FREE
MARCH 4, 2022
ISLAND RADIO INDEPENDENT RADIO STATIONS ON THE OUTER BANKS OFFER FUNK, FUN AND INFORMATION
COASTOBX.COM
Friday, March 4, 2022 | The Virginian-Pilot | Coast
2
FREE
PUZZLES & GAMES Play online every day at PlayJumble.com
Jumble Daily | Jumble Crossword Daily | Jumble Sunday Sudoku | Mahjong | Bubble Shooter Pro | Plus many more
3 Coast | The Virginian-Pilot | Friday, March 4, 2022
Discover What’s NEW at the Cotton Gin
A Wide Variety of Unique Styles & Products Apparel • Jewelry • Home Decor, Kitchen • Garden • Toys, Books • Bed, Bath & Beauty
Come Find
Sanctuary
Award-Winning Artisan Wines Cultivated on the Outer Banks
Free Tastings • Free Tours
Available at Cotton Gin locations in Corolla, Duck & Nags Head.
Find
Something for Everyone! COTTONGIN.COM
POP-UP SHOP
Sanctuary Vineyards. Jarvisburg, NC
Corolla
789 Sunset Blvd., Corolla, NC • 252-453-4446
Duck
1185 Duck Rd., Duck, NC • 252-261-2387
Nags Head
5151 S. Croatan Hwy., Nags Head, NC • 252-449-2387
Friday, March 4, 2022 | The Virginian-Pilot | Coast
4
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Life takes you down many paths, but the best ones lead to the beach.
OUTER BANKS VACATION RENTALS & REAL ESTATE SALES Whether you are looking for the perfect place to vacation or seeking to invest in your own Outer Banks beach house, we offer unprecedented service in making your experience the best it can be. Kick off your shoes and stay a while! Southern Shores resident Len Schmitz captured this image of the Feb. 19 Antares rocket launch from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility on the Eastern Shore on a resupply mission to the International Space Station. COURTESY
A new look at Outer Banks history joelambjr.com • joelambrealty.com • 800-552-6257
“OBX History Weekend: Searchers of New Horizons”is a four-day event exploring the story behind historical people and events from the Lost Colony to the Wright brothers. Page 18
Wine time NouVines wine bar opened last year in downtown Manteo with a carefully curated selection and a mission to keep it relaxed. Page 14
Relic ashore Tom and Lauren Pirozzi found a presumed World War II helmet liner on the beach in Corolla over Thanksgiving weekend, a relic from the era when the Outer Banks was the target of repeated and deadly German U-boat attacks. Page 18
ABOUT COAST COAST covers the people, places and characteristics that make the Outer Banks a beach destination for families, surfers and anglers from around the world. For more than 30 years, this publication has featured individuals making a difference in the community, highlighted the latest happenings and shared events that shouldn’t be missed – from live music to theatrics, food festivities, art shows, fishing, surfing, and more. All local. All the time. This is COAST.
EDITOR Kari Pugh karipugh@icloud.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Dave Fairbank, John T. Harper, Kipp Tabb ADVERTISE WITH US Find out how you can engage more readers with an integrated marketing program. John“Ski”Miller, media sales manager, ski.miller@ virginiamedia.com; Elizabeth Catoe, senior account executive, elizabeth.catoe@ virginiamedia.com
THINGS TO KNOW During the summer season (May-August), when Coast is a weekly publication, information must be submitted at least 10 days in advance of an event. During the shoulder season (September-October), when Coast is a monthly publication — with the exception of November-December and January-February, when two months are combined —information must be submitted at least 14 days in advance of an event. WANT TO KNOW MORE? For more information, visit coastobx.com; facebook.com/CoastOBX
5
RISK OF PREDIABETES: 1 IN 3 ADULTS
It’s not just a store...It’s an experience! Voted #1 Christmas Shop in North Carolina
LIFE DOESN’T ALWAYS GIVE YOU TIME TO CHANGE THE OUTCOME. PREDIABETES DOES. RISK OF SHARK ATTACK: 1 IN 11.5 MILLION
TAKE THE RISK TEST TODAY AT
DoIHavePrediabetes.org
Shelia’s Christmas Cookies The Chocolates By Michelle Old World Glass Byers’ Choice Carolers Possible Dream Santas
Ginger Cottages Christopher Radko Snowbabies Jim Shore Fontanini
Karen Didion Originals Hollywood Nutcrackers Disney Ornaments LED Lights
Visit Our General Store Candy, Fudge, Coffee & Delights Galore • Remember your visit to the Outer Banks with a personalized ornament • Browse among our Thousands of Ornaments Table Top - Home Decor • Jewelry - Engraved Gifts Halloween Haunted House On the way to the NC Aquarium, Festival Park & Lost Colony. Hwy 64 in Manteo on Roanoke Island
252.473.2838 • OuterBanksChristmas.com OPEN DAILY AT 9:30 A.M.
Coast | The Virginian-Pilot | Friday, March 4, 2022
OUTER BANKS ORIGINAL CHRISTMAS SHOP...SINCE 1967
$4.99
Daily Breakfast Specials 7 am - 2 pm
Look what Jolly’s doing this season!
March
2022 Events and Specials!
St. Patrick’s Day Special! Corn Beef & Cabbage Lunch $12.95 Dinner $14.95
RESTAURANT & BAR
Karaoke Nightly with Hambone from 9 pm - midnight!
KILL DEVIL HILLS, NC
CALL FOR GREAT SPECIALS NIGHTLY
Pub Menu Specials Daily 4:00 - 6:30 (Dine In Bar Only)! 35¢ Shrimp • 99¢ Ribs • 79¢ Wings Sunday
Monday
All You Can Eat Shrimp & Ribs
$27.95
1/2 PRICE BLOODY MARY’S AND MIMOSAS
NTN Poker Tournament 5 pm
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Seafood Cioppino
Special Fun Food!
