Dare Society

An N.C. present for the Italian prez

2009-07-09T10:33:00.001-07:00

Personally, I think this says a lot about how far North Carolina wines have come ...

President Barack Obama presented Italian President Giorgio Napolitano this morning with a gift from North Carolina [according to the N&O's Under the Dome].

Obama, meeting with Napolitano prior to the G-8 Summit, presented the Italian president with a variety of American wines. Included in the package was a 2008 Raffaldini Vineyards Vermentino.

Raffaldini Vineyards is in Ronda, between Winston-Salem and Wilkesboro, and the vinyard's owners were thrilled to have their wine included in the gift.

“Raffaldini Vineyards is honored to have been selected to represent the U.S. and is proud that our preservation and promotion of our Italian heritage and culture have been recognized,” co-owner Barbara Raffaldini said in a release.

A release from the vineyard notes that the Vermentino grape is "most famously cultivated in Sardinia," and that Raffaldini Vineyards was among the first to plant the grape in the U.S.

The vineyard says the 2008 vintage "is characterized by its lively green apple and lime flavors and refreshing acidity."

More on Abe Lincoln, N.C. native(?)

2009-07-09T09:46:00.000-07:00

When discussing more than a year ago the "Most Influential North Carolinians" we mentioned the (tenuous) idea that Abraham Lincoln was in fact born near Murphy, not in Kentucky.

Well, author John A. McKinsey has dived right into the speculation with "The Lincoln Secret," a novel.

“The Lincoln Secret” is a modern-day, mystery adventure that explores mysteries of Abraham Lincoln’s life and the Civil War. In particular, the book delves deeply into the theory that North Carolinian Abraham Enloe might be the real father of Abraham Lincoln [according to the Elizabeth City Daily Advance].
The core mystery in “The Lincoln Secret” is whether Abraham Lincoln’s father was really Thomas Lincoln. A documented version of history holds that Abraham Enloe impregnated Nancy Hanks, Abraham Lincoln’s mother, while she was working in Abraham Enloe’s household as a servant girl. She was sent back to Kentucky in disgrace where she secretly had the child after marrying Thomas Lincoln.
As the nation prepares to celebrate Abraham Lincoln’s 200th birthday, “The Lincoln” Secret probes into the topic of who Abraham Lincoln’s father really was and raises doubts about when he was really born. ...
“I tell the story of the Abraham Enloe theory though a modern-day, fictional story,” explains author John McKinsey. “It is a great medium to push the envelope of history and also to get people’s attention. But it has to be done respectfully and accurately. I think I struck the right balance in ‘The Lincoln Secret.’
“The more I explored the story of Abraham Enloe’s possible fathering of Abraham Lincoln, the more curious I became about why the story seems to be covered up and is clearly ignored by many historians. The idea that Lincoln’s parentage might have been covered up is what led to this mystery novel.”

Thoughts on this (some would say preposterous) idea?

(Image of book cover from Amazon.com)

Best place to retire in the South? Why, North Carolina, of course!

2009-07-08T05:13:00.000-07:00

Ideal Living has released its list of the top places in the South to retire, and of North Carolina regions stake the claim in two of the top five, including the top one. Nice.

"Based on our reader surveys, we know that the 'lifestyle' is what you desire most," says the site. "Active year-round outdoor activities, small-town flare with big city access, a sense of community, golf, boating, abundant walking trails and more."

Taking readers feedback, Ideal Living ranked the N.C. coast No. 1.

"Consistently ranked in the top 5 US retirement destinations, the North Carolina Coast is home to Wilmington, New Bern, Cape Hatteras, The Albemarle Sound region and more." They recommend "checking out" Waterside at The Point near New Bern, Compass Pointe and River Landing, both in Wilmingon.

Following the N.C. coast were the Florida and South Cackalacky coasts, respectively, then the Tennessee mountains and, finally at No. 5, the North Carolina mountains.

"Rounding out our top 5, the NC Mountains have gained extreme popularity over the past 5 years, primarily for the national attention Asheville, NC has received as a retirement destination. But if you take a step outside of the mainframe, you’ll discover a lot more to explore in quaint mountain villages."

(Coastal photo by Kelly Capps)

Quick hits: Highland Games, what's up with Perquimans, and WNC gets a medical school

2009-07-08T05:08:00.000-07:00

Games bring Scotland to Western N.C.
"For more than half a century, Grandfather Mountain has hosted the Highland Games, a celebration of Scottish heritage through athleticism, music and dance," says the Citizen-Times.

"But the event, beginning Thursday at MacRae Meadows, may draw particular interest this year, according to Catherine Morton, marketing director with Grandfather Mountain.

" 'In the world of travel and tourism in 2009, everybody is looking for a way to have recreation and unique experiences, and they also don't want to spend a lot of money doing it,' Morton said.

" 'This is a far-away place that isn't far away,' she said. 'You can sleep in your bed but feel like you've spent the day in Europe.' ..."

What's in a name?
"The mayor of Hertford, N.C., has been known to quiz newcomers about his home county of Perquimans," says the Virginian-Pilot.

"His most often asked question is about the meaning of the name. Always a good tour guide, Sid Eley has his answer ready and a theory about its genesis.

