Outlook 2023: 24 Hours on Our Coastland

24 Hours on Our Coastland

Coastland Times Theresa Schneider Publisher

Philip S. Ruckle Jr. Summer Stevens

Danielle Puleo

Mary Helen

Goodloe-Murphy

Staff Writers

Hannah Russ

Marketing Consultant

For additional copies, stop by our office at 207 Queen Elizabeth Ave., Ste. 10 in Manteo. Contact us by calling 252-473-2105, emailing news@thecoastlandtimes.com or by mail at PO Box 400, Manteo, NC 27954.

Hospitality 24/7

Open 24 hours a day all 365 days of each year, at mile post 1.5 the Hilton Garden Inn Outer Banks in Kitty Hawk is the first of more than three dozen hotels that visitors from the north encounter as they cruise down NC 12.

Ready at the front desk to greet guests most nights is Monica Zafra, one of about 90 employees the hotel has on hand to provide visitors with a pleasant home away from home experience.

“I like meeting guests and talking with them,” said Zafra, who started

working at the Hilton in 2006 when the hotel first opened its doors to the public.

Sometimes those talks are when guests check in and other times while checking out. Other times when they come down for coffee, or sometimes just to talk with her at the front desk. In any case, she takes time to have a friendly conversation.

Like when two guests check out at 12:48 a.m. and then again a few minutes later as another lady takes her dog out for a walk.

When talking with guests, Zafra often asks if they are Club members or want to be Club members. She directs guests to a small room just around the corner from the front desk with an assortment of personal care items, snacks and drinks. Each member earns points from their stay and can use those points at the in-house restaurant or to purchase

by Philip S. Ruckle Jr.

items from the pantry.

Although a majority of guests stopping in from all across the U.S. and Canada generally arrive earlier in the day, there is still plenty for Zafra and her night time coworkers to do during a regular 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. shift.

In addition to welcoming late arrivals to the Hilton at the beginning of their stay, among other things Zafra confirms guest identities, matches names to room assignments and collects an extra fee along with the required paperwork if there are pets.

When not talking to people face to face, she might be found chatting over the phone when people call to check on room prices or if a guest has a question or problem in their room. In those latter cases, after talking a minute or two, Zafra may have to go upstairs to help resolve an issue for one of the guests.

Returning to the front desk, a check sheet of tasks to be completed during each shift is reviewed.

One item is to provide bags with water for Diamond Club members. There is also a tour – or several tours – of each hotel hallway to the 180 rooms to make sure everything is clean and safe.

“A lot of people want to stay here,”

Philip S. Ruckle Jr. photo Monica Zafra works at the front desk of the Hilton Garden Inn Outer Banks in Kitty awk. At mile post . , it is the rst of more than three do en hotels that visitors from the north encounter as they cruise down NC 12.

said Zafra. “They pay good money to stay here and they don’t want to go someplace else. So we need to make sure that everything is right for them. So they are happy and want to come back.”

Sometimes that requires a room switch if there is a problem, or if for some other reason the customer is not

happy.

“It is very much like saying that the guest is always right,” explained Zafra. “And when we deal with guests we try to go beyond what is required. We try to do more than what we are supposed to do, because we care.”

It might also mean when the hotel is booked solid she might be cleaning a room after an early checkout so the room could be resold.

It’s just a quick clean, changing bed sheets and providing clean towels. Housekeeping takes care of any major cleaning of rooms and providing towels and other things.

“We don’t vacuum because we don’t want to wake up the other guests,” Zafra explained of the late night quick clean. With rooms assigned by the morning manager who checks guest requests, that helps provide a less active evening shift.

“I like working nights because they are generally more calm,” continued Zafra.

She then added that she doesn’t always sleep well at night anyway. Zafra went on to say nights were a perfect schedule fit while working another job, although she gave up the other job when she married and later had twins born in March 2022.

That doesn’t mean nothing goes on at night. Sometimes, more often in the summer months, a lot of people check in during her shift. Especially at those times when the hotel is sold out.

“Sometimes people do come in late at night,” Zafra commented. “That is more frequently in the summer months when we have weddings and groups and a lot of events.”

Overall, Zafra said, the Hilton is a nice place to work because her co-workers are more or less like family.

“And,” she continued, “if we do have an issue outside of work with problems, when we come in to work our boss will try to help us figure out how to solve it. That’s a good thing, that at the Hilton they care a lot about you.”

Philip S. Ruckle Jr. photo

Monica checks the computer while working the front desk of the Hilton Garden Inn Outer Banks in Kitty Hawk.

Justice 24 hours a day

by Philip S. Ruckle Jr.

People don’t usually show up at the magistrate’s office in the middle of the night on a good day when things are going well.

In most cases, people seek out a magistrate when they have a problem and need help solving it, or at other times when they broke the law that created a problem and the police brought them in wearing handcuffs as part of the solution.

As a Constitutional member of the judicial branch of government, magistrates provide an independent and impartial review of complaints brought to them by law enforcement officers or the general public. At least one or more of the more than 670 North Carolina magistrates are on duty 24 hours a day every day of the year in all 100 counties.

As salaried state employees, magistrates perform numerous duties in both civil and criminal proceedings.

“The majority of what we see at night are domestic and driving while impaired cases,” says Currituck County Chief Magistrate Melissa Ferrell. I would say probably 90 percent.”

A deputy or a citizen will provide information for a magistrate to determine probable cause to charge. If a person being charged is already in

custody, the paperwork is a magistrate order. If that person has not been arrested yet, a warrant for arrest is the proper paperwork.

Ferrell explained that in most cases when a person is arrested and brought in front of a magistrate, the first step

is to establish probable cause for any charges. If there is, a court date is set and conditions of release are determined based on the nature of the charges, probability that the person charged will appear in court, and consideration of safety to the public or to

Philip S. Ruckle Jr. photo Currituck County Chief Magistrate Melissa Ferrell takes a complaint call. Magistrates are required to have several hours of continuing education on a wide range of criminal law and civil law subjects to be able to answer questions and perform their duties, but providing legal advice is prohibited; only an attorney can do that.

the defendant. Other considerations include where the defendant lives, here locally in the county or in some other part of the United States or another country.

If they qualify, an unsecured bond is set, which means a defendant does not have to post any money to come back to court unless they miss a court date. If a secured bond is required, a bond scale established by district and superior court judges is used as a guide for how much bond should be.

Every step of the way is recorded through a new statewide computer system that is somewhat less than user friendly.

“When the new system works correctly it allows an officer to enter all the criminal violation information,” advised Ferrell. “A magistrate can then review it and approve it, and can print out the warrant for arrest from an offsite location.”

As with most places on the Outer Banks, magistrates are generally busier in the summer and can see half a dozen or more calls in a night. At other times there are nights that pass without any calls, but even then magistrates must still be ready and available.

Unlike judges, who are elected, magistrates are nominated for office by the clerk of superior court, appointed by the senior resident superior court judge, and supervised by the chief district court judge.

In order to be a magistrate one

must be a resident of North Carolina, reside in the county or one contiguous to that county, and have a fouryear degree from an accredited senior institution of higher education. In the absence of a four-year degree, a twoyear associate degree and four years of work experience in a related field will do. A law degree is not required to be a magistrate and those in North Carolina who are attorneys are prohibited from practicing law while in office as a magistrate.

Each year magistrates are required to have several hours of continuing education on a wide range of criminal law and civil law subjects related to the performance of their duties. As an appointed judicial official, magistrates earn no sick leave or earn vacation days.

While they don’t normally take place at night, the magistrate is the only civil official in the state who can perform a marriage ceremony. Other duties and responsibilities of a magistrate set out by statute include:

• Issue criminal arrest warrants, search warrants, subpoenas and capiases

• Conduct initial appearances on criminal matters

• Set release conditions for non-capital offenses

• Accept guilty pleas and enter judgment for minor misdemeanors and infractions

• Administer oaths

• Conduct hearings for driver license revocations

• Hold vehicle towing validation hearings

• Validate impounding of vehicles in certain traffic offense charges

• Take depositions and examination before trial

• Take affidavits for verification of pleadings

• Provide punishment for direct criminal contempt

• Assign year’s allowances to surviving spouses and children

• Take acknowledgment of written contract or separation agreement

• Accept applications for involuntary commitments

• Issue temporary domestic violence protection orders under certain emergency conditions

• Appoint an umpire pursuant to North Carolina law to determine the amount of property damage to a motor vehicle

• Accept waivers of trial for some guilty pleas and, in appropriate cases, enter judgment and collect fines, penalties and costs

• Conduct small claims court hearings in cases involving disputes up to $10,000

• Enter orders for summary ejectment known as the eviction process

• Some magistrates are authorized to hear and enter judgments on worthless check cases <$2,000

2:00AM

Keeping watch, no matter the hour

by Philip S. Ruckle Jr.

Not your typical home away from home, the Dare County Detention Center can house more than 100 people at any given time.

Every day, 24 hours a day, a crew of trained detention officers are on duty watching over people awaiting trial for a criminal offense, awaiting transport to a state prison after being convicted of one or serving a sentence of up to 24 months. At the end of April, staff was watching over 57 men and 15 women.

While most activity takes place during daytime hours, even though residents are locked down from 11:30 p.m. until 6 a.m., there is still plenty to do in the middle of the night. Crime does not follow any preset schedule.

Officially the job duties for a detention officer include ensuring the safety and security of the residents housed within the jail walls, controlling inmates by performing routine facility checks and conducting head counts, receiving and processing inmates into custody of institution, searching prisoners, taking charge of and inventorying personal property, escorting and transporting inmates to court and other required appointments, and overseeing the handling and distribution of medications and meals.

In reality, it means an officer has to

be a counselor, statistician, mathematician, data entry clerk, telephone operator, photographer, taxi driver, nurse, babysitter and banker.

“When people come in it helps to be able to talk to them in a way they understand,” explains Cpl. J. Cooper. “If they’re going to be here for the night

we enter their information and charges into the computer, take a mugshot, inventory any property and count and record any money they have. Then we take them to the pod.”

Cooper went on to say that without medical staff on hand at night, they sometimes will have to make a medical

Philip S. Ruckle Jr. photo

Dare County Detention Center Sgt. L. George watches four large TV monitors with several dozen inset images of activity outside, in the pods, in the lobby, hallways, parking lot, kitchen and everywhere in the compound.

determination on who needs to go to the hospital, or receive other medical treatment. Officers can call a nurse for advice, but they are still on the front line for whatever happens.

And then there’s answering the phone.

“We have nights that we are busy and we cannot catch up,” Cooper continues. “The phone keeps ringing off the hook from people calling to see if family or friends are in jail. Other times it’s pretty quiet.”

When people are brought in, they first go before a magistrate who reviews the charges and sets bail, which is the amount of money that must be paid to be released from jail pending trial.

If released on an unsecured bond, no money is required. A secured bond means a person can be released only after paying that amount in cash, posting a property bond or by hiring a bail bondsman.

No cash, no property, no bondsman, no release. It’s a short walk to the booking desk and then to the shower and dressing room.

According to Cooper, when a person has been arrested they are quarantined for three days under COVID guidelines to reduce any potential risk, and then become part of the regular population. Busy or not, cameras mounted all around the building provide a view of every room and every hall.

Watching four large TV monitors with several dozen inset images, Sgt. L. George says “We have lots of cameras to monitor activity anywhere in or around the compound. They’re outside, in the pods, in the lobby, hallways, parking lot, kitchen and everywhere.”

“Sometimes when people come in they are irritated at being here,” says Cooper. “They get rowdy and want to fight so we try to calm them down as best we can. There’s a lot more to it than just standing and watching them. We do have a lot of mental health issues here in Dare County, so you never know what’s going to happen.”

“You just have to take it day by day,” added booking desk Officer J. Grissom.

3:00AM

Night flyers

Since 1975, Dare County has operated Dare MedFlight, one of only three county-owned aeromedical operations in the nation, to get patients who have life-threatening or other serious medical conditions that exceed local hospital capabilities or resources to a facility that can take care of them.

Piloting the Dare County MedFlight helicopter on around 300 flights a year is more than a fast-paced, adrenaline-fueled job. It is one that requires attention to detail. Lots of detail.

