PRESERVATION SCHOOL MEMBERS of Edgecombe Community College returned to Chicamacomico to complete some window repairs they had started earlier in November. Actually, the weather was much better this time! Instructer Benjamin Curran is in the foreground and program director Monika Fleming is further back working on a window in the 1911 Life-Saving Station. The older and more ornate 1874 Life-Saving Station is seen partially in the background. These instructors were accompanied by three hard-working students from this school located in Tarboro. All of their work is strictly voluntary, very much needed and very much appreciated. The Chicamacomico Life-Saving Station Historic Site & Museum is one of the many sites on the Historic Albemarle Tour and the National Outer Banks Scenic Byway. To learn more about Chicamacomico, its exciting activities and offerings, visit www.chicamacomico.net, email at clss@embarqmail.com , and now on Facebook.

When the hurricane-damaged Chicamacomico Historic Site learned of the Historic Preservations Trade School at the Edgecombe Community College, they were quick to make contact. Chicamacomico Life-Saving Station Historic Site and Museum learned that the school was approved by the State Historic Preservation Office and that all student work was supervised directly by teachers. This was exactly the kind of help Chicamacomico needed because the students were qualified and provided skilled labor while Chicamacomico was providing the materials.

The Edgecombe Community College is not that far from Chicamacomico’s home on northern Hatteras Island. The community college is located in the city of Tarboro, a little east of Rocky Mount and somewhat north of Greenville. Tarboro itself experienced devasting record floods from Hurricane Floyd in 1999.

The director of the preservation program put out a ”call for volunteers – urgent project.” Three insrtuctors, five students and even vacationing parents of a student- 10 in all – responded this time, and the preservation team was able to stay and work three days due to the accomodations generously provided by the Salvo Volunteer Fire Department and Camp Hatteras. Equally generous offers were made by Midgett Realty and Surf or Sound Realty, although not needed this time, perhaps the next.

In their brief but productive stay, the preservation team removed a half dozen windows, cut and secured plywood to cover the holes, reglazed and repaired some of those windows, and took additional windows back to the shop in Tarboro for a “complete makeover.”

When it came to picket fence gates, Jason Allen, Chip Ritch and Daniel Chasse reconstructed one entire small gate stand, repaired another small gate, and rebuilt four large double ones facing the parking lot.

Student Maggie Gregg and instructor Carl Kessler reinstalled pieces of a water tank roof. The pieces had been blown off by the hurricane, so first they had to be recovered and then laid out as a jigsaw puzzle to fit. Other team members worked to reinstall the steps of the Visitor Center, which fortunately had not floated far off.

Several of the team saw the need and begin replacing shingles on many of the buildings. Elsewhere, in a very tricky process, students Maggie Gregg and Alyssa, with

All of this, mind you, during the great irony of working in a nor’easter to repair what was damaged in a hurricane! They all worked in the relentless rain that fell all day Friday (November 4), and then in the winds of 30-40+ mph that blew all day Saturday, and dealtwith the flooding from ocean overwash that covered most of the site the whole time.

Not just anyone can work on buildings that are on the National Register of Historic Places, as Chicamacomico’s are. So there was initially a remarkable situation, and then a remarkable team with remarkable skills came in and made remarkable accomplishments.

And, remarkably, they will be back to do even more.

instructor Carl Kessler fixed two places in the visitors center where the tongue and groove flooring had buckled.

SOME OF THE MEMBERS of Coast Guard Auxiliary Cape Hatteras Flotilla 16-4 spent a day assisting with clean up after Hurrican Irene at the Chicamacomico Life-Saving Station Historic Site & Museum in Hatteras Island’s village of Rodanthe. Normally, the Auxiliary assists the Coast Guard, but Chicamacomico represents the United States Life-Saving Service, which in fact was the direct predecessor of today’s modern Coast Guard. The helpers are (l-r) Charlie Votaw, division staff officer, Aids to Navigation and primary clean up organizer, Bobby Smyers, Angela Smyers, flotilla staff officer (FSO) vessel examiner, Linda Molloy, Chicamacomico site operations manager, Arthur Hammond-Tooke, FSO publications, also human resources and also secretary/records, Shirley Votaw and Mary Ann Cohen, CLSS volunteer.

To learn more about Chicamacomico, its activities and offerings, visit www.chicamacomico.net, email at clss@embarqmail.com , call 252-987-1552, and now on Facebook. For more information about Coast Guard Auxiliary Cape Hatteras Flotilla, contact Vice Commander Leslie Pearce at lampierce@aol.com.

The U.S. Coast Guard was formed initially in the early 1900s with the merger of several federal maritime organizations. One of the major ones was the United States Life-Saving Service (1871-1915). The lifesavers working at these stations were called “surfmen” and were ranked #1 through #8, with one being the highest.