" 'It's an Indian word that means land of beautiful women,' he said.

" 'I've heard one story - but I don't have any proof of this - that the men would go to the Outer Banks on fishing expeditions and this is where they left their women. And none of them had ugly wives.' ..."

WNC takes first steps toward medical school

"Like their classmates around the state, four UNC School of Medicine students spent the first day of their third year of medical school taking a tour of the hospital they'll be working in and getting their identification badges.

"But unlike their classmates, the four women who sat practicing suturing on pig's feet Monday afternoon are the first to receive their training at the medical school's newest branch in Western North Carolina and among the first in the country to participate in a new way of educating medical students," says the Citizen-Times.

"The pilot program that started this week establishes a branch of UNC School of Medicine in WNC for the first time, bringing the four third-year medical school students to the mountains for two years to learn clinical skills.

"The program is a collaboration among the UNC School of Medicine, UNC Health Care System, Mission Hospital, the Mountain Area Health Education Center, the Western North Carolina Health Network and local physicians. ..."

Canes No. 2 among America's pro teams; Panthers 28th, Bobcats 59th

2009-07-06T07:53:00.000-07:00

The Carolina Hurricanes were ranked second in ESPN's voting of the Ultimate Team rankings -- based on the "Big Four" of MLB, NBA, NFL and the NHL, while the Carolina Panthers came in 28th and the Charlotte Bobcats 59th.

Personally, I'm excited that the Canes are that high, perplexed that the Panthers aren't higher, and equally perplexed that the 'Cats aren't lower. Oh well.

How the rankings came to be, From the site:

The eight major categories that make up the Ultimate Standings were created based on feedback from fans about what they want most from their favorite teams (click here for a more detailed account of the method to our madness.) The categories:
Bang For The Buck (BNG): Wins during the past three years (regular season plus postseason) per revenues directly from fans, adjusted for league schedules.

Fan Relations (FRL): Openness and consideration toward fans by players, coaches and management.

Ownership (OWN): Honesty and loyalty to core players and local community.

Affordability (AFF): Price of tickets, parking and concessions.

Stadium Experience (STX): Quality of arena and game-day promotions as well as friendliness of environment.

Players (PLA): Effort on the field and likability off it.

Coaching (CCH): Strength of on-field leadership.

Title Track (TTR): Championships already won or expected in the lifetime of current fans.

Based on that critiera, the Canes came in just behind the Angels but ahead of the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Detroit Red Wings. The Canes came in at No. 17 last year.

Here's ESPN's take on the Canes:

Surprised that the Canes are an ice chip (.01 point) away from topping our list? Fans from this unconventional hockey market aren't. In fact, they embrace their underdog role, although references to Hartford South still rankle ("When was the last time you heard the Avalanche being referred to as the 'Nordique-Avs'?" complained a poster on canescountry.com). What doesn't rankle is the wallet- and fan-friendly Hurricane Experience. After all, what's better than an elite team that loves you back at a bargain-basement price? Not much. Even before this spring's playoff run, which included two Game 7 road wins, the Hurricanes offered an "Ice Your Price" plan that guaranteed a two-year freeze on season-ticket costs. As it was, the Canes' average ticket price of $38.38 was already fifth lowest in the NHL, and only one (the Blues) of the three teams with cheaper ducats made the playoffs. As for the requited love, PR chief Mike Sundheim says the team prides itself on making players accessible to the community. Practices at the RBC Center are open to the public, and weekend workouts draw hundreds of fans. Best of all, players stick around afterward to sign autographs. Even visitors are impressed by the Canes-Caniacs love affair. "They know that they are no longer a bandwagon mob," blogged one Bruins supporter who road-tripped to Canes country during Boston's unhappy conference semis, "and they want everyone to know it." Thanks to the team's showing in our Ultimate Standings, everybody does.

... and the Panthers:

After a rough 2007, fans in Bank of America were itching for a bailout. Sure enough -- a year earlier than the rest of the banking industry's -- their pleas became too big to fail. An intact Jake Delhomme behind center plus a healthy dose of Double Trouble (RBs DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart) helped the 2008 squad improve in wins (+5), rushing yards (+613) and points (+147). Cats management responded by pumping in a two-and-a-half-times-as-large hi-def video display, adding flat-screens in the 100 and 500 levels and installing more JJR's BBQ Shacks to sate fans' jones for succulent pulled pork and Midwest-infused beef brisket. Sure, 63,000 of the 73,504 seats are locked down in PSLs -- so much for spontaneity. But it's hard to complain while downing $3 soda and sub-$6 brew, getting free programs and capturing the NFC's jointly held (with the Giants) top record with the eighth-cheapest stubs. Management has frozen ticket prices for 2009, so Panthers backers can feel safe depositing their hard-earned cash in B of A … for now.

