spells and snow like this! I had placed this epic rainbow photo

by James Hook already on the cover until this storm came along and shut down the town with six inches of snow and ice.

Beautiful to look at, but, what a ride. I am happy that I was able to attend the grand "The annual Tyrrell County Livestock show is April 16th at Tyrrell Hall! As of right now we have 41 kids signed up to be in the show and sale so were hoping for a great show!!" says Bridget Etheridge Spruill

opening of Sandy’s Place.

Delicious hometown cookin’ on Historic Main Street at former Mc Clees! About myself--I finally found a home in Tyrrell County to call my own and am looking forward telling ya’ll about it in the next issue.

Wishing all the lovers out there a happy and fun Valentine’s Day and hey ya’ll, stay warm.

Love, Ingrid There's always a simultaneous barbecue dinner catered on site!

February 2014

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OPEN! Formerly Mc Clees 203 Main Street Columbia, NC (252) 796-9600 Winter Hours: Monday - Lunch only 11-4pm.

Tuesday - Friday 8-4pm Breakfast and Lunch

OLD

FAVORITES UNITE

When Sandy Silverdahl announced moving her foodservice and takeout business into the old is back open and serving Mc Clees Restaurant, her hometown cookin‘ at from the Scuppernong Mill House, everyone was its best! Follow her on Facebook: excited. Well, it took Sandy and her team a www.facebook.com/ couple of weeks, but she sandysplacecolumbia www.ScuppernongGazette.com

Most of Sandy’s old time favorites are still on the menu, including Hardison’s famous Carolina BBQ , but she added a couple of new healthy dishes as well, like the vegetable wrap that I very much enjoyed.

Her chicken salad is homemade, no preservatives, just delicious and oh so fresh.

And oh, by the way, the view of Historic Main Street from the tables inside is fantastic!

February 2014

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February 2014

WINTER SYMPHONY ON LAKE MATTAMUSKEET: A LOVE STORY.

It was a shotgun blast that forever changed Margaret Windley's life, the one thing she had fear the most found her as she painted the migrating wildlife on Lake Mattamuskeet.

As Margaret intricately transferred the delicate feathery creature on canvas, a loud sound filled the sky with feathers; the shotgun blast created havoc inside the cove; many birds flapping their wings trying to get away from the trespassing hunter. John Ashton couldn't resist the multitude of birds quietly situated on the Lake; he thought he had found the ultimate hunters paradise, but as he was about to shoot the fourth bird, he could feel the cold metal of a shotgun barrel pressing hard against the base of his skull.

The volatile episode transforms into eternal love between the farmer's daughter from New Holland and the wealthy son of a prominent family from New York City.

Their romance gradually escalates into John never wanting to let go of the

woman he loves, the one person who helps him understand the fragility of beauty and the simplicity of life. Before leaving for New York, John Ashton promises he would quickly return to his beloved Margaret, after he settles his affairs with his father, Howard Ashton. It will be the last time Margaret ever sees John, and she never knew what happen to John until twenty years later when she receives a letter from his brother, William Ashton.

while researching the area and the Lodge, left deserted after years of being a haven for hunters who traveled from all over to hunt the abundance of wildlife. The beauty of the area is the perfect setting for this love story titled, Winter Symphony on Lake Mattamuskeet: A Love Story.”

Asking the author Georgia Brown Warren what the inspiration was for her book, she answered: “Writing this story came to me unexpectedly after traveling to Lake Mattamuskeet. The story evolved

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February 2014

REMEMBERING COUNTRY STORES BY BARBARA SNELL KREBS

Progress sometimes means a step backward, at least temporarily. That certainly seemed to be the case a few years back when Columbia got a new bridge, a new visitors’ center and a new stoplight – but at the cost of its one remaining grocery store, the IGA. How could an entire county be without a place to get your milk, eggs, flour and sugar, not to mention your RC Cola and Moon Pies?

Luckily, Food Lion eventually built a store out on the Bypass, but until it opened, your choices for getting a few groceries were either to drive to Edenton, Plymouth or Manteo or make do with the items available at the Dollar Store, which increased its product line to answer the unmet need.

During this gap between the time that the IGA closed and the Food Lion opened, perhaps a few folks yearned for

an icon of the past – the country store. Part convenience store, part social club and all over the place, the country store was a mainstay of rural life.

And though a few small holdouts remain (Buddy’s in Gum Neck and Bailey’s in Alligator come to mind), the vast majority have gone the way of the plow mule and the local blacksmith.

Growing up in Tyrrell County in the 1960s, I still recall some of the stores we visited on a regular basis. And, of course, folks from the generation before me can name even more. My dad, Collon Snell, Jr., remembers when there were six stores on Sound Side alone within a two-mile radius of each other (Dallas Bateman’s, Clint Bateman’s, Mr. Frank’s, Miz Ivy’s, Miz Annie’s, and Morris’). By the time I arrived on the scene, the number had been cut in half.

Because the sad truth is – even in the ‘60s, the country store was slowly becoming a thing of the past.

