1850 farm found on Roanoke Island
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GINA demonstrates to visitors how farm people cleanedtheir hands before running water: by keeping wooden containers outside and washing their hands in them.
JOHN demonstrates a wooden vise, known as a shaving horse, at the 1850’s Island Farm , administered by Outer Banks Conservations. The farm is complete with demonstrators such as John and many of the buildings and activities you would find on a farm 160 years ago.
THE ETHERIDGE HOMEPLACE, built about 1847 housed generations of the family as they farmed the acreage they leased and eventually bought on the north end of Roanoke Island. The farm can be found by turning at the signjust south of Etheridge Rd. (also known as Cloth Barn Road).
THE TABLE in the Etheridge house is ready to be set for a sumptuous farm meal.
GINA SHOWS off Island Farm’s three-hole outhouse, a relative large one for its time.
TIFFANY DEMONSTRATES a farm ”appliance” in the kitchen at Island Farm. The big fireplace has glowing coals ready to heat a pan to make fried cornbread. The three-legged pan was not placed directly over the fire; rather, it was placed near it and the food was cooked with that indirect heat. She was also cooking a pan of figs for preserves in the fireplace.
GINA stands in front of a loom that would have weaved the household goods in the 1850’s. She is holding a skein of wool that would have been taken from sheep raised on Island Farm. The loom is located in the farmhouse.
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TIFFANY demonstrates a ”toaster” in the kitchen of Island Farm.
A TYPICAL BEDROOM of the 1850s would have included a corn shuck or feather bead and might have slept a mother and several children. There were few closets because people of that time did not have many clothes
A trip to Island Farm
On the north end of Roanoke Island is a farm that has existed there since the first Adam Etheridge leased 1,500 acres to range his livestock. In 1783, his son bought 150 acres of this land and established a farm which ”forms the core” of Island Farm.
A true history demonstration, the farm has a farm house, which has just recently been vacated. The house has two parlors, a servants chamber, travelers chamber and two other bedchambers. It also has a slave cabin with furnishings that would have been typical of the day, an outhouse, cookhouse, smokehouse and dairy building. A barn and chicken coop, cow barn, blacksmith shop and woodshed complete the picture. A windmill is to be constructed across from the farm.
Island Farm has chickens, a cow and a horse with feeding and grazing room for all. Raised here are corn for feed, figs, okra, gourds and more, which will supply the farm with some of the food needed for the animals and demonstrations.
The family counts its lineage on Roanoke Island’s north end to 1757, and eleven generations have lived there.
The farm is administered by Outer Banks conservationists Inc. Admission is $5 which helps support the farm.
Farmer’s market takes off
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MANTEO’S FARMER’S MARKET has been busy this summer with a record number of vendors and good crowds every Saturday. You can find everything from fresh vegetables to art, to jewelry and Angus beef sold here. The town has sponsored this farmer’s market for several years on the waterfront next to the Maritime Museumu. It took off slowly at first with only a few vendors and spotty crowds, but this summer it came into its own.
Resource Field Summary, July 22-28
By · CommentsThe National Park Service announces the Cape Hatteras National Seashore resource management field summary for July 22-28 as follows:
Final PIPL Breeding Summary: Total nests to date, 16; active nests, 0; total nests hatched, 11; total nests lost, 5; total eggs hatched, 31; unfledged chicks, 0; lost chicks, 16; fledged chicks, 15.
American Oystercatchers (AMOY) Total nests to date, 28; active nests, 0; nests hatched, 21; nests lost, 7; total chicks hatched, 48; unfledged chicks, 2; chicks lost, 18; fledged chicks, 28. AMOY breeding in the Hatteras District has ended with 18 chicks fledged.
Colonial Waterbirds (CWB) Active nests near Ramp 4, north, west and south end of Green Island, near ramps 23, 27, 38, 45, 59 and Salt Pond Rd.
Sea Turtle Nests: Nests found near ramps 2, 23, 45, 49, 55, 38, 34, 30, (Ocracoke) near ramps 68, 70, and 72. New nests this week, 21; total nests to date, 122; new false crawls this week, 6; total false crawls to date, 87; nests hatched this week, 1; total nests hatched to date, 1. This is the most nests ever documented on the seashore.
A dead adult loggerhead sea turtle was found 0.4 of a mile west of Ramp 45 July 23. It had no head or front flippers. A necropsy revealed shark bites, no signs of human interaction.
A dead bottlenose dolphin was found 2.1 miles south of Ramp 2 July 23.
