Music for a Friday evening

Ocrafolk Festival Winter Concert Series Presents
Mandolin Orange in Concert, 7:30 PM, Friday, March 4, at the Deepwater Theater
Admission at door: $10 Adults, $5 Kids

Mandolin Orange will be coming to the Ocracoke Community on Friday, March 4 for performances for the students of Ocracoke School and a 7:30 PM evening concert at Deepwater Theater. Audience favorites from the Ocrafolk Festival, Mandolin Orange is a duo driven by Andrew Marlin and Emily Frantz, with songwriting & vocal harmonies at the core. The duo ornaments lyrical tunes both tender and tough with acoustic & electric guitars, fiddle, and of course mandolin. The debut album "Quiet Little Room" released May 1 to critical acclaim, and reflects the influence of traditional music on the duo's contemporary folk style. Take a listen at http://www.myspace.com/mandolinorange.
The Mandolin Orange concerts are part of the Ocrafolk Festival Winter Concert Series, made possible by the Ocrafolk Festival in partnership with the Beaufort County Art Council, the North Carolina Arts Council, the National Endowment for the Arts, and local sponsors (Peter Vankevich, DJ & Sue Jones, Skill Sense, Island Free Press, Books to Be Red, Robin Turner, Anchorage Inn, Bobby Rondthaler, Beverly & Leonard Meeker, David and Susan Schwarz Jones, and Creekside Cafe).
The Ocrafolk Festival is housed under the Ocracoke Preservation Society, a not-for-profit 501(c)3.

Sushi!

Jason's has been open through the winter, and is now preparing to take a few weeks of well-deserved time off. Before they do, though, they are going to do a sushi night, for those of us who have been craving a spicy tuna roll ever since they stopped doing weekly sushi nights last fall. (Can you tell I'm planning to go?)

Let's shop!

There are at least three yard sales planned for tomorrow morning. There may be more, but I know of three: one on Back Road, one on Cedar, and one at the Ocracoke Pizza Company building. I think Connor and I might need to take a walk around and do some shopping!

I don't need another single thing, but I usually find some little treasure that I like at yard sales. Sometimes I find gifts for others. I almost always come home with several books. What are your favorite yard sale finds?

Plenty to eat and drink

If you're planning to be on the island this weekend, you have plenty of choices for food and beverages. No, all the restaurants haven't suddenly reopened...but there are some fundraiser meals planned.

On Saturday, head over to the Ocracoke School Commons between 11:00 and 2:30 to enjoy a homemade chili and cornbread lunch. According to info. posted on Facebook, "This event is sponsored by the Ocracoke Youth Center Saturday Basketball teams. Proceeds will be used for trophies and other equipment."

For your Saturday evening meal and entertainment, you might choose Gaffer's, which has good food, including daily specials. Martin and Friends (Lou, Brett and Clifton are the friends) will be playing starting at 9:30 PM.

On Sunday morning, get some delicious pancakes to support OCC.

If you're thirsty after all that food, and if you like beer, head to Zillie's on Monday night. Get more info. on that here.

(Eat and) drink up me hearties, yo ho!

Planning an island visit in March?

If so, you may need to know this...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DATE: Feb. 23, 2011
CONTACT: Lucy Wallace, (252) 473-3461

OCRACOKE-CEDAR ISLAND ROUTE WILL HAVE ABBREVIATED SCHEDULE FOR MONTH OF MARCH
Two Sound Class boats will be at shipyard for Certificate of Inspection

MANNS HARBOR — The N.C. Department of Transportation’s Ferry Division
will be running an abbreviated schedule on its Ocracoke-Cedar Island
route beginning Tuesday, March 1.

The Motor Vessel Silver Lake is currently at the shipyard undergoing
extensive work during its dry dock period. The MV Pamlico is scheduled
to come in for its U. S. Coast Guard Certificate of Inspection March
1. Since both boats will be temporarily out of service, the route will
go to a two-boat schedule.

The route will include the following runs:

Departing from Cedar Island at 10 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.; and
Departing from Ocracoke at 7:30 a.m. and 1 p.m.


This schedule will remain in place until the required work on the
ferries is completed and they are inspected. The Swan Quarter-Ocracoke
route will not experience any changes during this time period.

NCDOT awarded contracts to build two new Sound Class vessels to serve
this route to Orange Shipbuilding Co. The new ferries are currently
under construction and are expected to be delivered later this year
and in 2012.

