Today, tomorrow, and Wednesday are important days for island residents. A driver's license & vehicle registration card with an Ocracoke address will entitle islanders to a renewed Hatteras Inlet ferry priority pass.

There may be times when you are waiting in line for an hour or more in the sweltering summer heat, hoping to board the next ferry, only to see someone pull up in the priority lane and be loaded before you are.

As frustrating as this can be, please understand how it was for island residents before priority passes were isssued. I remember well how difficult it was to spend 7 or 8 hours making a round trip to the dentist, and then to sit for several hours waiting in line just to get home. It's even harder on elderly residents and small children, especially if they're coming home from a doctor's appointment, or even the hospital.

Because so much of our "routine business" (clothes shopping, appointments with eye doctors, a trip to a large convenience store, grocery shopping, certain automobile repairs, school basketball games, jury duty, etc,) entails lengthy round trips "off-island" we are all thankful for this small concession to our local needs.

Thank you for understanding.