Closure intrusions: Bodie District – Pedestrians observed near closures at Ramp 27. Six pedestrians seen walking inside closure at Ramp 23, 21 near Ramp 27 closure, one inside closure at Ramp 23. Hatteras District - Footprints or pedestrians inside closures at ramp 38, 55, 55, and 49; Ocracoke District – Two individuals landed a boat on the soundside shoreline of South Point but left before contact could be made.
Bridge comments end Aug. 9
By · CommentsAug. 9 is the deadline for submitting comments on the latest preferred alternative for replacement of the Bonner Bridge. N.C. Department of Transportation (NCDOT) will be accepting online and written comments until the Aug. 9 deadline on a new plan calling for immediate replacement of the aging bridge.
Allen Burrus, vice chairman of Dare County Board of Commissioners, outlined the importance of making public comments now. ”Replacing the Bonner Bridge is 17 years overdue. A new bridge is imperative for public safety and for maintaining a safe and reliable transportation lifeline to and from Hatteras Island.” Burrus added, ”Now is the time to submit comments before it is too late.”
Dare County, the Federal Highway Administration and others endorses the new preferred alternative including Rep. Walter B. Jones, G.K. Butterfield, Howard Coble and senators Richard Burr and Kay Hagan. N.C. Senate President Pro Tempore Marc Basnight also supports the bridge replacement and has twice pleaded with President Obama to intervene.
Beth Midgett, chair of the Committee to Replace the Bonner Bridge, said, ”We are asking everyone to comment before the Aug. 9 deadline. She explained, ”You do not have to be a North Carolina resident. We are all stakeholders in the Bonner Bridge. This issue impacts everyone including our residents, vacation property owners and millions of visitors from around the world.” Midgett added, ”Our children’s future depends on replacing the bridge now.”
A direct link for making online comments to NCDOT before the Aug. 9 deadline is available at www.replacethebridgeNOW.com. Included on the website are complete instructions along with sample comments and additional information o the new preferred alternative.
Airport finalizes safety program
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DAVE HARDEN presided over his first meeting as chairman of the Dare County Airport Authority at Wednesday night’s meeting.
Dare County Airport Authority passed a milestone at its July 28 meeting, hearing from engineer John Massey that the long-running program to bring the airport up to state and FAA safety standards had been finalized and sent to the state for approval.
The program, costing several million dollars and taking about 10 years, has included cutting trees and buying a mobile home park, Scarborough Square. The authority originally just wanted avigation rights over the mobile home park, but the owners, John Wilson and Billy Parker, said selling those rights would affect the property values too much, so after about five years of negotiations, the authority bought the property, inheriting with it the responsibility of keeping up the property’s septic tank and well system as well as seeing to drainage issues.
Having just received the information on the safety program, the state has not yet certified it, but the two problem items are not expected to hold back certification. The authority has been able to pay most of the cost through grants.
Obviously pleased, George Wood, himself an environmental engineer as well as a member of the authority, commented, ”The important thing to remember is that it is the viability of this airport, a safe approach. We’ve worked hard. We’ve got an airport and we will continue to have an airport.”
Drainage at the airport was also addressed in Massey’s presentation. The park experienced many problems last year during heavy rains, and Massey has designed a system of ditches, swales, constructed wetlands and outfall pipes to address this issue. He worked with Jan Deblieu, a local environmentalist, to make it as environmentally safe as possible. Much of the water will be retained on the property, with only the occasional overflow being directed into the sound. The authority voted unanimously Wednesday night to allow Massey to bid the project, with an expected completion time of mid October.
In a final note, Airport attorney Robert Hobbs said this meeeting marked his twentieth anniversary as attorney for the airport. Typically, Hobbs attends every meeeting, advising the group on actions, keeping the motions in proper order and handling legal communications with other groups, individuals and attorneys.
YCC helps with oyster project
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HELPING WITH AN OYSTER PROJECT as part of their summer duties with the NPS Youth Conservation Corps are, from left, Samantha Robinson, Frankie Powers, Ashley Smith, Ian Miller, Miles Howard and Carly Creef.
YCC CREW members (from left(, Josh Budde,James Wooten, Stacey Hodnett (group leader), Ian Miller and Miles Howard, handle oysters as part of their summer duties with the National Park Service.
Youth help with oyster restoration
National Park Service’s Youth Conservation Corps (YCC) recently participated in an oyster restoration project by assisting staff from Jockey’s Ridge State Park, The Nature Conservancy, N.C. Coastal Federation and Division of Marine Fisheries.