$21.95
Italian Specials
Watch NASCAR with US Great Drink Specials
Wednesday
Music with $2 MUG Big Screen NTN Poker Live Joel Local on AND Tournament Friday nights Appreciation $2 Wine Movie 5-7 pm from 6 pm - 8 pm Italian Tapas ALL DAY AND Night Night Night ALL NIGHT
50% off
Great Drink Specials All Day!
Tuesday
25% off Steaks
Wii Bowling Tournament 6 pm
TILL CLOSING! BRING YOUR OWN MUG!
4 - 9 pm
UP TO 16OZ
All You Can Eat Fried Oysters with Slaw & French Fries
$25.99
Ends at 8:00 pm
Items Change Weekly come & enjoy!
$5 - $10
Visit our Gift Shop! We also sell homemade italian, chocolate chip, and peanut butter cookies!
MARCH
into
Friday, March 4, 2022 | The Virginian-Pilot | Coast
6
MADNESS
10oz
Prime Rib
$16.95
w/shrimp or oysters
$19.95
Grub, Grog and Party like a Pirate!
Seafood Mania!
Clams, Shrimp, Mussels, Italian Sausage, Corn Cobettes, in a white wine garlic sauce with a hint of tomato over linguine
Come aboard the Galleon for great food, cold drinks and a ton of fun!
LOBSTER MAC & CHEESE
Macaroni and lobster smothered in a 3 cheese pancetta sauce topped w/lobster sliced tomatoes and seasoned bread crumbs
$21.95
Check with your
place all your favorite games! server for the Musical Bingo AOngreat our new NINE FOOT BIG SCREEN! Best on the Beach! Shrimp & Grits Seafood Creation with Trivia Enter weekly to win two free Italian dinners of your choice! 6 pm - 8 pm $19.95 of the night!
441-6530 • www.jollyrogerobx.com • MP 6 3/4 Beach Road, KDH
Your experience awaits! ARRRGHHH
Dinner Specials Start at 4 pm
Buy Tickets through OBXtasteofthebeach.com Locals! - Nightly 20% OFF Dinner w/ Local ID
Locals! - Mon-Fri 20% OFF Lunch w/ Local ID
Get more out of your subscription by setting up your digital account • More articles than what’s in print • Breaking News alerts with the mobile app • Unlimited access to our website • eNewspaper, a digital replica of the paper emailed daily It’s easy to start your online access!
Visit: go-activate.com
VA L U E D SUBSCRIBER
By Dave Fairbank Correspondent
Art exhibit: Shay Herring Clanton | March 6 Former Hatteras Island resident opens watercolor and mixed media exhibit at Unitarian Universalist Congregation House in Kitty Hawk. 831 Herbert Perry Road, corner of Kitty Hawk and Herbert Perry roads. Free admission, all welcome. Service 10:30 a.m., art discussion 11:45 a.m. 252-202-9894 Movie: Blade Runner (Final Cut) | March 13 Screening of 1982 film re-cut by director Ridley Scott, with discussion of film score by composer and Elizabeth City State music and visual arts professor Christopher Palestrant. R/C KDH Movies 10, 1803 N. Croatan Hwy, Kill Devil Hills. Tickets $10 at theater, w/ $1.35 surcharge if purchased online (only 100 tickets available for 205-seat theater). Discussion 4 p.m., film screening 4:30 p.m. www.bryanculturalseries.org Music: Drifting Roots, Sons of Paradise | March 11 Reggae and dub music from Florida-based Drifting Roots and Raleigh-based Sons of Paradise, Jack Brown’s Beer and Burger Joint, 800 S. Virginia Dare Trail, Kill Devil Hills. $5 cover, music starts at 10 p.m. www.jackbrownsjoint.com, 252-715-3328
Kelly’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade started as a local event to chase away the winter blues but has become an annual tradition for thousands. MIKE KELLY/COURTESY
SPRINGTRADITIONS MAKE A COMEBACK Outer Banks Wedding Weekend returns
By Kari Pugh Editor
After a two-year hiatus thanks to COVID-19, the ever-popular Kelly’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade returns this month to celebrate its 31st year. It started three decades ago as a community event to chase away the winter doldrums and prepare for the summer season, but soon became a draw for thousands. Today, the event is North Carolina’s largest St. Patty’s parade, featuring more than 100 entrants and as many as 8,000 spectators. Mike Kelly, owner of the now-closed Kelly’s Outer Banks Restaurant and Tavern, started the parade and kept the tradition going after Kelly’s closed. This year’s parade kicks off at 1 p.m., Sunday, March 20 at Bladen Street and the Beach Road at milepost 11.5 in Nags Head and will follow a one-mile route north to Driftwood Street. The Coastal Humane Society and The Outer Banks Hospital will serve as grand marshals
Meet vendors, see venues and make plans for your big day at the Outer Banks Wedding Association’s annual Wedding Weekend and Expo this weekend. OUTER BANKS WEDDING ASSOCIATION
as both celebrate their 20-year anniversaries this year. A panel of judges will be on hand to award entrants in the following categories: best overall, best float, best unit and best band/music group. Prizes will be awarded following the parade.
The Outer Banks Wedding Association’s Wedding Weekend & Expo returns this weekend for its 25th year of helping couples tie the knot. The expo starts runs Saturday, March 5, starting at noon through Sunday at 2 p.m., with a variety of events including a self-guided tour of five of the area’s most sought-after venues and the chance to meet with local wedding professionals wedding-reception-styled settings complete with food and drink samples. General admission tickets are $20 and include admission to all venues and a keepsake bag full of planning information. VIP tickets are $40 and include admission to all venues, a canvas tote full of swag and special promotions from OBWA and its sponsors, and a VIP lanyard to collect more prizes and giveaways. For more information and to purchase tickets visitobxwa. com/expo.
