Sunday, November 29, 2009

Christmas & Holiday Gifts

As most of our readers know, Ocracoke Islanders are enjoying a long-anticipated slower pace as Fall merges into Winter. As of today long lines at the ferries are becoming just a memory, roads in the village are uncluttered, and our wide, sandy beaches are empty save for a few walkers, joggers, and fisherfolk .

However, Village Craftsmen continues to offer fine, hand made American crafts (pottery, glass, wood, metal, fabric, and more) at affordable prices. We are open 10 am - 5 pm (sometimes only until 4 pm), Tuesday - Sunday for folks who are looking for that special holiday gift. If you can't make a trip to the island this time of the year you can always view many of our items on our website. Our on-line catalog features hundreds of fine handcrafts, and you can place orders on our secure shopping cart at your convenience. Here are a few links to help you get started:


(Click on the photo above to go directly to our Fused Glass page.)

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is a transcript of a letter written in 1949 by a visitor to the island. You can read the letter (which provides a glimpse into Ocracoke life sixty years ago) here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news102509.htm.

Last Child in the Woods

Two years ago I mentioned a book, Last Child in the Woods by Richard Louv, on this blog (click here to read the post). At the time I had only read a few paragraphs, but I immediately purchased the book and read it carefully. A couple of weeks ago Lou Ann and I had an opportunity to hear Richard Louv speak about his passion for reconnecting children with nature.

We also had an opportunity to have breakfast with him (just Lou Ann, her two grandchildren, and I). He mentioned several times the importance of children having time for independent play (with the emphasis on "independent"). He recommended a National Public Radio article on play and self regulation (click her to read the article).

I mention this book partly because I believe Louv has an important message that needs to be broadcast, and also because Ocracoke is the perfect place to practice what Louv preaches. There are so many places for children to explore on the island -- woods and creeks and sand dunes. And there are here...and everywhere...backyards, playgrounds, empty lots, fields, nature preserves, and patches of nature where children can play, explore, discover, and learn on their own.

I recommend Louv's book highly, as well as his foundation, the Children and Nature Network. There you will find much information for parents, grandparents, and anyone who interacts with children to help reconnect children with nature.

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is a transcript of a letter written in 1949 by a visitor to the island. You can read the letter (which provides a glimpse into Ocracoke life sixty years ago) here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news102509.htm.

Saturday, November 28, 2009

Fall Fundraiser

The Community Center was packed last night for the Fall Fundraiser to benefit the annual OcraFolk Festival which is held every June on the island. The line up of performers was stellar-- including, of course, Molasses Creek, Donald Davis, and many others. The Ocracoke Jazz Ensemble performed (this year there was even a saxophone and steel drums!), as did Rob & Sundae, Aaron Caswell, April Trueblood, and others.

Today has emerged bright and sunny, with the temperature a cool 46 degrees. The forecast is calling for a high in the mid 50s. It looks like a perfect day for a walk on the beach. Who knows, there might be another whale cruising off shore (by the way, I'm still trying to locate someone with a decent photo of our earlier Cetacean visitor; if you have one please let me know).

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is a transcript of a letter written in 1949 by a visitor to the island. You can read the letter (which provides a glimpse into Ocracoke life sixty years ago) here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news102509.htm.

Friday, November 27, 2009

Wind & National Day of Listening & Concert

I was startled awake sometime after midnight when I heard footsteps. It sounded as if they were coming up my stairs. I turned on the light and looked down the stairway. No one was there. Suddenly I heard the sound behind me. It was outside, on my porch. Then I realized it was a sign banging against the outside wall (you can read about the sign here: http://villagecraftsmen.blogspot.com/2009/06/beware.html).

I went downstairs and opened the front door. The trees were dancing wildly, my porch chairs were rocking back and forth, and the swing was banging up against the railing. By then the sign had clattered to the floor. The winds must have been at least 30 mph, maybe 35 mph (maybe Dale will post a comment with more accurate information). Right now the wind velocity is just above 20 mph, but the forecast calls for increased winds until midnight tonight. There is also a chance of moderate coastal flooding until early Saturday morning.

