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The winds that make Oriental the Sailing Capital of NC, also give great conditions for kitesurfers. A favorite spot is off of Styrontown Beach and Wiggans Point. That’s where Eric Kindle was recently kitesurfing and going aloft. For a view of the kite itself, click here.

Saturday May 19, 2012

Highs in the upper 70’s with possible rain. That seems to be the Oriental Weather Forecast for the next few days.

Bunch of things going on. Oriental Farmers’ Market this morning has really local fresh produce, baked goods, handiwork. The list of what’s for sale is here. Elsewhere inWhat’s Happening the PCC Golf Tourney is going on at Minnesott. You can sip and sample some summer white wines this afternoon at Nautical Wheelers at their monthly wine tasting. Coast Guard Auxiliary has a boating safety course.

And it was 150 years ago this week (Wednesday) that the steamship Oriental sank off of the Outer Banks. That eventually gave us a name for our town. You can learn more about the ‘Oriental’ at the Oriental History Museum. They’ve got an ongoing display as well as something new for his anniversary. They’re open today… and tomorrow.

(In a few short years, the History Museum’s accumulated a lot of things to display but lacks enough glass display cases. If you’ve got one, and care to donate it, the museum would appreciate that….)

Registration time right now for two big kids events here in town in the summer. The Children’s Theater Workshop is accepting applications now. And the Youth Sailing Camp here in Oriental is also registering students..

Friday May 18, 2012

Lots to choose from this weekend. Tonight, the Old Theater shows ‘Duck Soup’, the Marx Brothers’ send-up of authoritarian governments. It’s the last Friday Flick til September…

Tomorrow, you can hit the links and help Pamlico Community College Foundation raise some funds. There are still some spaces. Oriental’s Farmers’ Market has locally grown produce, baked goods, art for sale (and, a new sign after the others floated away in high waters this winter…) The Provision Company’s running a sale right next door, too, and Nautical Wheelers has a Saturday afternoon wine tasting of summer whites..

In What’s Happening, you’ll also find gospel music and a boating safety class on Saturday and the Pamlico Arts Council’s ‘Celebration of the Arts’ on Sunday. And check out the Oriental Museum’s display on the sinking of the Oriental, 150 years ago, this week..

As reported yesterday (see below) Oriental’s Town Board voted 4-1 to approve that land swap near the harbor. Warren Johnson was the dissenting vote. Almost a dozen residents spoke at the meeting, none of them in favor. Several complained that the vote happened with a lot of the questions citizens raised going unanswered. Some readers have sent in letters on the issue as well, which you can read in our Letters to the Editor section.

Next step is that the Town has to formally abandon its rights of way that are part of the land swap. There’ll be a Public Hearing on July 3. Meantime, a color coded map may help sort out what Chris Fulcher gets in the deal and what the town gets.

Thursday May 17, 2012

1:20p Oriental’s Town Board has voted 4-1 to approve the land swap deal on and around the harbor. Warren Johnson voted against the deal.

The voice vote came about an hour in to the 11a meeting which was attended by several dozen residents. 11 spoke, none in favor. A recurring theme was that the town was not getting enough land and water in return for giving up the rights of ways to the end of South Avenue and Avenue A, as well as Neuse Front Street. Some questioned why the town had not had its rights of way appraised for what they would be worth to Chris Fulcher.

Several sailors, including Art Tierney, said the docking area was insufficient for the visiting boats the town hoped to attract. There would be 26 feet on one side of the dock and 22 on the other. Because of a rare waiver in the contract, Chris Fulcher could put pilings right along the riparian property line. One of his trawlers could also occupy that space up to his property line.

To the concerns raised about 22 feet of maneuvering room, Commissioner Larry Summers said, “if you can’t get a boat in there, I’m not so sure about your boating skills.”

The docking was initially touted by deal proponents as a way to improve the town’s reputation among visiting boaters. But in the face of the criticisms of the maneuvering space, Commissioner Summers said today, “If you want a perfect landing place, you go out and pay your money to do that” at a local marina.

Before the deal can become finalized, the Town will have to formally abandon the rights of way, a process that requires a public hearing and several weeks of public notice about that hearing. The Town Board did not have the language written up in time for this morning’s session, so they recessed until 2p, at which point they may have the document and vote on setting that process in motion.

10:45a As the Oriental Town Board goes in to its meeting in 15 minutes, here is a map showing what the land swap. It’s been color coded to depict what the Town gets and what Chris Fulcher would gain.

5:22a At 11a today, Oriental’s Town Board holds a special meeting about the proposed land swap near South Avenue. The Board could vote to approve the deal in which the Town abandons 13,900 square feet of right of way on South Avenue and Avenue A, 80 feet of harborfront and an additional amount of right of way along the Neuse. In exchange, Chris Fulcher would give the Town a 4500 square foot lot with 55 feet of harborfront and a dock that may have to be replaced. One cited benefit: toilets can be built on the land.

Some residents say the dock area doesn’t allow enough room for visiting boats to maneuver and that the Town should have negotiated for another dock and more waterfront. The Town Manager Bob Maxbauer and Commissioner Larry Summers have said the rights of way were worth nothing to the town. The Town’s had none of the lands assessed going in to this deal. (See Letters To The Editor.)