Art exhibit: Kinga Rojtek-Wojtowicz | March 4-26 Paintings by Rojtek-Wojtowicz for what she calls“Nature’s Medicine Cabinet” exhibit. Vault Gallery at Dare County Arts Council, 300 Queen Elizabeth Ave., Manteo. Free admission. Hours Tue-Fri 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sat 10 a.m.-4 p.m. www.darearts.org, 252-473-5558 Weddings: OBX Wedding Weekend and Expo | March 5-6 Annual event for people interested in Outer Banks weddings, staged by Outer Banks Wedding Association. Venues, vendors, caterers available for touring, sampling. Locations include Keepers Galley at Haven on the Banks (Nags Head), Hilton Garden Inn (Kitty Hawk), Sanderling Resort (Duck), Sanctuary Vineyards (Jarvisburg). Sat Noon-8 p.m., Sun 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Tickets $20 general admission, $40 VIP. www.obxwa.com, 252-423-6168 Food, wine, trivia: Tapas Thursday and Trivia Night | March 10, 17, 24, 31 Tapas, half-price bottles of wine, trivia contest, Outer Banks Brewing Station, 600 S. Croatan Hwy, Kill Devil Hills. Tapas and wine 4:30 p.m.-9 p.m., trivia 9:30-11:30 p.m. www.obbrewing.com, 252-449-2739 Music: Phil Watson | March 9, 10, 16, 17, 23, 24, 30, 31 Singer-guitarist performs on Working Women’s Wednesdays at Captain George’s at 705 S. Croatan Hwy, Kill Devil Hills, on Thursdays at Shipwrecks Taphouse and Grill at 4020 N. Croatan Hwy, Kitty Hawk. Free admission, 5:30 p.m-8 p.m. www.philwatsonmusic.com Race: Running of the Leprechauns | March 19 5K and 10K races administered by Outer Banks Sporting Events. Program includes t-shirts, finisher medals, food, beer and music. Online registration $45 for 5K, $55 for 10K. Pre-race pickup March 18 at Swells’a Brewing in Kill Devil Hills 4-7 p.m. Race Day pickup at Satterfield Soccer Complex in Nags Head 7-7:45 a.m. 10K race begins 8 a.m., 5K race begins 8:05 a.m. Post-race party at 9 a.m. www.obxse.com Parade: St. Patrick’s Day Parade | March 20 Annual parade returns after two-year COVID hiatus. Begins 1 p.m., one-mile parade route is Virginia Dare Trail (Beach Road) from MP 11.5 at Bladen St. north to Driftwood St. Free admission. www.facebook.com/kellysstpatricksdayparade Food, drink: Taste of the Beach | March 25-27 Multi-day, multi-venue celebration of food and drink on the Outer Banks. Participating restaurants include Shipwrecks Taphouse and Grill, Basnight’s Lone Cedar Café, NC Coast Grill and Bar, Dirty Dick’s Crab House, Trio, Black Pelican, Outer Banks Brewing Station, Sanctuary Vineyards, among others. Tickets range from $20-$100, depending on event and location. www.obxtasteofthebeach.com
7 Coast | The Virginian-Pilot | Friday, March 4, 2022
TOP 10 EVENTS
Friday, March 4, 2022 | The Virginian-Pilot | Coast
8
Shelley Tidd, one of the three programmers at Radio Hatteras, hosts“Breakfast with the Beatles”and co-hosts with Carol Busbey a show called“Excellent Musical Adventures.”
STORM TEAM
RADIO HATTERAS/COURTESY
By John Harper
Correspondent
I
f you live or vacation north of Oregon Inlet, it may come as somewhat of a surprise to learn there are two public FM radio stations licensed to the Outer Banks. Radio Hatteras, which launched in 2014, simulcasts its programming on two frequencies — WHDZ-101.5 in Buxton and WHDZ-99.9 in Waves. For this story, it will be referred to as a single station.
WOVV-90.1, which debuted in 2011, belongs to Ocracoke. Both stations are low-power — about 400 watts on each of the two Hatteras signals and 600 watts on the Ocracoke outlet — so their on-air reach is limited to
the communities they serve. But they do stream on the internet (radiohatteras.org, WOVV.org), opening up their programming to the world.
Listeners near and far
The 50-mile long Hatteras Island has about 5,000 year-round residents; Ocracoke has a permanent population of about 900 people. And, of course, thousands of people visit the barrier islands south of Nags Head every year. Many of them discover Radio Hatteras and WOVV while on vacation and then become remote listeners when they return home. It’s a way to stay on the beach, at least in the head. The former’s studio is on the first floor of a Dare County office building under the water tower in Buxton. History buffs
Turn to Page 10
9
Half Day Inlet, Sound Fishing, & Cruises
The Crystal Dawn HEADBOAT FISHING, CRUISES & EXCURSIONS
• INLET & SOUND FISHING • ROANOKE ISLAND EVENING CRUISES • PRIVATE CRUISES & HALF-DAY FISHING TRIPS
The Country Girl
252-255-1976 • fishheadsobx.com
DEPARTS FROM PIRATE’S COVE MARINA
Enjoy fishing on our 600-foot pier, then relax at fish heads!
2000 Sailfish Dr. on the Nags Head-Manteo Causeway
Be your own...
252-473-5577 CrystalDawnHeadboat.com
• OCEAN BOTTOM FISHING
TICKETS SOLD IN ADVANCE. 7:00am - 4:30pm Call for rates & schedules. 5:00am - 4:30pm
ALL CHARTERS DEPART FROM PIRATE’S COVE
2000 Sailfish Dr. on the Nags Head-Manteo Causeway
$3 OFF
CRYSTAL DAWN IN SEASON
• ½ Day Fishing Trip • Evening Cruise
252-473-5577 CountryGirlCharters.com
Good for entire party. Mention this coupon upon booking or at time of purchase to receive offer.
