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3 Coast | The Virginian-Pilot | Friday, April 1, 2022
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Friday, April 1, 2022 | The Virginian-Pilot | Coast
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Outer Banks Bike Week celebrates 20 years Bike week returns April 16-24 with events across the Outer Banks, along with the annual OBX Bike Rally, a charity event at Vertigo Tattoo featuring a barbecue cookoff, cold beer and oldschool biker games. See obxbikerally.com for details. COURTESY
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
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MP6 Beach Road, 2016 North Virginia Dare Trail, Kill Devil Hills, NC
Historic flat tops, a disappearing Outer Banks design While the rest of the world celebrates Christmas in December, an age-old tradition continues on Hatteras Island, with some odd characters to boot. Page 8
Close encounters
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!
Laura Koubsky recently had a close encounter with a green-winged teal pair showing brilliant colors at Bodie Island. Page 18
Target delayed The opening of the Outer Banks’ first Target store, originally set for this spring, has been pushed back at least a year. Page 23
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.
joelambjr.com • joelambrealty.com • 800-552-6257
EDITOR Kari Pugh karipugh@icloud.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Dave Fairbank, John T. Harper, Kipp Tabb, Vickie Shufer 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
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Coast | The Virginian-Pilot | Friday, April 1, 2022
OUTER BANKS ORIGINAL CHRISTMAS SHOP...SINCE 1967
Friday, April 1, 2022 | The Virginian-Pilot | Coast
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TOP 10 EVENTS APRIL 2022 Exhibition: Searchers of New Horizons | April 1-9 Exhibition of art and artifacts related to history symposium March 30-April 2, featuring explorers and pioneers who came to Outer Banks. Includes Lost Colony-era art work from John White and engravings of Theodor Debry, artifacts from Wright Brothers and sister Katharine, pilot Amelia Earhart, test pilot Chuck Yeager, Gen. Billy Mitchell, aviation pioneer Francis Rogallo. Dare County Arts Council, 300 Queen Elizabeth Ave., Manteo. April 1, 5, 6, 7, 8 — 10 a.m.-5 p.m., April 2, 9 — 10 a.m.-4 p.m. www.darearts.org/ searchersofnewhorizons, 252-473-5558 Exhibition, lectures: Underwater Heritage Symposium | April 2 Speakers and exhibitions on variety of topics, including shipwrecks and submarine loss in the Civil War and World Wars I and II, marine life, underwater photography, and dive experiences. Symposium returns after two-year hiatus due to COVID 19. Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum, 59200 Museum Drive, Hatteras, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Free admission, donations appreciated. www.graveyardoftheatlantic.com, 252986-0720
$4.99
Daily Breakfast Specials 7 am - 11:30 am
Outdoor festival: Currituck Bulls and BBQ | April 9 Family-friendly event featuring food, crafts, games, live music, cornhole tournament, and rodeo (ticketed); Noon-6 p.m.; rodeo 3 p.m.-5:30 p.m., advance tickets $15 age 13-and-up, $10 children age 6-12, $45 family 4-pack; Currituck County Rural Center, 1284 Milburn Sawyer Road, Powells Point. www.visitcurrituck.com/events/bullsand-bbq; 252-435-2947 Theater: Next to Normal | April 14, 15, 16, 17, 21, 22, 23, 24 Theatre of Dare adaptation of awardwinning musical by Brian Yorkey and Tom Kitt. Rock musical that focuses on family dealing with death and mental health issues. Won 2010 Pulitzer Prize for Drama; nominated for 11 Tony Awards in 2009 and won three, including Best Original Score and Best Actress, by Alice Ripley. Tickets TBA, performances April 14, 15, 16, 21, 22, 23 at 7:30 p.m., April 17, 24 at 2 p.m.; 3848 N. Croatan Hwy, Kitty Hawk. www.theatreofdare.com; 252-715-1155 Music: Toad Head | April 15 Northern Virginia-based band making first trip to Outer Banks. Many influences,
including rock, funk, blues, bluegrass and jazz. Original compositions and covers. Jack Brown’s Beer and Burger Joint, 800 S. Virginia Dare Trail, Kill Devil Hills, 7-10 p.m. www.facebook.com/jackbrownskdh, 252-715-3328
covers and originals at venerable island watering hole and live music venue. Turner’s High Moon Bar, 40618 Hwy 12, Avon, 9 p.m.-midnight. www.facebook.com/TurnersRawBar, 252-995-6666 Music: Ballyhoo! and The Elovaters | April 16 Ballyhoo! is a pop reggae band with punk energy from Baltimore and The Elovaters are a reggae band from Boston. Tickets $18. 10:30 p.m-2 a.m., Outer Banks Brewing Station, 600 S. Croatan Hwy, Kill Devil Hills. www.obbrewing.com/events, 252-4492739