When the service became the Coast Guard, the nomenclature for the various ranks all changed, and the term “surfman” was dropped. Many years later it was reinstated and is now a very coveted title earned only after years of rigorous and intensive training (from one to six years). Each surfman gets a unique number, now never to be repeated, and then joins what the Coast Guard calls “an elite community.” Of the 188 Coast Guard boat stations nationwide, only 20 are in areas with surf conditions that require surfmen. Of those 20, only five are on the East Coast. Two of those five are Station Oregon Inlet and Station Hatteras Inlet, right here flanking Hatteras Island.

BM1 (Bosun Mate First Class) Matthew Sprague of Station Oregon Inlet recently achieved Surfman Status. A formal ceremony will be held to honor this rare accomplishment. Surfmen and other Coast Guardsmen in the area will be present. All Coast Guard auxiliarists in the area are also invited.

Most appropriately, this rare ceremony will not only be held at the Chicamacomico Life-Saving Station Historic Site & Museum in Rodanthe, but it will be held there this Thursday (25 AUG) at 2 p.m. at the beginning of the regularly scheduled Beach Apparatus Drill (also known as the Breeches Buoy Reenactment). The Guest Speakers will be Senior Chief Ron McCready and BM1 Kenneth Akana, both of U.S. Coast Guard Motor Lifeboat Station Oregon Inlet.

The Chicamacomico Life-Saving Station Historic Site & Museum is one of the many sites on the Historic Albemarle Tour and the National Outer Banks Scenic Byway. To learn more about Chicamacomico, its exciting activities and offerings, visit www.chicamacomico.net, or email at clss@embarqmail.com or call 252-987-1552.

A CROWD GATHERS for Heroes Day at Chicamacomico

A HELICOPTER RESCUE was the high spot of Heroes Day.

SALUTING THE FLAG at Heroes Day.

Chicamacomico’s triple celebration of their sixth annual “American Heroes Day,” the 1911 Life-Saving Station Centennial, and Nation Coast Guard Day was a spectacular success! It was a day of records. In spite of record-high temperatures and matching muggy humidity, a record-high crowd of more than 700 turned out for this all day, all-outdoor event.

It was also a record for a single day fund-raising amount, which is one of the major objectives of the event. That is because Chicamacomico receives no federal or state funding and it is supported almost entirely by visitors.

“There are so many people to thank,” says site manager James Charlet. We needed every group and every individual. There is no order of importance. We thank the visiting public for coming out in less than ideal circumstances; we thank the participants for bringing and showing “their stuff.”  We thank the demonstrators who put on incredible shows, each one alone worth the price of admission. We thank the Island Breeze (and writer Jenny Scarborough) and other local media for promoting this event.”

The event started out with a stirring rendition of our National Anthem performed by the award-winning Sea Notes barbershop quartet from Kitty Hawk while the colors were presented dramatically by the United States Coast Guard Ceremonial Honor Guard from Arlington, Va. A letter of congratulations from North Carolina Governor Beverly Perdue was read aloud. The Commander of Sector North Carolina, Capt. Anthony Popeil, gave remarks in the place of the USCG Commandant, Admiral Papp. The normal parking lot was filled with fire trucks, police cars and trucks, water rescue boats and jet skis, an ambulance, a Cape Hatteras Electric bucket truck that was giving exciting lifts in the bucket and much, much more. In the back were some period items to help set the tone for the 1911 Life-Saving Station Centennial. Those included antique sewing machines, hit-n-miss gasoline engines, a 25 foot antique shad boat and lots of period songs from several sources.

The scheduled events included the telling of the dramaticMirlorescue, a Beach Apparatus Drill (“Breeches Buoy reenactment”) performed by US Coast Guard MLB; Station Hatteras Inlet, a jet ski launch water rescue demo performed by the Chicamacomico Banks Water Rescue Unit, and the finale, the Search and Rescue Demo performed with the 47 foot Motor Lifeboat from Station Oregon Inlet and the HH-60 Jayhawk helicopter from Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City.

Sponsors were: Cracker Barrel and Coastal Impressions at the Gold Medal level; Cape Hatteras Electric Coop, Sun Realty, Surf or Sound Realty, and Ace Hardware of Avon at the Keeper Level; and Wings (Avon) and Ramada Inn as Crew. Some of that sponsorship money was used to obtain special order centennial edition items. Some of these one-of-a-kind coffee mugs, tee shirts and art prints are still available, but not many.

Chicamacomico wishes to thank all the volunteers who helped out on that very busy day and special guests who attended.There was a particularly large Coast Guard and Coast Guard Auxiliary presence which was fitting for National Coast Guard Day.

Charlet finished by adding, “Although I was totally exhausted by the end, it was a great day! There were lots of compliments, smiles and positive feedback from all directions. Our visitors really enjoyed the day and got the most entertainment for the dollar anywhere on the Outer Banks.”

For stills and videos, visit Chicamacomico’s website and Facebook page, Sun Realty’s Facebook page, and also YouTube.