2020, ‘19, ‘18, ‘17
901 S Oregon Inlet Rd, MP 18 ½, Nags Head, NC 27959
• PURPLE MARTIN EXCURSIONS
OCEAN BOTTOM FISHING AND GULF STREAM CHARTERS
• GULF STREAM CHARTERS
Serving Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner! Happy Hour Steamed Shrimp from 4 pm – 6 pm
USE CODE SAV3 CL21
Captain
WE HAVE BOATS TO FIT ALL OF YOUR NEEDS!
Fishing, Crabbing, Dolphin Watching or just Cruising the Roanoke Sound
$5 OFF CRYSTAL DAWN
• ½ Day Fishing Excursions. (Per ticket groups of 10 or more)
Good for entire party. Mention this coupon upon booking or at time of purchase to receive offer.
USE CODE SAV5 CL21
• Bathhouse with Shower • Full Hookup • Cable TV • Water Views • Playground
7665 76 65 S S.. Va Va.. Da Dare re T Trail, rail ra il, Na il, Nags Head
252-441-5028 2 52 24 44 41 5 50 028
www.fishingunlimited.net
1/2 or full day charters!
• Local Seafood fresh off the boat • Shellfish, Fresh Fish and Daily Catch • Groceries • Crabbing Supplies • Great Selection of Beer and Wine
126 Marshy Ridge Rd, Kill Devil Hills, NC 27948
1341 Colington Rd, Kill Devil Hills, NC 27948
252.564.4741
252.441.5978
Coast | The Virginian-Pilot | Friday, March 4, 2022
Welco me Aboard!
Seasonal Nightly Entertainment!
Friday, March 4, 2022 | The Virginian-Pilot | Coast
10 from Page 8
should know that Canadian inventor Reginald Fessenden, called the “father of voice radio,” conducted experiments near the site in the early 20th century, receiving signals from Roanoke Island. WOVV’s studio is on the second floor of the former Ocracoke fire station, off N.C. 12 on Back Road, near Silver Lake. It’s large enough to accommodate musicians performing live. Both studios are well-equipped, with microphones, CD players, a control board, sound-proofing and computers loaded with programming software. About two dozen volunteers, led by a board of directors (WOVV has three paid, part-time employees) are involved in programming, engineering and fund-raising. The two non-commercial stations (known as “non-coms” in the industry) rely on listener donations and underwriting by local businesses for operating expenses. NPR uses the same system.
Hanging with the cool kids Both Radio Hatteras and WOVV have a no-hype sound, with adventurous musical programming that recalls the free-form FM commercial radio stations of the late 60s and early 70s when DJs curated their own playlists, often playing album cuts and B-sides.1 It was like hanging out with the cool kids. On Hatteras and Ocracoke islands where popular culture trends barely register with locals, the stations fit right in. “It’s community radio,” says Mary Helen Goodloe-Murphy, one of the founders of Radio Hatteras and a current board member. “There are no restrictions.” And there are no pesky, out-oftown “consultants” chiming in. “We try to listen to our listeners,” she adds. There’s a similar philosophy at WOVV, which identifies itself as “Ocracoke Community Radio.” “You can hear anything from Nirvana to Pavarotti,” says program director Chad Macek. “It’s wide open.” So, on both stations, you get a smorgasbord of genres, including blues, jazz, classic rock, folk, surf, beach music, reggae, rhythm-andTurn to Page 11 Program director Chad Macek at the helm of WOVV, which offers community radio on tiny Ocracoke Island. JOHN HARPER
11
2000 S. Croatan Hwy., KDH
252.441.5338
Radio Hatteras offers an eclectic mix of music and local news, operated by about two dozen volunteers and a board of directors. RADIO HATTERAS/COURTESY from Page 10
blues, gospel, bluegrass and country. Many of the hosts on the stations are local, but a few are out-of-towners. Among the programs on Radio Hatteras are “Breakfast with the Beatles with Shelley Tidd,” “Electric Beach Party with Carol Busbey,” “Grand Ole Osprey with Tom Garrison,” “The Folk Way with Linda Browning and Hugh George,” “The Beach Music Hour with Bill Smith,” “Celtic Old World to New Age with Linda Browning” and “Babylon by Bus with Carlos Babilonia.” “You try to make it flow,” says Shelley Tidd, one of the station’s three programmers, who also co-hosts with Carol Busbey a show called “Excellent Musical Adventures.” Offerings at WOVV include “Classic Cuts and Such with John Simpson,” “Island Morning Mix with John Anderson,” “Outdoor Shower Power Hour with Chad Macek,” “Full Throttle with Matt Tolson” and “Beats with Beats with Beatle Haddad.” “You try to bring the island some fun,” says Tommy Hutcherson, who is the chairman of the WOVV’s board of directors and co-hosts with Larry Ihle the weekly “Rockin’ Radio Show.”
News, and a lifeline
In addition to the eclectic music mix, the stations also are committed to local news, public service announcements, sports and weather. “We are primed for delivering valuable information during storms,” says Mike Hennessey, the chief engineer at Radio Hatteras. Both communities are particularly prone to flooding and sand buildup on N.C. 12, the slender snake of a road that runs the length of Hatteras Island and then picks up again across the Pamlico Sound in Ocracoke.