Easter celebration: Easter Eggstravaganza | April 16 Family-friendly event at Elizabethan Gardens, weather permitting. Easter egg hunt throughout garden grounds. Requires timed-entry reservation, tickets purchased online only. Tickets available in half-hour increments, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. 1411 National Park Drive, Manteo. www.elizabethangardens.org/events/, 252-473-3234
Music: Anthony Kearns | May 1 Classically-trained Irish tenor with vast catalog, including traditional Irish songs, Broadway show tunes, Italian classics, Viennese love songs. Tours with PBS super-group The Irish Tenors. Has performed for President Obama and Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny. Part of Don and Catharine Bryan Cultural Series; tickets TBA, available starting April 1. St. Andrews By the Sea Episcopal Church, 4212 S. Croatan Hwy, Nags Head, 4 p.m. www.bryanculturalseries.org/2022events; 252-564-7927
Music: Bryan Campbell | April 11, 18, 25, May 2 Local singer-songwriter performs every Monday at Lost Colony Brewery and Tavern in Manteo. 208 Queen Elizabeth Ave., downtown Manteo, 5 p.m.-8 p.m. www.lostcolonybrewery.com, 252-4233033 Music: Rory Kelleher and Brian Surratt | April 14, 28 Hatteras Island musicians combine for
Look what Jolly’s doing this season!
April
2022 Events and Specials!
RESTAURANT & BAR
Karaoke Nightly with Hambone from 9 pm - midnight! COVID Rules Apply
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
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LOCALS APPRECIATION NIGHT
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Great Drink Specials All Day!
All You Can Eat
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$27.95
Watch NASCAR with US Great Drink Specials
NTN Poker Tournament 5pm
Italian Specials
25% OFF Steaks
Wii Bowling Tournament 6 pm
Tuesday
Wednesday
$2 MUG Looking for AND
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Live Trivia and Musical Bingo
6 PM - 8 PM
year-round locals to sign up for our Birthday Club. Visit our Gift Shop! We also sell homemade italian, chocolate chip, and peanut butter cookies!
Thursday
NTN Poker
Tournament 5-7 pm
Friday
10oz
Tapa’s Prime Rib night $16.95 Items w/seafood change $19.95 on the Beach! weekly BestShrimp & Grits Come & $15.95 music with Enjoy Live Joel on Friday
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nights from
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Easter Specials
Saturday
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Ham Dinner
APPETIZER
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clams shrimp mussels Italian sausage corn cobettes in a white wine garlic sauce with a hint of tomato over linguine
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Macaroni and lobster smothered in a three cheese pancetta sauce, topped with lobster, sliced tomatoes and seasoned bread crumbs.
$21.95
Check with your server for the seafood creation of the night.
441-6530 • www.jollyrogerobx.com • MP 6 3/4 Beach Road, KDH
Turkey Dinner
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$17.95
(SERVED ALL DAY STARTING AT 11:30 AM)
Dinner Specials Start at 4 pm
INCLUDING FULL REGULAR MENU
Locals! - Nightly 20% OFF Dinner w/ Local ID
Locals! - Mon-Fri 20% OFF Lunch w/ Local ID
7 Coast | The Virginian-Pilot | Friday, April 1, 2022
ON THE TOWN
Old Crow, a Nashville-based sextet, is playing at Roanoke Island Festival Park in Manteo in April. COURTESY PHOTOS
Old Crow Medicine Show, with Chatham Rabbits Friday, April 29
Old Crow’s sound defies easy summary. The Nashville-based sextet, playing at Roanoke Island Festival Park in Manteo, has been making music of their own curious invention since 1998. It’s jangly with touches of old-timey country, bluegrass, rock and alt-country, played with an attractive looseness and filled with joyful harmonies. They’re members of the Grand Ole Opry and they won a Grammy for “Best Folk Album” for 2015’s “Remedy.” Oh, and if you’ve been to a wedding or attended a frat party over the last nine years, their country-rock jam “Wagon Wheel” probably had you busting a move. The group employs a wide range of instruments for their hybrid sound, including guitars, banjo, fiddle, drums, keyboards, Dobro and mandolin. Old Crow has released six studio albums as of April 1. On April 22, the band will drop a fulllength record called “Paint This Town.” A sneak listen to the title track finds the sextet getting in touch with their inner John Mellencamp (not that there’s anything wrong with that) for a slice of rootsy Americana with a “Cherry Bomb” vibe.
