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The Neuse River off of Oriental’s waterfront. In foreground are the remaining stobs from a pier that once extended from South Avenue near Mildred Street.

Saturday May 25, 2013

The weather angels are serving up a gorgeous way to start the memorial day weekend. Sunny and clear skies and cool temps are in the Oriental NC Weather Forecast.

Looking ahead… it isn’t just a perfect weather weekend – it looks like a perfect weather week ahead.

It’s good news for Silospalooza where 7 bands will be playing on the Silos Restaurant’s outdoor stage starting at 4p today.

This morning, the Oriental Farmers’ Market swings in to gear with lots of produce and baked goods for sale. The list, here. Think you know about the birds and the bees? Learn more.. at a 9a a demo about honeybees and their hives.

This afternoon Sunfish are sailing. Tonight, Paradise Cove Marina’s laying out one of their famous potluck dinners. More in What’s Happening…

Keep an eye on the sky. It’s full moon time again, and last night’s — with the banks of clouds and moonlight — was stunning….

Friday May 24, 2013

A small chance of rain today, and after that the weekend looks golden. Sunshine through Monday. Saturday’s high low 70s, mid 70s Sunday, near 80 Monday.

Come Saturday, our town gets its first “palooza”. Silospalooza, that is. The folks at The Silos have a full day planned:

• 4p – 4:15p Welcome & Announcements
• 4:15p – 5p Tom MacWilliams, Acoustic Guitar, Folk/Country
• 4:15p – 5p Surprise Mystery Local Camp Counselor, Originals
• 5:15p – 6p Justin DePree, Acoustic Guitar, Rock
• 6:15p – 7p Patrick Bliss, Acoustic Guitar, CoffeeHouse, plus another Mystery Local Special Guest..
• 7:15p – 8p Shatiiki Jukebox, 3 piece Band, Indy Rock
• 8:15p – 10p Saltwater Gold, Band, Soul /Rock
• 10:15p -12 Hot Buttered Grits, Band, Classic/Folk Rock

Mention “Budweiser Girls” in Oriental, and normally one conjures up six 60 year-olds and a six pack. But Chris at The Silos says he has the Budweiser Girls. TownDock Senior Management was hoping for the Guinness Lassies, but OK.

Also on tap:
Pizza Eating Contest, Door prizes/Raffel, Budweiser Monster Truck, Free Pig Pickin, Games for the kids.

Dang, Elmer. Put aside that book on varnishing wood boats. We’re talkin’ a Monster Truck.

Monster trucks — and your truck — can ride on the Minnesott ferry for free right now, but tolls could be coming. A lot of folks here are trying to get the Legislature to keep the Neuse River ferry free. In fact, they’re working to make all of the state’s ferries toll-free. But yesterday, the state Senate opted the other way — to put a toll on all of those ferries. Story is here…

Thursday May 23, 2013

10:44a Up in Raleigh this hour, the NC Senate is taking its third and final vote on the Senate’s version of a budget. The budget includes a provision to slap a toll on every ferry in NC. Story developing…

10:23a It’s raining, it’s occasionally pouring. On and off rain since 6 this morning. The gardens and lawns needed the dousing. The Oriental NC Weather Forecast looks like they’ll be getting that throughout the day.

5:39a Memorial Day approaches. Flags have gone up on the main streets here in Oriental. It’s looking as if the Oriental NC Weather Forecast will give us great conditions.

In What’s Happening… today, Oriental’s Town Board holds another of its budget workshops as it puts together the budget for the fiscal year starting July 1. Meeting’s from 11a-1p. Likely topic today: the water plant and repairs there. Meetings are open to the public.

Wednesday May 22, 2013

The 3rd Annual Leukemia Cup Regatta at River Dunes is coming up in a few weeks – June 7, 8, and 9. There’s still time to register for the sailboat racing, and the shore party on Saturday night. Also, the organizers would welcome a few more items for the Live Auction. You can get in touch with Lynn Whalen at 249-0581 (or mobile: 703-304-0668) or oldtheaterlynn@gmail.com or Cherith Hunter at Cherith.Hunter@lls.org

As for this coming Memorial Day Weekend, the Oriental Farmers’ Market on Saturday morning will feature a demonstration on beekeeping. It’s free.

And starting later Saturday afternoon, the Silos Restaurant presents Silospalooza – 7 bands on the outdoor stage. You’ll have your pick of music — from folk/country, coffee-house, rock country, rock/soul and indie rock. There’s a pig pickin’ too.

Questions, questions. Yesterday, the Town Board visited the water plant on Gilgo Road to see what repairs and outfitting the outgoing Town Manager says are needed. The Board meets tomorrow to discuss that and the coming year’s budget. Meanwhile, Maxbauer’s suggestion that he run the water plant and oversee the Public Works staff on repairs after he steps down as Town Manager at the end of June, sparked a few questions in Letters To The Editor.