Especially when you consider that emergency transport calls in the middle of the night do not make the assignment any easier.

There’s a lot more to it than cranking up the rotors of the state-of-the-art Airbus H-145 twin-engine helicopter for lift-off. A typical flight crew of pilot and two EMS paramedic technicians don’t just jump in and fly away, disappearing into the night.

Any flights scheduled or unscheduled actually start back at the beginning of a shift.

Among the first things on the list a pilot checks is the aircraft log book to review aircraft flight times, landings and engine cycles. If there was no flight the previous shift, all those numbers are zeroed out for

the day and carried over to the next page. Next, a pilot makes a weather check at an aviation center and then looks at another program that tracks other aircraft in the area, followed by a look at the calendar to see if there are any special events or activities that need to be noted. All in order to do a risk assessment.

According to chief pilot Kurt Willenbacher, pilots operate under strict FAA guidelines on what weather conditions and the number of hours pilots can

work.

“If a weather system does come in, we don’t shut down,” explained Willenbacher, “they’ll just go out of service. If it looks like a prolonged weather event, the med technicians can be reassigned to a ground truck. Pilots have to be skids down at 14 hours. If we are on a flight and reach our limit, we have to land somewhere.”

So far, Willenbacher said he and the four Dare County line pilots have not had to do that.

by Philip S. Ruckle Jr.

Philip S. Ruckle Jr. photo Taylor Hurd checks the exterior and interior of the Dare County MedFlight aircraft. Pilots check out the helicopter and all the e uipment necessary to fly it with attention to every detail.

“If we get a call we know we cannot complete, we’ll decline it,” he added.

Next is a check of the exterior and interior of the aircraft. Pilots check out the entire helicopter and all the equipment necessary to fly it. Every detail and every piece of equipment must be checked, including making sure night vision goggles are in good order.

By the time the aircraft check is done, the crew arrives for a group briefing. The briefing is also to make sure everybody is healthy, to deal with any questions somebody might have, review weather conditions for the day and review any other events that might take place for the day. While most PR events and other gatherings are daytime occurrences, there might be some at night.

If everything checks out, the pilot will put in a flight request. Then it’s time to sit back and wait.

During down times when no calls take place, there are other assignments. Continuing education is one requirement, so idle time can go toward studying for classes. Additional equipment checks are a good use of time. Sometimes there might even be a chance to lay down and get some rest.

When an emergency call does come, no matter the hour, it’s quick-paced action to get into the air.

First is a recheck of weather conditions followed by a walk around look at the helicopter.

Next is to pull the aircraft out to the landing pad on a trail so the wheels need to be chalked and the tow vehicle unhooked and parked back inside the hanger and the hanger door shut.

There is another walk around the helicopter to make sure everything is safe and no debris close by. Next is a check to make sure night vision goggles and other equipment are in good order.

If all checks out, the crew loads up with one person outside as a fire watch. A pilot will fire up the engines and go through a preflight challenge and response checklist to make sure all the doors are closed, lights are green, oxygen is on and there are no warnings, then challenge everyone to make sure the seat belts are on and everyone in place.

And if everything is good, then the rest of the crew will get in and the pilot makes a call to dispatch.

“We tell dispatchers who is on board, where we’re going, and our ETA to get there,” advised Willenbacher. “It’s all very detailed, but when we are done, we take off. The big thing for us is safety, safety, safety. It’s a very controlled environment.”

Norfolk and Greenville are the primary flight locations; with a three-hour range, there have been some trips as far as Richmond and Duke.

With an average speed of 150 mph, Norfolk is about 35 minutes away and Greenville, 45 minutes.

As for the flight itself, pilot Taylor Hurd says flying with night vision goggles is a little like looking through toilet paper tubes.

“You don’t have the same field of view with night vision goggles that you would during the day,” explains Hurd. “So you have to make sure you’re scanning a lot because everything is monochrome. You also don’t see things traveling past you off to the side unless you’re looking at it because of the limited field of view.”

Taylor said with everything being about the same color, it’s hard to tell how far away anything is because you don’t have the depth perception that you would during the day without goggles.

“So it’s a little harder flying at night,” Hurd continues. “If you can do something at night you can do it during the day, but being proficient during the daytime doesn’t necessarily translate to being proficient at night. So when we practice, we generally try to do it under the more difficult mode of flight.”

Philip S. Ruckle Jr. photo

Top: ilot Taylor urd checks the weather, an important factor for any flight plan. ilots operate under strict AA guidelines on what weather conditions and the number of hours pilots can work. ottom left: urd checks his night vision goggles, making sure they are in good working order. ottom right: urd checks the e terior and interior of the are ounty Med light aircraft. ilots check out the helicopter and all the e uipment necessary to fly it with attention to every detail.

4:00AM

Fitness anytime with round-the-clock gym access

by Philip S. Ruckle Jr.

At 4 o’clock in the morning, the Outer Banks Family YMCA parking lot in Nags Head is empty. A few minutes later Ryan Chase Hundley arrives. After walking from the parking lot to the front door he stops to type in an access security code.

When the door unlocks, Hundley passes by a security camera and heads for the fitness studio. He is the only one in the building. After a brief warm-up session he begins an exercise workout.

Why begin an exercise regime at a time when most other people are still asleep? Hundley says it’s the best time of day for it.

“I work for the Town of Nags Head as code enforcement officer 8:30 to 5,” explains Hundley. “So the best time for a workout is early in the morning. By the time I get off in the afternoon I like to have my family time. I don’t want to burn into my family time in the evenings.”

Adding that his daughter is sometimes up a 4, most of time the rest of his family is still snoozing away, making early mornings a good time to get in a workout.

Working out six – and sometimes seven – days a week, Hundley spends a little time on a treadmill, lifts weights, uses the cardiovascular equipment or takes a spin on a stationary bicycle. Each day has a different routine.

“I do it for my overall health,” he con-

tinues. “I have a heart condition and in 2012 had two open heart surgeries. I used to work out before my surgeries, but now I take it serious.”

Following a training schedule he developed, Hundley says he’s been doing early workouts for about two years.

That’s just about when the Outer Banks Y was opened for 24-hour access.

During an earlier visit to the Y, Jamie Koch, executive director of the Outer Banks Family YMCA, explained that the 24-hour access program began in March of 2021. “It’s perfect for people with odd work hours like law enforcement and EMS,” said Koch. “But then unusual schedules on the Outer Banks are almost routine. Nags Head was the first Y in the South Hampton Roads group to allow members in at any hour.”

Koch went on to explain that all members must be 18 or older, sign a 24-hour access agreement with guidelines, and each member has to sign in one person at a time even if coming as a group. That way staff will know who was here. Only the front lobby, fitness room and bathrooms are open during

Philip S. Ruckle Jr. photo Chase Hundley checks his workout schedule before starting an exercise routine.

off hours. The sauna, hot tub and indoor pool are not part of the access program.

According to Koch, staff are on hand during regular hours, 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. weekdays with shorter weekend times, but after it closes no staff members are present. But that does not mean nobody is watching.

“We put in a lot of extra cameras and some gates to close off parts of the building,” Koch continues. “We have an emergency phone at the front desk if needed and offer a life alert necklace for added safety. And, we review security cameras every day. Anyone not following the agreement they signed gets a warning.”

To date, no warnings have been needed for any of the almost 700 members – out of a total membership of about 5,000 – that signed up and pay a small additional monthly fee for the extra access.

“It’s important for people to know it’s safe here,”

Philip S. Ruckle Jr. photo Chase Hundley is one of several people taking advantage of all-hour access to the Outer Banks Family YMCA in Nags Head.

advised Koch. “We tried to take precautions to consider any emergency.”

Making the trip down from Virginia the same morning Hundley was working out, Kristen Howard, vice president of brand experience for YMCA of South Hampton Roads, advised that the camera system and call button were a very large investment but a needed one to make sure people are safe.

“We have 19 of the 21 South Hampton Roads YMCAs that now offer 24 hour access,” says Howard. “The other two cannot due to the physical layout of the building.”

“I really enjoy the Y because it is a safe place to be,” offered Hundley. “You can come any time of day and sometimes there’s a police officer here in the parking lot. Sometimes they are just checking on things to make sure all is well.”

About that time, Jimmy Metzinger, a Manteo High School teacher and coach, comes in. He advises the extra hours of access are helpful for his schedule, too. A few minutes later, Audie Ragland come in and is recognized as an early morning regular by Hundley.

As the clock hands move around the dial, by 5 o’clock there are more than half a dozen people in their own world working on fitness techniques exercising, lifting weights, riding bicycles or walking a treadmill.

All before most Outer Banks residents and visitors are ready to start their day.

Philip S. Ruckle Jr. photo

Above: Audie Ragland is a regular at early morning workouts at the Outer Banks Family YMCA in Nags Head. Below: Free weights are part of Ryan Chase Hundley’s regular early morning exercise routine.

5:00AM

A delicious start to the day

by Mary Helen Goodloe-Murphy

At 5 a.m., two staffers at Muffins and Scones in Avon are preparing breakfast goodies.

They are in good spirits with great smiles.

A delicious smell is coming from the kitchen. Great big chocolate chip cookies were slipped out of one of four ovens at 5:05 a.m. Holding the tray is manager Sheryl O’Neal. She’s been in the kitchen since 4:15 a.m. to get ovens turned on.

The staffers work at a long counter. O’Neal and staffer Roberta Petkute work diligently to meet the 6:30 a.m. opening time for Muffins and Scones.

O’Neal mixes up a batch of orange-cranberry muffin batter using just-squeezed orange juice and finely grated orange peel. The muffin batter is scooped out with an eight-ounce scoop and put in a muffin cup lined with

Mary Helen Goodloe-Murphy photo ind the bright purple building in Avon for mu ns, bagels, pastries, breakfast and lunch. Mu ns and Scones is located at in Avon.

Mary Helen Goodloe-Murphy photos

Left: ulia Taft, owner of Mu ns and Scones and ve other businesses on atteras sland, slices cinnamon roll dough. Right: Roberta pushes a crimper along the edge of a turnover.

red paper. This morning she’s making six. In the summer, the number is 20.

She next concentrates on creating bagels, which are arranged 24 to a sheet. Water is boiling in the bagel kettle or hot tub for bagels. O’Neal slides the 24 bagels into the rapidly boiling water. The bagels are ready when they float. O’Neal uses a long-handled basket to pull the ready bagels, which are then arranged eight to a matted sheet. O’Neal paints each bagel with egg wash and then applies various seasonings, like poppy seed, asiago, salt and everything, which is a mixture of 17 different seasonings.

The bagels are popped into an oven heated to 450 degrees for about 10 minutes; they are flipped, then removed.

The fresh bagels will soon be displayed on handled cutting boards in a lighted display case.

Meanwhile, Roberta Petkute is working on puff pastry. She slipped croissants into the oven first. Then she made a cream cheese-Nutella pastry followed by one filled with a strawberry mixture.

She’ll also put together a muffin batter with chocolate chips, coconut and almonds and scoop the mixture into the red paper liner in muffin tins.

Julia Taft owns Muffins and Scones. The business was opened in 2017.

On this April Thursday, she was in the kitchen rolling out dough for cinnamon rolls. She mixed the cinnamon filling, applied it, rolled the dough into a tube shape and then sliced it. The cinnamon

Mary Helen Goodloe-Murphy photo agels slide into a boiling water- lled kettle until they float, when they are scooped out and placed on mats for baking in a -degree oven for minutes. hen they come out, an egg wash is applied and various toppings added.

rolls were ready for baking.

The bakery has 50 pounds of flour delivered two times a week in the off-season and three times a week in the summer.

At 6:15 a.m., Karolayn Melina Gaibor Yambay arrived to prepare breakfast items like eggs, bacon and sausage.

Out front, Nicole Del Pino filled the display cabinet with trays from the kitchen.

The early morning crew made the 6:30 a.m. opening time with an amazing calm.

Taft made orange-flavored water for customers. The bakery provides many specially flavored drinks, using a selection from 25 different flavors of syrup.

Dishwasher David O’Neal comes in a

7:30 a.m. to start cleaning mixing bowls, measuring cups and spoons, scrapers and beaters and everything else that’s ready for washing.