Chatham Rabbits — made up of husband-and-wife Austin and Sarah McCombie — opens for Old Crow. With Sarah on banjo and vocals and Austin on guitar and vocals, the Bynambased duo traffics in traditional folk music. It’s low-fi, but plenty lively with some sweet close harmonies. When: Friday, April 29, doors open at 5 p.m., with music starting at 6:30 p.m. (rain or shine) Cost: $35 in advance, $40 at the door Where: Roanoke Island Festival Park, 1 Festival Park, Manteo Info and tickets: vusicfest.com Note: It’s lawn seating, so bring a blanket or low-back chair.
Zack Mexico, with Community Witch Saturday,April 23
Zack Mexico is playing Saturday, April 23, at Outer Banks Brewing Station in Kill Devil Hills. That’s all most local club-hoppers need to know. The homegrown sextet — John Saturley on guitar and vocals, Jamie Brumbeloe on guitar, Matt Wentz on guitar, Stephen Brown on bass, Joshua Martier on drums and Joey LaFountaine on drums — has
Zack Mexico, a major force on the Outer Banks music scene since 2010, plays Outer Banks Brewing Station in April.
been a major force on the Outer Banks music scene since 2010. They’ve recorded five albums and Eps and toured the U.S. and Europe. Their live performances are best described as sonic flights, inviting listeners to join them on a higher plane. For the uninitiated, here’s an introduction to Mexico’s sound: It’s abstract, but melodic and accessible. Think Pink Floyd meets Radiohead, with a touch of pop. Saturley’s spatial voice is surrounded
by atmospheric textures created by the six inventive musicians. “We try to make John’s brain come alive,” says LaFountaine of Saturley, who writes most of the band’s material. “But it (songwriting) has become more collaborative over the years.” The group’s last album, 2020’s “Sound Waves for the Relaxed and Dying,” contains some of the group’s most-compelling songs, which LaFountaine, the band’s spokesman, describes as “ long movements.” “My Star” is a dreamy but pulsating blast of space-age rock; “The Odyssey” features swirling, distorted guitar sounds, shotgun drumming and whale-sized bass riffs; and the almost-10-minute opus “Meric Clanson” is both hypnotic and danceable. “John writes good, simple melodies,” says LaFountaine. “It puts us in the pressure cooker to flesh them out.” These kids — the musicians are all in their 30s — are all right. Community Witch is a Norfolk-based, all-female band that merges punk, garagerock and new-wave using the basic unit of two guitars, bass and drums. When: 10 p.m. April 23 Cost: $10 Where: Outer Banks Brewing Station, 600 S. Croatan Hwy., milepost 8, Kill Devil Hills Info: 252-449-2739, obbrewing.com
Friday, April 1, 2022 | The Virginian-Pilot | Coast
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A 1950s-era photo of 159 Wax Myrtle Trail, a flat top home open for the Southern Shores Historic Flat Top Cottage Tour on April 30. SALLY GUDAS/COURTESY
ICONIC FLAT TOPS
offer a glimpse into Outer Banks history By Kipp Tabb | Correspondent Sally and Stephen Gudas are sitting at their dining room table in their Southern Shores flat top home. What is now the dining room was at one time the front porch, so some of the classic features of the flat top are not there, although the walls are simple concrete blocks. Looking into the living room, though, there is no doubt this is an original Frank Stick-designed flat top. The wood paneling is a rich, dark brown, typical of the juniper paneling and beams that were used in building the homes. There is no drywall, no basement, just a concrete block home with simple
elegant lines. At one time there were almost 300 of them in the town, but that was before property values soared, original owners passed away and in many cases families felt they had no choice but to sell the property. There are, though 24 or 25 of these classic icons of design left,
and almost half of them will be on the Southern Shores Flat Top Tour on Saturday, April 30. For the owners, having a flat top is both a labor of love and a love affair. For Stephen Gudas that love affair began almost 40 years ago. “I rented this in ‘85 fell in love with it,” he said. “We rented it from the owner in ‘95 and then 10 years later from him and then…we got it from him in 2009. And we’ve had it for 13 years now.” The Gudas are not the only family who have fallen in love with a flat top. For John Price, an Outer Banks vacation had been part of his
life from the 1960s and 70s when, “… I was fortunate enough…to get a permit to go past Duck in my dad’s 72 Kingswood wagon with my brother.” At the time the paved road ended at the Currituck County line and permission was needed to go past the guardhouse at Pine Island and drive to Corolla. He and his wife were about to begin building on a sound front lot in Southern Shores when he saw a listing for a flat top beachfront property with more than one building. Turn to Page 10
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I asked what kind of family Amina wanted. She said, ‘A family like yours.’ That’s when I knew I had to adopt her.