.... and the Bobcats:

When one measly Texans playoff berth is all that separates the Bobcats from becoming the lone remaining franchise across major pro sports without postseason experience, well, it's easy to understand their fans' frustration -- and why only one category improved from last year's Standings. That would be Coaching, which leaped a whopping 67 spots after the team finally got serious by hiring Larry Brown. The HOFer brought some much-needed experience and long-sought-after credibility to the sideline for a team whose two previous regimes compiled a sorry .332 WP. Sure, Brown may not be the most stable choice (someone check -- has he unpacked yet?), but he still gets results: His first season was almost good enough for that elusive playoff berth, as Charlotte finished a mere four games out. But fans haven't forgotten (or forgiven) front office follies like trading for Jason Richardson and -- remember this one? -- drafting Adam Morrison No. 3 overall. At least now the albatross (Richardson) and the mustache (Morrison) are gone. Sprite Family Night packages (four tix + four dogs + four sodas = $65), the league's fourth-cheapest tix ($33.25), cheapest parking ($6), free programs, a 17% average ticket price drop for next season and one of the NBA's least-attended venues (14,526 per game) make things more wallet-friendly. Still, there's no price this team, or its fans, wouldn't pay for a postseason.

And in case you were wondering (I'm sure you were), the last-placed team is ... (drum roll) ... the Los Angeles Clippers. No surprise there.

Happy Fourth of July, North Carolina!

2009-07-01T08:43:00.000-07:00

Images from the Asheville Citizen-Times (Melrose St. parade), Wilmington Star-News (fireworks), ShareTriangle (Greenville fireworks) and fanpop.com ("Jon & Kate Plus 8")

As American (and Southern) as apple pie, sweet tea ... and red hot dogs?

2009-07-01T08:35:00.001-07:00

The Charlotte Observer has a great piece on the appeal of red (you know the ones) hot dogs. Those things are one of those great Southern mysteries, like grits, that people either love or hate. (I like 'em; the wife won't touch 'em.)

In fact, the bright red dogs have developed loyal followers that (according to the article) there are people who won't eat anything BUT a red hot dog.

"This holiday weekend, depending on where you live in North Carolina, the hot dog peeking out from under your mustard, chili and slaw is likely to be bright red," says the Observer. ...

" 'It's the flavor and the tradition,' Manly Turner, 51, explains while eating lunch last week at Jones Lunch in downtown Clayton, about 140 miles east of Charlotte.

"Johnston County is ground zero in North Carolina for the fire-engine-red dogs. The county is home to two makers: Carolina Packers and Stevens Sausage Co. ...

"The red dog not only has fans in North Carolina but also throughout the Southeast. In Alabama, the Zeigler brand is preferred. Along Highway 11, also called the Lee Highway, in southwestern Virginia, hot dog shops and lunch counters serve the Valleydale brand. ..."

The article even delves into that age-old question: why -- or rather HOW -- are they so red?

"What you probably don't know is all hot dogs used to be red, explains Bruce Kraig, a professor at Roosevelt University in Chicago who just wrote 'Hot Dog: A Global History.' (Kraig recently did a taste test with about 150 people in New York City. The crowd preferred Bright Leaf hot dogs over Oscar Mayer.)

"In the 1960s, when concerns were raised about a commonly used red food dye possibly causing cancer, most hot dog companies stopped using red dye. But in the South, hot dog makers switched to other red dyes to keep that scarlet color. Now the same dye used to color cough syrup and cherry soda is used in those dogs.

"It was the same at Carolina Packers. 'We started with the red. We continued with the red,' says Jean Jones, president and CEO of Carolina Packers. ..."

So there. Happy Independence Day, red hot dog eaters!

(Image from wedz.com)

The ghost town of Buffalo City

2009-06-30T09:21:00.000-07:00

Continuing with our recent theme of North Carolina places ...

I had no idea that there was a "booming" town of Buffalo City in Dare County way back when. In fact (according to Wikipedia), Buffalo City's population of 3,000 in the early 20th century "made it the largest community in Dare County."

Buffalo City was apparently "a logging and moonshine town in Dare County, North Carolina. It was on the mainland, 19 miles (31 km) west of Mantoe, near present-day Manns Harbor. The marshy land where Buffalo City once stood, near U.S. 64, is now part of the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge. The town's history lasted approximately 80 years from the 1870s to 1950s ... A hotel, post office, schoolhouse, general store, 100 miles (161 km) of railroad track, and rows of homes once stood on the now-abandoned area. Today, the only remnants of the ghost town include a road sign, rusted rails, and building debris now overgrown with weeds."

An interesting aspect of Buffalo City is that it was founded "shortly after the Civil War by the Buffalo Timber Company, Buffalo City was constructed on the north side of Milltail Creek by African-American laborers and more than 200 Russian immigrants. Many of these immigrants stayed and worked at the new logging town and composed half of the town’s population."

In 1920, Prohibition laws were passed in the United States and moonshine became a popular way for Buffalo City citizens to make extra money. When logging camps at Buffalo City began to close in the 1920s, moonshine became the primary revenue source for citizens. Almost every family in Buffalo City operated a still. Speakeasie throughout the eastern United States sold moonshine made in Buffalo City. The liquor was made deep in the woods and transported by the same methods as logging: by mules and boats. A 30-foot (9.1 m) boat named the Hattie Creef sailed down Milltail Creek and across the Albemarle Sound to Elizabeth City, where the liquor was sold. The boat returned with large amounts of sugar, an ingredient in making moonshine. Federal prohibition enforcers, called revenuers, began to crack down on Buffalo City’s moonshine industry. Several men in the town were sentenced to jail.