This is one of many ongoing local efforts to not only restore healthy and productive oyster beds to local waters, but also aid in marsh enhancement and shoreline stabilization. The installation of bagged oyster shells creates a sill and is the second phase of the project. Later this fall, native marsh grasses will be planted to assist in natural stabilization of the shoreline.
Superintendent Mike Murray said, ”YCC Group Leader Stacey Hodnett has found a way to contribute to a worthwhile local effort as well as infuse that youthful energy and drive into many projects for her crew this summer. The oyster sill restoration project proved to be a productive morning for everyone. Their work provides a valuable service to the community.”
Beach access report, July 22-29
By · CommentsThe National Park Service announces the beach access report for Cape Hatteras National Seashore for July 22-29 as follows:
As of July 29, about 27 miles of ocean shoreline (out of 68 miles) is open to ORV and pedestrian access; about 30.1 miles is open to pedestrians only; two miles is considered ”limited access” (areas open but may require hiking off-trail to access) ; about 9.2 miles are temporarily closed to all public access.
The ORV closures are established in village beach areas that receive heavy pedestrian use, including areas adjacent to Coquina Beach and the villages of Hatteras and Ocracoke islands.
Bodie Island (Ramp 1 to Oregon Inlet, 5.7 miles of shoreline: 3.1 miles open to all; 1.3 miles open to pedestrians only. 0.9 of a mile of limited access; 0.4 of a mile closed to public access.
Ramp 1-2 (Coquina Beach area, 1.2 miles) Open for pedestrians but not ORVs.
Ramp 2-4 (2.4 miles) Ramp 2 is open for pedestrians only. From Ramp 4 north, the beach is open to all for about 2.4 miles.
Ramp 4- Oregon Inlet (Bodie ISland Spit, 2.1 miles) Open for all 0.8 of a mile south of Ramp four where a closure precludes through access to the inlet. There is o.3 of a mile of ”limited acccess’ inlet shoreline for pedestrians at the southern end of the Spit. The area is located east of, and close to, Bonner Bridge and is accessible by boat.
Hatteras Island (Rodanthe south to Hatteras Inlet, 42.8 miles) 17.4 miles open to all; 20.4 miles open to pedestrians only; 1.1 miles limited access; 3.9 miles closed.
Villages of Rodanthe, Waves and Salvo – Ramp 23 ( Pea Island NWR boundary to Ramp 23, 5.3 miles) Open for pedestrian access only in front of these villages. There is pedestrian access for 5.3 miles.
Ramp 23-27 (4.3 miles) Ramp 23 is closed to all. A closure extends from the Salvo boundary south of Ramp 23 and precludes all access. About 2.8 miles of ocean shoreline is open to all north of Ramp 27.
Ramp 30-34 (4.3 miles) Open for all for 0.8 of a mile south of Ramp 34. The beach in front of Avon is open for pedestrians only. There is pedestrian access for 3.9 miles.
Ramp 38-43 (six miles, includes Haulover soundside and Buxton) Open to all for one mile south of Ramp 38 where a closure precludes through access. Pedestrian access is open for about 1.6 miles north of the Buxton boundary. From Ramp 43 north, the beach is open to all for 0.4 of a mile.
Ramp 43-44 (0.4 of a mile) Open to all.
Ramp 44-45 (Ramp 44 to tip of Cape Point, one mile; Cape Point tip to Ramp 45, 1.4 miles) Ramp 44 is open and the east side of Cape Point is open to all south for about one mile and 0.1 of a mile west of oceanside ”hook.” Salt Pond Road is closed.
Ramp 45-59 (South Beach, 3.4 miles) Ramp 45 is open and there is access for all for 0.2 of a mile east and 0.2 mile west of the ramp access.
Ramp 49-55 (5.9 miles, includes Frisco and Hatteras) Open to all north of Ramp 49 for about 700 meters where a sea turtle closure is located and precludes ORV access. There is pedestrian access behind the protection area and pedestrian access extends for about 2.4 miles towards South Beach. South of Ramp 49 there is access for about 1.2 miles to the Frisco line. There is pedestrian only access from the Frisco line to 0.1 of a mile east of Ramp 55.
Ramp 55 (Hatteras Inlet Spit, 2.6 miles) Access is open to all along the ocean shoreline from Ramp 56 southwest to Hatteras Inlet and the ”rip.” Pole Rd. is open to all from Ramp 55 south to Spur Rd. Cable Crossing area is open with limited parking. Spur Rd. is open. The prenesting areas at the overwash fans and the inlet have been removed.