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Coast | The Virginian-Pilot | Friday, April 1, 2022
Seasonal Nightly Entertainment!
Friday, April 1, 2022 | The Virginian-Pilot | Coast
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“I showed her this listing and I said, ‘I can’t follow this listing. It’s got two kitchens, and it doesn’t add up.’ We got on the plane the next day, and we looked at it and said, ‘We’ve got to have this. We really like the flat top and preservation,” he said, adding, “You know, my wife and I are so happy to be here. We don’t rent. We’re starting to spend more time together here than we do in Ohio.” The history of the flat top homes in many ways tells the story of Southern Shores. The homes were designed by
Frank Stick, one of the preeminent illustrators of sporting magazines in the first 25 years of the 20th century. From 1903, when he sold his first print to Sports Afield magazine until the 1920s, his depictions of outdoor life amid an American landscape were regularly featured in the Saturday Evening Post, Ladies Home Journal, Field and Stream, and other publications. By 1929, when he moved to the Outer Banks, he had grown tired of the grind of turning out illustrations on demand and was no longer producing art for publications. Living on the Outer Banks, Stick
became involved in a number of activities. His passionate advocacy for a national park was instrumental in the creation of Cape Hatteras National Seashore. He also was involved in real estate and buying land. His largest land purchase by far was the 1947 purchase of 2,600 acres just north of Kitty Hawk. He paid $30,000 for the land. His plan seemed simple. Word War II had just ended and he knew returning servicemen would start families, build careers and want to take vacations. He called his 2,600 acres “Southern Shores,” divided it
into lots and tried selling the Outer Banks as a vacation destination. Except no one was buying. He teamed up with his son, David, who is perhaps best known as the author of “Graveyard of the Atlantic,” and they came up with the idea of selling a lot with a home for $12,000. The homes would be simple concrete structures, one story, with two or maybe three bedrooms. The design, according to an account David wrote for the Outer Banks History Center, was based on Turn to Page 11
The Price Cottage in Southern Shores home is one of about two dozen flat top homes left on the Outer Banks. At one time, there were about 300. COURTESY
11
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ily Sized Try Our Fam and Picnics To Go e! uc get a Free Sa Sally and Stephen Gudas say they love the simplicity of design of their historic flat top home in Southern Shores. COURTESY from Page 10
cinder block homes his father had seen while in Florida on a fishing expedition. To make their plan work, father and son had to keep costs down. To do that they used the cheapest and most plentiful local wood they could find — juniper. Initially, in the quest to keep costs to an absolute minimum, they used sand from the beach for the concrete blocks. There are reports of shells embedded in the concrete in some of the very first flat top homes. The homes were remarkably well made. Juniper naturally resists rot and is a very fragrant wood retaining its scent for some time. The concrete blocks have stood the test of time in the homes that are still standing. The quality of the construction of the homes was part of the Frank Stick vision; in a 2004 interview his son said the homes were designed so that additions could be added and most were so well built a second floor was possible. Because of that, some flat tops have four or even five bedrooms. There are also a few that have added a second story. But for the Gudas and Jones it’s the very simplicity of design that attracts them, the fact the homes are open and airy and a part of the fabric of the Outer Banks.