When prohibition ended in 1933, Buffalo City’s economy was severely affected. With the loss of moonshine revenue, citizens began focusing on the logging industry once again. Most good timber had already been felled, but the sawmill continued to operate for the next two decades. Outbreaks of cholera, typhoid, smallpox and the flu swept throughout the community in the 1940s. The combination of these diseases and lack of work resulted in Buffalo City’s population declining to 100 people. The sawmill closed in the early 1950s and the town was abandoned.

Some funny/quirky/disgusting place names in N.C.

2009-06-24T08:11:00.001-07:00

This follows along with the recent discussion of nicknames.

In my office is a map of North Carolina that is about five-feet wide. It appears to have every city, town, crossroads, community, hamlet, burg, etc., that exists in this fine state. I will occasionally take a look at a section of the map and find some place name that I had never heard of. More often than not I come across a place with a name that is, well, interesting and makes me chuckle. Through the years, I have attempted to jot some of these down. I claim that these are -- or were at one time -- real places in the Old North State. And I'm sure I've only scratched the surface. Enjoy!

Floral, fruit, food and gem names:

Hothouse

Waterlilly

South Hominy

Fruitland

Scuppernong

Zirconia

Graphite

Heavenly names:

Valhalla

Zionville

Job names:

Ranger

Farmer

Spies (?)

Mason

Warrior

Huh?

Ogreeta

East Laport (but there’s no West Laport)

Uree

Mashoes (Possibly pronounced “my shoes?”)

Walla Watta

Blatant shills:

Duke Power Village

Texaco Beach

Named for famous -- and not-so famous -- people?

Nixonton

Standing Indian Mountain

Ellijay

Othello

Boomer

Henry

Doolie

Georgeville

Timothy

Ivanhoe

Elroy

Lizzie

Bruce

Crisp

Mildred

Travis

Named for natural traits:

Newfound Gap

Sandymush

Paint Rock

Thermal City

State Road

White Stone

Old Field

Merry Oaks

Orange Factory

Bushy Fork

Wood

Outlaws Ridge

Stumpy Point

Named after feelings or human traits:

Thankful

Relief

Welcome

Wise

Friendship

Intelligence

Named for other states/large cities:

Oakland

Quebec

Minneapolis

Long Island

Francisco

Houston

Philadelphia

W. Philadelphia

Liberia

Shanghai

Phoenix

Belfast

Kilkenny

Milwaukee

California

Cisco

Buffalo City

Nebraska

Yuck!

Bat Cave

Meat Camp

Roten Fig

Pigeonroost

Bee Log

Boger City

Frog Pond

Finger

Colon

Frogsboro

Bug Hill

Savage

Goat Neck

Crab Point Village

“Store” names:

Hesters Store

Gentrys Store

Dennys Store

Dixons Store

Others:

Democrat (in the west, or “left” part of the state)

Republican (you guessed it -- in the east/right!)

Shooting Creek

Mountain Home

Idlewild

Happy Valley

Sunshine

Cricket

Horneytown

Pumpkin Center

Sunnyside

Toast

Handy

Eldorado

Gum Tree

Quick

Cognac

Old Hundred

Hasty

Quail Roost

Picks

Marmaduke

Justice

Emit

Tomahawk

Charity

Cabin

Institute

Shine

Best

Old Sparta

Speed

Ed McMahon and his Onslow County ties

2009-06-24T08:04:00.001-07:00

The Jacksonville Daily News has an article about the late Ed McMahon's ties to Onslow County. The legendary sidekick died Tuesday. He was 86.

... McMahon visited Onslow County to purchase a boat, a life-long hobby of his, more than two decades ago.

At the time, McMahon was a member of the board of directors for Murray Chris-Craft Yachts, which then had a factory in Onslow County. He owned two boats previously built by the company and visited the Swansboro boatyard in August 1985 to check on the progress of a 50-footer being built there at the time.

It was McMahon's first trip to the area since being stationed at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point as a young man, according to Daily News archives.

When his yacht - christened the Queen Victoria III - was completed, it was shipped via flatbed to Marina Del Ray, Calif. ...

"Ed McMahon's voice at 11:30 was a signal that something great was about to happen," said David Letterman. "Ed's introduction of Johnny was a classic broadcasting ritual — reassuring and exciting."

To each his own, I guess

2009-06-23T08:56:00.000-07:00

From the Myrtle Beach Sun News ...

A nudist resort in Ocean Isle Beach, N.C., 30 miles north of Myrtle Beach, is flinging open its gates and welcoming everyone to be part of a world record for the largest simultaneous skinny dip.

Whispering Pines resort near Ocean Isle Beach, N.C., is ready for the clothed to come in and undress for the dip on July 11.

The American Association for Nude Recreation is coordinating the event across the country at legally sanctioned nude beaches and resorts. The Guinness World Records Association is adding a category for the largest simultaneous skinny dip so any number of participants will set the record. As the pink-hatted woman turned to adjust herself in a lounge chair, she asked that her name or hometown not be used.

The dip begins at 3 p.m., but Gloria Waryas, the resort's secretary and liaison to the American Association for Nude Recreation, said the resort will open to the public at 2 p.m. so people can get into the pool and pond to be ready for the 3 p.m. start time.