Once breakfast is secured, the kitchen switches to preparing lunch items such as sandwiches, quiche, pasta salad and prepping for the next day.

Out at the customer counter is a small four-tiered display case. Inside are a cut three-layer chocolate cake, a whole chocolate cake and a pecan-encrusted carrot cake. A shelf is vacant. It’s for a key lime pie. Those desserts are made and sold in the Muffins and Scones kitchen and sent to the Froggy Dog Restaurant just up the road. The restaurant is another of Taft’s businesses. The cakes are receiving rave reviews.

Mary Helen Goodloe-Murphy photo

Sta er Roberta etkute displays croissants. n the early morning hours, she worked on pu pastries, turnovers and mu ns.

Getting students to school safely

by Mary Helen Goodloe-Murphy

Ahead of her early morning bus run, April Webster checks out Dare County School Bus No. 128 in the bus parking lot at Cape Hatteras Secondary School.

Before she heads out to drive Hatteras Island roads, she checks the back door to make sure it’s closed. She tries to lift every seat to make sure the seats are firmly latched. She goes outside and pokes every tire with the broomstick handle to make sure each is fully inflated. She checks the lights and inside she checks the air brakes.

Webster performs additional safety tests before slipping into her seat.

She is off to run two routes: the first for Cape Hatteras Elementary School students and the second for the older Cape Hatteras Secondary students.

Webster is a long-time bus driver. She was one when she was attending high school, something that was frequent back in the day.

For every stop, Webster puts the bus in neutral, hits a big button for the emergency brakes and then opens the door for students to climb aboard. Webster punches a counter for every student entering the bus. The process is a safety-first move. With the emergency brake engaged, if the bus is hit from behind, the big vehicle will not

lurch forward and hit students crossing in front.

Comparing then to now, Webster says it is “so much better to have safety features.”

A special guest was aboard Webster’s bus. Dare County Schools Superintendent Steve Basnight drove down for the bus ride.

At the very first stop, he quickly left the bus to say hello to the parent of the bus rider, a very young student. And so it went, from the initial stop in Frisco, up NC 12 to Buxton Back Road and around and back to Buxton Back Road to Cape Hatteras Elementary School, where students calmly walked into the school building.

Unloading the 24 students was somewhat delayed by parents discharging students from cars.

The second route to pick up Cape Hatteras Secondary students started in Hatteras village. The views of Pamlico Sound and the Atlantic Ocean were a joy to behold this day. In the tall school bus, the ocean is clearly visible over the piled-up sand. Webster enjoys the view, too.

Most older students walked right by the superintendent. One didn’t and, when introduced, he immediately asked how about a four-day school

week? What about half-day Fridays? Basnight answered the student’s questions.

The bus ride was a little bumpy, but not much up front; a little bumpier in the middle. The students were well behaved with no walking in the aisles or turning around in seats. The conversations were quiet.

At the secondary school, 28 stu-

Mary Helen Goodloe-Murphy photo April Webster drives Dare County Schools Bus No. 128 on two routes: one for Cape Hatteras Elementary students and the second for Cape Hatteras Secondary students.

dents left the bus.

There is a shortage of school bus drivers and applicants are being sought. To apply to Dare County Schools to drive a school bus, call Alex Chandler at 252-4733717, ext. 3402. A high school diploma is required, as well as passing criminal background and DMV records checks.

The next step is to pass a North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles test. School bus drivers take a three-day virtual class,

lasting from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. A test is taken in person on the fourth day. If the test is satisfactorily scored, the bus driver then spends three days behind the wheel of a big yellow school bus. The classes are offered twice a month.

As of spring 2023, the hourly rate for Dare County school bus drivers is $20.08, plus $200 per month for perfect attendance and $1,000 bonus for perfect attendance all year.

Mary Helen Goodloe-Murphy photo

Above: Hatteras Village students board Dare County School Bus No. 128 for a trip to Cape Hatteras Secondary School in Buxton. Right: School bus driver April Webster delivers hand signals to school students standing on the other side of NC 12. Stop. Okay. Go this way.

7:00AM

Keeping Manteo beautiful

by Mary Helen Goodloe-Murphy

The Town of Manteo Public Works staffers are nine heroes who take care of buildings and parks, pick up trash and litter, and help with the array of town-sponsored events held in Dare County’s county seat.

The workers are there before, during and after those events.

They’ll be there for the seasonal Saturday Downtown Market, which runs mid-May through mid-September.

For Dare Days in early June, stages are set up and traffic barriers placed.

On July 4, the town holds a party and fireworks display. Public Works staffers are there.

They erect the town’s Christmas tree for the lighting ceremony and put lights on Town Hall.

And for New Year’s Eve, the town holds another fun time with music and fireworks.

The Town of Manteo always looks good because the Public Works staff tends to grass cutting, tree trimming and edging all the sidewalks inside town limits.

The crew is now responsible for litter patrol on U.S. 64 between Midway Intersection and Pirate’s Cove.

Residential trash trucks run on Monday and Thursdays. Commercial trash pickups are the same days except

in the summer, when the commercial pick-up days expand to Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

The crew also picks up large household items and yard debris when town citizens call for those services.

Manteo Public Works staffers take care of maintenance and landscaping of 13 parks and attractions.

The eight-person crew, is made up of:

Dustin Leary from Creswell, who has worked in Manteo for two-and-ahalf years.

Adam Morgese from Manteo, with a year of Manteo employment.

Robbie Norman, from Manteo, going on six years.

Troy Tugwell from Manteo, with seven years.

Cody Hooker, from Manteo, with four years.

Edward Bryant Jr., from Alligator, coming up on 10 years.

D.J. Moore, from Creswell, with three years of service.

Alvin Sheppard, from Manns Harbor, with four years with Public Works.

Mary Helen Goodloe-Murphy photo

Manteo ublic orks sta ers support town events, keep Manteo litter-free, hang up banners, pick up brush, patch roads and lots, lots more obs. These town heroes are, from left, ublic orks director rankie oodley, ustin Leary, Adam Morgese, Robbie orman, Troy Tugwell, ody ooker, dward ryant r. and . . Moore. n front of the lineup is foreman Alvin Sheppard.

Secotan Market brings fresh foods, handcrafted items together

by Summer Stevens

The green metal roof of the Secotan Market shelter comes into view as you round the corner toward Wanchese village. It’s a quiet morning and the market vendors are arriving and setting up inside the shelter. On warm days, the vendor tables spill out beyond the covered structure, offering fresh vegetables and fruits, fermented foods, locally canned jams and salsas, and handcrafted artisan items.

The gravel crunches beneath the tires of the Heavenly Portion Family Farm pickup as it pulls off onto the small driveway. Morgan and Paul Mathews begin unloading coolers full of fresh eggs and pasture-raised beef, lamb, chicken and pork.

Above her table, artist Vicky Lowe strings a bunting of cheery fabric made of

watercolor artwork she painted herself and had printed in Raleigh. The Real McCoy sets up jars of hand whipped honey from local bees. Brandon Fearns of First Flight Fungi is already chatting with an older gentleman about his favorite subject – edible mushrooms.

Eric Soderholm, owner of Croatan Gardens, comes in from tending his plot just down the lane to check in on arriving vendors and help with set up. He started the Secotan Market about five years ago with eight vendors with a common vision “to rekindle an era where neighbors rely on each other; sharing food and goods, grown and made by our own labor.”

“We knew a bunch of people in the community who were growing and mak-

ing things who were interested in having a producer market,” he said.

A producer market is a place where the community can come to buy food or homemade products from the people who actually produce them.

With the help of a $9,000 agricultural reinvestment fund grant, which helps farmers find alternative ways to make additional income, Soderholm and his mentors and friends constructed the market shelter in 2018.

Frederick Inglis of Somerset Farm felled and milled all the lumber himself on his farm, and the trusses were made from a salvaged chicken house by the late Winkie Silver. John Bliven served as lead carpenter for the project. “We built this thing as a

Summer Stevens photo

Secotan Market founder and Croatan Gardens owner Eric Soderholm

group together,” Soderholm said.

Creating a sense of togetherness is one of the foundations of the Secotan Market. It was named after the Secotan Tribe represented in one of John White’s 1585 paintings. Unlike other villages, White portrayed the Secotan community with its gardens and homes as unfortified, suggesting that the people did not live in fear of attack. They lived and ate together surrounded by their small farms.

“It’s a name that kind of tries to pay honor to this tradition … we can still maintain that kind of network connection.”

Part of that connection is formed through the relationships that develop between seller and shopper. For Soderholm, that’s one of his favorite parts about the market.

“Folks come to a farmers market because they want relationships with the people who are growing and making things that are part of their daily life,” he said. “I like hearing people’s little anecdotes about what they made from what they bought the week before.”

Secotan Market is the only year-round farmers market in the Outer Banks. From May to September, the market is open every Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon. During

the cool season (December to April) it is open on the first and third Saturdays of the month from 9 a.m. to noon. Fall season, from October through Thanksgiving, hours are 9 a.m. to noon every Saturday.

Depending on the season, there are an average of about a dozen vendors at each market, which include the food producers or “anchor” vendors, plus several artisans on a rotation. Many of the vendors are family operations – multigeneration or husband and wife teams.

Some market items change with the season, so April brings, among many other things, new asparagus, June brings sweet strawberries and Hyde County blueberries, and the mid to late summer bounty brings tomatoes and cucumbers bursting with flavor, unique pepper varieties, and watermelon (the way it’s supposed to taste). The year comes to a close in autumn with tender cabbages, sweet potatoes, squash and homegrown pumpkins.

Most of the fruits and vegetables are purchased within 24 to 48 hours from when they’re harvested so they are ultra fresh and last longer than grocery store produce. “The flavors are a whole lot brighter and just different than when you’re buying

stuff that’s mostly been trucked in from Florida,” Soderholm said.

Many of the vendors source their produce from within the market, like the juice stand coming to the summer markets using fruits and vegetables purchased or traded from co-vendors.

Though tourists do visit the market, it is primarily frequented by Outer Banks locals, who appreciate a place to find local produce, meats and unique gift items.

The mission of the market is to connect people directly with local sources of sustenance, elevating careful stewardship of land and craft to build community.

As the clock ticks toward 9 a.m., the parking lot fills up with people anxiously anticipating not only the day’s market offerings but also engagement with those who provide them, it’s clear that the Secotan Market has fulfilled its mission.

“Special things happen,” Soderholm said, “when you bring a lot of people who are passionate about the same stuff to a space like this.”

Summer Stevens photo LeMair Handcrafts of Southern Shores makes original clothing items from hand selected material sourced throughout the world.

Summer Stevens photo

Brandon Fearns of First Flight Fungi talks mushrooms.

No two days look the same at the North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island. With so many moving parts and countless tasks to be completed daily, the staff are in agreement that it takes a lot of hands on deck working collectively together to run the facility, while ensuring every person who walks through their doors has a great experience and leaves with a smile on their face.

At 9 a.m., Dana Thomason, lead specialty activity instructor/camp coordinator, is preparing for a “Behind the Scenes” tour, where registrants will be guided through the Cape Fear Shoals shark exhibit and learn what it takes to feed these majestic animals while watching first-hand. This particular tour is available on feeding days (Monday, Wednesday and Friday) and requires a good amount of preparation. “I will contact husbandry, prep all the materials for the feeding and look over the information I’ll share with the guests,” Thomason explained.

Thomason enjoys teaching others about the animals that are featured within the

aquarium, and has planned several topics to touch on during the tour: how the aquarium acquires the animals, filtration, water quality, target-training, animal diet and welfare, to name a few. While preparing for the tour, the educator also works on other on-going projects, such as recruitment, summer camp programs, upcoming birthday parties and working with local partners.

“What’s really cool about my job is that I dive into all sorts of different things, not just education but hitting on conversation, working with husbandry, and then with summer camps and I get to work with local partnerships.”

Thomason isn’t the only one who works with outside partners to bring life to the aquarium. While she continues to prep for the afternoon’s tour, Joleena Jewel, exhibits curator, is getting ready to collaborate with external partners – such as the North Carolina Coastal Federation, North Carolina Sea Grant or the Coastal Studies Institute – to develop plans for new exhibits at the facility.

