Outer Banks Catch is a partnership of Currituck, Dare, Hyde and Tyrrell Counties to help increase the demand for, add value to, and strengthen recognition of locally caught seafood. As a means of delivering an important food product for America, commercial fishing on the Outer Banks dates back centuries. Many families can trace 7th and 8th generation relatives to the local commercial fishing business. But sustainability of this industry in the 21st century has been tested by the ready availability of seafood from overseas.

The Outer Banks Catch marketing program helps consumers know which restaurants, seafood markets and other merchants provide locally caught seafood and provides information on the local commercial fishing industry. The initiative is supported by a grant from The Golden LEAF Foundation.

For details, visit www.outerbankscatch.com

The approved 2010-2011 North Carolina state budget includes the expansion of the plastic bag ban initiated in 2009 to include a ban on all plastic bags, regardless of weight, for all businesses on the barrier islands of Currituck, Dare and Hyde counties.  The new law, which becomes effective on October 1, allows businesses time to empty their stock of already purchased plastic bags.  Small retailers who purchased plastic bags before May 1 will have until the same time next year to make the switch.    

In light of the new law, Dare County Board of Commissioners Chair Warren Judge, Lee Nettles, Managing Director of the Outer Banks Visitors Bureau, Willo Kelly, Director of BlueGreen Outer Banks and Governmental Affairs Liaison for the Outer Banks Assn. of Realtors and Outer Banks Home Builders Assn., and John Bone, President and C.E.O. of the Outer Banks Chamber of Commerce, met with  retail representatives at the request of Senator Basnight to discuss how we could reduce the impact of the new plastic bag ban.  Out of these discussions came the idea to put together a consortium of paper bag users in order to reduce the cost to the individual business owners.  In order to determine if there is enough interest in buying bags in bulk from a manufacturer, please take a few minutes to complete a very short survey which will give us an idea of the level of participation by our member businesses.     

Business owners, please take time to complete the SURVEY

While traveling on US Highway 64 through East Lake, have you ever wondered what critters may be out in the wild all around you? You may have seen a Black Bear as it crossed the highway in the distance, but have you ever wondered what a black bear was like up close? Can you tell what animals have walked on a trail before you walked on it? Beginning the first week in June, you will be able to find the answers to these and many more questions during the free programs at Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge.

On Wednesdays from 4:00 to 5:00 PM, take an investigative trek on Creef Cut Trail just off US Highway 64 at Milltail Road. Discover how biologists are using DNA to track the various critters using the Highway 64 corridor and local trails. From 6:00 to 7:30 PM, find out what a Black Bear’s pelt really feels like and how the bear stays warm and dry. Learn about why the refuge makes the ideal home for Black Bear. After a short overview, join the program leaders for a trip around the Wildlife Drive in search of Black Bear and other critters who are active in the evenings. Come back out to the refuge on Thursday from 1:30 to 3:30 PM to climb aboard the refuge tram trailer for a guided tour of the refuge. Learn about the management techniques, tips on wildlife watching, and what it takes to be the perfect home for wildlife. Sit back and relax while watching for wildlife in the open-air trailer. No reservations are needed for any of the free programs described above.

If you are looking for a adventure, consider exploring the refuge by water. Sign up for one of the refuge guided canoe tours. After setting off at the boat launch, you’ll be taken back in time while learning about Buffalo City logging and moonshining and times before the refuge was established. You'll see gigantic cypress and Atlantic White Cedar trees, learn why the water looks like iced tea, and, if you're lucky, you may catch a glimpse of an alligator before it sinks to avoid you. The plant variety assures you an ever-changing view as you are led onto Milltail Creek. Black water surrounds you as you travel onto the man-made canals that were used during the logging days of the town. Overhead various birds may be heard and sometimes seen. Tours are given on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 9:00 to noon. The cost is $35 per adult and $20 per child 11 and younger. For canoe tour reservations or general program information, call Cindy Heffley at 252-475-4180 or visit our website at www.fws.gov/alligatorriver .

Red Wolf howling safaris are also offered on Wednesdays from 7:30-9:00 pm. The tours are co-sponsored by the Red Wolf Coalition, require pre-registration, and cost $7 per person. Call 252-796-5600 for more information or to register for a howling safari.