Amy, David, Lachlan, & I shared a traditional feast with friends yesterday afternoon. Everything, from the appetizers (cheeses, dips, deviled eggs, & grapes) to the desserts (pumpkin pie, apple cake, & pumpkin cheese cake), including the bird, the veggies, and stimulating conversation, was superb. I even brought a plate home for my dinner tonight.

Today, of course, is the day after Thanksgiving, and this day has been designated the National Day of Listening. Please consider taking an hour today (or over the weekend) to record a conversation with someone important in your life. You might be surprised by the stories you'll hear...and you will preserve a little bit of your own history. Click here for more information: http://www.nationaldayoflistening.org/

Tonight is also the annual Fall Fund Raiser for the OcraFolk Festival. If you are on the island, be sure to come to the Community Center for an evening of music & stories. The show starts at 7:30. Hope to see you there.

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is a transcript of a letter written in 1949 by a visitor to the island. You can read the letter (which provides a glimpse into Ocracoke life sixty years ago) here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news102509.htm.

Thursday, November 26, 2009

An Ocracoke Thanksgiving Story

Over the years Ocracoke has been home to many a colorful character. Don Wood was one of the more interesting. If I remember correctly, he sold a marina in New Jersey and moved to the island sometime in the early to mid 1970s. He built a modest home at Oyster Creek that he never quite got around to completing. His half-finished living room and workshop melded together seamlessly. His table saw, sanders, hand tools, and other equipment competed for space with tables, chairs, and floor lamps.

Don kept his homemade house boat tied up to his dock, and in the yard he parked an old school bus (loaded with hoses, wire, compressors, and assorted other paraphernalia).

He often took his houseboat out into the sound for days at a time to get away from crowds, there to live au-naturel, feasting on the fish, clams, and crabs he caught. Periodically he traveled in his bus to New Mexico, where he also owned property.

In spite of his occasional need for solitude, Don was exceptionally friendly and out-going. He was especially fond of old-time native islanders, and often invited Fowler O'Neal, my father Lawton Howard, and others to his house for home made clam chowder and biscuits. Don told me more than once that Fowler (with his nautical tattoos, colorful language, and independent spirit), was the true "hippy," not any tie-dye-wearing, college educated, pseudo-rebel.

Don was intelligent and talented...and particularly unpretentious. I seldom saw him in anything but well-worn tan coveralls or cut-off shorts. He was often bare footed, and the grime on his hands betrayed endless hours tinkering with outboard motors, transmissions, bicycles, and the like.

Whenever Don purchased a new item (outboard motor, bike, or wheelbarrow, e.g.) he immediately painted it (with a brush) a nondescript, muddy brown. That way, he explained, he wouldn't have to worry about anyone being tempted to steal it. Don's ex-wife once told me that Don was "creative with ugly things."

It was with great delight a number of years ago that Don told me one of his favorite stories. He had been invited to two Thanksgiving dinners. Of course he had dressed in his usual fashion (no one expected anything different)...old tan coveralls and work boots. Late in the afternoon he was walking down Lighthouse Road, pushing his badly painted bicycle. With his long unkempt hair and shaggy gray beard he stood out, even on Ocracoke.

A well-to-do tourist couple had just left the dining room at the Island Inn where they had enjoyed a traditional turkey dinner with all the fixings. They had brought their leftovers with them, and were slowly driving down Lighthouse Road in their black Lincoln Continental when they spied Don.

The car stopped next to Don, and the window went down. The woman, impeccably dressed, with well-coiffed hair and fancy jewelry, handed the bag of leftovers out to Don. "Please take this, and have a Happy Thanksgiving," she said with a note of compassion in her voice.

"Thank you," Don replied, as he slipped his third Thanksgiving dinner into his bike basket, and walked back home.

Happy Thanksgiving to all of our readers!