All hands on deck at the North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island

by Danielle Puleo

“I’ll sit down and meet with partners and discuss project scope, budget, timeline and then we’ll pull together groups of stakeholders that include those partner organizations, board members, members of the aquarium and volunteers, and have brainstorming sessions,” Jewel shared. Her exhibits team manages everything that isn’t animals; the artwork, graphics, displays and atmosphere that create an unforgettable aquatic experience all fall into their hands.

Some exhibits are permanent, while others rotate quarterly. Jewel pointed out the temporary ceramic sea art gallery, created by local artists Jenny Barrier and Tansy O’Bryant, before walking through the work of James Melvin and his artistic portrayal of Richard Etheridge and the great watermen who served with him in the late 1800s at the only all-black lifesaving station on Pea Island. “Right now, we’re working on an exhibit to highlight some of the conservation work we are doing,” she said. “It will be a turnkey exhibit, available at all of our locations … on our sand tiger

Danielle Puleo photo

Every department works in tandem at the North arolina A uarium on Roanoke sland in an e ort to achieve the shared mission and bring enjoyment to both the animals and guests alike.

shark research.”

To enhance the exhibit experience at the aquarium, Jewel noted that they are keen on surveying the general public and asking for feedback. A current goal she is hoping to achieve is to expand on the exhibits within the building, such as at the STAR (Sea Turtle Assistance and Rehabilitation) Center, where technician and aquarist Katie D’addato is busy caring for current patients.

“A majority of my day, especially during winter months, is attending to cold-stunned sea turtles,” D’addato mentioned. The STAR Center has had a massive number of sea turtles enter their doors this past winter season, with roughly 400 having been

attended to at the center since Christmas, one of the busiest cold-stunned seasons on record North Carolina has seen within the last 10 years.

D’addato is a state-registered veterinary technician, which means she can assist with administering medical treatments of both sea turtles and other aquatic animals within the facility. She also provides support with animal care tasks throughout the day as well. “Every day looks a little different … we could have an emergency walk in at any time,” she shared, adding, “the time of year always looks different; in the summers, we sometimes have no turtles, while right now [March] we have about 100 turtles.”

The aquarist is always prepared for patients to make their way in, explaining the process of what happens when a sea turtle is found by NEST (Network for Endangered Sea Turtles) and brought to their care. “As soon as they come in the door, we have a basic intake sheet that is followed.” A brief physical exam, documenting abnormalities and epibiota coverage, is conducted first, followed by a pit tag (microchip) scan, heart rate and temperature check, bloodwork and number assignment.

While cold-stunned patients make up the large majority of the cases at the STAR Center, D’addato said she has seen sea turtles comes in with injuries from entanglements, boat strikes, shark bites and

general chronic debilitation. No matter what the cause for concern is, the team will ensure every turtle gets the care it needs. “While they are here, we provide whatever medical needs that they have until they are healthy enough to get released again.”

Despite the fact that every day at the aquarium brings new excitement as well as new challenges to the table, the crew agrees that it takes a huge team effort to keep animal and guest enjoyment at an all-time high. Thomason voiced, “We have so many different departments, but we are all supporting each other and with us working together, we’re going to achieve our mission.”

Danielle Puleo photo Dana Thomason leads a “Behind the Scenes” tour where attendees get an up-close look at what it takes to feed the sharks and sh within the ape ear Shoals e hibit.

Danielle Puleo photo o matter what brings a sea turtle into the STAR enter, the team is prepped and ready and provide the care they need, whether there is one turtle or

The magic of nature

by Philip S. Ruckle Jr.

Do you like being outdoors and experiencing the beauty of nature? Then The Elizabethan Gardens on north end of Roanoke Island might be just the place for you.

Adjoining Fort Raleigh National Historic Site and The Lost Colony outdoor drama theater, the Gardens were established as a cultural attraction and permanent memorial to Sir Walter Raleigh’s lost colonists.

A horticultural paradise with something different to see each season of the year, visitors can inspect an assortment of statuary such as a world famous life size statue depicting how Virginia Dare, the first English child born in the New World, may have looked as a grown woman, an ancient Italian fountain, a sundial, an assortment of birdbaths, stone steps and several benches guaranteed to pique the interest of almost anyone willing to stroll the garden paths.

Opening August 18, 1960 as a modest project similar to what the early colonists might have had, the Gardens have since become one of the most unique and beautiful garden spots in America.

Helping keep the gardens in top shape, Daniel Hossack serves as the

gardens manager and with him is a stable of willing volunteers working each weather-permitting Friday to see to it that all the necessary details are taken care of.

“The Gardens open at 9 a.m. and the greenhouse doors are open by 10,” explains Hossack. “We make sure things are watered, the water is turned off, paths are blown off and cleaned up and all facilities are ready to roll for the day. That’s when the sun is starting

to come out and things are starting to wake up.”

Following a regular plan of action, by 10 a.m. the volunteers are busy some place on the grounds.

“We always have a project for our volunteers,” Hossack continues. “Every Friday we pick some place, like today it was the herb garden, and we focus our efforts on that project area. So we start on one area and move along until the routine is done.

Philip S. Ruckle Jr. photo

Entrance to The Elizabethan Gardens on north end of Roanoke Island is through the historic Gate House modeled after the architecture of a th century orangerie with a flagstone floor, hand-hewn beams and a wide door with cross design. Above the entrance is set a sculptural stone coat-of-arms of li abeth .

Scattered around the property and working in pairs or small groups, volunteers trim branches and fertilize plants. Hossack said all new plants will get fertilizer, a task that will take most of the day.

“We do all sorts of things,” explained Jeanne DeCamps, one of the almost two dozen volunteers who also does administrative work when needed. “We trim, plant, rake, weed, spread mulch, and do general clean up. It’s a beautiful place to do it.”

Others, like Edie Fallon, have more than one connection to the Gardens.

“I was married right over there by the sound in 1984,” said Fallon. “It’s magical here, with a lot of history.”

DeCamps and Fallon are not the only ones aware of the area’s beauty.

A crown jewel on the Outer Banks with constantly changing flora, The Elizabethan Gardens is a popular wedding site.

“It’s prettier here than at my own yard,” added Terri Davis. “I probably need to do some of this at home.”

But beauty is not the only draw.

Davis, who works as a veterinarian in Virginia, says working in the Gardens lowers her blood pressure, with each season offering something different to do and see.

“Just like farmers we always try to stay one season ahead,” Hossack added. “In the springtime we are cut-

ting back our hydrangeas. At this point in the year you can tell what’s alive and what’s not. Mostly, we really focus on specific areas, we pick some place and focus there, and then march through the garden as we go. Sometimes it’s like painting the Golden Gate Bridge. By the time you get done painting it you need to start over again.”

With more than 250 different genera of plants spread across almost 11 acres, the Gardens is more than just a nice collection of plants. The area is a great place to view birds and is a site

Philip S. Ruckle Jr. photo

The HRH Queen Elizabeth I sculpture by Jon D. Hair came to the Gardens as a gift of Irwin Belk with support from the Percy W. & Elizabeth G. Meekins Charitable Trust May 13, 2006.

Philip S. Ruckle Jr. photo Sam Smith, an li abethan ardens sta member, plants mangave plants at a small garden outside the main entrance.

on the North Carolina Birding Trail.

To that end, both staff and volunteers strive to provide the best experience possible for any and all visitors.

“Our volunteers are here almost as much as I am sometimes,” offered Hossack. “Most put in between two and two-and-a-half hours here at the Gardens.”

But it’s not all work and drudgery. Many of the workers have developed strong friendships as a result of their working together.

“Sometimes we get together after work and have lunch together,” said Laura Allendorf.

Walking along the main garden path, Hossack points out some construction activity on a new greenhouse funded by a grant.

“I’m a good gardener but not so good at construction,” he said with a chuckle. “That’s why we rely on our volunteers. We don’t get much done without them.”

Hossack went on to explain that the Gardens have a full time greenhouse that is almost its own world.

A place for all seasons, The Elizabethan Gardens is open yearround, seven days a week, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. with shorter hours in December and closing only on Thanksgiving, December 24 and 25, and for the entire month of January.

The Elizabethan Gardens is a private 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization located on National Park Drive on Roanoke Island. For more information about the Gardens, call 252-473-3234 or visit elizabethangardens.org/.

Philip S. Ruckle Jr. photo

Carolynne Elisabeth Bryant checks out one of the most famous statues in the Gardens. Carved in Rome by American sculptor Maria Louisa Lander, the life si e statue is a depiction of how irginia are, the rst nglish child born in the New World, may have looked as a grown woman.

Philip S. Ruckle Jr. photo Scott Demasse, owner of CMIT Solutions of urrituck, installs a wi transmitter near the reat Lawn and Sunken Garden to strengthen signals in that area. A free audio tour for mobile devices is available throughout the gardens.

Philip S. Ruckle Jr. photo Gardens manager Daniel Hossack inspects a Les Marbury camellia japonica at The Elizabethan Gardens. The slow-growing evergreen shrub can grow to heights above 6 to 8 feet.

Something is always going on at the Fessenden Center in Buxton.

At 11 a.m. on Thursday, adult pickleball intermediate players make their way to the gym. Before that, at 9:30 a.m., yoga was scheduled and a 30-minute beginner pickleball session was held. After a two hour session for advanced pickleball, POUND, a “rockout workout,” which provides a “fullbody cardio jam session” by playing drums, takes over the center’s activity room. At the same time, more pickleball is underway followed by men’s open gym basketball from 7 to 9 p.m.

The Fessenden Center is a multi-generational facility serving all of Hatteras Island with programs and activities for toddlers, youth, adults, older adults and families. Programs include a variety of classes and lessons, team and individual sports, summer camps, special events and activities for adults.

A myriad of other activities take place at the center, such as a Master Gardener mosquito presentation about abatement;

Pickleball and more at the Fessenden Center

by Mary Helen Goodloe-Murphy

the start of an intuitive painting series; a monthly adult luncheon; bingo; and learning to tie dye. A running club is starting as is a men’s breakfast on one Friday and a ladies’ breakfast on another Friday.

Fitness classes offered at the Fessenden Center are $3 per class or $15 per month for those under the age of 55. For Dare County residents and property owners who are 55 and older, fitness classes are free.

Summer camps offered for young people include Camp Champs for ages 3 to 5; swimming safety for ages 5 to 11; Hatteras sailing explore, ages 8 to 12; volleyball for girls grades 3 to 6 and 7 to 9, slam dunk basketball ages 6 to 9 and 10 to 12; and summer cheer camp for ages 6

through 12. Numerous other camp offerings are full. Sign up at register@dcpr. recdesk.gov. The online registration is easy to use.

The activity room is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Use of equipment is available to residents and property owners during these times unless

Philip S. Ruckle Jr. photo

Whomp! The ball is over the net. Two pickleball courts in the Fessenden Center gym are available Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Consult the Fessenden Center’s calendar at darenc.gov.

a class or activity is using the room.

All indoor activities are for Dare County residents and property owners only. Outdoor facilities are open for all to enjoy.

The Fessenden Center is located at 46830 N.C. Highway 12 in Buxton and can be reached at 252-475-5650 or Fessenden@darenc.gov.

About Pickleball

The paddles are a little larger than one for ping pong and a little smaller than a tennis racket.

The paddles are various in color and light-weight.

It’s the fastest growing sport.

Pickleball can be played as doubles or singles. The court is smaller than a tennis court. In fact, outside at the Fessenden Center, two paddleball courts fit into one tennis court. The nets are lower, too.

On both sides of the court, lines are drawn parallel to the net and seven feet back. This area is usually called “the kitchen.”

Points are only scored by the serving team.

Serving rotates but in a different way from volleyball. Both servers on a team serve until the team under each server commits a fault and the serve moves to the other side. After winning a point, the server switches sides. Serves must fall in the court diagonally across from the serving court.

Games are normally played to 11 points with a win by two points. Tournament games may be 15 or 21, with win by two points.

As to play, the ball, which is like a whif-

fle ball, must bounce once in the opposite court and once in the server’s court before a volley (hitting the ball before a bounce) is initiated. That kitchen area is a non-volley zone.

The Fessenden-Hatteras Island connection

Canadian-born Reginald Aubrey Fessenden (1866-1932) is regarded as a radio pioneer and inventor. He taught at several universities and worked for corporations in the United States and Bermuda.