The Board of Governors of The Elizabethan Gardens is pleased to announce Carl V. Curnutte III as Executive Director. June Bell, Chairman, is delighted with the decision. “During his long-time association with The Lost Colony, Curnutte has been an outstanding supporter of The Gardens,” she remarks. “With his guidance, we look forward to a fruitful relationship with The Colony and a fertile future at The Gardens.”

Manteo resident Curnutte first arrived on Roanoke Island in 1988 to work as a costumer with the long-running outdoor drama. “That’s when I was hooked,” he remarks. “The natural beauty of the island and the people that live here are remarkable. I think The Elizabethan Gardens has aptly captured this beauty.”

Curnutte is honored to work with the Board and the staff and looks forward to seeing what can flourish on the site.

In the Southeast, The Elizabethan Gardens is a rare gem and the only authentic English-style garden of its scope. They were created to honor the Elizabethan heritage of Roanoke Island and North Carolina and are a living memorial to Sir Walter Raleigh's legendary lost colony of 1587, which settled, lived, and vanished on the very site where the Gardens now stand.

At The Gardens, the new world and the old world grow together in a unique 16th century-inspired pleasure garden on the tranquil shores of the Roanoke Sound inside Fort Raleigh National Historic Site. Highlights include the thatched gazebo, Shakespearean herb garden, flower bordered walkways, antique garden statuary and formal sunken gardens.

The North Carolina Aquarium Society today announced that Dominion Resources, the parent company of Dominion North Carolina Power, has donated $500,000 to fund alternative energy demonstrations at Jennette’s Pier in Nags Head: 

The ocean pier is under construction and is expected to begin operating in the spring 2011. It is owned and will be operated by the North Carolina Aquariums and will feature environmental education programs, summer science camps, live animal displays, public events and fishing.

“As an electricity provider for the Outer Banks, Dominion is pleased to help bring educational programs and demonstrations to Jennette’s Pier,” said Paul D. Koonce, chief executive officer of Dominion North Carolina Power. “This project fits well with our commitment to education and to protecting the environment. It will serve as a model for alternative energy demonstrations while providing an enjoyable facility for the entire family.”

Art Keeney, Chairman of the North Carolina Aquarium Society Board of Directors praised the donation:  “With Dominion’s generous support, Jennette’s Pier will now be able to display many of the emerging technologies in energy generation.”

“Wind turbines, solar panels and fuel cells will generate energy on site to offset the power needs of the facility. In addition, the public will be able to see how these three contemporary energy systems will work. This partnership demonstrates our shared values of education and the environment and we look forward to our long-standing relationship continuing,” said Keeney.

Representative Tim Spear of Washington County, N.C. said: “Dominion’s gift is great news for this project and for the people of North Carolina. These features will make this facility even more of an attraction that will not only help our tourist economy, but also will help educate residents and visitors alike.”

On February 25, 2010 the Outer Banks Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors voted unanimously to support shoreline restoration in Dare County. The full text of the resolution can be found online at www.outerbankschamber.com/board/2-24resolution.cfm

In the resolution, the Board of Directors states their position that two fundamental issues need to be addressed as quickly as possible. The first is that we have critical areas of beach erosion that need to be renourished immediately, utilizing the available resources. Second, a longer term erosion management plan that addresses several concerns needs to be established.

In the short term, Nags Head has offered a proposal that would address 10 miles of beach in a dramatically affected area. The idea is to take care of a critical need while demonstrating how a successful project can operate. Over the past two weeks the plan has been amended to include dropping the sales tax and seeking a formula for the future spending of monies collected from the current and increased occupancy taxes in the county. Combined with an assessment on beach front property owners to pay for the ongoing maintenance, this plan shows that the tourism industry and Nags Head property owners are willing to share the brunt of the investment.

In the long term, Hatteras, Kill Devil Hills, Kitty Hawk and Roanoke Island all have some erosion issues that need to be addressed. Each of these entities are in various stages of development for their project and a plan needs to be established to insure that future projects can be enabled.