Meeting is at the First Baptist Church. The public will be given an opportunity to speak. To download the contract and the survey map of the swap area, click on the links, here.

About 40 Pamlico County residents went to the Legislative Building in Raleigh yesterday for the opening day of the General Assembly’s short session. They handed in petitions with more than 1500 signatures, calling on the lawmakers to reverse course on imposing tolls on the commuter ferries serving Pamlico County. In the House, on Day One, a bill was filed that aims to do that. It’s called H 962 and that will be the bill to watch in the few weeks of this short session.

After a while without rain, we’ve had a good soaking since yesterday. (See the rain chart at the Oriental Weather Station.)

Should be clearer on the weekend, which is a good thing for Saturday’s golf tournament at Minnesott. It’s a fundraiser for Pamlico Community College. Still some spaces left if you want to play.

Elsewhere in What’s Happening, the Old Theater is presenting its last Friday Flick of the season tomorrow night — the Marx Brothers’ poke at authoritarians, ‘Duck Soup’. The Oriental Farmers’ Market spreads out on Hodges Street Saturday morning. You can sample some wines at the Nautical Wheelers wine tasting Saturday afternoon. Chardonnays and Sauvignon Blancs will be served up. Boating safety course Saturday, too.

Wednesday May 16, 2012

11:13a Update from the Legislative Building: a delegation of folks from Oriental, including Greg Piner and Larry Summers, presented petitions with 1500 signatures to the office of the Speaker of the House tis morning. That’s the petition that calls for the Legislature to not impose the tolls on our local commuter ferries…

And we can’t let any more of this day — May 16 — pass without noting that 150 years ago today, the steamer Oriental ran aground and sank off of the northern Outer Banks.

Stop by the Oriental History Museum later this week (it’s open Fri-Sun) to see the exhibit on the Oriental and a cool collection of compasses. (Navigation error may have been a cause of the wreck…)

7:01a Chance of rain, in particular, this afternoon, according to the Oriental Weather Forecast. We could use it. Lots of clouds have been looming in recent days, but as you can see in the graphs from the Oriental Weather station, we haven’t gotten much.”:weather-station/oriental-weather-station

Some area residents are on their way to Raleigh this morning for the opening day of the Legislature. They’re planning to meet with lawmakers and ask that the General Assembly repeal last year’s vote to slap a toll on the Minnesott and Aurora commuter ferries. Even if you don’t travel up there, you can pitch in. TollFreeFerry.org has info and easy links for contacting lawmakers on particular committees.

For the story on how Pamlico County ferry riders got in to this predicament — of having the free commuter ferry facing the prospect of tolls — click here.

Also in What’s Happening the Oriental Town Board meets tomorrow at 11 and could approve that land swap near South Avenue. In the deal, the Town gives up 13,900 square feet of right of way on and near the harbor, and gets from Chris Fulcher 55 feet of harborfront, 4,500 square feet of land and a dock that may have to be rebuilt. The public may comment at this meeting.

Some residents have suggested the Town should have negotiated for at least one more dock, water rights for maneuvering room for visiting boats and more land. The Mayor has said the Town could not have gotten any more from Fulcher. It is not clear that that was vigorously pursued.

The Town Manager and a Town Commissioner have said that the Town’s rights of way had no value, a position that was taken in to the negotiations. The Town did not have its right of way land appraised in advance of this deal, nor was an appraisal done of how much those rights of way add to the value of Fulcher’s land holdings.

This has lent a sense that the Town did not negotiate well. If the deal goes thru, Fulcher would own a continuous sweep of riverfront and harborfront land from Wall Street to the small lot he is giving the town next to the Oriental Marina’s fuel dock.

Tomorrow’s meeting starts at 11a.There are a number of letters on the Land Swap in TownDock.net’s Letters section.

Tuesday May 15, 2012

On this day in 2004, about a hundred people gathered on the shores of the Oriental Duck Pond to watch a dragon be launched. For almost 8 years, the dragon remained there, nose swinging into the winds. It — we never did establish gender — was tough, riding out two hurricanes — Ophelia and Irene — and many nor’easters. Sometimes when the dragon tipped over, its humans would row out and prop it back up.

This past weekend though, just two days shy of that May 15 anniversary, the dragon couldn’t be righted. Its keel was gone. The dragon was taken from the water for the first time since 2004. It’s now with Gary Gresko, the sculptor who brought it to life 8 years ago from a mixture of ferro-cement, broken bits of bottle glass, and lots of spirit. Gary says a keel-transplant is planned as are a lot of topside touch-ups.. We’ll have more on that and how you can help defray the costs.

Meantime, here’s a link to our May 2004 story about the launching. For another 2004 story, about how the dragon came be, click here.

Today’s cover photo shows Greg Piner working to right the dragon this weekend. In recent months, Greg’s been a key player in working to stop the tolls on our local ferries. Tomorrow, Greg and a number of other local folks travel up to Raleigh to make that case as the Legislature reconvenes for its short session. They could use more help in Raleigh. The website, TollFreeFerry.org has details on how you can do that.

Perchance to dream… At the Pamlico Library today, you can take part in a project about dreams. Go ahead, be part of creating some art… There are a couple of sessions. One in mid-afternoon and another after working hours.