As a kid, I didn’t know this. What I did realize was that going with Dad to the store was a treat, especially if we went to Bootsie’s. Located on the edge

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of town where Flemz now holds court (keeping alive a bit of the country store tradition, by the way), Bootsie’s stood out for me because he had ice cream!

Pressing your nose against the glass, you could look inside at the five or six (so many choices!) ice cream flavors that Bootsie would patiently scoop up into a cone for you.

And if there was ever any doubt that these country stores served a community purpose, you can lay that thought to rest. The owners were always ready to help out in any way they could. Case in point. I belonged to a Girl Scout troop. On one particular day, the adult leaders split us between the older girls and the younger ones. The younger ones, including me, did one activity, while the older girls were sent off to work on a different badge.

Of course the adult leaders had already put in place a series of events to test the older girls for a badge they didn’t realize they were working on that day – emergency preparedness. Mr. John Hardison, who worked for the power company, had been enlisted to fake an accident.

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Each store had its own personality, which reflected that of its owner. No matter what name might be plastered on the outside of the building, people referred to each store by the name of the person who ran it. www.ScuppernongGazette.com

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And since the “accident” would take place near Bootsie’s, the Girl Scout leaders had already correctly surmised that the first thing the girls would do would be to run into the store to seek help.

Forewarned about the “tragedy,” Bootsie played his part admirably I’m told, shooing the girls quickly out of the store for trying to pull such a prank. Realizing that adult aid wouldn’t be forthcoming,

the girls rushed back to render what assistance they could to the unfortunate “victim.”

Bottom line: the girls earned their merit badge – with the help of an uncharacteristically uncooperative country store owner!

Because, in the normal course of events, people at the country store were a bit more friendly. In fact, each little store had its regulars who would drop in for a bit of conversation, a

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game of checkers, Parcheesi, or if you got enough people together, perhaps a game of Rook. Gathering around a potbelly stove in the back or a table to the side of the dry goods shelf, the men would solve the world’s problems. If the owner’s house was in the back or above the store (as was often the case), the women might head there for their own problem-solving sessions and maybe a bit of cake, tea or

February 2014

lemonade.

Each store had its own personality, which reflected that of its owner.

No matter what name might be plastered on the outside of the building, people referred to each store by the name of the person who ran it. “Rhodes Grocery” it might have been on the sign, but if you wanted to let someone know where you were headed, it was simply Bootsie’s.

My great-grandfather ran a store with his second wife, and the store was Miz Ivy’s. I’m not sure what the draw was for adults, but for me, it was the monkey. Kept on a shelf high above my head, the mechanical monkey sat there, grinning down and inviting you to ask for it. When wound up, the monkey, smartly dressed in red checkered pants with a green jacket (or some such bright colors), would clang two cymbals together, making a heck of a racket and eliciting

smiles from children and doting grown-ups, alike.

When I was eight, my family moved to a larger, twostory house at the corner of Dewey’s Pier Road. Just a few hundred yards down the road was Miz Annie’s store. Now, this store for me was a biggie.

Not because it was any bigger (it wasn’t) or grander (ditto) than any of the others. But for the first time, I was allowed to walk by myself and purchase items on my own! If my mom was out of eggs or milk or any other staple, I would be allowed to run down and fetch them.

It would be put on our “tab,” and about once a month, Dad would stop by the store and settle up. Ahh, yes, the tab.

That was one of the features that modern grocery stores

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simply can’t match. That, and the other benefit, the barter system.

For example, if you had chickens and more eggs than you could use, you could bring them into the store for credit and come home with the sugar or flour you needed. Everyone was happy. You had your items; the store owner had fresh eggs to sell.

But there aren’t too many people raising chickens anymore, and as the older folks who ran the country stores retired or died, the shops slowly closed their doors for the final time. Some buildings still exist but have been repurposed as houses or storage sheds. Others exist in memory only. But if you’re a Baby Boomer or older, you’ve got your own reminiscences and favorites.

And if we’re lucky, we’ll meet up at Flemz, sit down at a table and share our thoughts about the humble country store over an RC Cola and Moon Pie.

February 2014

"FIDDLER" AND A

WHOLE LOT MORE!

BY LAYAH FAUTH

I'll introduce myself to you all: My name is Layah Fauth, and Columbia, Tyrrell County is my home. I have lived here since I was one year old, and now I am 13. I have been involved with and enjoyed 4-H groups for many years, and I have also participated in many other activities and events.

However, about this time last year I discovered something new-- my love for theater.

My first experience of theater was going to see "The Miracle Worker," the story of Helen Keller.

It was shown at The College of the Albemarle in Elizabeth City.

I had never thought much about theater until I saw that performance. I had read books about Helen Keller, but seeing the story on stage brought her to life. At the beginning of that show, the director, Dr. Jeffrey Emmerich, announced the next show would be "Fiddler on the Roof." Mommy thought it would be a good experience to take us to the audition.

At first I did not want to

go, and I still did not want to do it on the day of the audition.

Before I knew it, I was on the stage, and I had to sing a part of "Matchmaker," one of the very famous songs from the musical.