In 1900, the United States Weather Bureau contracted with Fessenden to develop a system to transmit the bureau’s weather forecasts.

After some initial experiments, in December 1900, Fessenden transferred his experiments to Roanoke

Island. Towers 50-feet tall were erected on Roanoke Island, Hatteras Island and Cape Henry. Fessenden refined his continuous wave transmission and signal reception.

In March 1902, Fessenden sent a 127word voice message from the Cape Hatteras transmission tower to Roanoke Island, some 48 miles to the north. Voiceradio was started.

Fessenden and the Weather Bureau fought over patents. He resigned his contract and started National Electric Signaling Company, to which he transferred all of his patents. From a station at Brant Rock, Mass. on Christmas Eve 1906, he initiated the first public broadcast of voice and music over radios.

The Fessenden Center is situated at the 1902 site of Fessenden’s Cape Hatteras tower.

Philip S. Ruckle Jr. photo our members of the sta stand outside the essenden enter s main entrance. n the background is the bright blue e uipment at the toddler playground. rom left are Susan ray, division coordinator Annelise ilco , leisure activities specialist for older adults April odiford, tness coordinator and an olb, leisure activities specialist for youth. Additional sta members are arbara lmore, administrative technician maintenance workers ill ooher and ary Tolson and support sta er aren Scroggin.

No time to ‘paws’ at the Outer Banks SPCA

by Danielle Puleo

By Friday at noon, Outer Banks

SPCA shelter manager Leann Saunders has already had a packed day, let alone a busy week. Her role at the shelter is an extremely dynamic one, with an ever-shifting environment that requires diligence, problem-solving, a lot of time and an intense amount of care.

Every day is a little different at SPCA. There are days when three dogs are surrendered by their owners and must receive vaccinations and possible medical care given their current condition upon arrival. Some days, strays make their way in by local residents,

while other days cats, dogs, rabbits and even guinea pigs are either taken in or adopted out. And on other days, meet-and-greets are set up and the reading room sees several families willing to spend time with possible future pets. But some things never change, like the time spent ensuring each animal taking up residence at the facility – whether it be for a day or a year –receives the care it needs.

Saunders is making her rounds, checking in on a large mixed breed dog named Buddy who was overly anxious during his first days at the SPCA and needed to be moved to a private part of the building. “He got super kennel stressed, so we moved him back here where he is living his best life.” Concerned for his mental health, Saunders knew this was the right move: “I was like, we have to do something.” She was pleased with his current state, while admitting she wished the facility would afford enough space to allow more dogs the same privacy if needed.

While stopping at the “reading room,” the shelter manager lifted a sheet off of a larger cage that housed three guinea pigs, all of which were surrendered earlier that week and are looking for a new home. Pictures and brief descriptions of all the animals located at the shelter can be found on the SPCA’s website for those looking

to adopt.

If adopters are looking to see how the animals are prior to making the decision to bring a new pet home, they are welcome to spend time with the animals at the shelter, either outside in the large play pen areas or inside in areas like the reading room. “Moms and dads will sit and kids will be on the bean bags chairs,” Saunders shared. “A lot of times the dogs will just want to run, but the kids like it because then they don’t really have to read,” she laughed.

While making her way down toward the front desk, Saunders was greeted

Danielle Puleo photo

Leann Saunders plays with Gracie, a young mixed breed who loves to run and catch her favorite blue ball.

Danielle Puleo photo Buddy receives a treat from Leann Saunders while staying in his own private section of the facility to help alleviate stress.

by a local resident and a stray dog named Buck, who was found in the resident’s backyard. She checked his tags and found the name and number of Buck’s owner, who was contacted immediately. Buck then trotted down the hall with Saunders, kept safely in the stray intake room until his owner was able to come by and retrieve him. There never seems to be a dull moment at the SPCA. “We have to work around the clock,” Saunders pointed out, “I used to be with animal control before I got promoted to shelter manager, so I was used to the at night stuff. Sometimes it’s a lot by yourself, so I will still go with girls on a call.” Leann

is in charge of what happens in-house; she oversees what dogs come into the shelter and scans all adoptions before dogs leave their care, while still maintaining substantial knowledge of cats, small pets and animal control. She enjoys going to the local schools to educate students and speak on behalf of the SPCA, and is available during emergency hours and during the weekends to assist with meet-andgreets, trapping feral cats and dogs, and filling in the gaps when volunteer help is short.

As Saunders plays in the fenced-in grass yard in front of the facility with a hound named Lary, who came to the

shelter with a broken leg, she provides insight: “We are fortunate, in Manteo there’s leash laws, but we cover all of Dare County … in other towns there are no leash laws. A lot of times they just let their dogs go,” she shared. “Owner-surrenders vary. We never know what’s going to come through. I would say there are at least two strays a week and at least three owner-surrenders, like we get hit.”

The Outer Banks SPCA is the only shelter in the county, and a no-kill shelter at that. “We have dogs here until they find a spot to go.” Saunders noted that she will pull dogs from neighboring county shelters that do euthanize

after a set period of time, so that they have more time to find a home.

A few cats are playing in the front room while animal control officer Crystal Simpson and cat care technician Karen Fortunato are tending to felines in the next room over. Saunders is then greeted by one of their dog care technicians, Jessie McDade, whom the kennel manager hired a couple months prior. McDade makes her way out to the play pen with a boxer mix named Princess, who happily carries around her tennis ball while

McDade throws more toys for her to run after.

“We have a hard time finding people that have the heart for it,” Saunders says as she watches McDade play with Princess. “Everything she [Jessie] does, she stays late or comes in early, but everything she does is what the dog needs and it’s hard to find people that put the dogs above themselves.” Consistent volunteers are something the shelter have had a hard time finding; the core crew is invaluable, but new eyes are always welcomed and appreciated.

Danielle Puleo photo

Lary came into the shelter with a broken leg that was ed and treated by the S A, and now he is ready for his new forever home

1:00pm

Stencil to skin: The talent behind tattoos at Vertigo

by Danielle Puleo

As Meagan Bates prepares her station for an afternoon tattoo appointment, a consultation awaits her in the front room. The tattoo artist has spent close to 10 years in the field, now working at the same place she completed her apprenticeship: Vertigo Tattoo in Manns Harbor.

Jessica Bonacci is greeted by Bates at the front of the shop; she has brought with her some ideas for a left side hip tattoo. As the artist saves photo ideas to her iPad, she offers some general questions about the design and concept. Bonacci and Bates agree on a black and gray tattoo to be done in one sitting, with suggestions from Bates on particular placement and added additions to the design from Bonacci. Once Bates collects contact information, final ideas and a deposit, she schedules the tattoo for a few weeks from the day, once she has designed the final piece and it’s time to take the drawing to the skin.

“I really like working with the customer and making them really happy about their tattoo,” the mom of two said as she goes back to prep for a client receiving their very first tattoo. Bates grew up in an artistic household, and learned a lot from her parents about what it meant to express herself creatively through the art she produced. After earning her degree and opening an art gallery, Bates decided that sector of the

art world wasn’t for her. She arrived at Vertigo on a whim one year during Bike Week, and the rest is, as they say, history.

Rebecca Reichardt was due to arrive soon. She had reached out to Bates on Instagram a few weeks prior, and the two had conversed about the design Reichardt had in mind: “imago Dei” scripted in black ink on the left wrist. “For her tattoo, she had a pretty specific style of font that she wanted,” Meagan explained. With the example images in hand, she took the images Rebecca had sent and created a tattoo

design from it.

Over the years, Bates shared that she has refined her design process and quintessentially merged effectiveness with creativity. “I think at the beginning, I was really hyper-focused on creating my own original designs … I would almost, to a fault, not use references.” She noted that a good majority of the time, the client really does want something simpler as opposed to an overworked piece. With time, practice and patience, Bates has crafted her own style and applied it to a wide variety of tattoos, all while ensuring the final

Danielle Puleo photo

Left: Tattoo artist Meagan Bates consults with new client Jessica Bonacci on ideas for a left side hip tattoo. Right: Meagan ates traces lettering on a tattoo for rst-timer Rebecca Reichardt, who wants the words imago ei on her left wrist.

THE AMERICAN MYSTERY

product is one that the client is happy with.

When Reichardt arrives, Bates greets her at the front, signs her in and the two talk about the tattoo design. Bates has three fonts displayed on her iPad screen, and the client chooses her favorite. Then it’s upstairs to draw, stencil and print a carbon copy of the chosen image.

Before the tattooing can begin, the artist washes her hands and puts on a fresh pair of gloves. A new, fresh pack of needles still in the packaging is placed on her station with a container of black ink, soap, a razor for hair removal and the carbon copy. Once Reichardt’s wrist is cleaned and prepped, Bates positions the scripted image. “We will move it as many times as we need to, to get it right,” she ensured.

Since it was the client’s first tattoo, the artist made sure she was comfortable, propping her legs up and leaning the shop chair back. “I like to get a read on my customer, see how their nerves are doing. After you do it for a while, you can really tell when people are more nervous, or voice concerns.” Bates opts to troubleshoot apprehensions prior to starting the tattoo, so the client feels at ease. She coaches them through breathing techniques and lets her clients know that they can

PRODUCED BY THE ROANOKE ISLAND HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION

Danielle Puleo photo

Once the client is comfortable, the tattoo artist gets to work tracing the tattoo onto the skin.

ask to take a break throughout the course of the process. “I start out real slow with small lines, to let them get used to it,” she adds. And so, it begins! With the machine buzzing, the words start to come to life on the skin. Reichardt and Bates chat while the ink sets in. With a singular line connecting the letters together, the tattoo comes to a close in under 10 minutes. As Bates cleans and wraps the tattoo, she goes over care instructions with Reichardt, sending her home with a care sheet while checking out at the front. Now it’s time for clean up, and preparations for the next day of tattoos. When finished, Bates heads home to Hatteras to pick up her two young boys, who are already creating designs and masterpieces of their own.

Danielle Puleo photo

The fresh tattoo is cleaned and wrapped as Meagan Bates goes over care instructions with the client.

2:00pm

Iglesia Nuevo Camino brings together community for worship, inspiration

by Summer Stevens

Pastor Roga and Betty Compeans are among the first to arrive at church on Sunday afternoon to set up for the weekly gathering of Iglesia Nuevo Camino, or New Way Church.

The band sets up, the team prays together, and they open the doors to welcome about a hundred people to the 2:30 p.m. service for worship, prayer and an inspiring message.

New Way Church is one of a handful of Spanish-speaking churches on the Outer Banks, but the Compeans remember when they were the only ones ministering to this community.

Originally from Monterrey, Mexico, Roga and Betty lived in Kill Devil HIlls from 1988-1993. Though they loved living on the Outer Banks, they moved to Texas to be closer to family. Five years later, they were surprised to receive a phone call from Ark Church then-pastor David Daniels, asking them to return to minister to the Latino community.

“Latino community?” they asked him. “There are no Latinos in the Outer Banks,” they told him.

In the few years since they’d been gone, they were told there had been an increase in the number of Spanishspeaking people from Mexico and Central America, and a need to minister to these new families.

“It’s too far away,” Betty recalled thinking. Another eastern move would put them 46-hours away from family in Mexico, versus the 8-hour trip from their Houston home.

“But we prayed,” Betty said.

“We fasted and we prayed, and the rest is history,” Roga added.

They started out translating for about three or four families, but quickly outgrew their space. Roga began preaching in Spanish rather than translating and the growth continued. They moved to a room in the skating rink, outgrew that, and moved to another building associated with the Ark Church called The Dream Center.

It was an exciting time of ministry, and they worked around the clock meeting the needs of their ever-changing community.

“It was growing, growing, growing,” Roga said. “We did so many weddings, so many baby dedications, so many baptisms.”

“He preached, and I did the rest of the work,” Betty laughed.

“You were the head of every department,” Roga agreed. She led the children’s ministry, the women’s ministry, and helped with music, hospitality, and outreach. There were some years when they would travel out to Engelhard once

a week to minister to the seasonal workers who lived there.

Their two daughters, Elsy and Danielle, worked right alongside their parents.