The modest can get in the water wearing their bathing suits, kneel down to undress, then hold the suits over their heads to qualify as authentic skinny dippers without ever exposing themselves.

Everyone must be in their birthday suits to be counted for the official Guinness record, but "They just have to hold up a suit to show they are nude," Waryas said. "At one time or other in people's lives, most people have skinny dipped. We're just saying come on out and skinny dip for the world record." ...
The resort has been operating since the mid-1970s off a dead-end dirt road west of U.S. 17 in Brunswick County. The scheduled dip marks the first time the resort will roll out the welcome mat for an event like this. The 33-acre resort has its pool and pond, plus a horseshoe pit, volleyball court, and a clubhouse for billiards and relaxing.
It even offers nude counseling when needed. ...

'Peak of Good Living' .... 'City of Oaks' ... 'Clogging Capital of the World' and other N.C. nicknames

2009-06-19T06:54:00.000-07:00

You gotta love Wikipedia. Wanna know the GPS coordinates of Schuyler, Nebraska? No problem. Ever wondered who was the first person to swim the English Channel? Bingo. Wanna know how fireflies produce light? You got it.

And if you want to know what are the nicknames of North Carolina places, then you can (kinda-sorta) find that too. Of course, it being Wikipedia and all, some of the ones listed are possibly incorrect or just plain not something the local Chamber of Commerce is likely to promote. (Ex: "Torture City" or "Fayettenam" for Fayetteville.)

But it's still neat to see a repository of some of these nicknames. For instance, most people know that North Carolina has two places known as the "Paris of ..." Asheville is the "Paris of the South" (not listed by Wikipedia, by the way), while Carrboro is the "Paris of the Piedmont."

Speaking of fireflies, I had no idea that Boone was the "Firefly Capital of the World." Other "Capitals" include Calabash ("Seafood Capital of the World"), Chadbourn ("Strawberry Capital of the World"), Erwin ("Denim Capital of the World"), High Point ("Furniture Capital of the World"), Maggie Valley ("Clogging Capital of the World") and Pinehurst ("Golf Capital of the World").

Of course flora and fauna play into some of the nicknames as well: Brevard ("Home of the white squirrels"), Fayetteville ("City of Dogwoods") and Raleigh ("City of Oaks").

As with the aforementioned "Fayettenam," there are several "unofficial" nicknames out there: Cary ("Conentrated Area of Relocated Yankees") and Greenville ("G-Vegas" -- or the cynical "G-Wilson" and "The Emerald City") come to mind.

Other place nicknames include:

Apex - Peak of Good Living
Brevard - Land of Waterfalls
Chapel Hill - The Southern Part of Heaven
Charlotte - the Queen City
Durham - City of Medicine
Fayetteville - All-America City; Tar Heel Town
Greensboro - The Gate City
Hendersonville - City of Four Seasons
Kannapolis - City of Looms
Raleigh - Raleighwood
Thomasville - Chair City
Winston-Salem - Twin City
Wilmington - The Hollywood of the East

What are some other place nicknames that we've left off?

(Image from drivehq.com)

Fantastic OBX shots

2009-06-18T08:33:00.000-07:00

Keeping with today's OBX theme are several shots from Manteo, Nags Head, Cape Hatteras National Seashore, Rodanthe and Ocracoke from a fantastic "new" photographer (and friend), Kelly Capps. Be sure to click to enlarge to fully appreciate the shots.

Enjoy!

An official state horse?

2009-06-18T08:28:00.000-07:00

North Carolina can boast a state reptile, gem, boat, dog, insect, etc. But up until now, there's been (as far as I can tell) very little clamor for a state horse. (After all, our northern neighbors in Virginia and Kentucky seem to hog the equestrian limelight.)

Now some students in Currituck County want to change that by campaigning for the Outer Banks mustang -- the banker -- to be the official state horse [says the Daily Advance].

Fourth-graders in the Currituck County Schools have started a letter-writing campaign to save the bankers — not the Wall Street kind, the equine kind.
Students have already written more than 400 letters to state lawmakers, asking them to make “banker ponies” — as the wild horses of Corolla are sometimes known — North Carolina’s official state horse.

“The marvelous Colonial Spanish Mustang is the perfect fit for North Carolina’s state horse,” writes student Lauren Cutler, in one of the letters. “So if the Spanish Colonial Mustang was our horse, maybe it won’t be endangered anymore.”

The horses, about 100 of whom roam the northern Outer Banks, are believed to be the descendants of the Colonial Spanish mustangs brought to the New World by Spanish explorers nearly 500 years ago. They’re called “bankers” because they live on the Outer Banks and ponies because of their small size — 14 to 15 hands, or about five feet from ground to shoulder.

Advocates for the horses worry about their future, particularly as the Outer Banks becomes more developed and their contact with humans increases. ...
School officials hit on the idea of making the wild herd North Carolina’s official state horse the subject of fourth-graders’ writing assessment this year. Students have to complete the writing assignment in order to pass their grade. ...
To prepare students for the writing assignment, each fourth-grader in the county schools learned about the horses’ history, how they came to the Outer Banks and how the breed has dwindled from human interaction, Jensen said. They also got to meet one of the horses — a tame 3-year-old named Uno who was rehabilitated after being injured, and now lives on a farm in Jarvisburg. ...
According to Netstate.com, 11 states have horses listed as a state animal or honorary equine, but only seven have an official state horse. North Carolina isn’t among them.