I also had to learn a dance routine, and lastly I had to read a section of the script to the director. When I got home, after about two hours, I got an email from Dr. Emmerich informing me that I got a part as a "chorus member" and a "towns person." Because it was my first ever theatrical experience I did not feel bad about not getting a speaking part. I agreed, and got ready for the first rehearsal which in two days.

I remember being very nervous at the first rehearsal.

Preparations for the show took two months, with rehearsals every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday in Elizabeth City at the College of the Albemarle. Every rehearsal was for three hours.

The hard work began to pay off, as we saw the musical come together under the excellent directorship of Dr. Emmerich.

Mrs Emmerich, his wife, had a very demanding job. She is an excellent pianist, and she had to continually play piano for every rehearsal. During these

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rehearsals friendships grew. I was now spending a lot of time with new people, and we became good friends quickly.

I had parts in most of the scenes that included music.

The opening song was "Tradition," where a young girl began the scene with her fiddle, sitting on a roof, playing the part of the "Fiddler on the Roof." I had a part in "Sabbath Prayer," where we all got to light candles. I was also in the wedding scene, where we actually had real "bottle dancers, " who had to dance with bottles balanced on their heads! That scene brought the first half of the show to a close, but on a very sad note; the wedding ended with a sad reminder of Russian history-the programs.

In the second half of the show, my main part was in the closing scene, where we sang "Anatevka." Anatevka was the name of the village where the Jewish people lived, and then had been ordered to leave. As a villager, I had to slowly sing and act the part of having to leave my home. It was very moving.

The show ended with the Fiddler being the last person off the stage.

February 2014

It was a lot of hard work, but the feeling of having completed something so big and so special made it all worthwhile. I was very sad when I had to say goodbye to all the beautiful people I had met during the show.

When summer came, my family and I decided to audition for the next musical that Dr. Emmerich was planning It was to be "Under His Wings," the biblical love story of Ruth and Boaz. It's a beautifully made musical that is also very witty. Some of you reading this may have seen it, as my mother did a very good job of publicizing it in Tyrrell County. Again, I got a part as a chorus member. I had an amazing time, I got to see my theater friends again, and I also made some new friends.

Then came winter, and I auditioned for my third musical, also directed by Dr. Emmerich. It was "A Christmas Carol," by Charles Dickens. In this show, I went one step higher on the ladder--I was given a speaking

part. It may have been only one line, but it was a start! I was also given a job with one of the props, Ebenezer Scrooge's bed!

I had to squeeze underneath the bed, and roll it on and off the stage during a couple of scenes-and this was all in the dark! I had to stay under the bed to

steady it while Ebenezer Scrooge energetically said his lines! I was also in the chorus again, and this time I also had a small part in a dancing scene during a ball. I had the same wonderful experience in "A Christmas Carol" as I did with the other shows.

I am very thankful to have had the opportunity to work with Dr. Emmerich and his wife, as they are two very talented theater people. They have been a great example to

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me, and have contributed greatly to my knowledge of theater. It was also something special to see the audiences enjoy the shows, seeing the end product of many weeks of rehearsals.

This spring, 2014, there will be another musical-"Carousel" by Rogers and Hammerstein.

But I will not be participating, as my mother decided we could not make the commitment this time. I plan to use my time this winter to practice saying lines, and working on articulating my speech. I also plan to spend more time on singing and practicing the piano. Music as well as acting is a passion of mine.

"Carousel" will be a spectacular performance. There are wonderful songs in this show, and some great dancing scenes. I very much look forward to being in the audience this time.

Layah is in this photo, the last girl on the right.

February 2014

THE MAGICAL ALBEMARLE

categories: the church family campfire service or the extended family fish fry.

BY DEAN ROUGHTON

Like many of you, I have been fortunate to have beheld some truly picturesque sights in this country. I fought the massive crowds of Times Square on New Year’s Eve 1999 to witness the shining brilliance of the ball drop. I stood on the shores of a frigid lake in the dead of winter to take in the majesty of snowcapped Montana mountains. I even sat in a cramped window seat on a cross country flight to San Francisco, rather than trading for the aisle where I could stretch my legs, so I could view the rich patchwork quilt made up of the expansive, segmented agricultural landscape below. But also like many of you, I have been privileged to drink in nature’s beauty much closer to home.

There is something inspirational, almost magical even, about being in a place in Tyrrell County where the water touches the sky at a time when the night begins to touch the day.

My childhood and adolescence were decorated with such places and times, and while not all did, many fell into one of two

Sound Side Freewill Baptist Church, like many area churches, had a very active youth group when I was growing up. I remember many, many campfire services on the shores of the Albemarle Sound. Some of these took place at the weekend property of Mr. Edmond and Mrs. Betty Brickhouse while others were at the home of Mr. Royce and Mrs. Fleedie Reynolds.

Regardless of location, the pattern was usually the same.

Kids were allowed to come early and swim in the sound. At some point when the sun began to dip into the water and the adults figured the kids were sufficiently wrinkled, someone would begin to build a fire from driftwood gathered along the shoreline.