Ocracoke Island (19.9 miles of shoreline) 6.5 miles open to all; 8.5 miles open to pedestrians only; 4.9 miles closed.
Hatteras Inlet (North Ocracoke Spit) to Ramp 59 (1.3 miles) Ramp 59 is open to all. A closure located 0.2 of a mile north of Ramp 59 precludes access to the north end and the inlet.
Ramp 59-67 (7.8 miles) Ramp 59 is open for about 0.3 of a mile south where a sea turtle closure is located and precludes ORV access. With the removal of a bird protection area, there is pedestrian access south of Ramp 59 through to Ramp 67. There is no through ORV access between these two ramps.
Ramp 67-70 (includes Ramp 68) (3.8 miles) Open to all for 0.6 of a mile south of Ramp 67. The beach in front of the Ocracoke Campground and the Ocracoke Day Use Area is open for pedestrians only.
Ramp 70-72 (1.8 miles) Open to all.
Ramp 72 to South Point (2.6 miles) Open to all for about 1.6 miles south of Ramp 72. A closure precludes through access for all to the inlet. The former ”limited access” section of inlet shoreline on the tip of South Point is now closed to all for AMOY breeding activity.
Aug. Nat. Immunization Awareness Month
By · CommentsAugust is National Immunization Month, according to Dare county Department of Public Health which is encouraging everyone to make sure they are current on their vaccinations.
”Vaccine preventable diseases and their complications are responsible for more than 30,000 deaths in the United States each year,” said Anne Thomas, director of DCDPH. ” Ensuring your families’ vaccinations are up-to-date is an effective way to prevent serious life-threatening diseases.”
Vaccines are important across the life span. From a child getting vaccinated against measles and whooping cough to an adolescent being protected against meningitis, to an older adult avoiding the pain of shingles, there are good reasons for everyone to stay current with their immunizations and discuss vaccines with their health care provider.
Because children are particularly vulnerable to infections, most vaccines are given during the first five to six years of life. With back-to-school time just around the corner, the DCDPH would like to remind parents to be sure and have their children get all immunizations.
Bodie Island Lighthouse restoration update
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Bodie Island Lighthouse, located south of Nags Head, just off of N.C. Rt. 12, is undergoing a massive restoration project this summer. Although the site is a busy and active construction area, the Bodie Island complex remains open to the visiting public. The park visitor center and Eastern National Bookstore are open and offer a variety of interpretive programs from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., seven days a week.
The lighthouse looms on the southwest horizon as you travel south along N.C. 12 toward Oregon Inlet. The tower and lantern room are encircled by an extensive 2,000-piece scaffolding system and a protective ‘’shroud” made of nylon-reinforced weatherproof fabric. Park visitors and engineering enthusiasts can view, from close proximity to the base of the lighthouse, the complexity of the renovation project and take a short walk on the adjacent boardwalk.
Work accomplished to date includes: paint removal on the interior, masonry is complete and all hazardous materials have been removed and properly diagnosed; interior of the lighthouse has been pressure washed; the first primer coat has been applied to stair treads and touch-up work continues; interior masonry repainting has begun; negative air machine, the vacuum system and decontamination station have been removed from the site.
Work to be accomplished next week: begin second primer coat on interior metal work; masons plan to be on-site to begin interior brick masonry repoint and stitch repairs.
For more information on this project, call 242-473-2111, ext. 148.
Chicamacomico celebrates ‘Heroes Day’
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THE BEACH APPARATUS DRILL (or Breeches Buoy) is one of the many exciting events scheduled for Chicamacomico’s American Heroes Day to be held Thursday, Aug. 5, at Chicamacomico Lifesaving Station Museum.
THE SEARCH AND RESCUE DEMO by the U.S. Coast Guard is just one of the many interesting, exciting and unusual events in the fifth annual American Heroes Day, put on by Chicamacomico Lifesaving Station Historic Site and Museum in Rodanthe on Hatteras Island. (J.Charlet photo)
Heroes Day brightens museum
Chicamacomico Lifesaving station Museum will hold its fifth annual American Heroes Day Thursday, Aug. 5, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., in Rodanthe on Hatteras Island.
Chicamacomico was part of the U.S. Lifesaving Service (USLSS) and was the first station built in North Carolina. The original station, dating from 1874, is still on the site as one of eight buildings belonging to Chicamacomico Historical Association. The men of the USLSS (1871-1915) were the original rescue heroes, the ‘’storm warriors” who made dramatic and heroic rescues of shipwreck victims whose lives were in peril from the sea. In their history, nationwide, the USLSS’s men responded to more than 178,000 lives in peril from the sea, of which they saved more than 177,000. This is a startling rate of success of 99.2 percent, while their own loss of life, usually under the worst possible conditions, was less than one percent. In 1915, this service merged with the U.S. Revenue Cutter Service to form the U.S. Coast Guard which continues this tradition.