Organizers hope the letter-writing project creates more awareness about the wild horses and their place in the history of the Outer Banks, Jensen said.

“People don’t understand or realize about the history of these horses and how important it is to protect the breed,” she said.

Good luck to the students. I hope they are successful.

Quick hits: Skylight highlighted, and a artists mourns for her husband -- and fights jetties

2009-06-16T09:44:00.000-07:00

Ayden's Skylight Inn in the spotlight again
"The spotlight is once again on Ayden's Skylight Inn barbecue restaurant," says the Daily Reflector. "The Pitt County purveyor of pig, East Carolina-style, will hit the big time in the Big Apple this weekend as part of a popular festival that celebrates roasted pork.

"A short documentary film about the local restaurant, titled 'Leave It to Cleaver: The Story of North Carolina's Skylight Inn BBQ,' is scheduled to be shown at 4 p.m. Sunday as part of New York's seventh annual Snapple Big Apple Barbecue Block Party. According to the Web site, bigapplebbq.org, the film 'showcases the Jones family of Ayden, N.C., whose restaurant The Skylight Inn carries on a family tradition of whole hog barbecue that has continued in an unbroken line since the 1830s.'

"The film was created by filmmaker Joe York and the Southern Foodways Alliance at the University of Mississippi. ..."

Fight groins (jetties)
My mother alerted me to this blog, whose aim is two-fold: to honor the passing of the artist's husband (shown) AND to help lead the cause against ocean groins.

Says the Sierra Club (via the blog): "For the third year in a row, legislation is before the NC General Assembly that would punch a hole in North Carolina’s long-standing ban on hardened structures that keeps our beaches public & natural. We need your help today if North Carolina’s public’s beaches are to be protected for tomorrow. Please oppose SB 832, Coastal Resource Commission may permit a Terminal Groin, by Sen. Julia Boseman.

"The natural beauty and economic value of North Carolina’s public beaches and inlets exists today in large measure because our state leaders long ago adopted a conservative management policy that bans the use of hardened structures—seawalls, jetties and groins of any kind—from our coast. ..."

Birthplace of the state song

2009-06-12T10:06:00.000-07:00

Our good friends at Goodnight, Raleigh! have a wonderful piece (and photo) on the place where the state song, "The Old North State Forever," was written.

There is a marker in Raleigh on the "Hargett Street side of the Edmisten Building denoting the spot where Judge William Gaston penned the official North Carolina state song 'The Old North State Forever,'" says the site. From The North Carolina History Project ...

In late 1830s, he composed the song to counter the charge that North Carolina was the “Rip Van Winkle State”—backward and unchanging. This motivation is evidenced in the following line: “Tho’ the scorner may sneer at and witlings defame her, Still our hearts swell with gladness whenever we name her.” In 1927, the state officially adopted Gaston’s song.

I was attending a state conference last year where a children's choir performed the song. The audience was asked to sing the chorus, but few people knew the words or tune, which is a shame. Hopefully this is a song that can regain prominence, perhaps in the public schools, so that it's not completely forgotten.

The original USS North Carolina?

2009-06-09T08:56:00.000-07:00

The above is a shot of the gangway gate to the USS North Carolina (1836), 19th century warship (and on display at the N.C. Museum of History in Raleigh). The gangway features a black walnut engraving of the state seal "surrounded by tobacco, cotton, corn, oak leaves and pine needles with a sun rising over an American flag, eagle, and shield."

(Click to enlarge the closeup photo to really get a feel for the intricate carving work.)

Below is a artist's depiction of the "old" USS North Carolina, not the one in Wilmington.

Quick hits: Burns' movie debuts and Cherokees vote to allow the alcohol

2009-06-05T08:11:00.000-07:00

Ken Burns' national parks documentary debuts in Asheville
"Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the rest of the nation's national parks are a uniquely American invention that brings democracy to the landscape, according to the writer and producer of a new Ken Burns film series," says the Citizen-Times.

" 'This is the Declaration of Independence applied to a beautiful continent,' said Dayton Duncan 'Only a democracy would come up with the idea that the most special places should be preserved for everybody, not just the rich and royalty.'

"An Asheville audience got a preview Wednesday of 'The National Parks: America's Best Idea' in a screening at the Diana Wortham Theatre. The six-part, 12-hour series will air this fall on PBS.

" The Smokies, celebrating its 75th anniversary as a park, plays a prominent role in the historical narrative. ..."

N.C. tribe votes to allow casino alcohol sales
"Alcohol sales at a North Carolina mountain casino have been approved by members of the Cherokee Indian tribe," said the AP.

"The Asheville Citizen-Times reported Friday that the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians approved alcohol sales at Harrah's Cherokee Casino by a vote of 1,847 to 1,301 after nearly half the tribe's registered voters went to polls.

"Supporters of alcohol sales said it would boost profits at the tribe's casino. The tribe uses half the profits from the 11-year-old casino to run its government and half for twice-a-year payments to tribal members.