(This would have typically been

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an adult, and we would have called that person Mr. or Ms. First Name, as in Mr. James or Ms. Kathy, because in the south when addressing people, we use titles to show respect, but we combine that with first names to show familiarity/closeness when appropriate.) When the fire was steady enough, we would roast hot dogs and, later, marshmallows. There would be singing, fellowship, and prayer – a grace/opening prayer and a closing prayer at the end.

Between the inspiring view and the spiritual connection, everyone would usually leave feeling very uplifted.

The family fish fry was similar in many regards. The setting would still have been along the shore of the Albemarle Sound. Our family fish fries were usually held at a spot known to native Tyrrellinians as the Lee Place (or known to some as the Pot Liquor Place), which was accessed by driving down a dirt road referred to as the Purple Man Road. (Legend had it that if you parked your vehicle in the middle of a rickety old wooden bridge that used to exist there, turned off your lights and ignition, and waited for an extended period of time, you might be “lucky” enough to get a glimpse of the supernatural February 2014

phenomenon known as the Purple Man. I think the purple reference could probably be better connected to all the hickies that magically appeared on the necks of teenagers who parked on that bridge.)

The fish fry would not have had a religious focus, but someone would have still typically said grace before the meal. Kids would have still played along the sand and in the water beforehand while some of the men were just off shore pulling over the mullet nets set for the occasion.

Somebody would have rolled their truck windows down and played music while others tended to the Coleman stoves, stewing potatoes and onions or frying up fresh fish. And like the campfire service, there would have been fellowship with family, which included those who were not blood relatives but were still called by the titles Aunt or Uncle because they were lifelong family friends.

Given the picturesque setting and the great sense of family and community both the campfire service and the fish fry provided, one would assume that it would have been a completely idyllic experience. And one would be correct, if not for a not so minor detail – the flies.

In last month’s column, I mentioned a café hunting story involving mosquitoes, and in truth, Tyrrell County mosquitoes can be miserable creatures determined to drive you crazy with their insane buzzing and biting. And while their bites do itch like nobody’s business, mosquitoes don’t have a thing on biting flies in terms of sheer pain delivered per bite or ability to evade a deathblow.

Deer flies. Yellow flies.

Cow flies. Horse flies. The mosquito simply cannot compare to these other winged demons whose favorite habitat is a shoreline populated by children freshly emerged from the water at dusk.

And as wickedly sadistic as all these flies are, they too pale in comparison next to the supreme commander of evil.

With all due respect to scorned women everywhere, a truer statement would be “Hell hath no fury like a hungry green fly.” Not only is the green fly highly skilled at evading the human hand in combat, his vicious bite has been known to penetrate a Kevlar bikini.

If somehow you do get lucky enough to smack a green fly, chances are that you may not kill him with one blow. Once at a campfire service, I was bitten by a green fly who I managed to hit with a lucky punch. He just stared me down and said, “You hit like a girl.” Then he stole my s’more right out of my hand and flew away laughing into the night.

Still, we should not let mosquitoes and flies deter us from enjoying the magic of the Albemarle this coming summer.

Start planning now to have your church or family get together at a place where the kids, and the adults too for that matter, can dig their toes in the sand and reach for the evening sky, a place where the first glimmer of moonlight on the placid waters makes a roasted hot dog taste better than any five star New York meal ever could.

It’s February. You still have a few months to save up for a full suit of body armor. www.deanroughton.com Photo, "Dusk on the Albemarle," is courtesy of Sarah Cartwright.

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February 2014

COLUMBIA’S INTERPRETIVE BOARDWALK IN LVING COLORS

A recent one-week Visual Arts residency at Columbia High School has culminated in a colorful mural.

North Carolina mural artist Tunde Afolayan worked with a select group of Tyrrell County students to create this mural

celebrating the beauty of their community waterfront boardwalk. Working with the students to create a visual narrative about their community was exciting for him as well as for our students! The finished mural will be installed in the school.

His first visit to Columbia as Artist in Residence was in 2007 when he did the World Cultures Mural with the Columbia Middle School

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students. Tunde's last visit was in 2008 during an exhibition of his paintings of Columbia landmark architectures at the Pocosin Arts Gallery. Feather Phillips, the founding director of the Pocosin Arts, then presented the exhibition. Tunde has emerged amongst the ranks of contemporary African artists committed to embracing figurative expressionism. He received his formal training in art at the prestigious ‘Yaba Tech’ (Lagos-Nigeria) and

February 2014

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attended graduate school at the University of Missouri in Columbia, USA. He has taught art courses at Yaba Tech, National Louis University (USA), and Elizabeth City State University (USA). In the fall of 2006, Tunde became a full-time studio artist, maintaining his practice in the state of North Carolina. He is the recipient of numerous artist residencies across the United States. Mr. Afolayan, who is from Lagos, Nigeria, resides in Raleigh, NC.

Exploring color as the basis of painting, Tunde infuses spiritualism and symbolism in his powerful lyrical expressions.