“We don’t want to use a National Weather Service forecast,” says Richard Marlin, a Radio Hatteras engineer and one of its founders. “We want people to call us and say water (and sand) is coming across the road.” “We all become part of the storm team,” adds Tidd. “I feel like I’m doing something for the community.” During the devastating Hurricane Dorian in 2019, which affected almost every building (business and homes) in Ocracoke, also hammering Hatteras, WOVV provided a lifeline. “It was 24-7,” says program director Macek.”We had to get the information out there.” The station even set up a charging station for phones and computers. But even when times aren’t tough, the stations both keep listeners up to date on community news. Radio Hatteras airs a Sunday afternoon show called “The Weekly News With Grace Hallenbeck.” Over at WOVV, veteran journalist Pete Vankevich moderates the Friday morning news-talk program “What’s Happening on Ocracoke.” “This is community radio,” says Vankevich, who’s the editor and publisher of the “Ocracoke Observer.” The station also carries the middleschool and high-school basketball games.
Monteray Plaza, 801 Ocean Trail, Corolla next to Food Lion
252.453.4862
Scarborough Ln Shoppes, 1171 Duck Rd, Duck
252.261.7297
www.birthdaysuits.com
We dogs Caterin Too! Voted Best Ribs and Best BBQ and Wings!
Stay tuned
And what’s next for the two operations? “It’s a work in progress,” says Marlin, the engineer, adding that Radio Hatteras is beefing up its signal, which is spotty on the island. WOVV’s signal covers all of Ocracoke. “Who knows?” says Vankevich. “There’s a lot of freedom.” To use the age-old broadcasting slogan: Stay tuned.
ily Sized Try Our Fam and Picnics To Go e! uc get a Free Sa
In Season
OPEN 7 Days a Week from 11am til 9pm!
Coast | The Virginian-Pilot | Friday, March 4, 2022
Every Body is a Bikini Body!
13
12 Friday, March 4, 2022 | The Virginian-Pilot | Coast
Hatteras Island
15 + varieties of New York Bagels Homemade soups and lunch specialties
Pirates ~ Puzzles ~ Games ~ John Deere
Cakes, cupcakes, cookies, pastries, and more Cozy coffee shop Custom cakes and pies Build your own breakfast sandwich
A Hatteras Island Tradition
ALL MADE FRESH DAILY
Thursday - Saturday 10 am - 5 pm Hwy 12 in Buxton right before the turnoff to Cape Hatteras Lighthouse 252-995-7171 46928 NC 12 Buxton NC
Avon, North Carolina Dine-in Seating (Including Larger Patio) or Carryout! We offer a great family friendly dining experience, lively pub and unforgettable food from our scratch-made kitchen. Our patio is dog friendly! Our private dining rooms are perfect for large parties, special events and wedding receptions!
252-995-5550 • www.froggydog.com Open Wednesday-Sunday
Salt Water Taffy ~ Truffles Fudge ~ Chocolates
Call (252) 986-5109 | Open 6:30 AM - 4 PM Daily
Coast | The Virginian-Pilot | Friday, March 4, 2022
The perfect place to start or end your day!
13
12 Friday, March 4, 2022 | The Virginian-Pilot | Coast
Hatteras Island
15 + varieties of New York Bagels Homemade soups and lunch specialties
Pirates ~ Puzzles ~ Games ~ John Deere
Cakes, cupcakes, cookies, pastries, and more Cozy coffee shop Custom cakes and pies Build your own breakfast sandwich
A Hatteras Island Tradition
ALL MADE FRESH DAILY
Thursday - Saturday 10 am - 5 pm Hwy 12 in Buxton right before the turnoff to Cape Hatteras Lighthouse 252-995-7171 46928 NC 12 Buxton NC
Avon, North Carolina Dine-in Seating (Including Larger Patio) or Carryout! We offer a great family friendly dining experience, lively pub and unforgettable food from our scratch-made kitchen. Our patio is dog friendly! Our private dining rooms are perfect for large parties, special events and wedding receptions!
252-995-5550 • www.froggydog.com Open Wednesday-Sunday
Salt Water Taffy ~ Truffles Fudge ~ Chocolates
Call (252) 986-5109 | Open 6:30 AM - 4 PM Daily
Coast | The Virginian-Pilot | Friday, March 4, 2022
The perfect place to start or end your day!
Friday, March 4, 2022 | The Virginian-Pilot | Coast
14
Garret Cameron and Lori Wilkinson opened their wine bar NouVines last March after happening on a“For Rent”sign on Budleigh Street in Manteo. KIP TABB PHOTOS
The art of having fun, over a flight of wine By Kipp Tabb Correspondent
Maybe Manteo needed a wine bar like NouVines and nobody knew it; or maybe people did know it but no one was quite sure what to do about it. Maybe it was destiny, the alignment of wine glasses in just the right way that led Garret Cameron and Lori Wilkinson to downtown Manteo at just the right moment in time. Whatever it was that brought the couple to Manteo on a fateful day in March of last year, one thing they remember clearly — the first time they walked by that big
picture window on Budleigh Street there was no sign in the window saying, “For Rent.” “We literally pulled up and parked in front of the building,” Wilkinson said. “There was not a sign in the window when we parked. We walked up and down, took some pictures, wrote some numbers down and when we … came back to the car, all of a sudden, it was like okay, that’s just weird.” They looked inside and it seemed to have so much of what they pictured their NouVines wine bar would have. “The brick and the wood, the open space. It was perfect for what we wanted to
do,” Cameron said. With its open beam ceiling, brick walls, huge front windows, spacious seating and an eclectic selection of wines based on personal taste, NouVines seems to be just what Cameron and Wilkinson pictured when they first had the idea to open a wine bar. What they have created is not like anything else on the Outer Banks. Although there is a wine for just about every taste, the selection is limited. That is by choice and the physical limits to how many wines two people can taste. They have sampled every wine they
NouVines’ eclectic selection of wines line a rack at the tasting room in downtown Manteo.