For updated information about ferry schedules, call 1-800-293-3779
(BY-FERRY) and press 1 or sign-up to receive messages on Twitter by
going to www.twitter.com/ncdot_ferry.


***NCDOT***

Lucy M. Wallace
Communications Officer
NCDOT - Ferry Division
252-473-3461
252-473-1490 (Fax)

The only bad thing...

...about early spring weather, is that it brings other early things, like mosquitoes (yes, really, although thankfully only a few) and pollen. My eyes itch and I have a bit of a sniffle...something that normally happens in April, not February. Oh well. I still enjoyed those few lovely warm days we had! Now the chill seems to be coming back, brought in my a cold wind. Darn.

Duh!

I went to the Post Office today after going to Turbo Kick (exercise class). Now why wasn't there any new mail? Duh! It was President's Day. Whoops. I didn't remember because I didn't have the day off work. The kids here also didn't have the day off school - it was a make up day for one missed earlier in the school year (last fall, I believe).

So, anyway...Happy President's Day, wherever you are!

Some days

I just don't have anything to say! Hard to believe, I know...

More pancakes

Another pancake breakfast fundraiser is planned for next Sunday the 27th at Jason's. The first one was delicious, so I think Connor and I will go to this one, too!

Here are the details:

Pancakes and sausage, juice or coffee. Butter and syrup included with other toppings available. $8/plate. To Go plates only. No seating available. 8am until we sell out or 11am.

Come help support Ocracoke Child Care

Know Your Park

National Park Service News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Cyndy Holda, Public Affairs Specialist, 252-473-2111, ext. 148

Know Your Park: The Civil War on Hatteras and Ocracoke Islands -
Presentation to be held at the Fessenden Center and Ocracoke Community
Center.

The National Park Service Outer Banks Group Know Your Park citizen science
program series continues this winter with a presentation from Civil War
historian Drew Pullen on Monday, February 28th at the Fessenden Center in
Buxton at 7:30 p.m. and on Tuesday, March 1st at the Ocracoke Community
Center at 7:30 p.m. The program is free and will last approximately 1 hour.

Civil War activities on Hatteras and Ocracoke Islands are a timely topic as
the sesquicentennial (150 year anniversary) of these events is fast
approaching. Some of these activities are important “firsts” during the
Civil War, including:

* July 10, 1861 -The first hostile shots fired by the U.S. Navy at
Southern-held territory on the oceanfront—The side-wheel steamer-boat
Harriet Lane shelled Fort Hatteras and Fort Clark at Hatteras Inlet;
* July 21, 1861 – The first true naval engagement—The USS Albatross
fought the North Carolina steamer Beaufort off Oregon Inlet;
* August 28, 1861 – The first amphibious landing – Union troops came
ashore to capture Fort Hatteras;
October 1, 1861 – The first capture of a United States
vessel—Confederate forces captured the Union tug Fannyin the Pamlico
Sound; and
* November 18, 1861 – The first provisional Unionist government within
a seceded state—Formed at Hatteras, it consisted of two men and did
not last long.

Mr. Pullen is the author of two books on the Civil War, Portrait of the
Past: The Civil War On Hatteras Island, North Carolina and Portrait of the
Past: The Civil War On Roanoke Island, North Carolina.

The Know Your Park citizen science program series is designed to further
connect the Outer Banks communities and residents with the rich natural
world and cultural heritage of their neighboring National Park sites; Cape
Hatteras National Seashore, Wright Brothers National Memorial and Fort
Raleigh National Historic Site. “These presentations offer park visitors
as well as local residents an opportunity to learn more about, and better
enjoy, the coastal environment and their National Parks” stated Mike
Murray, Superintendent, Outer Banks Group.

-NPS-

Sunday dinner

After church a couple of weeks ago, Connor and I went to the lunch which was held in the Rec Hall. Ever since, he asks me every Sunday if we can go eat in "the rectangle". This Sunday, he'll get his wish!

Food stands

You may already know about Eduardo's, the taco and burrito stand at the edge of the Variety Store parking lot. (If you haven't been there yet, go. It's delicious!)



It appears that sometime soon, there may be another food stand choice in that area. This appeared on the other side of the Variety Store lot recently.



(The "For Sale" sign that was in the window the day I took the photo is no longer there.) I'm not sure whether this stand is going to sell what the sign currently says (coffee, smoothies, parfaits, chocolate covered strawberries), or if that's simply what it was in its previous life and it will be changed. I guess if it stays "Fruplosion", you'll be able to get lunch from Eduardos, and then walk across the parking lot for dessert!