His thematic compositions captured in vibrant colors allow figurative images to adopt expressive, abstract qualities as well as representational styles.

Tunde’s spontaneous, energetic gestures create splashes, strokes, and heavily layered areas that reveal the confident control of his painting media for clarity of expressions. His color pallet

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tempered with strong and vibrant hues exemplifies his powerful traditional African roots and aesthetics.

His paintings are held in private and corporate collections throughout the world and have been exhibited in galleries and museums in Nigeria, Europe and the United States.

''I believe in fervor and visual metaphors. The use of traditional symbolism, expressive imageries and vibrant

February 2014

colors in my paintings are prominently emphasized to elicit profound aesthetic responses and evoke critical dialogues. However, the use of vibrant colors is more than just a visual feast; they are intended to elevate human experience to a higher level of spiritual harmony.''

Asking Tunde if he will return, he answered: "I am definitely coming back to Columbia for an artist retreat to

paint the vibrant energies in this community. There is a high degree of natural charm and sensibility around this community. As a painter, I am always inspired by the existing wonders in nature and never able to resist the urge to creatively respond with my palette. Even more so with the new Pocosin Arts Lodge here, I see Columbia becoming more attractive to artists around the country. I stayed at the Riverside Lodge during my residency.

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This place is an artist's paradise in Eastern North Carolina."Â www.tundevisualart.com

The North Carolina Arts Council through the Grassroots Arts Grants provided funding for the mural residency. Community residents and visitors are encouraged to visit the school to view the mural.Â

February 2014

THE RED WOLF – ENDANGERED MEANS THERE IS STILL HOPE BY CORNELIA N. HUTT Since the world’s only wild population of red wolves lives here in northeastern North Carolina, a quick refresher about these critically endangered canids is a good way to begin.

What exactly is a red wolf ? Some wolf opponents have gone to great lengths to make a case for what the red wolf isn’t. “There is no such species as the red wolf,” the foes insist. Their reasons for denying these rare predators recognition and legal protection usually include an attempt to invoke serious science. “Studies,” they insist, “show the red wolf is not a wolf at all. It’s a hybrid, a coyote mixed with gray wolf and domestic dog.” Pressed to produce the “studies” they reference, the detractors might cite a blog written by an obscure, self-described expert with a negative bias and no

credible data to back up his or her taxonomic conclusions.

But the bottom line is that after decades of healthy debate and disagreement, most scientists and geneticists now agree that the red wolf is a distinct and legitimate canid species. Like the eastern wolf (sometimes called the eastern timber wolf), the red wolf is thought to have evolved in North America along with its

smaller relative the coyote. The gray wolf, on the other hand, is believed to have evolved in Eurasia and is not related to the coyote or to the red wolf.

Although its origins remain an enigma, most taxonomists agree that this shy wolf was the top canid predator of the Southeast and MidAtlantic regions of the U.S. for

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thousands of years until ferocious human persecution and habitat loss drove the final survivors to eke out a marginal existence in the marshlands of the Texas/Louisiana Gulf Coast. There, the last red wolves were captured for a pioneer captive breeding program just in the nick of time as hybridization with resident coyotes in the region threatened to swamp the remnant red wolf population.

Protected under federal law (the Endangered Species Act), red wolves were returned to the wild in 1987 on northeastern North Carolina’s Albemarle Peninsula, a rural region that was coyote-free at the time. There the wolves established a small but robust population, hunting and raising their wild-born pups in the coastal forests and croplands.

But the hard-won success of the recovery years is now threatened by hybridization with encroaching coyotes that have migrated eastward and filled the niches left by the extirpated wolves.

Like the larger gray wolves, red wolves have little tolerance for other canids in their pack February 2014

territories, but a red wolf will sometimes mate with an eastern coyote if it can’t find another red wolf for a partner, and the two will produce hybrid offspring. This threat looms especially large with the loss of nine wild red wolves (all of breeding age) to illegal gunshot in the past year. Seven wolves were killed in late October and early November of 2013, and a radio-collared red wolf was found shot on January 7, 2014.

The wild red wolf population is now estimated to number fewer than 100.

Why the sudden alarming rise in gunshot mortality in the five-county red wolf recovery region? There is disagreement among the stakeholders, including both wolf advocates and wolf haters.

Justified or not, hunters get a big share of the blame, but the counterpoint to that accusation is that ethical hunters, who abide by established regulations and who value wildlife and habitat conservation, are among the first to condemn the deliberate killing of an endangered species.

A significant number of people have a more ominous theory regarding the spike in

illegal gunshot mortality. They maintain the fatal shootings of red wolves are no accident and not cases of careless misidentification with their smaller cousin, the coyote. The wolves, they say, are being targeted.

This conclusion forces yet again an examination of humankind’s bias against predators, specifically canid predators. A particularly ugly hatred for wolves and coyotes runs deep in the United States.

It doesn’t take an exhaustive search to discover Facebook pages devoted to the conviction that humans are justified in exterminating these so-called varmints, “pests” and nuisance species, often by the most savage methods imaginable.