"It was the second alcohol sales vote, but the first since the casino was constructed. Tribal members voted 2-1 against alcohol sales in 1980. ..."

Dr. Beach loves Cape Hatteras

2009-06-04T12:07:00.002-07:00

Not sure how on Earth I missed this. (I mean, I look forward to the wacky Dr. Beach's Best Beach list every year!)

Dr. Stephen Leatherman, aka "Dr. Beach," released a couple weeks ago his latest top 10 list of the best American beaches. Making the top 10 was Cape Hatteras, last year's runner-up.

The best beach was Hanalei, on the Hawaiian island of Kauai. (The beach photo ain't Hanalei, but it IS Kauai.

Here is the list of top 10 beaches for 2009 Dr. Beach --- that would be N.C. State graduate Dr. Beach, thank you very much.

1. Hanalei Beach, Kauai, Hawaii

2. Siesta Beach, Sarasota, Fla.

3. Coopers Beach, Southampton, N.Y.

4. Coronado Beach, San Diego

5. Hamoa Beach, Maui, Hawaii

6. Main Beach, East Hampton, N.Y.

7. Cape Hatteras, Outer Banks, N.C.

8. Cape Florida State Park, Key Biscayne, Fla.

9. Coast Guard Beach, Cape Cod, Mass.

10. Beachwalker Park, Kiawah Island, S.C.

Quick hits: Hurricane names, 49er gridiron, EC in photos and longleaf pine art?

2009-06-03T08:19:00.000-07:00

Hurricane names released
My "grandparents" could cause havoc this year. After all, two of the latest round of hurricane names include a "Bill" and an "Ida."

Those wacky weather people. They've also included a "Joaquin" and a "Peter" to be followed by "Rose."

Click here for the full list.

UNCC remains on track for football
"A tough economy and some disappointment in the number of prospective buyers who have followed through with a commitment to buy football seat licenses is not slowing the Charlotte 49ers' efforts to start a football program in time for the 2013 season," says the Charlotte Observer.

"Although circumstances have changed since September, when the school's board of trustees first approved moving ahead on football, athletics director Judy Rose said Tuesday that the 49ers remain on track for a program that would begin in a temporary on-campus stadium and eventually move to a new, on-campus facility.

"Any of Charlotte's football goals are contingent on the selling of at least 5,000 FSLs. As of Tuesday, just over 1,700 had been purchased. ..."

Old photo collection preserves Elizabeth City's history
"For 84 years, Cecil Richardson Jr. has lived in the area and amassed a local photo and newspaper clipping collection that fills more than 75 three-ring binders.

"Some of the photos he’s taken himself, including his shots of the night the wooden blimp hangar burned in Weeksville in the 1990s," says the Daily Advance. "Others he has collected from various residents and labeled with the address or names of those pictured. He knows most of the people in the photographs and can give background stories to places that recent Elizabeth City residents don’t even know existed.

"Cindy Williams, an owner of MMT Printers, wants to help Richardson preserve this knowledge and is collaborating with Richardson to make a photo book that would be available for sale. ..."

Craftswoman makes art from longleaf pine needles
"What can you do with pine straw? Well, there's mulch. And then there's ... mulch.

"Melanie Walter has another use: She makes baskets out of pine needles," says the Star-News.

"She has baskets on the display at the Asheville Art Museum. Her baskets won a third-place ribbon at the Orange Street ArtsFest on May 23. And she has received an invitation to show her work at the prestigious Ann Arbor Street Art Fair in Michigan.

"Most of her sales come through Port City Pottery & Fine Crafts, a crafts cooperative with a store in the Cotton Exchange. Her baskets are also available at the Sunset River Marketplace in Calabash and at the Cameron Art Museum. ..."

Love for Smokies runs deep

2009-06-01T08:27:00.001-07:00

The Charlotte Observer has put together a wonderful online package about the Great Smoky Mountains National Park's 75th birthday. You can access it here.

Among the features are historic photos, essays and a look at the park today.

Ferry tickets (online)! Get your ferry tickets (online)!

2009-06-01T08:23:00.000-07:00

From The Charlotte Observer:

The N.C. Department of Transportation is selling advance tickets for the toll ferries that operate to islands along the coast.

This service might be of help to anyone who is planning to visit the islands this summer. The service will continue throughout the year.

Ticket sales will require a credit car[d] (Visa or Mastercard), and any refunds or cancellations must be made by 4 p.m. of the day prior to departure.

By the way, that website address is http://www.ncdot.org/transit/ferry/reservations/default.html

Remembering the Fort Fisher Hermit

2009-05-28T08:15:00.000-07:00

I can remember a class trip to Fort Fisher/Kure Beach in eighth grade or so (that would've been, oh, 1988 or '89) when the adults on the trip were swapping tales about once spotting the Fort Fisher Hermit, Robert E. Harrill.

Harrill, according to Carolina Beach Today, lived in a bunker and lived off the land, eating plants and animals.

The N.C. Aquarium at Fort Fisher will be showing the documentary, "The Fort Fisher Hermit: The Life & Death of Robert E. Harrill," May 31 (3 p.m.) and June 13 (8 a.m.).