“People are nostalgic about it being a simpler time,” Sally said. “Everybody likes different things. When you build these big (homes)…you could be here for a whole week or even a month and not really experience what this place is about. But when you’re in a flat top you just get more. It’s definitely much more nature oriented than being hermetically sealed.” The Southern Shores Flat Top Tour will be held Saturday April 30 from 1-5 p.m. Tickets are available the day of the tour only. For more information call 804-399-8342 or email seatide1@gmail.com. Homes on the tour include: 218 Ocean Blvd., the Mackey Cottage 176 Ocean Blvd., the Price Cottages 170 Ocean Blvd., Pink Perfection (Edith Pipkin Cottage) 157 Ocean Blvd., Sea Breezes 23 Porpoise Run, Sokol-Clements Cottage 156 Wax Myrtle Trail, ClarkeGudas Cottage 159 Wax Myrtle Trail, Falconer Cottage 69 Ocean Blvd., Sea Spray Cottage 43 Ocean Blvd., Powell-Harritt Cottage 40 Skyline Road, Beach Box Flat Top (Mitchell) 13 Skyline Road, Outer Banks Community Foundation
In Season
OPEN 7 Days a Week from 11am til 9pm!
Coast | The Virginian-Pilot | Friday, April 1, 2022
We dogs Caterin Too!
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12 Friday, April 1, 2022 | The Virginian-Pilot | Coast
Pirates ~ Puzzles ~ Games ~ John Deere
A Hatteras Island Tradition Avon, North Carolina
Spring hours: 2 pm - 9 pm daily Closed on Tuesdays
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
Hawaiian Shaved Ice Italian Ice Shakes Sundaes Smoothies
Custom Ice Cream Cakes! 252-995-0202 40146 N.C 12 in Avon
Salt Water Taffy ~ Truffles Fudge ~ Chocolates 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
Coast | The Virginian-Pilot | Friday, April 1, 2022
Hatteras Island
13
12 Friday, April 1, 2022 | The Virginian-Pilot | Coast
Pirates ~ Puzzles ~ Games ~ John Deere
A Hatteras Island Tradition Avon, North Carolina
Spring hours: 2 pm - 9 pm daily Closed on Tuesdays
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
Hawaiian Shaved Ice Italian Ice Shakes Sundaes Smoothies
Custom Ice Cream Cakes! 252-995-0202 40146 N.C 12 in Avon
Salt Water Taffy ~ Truffles Fudge ~ Chocolates 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
Coast | The Virginian-Pilot | Friday, April 1, 2022
Hatteras Island
Friday, April 1, 2022 | The Virginian-Pilot | Coast
14
Drinking it in Innovators compete in open-ocean trials using waves to turn ocean water into drinking water
A crew from East Carolina University’s Coastal Studies Institute maneuvers their research vessel into place at Jennette’s Pier in Nags Head so they can launch a chain pile anchor and mooring system in advance of the Waves to Water ocean energy contest. COURTESY Virginian-Pilot staff
Reliable access to fresh water is critical for water-scarce coastal and island communities and those hit hard by natural disasters. That’s why the U.S. Department of Energy and its National Renewable Energy Laboratory launched the Waves to Water Prize, a competition for innovators designed to accelerate the development of small, modular, wave-energy-powered desalination systems. The event is a three-year, five-stage competition that offers up to $3.3 million in cash awards.
Beginning in 2019, 60 teams proposed, developed and designed systems that could be shipped in a standard container measuring just over a cubic meter, deployed in under 48 hours, and produce potable water from seawater. Five devices made it to the DRINK Finale and started their first open-ocean tests at Jennette’s Pier on March 30. The in-water tests continue for five days, with related educational activities happening at the pier in Nags Head all week. “Access to fresh water is becoming more and more critical,” said
Scott Jenne, NREL’s principal investigator for the Waves to Water Prize. “This is especially true in remote locations if a natural disaster destroys access to a municipal water supply.” During the first stage, teams took their desalination ideas from paper to prototype. They built their systems — which included wide-ranging designs like inflatable rafts, undulating seesaws, and a big, yellow, spinning top — and tested the devices’ ability to turn saltwater into fresh drinking water using wave energy. Teams also strategized how to manufacture
their prototypes and developed plans to transport and operate them with the agility needed for post-disaster deployment when a quick response can save lives. Those winners each earned $100,000 to build and ship their designs to North Carolina for the final stage. The projects include: Project 816’s Ballast, Buoys, and
Borrowing from Archimedes device can be deployed in a variety of site conditions by just two people with common equipment Turn to Page 16
Friday, April 1, 2022 | The Virginian-Pilot | Coast
16 from Page 14
even the harshest conditions.
and basic tools. The inflatable, raftbased wave energy converter—built with commercial, off-the-shelf components—powers a land-based desalination system.