offer and the wines in the racks reflect their personal tastes, although they do admit that expanding their palates was an important part of creating an inventory that would appeal to everyone. Turn to Page 15
15 Coast | The Virginian-Pilot | Friday, March 4, 2022
NouVines features wine and art nights, trivia nights and live music on Fridays and Saturdays, even in the off season. KIP TABB from Page 14
“We wanted to make sure that we covered the whole world, that we’re not pigeon-holed into our own personal preference of taste. Otherwise, you’d have a whole red menu,” Wilkinson said. “There wouldn’t be any whites,” Cameron added. “But we’re learning to appreciate a number of whites. There are a number over there that we do like.” The pace of life at NouVines is leisurely. There is no feeling as though an hour or two is too long to sit with a friend or friends and sip wine and talk. And that, too, is by design. “What we want is the ambience that leads to a somewhat sophisticated environment where people can just come in here and completely decompress,” Cameron said. They’ve kept it simple — wine and a charcuterie board. A restaurant with everything that goes with it, that was not going to happen. “We didn’t want a full kitchen. We didn’t want to cook. So why introduce all that stuff,” Wilkinson said. “Having charcuterie boards you can have everything on there that matches with all the wines. So it just enhances the experience.” At first glance, the couple seem an odd choice to open a wine bar. They had been living in Washington, D.C. She had worked with businesses in the life sciences industry; he worked in security for the federal government including more than 10 years providing security for the Supreme Court. “It is nothing like what’s portrayed in the media,” Cameron said. “The Chief Justice really tries to stay away from the whole political spin. Politics are left at the door as you walk up the stairs.” They retired in 2019 and moved to North Carolina. After about a year or so, they were ready to do something other than be retired. “We were bored,” is Cameron’s description. The thought that a wine shop might be something worth pursuing began when they stopped by the local wine shop in Hertford, Barley and Vine, and found it had
been sold. “She (the original owner) just didn’t want to deal with it. So that was the seed that was planted,” Garrett said. The search began for the right location. The couple knew they didn’t want to compete against another locally-owned businesses. Edenton got crossed off the list right away; they weren’t sure about Elizabeth City, but then heard someone was opening a wine shop and that was one more location with a line through it. “So I called my son on a whim,” Garrett said, “and said ‘Anything going on Manteo,’ and he’s like, ‘No, no, and we need it because the closest thing is Trio.’ ” His son was referring to the Kitty Hawk wine bar and retail store. Once the contracts were signed, things moved quickly to getting the doors open. Their first day of business was Saturday, July 3. It was busy that first weekend, but it wasn’t until August that they realized how popular a wine bar in Manteo could be. “We have to say the very first First Friday literally kicked our butts,” Lori said. “We didn’t know what to expect for it and it definitely got us.” But they learned and they have family living locally so now there are four people on hand for First Fridays — a street festival the town hosts every first Friday of the month in season. Even in the winter and off season, there are things happening. Tuesday it’s wine and art, Thursday trivia. And the weekends …music. “Friday and Saturday, both days, live music,” Cameron said. The weekend musicians are some of the best on the Outer Banks. Blues artist Mojo Collins was there recently. Bill Rea and the Rea Family Trio have also held court. With it’s casual atmosphere and acoustic music, those weekend performances feel like a throwback to an image of small nightclubs, intimate conversation and the best of times with friends, something Cameron and Wilkinson were hoping to create when they opened their doors. “We want people to have fun,” Cameron said. “If they’re having fun, we’re having fun and that’s kind of the concept here.”
The sea, the sound, and a world of possibilites in between.
Find it all in i
Sunday, May 1, 2022 4 – 6 p.m.
Bring your lawn chairs, blankets, and coolers to enjoy a concert, food vendors, and the opening of a celebratory art exhibit. This is a rain or shine event.
townofduck.com 252.255.1234
Friday, March 4, 2022 | The Virginian-Pilot | Coast
16
Building up the beaches Storm-swept areas to be replenished with tons of sand By Kari Pugh
Editor
The storm-swept beaches of the Outer Banks will soon be replenished with millions of tons of sand from the Continental Shelf. The Dare County Board of Commissioners, at the year’s first meeting Jan. 3, hired a Louisiana company to pump sand from offshore onto the beaches of Duck, Southern Shores, Kitty Hawk and Kill Devil Hills. Exact dates haven’t been set, but work is scheduled to begin this summer and be completed by the end of the year. The county and four towns are working together to widen just under 12 miles of shoreline as part of a plan to add sand to depleted beaches every five years. The last renourishment project was completed in 2017. Dare commissioners awarded the $28.9 million contract to Weeks Marine for the work on the northern Outer Banks, along with a $25.8 million bid to another contractor for two projects on Hatteras Island, widening a 2.5-mile section of beach in Avon known for ocean overwash flooding, and maintenance on a 2019 nourishment project in Buxton. In Avon, more than a million cubic yards of sand will be placed along the oceanfront from about 3,000 feet north of Avon Pier to Due East Road, about a mile away. It’s the first time Avon will undergo beach nourishment, and the project will initially widen the shoreline by about 100 feet. The county awarded the bid for both Hatteras Island projects to the Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Co., the same company that completed nourishment in northern Outer Banks towns in 2017. The bid price includes the cost of mobilization and demobilization, dredging, placement, grading and environmental protection required under federal and state permits. The Buxton beach nourishment project, done once before in February 2018, includes 2.9 miles of shoreline from north of Buxton to the beachfront near the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse. Maintenance renourishment of this area is scheduled for the summer of 2022. A combination of funds will be used for Hatteras Island renourishment. Dare County is establishing an Avon tax district to pay for its part of the projects, charging an extra 40 cents per $100 of value on homes on the oceanside of N.C. 12 and an additional 10-cent tax for other properties. Avon property owners will pay
Highway 12 leading onto Hatteras Island is covered with sand after Hurricane Dorian hit the area in 2019 in Mirlo Beach. MARK WILSON/GETTY
about half the local project cost, while the Dare County Beach Nourishment Fund, which is funded with occupancy tax on lodging, will pay the other half. The Town of Nags Head is planning a separate beach restoration project to replace sand lost during 2019’s Hurricane Dorian, with a start date this summer and continuing into fall. The Nags Head Board of Commissioners last week awarded a $11.5 million bid to Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Co. The project will place sand on 4.45 miles of beach in south Nags Head, from Jennette’s Pier and stretching south to
the town limits abutting Cape Hatteras National Seashore. Nags Head is creating four additional municipal service taxing districts to pay for the beach nourishment, bringing the town’s total municipal service districts to six. “Because beach nourishment maintains a healthy and attractive recreational beach, protects infrastructure like roads, water lines, sewage systems, electrical services, and beach accesses, while also protecting properties on and adjacent to the oceanfront, every Nags Head property owner realizes benefits,” Mayor Ben Cahoon said.