Other proponents of systematically eliminating wolves and coyotes from the landscape cling to the belief that indiscriminate killing of canid predators (particularly coyotes) will “control” and reduce their numbers to an acceptable level, whatever that is. There are data that demonstrate otherwise, but open season on predators with no limits and no reporting required is staunchly supported

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in many places including North Carolina.

Despite the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Red Wolf Recovery Program’s 26 years of management innovation, some vocal critics have seized upon the recent illegal gunshot deaths as evidence of the program’s failure and what they deem is now a waste of taxpayer money.

That argument ignores the fact that 26 years ago, the number of wild red wolves was zero. Today, there are still perhaps 90 known wolves thriving in the coastal habitat of the Albemarle Peninsula, going about the business of finding food (nutria, deer, raccoons, marsh rabbits) and raising their families on the three national wildlife refuges and on private lands in a region laced with waterways and stitched together by a labyrinth of back roads. These resilient and tenacious animals have hung on in spite of the campaigns to exterminate them, functional extinction in the wild and relatively limited public interest or engagement in their long-term survival.

But red wolves need help. Endangered means it’s not too late to save imperiled species – unless people are apathetic February 2014

about the illegal killing of these animals and unless our own species denies the great predators like wolves living space among us in an increasingly crowded world. Is it worth the time, expense, energy and will it takes to maintain a species our ancestors hunted and trapped and poisoned until they were all but gone? We can’t restore the ecosystems that once nurtured them in the wild, but perhaps we can give them a chance in a small portion of their historical range. To do that, organizations like the Red Wolf Coalition with its partner organization, must continue to raise their collective voices and increase the efforts to stop the illegal killing of red wolves.

The Red Wolf Coalition (RWC), the Red Wolf Recovery Team and other wolf organizations are working to bring national and international

attention to the plight of the red wolf. Betty and Hank, the lively red wolf ambassador couple at the Red Wolf Education Center in Columbia, are frequently showcased on the RWC Facebook page. Since Betty and Hank are participants in the Red Wolf Species Survival Captive Breeding Program, everyone has paws crossed for pups in the spring in spite of the fact that this couple, parents of a beautiful litter of pups 4 years

ago, is getting along in years.

New pups each spring, both captive and wild-born, renew our belief that we can save the red wolf from slipping into extinction. If we allow that to happen, if we give up on an animal our ancestors despised

and exterminated, what does that say about our own view of wild nature? And what does it say about us and about our values? The Cherokee, who once lived throughout most of red wolf country, ascribed these words to the great predator of the Southeast: “I am a hunter’s hunter, my track a sign of hope, its absence a warning.” We can’t allow the track of the red wolf to disappear from the landscape.

Cornelia Hutt is the chair of the Red Wolf Coalition Board of Directors. She lives on a farm where domestic animals share the property with wildlife including lots of deer and big eastern coyotes.

The UK Wolf Conservation Trust, in England, will publish a version of this article in the March Issue of their magazine Wolf Print. www.redwolves.com www.facebook.com/redwolfcoalition

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February 2014

Pocosin Arts is offering a locals discount for half off tuition ($175.00). All other fees are the same. The locals discount is available for residents of Tyrrell, Hyde, Dare, Washington and Chowan counties. Â

Pocosin Arts is having a ribbon cutting for the Riverside Lodge on Wednesday, February 26, 2014 at 3:30 pm. www.pocosinarts.org

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February 2014

ONE CUP

ONE INCREDIBLE JOURNEY

BY GABRIELLA CRAIL

With every sip comes a story, or rather a journey. A centuries old beverage, such as coffee, is one with both a complex and almost magical expedition.

Whether it's a bottomless cup at your local diner for a dollar, or an elaborate latte laced with exotic vanillas for roughly the price of a gallon of gas, this is where the adventure begins.

A coffee bean is actually a seed. The process is as follows: plant, harvest, process by dry or wet method, dry, mill, export, taste, roast, grind, brew and then of course enjoy! There are certifications, regulations, laws, codes and many other political standards it has to undergo as well. It is just as political as it is flavorful. This industry is a

lifestyle for many families across the globe and to respect this process is the least we can do.

Some coffee is available as fair trade certified, which improves the standard of living for families who make their living farming it.

As with many crops, harvesting is only a fraction of the process. It undergoes

rigorous quality testing before being exported. Exactly how many hands it touches before it reaches your cup depends on so many variables. A majority of the world's coffee is actually still hand-picked too. Keep in mind when buying, you get what you pay for. Think of all the people affected to brew that perfect cup.

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It is said that more than 50% of American adults drink coffee and it's a growing culture.

Being a highly social industry means it's not just about the coffee itself either. That could explain why it's the second most traded commodity in the world after oil.

It takes an expert to truly perfect a simple cup of coffee and there just isn't enough time in a day to soak up the plethora of information.

One thing is certain, it invokes conversation, stimulates our minds, heightens our mood, and I'm almost positive that behind every successful person is a good cup of coffee!