Riding the energy wave
Sea Potential’s DUO Wave-Powered Desalination System is an inflatable device that captures energy using a hydraulic cylinder (which uses liquid instead of air or electricity to power mechanics). The device uses that energy to pump seawater through a reverse-osmosis membrane, which extracts salt and other impurities to produce drinkable water. MarkZero Prototypes’ rapidly
deployable MZSP Freshwater Production System features pivoting arms, inflatable pontoons, an onboard, reverse-osmosis system (which turns salt water into fresh water), and a constant-pressure, variable-moment pump, all designed to meet the changing demands of diverse ocean conditions.
A team from East Carolina University’s Coastal Studies Institute testing wavepowered prototypes for making ocean water potable. COURTESY PHOTOS Oneka Technologies’ Oneka
Snowflake, the Wave-Powered Watermaker, is a circular, raftlike device that can be assembled without tools. Easy to install and adaptable to most ocean conditions, the Snowflake can produce up to 10,000 liters of clean water per week (enough for about 450 people), which is especially important for disaster and recovery situations.
WATER BROS’ Wave Actuated,
Tethered, Emergency Response, Buoyant Reverse Osmosis System (WATER BROS) is a wave-powered device that has a unidirectional, rotational wave-energy conversion mechanism. Optimized for emergency response, WATER BROS is not only rapidly deployable, low cost, and highly resilient, but it also uses near-shore waves to generate clean drinking water in
East Carolina University’s Coastal Studies Institute has partnered with DOE to host the prize finalists at Jennette’s Pier, with experts assessing how the final designs perform in the open-ocean trials. One winning team will earn the $500,000 grand prize for the best overall system; other teams can earn smaller prizes—adding up to a combined pool of an additional $500,000 for metrics like highest water production, cleanest water, and simplest deployment. “Our mission,” Jenne said, “is to provide a solution that complements current technology and helps deliver clean water to communities for disaster relief purposes and to remote communities around the globe.” CompetitorsintheWavestoWater Prizereceiveadditionalsupportfrom EngineeringforChange,theInternationalDesalinationAssociation,and JanickiIndustries.
Researchers and engineers from East Carolina University’s Coastal Studies Institute and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory deploy a wave energy desalination device from Jennette’s Pier in Nags Head in preparation for the Waves to Water Prize competition in April.
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Pirate’s C v ve MarinA Buxton Village Books
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CLOSE ENCOUNTERS
Vickie Shufer Paul Simms photographed an “eagle drying after a bath at the Narrows at First Landing State Park” in Virginia Beach. Randy Latimer sent a photo of an osprey carrying a branch in its talons. “The ospreys are back,” wrote Latimer. “And rebuilding their nests at Dam Neck in Virginia Beach.” C. J. Maziarz sent photos of an osprey fishing at Pleasure House Point in Virginia Beach. “Here it is, hitting the water and emerging with a fish in its claws,” wrote Maziarz. Rick Robillard photographed a snowy egret standing in shallow water at Pleasure House Point in Virginia Beach. Evan Rhodes spotted a large flock of snow geese at Mackay Island National Wildlife Refuge in North Carolina resting and feeding in preparation for their flight going north. Woody Stephens photographed wood ducks in the tributary off Buchanan Creek in Thalia in Virginia Beach. “This is the first time I’ve seen any since last fall,” wrote Stephens. Wood ducks are pairing up now for the nesting season. Suzy Szymanski photographed a female mallard on her nest under a bush in front of her dining room window in the Emerald Forest neighborhood in Chesapeake. The mallard had plucked off some of her feathers to soften the nest. “This mallard is nesting for the second year,” wrote Szymanski. “Last year she laid nine eggs, but we never saw ducklings. Hoping for a better outcome this year.” Mike Weirich sent photos of killdeer that he spotted while biking at the Virginia Beach Turn to Encounters, Page 22
An eagle dries off after a bath at the Narrows at First Landing State Park in Virginia Beach. COURTESY OF PAUL SIMMS
An osprey lifts a fish in its claws from the water at Pleasure House Point in Virginia Beach. COURTESY OF C. J. MAZIARZ
A snowy egret stands in the shallow water at Pleasure House Point in Virginia Beach. COURTESY OF RICK ROBILLARD
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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. If you’re looking to start, grow or expand a business, there’s no better resource in the region.