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is a transcript of a letter written in 1949 by a visitor to the island. You can read the letter (which provides a glimpse into Ocracoke life sixty years ago) here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news102509.htm.

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Home

Hi! This is Philip again. I've been off the island for a short while. Just returned home last night (on the 4 pm Hatteras ferry). By the way, NC Highway 12 was open in both directions, with only a few small puddles here and there (just south of the Oregon Inlet bridge, and at Rondanthe). However, evidence of the recent overwash was noticeable especially at Rondanthe. The "Nights in Rodanthe" house and others nearby have a large artificial sand barrier pushed up between the road and the houses in order to protect the road from more overwash. Who knows how long they can protect the road there?

I'm still getting settled in and organized. I'll write more in a day or two. I hope everyone enjoyed Bill's reports the last several weeks. Thank you Bill! I really appreciated the time off.

One more thing: We at Village Craftsmen wish all of our readers a very Happy Thanksgiving! Enjoy your feasts...and especially your families!

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is a transcript of a letter written in 1949 by a visitor to the island. You can read the letter (which provides a glimpse into Ocracoke life sixty years ago) here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news102509.htm.

Friday, November 20, 2009

Lighthouse

Earlier this Fall, Philip reported that the Ocracoke Lighthouse was under repairs and at some point this would necessitate turning off the light. That point has arrived. Our storied lighthouse, the second oldest continuously working one on the east coast, has gone dark. I hear they hope to have it back in operation before Christmas.

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is a transcript of a letter written in 1949 by a visitor to the island. You can read the letter (which provides a glimpse into Ocracoke life sixty years ago) here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news102509.htm.

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Good News

The word is that Highway 12 is "functioning" again. It is not "repaired" but one stone-covered lane is open around the destroyed area. A portable traffic light is being put in place. And the ferry schedules are back to "normal".

This is very good news. Thanksgiving is coming and we hope visitors come, too.

And hats off to the Post Office crew. Our mail got here Sunday via Swan Quarter (the first delivery since Thursday) and was in our boxes that afternoon.

It is dry under our house!

And Lida and I dragged ourselves out of bed at 3:45 Tuesday morning and watched the sky for about 40 minutes. Saw 5 shooting stars. The sky was dazzlingly clear. What a place to live!

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is a transcript of a letter written in 1949 by a visitor to the island. You can read the letter (which provides a glimpse into Ocracoke life sixty years ago) here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news102509.htm.

Monday, November 16, 2009

Leonid Meteor Shower

I understand that there is to be a meteor shower tonight. A welcome relief from rain showers!
The new moon promises dark skies. So if it isn't cloudy, we should get a show. Best viewing according to my source will be just before dawn. Happy viewing!

The waters are receding. But Highway 12 is br0ken.

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is a transcript of a letter written in 1949 by a visitor to the island. You can read the letter (which provides a glimpse into Ocracoke life sixty years ago) here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news102509.htm.

Sunday, November 15, 2009

Let There Be Sunshine

We are still inundated with water, though the level of this morning's high tide seemed lower in our yard. (Not that I'm amused at judging tide level's in my YARD!) The forecast is for several days of sunshine; bring it on. The skies are still overcast on Sunday morning.

I haven't heard of much damage yet on Ocracoke; there will be a lot of clean-up and I'm sure there will be costly effects of the salt water getting into things it shouldn't have. But Highway 12 took major hits north of us. The Hatteras Ferry is running hourly now for emergencies, but the highway is closed near Oregon Inlet. Hatteras residents are coming to Ocracoke to reach the mainland via extra Swan Quarter Ferries for the next few days. We've had no mail since Thursday.

But folks are getting out. I spent a half hour chatting with Rob and Daphne yesterday at the intersection of Highway 12 and British Cemetery Road. I mention this because, as I remember it, we were standing in ankle deep water the whole time (shod in our rubber boots).

I loved seeing scores of ibises near the Pony Island Motel.