No matter the price paid, respect the process. Cream and sugar? Well that's a whole new adventure. How do you take yours?

Visit Elements Cafe on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ ElementsColumbiaNC February 2014

Congratulations on your 10th Year Anniversary

Atlantic Supply!

3476 Albemarle Church Rd, Columbia, NC (252) 797-7300

Directions:

A SUZIE COOPER PEARTREE FAVORITE: TYRRELL COUNTY CHEESE WAFERS Yield: About 60 Wafers

Ingredients: Flour, 1 cup Softened butter, 1 stick Grated Cheddar Cheese, ½ lb.

Cayenne Pepper, ½ teaspoon Salt, ¼ teaspoon Pecan Halves, preferred local

1. Preheat oven to 400°.

2. Mix flour and butter, then add cheese and seasonings.

Form into a roll (approximately 1 inch in diameter).

Wrap the roll in wax paper and chill at least several hours or overnight.

3. Slice into thin wafers, top each with a pecan half, and bake about 8 minutes.

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Recipe by Suzie Cooper Peartree--

Baked for Ms. Suzie by her brother Durwood Cooper, who also took the photo.

February 2014

THE EASTERN 4-H CENTER’S SUMMER CAMP ADVENTURES The 4-H Summer Camp* experience is a great way for a child to spend the summer with kayaking, canoeing, rock climbing, learning about nature, performing in skits, and even perfecting archery skills. The Eastern 4-H Center does all of this and more. Our Team Challenge Course is a great way for campers to improve communication and teamwork skills. Along with well-trained counselors and instructors, every camper will have memories and friendships that last a lifetime. 4-H Summer Camp is designed for 8-12 year olds and is available June 15 – June 20, 2014, July 20 – 25, 2014 and July 27 – August 1, 2014.

4-H Adventure Camp* is for our 13 and 14 year old campers.

Designed to provide more mature campers a wilderness experience, participants learn how to build campfires, manage a campsite, cook over an open flame, and implement basic navigation and survival skills.

Near the end of the week,

adventure campers participate in an overnight canoe trip down the scenic Scuppernong River to employ their skills. Trained staff accompanies campers throughout the week, facilitating outdoor activities and friendships! 4-H Adventure Camp is available July 20 – 25, 2014 and July 27 – August 1, 2014. *Open Enrollment cost is $460 or save and enroll with your County 4-H Program. Call Your NC County 4-H Agent or the Eastern 4-H Center for more information and availability.

Cloverbud Camp is the ideal first “stay-away” camp for 5-8 year olds. Smaller ratios of staff to campers provide youngsters the special attention and care they deserve. Cloverbud Campers participate in all of the “big kid” activities like canoeing & kayaking, swimming, rock climbing, sports & games, and our fun evening activities. Cloverbud Camp is offered July 13 – 17, 2014 and costs $300 per camper.

Marine Science and Sailing Camp – The beautiful Albemarle Sound serves as the backdrop for this amazing camp designed with the teenager in

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mind. Sailing in the sound is taught by an experienced instructor. The warm shallow waters of Bulls Bay make this both safe and enjoyable for participants. Marine science and ecology programs are included throughout the week.

Campers can learn about coastal forestry, hurricanes, fish and sea mammals. Marine Science and Sailing Camp is open to 12-17 year old campers and is offered July 13 – 18, 2014 and costs $460 per camper.

Camp Canvasback is a wonderful summer program that encourages and educates young hunters on waterfowl conservation. Teenage girls and boys participate in activities that help them understand waterfowl biology, wetland ecology, hunting techniques, and other conservation practices. Firstyear campers will acquire their Hunter Education card, which is needed for hunting! The camp consists of a 4 year tract, with campers progressing to the next tract the following year to build on previously learned skills. Many skills taught are shotgun safety, shooting & firearm care, waterfowl identification, duck blind construction, GPS navigation, February 2014

boat & water safety, and first aid. Camp Canvasback is available to 12-17 year olds and is offered July 13 – 18, 2014 and costs $460 per camper.

Online Registration is available at www.eastern4hcenter.org or for more information, contact Chase Luker, 252 797-4800, ext. 223.

ON THE

DOCK OF THE BAY Saturday, May 3, 2014 - Online Registration available soon on www.eastern4hcenter.org website (event pics attached) Entertainment featuring Jonny Waters and The Main Event Band.

This event supports 4-H youth camping scholarships

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and the building fund at the Eastern 4-H Center.

For more information, contact Sara Phelps at 252 797-4800, ext. 222.

February 2014

CAN’T STEAL THIS!

birthdays and hometowns, etc.-all usually easy to find on Facebook pages.

BY ADAM NIELSEN There are many common techniques for selecting passwords, whether the password is strong or weak. In a study of nearly 14,000 cracked, or hacked, passwords, the most common source of passwords was simple words found in the dictionary--7.4 percent to be exact.

This is a very bad way to create a password because of the possibility of what's called a "dictionary attack."

The study found passwords that were the same as the username, such as the username "administrator" and the password also "administrator."