(252) 232-6015 | www.ThinkCurrituck.com | Larry@ThinkCurrituck.com
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A Land of Legendary Wild Horses The legendary wild horses of Corolla roam the beaches just north of where paved roads come to an end on the northern Outer Banks. Descendants of Spanish Colonial Mustangs, these local icons were deposited here almost five centuries ago, and many visitors book a tour with one of several local guides to see them.
The Currituck Beach Lighthouse A beacon helping guide travelers for well over a century, the Currituck Beach Light towers over the Outer Banks landscape. Still serving to aid navigation its light can be seen for over 20 miles. For a small fee, visitors can climb the winding staircase for a wide-open view of both the Currituck Sound and the Atlantic Ocean.
The Currituck Maritime Museum Located across the park from Whalehead, the new Currituck Maritime Museum tells the integral story of the history of wooden boats on the northern OBX and those who crafted them, with interactive exhibits and artifacts illuminating their legacy.
Spring has arrived and many visiting families are simply planning to head north and find their way here. It is nice to know that the legendary Wild Horses of Corolla, iconic sites like the Currituck Beach Lighthouse, Whalehead and the new Currituck Maritime Museum await you and yours here, in Corolla.
877.287.7488
CorollaNC.com
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Find Your Way to Corolla, NC
Friday, April 1, 2022 | The Virginian-Pilot | Coast
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CLOSE ENCOUNTERS
Encounters from Page 18
Sports Center in Virginia Beach. “I was surprised at the number of people that did not know anything about the killdeer and their wounded wing routine,” wrote Weirich. “Still not sure why they insist on building their nest on the ground.” Bob Creekmore photographed a Cooper’s hawk outside his kitchen window one evening in the Great Bridge area of Chesapeake. “He was stalking a squirrel in our flower bed,” wrote Creekmore. Connie Owen photographed a pileated woodpecker probing for insects on the trunk of a tree in her backyard in the Robinhood Forest area of Virginia Beach. “I have been enjoying bird watching in the backyard, especially while the deciduous trees are without their leaves,” wrote Owen. “Makes the viewing much better. There is a fair amount of deadwood on some of my trees, which I am sure has tasty bugs for the woodpeckers.” Stacey Enesey Klemencz sent photos of cedar waxwings that have finally arrived to devour her holly berries in South Shires Estates in Virginia Beach. “They are like a swarm of locusts,” wrote Klemencz. “The resident mockingbird and robin don’t take too kindly to hem, but I look forward to their visit each year. Once the berries are gone so are they.” Jonathan Snyder sent a photo of a cedar waxwing perched on a branch in his backyard in the Sawyers Mill neighborhood in Chesapeake. Reuben Rohn sent a photo of a bluegray gnatcatcher at Stumpy Lake in Virginia Beach. “A harbinger of spring,” wrote Rohn. “They have begun to appear here.” The gnatcatchers flutter among the trees looking for tiny insects to feed on. Harold Winer photographed a brilliant male Baltimore oriole and a colorful male bluebird at his feeders in Kings Grant in Virginia Beach. Laura Joksaite sent a photo of a green tree frog resting on a flower about to open in her backyard in the Robinhood Forest area of Virginia Beach. “She was always smiling,” wrote Joksaite.
A green tree frog rests on a flower about to open in the Robinhood Forest area in Virginia Beach.
Wood ducks begin pairing up and seeking out nesting areas for the mating season in a tributary off Buchanan Creek in Thalia in Virginia Beach. COURTESY OF WOODY STEPHENS
COURTESY OF LAURA JOKSAITE
Cedar waxwings arrive to devour the holly berries in South Shires Estates in Virginia Beach. COURTESY OF STACEY ENESEY KLEMENCZ
Vickie Shufer, wildfood@cox.net To submit items, email no more than two photos and/or nature sightings each week for possible publication in Close Encounters. Don’t forget your full name and neighborhood. Email photos as .jpg attachments to wildfood@cox.net. If you have injured wildlife, call Tidewater Wildlife Rescue, 255-8710. Wildlife Response can be reached at 543-7000.