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is a transcript of a letter written in 1949 by a visitor to the island. You can read the letter (which provides a glimpse into Ocracoke life sixty years ago) here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news102509.htm.

Friday, November 13, 2009

High Water Pictures





More High Water

Water from Pamlico Sound continues to push its way across Ocracoke. School closed after about two hours this morning. There is no mail service in or out as Highway 12 is closed. Chuck said he drove north to see how it looked and found a couple of feet of sand across the highway.

I walked out of our neighborhood after lunch and found significant water already across the road in front of The Variety Store, the Post Office and Howard's Pub and around Silver Lake. I am told this is water being pushed up the creeks and across the lowlands from the Sound. And we are still several hours away from high tide.

The weather service is warning of continuing extreme high tides through the next 3 cycles.

We are moving our cars to high ground to try and keep salt water out of the engines, and hunkering down with whatever comfort food and movies we have on hand...and looking forward to drier times.

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is a transcript of a letter written in 1949 by a visitor to the island. You can read the letter (which provides a glimpse into Ocracoke life sixty years ago) here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news102509.htm.

High Water

This morning's high tide brought the highest water I've seen in my two years living on Ocracoke. Here's what I mean.

We have a small "canal" behind our house which is connected to the marshes that spread between our neighborhood and the sound. The water level in the canal rises and falls with the tide. (This system of canals was built by the CCC during the 1930's; I'm told the driving principal was mosquito control, but that's another story.)

This morning when I awoke, I looked out to see the canal water spread out across the yards and roads around out house. Fortunately the water level was not high enough to get into automobile engines!

Hyde County is under a coastal flood advisory until tonight. The high tides are being pushed much higher today by the storm out in the Atlantic (even though we are only experiencing light winds here on Ocracoke.) The rainwater puddles I mentioned in our roads are now "gone" as the low stretches are fully covered with brown brackish water. I imagine there is salt water in Highway 12 in the Village, but I'm not driving through it to find out! I'll watch for the water to recede as the tide falls through the morning.

Yesterday, as we were creeping along in our car through one of those "puddles" covering Loop Road, we encountered about a dozen beautiful ibises who had been attracted by this new wetland area. Most were white, but some were smaller and brown and they all had the typical down-turned bill of the ibis. An unusual traffic hazard!

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is a transcript of a letter written in 1949 by a visitor to the island. You can read the letter (which provides a glimpse into Ocracoke life sixty years ago) here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news102509.htm.

Thursday, November 12, 2009

More Storm Reporting

We're now getting patches of sunshine and it's a warm, muggy 70 degrees.

Tommy at the Variety Store reports that the food delivery and newspaper trucks got through so Highway 12 is open.

Dale reports that he had about 3.3 inches in his rain gauge at midnight; we've had a lot more since then. He says there was some minor over-wash at the north end, but it's already cleared up. This afternoon's high tide (around 4) could be trouble here and to the North, but so far no reports of major damage to the Outer Banks.

I drove out to the beach. The new bike path along the ocean-side of highway 12 was completely under water (rain, not ocean water) and in places only one lane of the highway was "dry". Several people had gathered at the beach to check out the conditions. I believe you would call this "an angry sea" with big waves breaking not just near shore but for several hundred yards out. The receding tide had left pools of water at the base of the dunes.

Our power outage last night was not due to anything on Ocracoke. Our power comes all the way down the Outer Banks from Virginia. The problem was somewhere north of here.

Bottom line: so far Ocracoke has been spared the brunt of this storm for which we are very thankful. We'll settle for the annoyance of deep puddles in our roads. Our thoughts are with you folks to the north where the conditions seem to be worse.

(I asked about mail delivery today and was told our postal workers will go to the ferry to meet the truck so it won't have to hang around here and risk not getting back to Hatteras. And since they'll be picking up two days worth, don't expect it all to be in the boxes until after 4:00.)