The whole family worked together to not only create Sunday and mid-week services and events, but also to help their congregation with the unique challenges associated with living and working in an area when many barely spoke the language.

Roga spent several days a week volunteering as a translator for the county courts whenever anyone needed help or got a traffic ticket. Betty attended doctor visits, was present at hospitals when women were in labor, and helped with official business serving as a translator.

Summer Stevens photo

New Way Church Pastor Roga Compean with his wife and partner in ministry Betty.

“It was definitely hands-on ministry,” Roga said of the early years of ministry. Their congregation was mostly transient, moving from place to place according to the work available.

In 1998, the Compeans opened New Way Church, which is independent and currently meets at the Nags Head Church building on Soundside Road. New Way Church purchased property in Kill Devil Hills and is in the permitting phase to construct their own building.

Ministry looks a lot different now, too. The majority of their church members are established members of the community. Some are business owners, most speak at least some English and many are fluent, though services are still held in Spanish.

Roga and Betty have worked hard to create ministry teams, train leaders

and create a core group of volunteers. There isn’t the same need for translators anymore, and they can purchase good curriculum in Spanish.

Because of the challenges of not having a permanent meeting spot, Roga connects weekly through encouraging Facebook posts and videos. They recently finished up a series on prayer and fasting, and held prayer meetings together.

It’s a close community, very much like a family, and they are there to support each other. As the service wraps up around 4 p.m., members of New Way Church stream out of the sanctuary, chat with one another, wave and give hugs until next Sunday.

Regardless of how ministry has changed for the Compeans, some things don’t change, like seeing God at work

changing the hearts and lives of people.

“It never gets old seeing people in church. It never gets old baptizing people,” Roga said.

Summer Stevens photo

The message at New Life Church given by Carlos Valle

Summer Stevens photo

3:00pm

Coordinating turnover for vacation rentals

by Summer Stevens

It’s “turnover day” on the Outer Banks and rental companies throughout the area are managing the incredible challenge of getting thousands of properties emptied, cleaned and ready for another week of excited vacationers.

Cate Jordan, personal coordinator at Sun Realty, glances at the clock as she picks up the ringing phone. It’s 3 p.m. She does a quick mental calculation. Most of the early check in reservations should be settled into their houses, most of the housekeepers should be finished with the large houses, and most of the check-ins beginning at 4 p.m. are just about ready.

“Thank you for calling Sun Realty, this is Cate,” she says.

She listens and nods her head. “Can you tell me the code you’re using to unlock the house?” She pulls up the reservation and confirms. “Yes, that’s the correct code.” She troubleshoots with a guest on how to open the KABA lock.

“It works? Good! Have a great week, and let me know if you have any more trouble with it.”

She says goodbye but doesn’t put the phone down. Another call is coming in, and she can see that all her other co-workers are talking with customers already.

COVID-19 changed a lot of things, including the reservation check-in process. With mostly automated locks,

express check-ins and communication via email, phone and text message, Cate misses the personal interactions. “We don’t get to see as many of our guests anymore,” she said.

“Thank you for calling Sun Realty, this is Cate,” she answers.

She listens and says, “Congratulations on making it through the traffic early. That can be quite a challenge! …Yes, let me check. Your rental is available for check in after 4 p.m.”

“I’m sure you’re ready to relax at your beach house as soon as possible, and it will be ready for you to check in sometime after 4, though not necessar-

ily right at 4. Our cleaners are working carefully to make sure all homes are cleaned, inspected and ready for your arrival, and we’ll get you in as soon as possible. You’ll receive a text message when the house is ready, and then you can go right in. I promise you, we’ll be sure you’re notified as soon as it’s ready. Okay, then, have a great week and let us know if there’s anything you need once you’re inside.”

More calls come in. A guest wants to bring their dog at the last minute, another person is sick and is wondering if she can move her reservation. Someone calls to say they can’t find

Summer Stevens photo

Cate Jordan, personal coordinator at Sun Realty.

their linens. Another guest calls to say that the hot tub isn’t working. To someone else, Cate recommends a nearby restaurant for their first night on the OBX.

There’s a lull in the phone calls, and Cate checks her work email, answering future guests’ questions about whether there are linens in the house (answer: depending on the property, it may include linens or a linen package can be added). She contacts Sun’s Pool & Spa division about the hot tub, based on the homeowner’s preferences, and schedules the repair.

“A lot of people think Sun Realty owns the houses, but we don’t. All the

houses are privately owned, and we manage them for other people. When maintenance requests come in, there’s a process we follow to be sure the right vendors are contacted and that the homeowner is fully aware and oks the work,” she said.

She calls the guest back to let them know that the hot tub repair person will be over on Monday afternoon.

A large part of her job is staying organized. She has a notebook with pages of notes in different colored highlighters, so she can keep up with the 34 different properties she oversees for Sun Realty. In the offseason, she coordinates thorough inspections

of each property and works with homeowners on recommended home maintenance. She and her co-workers rotate as the after-hours on-call person for guests who have late night emergencies.

“In the summertime when the phones keep ringing off the hook, we try to keep it light in the office,” she said. She said her “work family” cares for and supports each other, and it’s the people that really make her job fun.

The clock ticks toward 4 p.m. The busy part of the day is far from over, but Cate smiles and picks up the phone once again, happy to help someone have a great week of vacation.

4:00pm

atch a wa e with ur ine

by Danielle Puleo

When you think of the Outer Banks, a lot of things come to mind: sandy beaches, fishing trips, wild horses, local legends and … surfing! Producing the largest waves on the east coast of the United States, OBX has a well-known reputation amongst the surfing community. But waves are unpredictable and surfing conditions can change rapidly. Luckily, there’s a team of forecasters that works daily to provide surf updates to the masses, making it that much easier to catch the best waves.

Rob Mitstifer, lead forecaster at Surfline, starts his day early, well before the sun peeks its head up over the ocean. “The key thing about getting surf reports out is to get them out within a half hour of sunrise,” Mitstifer explains at he scans various surf cams at his desk in the late afternoon. There are several factors that comprise the big picture when it comes to surf conditions: self-observations, buoy status, wind data, tide condition and weather predictions. Once the forecaster gathers all of the information in regard to these details, he can have a clearer picture of what the surf will be like once the day begins.

“After I digest it all, I write up a synopsis of what the surf is doing and

what it will probably do the rest of the day.” Mitstifer, for the most part, covers several regions along the east coast, forecasting surf conditions from Maine through South Carolina. As a New Jersey native, he knows the waters of the northeast well, and grew up surfing those swells. Carrying a large love of the sport,

Mitstifer utilizes his fervor daily. “It’s such a passionate thing from when you’re young … I learned how to surf when I was 10.” Best described by the avid surfer as “addicting,” surfing relies heavily on the weather, which is why Surfline was created and has evolved into a worldwide forecasting company.

Danielle Puleo photo

Lead forecaster at Surfline Rob Mitstifer checks weather conditions out on the Atlantic Ocean as he works to report on upcoming surf conditions. Surfline forecasts start their day early, even before the sun comes up, to relay surf reports through their website and app to eager surfers. There are several factors that comprise the big picture when it comes to surf conditions: self-observations, buoy status, wind data, tide condition and weather predictions.

The surf summaries posted to the Surfline platform give subscribers a good idea of what to expect out on the ocean. Approximate surf heights are given, along with ratings on wave condition and quality; these ratings are subjective, but go into detail of what a surfer can expect to see: What is the shape of the wave? Are the waves clean, glassy, choppy? When will it hit high tide and low tide? Mitstifer noted, “It takes knowing how to surf to do the job and get into specifics.”

Some days are busier than others at the office. “The weather could

be mellow,” the lead forecaster explained, “or sometimes we can have stretch of days with multiple storms and [forecasting] takes more time.” Mitstifer shared that the slow times are slow, and the busy times are really, really busy.

By the afternoon, Mitstifer is grinding away at the “nitty gritty” detailed forecast for the upcoming days and weeks. In between reports, he ensures quality control on Surfline’s website and notes any requests that have come in throughout the day. Surfline has worked with major events in the past, such as the Olympics and

World Surf League events, to produce accurate surf forecasts. In addition, Mitstifer makes any necessary changes to the daily reports if weather conditions begin to turn.

Through a combination of physical observations, data collection and 984 surf cameras placed all throughout the globe, the Surfline team delivers crucial information to surfers worldwide every single day. “At the end of the day, we like to think that our jobs boil down to telling people what the best time to surf is.” An essential tool for those who love riding the waves just as much as Mitstifer does.

At the Red Wolf Center in Columbia, two red wolves—known as 2246 and 2247—live in the protected safety of a wildlife enclosure. The beautiful yet elusive creatures are shy, and if you go in person to one of the educational talks, you may not catch a glimpse of them.

However, through the live webcam at ncwf. org/wildlife/red-wolves/#live-cam, the wolves can be observed at any time of day as they run, rest, eat and play, including after the center is closed for the day.

Red wolves are the most endangered species in the United States. They used to roam half the country from Pennsylvania to Florida and as far west as Texas, but today the red wolf lives only in North Carolina’s Albemarle Peninsula. There are less than 20 red wolves in the wild, and several hundred others in protected centers. Two of those protected wolves can be found in an enclosure behind the Red Wolf Center, located at 1221 Highway 94 South in Columbia.

The Coastland Times caught up with Red Wolf Center education and outreach coordinator Katerina Ramos, who operates the center as North Carolina Wildlife Federation with a memorandum of understanding with Fish and Wildlife Service, to answer some questions about the life and habits of the two red wolves.

Q: Tell me about each of the wolves. Do they have distinct personalities, habits?

A: The exhibit red wolves we have at the red wolf center are two 5-year-old brothers from the Durham Life and Science Museum. When trying to tell the two apart, we look for who has the most “red” coloration on their coat. 2247 has more red coloration, he also seems to be the one primarily sitting on top of the den. However if you were to catch a time where there

5:00pm

by Summer Stevens

are programs ongoing, he is most commonly hiding in the den. 2246 is more distinguished by his favorite place being behind the den, he is also the one to do more laps around the enclosure to get a better look at what’s happening beyond the area.

Q: Do they have nicknames? Why do you call them by numbers?

A: We do not use their given nicknames at the Red Wolf Center because we do not want to encourage the anthropomorphization of red wolves. The red wolf is a wild animal and sometimes using names makes people equate them as pets. Instead, we encourage the public to recognize that by referring to them as their stud book identifiers, 2246 and 2247. The studbook number also has meaning, it isn’t just a random number. When the last remaining red wolves were brought in from the wild in the late 1970s to save them from extinction and to start a captive breeding program, which is now referred to as the Red Wolf SAFE (Saving Animals From Extinction) program, they started with red wolf number 1. And now every red wolf that is born in the wild or born in captivity is given the next number. So just based on the numbers of these brothers we know that there have been over 2200 red wolves born since that time. Currently there is a 14-year-old female in the wild who’s number is 1743 and the five pups born on Alligator River NWR last spring that are now yearlings are 2410, 2411, 2412, 2413 and 2414, so we can tell from just their studbook numbers that they are littermates but we can also see that from when 1734 was born in 2009 to when 2414 was born in 2022 that almost 700 red wolves have been born.

Q: What does a day in the life of a red wolf (in captivity) look like?

A: The day in the life of a red wolf in captivity mostly looks like exploration of the habitat in their enclosure, resting, eating, interacting with one another, and interacting with their enrichment when it’s given.

Q: Will they ever go back to the wild? And if so, what does that process look like?

A: 2246 and 2247 were born in captivity at one of the 49 Red Wolf SAFE facilities. Although it is unlikely they would be released into the wild, all red wolves under human care are cared and managed as if they could be released into the wild. However, if they met the proper criteria to be released they would be moved from a public exhibit enclosure to an off-exhibit enclosure at one of the Red Wolf SAFE facilities or to an acclimation pen under the care of the Red Wolf Recovery program. There they would reside to become acclimated to the wild and fed strictly their natural prey items such as white-tailed deer, rabbits, rodents, beaver, nutria, etc. After significant time in the acclimation pen the Red Wolf Recovery Program team would open the door of the enclosure to let them leave the pen at their pace. Sometimes captive-born red wolves leave the pen in a matter of minutes, sometimes they take several hours and sometimes it takes days. The doors to the acclimation pen will remain open for any period of time as the captive-born red wolves get used to their new wild environment.