Eat to support basketball

I like to eat (food is wonderful!) And I like to support...well, several things on Ocracoke (and off). I specifically enjoy supporting the youth of the island, because I know and like many of the youth of the island. So I'm sure I'll like this, which combines eating and supporting.

Happy Valentine's Day!

...from me and the Ocracoke School first grade!

(Photo to follow...as soon as I get it from Mary Ellen!)

Valentine's dinner options

If you're here on the island and want to take your sweetheart - or yourself! - out to dinner tomorrow, there are a couple of options which both sound delicious to me.

Jason's is offering a meal of bacon wrapped filet mignon, fried or sauteed shrimp, baked potato, garlic bread and your choice of either garden salad or broccoli with hollandaise. Cost is 21.99, and it starts at 5:00pm and will be available until it runs out. I recommend you go early, as they have run out in previous years.

Gaffer's is also offering a meal. Here's the info. on theirs:

SOCK HOP!

The Valentine's Sock Hop and CD Release Party was so much fun, I don't think words could do it justice. So I'm going to let the photos speak, instead!

Grammy night

Gaffer's is having a Grammy night party this weekend. Sounds like fun, but I scheduled our next ladies movie night that same night (before I knew about Grammy night). If you go, tell me all about it!



In other news...this is my 1200th Island Daily blog post. Wow.

In case you were wondering...

...what is happening with the Youth Center and why, here's a press release about it.

Press Statement-Ocracoke Youth Center Scales Back Operations

The Ocracoke Youth Center is a local nonprofit that has provided activities and services for youth and families on this island since 1995. In September of 2010 we received word that Ocracoke school had been awarded a 21st Century Community Learning Grant. The Youth Center had signed on as a collaborative partner in the application, so naturally we were excited about the possibilities of working with the school and having funding for some of our programming that the kids enjoyed. Our thoughts were that since we already offered programming that was best described as enrichment (music club, cheerleading, reading groups, art, etc) the school would allow students to participate in these programs with funding from the grant. We looked forward to and eagerly anticipated how we would collaborate with the grant. We never would have dreamed that four months into our collaboration we would be ceasing programming at the Youth Center.

As we learned more about the operational guidelines of the grant, we noticed a couple of warning signs. First, to be a participant in the grant you have to attend academic remediation from 3:30-4:30 followed by enrichment from 4:30 to 6:00pm. This is required Monday thru Thursday. Throw in dinner and much needed family time and there is no time for anything else. Secondly, the grant requires 100 participants to continue to receive funding. Since there are only 150 students in the school, the bulk of past participants of Youth Center activities would need to participate in the grant for it to remain viable. The demand on the kids’ time required of the grant simply does not leave them with the time or the desire to attend programming outside of school.

As for individual programs, any instructors that did programs for the Youth Center can now do them within the framework of the grant with the added benefit of being paid more money. The grant program has its own coordinator so there is no need to have a facilitator from an outside organization like the Youth Center. In short, this means that there is no longer a need for the Youth Center. Anything that could be done by the Youth Center can now be done with the grant. There simply are not enough kids on the island to support both organizations.

Our board met in early January and decided to place Youth Center programming on hiatus while maintaining our nonprofit status. We have given up our lease on the Youth Center facility on Highway 12, and by April will have released our staff. We will continue to operate Village Thrift, located behind Ocracoke Coffee Co., to raise funds for future community needs. We will re-evaluate next year to see if there is a need for our programming. There are a few gaps in what the school program can offer and the needs of the community and we will continue to evaluate that need. Should anything happen to the grant we will be ready to renew our efforts.

Bob Chestnut
Chairperson, Ocracoke Youth Center Board

Again?

Apparently, more snow is on the way. (I'm sorry, Annie! I swear, if I were psychic and could have known we would have all this snow this winter, I would've said come visit for a month so you can see it!) There are school closings/delays (for the mainland only, so far) running along the bottom of the TV screen tonight, and Hyde County has already issued the following announcement.

"Due to current weather forecasts and advisories, Hyde County Government Offices will be closed Thursday, February 10, 2011.

Should there be a delay for Friday, it will be determined Thursday afternoon and there will be notification.

Please drive with caution."


There's nary a flake to be seen so far on the island, but it is raining, and the forecast calls for it to turn to snow overnight. We'll see in the morning, I guess.

Brand new...briefly

This morning, I got my outfit for the sock hop, and of course I had to immediately try it on. (I'll post a photo later, after the event.)