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is a transcript of a letter written in 1949 by a visitor to the island. You can read the letter (which provides a glimpse into Ocracoke life sixty years ago) here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news102509.htm.

Storm Report

I've just rolled out of bed after a rainy and windy night (it's Thursday morning) and want to post a preliminary report on the storm situation.

Apparently the damaging part of this storm has been north of Ocracoke. We have had heavy rain since Wednesday about noon. I drove around the village last night about 10 and there were several inches of water in all the usual low spots, but there has been no water from storm surge.

The wind was pretty calm all day Wednesday; it finally kicked up about 11 Wednesday night. I can't tell you how strong it was because the power also went out about 11 and came on around 5 AM. We're showing 12 mph winds now on my computer but just a breeze in my yard.

Weather alerts for Hyde County were dropped last night, but two just popped up: high surf warning and high wind warning until Friday.

I'll ask around about any damage up the beach and report more later.

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Birding

This is Bill, again.

I usually go to the beach to walk, look for shells, watch for dolphins and generally enjoy the beauty of it. This past Sunday, Lida and i enjoyed a time at South Beach with Peter Vankevich and Carol and Tom Pahl who all know their birds.

I could already tell a sea gull from sandpiper and a pelican from a dolphin, but with their help I learned to distinguish between a Black-bellied plover and a Ruddy Turnstone. I was shown the difference between Herring gulls, Great and Lesser Black-backed gulls (check out the color of the legs!), the Laughing gull and the Ring-billed gull (check out their bills).

We saw thousands of cormorants flying over and hundreds of Brown Pelican hanging out on the flats.

What a treat this was! It was a warm, sunny day with just a whisper of wind. And we got to see several dolphins swimming by. Now I have another reason to head to the beach: to practice my fledgling birding skills.

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is a transcript of a letter written in 1949 by a visitor to the island. You can read the letter (which provides a glimpse into Ocracoke life sixty years ago) here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news102509.htm.

Monday, November 09, 2009

OPS Membership Meeting

Ocracoke Preservation Society holds its annual Fall Meeting this Tuesday, November 10 at 6:00 at the Community Center. There will be a Pot Luck Dinner followed by a brief business meeting at which the 2010 Board will be elected, the annual Historic Preservation Award will be presented, brief updates will be heard from the President, Treasurer and Administrator and the eagerly awaited drawing for the striking quilt that was made and donated by Ocracoke's Needle and Thread Club will take place.

Following the meeting, there will be an auction at which you can bid for some island treasures that have been donated to OPS for the purpose of fund raising.

All OPS members who are on the island are urged to attend, and everyone else is invited to come, join and bid!

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is a transcript of a letter written in 1949 by a visitor to the island. You can read the letter (which provides a glimpse into Ocracoke life sixty years ago) here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news102509.htm.

Saturday, November 07, 2009

A Tale of Blackbeard

Greetings from Bill:

Friday night, an enthusiastic crowd gathered at Deepwater Theater for a delightful "read and sing" through the musical "A Tale of Blackbeard" which was performed nine of the 20 years between 1974 and 1994. Julie Howard wrote it (and composed the score) and various people directed it.

The evening provided more than a review of "A Tale of Blackbeard"; just as fascinating was the recollection of "the spirit of Ocracoke" in those years. The production was pulled off by a remarkable commitment of the island community. The cast included adults and children, lifelong residents and summer workers who somehow managed to perform two to three times a week all summer. Some years there were two full casts! When it was discovered that a university professor of dance was vacationing on Ocracoke, she was invited to provide choreography. Julie added songs and parts for interested "actors" of various ages across the years.

The venue was moved around the island from year to year including one summer outdoors on the Community Store porch and in the later years in an un-air conditioned school gym! Despite the mosquitoes and heat, hundreds of people saw "A Tale of Blackbeard" across those years.

Friday's event was obviously a delightful memory for the former cast members who were there; those of us who were experiencing "Blackbeard" for the first time were left hoping for a revival! But as Julie reminded us, even by the mid-80's it was hard working something like this into the increasingly busy summer for residents of Ocracoke. Hopefully, "where there's a will, there's a way"; at the very least, "thanks for the memories!"