Your letters on local matters are welcomed. Just click here: letters@towndock.net

Tuesday May 21, 2013

4:45p The waiting game goes on for those trying to fend off tolls on the local ferries. The NC House Transportation Committed did have House Bill 475 on its agenda today, but never got to it. HB475 is the one that would do away with all tolls on all ferries in NC. No word yet on when the committee will take this up next. As Greg Piner puts it, “there is nothing easy about this.”

12:42p Warm days are settling in. The Oriental NC Forecast gives us highs in the low 80’s through the end of the week. And with those higher temps, a chance of showers.

It’s looking to be a tad cooler and with less chance of rain on the Memorial Day weekend. Good news for Saturday’s Silospalooza at the The Silos, where 7 bands are lined up for the outdoor show.

Monday May 20, 2013

Stop and smell the jasmine. In the full throttle of spring, the jasmine’s been starting to bloom in town. And if you can get closer to the ground, the clover’s fragrant, too…

For those following the ferry toll saga.. House Bill 475 comes up for a vote in the House Transportation Committee tomorrow. This bill would end all the tolls on all the ferry routes in NC. Backers say it’s the only thing in the Legislature that would keep this area’s local ferries free.

Without HB475, tolls would be collected at Minnesott and Aurora as of July 1. TollFreeFerry.org has more as well as email links if you want to contact Transportation Committee members.

Water bills in Oriental could be going up by almost 10%. Tomorrow, Town Board members begin an 8a budget meeting at the Town’s water plant. It’s a field trip to see the repairs that outgoing Town Manager Bob Maxbauer says the plant needs.

One option would be to put that repair work out to bid. But Maxbauer, who leaves his Town Manager job June 30, is instead pitching the Town Board the idea that Public Works employees could make the repairs and that he could oversee them. That could create a new Town job for Maxbauer in the fiscal year starting July 1.

As the Town Board is putting together that budget, Maxbauer’s plan calls for spending at least $160,000 on Public Works salaries — $40,000 more than the Board had been considering. To pay for that additional expense, Maxbauer wants to raise water bills from $31 a month to $34 (for 5,000 gallons/month.)

The budget is a work in progress and budget meetings — including Tuesday’s with its field trip to the water plant on Gilgo Road — are open to the public.

Letters, we get letters…..

As reported here last week, the Town Manager proposed raising property taxes of 3 cents per $100 valuation to pay the Town’s legal bills in the Cox v. Oriental land swap lawsuit. (The Town Board on Friday pencilled in a tax hike of 1 cent per $100 valuation) The taxing and legal fight prompted a letter from Joe Mattea.

Also in the mail bag, Oriental’s anchorage has traditionally been a place where visiting boats could drop anchor for a short time — a few days, a week or so. Recent years have seen some boats staying much longer — several boats now in the anchorage have been there for months. It’s the subject of one letter

Saturday May 18, 2013

Oriental’s Town Manager Bob Maxbauer is stepping down June 30, six months earlier than previously scheduled. Mayor Bill Sage made the announcement yesterday afternoon after a closed door session at the Board’s budget meeting. Sage said Maxbauer planned to run for a seat on the Town Board this November.

At the budget meeting, there were strong indications Maxbauer was also seeking future employment with the Town once his $56,000-a-year stint at Manager ends. Maxbauer spoke at length about a “dire need” for repairs at the Town’s water plant and presented himself as the licensed employee who could renovate the plant with the Town’s Public Works staff, as well as operate it. As such, he asked the Board to allocate $160,000 for Public Works salaries next fiscal year — instead of the $120,000 the Board has pencilled in.

Maxbauer claimed it would cost the Town less for him to rebuild the water plant using public works employees than for the Town to hire an outside contractor. (Maxbauer made a similar pitch to the Board a year ago about the Town Hall project, which he oversaw and which ended up costing more than was allocated.) At the budget meeting, there was no mention of putting the water plant renovation job out for bid.

More on the story coming…

Action-packed Saturday, as you’ll see in What’s Happening. The Oriental Farmers’ Market has lots of produce for sale with some new vendors. There’s the birding/kayaking trip up the local creeks. Wine tasting at Nautical Wheelers. Potluck at Paradise Cove Marina… Gospel music in Oriental. The high school’s Show Choir performs in Bayboro.

Update on the ferry toll fight. That bill to do away with all of the ferry tolls on all the ferry routes — House Bill 475 — is still alive. It comes up for a vote in the House Transportation Committee on Tuesday. If you care to, TollFreeFerry.org has easy ways to email those legislators. Or, give ‘em a call. Your choice…