With that inspiration, Chicamacomico decided to honor and celebrate true American heroes of the past and the present. Participants invited the Coast Guard, Coast Guard Auxiliary, local volunteer fire departments, N.C. Highway Patrol, local sheriff and police departments, local EMS units and Ocean Rescue squads, NPS Cape Hatteras National Seashore, Outer Banks Lighthouse Society, Frisco Native American Museum and perhaps some last-minute surprises. Equipment on display and/or in use includes fire engines, ambulances, police cars, Coast Guard helicopter, rescue boats and more. There will be displays, demonstrations and exhibits as well as hands-on activities and participation events.
Any one of these events is worth the price of admission. The Search and Rescue Demo could be straight from the movie ”The Guardian.” A Coast Guard 47-foot motor lifeboat will be in the ocean off Chicamacomico’s beach. It plays the role of a vessel in distress with a man overboard. An HH-60 Jayhawk helicopter arrives, circles, locates the ”victim” in the water, hovers, and then a rescue swimmer jumps from the helo into the ocean. Then he assists the victim into the basket and is hoisted into the Jayhawk and whisked away to safety. Three different methods are demonstrated.
The personal watercraft water rescue is another simulation. There are professionally-trained local volunteers who can be on the scene of a water rescue in a dramatically short amount of time.
The Beach Apparatus Drill is a historic re-enactment of a rescue method used by the the lifesaving service. It involves a large two-wheeled cart filled with life-saving equipment or ”apparatus,” the firing of a projectile with a black-powder cannon to get lines to a stricken ship (the ”wreck pole” in the drill simulates the mast of a ship) and then sending out equipment to save the lives of those on board, one soul at a time.
The Beach Apparatus Drill, commonly referred to as the Beaches Buoy Re-enactment, has long been Chicamacomico’s most popular program. Chicamacomico is the only place in the nation to do the full drill re-enactment on a regular basis. And to top it off, the drill teams are all volunteers of active-duty U.S. Coast Guard personnel. It is performed every Thursday at 2 p.m. during June, July and August.
The flyover at closing is, at this time, unconfirmed.
All of these organizations are heroic to us, some are obviously saving lives and others are saving history, nature or culture. All selflessly serve the public. This is a fund-raising event for the nonprofit Chicamacomico Historical Association.
The schedule of events is as follows:
10 a.m., opening event
10:15 opening ceremonies – posting of colors by the Coast Guard in the main stage area; welcoming remarks by James Charlet, site manager; and guest speaker, Capt Anthony Popeii, commanding officer, USCG Sector North Carolina, Fort Macon.
11:30 a.m., USCG Search and Rescue demo, Jayhawk Helicopter and lifeboat, on the beach.
Noon, hot dogs, chips and soda, ice cream at truck, SALVO VFD truck near visitors’ center.
1 p.m. Water Rescue Demo, Chicamacomico Banks VFD on the beach
2 p.m. Beach Apparatus Drill at station.
3 p.m. Closing salute: Military Flyover
Ongoing events: Hot dogs, sodas, chips and ice cream for sale, USCG static display of 25-foot response boat and tow truck; USCG demonstration of fixing vessel water leaks; Fire Dept. static display and inspection of ladder truck and personal water craft, and tow truck; Sheriff’s office demo of K9 officer and dog, static displays and inspection of patrol car and 5-ton ‘’storm truck”; Dare EMS static display of ambulance and equipment; KDH Rescue Unit display of truck and lifeguard equipment; Salvo VFD display and inspection of company fire engine; N.C. Highway patrol display and inspection of SUV patrol vehicle; tables, displays, handouts and conversations with Currituck Lighthouse, NPS, Outer Banks Lighthouse Society.
This is a tentative schedule and subject to change due to the fact that active duty emergency personnel and equipment are present and may be called out before or during the event.
The station is located at M.P. 39.5, N.C. Rt. 12 in Rodanthe. This is the first village travelers come to on Hatteras Island. Last year’s event was dubbed a ”rousing success’ and ”the best day-long entertainment value on the Outer Banks.” The Annapolis ”Daily Record” rates it one of the ”Top 20 Beach Picks for 2010.” Admission fees are a flat $5 per person, children five and under free.
For additional information call 252-987-1552 or visit www.chicamacomico.net.