A killdeer hunkers down on its nest on the ground at the Virginia Beach Sports Center in Virginia Beach. COURTESY OF MIKE WEIRICH
A pileated woodpecker probes for insects on the trunk of a tree in the Robinhood Forest area of Virginia Beach. COURTESY OF CONNIE OWENS
Outer Banks wild horse, struggling without his family, taken to farm By Kari Pugh Editor
The Corolla Wild Horse Fund rescued a foal from the wild after he was found struggling without his family. At the end of February, the group learned that Brio, a horse born last summer, seemed to be alone. “While he was understandably calling for his mother and the other horses, he did not seem to be in any immediate physical danger,” herd manager Meg Puckett wrote in a Thursday Facebook post. “Since he was technically old enough to be weaned, we consulted with the vet and decided not to intervene right away, and wait to see if he joined back up with the group that contains his dad Rocky, grandmother, and Betsy, who was also born last year. His mom was nowhere to be found.” The organization, which manages the herd of about 100 wild mustangs roaming the northernmost beaches of the Outer Banks, watched Brio for about a week. “And while he did settle down and stop calling for his mom, he never moved very far from the place where he was first spotted,” Puckett wrote. Brio’s dad and the rest of the family, minus his mother, were within eyesight several times earlier this month, and he never showed any interest in them, nor they in him.
Brio at the Corolla Wild Horse Fund rescue farm after he was removed from the beach. COURTESY
A few days later, caretakers found Brio becoming weak and lethargic. He had lost weight and was wobbly in his back legs. “It was clear that Brio was certainly not
going to thrive on his own, and most likely would not survive,” Puckett wrote. Fund workers caught him and took him to their rescue farm in Grandy, where he
was diagnosed with pneumonia. He was started on antibiotics and has a follow-up appointment this week about his legs. Puckett said they’ve already seen improvement, with Brio more alert and aware of his surroundings and feeling better in general. Caretakers have found Brio is small and immature for his age and does not seem to have developed proper social skills when it comes to interacting with other horses. “This alone put him at great risk of being injured or killed in the wild,” Puckett said. What happened to Brio’s mother remains a mystery. The two were last seen together a few weeks ago and both seemed to be in decent shape. “It’s possible she weaned him, or left him behind because she could tell he was sick. It’s also possible that she has died,” Puckett said. “We have been keeping a close eye out for her, but the majority of the area where they lived is very remote and difficult to access.” Puckett said it’s always devastating to have to remove a horse from the wild, but caretakers are “cautiously optimistic” he will pull through. Horses that are removed from the beach can’t be returned to the wild. After being treated, the mustangs are acclimated to humans and being fed, and are vaccinated. If you’d like to help with Brio’s care and rehabilitation, you can donate directly through the Corolla Wild Horse Fund’s Facebook page. Kari Pugh, kari.pugh @virginiamedia.com
Outer Banks Target no longer on target for opening this year By Kari Pugh
Editor
The Outer Banks’ first Target won’t open this year after all. Construction is still underway on the much-anticipated 80,000-square-foot store in Kill Devil Hills, but plans to open this year have been pushed to 2023. “As external circumstances continue to evolve, there will naturally be some delays and shifts,” company spokesman Anthony Thomas said in an email. He did not elaborate on the delays, but said the store is now slated to open next year. The Target will be in the old Kmart building at 1901 N. Croatan Highway. The Kmart closed in April 2020 after a 30-year run as one of two big box retailers on the Outer Banks, sharing the market with Walmart in Kitty Hawk. Kmart was popular with tourists for its beach shop, and had survived 15 years of Sears and Kmart closures across the coun-
Constuction on a Target store in Kill Devil Hills began in November. Originally scheduled to open this year, the store now is set to open in 2023. STAFF FILE
try. It was North Carolina’s last remaining Kmart. Target purchased the building early last year and originally planned to tear down the aging structure, but later said it would
remodel the existing store, which sits on a 14-acre plot of land owned by the Wright Company Inc. of Virginia Beach. Transformco, a holding company for Sears and Kmart properties, announced
the sale of the building in January 2021. Construction began in November. Kari Pugh, kari.pugh @virginiamedia.com
Coast | The Virginian-Pilot | Friday, April 1, 2022
After falling out of the fold, foal rescued
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