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is a transcript of a letter written in 1949 by a visitor to the island. You can read the letter (which provides a glimpse into Ocracoke life sixty years ago) here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news102509.htm.

Friday, November 06, 2009

So Much To Do...

Tonight (Friday) at 7:30 at the Deepwater Theater, everyone is invited to sing along to the grand old Ocracoke original musical, "A Tale of Blackbeard". Julie Howard, who wrote it, is on the island and will play the piano for us as former cast members, audience members and people (like me) who never saw it but have heard so much about it, enjoy this unrehearsed sing-through. It's free; we're asked to bring a dessert to share.

And tomorrow (Saturday) there are at least two big yard sales. The Methodist Church is having their big Bazaar with lunch available beginning at 10:30. And the Village Thrift (behind the Coffee House) is having a yard sale supporting the Youth Center. Both begin at 9 AM; both support worthy causes.

What a busy, busy island!

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is a transcript of a letter written in 1949 by a visitor to the island. You can read the letter (which provides a glimpse into Ocracoke life sixty years ago) here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news102509.htm.

Thursday, November 05, 2009

Historic Preservation

Anyone who visits Ocracoke can see that part of its charm is that it is, among many other things, a quaint, old village. When I became a member of the Executive Committee of the Ocracoke Preservation Society (we operate the OPS Museum) I quickly discovered the fragility of that historic village in these fast-changing times.

OPS has received a wonderful gift from the estate of Geraldine Beveridge. The bequest directs the funds to be used for "preservation and promotion of the history and heritage of Ocracoke." To that end we have recently purchased an historic home at 458 Lighthouse Road; we're placing "covenants" on the property and will sell it to someone who will restore it according to guidelines for "historic structures."

That's not the only home in our village being "rescued" right now. Tom and Carol Pahl have purchased the Uriah Garrish House adjacent to the intersection of Highway 12 and Howard Street. They are documenting the process involved in an historic restoration on a blog of their own. Here's a link to it.

http://ocracokehistoricrestoration.blogspot.com/

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is a transcript of a letter written in 1949 by a visitor to the island. You can read the letter (which provides a glimpse into Ocracoke life sixty years ago) here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news102509.htm.

Wednesday, November 04, 2009

A Memorable Trip to the Beach

After many days of low clouds, off and on showers, and blustery cold winds, the sun came out Tuesday. Philip and I (this is still Bill) headed to the beach after lunch for a walk.

We pulled into the parking lot at the "lifeguard" beach (so named because during the summer the park service provides lifeguards there) and headed across the dunes on the wooden walkway. As we neared the deck at the top of the dunes and got our first glimpse of the ocean, we both said, "What was that!" Seems we had both noticed something in the surf that was not dolphins!

We didn't have to wonder long. A whale rolled just beyond the breaking waves. It was moving westward so we quickly decided that we would walk that direction. Philip said this was only the second such siting for him; it was my first. As we walked, we watched it roll just ahead of us, then suddenly it was moving back to the east.

We discovered from others on the beach that it had been moving back and forth, feeding, first one way, then the other, for almost an hour. Philip made a few calls. David and Amy brought Lachlan; Tom and Carol Pahl brought Lida; others arrived...and no one was disappointed. This great creature continued swimming back and forth; the crowd continued yelling "There it is!" and pointing. At times it seemed to be heading out to sea, then suddenly it was back just beyond the cresting waves.

We assume it was a right whale. I'm told they migrate along this way in November. I'll see if I can find a good picture or cell phone video.

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is a transcript of a letter written in 1949 by a visitor to the island. You can read the letter (which provides a glimpse into Ocracoke life sixty years ago) here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news102509.htm.

Tuesday, November 03, 2009

What Drew Us to Ocracoke?

This is Bill again guest-blogging for Philip.