And this combination is the first any hacker would try. The study also discovered the frequency of passwords using pets' names and

Here are a few password ideas that can help you keep from being hacked. Simply putting a space before the first character of your password adds security, because it's often unnoticeable. You could use

various symbols, or a pass “phrase.” Pass phrases are sentences used as passwords, such as: "I drive a 4runner!!"

This was a password I used years ago; of course I have changed it many times since.

Note the capital letters along with symbols and numbers.

One-time passwords should be

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complicated, like the previous example, for added protection.

Single sign-on systems should implement biometrics. I recently went to a restaurant where I noticed that in order for the waitress and bar tender to access the point-of-sale system they had to first give their finger print.

When creating a password it is best to use symbols, spaces, upper and lower case letters as well as numbers. One major security mistake is keeping your password in the wrong place, such as on a sticky note on the monitor, or in a file on your desktop named “passwords.” You should avoid using the same password for multiple sites, because if a hacker gets one password they would have access to everything. Also it's a good idea to change your computer's passwords often. I know it's a pain, but nothing like the pain of identity theft.

Adam Nielsen, Bachelor of Applied Science in Network Security and Forensics.

Associate of Occupational Science in Information Technology.

February 2014

BEAUTIFUL VICTORIAN Beautiful Victorian Circa 1905 Restored about 2000 - 3 Bedrooms, 3 Baths, 2 Fireplaces , Nice Kitchen with Breakfast Area, Dining Room, Large Living Room, Library with a Murphy Bed and Shelving, Master Bedroom with Walk in Closet, Guest Bedrooms with Connecting Bathroom, Walk Up Attic, Wrap Around Porch, Large Yard and more.

Listed for $195,000

Envision a peaceful pace of life in a picturesque waterside town in northeastern North Carolina's "Inner Banks."

Experience a sense of family and community that's genuine, welcoming and down-to-earth.

Think quaint historic downtown area and art galleries … unique festivals and fishing tournaments … pastoral landscapes and serene sound views … even wildlife refuges and ecoadventures. Then think just 50 miles from the pristine beaches of the Outer

Banks, 90 miles from the Norfolk area, and 150 miles from Raleigh!

Columbia on the Scuppernong River is a place where residents and visitors alike discover a beautiful way of living! www.columbiaibx.com

Durwood Cooper, Jr. is the Broker-inCharge of Village Realty's Columbia, NC, office.

He is a native of Tyrrell County, and was previously involved in his family's farm operation. He has had his real estate broker's license since 1988; a time when he lived on the Outer Banks and worked in real estate sales.

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February 2014

Inner Banks Hotline invites you to our 3rd Annual

Join us for our 3rd Annual Spring Fling silent auction reception, dinner, and dance. All proceeds go to victims of domestic violence/sexual victimization and purchase of a shelter in Tyrrell County. Have fun while supporting a great cause!

507 US 64 E. PO Box 558 Columbia, NC 27925

252-­796-­5526 (office/thrift store) 1-­877-­429-­5526 (24hr Crisis Line)

When: Saturday, April 5, 2014 Where: &ROXPELD &URVVLQJ¶V 5HVWDXUDQW Time: Auction 6:00pm

Dinner 7:00pm

Dancing to follow Cost: $40 per person or $70 per couple

Tyrrell County Churches Salem Baptist Church 401 Scotsville St Columbia, NC 27925 (252) 796-1090 Zion Grove Disciples Church 410 Road Street Ext Columbia, NC 27925 (252) 796-1696 Faith Baptist Church 416 Road Street Ext Columbia, NC 27925 (252) 796-1621 Albemarle Church of Christ 2531 Albemarle Church Rd Columbia, NC 27925 (252) 796-4000 Sandy Acres Free Baptist Church 65 Smith Ln Columbia, NC 27925 (252) 796-7601 Wesley Memorial United Methodist 502 Main St Columbia, NC 27925 (252) 796-1664 Mt. Moriah Church 113 Cove Rd Columbia, NC 27925 (252) 796-3500

Alligator Chapel Baptist Church 1223 Goat Neck Rd Columbia, NC 27925 (252) 796-0273 Assembly of Praise 1640 Travis Rd Columbia, NC 27925 (252) 796-3575 St. John Baptist Church Old Highway 64 Columbia, NC 2792 (252) 796-0940 Gum Neck Church of Christ 825 S Gum Neck Rd Columbia, NC 2792 (252) 796-3914 Piney Grove Disciple Church Rr 1 Columbia, NC 2792 (252) 796-1715 Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church Rr 1 Box 321 Columbia, NC 2792 (252) 796-1088 Columbia Christian Church 602 Bridge St Columbia, NC 2792 (252) 796-5900 Sound Side Freewill Baptist Church 244 Riverneck Rd Columbia, NC 2792 (252) 796-5573 Tyrrell United Methodist Po Box 168 Columbia, NC 2792 (252) 796-1664

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February 2014

Columbia Baptist Parsonage 207 Road St Columbia, NC 2792 (252) 796-0290

February 2014 Tyrrell County’s Country Magazine

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Photo by James Hook