Red Wolf Center residents run, rest, eat and play

Summer Stevens photo

Q: Similar to the question above, why not just open the gates and let them back into the wild? Why keep them?

A: From the moment they are born, red wolves born in the wild grow up experiencing all that it means to be a wild animal and being taught from day one by their parents what it means to be a wild red wolf and how to survive on the landscape. They are able to freely move about the landscape, both as a family unit but also to explore on their own to learn about the world around them. They learn from their parents and through trial and error how to hunt prey, avoid dangers and navigate through different habitats. All of these things are difficult to replicate in controlled environments. As a result, the release of captive born animals into the wild is a difficult undertaking and requires many factors to be successful.

Q: What do they like to eat? Who feeds them? If someone wanted to check the webcam for feeding times, what time would they look?

A: Captive red wolves are fed what is called a carnivore log with other food items mixed in periodically. Carnivore logs (or C-logs as we refer to them) are a mixture of meat and viscera in a ground up form. We currently have a volunteer caretaker for the red wolf brothers that gives them their food and maintains their enclosure. The feeding times for the red wolves vary on the time of day as it depends on the volunteer’s schedule. However at this point in time the brothers are fed three times a week.

Q: Why did the red wolves come to Columbia? Were they sick or injured?

A: Individuals with the Red Wolf SAFE program are moved from one location to another for a variety of reasons including to form breeding pairs, to be companions for red wolves that are past breeding age, for exhibitions that are open to the public for outreach and educational purposes, etc. The red wolves currently in the enclosure open to the public at the Red Wolf Center came to Columbia because the female from the previous red wolf pair that was at the Red Wolf Center was moved to the Wolf Conservation Center to be part of a breeding pair. The male she was previously with at the Red Wolf Center has since passed away. The brothers were born and raised in captivity and at this point are not selected to be released into the wild. We do maintain two red wolves at the exhibit enclosure at the Red Wolf Center in Columbia for educational purposes. The opportunity to see how shy and elusive red wolves are is something that is made more real when the public sees it in action while attending a program, particularly at the Red Wolf Center located within the Eastern North Carolina Red Wolf Population (ENC RWP) area, which is the only place in the world where red wolves roam in the wild.

Q: Do they howl? What/who do they howl at?

A: The exhibit red wolves do howl on occasion. Given the proximity to Columbia, the most likely thing they will howl at is emergency vehicle sirens. Other times we have heard them howl back to other canids in the area.

6:00pm

It’s dinnertime at Colington Pizza

by Philip S. Ruckle Jr.

One of the biggest problems with running a restaurant is that almost everybody gets hungry and wants to eat at around the same time.

As one of the new Colington Pizza owners, located at the corner of Colingwood Lane and Colington Road, Matthew Broughton doesn’t really see that as a problem. Cooking since he was 12, Broughton also owns Cosmo’s Pizza in Corolla.

“It only takes 8 to 9 minutes to make a small 12 inch or large 16 inch pizza,” said Broughton. “That’s from start to finish.”

That rivals the wait time for some fast food chain restaurants.

Surprised to learn that there are at least 1,800 home sites in the immediate nearby area, Broughton said the aim was to make it a community place.

After buying the property along with partners Beau Spivey and Matthew Wyatt this past November, a near full renovation took place in order to provide the right community atmosphere.

“We took our time to reopen and most of the building was renovated,” said front manager Josh Lundy. “We redid the floors, the tables, chairs and all the walls. We left the bar top, that was from the previous set up.”

With everything in place, and room outside the 3000 sq. ft. building for a possible stage and tables for outdoor

dining area, the doors opened for the community.

“Vacationers help pay the bills,” offered Broughton. “But we want this to be a more community-based operation.”

Should not be hard to do since most of the staff live nearby, including several high school students.

Averaging 100 to 150 pizzas a day, Fridays and Saturdays are the busiest. Lundy said they just started offering lunch and are open Wednesday through Sunday from 3 to 9, although they may add more days later.

Broughton said the community reception has been amazing.

And why not? With dine in and pick up available, patrons have the best of both worlds. And with delivery to be added later, it only gets better.

Lundy went on to say another plus was that the cafe just got its alcohol permit.

“But we don’t want to be a bar,” Lundy added. “That’s one reason why we shut down at 9 p.m.”

So what do the customers want?

“We’re still building our menu,” Lundy explained. “So far ‘The Bubba’ is a top seller. That is a carryover from the previous owner. But then nothing trumps pepperoni – that and a beer are a perfect meal.”

Philip S. Ruckle Jr photo

Since opening recently under new owners, Colington Pizza has become a popular community gathering place.

A FREE College Education Is Within Reach

Thanks to the Dare County Guarantee Scholarship Program, funded by Dare County, quali ed students are able to attend College of The Albemarle with no out-of-pocket expenses for tuition and fees.

Curriculum, and Workforce Development and Career Readiness (continuing education) programs that lead to a credential in a high-demand eld are included, with priority given to students attending COA – Dare. Priority also is given to Dare County High School graduates from a public, private or homeschool. Any remaining funds can be used for any Dare County resident.

To qualify, you must:

• be a Dare County resident

• have graduated from a Dare County public high school, private school or home school

• be a United States citizen or documented lawful permanent resident

• begin classes at COA within 24 months of graduating high school

Check out the steps to apply for the Dare County Guarantee Scholarship at www.albemarle.edu/dareguarantee

Questions? Call

7:00pM

Skate Night!

by Summer Stevens

It’s 7 p.m. on a Friday night at the Ark Church and student pastors Joel and Bethany Overton are opening the doors of the gym to let in a flood of excited elementary, middle and high school students.

Music is playing, the room is filling up and the smell of freshly popped popcorn mixes with the ever-present but somehow nostalgic smell of sweaty feet.

“Welcome to Skate Night!” Bethany says over the megaphone.

The kids that come in first have been lined up outside for over an hour to make sure they get in first and are able to get skates in their size. Several volunteers are in the side room swapping street shoes for classic roller skates, while some kids bring their own skates.

They pay their $5 entrance fee, lace up and head to the gym.

From the speakers comes the latest Christian rap and pop, with a few oldies thrown in there. There are chairs set up along the perimeter of the gym. It’s a full-sized basketball court – not technically a roller-skating rink, but large enough to hold hundreds of skating kids plus parents who choose to stay and watch.

Bethany does the welcome at about a quarter past 7 and celebrates the children who have birthdays. After a few songs, she announces the speed

skating competition for elementary students. Later on in the evening they’ll do a dance off to songs like Whip/Nae Nae and the Cha Cha Slide, followed by the high school speed skating competition and a raffle to wrap up the night.

Skate Night is about so much more than just skating. For the last 35 years –minus the years when the original skate building burned down and the COVID19 closure – the Ark Church has been opening their doors to kids and families to offer a safe, wholesome environ-

ment led by volunteers who really care.

Started in 1987 by Ark Church founding pastor David Daniels, Skate Night was planned simply to give kids something fun to do, especially in the winter months. In the early years, Skate Night was offered every single Friday night without fail until the tragic electrical fire in 2012 that caused the total destruction of the skate building.

“It was a huge loss,” said Joel. A loss not only to the church, but to the community, the families that enjoyed the weekend recreation, and

Courtesy Bethany Overton

Kids of all ages have been visiting Skate Night at the Ark Church since the 1980s.

the county who used the building frequently.

In 2015 the new facility was built, opening up once again for Outer Banks kids to gather together on wheels. 2023 has seen record numbers of people coming to Skate Night. They have 125 pairs of skates to pass out, and about another hundred or so kids bring their own. Some kids don’t even skate. They just want to be there.

“We don’t have 300 kids that come out because of skating. We have 300 kids that come out because there’s something different that happens here. It’s a place where they can come, their families can come, they know it’s safe, they know it’s fun, but they also know there’s people here that may not even

know them but they care about them,” Joel said.

Some kids wait until their size opens up, floating between the gym and the foyer talking with friends and picking out something at the snack bar.

Volunteers Mr. Junior and Miss Cathy Edwards faithfully serve the mostly at-cost nachos, candy, slushies, sodas, popcorn and, according to Joel, the “Outer Banks Famous Skate Night hot dogs.”

Volunteers are present to get to know students, listen to them if they want to talk, and just be a friend.

“We have rules and regulations, yes, but we try to present that in the kindest way we can. But I think a big thing is, kids really enjoy joking around with the

people they’ve gotten to know. And part of our main focus is to build a relationship,” Bethany said.

“The Outer Banks does a really good job of keeping the ‘family-friendly-nothing-bad-happens-on-the-Outer-Banks-everybody’s-perfect’ type of stigma across it so that visitors don’t see anything different when they’re here. But at 9:30 p.m. when there’s a group of kids that are still here that don’t know where their parents are, don’t know how they’re getting home, we’re able to just sit and talk with them and see where they’re coming from,” Joel said.

“It’s not about just skating. It’s about just being able to show the love of Jesus to people,” he added.

8:00pM Pier life

by Philip S. Ruckle Jr.

As the sun sets in the west, darkness overtakes the 76-year-old Nags Head Pier. Overhead lights flicker on to battle against the coming darkness.

The pier opens daily before sunup and by 8 p.m., some of those that remain are leaning on the handrails, others have folding chairs for a little more comfort. Several fishing lines are cast out into the ocean waters.

“Fishing would be better if the water were warmer,” says Tom Charity, behind the counter of the pier’s bait and tackle shop on an April night. “But they’re still catching some blue fish, shad, skates and rays. Then every now and then somebody will hook a drum.”

About half way out on the 750-foot pier Loren Lehman of Kill Devil Hills is leaning on the rail with a line in the water. It’s pretty windy tonight and others nearby are huddled together to help block the wind as they re-bait their hooks. Lehman says he’s a regular at the pier and comes fishing almost every day.

When asked why he likes to fish at night, Lehman says it’s peaceful and then asks: “Why sit at home and watch TV?”

Fishing all day from 5 a.m. until midnight is $15, so a skilled angler can recoup that in a good day’s catch. Sightseeing is just $3 a day and the

view out over the water is both interesting and, at times, spectacular. The pier is almost close enough to the Gulf Stream to see it.

If you come for just the view without a fishing rod or tackle and change your mind, pier staff can get you up and running with anything you need from the tackle shop. There are several rods for rent or for sale, in addition to bait, tackle, snacks, drink and ice.

Strolling out to the end of the pier, the wind seems to be a bit stronger.

Josh Bradshaw and Kelly Young are set up almost at the end of the pier. There’s a little bit more light shining on them but they’re still isolated at the end of the pier.

“We were here earlier and the weather was nice,” said Bradshaw. “But now it’s a little cooler and very

windy.”

They were still able to pull a few in, although several were trout, and all were too small to keep so they had to be thrown back.

After hooking a skate, it took the two of them to get it free so it could go back into the water.

Regular visitors to the Outer Banks, Bradshaw said they make it down from Virginia a couple of times a year.

Another regular visitor, Jeffrey Travis, stopped in the tackle shop on his way out long enough to chat with Charity a few minutes.

Travis, who in years past worked here at the pier, said he comes every chance he can get.

At about 8:30 p.m. John Kelly from Virginia comes in with his son John Kelly Jr.

Philip S. Ruckle Jr. photo

John Kelly and John Kelly Jr. buy drinks from Tom Charity at the Nags Head Fishing Pier counter.

Riding bicycles from their house on Wrightsville to the pier at MP 11.5 on the Beach Road, John Jr. says he grew up on Nags Head Pier and they come down from Virginia to the pier about once a month. Making a purchase at the counter with Charity, John Sr. comments that this is one place that still takes cash. After locating the coin change machine, the Kellys try their hand at pinball.

Walking back out on the pier beyond the breakers, you can make out the waves crashing on the shoreline. You can hear them as well.

One of seven Atlantic Ocean fishing piers here on the Outer Banks, the warped, weathered wooden boards give it a nostalgic look. Some places have spaces between the planks where you can see the ocean swells below your feet.

It’s the perfect place to hook a few fish. After all, what’s not to love about a fishing pier?