A reader asked what drew us to Ocracoke two years ago and what's my take on "affordable housing on the island".

My wife, Lida, and I came here first in 2000 to attend a Storytelling Workshop led by Donald Davis. Donald and I first knew each other at Davidson College in the 60's. He has become a widely known and respected storyteller. We jumped at the opportunity to spend a week learning from him in a place that was brand new to us.

Ocracoke isn't for everybody. It is remote. (I'm told there are more bears than people in our county, though they stick mostly to the mainland!) It's small. (About 700 to 800 year-round residents.) But there is a strong sense of community. Lida and I both were immediately attracted to that and to the beauty and to the new friends we were making. We love the music and the storytelling and the seafood. We love the beach and the fact that Ocracoke isn't really a "beach resort"; no one lives on the beach.

We do not think of ourselves as risk-takers, but I am retired, our children have settled far from our home in Memphis, so after several years working with a real estate agent, we are happy transplants.

Since we've bought our house, I haven't kept up with the market and I don't know much about current prices; but I'll ask around and see what I can find out.

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is a transcript of a letter written in 1949 by a visitor to the island. You can read the letter (which provides a glimpse into Ocracoke life sixty years ago) here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.c

Monday, November 02, 2009

Guest Blogger

This is Bill; Philip asked me to write a few entries this month on his blog. I think he's busy. Probably writing a new book or something.

My wife and I moved to Ocracoke a mere 2 years ago this month, so I haven't got stories going back to before there were trees here like Philip does, but maybe he wanted a bit of "fresh eyes" reporting on the island.

For instance, it took me 2 years to figure out Halloween. Nobody wanders back into Widgeon Woods to "trick-or-treat" (except Lachlan; Thanks, friend!). So last year we had to eat all the candy ourselves. This year, I poured it into a bag, put it in my bicycle basket, and went out to Lighthouse Road where I had no trouble dispensing it all. Not only did I get rid of the candy, I got to see some awesome costumes (Batmen, princesses, pirates and one mighty Mad Hatter)!
I'll keep my eyes open for some more things to write about.

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is a transcript of a letter written in 1949 by a visitor to the island. You can read the letter (which provides a glimpse into Ocracoke life sixty years ago) here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news102509.htm.

Sunday, November 01, 2009

Ocracoke Foundation

I recently received the October, 2009 Ocracoke Foundation Newsletter. It included the following announcement about affordable housing on Ocracoke:

"On Monday October 19th the Hyde County Board of Commissioners voted to support OFI's affordable housing initiative. The initiative is part of a Reinvestment Project that will seek to provide affordable housing for teachers and public service employees and also provide dedicated funding for local community groups from which to operate. The majority of public service workers depend on local groups for services such as child care, and youth programs. Funding to support the research and planning efforts for this initiative was provided by the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation.

On October 10th, OFI responded to a frequently expressed concern for "affordable housing" on Ocracoke by successfully bidding to purchase 3 two-bedroom and 1 one-bedroom condominium at the site of the former Boyette property.

The need for housing for teachers, health center employees, EMTs, day care, and other groups serving the general public has been seen as a critical issue for several years. Due to the high costs involved in purchasing land and constructing housing, solutions to this need seemed insurmountable. The opportunity to acquire 4 condos at a cost well below what would be required to build, encouraged OFI to take advantage of this opportunity to meet the needs of the community while a larger scale affordable housing solution is being researched.

OFI has begun to seek funding for this initiative and is seeking advice and support from organizations and industry professionals. An affordable housing committee is being established to outline needs, study options and move forward. As the initiative progresses, OFI will post letters and comments received concerning this effort."

I do not believe the Ocracoke Foundation has a web site, but you can learn more about it here: http://nccsdataweb.urban.org/PubApps/showVals.php?ft=bmf&ein=562602254

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is a transcript of a letter written in 1949 by a visitor to the island. You can read the letter (which provides a glimpse into Ocracoke life sixty years ago) here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news102509.htm.