Last year, the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management granted Dare County access to up to 6.6 million cubic yards of sand from the Outer Continental Shelf to restore 11.6 miles of beaches. Outer Banks beaches drive about $1.4 billion in tourism spending each year, with the year-round population of about 37,000 swelling to 225,000 to 300,000 at times during summer months. But more frequent and powerful storms along the coast, coupled with sea level rise, have led to greater demand for offshore sand to restore and protect coastal communities and habitats, BOEM officials said.
17 Coast | The Virginian-Pilot | Friday, March 4, 2022
Jennette’s Pier Your Happy Place!
252-255-1501 jennettespier.net
ve MarinA Buxton Village Books Pirate’s C v Civil War on Pea Island!
HOME OF THE OUTER BANKS FINEST CHARTER FISHING FLEET
OPEN YEAR ROUND CALL OUR BOOKING DESK National Best Sellers,
Local Books and a whole lot more! 47918 Hwy12, Buxton • 252.995.4240 • buxtonvillagebooks.com • We ship! Winter hours variable. Please call or check Facebook
Hours Vary Seasonally
Offshore - Nearshore - Inlet Make-Up Charters
252.473.3906 | 1.800.367.4728 2000 Sailfish Dr, Manteo, NC 27954 fishpiratescove.com
Friday, March 4, 2022 | The Virginian-Pilot | Coast
18
New insights into coastal lore By Dave Fairbank Correspondent
The best lessons not only inform, Lebame Houston believes, but also entertain and inspire. Not just the target audience, but presenters, as well. That’s why the local historian and archivist is so enthusiastic about the upcoming symposium dedicated to people and developments related to the Outer Banks. “OBX History Weekend: Searchers of New Horizons” is a four-day event, March 30 to April 2, that will include presentations and discussions of colonial figures, Native Americans and modern aviators, site tours and living history episodes. Experts in various fields are expected to attend from all over the country and as far as Europe and Australia. Those who cannot attend in person will send video presentations or participate remotely. “Our focus is on the people that came to the Outer Banks,” Houston said. “They were seeking something, they were inventors, dreamers. They wanted to do something or become something. We decided that we’d put it all together and look at our history and see if we couldn’t bring in some of the leading authorities in the world (to discuss) people who have either been here to gain some inspiration or came here and accomplished
Katharine Wright, center, actively assisted her brothers Wilbur and Orville Wright in their aviation careers, serving as a confidant and sounding board. LIBRARY OF CONGRESS PHOTO
something, we’d like to think, because they were here.” Presentations include new research on the Lost Colonists including new information about Roanoke colonist Thomas Harriot, a brilliant polymath who was an
advisor to Sir Walter Raleigh; the Carolina Algonquians, the Wright Brothers and their sister Katharine, Amelia Earhart, Chuck Yeager, Gen. Billy Mitchell and Francis Rogallo. “There’s been a lot of new and
exciting research,” said Houston, a board member of the First Colony Foundation and the Roanoke Island Historical Association. “We wouldn’t have put this together just to rehash old material.” Site tours will take place at the
Wright Brothers National Memorial, the archaeological grounds at Fort Raleigh and the Billy Mitchell Airstrip in Frisco. Symposium sessions and discussions will be held at the Gazebo Theatre at Fort Raleigh, except for the session on Mitchell, which will be held at the Pioneer Theatre in downtown Manteo. The session includes a screening of the 1955 Gary Cooper film, “The Court-Martial of Billy Mitchell.” On Saturday, April 2, a vintage aircraft fly-over is scheduled, weather permitting, that will be visible from the Wright Brothers Memorial and Fort Raleigh. Artifacts, photos and artwork related to the event will be on display at the Dare County Arts Council building in downtown Manteo from April 1-9. All sessions are free and open to the public, though registration is suggested. For further information and details about each day, go to the Events link at www.bryanculturalseries.org or www.firstcolonyfoundation.org. “A major purpose is to make local people aware of their heritage,” Houston said. “Not just their Elizabethan heritage, but things that have happened in their land. We hope it not only informs, but perhaps they enjoy it and think deeper about where they live and what they can put back into the community.”