Philip S. Ruckle Jr. photo

Josh Bradsher and Kelly Young out on Nags Head Fishing Pier.

Sing your heart out

by Philip S. Ruckle Jr.

For anyone who dreams of standing on stage singing their heart out as a star of the show, the Jolly Roger Restaurant on karaoke nights is the place to be.

It is, in fact, an opportunity available there every night, seven days a week, when right around 9 p.m. the regular lights dim, the music volume is cranked up and several colored strobe lights start flashing in sync with the music.

It is a nightly ritual that continues until midnight.

As the DJ and host for the evening invites anyone and everyone to provide a song title and name before taking the stage, he adds a caution that any drinks be left at the bar or table. No drinks on stage in spite of it being near the bar.

First names are the pretty much the norm for everyone throughout the night, not that full names are needed, and many in the small crowd appear to be regulars.

After several people fill out a small card with their name and preferred song’s information, Glenn gets things started by belting out his version of “Walking in Memphis.” Overhead, the lyrics for each song flash across a screen mounted near the ceiling. Some singers read the words, other ignore the them because they already know their chosen song by heart.

As Glenn finishes, the DJ calls Deb to the stage. She performs the 1981 Bertie Higgins top 40 hit “Key Largo.” As she finishes, the DJ shows his age by confessing that he has no idea who Bogie and Becall might be.

Roger Hoback, in town on business from Fredericksburg, Virginia, straightens the DJ out by shouting from his nearby table that the song refers to Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall, movie stars in the 1948 namesake film.

An accomplished singer himself, Roger says he has been singing karaoke all over the east half of the country for more than 20 years. Starting when an illness forced him out of work, Roger says karaoke gave him an opportunity to get out of the house and maintain some sort of social life.

“It’s a great way to meet people,” Roger explains. “I love karaoke because it is a great way to socialize. It’s family.”

A proficient gospel, country, rock and roll, and blues singer, Roger adds that he also has played various instruments with more than one band as well as mentored several other younger singers.

Traveling much of the east coast on business, Roger says he makes it to the Outer Banks every three to four months. And when he does get here, a stop at the Jolly Roger is always on the

agenda.

“I sing almost every place I go,” Roger continues. “Even in some ‘old folk homes.’ … New Orleans is a good place to sing, but not downtown. I never go downtown in any of the big towns. But the Jolly Roger is one of the best.”

As the evening cranks on, Roger gets in a Joe Cocker tune, Angela sings “Redneck Woman,” followed by Evan who provides a pure country song with Brad Paisley’s “I’m Gonna Miss Her.” Buffalo’s deep voice is almost perfect for Josh Turner’s “Long Black Train” and the next singer, Gus, changes the pace a bit with “Lips of an Angel.”

Tapping his foot to the rhythm of the music, Ken performs “You’ll Never Find Another Love Like Mine” and a little

Philip S. Ruckle Jr. photo Debbie sings “Key Largo” on the karaoke stage at the Jolly Roger Restaurant.

later when Malachai takes the stage, a couple of friends video his performance.

As the evening goes on, there is more of the same with brief breaks in performances to give the DJ a rest and a chance for patrons to get in some dancing.

And it’s been that way consistently since the 1990s.

“In the ‘90s karaoke was a big thing and it just kind of stuck,” explains Jolly Roger manager Andrea Sullivan.

Although Mitch Miller hosted a TV show in the 1960s with song lyrics on the screen and viewers were encouraged to sing along at home, karaoke is credited with originating in Japan in the 1970s or 1980s (depending on which version you hear) where people take turns singing popular songs into a microphone with pre-recorded tracks backing them up.

The invention of video cassettes and

compact disks helped it spread around the world and by the ‘90s karaoke was the rage everywhere. It is so popular today that there is a Karaoke World Championship with participants from 30 countries.

“We had Hambone, one of the most memorable and likable big entertainers on the Outer Banks, as our house host,” adds Sullivan.

Although Hambone passed away in May of last year, he hasn’t been forgotten. A framed photo hangs at the back of the stage and at least one patron in the crowd, Sarah Villanueva, said she’s been coming ever since Hambone first invited her several years ago.

While Hambone was noted for encouraging singers to join him on stage, Sullivan went on to say that, depending on how many people show up on any given night, probably more than half of today’s patrons spend some time on stage with a karaoke song.

“I would say a majority participate,” she adds.

With construction for a 4,800 square foot addition and a tiki bar about to take place, there might be room for more karaoke.

Sullivan went on to say that nine o’clock is the normal start time, but if a family is in the restaurant and their kid wants to sing a song or something, it’s a go for them to sing a song but they can’t stay after that. It is, after all, a bar area.

“We are entertaining the idea of doing some Saturday afternoon things,” explains Sullivan. “Whether it be this summer or next summer, once we get the new building we want to have some activities for minors. Maybe something like a Saturday kids karaoke in the afternoon, evenings into the season, but we haven’t really implemented that … but we are looking to do something.”

Philip S. Ruckle Jr. photo Angela on Jolly Roger karaoke stage sings “Redneck Woman.”

Philip S. Ruckle Jr. photo

Friends video Malachai as he sings on the Jolly Roger karaoke stage and another patron picks out a song in an index catalog.

Full plates and full hearts at Outer Banks Brewing Station

by Danielle Puleo

Late summer nights call for good music, a wide drink selection and fantastic service, all of which can be found year-round at the Outer Banks Brewing Station (OBBS). What makes this winning combination of factors come to fruition regularly? The faces behind the bar!

Bar manager Jay Ammon knows the job of a bartender is not for everyone; his crew has been hand-selected to ensure effective work flow night after night. OBBS staff can “serve upwards of 200 people at any given time,” which requires a dynamite set of skills. As the crew prepares for Thursday night trivia, they go over the inner workings of what goes into a smooth night of service.

“On any given night, we can have three to six bartenders on, not including outside. Inside, everyone takes their own position,” Julie Santo, four-year bartender at OBBS shared. She scans the outside of the long counter that surrounds the bar inside the restaurant, checking to make sure everyone has been served.

Santo is no stranger to how, in the blink of an eye, the building can go from calm and slow to packed and hectic. “We feed off of each other,” she mentioned, as another bartender slid behind her to bring a drink to a newly seated customer. “I think what makes our shifts go so smoothly is the dynamic of everyone … we glide together. It’s tight behind the bar, and when you’re talking six bartenders, you’re bouncing from place to place constantly.”

“A late night can change depending on the entertainment for the night,” Ammon explained. “Bands can bring a rush of people before they begin, giving lulls while they play, while a DJ can keep the dance floor and bar

full for most of the night. So, in a sense, there is an ever-changing look to a late night, which means our preparation differs from night to night. My staff usually sets up for the expectations of being as busy as possible.”

Bartender Sam Tillett, who has been with OBBS for eight years, shared that customer satisfaction comes from not simply slinging drinks, but maintaining a safe late-night environment, ensuring the bar and kitchen is well stocked before service begins, and having the right amount of staffing prior to the rush, including bartenders, servers, cooks and bouncers. “There is a lot of ‘looking forward’ to do to prepare for what the DJs or bands may bring. Set-up is quick, and most of it lies on the bar manager to make sure we are ready to go.”

Ammon said, “As a bar manager, I had to put together a crew together who can work cohesively and efficiently … as a bartender, I have to have my head on a swivel, always anticipating the needs of either my customers or my fellow bartenders.” He added that the crew

has a catalog of drinks locked in their memory, with a list of names and faces combined with each of their preferences so customers can have an even more enjoyable experience at OBBS. “And we meet about 100,000 new people a year. It’s a lot to keep up with.”

With so many tasks to balance, it’s easy to get bogged down even before the crowds come. So what makes the job worth doing? “The people I work with, that can make or break any job,” Santo said. “It really comes down to the people you work with, and treating everyone with respect. Tillett agreed: “The people who work here are friends, even the customers. You become a family with people that you work with and the people that you serve.”

Ammon said, “being behind the bar allows me to meet all kinds of people, listen to great music in an intimate setting, make great drinks and serve amazing food. In the off-season, I get to play around with different drink recipes and in summer I get to do high volume bartending, my favorite part of the job.”

Danielle Puleo photo

Julie Santo mixes up a cocktail for a customer at the bar, all smiles at that!

11:00pM

Volunteer firefighters: Heroes answer the call night and day

by Swan Quarter Volunteer Fire Department

A full sixty minutes before the bewitching hour, Chief Jeffrey Stotesberry climbs into his truck and heads back towards the Swan Quarter Volunteer Fire Department (SQVFD). Sitting next to him is a “probie” firefighter – a rookie – who is a student at Mattamuskeet High School.

Stifling a yawn, Stotesberry knows this long day is not yet over, but perhaps he can take a deep breath, wind down and reflect on the events of the past few hours. His community has suffered a loss tonight. Thankfully there was no loss of life, but fire has destroyed a home and most of its contents.

Glancing in the rearview mirror he can see a rag-tag procession behind him. It’s headed in the same direction and at the same pace as he is.

Directly behind him there’s a big red fire truck. Engine #1991 has a local farmer at the wheel. Riding shotgun is one of the department’s youngest firefighters, not long out of high school and a budding electrical apprentice. Seated behind them is a female “probie” who is currently studying to be an EMT.

Further down the procession line, a retired tugboat engineer is driving the department’s equipment truck, accompanied by a state employee who works at Hyde Correctional Institute.

A brush truck brings up the rear with an off-duty NC Forest Service employee driving. The passenger is one of the department’s safety officers.

Intermittently spaced are personal vehicles with firefighters who – many hours earlier – answered the call to duty. Among

them are a Hyde County Sheriff’s deputy, an EMT, a school bus mechanic, another farmer and a daycare provider. Perhaps they left their job, or their child’s baseball game, or cut short their lawn mowing to rush to the incident scene on their own. These firefighters – male and female – are all unpaid volunteers. Without them, the chief knows the department could not operate!

For the past 35 years, Chief Stotesberry has led the department. He has watched it grow and helped find funding for everything from building expansion, equipment, vehicles and just recently, a new substation in the Lake Comfort community. But his greatest struggle is how to simply pay their monthly operating expenses. Like the other five volunteer fire departments in Hyde County – where there is no fire tax and only a small annual stipend from the County of Hyde – the struggle to stay afloat is omnipresent.

Tonight, as he drives, he is assessing how he and his crew performed. What did they get right? Where do they need to improve? Hopefully, he thinks, the scheduled pump operator training next week will help them improve their skills.

Other thoughts crowd into his already overactive mind. Are there enough supplies on hand for the upcoming weekend’s fundraiser? Will enough volunteers show up to peel potatoes, cook and serve the meal? Will attendance be good?

He remembers the various reports that are due soon and need to be worked on. A grant application for updated equipment that he started a couple of days ago needs to be completed. He needs to return a call to Mattamuskeet School so he can schedule a suitable fire safety class for the pre-k classes. The CPA is waiting on copies of certain documents so the department’s annual Form 990 (tax return) can be completed for the Internal Revenue Service.

Courtesy Swan Quarter Volunteer Fire Department

Moving quietly through the village, the firefighters arrive back at the station. Their work is not done. The trucks must be refilled with water. The hoses cleaned and repacked on the truck. All of the other small pieces of equipment will be cleaned and replaced in their proper places. Maybe some of the turn-out gear will need to be washed and laid out to dry. The vehicle drivers have truck logs to be immediately filled out. All of this must be done now because, since they are on call 24/7, it’s possible they may have to answer another call before dawn. Bone weary, they all go about their respective tasks.

The chief still has paperwork to do tomorrow and will revisit the scene of the fire for further investigation into the

cause of the fire. He’s grateful that the Hyde County Sheriff’s Department had an available deputy to stay on the scene overnight; otherwise, one of their firefighters would have been assigned that task.

It’s well past the bewitching hour before everyone heads home to a hot shower, a bite to eat and a few hours of sleep.

For more SQVFD information and photos, visit swanquartervfd.org or follow them on Facebook at facebook.com/ Swan-Quarter-VFD .

If you are currently being served by a volunteer fire department – reach out to them! You don’t have to fight fires to volunteer with them. There are a myriad of ways you can use your talents to help them serve your community. Ask!

Courtesy Swan Quarter Volunteer Fire Department