The Chamber of Commerce has reached out to each community to share this message and desires to be part of the solution. Already one meeting between the mayors of Nags Head and Kill Devil Hills, and the Chairman of the Board of Commissioners, has been facilitated by the organization. The Chamber firmly believes that we can find the common ground to move forward quickly and is open to comments and suggestions from the community.

Progress has again been delayed in the construction of a safe transportation corridor to connect the northern and southern regions of Dare County. Upon hearing of this latest delay during discussions with North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT), Dare County officials expressed extreme disappointment since a Record of Decision (ROD) was expected any day with a promise that construction would begin this year.

The most recent delay comes following a decision by NCDOT to alter the Preferred Alternative, known as the “short parallel bridge with phased development on Pea Island,” to include the initial construction of the replacement bridge at Oregon Inlet as planned but with future phases being built as needed based on the conditions at the time. Because of this unexpected change, there is now a need for an Environmental Assessment that will delay the Record of Decision (ROD) until June 2010. Construction of the new bridge will not begin until spring 2011 at the earliest.

Federal and state agencies have done environmental studies over and over again since 1993 when the replacement bridge was first due to be constructed, commented Allen Burrus, a businessman from Hatteras Island who serves as Vice Chairman of the Dare County Board of Commissioners. The Department of Transportation’s recommendation to replace the Bonner Bridge over Oregon Inlet and create a series of elevated roadway segments over hotspots along Pea Island in phases is the least environmentally damaging and the most economical plan. Let’s get moving on this before people get hurt.

In August 2007, an interagency group reached concurrence that the phased approach was the Least Environmentally Damaging Practicable Alternative. Joining NCDOT in this decision were the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Federal Highway Administration and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

According to Beth Midgett who chairs a citizen’s committee to replace the bridge, The nor’easter last fall underscores the urgency for NCDOT to begin work on the construction of a safer and more secure transportation corridor between northern Dare County and Hatteras Island. The storm destroyed approximately 800 feet of Route 12 road surface at the S-curves just north of Rodanthe stopping traffic for five days while NCDOT crews worked day and night to reopen the route.

Special interest groups have stalled and delayed the replacement of the Bonner Bridge. The groups advocate a 17 mile bridge which would make it one of the longest structures in the world. The costs for a bridge of this length are so great that there is no reasonable expectation that the project could be funded now or for the foreseeable future. The long bridge would also prevent visitors and traffic access to Pea Island Wildlife Refuge, a favorite vacation spot for fishermen, bird watchers, families, surfers and, ironically, environmentalists.

These groups have recommended that a toll be charged on the 17-mile bridge to offset construction costs as is planned for the mid-county bridge in Currituck County.

Water’s Edge Village School is applying to become a tuition-free public charter school in Corolla. Over the past year, a group of parents, educators, and children’s advocates has been meeting to discuss the feasibility of starting a school in Corolla. At this time, students must ride the bus for three hours to attend school in Currituck County, making for long days that don’t allow for extra-curricular activities or a healthy homework/free-time schedule. After surveying local parents, holding a public information meeting, and investigating options, the group decided to form a non-profit education foundation, the Corolla Education Foundation. Then, after drafting a comprehensive plan including an integrated curriculum and a hands-on approach to learning, the proposal for Water’s Edge Village School was prepared to submit the State Department of Public Instruction. WEVS will know by July whether they were chosen to fill the spot of the remaining space for a NC Charter School. The new school would open in 2011.  

By enrolling kids who live in Corolla and Carova, kids of parents who work in Corolla year-round, and kids of interested Dare County parents, it is projected the school would have approximately 30 students its first year. Businesses in Corolla often have trouble retaining a consistent workforce, as new families tend to move into Dare County when their children reach school age. In addition, homeowners who want to offer housing to their extended families/ grandchildren cannot do so because of the limited access to education. Data from surveys show that a school could draw children who are currently home schooled into the public system through a small charter such as WEVS, that provides a learning environment with ample attention to each individual child.

A public information meeting will be held at the Pine Island Fire Station in Corolla on Friday, February 5th from 5:30 p.m.–7:00 p.m. Community members are encouraged to come for information, kids’ activities, free pasta, and live music. There will be a short presentation and Corolla Education Foundation members will be on hand to answer questions. For more information go to www.watersedgevillageschool.com or call 252.202.8142.