Presumed WWII relic churned up on Outer Banks by storm By Kari Pugh Editor
Tom and Lauren Pirozzi found a presumed World War II helmet liner on the beach in Corolla, North Carolina, in November. The Outer Banks became known as“Torpedo Junction”during the war after repeated and deadly German U-boat attacks on ships along the North Carolina coast. COURTESY
Outer Banks property owner Tom Pirozzi and his wife were walking along the beach in Corolla over Thanksgiving when something caught his eye in a pile of seaweed. At first, Pirozzi thought it was just a horseshoe-crab shell, but closer inspection revealed what appears to be an old-style military helmet liner, used as a cushion for steel helmets but also worn alone when not in combat zones. Back home in Pennsylvania, the Pirozzis did some research and believe the relic is a fiberglass, military liner made by Firestone between 1942 and 1945. That’s the same time frame German U-boats bombarded the U.S. East Coast with crippling torpedo attacks, with
as many as 400 merchant and military vessels sunk and thousands killed. At least 80 of those assaults took place off the North Carolina coast, centered around the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse in 1942, earning the region the nickname “Torpedo Junction.” “Flaming tankers burned so brightly off the Outer Banks that on shore, it was said, one could read a newspaper by the glow at night, while the grim flotsam of war — oil, wreckage, and corpses — was strewn across local beaches,” the National Park Service wrote in a history of Torpedo Junction on its website. Lauren Pirozzi said she and her husband have found plenty of whelk shells, sand dollars and “and the normal scallops, clams and oysters” on the beach near their home, but nothing like the old helmet liner, which washed up near a beach access in the
Whalehead community. “So this liner has been churning around for 75 years out in the ocean, until a storm pushed it ashore. It was very likely lost at sea when one of those 400 ships went down,” the Pirozzis wrote on their vacation home Facebook page, Whale Deserved. “Never forget.” Tom Pirozzi enjoys military history and the couple discussed holding on to the liner, but they are also considering donating to a local museum, such as the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum on Hatteras Island, or the National WWII Museum in New Orleans, “someplace that would display it,” Lauren Pirozzi said. While they decide what to do with their find, the post on the couple’s Facebook page has generated more than 700 comments, 4,600 reactions and has been shared more than 4,700 times.
TICKETS ON SALE NOW
Specializing in Catering Services for Weddings & Events
Kristy Woodson Harvey
Fresh Seafood
Steaks
Vegetarian
A Toast to The Wedding Veil
Kids Menu
April 6 11am NouVines Wine Bar
Sandwiches Wood Fired Gourmet Pizzas Homemade Desserts Full Service Bar
tickets available at duckscottage.com
Outside Dining with Ocean Views
Please join us for our inaugural event of the 2022 season and raise a glass to a NYT best-selling author who calls eastern NC home!
Wright Brothers Were Here MP 4.5 Beach Road, Kitty Hawk 252-261-3171 - blackpelican.com
Oceanfront, Kitty Hawk • NC
Voted Best Bookstore on the Beach! 2019-2020-2021
The Bird Store
The Outer Banks Wildlife Art Gallery We carry over 75 artists, and specialize in Outer Banks wildlife! Pelicans, shorebirds, herons, ducks, songbirds and wildlife carvings, seashore paintings and prints, lighthouse art, gifts, cards, and all styles of decoys - antique and decorative. Our 36th year!
252.480.2951 thebirdstoreobx@gmail.com
JUST
807 SOUTH CROATAN HWY KILL DEVIL HILLS, NC 27948 SOUTH OF WRIGHT BROTHERS MEMORIAL
WE DELIVER ON THE PROMISE
“My custom order came faster than anyone else could deliver. The people at Nags Head Hammocks were on top of it every step of the way”
FASTER DELIVERY • BETTER SERVICE ASK ABOUT OUR LOCALS DISCOUNT KILL DEVIL HILLS
COROLLA
DUCK
NAGSHEAD.COM
19 Coast | The Virginian-Pilot | Friday, March 4, 2022
Oceanfront & Open Year Round at 11:30 AM
Friday, March 4, 2022 | The Virginian-Pilot | Coast
20
READY TO START, GROW OR RELOCATE A BUSINESS IN CURRITUCK COUNTY? YOU DON’T HAVE TO DO IT YOURSELF
CALL LARRY Economic Development Director Larry Lombardi is always just a phone call away and ready to answer your questions, offer advice or connect you to new opportunities.
(252) 232-6015 www.ThinkCurrituck.com Larry@ThinkCurrituck.com
21 Coast | The Virginian-Pilot | Friday, March 4, 2022
! Y R U DA O Y TO T S GEKET C TI
CURRITUCK
BULLS&BBQ APRIL92022
Goes Craft Market • Anything Music Featuring • Live Manteo Murphy throwing, Mechanical Bull Rides • Axe Bull Riding Rodeo* • Professional Gates Open: Noon, Rodeo: 3pm • BBQ/Food & Beverage Vendors & More •
Presented by
APRIL 9TH
TICKETS AVAILABLE AT THE STATE-LINE WELCOME CENTER 252.435.2947 BullsAndBBQ.com AT THE CURRITUCK COUNTY RURAL CENTER 184 MILBURN SAWYER ROAD, POWELLS POINT, NC *Rodeo admission: Adults, $15 in advance/$20 at gate, kids 12 and under, $10 in advance/$15 at gate
Friday, March 4, 2022 | The Virginian-Pilot | Coast
22
The outer banks restaurant association’s
M A R C H 25-27 , 2022
OBXTASTEOFTHEBEACH.COM Sponsored in part by the Outer Banks Visitors Bureau
23
it’s that easy! ✔
Selling an item
✔
Celebrating a loved one
✔
Hiring an employee
✔
Announcing an event
✔
Schedule
✔
Layout
✔ Review & Submit
Self-Service Print and Online Display and Classified Ads See Your Options:
Visit: placeanad.tribpub.com
Coast | The Virginian-Pilot | Friday, March 4, 2022
Advertise – –
Friday, March 4, 2022 | The Virginian-Pilot | Coast
24
jew el ry & App ar el
simply southern®
OVER 40 DESIGNS OF T-SHIRTS
Coastal Lifestyle Outfitters New Arrivals
Promotions Storewide
COROLLA 812 Ocean Trail Hwy 12 across from Food Lion Center 252.453.9116
DUCK 1180 Duck Road Lower Hwy 12 on the Soundside 252.261.4828
9:30 am - 5:30 pm WWW.FARMERSDAUGHTEROBX.NET
NAGS HEAD 6803 S. Croatan Hwy. Milepost 16 Highway 158 252.441.3977
HATTERAS 58848 Marina Way Ferry Docks in Hatteras Landing
252.986.9970