Chicamacomico Life-Saving Station Historic Site is located in the village of Rodanthe on Hatteras Island at MP 39.5 and is one of the many sites on the Historic Albemarle Tour as well as the Outer Banks National Scenic Byway, part of America’s Scenic Byways Program. For more information about this particularly interesting site and its exciting activities and offerings, visit www.chicamacomico.net, email clss@embarqmail.com, or call 252-987-1552.

Representatives from the Hampton VA Medical Center (VAMC) Rural Health Initiative team will be at Chicamacomico’s 6th annual “American Heroes Day” plus the 1911 Life-Saving Station Centennial, Thursday, Aug. 4, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. to meet with local veterans who would like to apply for health care benefits at the Hampton VA.

  
 “This is the first time that our team is visiting the area,” said James Coty, spokesman from the Hampton VAMC.  “We have been to numerous communities throughout Virginia and North Carolina. Each time that we visit new areas, there are more and more veterans showing up from all over the area to register for VHA health care benefits.”

VA enrollment specialists will be onsite to assist veterans who would like to file for health care benefits and learn about programs that may be available to them through the Veterans Health Administration.  The 6-hour event will provide veterans and family members with an opportunity to enroll for benefits and ask VA employees questions concerning enrollment procedures.

“Our team talks to veterans about the many services available at the Hampton VAMC ~ some of which they’re not even aware” said Coty.  “We are always surprised when we have one of these events. We speak to veterans who served as far back as WWII.  A lot of the folks that are showing up to these workshops had no idea that they even qualified for VA benefits.  I always tell veterans that it’s a good idea for a spouse or family member to come with them because we want to ensure that all their questions have been addressed and that they’re walking away with information about the latest programs and services.”  

No matter when you served or whether you served in the Air Force, Coast Guard, Army, Navy, Marine Corps or National Guard you may be entitled to benefits from the VA. When attending the event, Veterans should to bring a photo-copy of their DD214 or other proof of military service.

For more information about the event, contact the Rural Health Initiative team at
(757) 344-9501.

AMERICAN HEROES DAY will be held at the Chicamacomico Life-Saving Station Museum Complex, located at Milepost 39.5 on N.C. 12 in Rodanthe Thursday, August 4, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the village of Rodanthe on Hatteras Island.  It will also be celebrating two other related events at the same time; the centennial of their new replacement 1911 Life-Saving Station, and National Coast Guard Day, which is always August 4.

Chicamacomico was part of the United States Life-Saving 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 the Chicamacomico Historical Association.  The men of the United States Life-Saving Service (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, nation-wide, the USLSS’s men responded to more than 178,000 lives in peril from the sea, of which they saved over 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 per cent!  Heroes indeed.  In 1915, this service merged with the U.S. Revenue Cutter Service to form the United States Coast Guard which routinely continues this tradition of heroism.

With that inspiration, Chicamacomico decided to honor and celebrate true American heroes of the past and the present.  Participants invited include the U.S. Coast Guard,  Coast Guard Auxiliary, local volunteer fire departments, local law enforcement agencies, local EMS units and Ocean Rescue squads, Cape Hatteras Electric,  NPS Cape Hatteras National Seashore,  Outer Banks Lighthouse Society, 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 others. There will be numerous displays, demonstrations, and exhibits as well as hands-on activities and participation events and live period music. See schedule of events on the station’s website for forthcoming details. 

 
Any one of the “one-time 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 life boat 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 then whisked away to safety! Three different methods are demonstrated

CHICAMACOMICO LIFESAVING STATION Historic Site and Museum in the village of Rodanthe on Hatteras Island has already invited and scheduled participants from all around to celebrate the centennial of its 1911 Life-Saving Station.  But it is a very big site and there is room for more! “We want this to be a really big show!” said Site Manager James Charlet.

So the call is going out to our local areas.  Still being sought are period wagons, trucks, cars, motorcycles, tractors, implements  and tools.  Period crafts and trades are also needed. Other items, artifacts, displays, etcetera will be considered.  What have you got right here that might be just great for an island centennial celebration?
 “Items need not be exactly 1911, Charlet continues, “but should be reasonably close.  Anything prior to that is a ‘Golden Oldie’ and is automatic!”

If you would like to nominate yourself as a participant, please email Charlet at clss@embarqmail.com and describe what you have to offer.  Initial phone calls are OK, but registration will be online. Our deadlines are very tight at this point.  Also, note that application does not guarantee acceptance.

 The event is scheduled for Thursday, August 4 (also Coast Guard Day and 6th annual American Heroes Day) and will run from 10-4.  Schedules to be published soon. Admission is charged for the general public because this is a major fund-raiser for the nonprofit 501 (c)(3). Chicamacomico receives no annually budgeted federal or state funds.

Chicamacomico Life-Saving Station Historic Site is located in the village of Rodanthe on Hatteras Island at MP 39.5 and is one of the many sites on the Historic Albemarle Tour as well as the Outer Banks National Scenic Byway, part of America’s Scenic Byways Program. For more information about this particularly interesting site and its exciting activities and offerings, visit www.chicamacomico.net, email clss@embarqmail.com, or call 252-987-1552.