Anyway, as I took all the parts of the outfit out of the box and then out of their individual bags, I marveled at how fresh, new and clean everything looked. Then I put it on.

I swear, I only wore the outfit for about 5 minutes (long enough for one of the cats to look at me funny). But when I took it off...well, it just wasn't brand spanking new and perfect any more. The socks had a bit of dust on them from the floor, one shoe had a crease, the skirt had a tiny pilled spot, and - good grief - I might've gotten a teeny bit of deodorant on the shirt as I pulled it over my head!

So this started me musing on how nothing can be perfect or new for long. Once used, it is forever changed and can't be put back to pristine condition. The only alternative would be to never use anything. I could have left the entire outfit in the neat plastic bags it came in. But then I wouldn't wear it to the sock hop. And, of course, going to the sock hop (even if I sweat in the outfit, or - horrors! - spill something on part of it!) will be much more fun than just looking at clothes in plastic bags could ever be.

There's a metaphor for life in there, especially for borderline-OCD-with-perfectionist-tendencies types like me. Yes, everything deteroriates. But the alternative is not truly living. So the healthy choice is to learn to accept the imperfections that come with life. (I'm working on it...)

Adopt a kitty

If you love cats and would like an Ocracat kitten, there are a couple who might be available for adoption soon. They are feral, but can be handled. Still need to be further tamed, and spayed (which Ocracats will pay for). Here's a picture (they are pictured with their mommy, who is not up for adoption, FYI). Let me know if you are interested!

Hungry?

Next Saturday night, you can have dinner twice! Start with spaghetti...



...and then head to the Sock Hop for some soda shop style food.

Mmmm...both of those sound good. Guess I'll have to skip lunch.

Dreary...and go Dolphins!

It has been raining here nearly nonstop for two days. It's gray and dreary and I just want to sleep.

In more exciting news, the Ocracoke Dolphins basketball teams (middle school and high school) are having a good season. No, they don't win every game, but they have won several. And given the size of our school (and therefore the teams), and the fact that most of the kids have to play the entire game (whereas the other teams can send in substitute players when some begin to tire), that's pretty darn impressive! Want to support the Dolphins? Here's one option.

New radio show

I don't keep up with news very well. It's partially out of conscious choice, because most of what's presented as "news" is depressing, annoying, one sided, or all three. But it's also partially out of busy-ness. What I need is a single show which will catch me up on the major headlines of the last week in an hour or two. Apparently, I'm in luck.

Calling all youth

There's a new youth group starting up soon at the Methodist Church. Here's the poster just in case anyone is interested.

Maybe I should...

When I was a little girl, if I was having a bad day, my mom would suggest that maybe I should go back to bed and get out again on the other side. I think she had a good general thought there...some days you just need to start over.

Yesterday morning was like that. I had three errands to run: mail something, deposit some checks (and get some money), and pay a bill. I got to the Post Office before they opened, which is not usually a problem when something needs to be mailed...but in this particular case, I needed to purchase a mailer. So strike one for the first errand.

The bank wasn't open yet either, which wasn't a big deal because I thought I would just use the ATM to get some money and then come back later to deposit the checks. That didn't work, however, as I didn't have my ATM card with me. Strike two for the errands.

Not having gotten any money, and not having my checkbook with me, I couldn't go pay my bill, either. So strike three.

I gave up, went home, and just started working instead. Maybe I should have gone back to bed!

50s fun!

Press Release
50's Sock Hop on Ocracoke Kicks Off New CD Release

The new CD Backin' to the '50s - Vol 1 release party will be a '50s Sock Hop held on February 12, 2011 at 7pm at the Ocracoke Community Center. The CD is the
latest release of Outer Bank musicians John Golden and Martin Garrish - an
update of thirteen 1950s rock and roll tunes they felt had influenced their own
music. It was recorded at Soundside Studios on Ocracoke, and Golden
and Garrish are joined on the CD by several local players.

The Sock Hop will feature live dance music by John and Martin, joined by several
other local musicians - Jamie Tunnell, April Trueblood, Gary Mitchell, to
name a few. There will be contests for '50s costumes and trivia, hula hoops,
limbo and dance contests, root beer floats and much more '50s nostalgia.

Ocracoke Childcare will be serving up a sweet treat bakesale. Tickets are $20
per couple and $15 for singles - at the door, with any profits donated to
Ocracoke non-profits. So slick your hair back, put on your poodle skirt and your
dancin' shoes, and come see the Community Center transformed into your old high
school gym for the Sock Hop. It should be a rockin' good time.