The movie "explores this unique individual through a series of interviews, photographs and vintage film footage.

“We are ecstatic over the amount of visual documentation that has been collected” said Scott Davis, one of the forces behind the movie. “Robert Harrill has to be the most photographed homeless person in history,” added Bryan Mahoney.

(Image of Harrill from Carolina Beach Today)

More on David Stick

2009-05-27T12:19:00.001-07:00

We referenced the passing of author David Stick in our "Quick hits" this a.m. The Charlotte Observer's Jack Betts has more here. Here's a snippet:

Stick, by the way, was not a native North Carolinian, but you can't tell that from his writing. He came to us as a boy from New Jersey, and served as a combat correspondent in World War II in the Marines along the way. But he was otherwise as thoroughly North Carolinian as it's possible to be.

When I read of his death Sunday at age 89 it saddened me to know that such a productive historian and folklorist of the N.C. coast had passed away. His 11 books are a living memorial to the depth and breadth of his knowledge. He wrote among other things "Graveyard of the Atlantic" (1952), "The Outer Banks of North Carolina" (1958), "The Ash Wednesday Storm" (1987), "Roanoke Island: The Beginnings of English America" (1983) and edited my favorite, "An Outer Banks Reader" (1998). The latter is a marvelous compendium of other folks' writings about the Banks, from early explorers to contemporary times. Writers include Rachel Carson, who did groundbreaking environmental work in the marshes near Beaufort, John Dos Passos, who wrote about “The Campers at Kitty Hawk” named Wilbur and Orville, and Observer writer Elizabeth Leland's piece "The Crab Picker" from her own book "Our Vanishing Coast" in 1992.

The summer reading season is upon us and there are a lot of good books to read, but if you haven't read David Stick in a while, or ever, you can't go wrong with “An Outer Banks Reader.”

Quick hits: A slew of stuff to get to

2009-05-27T06:54:00.000-07:00

Forum will field proposals for Gullah/Geechee corridor
"It could be a tinge in your accent, or a story you heard from your grandfather.

"If something tells you that you’re a descendant of the Gullahs or Geechees, the commission to preserve their heritage wants to see you Thursday evening," says the Wilmington Star-News. "The state representatives of the Gullah/Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor Commission will have a public forum then at St. Stephen AME Zion Church to find out which projects people connected to that culture – or those interested in it – would like to see.

" 'Let them tell us their story,' Lana Carter, a commissioner from East Arcadia, said of Gullah descendants. People of that heritage came centuries ago as slaves from West Africa to the U.S. coast from Jacksonville, Fla., to Wilmington, and that’s now the length of the preservation corridor. ..."

AT hikers numbers increase 25 percent "Just days in, Murray McGill's path along the 2,200-mile Appalachian Trail is just beginning," says Gannett News Service.

"His legs are getting tired, shoulders are starting to wear down from the heavy backpack and his brow is wet as he hunts for a water refill at Clingman's Dome in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

" 'Why do it? I have no idea. I'm crazy I guess. I have no idea why you do this,' Murray McGill said.

" It's the kind of hike you can't find in his home state of Florida. The swamp just doesn't have the same terrain as the mountainous jaunt through 14 states.

" 'There is a Florida trail. But no one does it,' he said with a laugh.

" This spring, more and more people are starting that same journey. Maine to Georgia or vice-versa.

"According the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, it may be as many as 25 percent more setting out for the three to six month hike. ..."

19 places in N.C. added to National Historic Register
"Nineteen properties and districts across North Carolina have been added to the National Register of Historic Places, including three in Raleigh and one in Harnett County, state cultural resources officials said Tuesday," according to the News & Observer.

Among them are: Mount Hope Cemetery, just south of downtown Raleigh; Mary Elizabeth Hospital, built in 1920 at the intersection of Wake Forest Road and Glascock Street in Raleigh; and the Harrington-Dewar House near Holly Springs.

OBX author Stick dead at 89
"A man known for his writings about, and his love for, North Carolina's Outer Banks has died.

"Michael Stick of Chicago said Tuesday that his father, David Stick of Kitty Hawk, died of natural causes Sunday at Albemarle Hospital in Elizabeth City. He was 89," according to the AP.

"Stick's books include 'Graveyard of the Atlantic,' 'The Ash Wednesday Storm' and 'The Outer Banks of North Carolina,' ..."

Poe's bookcase stands in N. Raleigh

"In 1849, Edgar Allen Poe staggered to a drunken and delirious death on the streets of Baltimore, scattering to history some of the creepiest stories ever written -- the black cats and beating hearts that still scare children awake at midnight.

"And now, by an odd chance, you can see a sliver of Poe's literary life standing seven feet tall in Eliza Kraft Olander's sunny office, looking out on a cheerful garden of lilacs and roses," says the N&O's Josh Shaffer.

"She keeps paperback copies of Deepak Chopra and Anaïs Nin on the walnut shelves where Poe once stacked his own volumes. Though there's nothing tortured or black-hearted about North Raleigh, you can't help but picture his ghost floating past to flip through the pages.

" 'If it is haunted,' Olander said, 'I have a lot of religious stuff, too. I collect crosses from French cemeteries.' ..."