It's Thursday September 2, 2010
Dock Quote: “We may have...
Oriental’s Town Board will meet on Thursday, September 2 at 4:30p in part to set the agenda for its next regular board meeting on Tuesday, September 7. It is also to address business left over from its August 26 special meeting. As with all Town Board meetings, this one is open to the public.
After an absence of a few years, the Michelob Cup Regatta returns on Labor Day weekend, September 4-5. The NYRA-sponsored Michelob Cup Regatta will take place on Sunday September 5, with the boats racing up the Neuse River from Oriental to New Bern. It’s the second leg in a two race weekend. On Saturday, September 4th, The Fairfield Harbor Yacht Club sponsors the Oar Regatta which has boats racing from Fairfield Harbor to Oriental. Click here for registration form and more info.
The Village Gallery features watercolorist Sue Boydston as its guest artist for September. She often paints small watercolors aboard a trawler while cruising the ICW and remote South Florida waterways. Boydston then uses these works and photographs to guide the larger landscape-inspired abstracts that she paints once ashore in her studio. There’ll be an opening reception on Saturday, September 4 from 3-5pm. The Village Gallery, at 300 Hodges Street is open Thursday – Sunday from 10-5.
Paradise Cove Marina will be closing for the fall and winter as of this Labor Day weekend. But it’s going out in style. On Saturday night, September 4, there’s tropical rock and jazz with the Paradise Band, (That’s Bob Laverty, Chris Morden and Will Phetterplace.) They’ll start playing about the time of the reknowned Saturday Potluck, which is circa 6p. Paradise Cove’s final musical offering for the season comes on Sunday afternoon September 5 with a performance by LeveLLand, starting at 4p. Paradise Cove is in Paradise Shores, at 1242 Paradise Shores Road — off the road between Whortonsville and Florence. Call Paul or Rose del Rio at 249-2025 for directions and more info.
The Oriental Farmers Market is happening, as it does most Saturdays, on September 4 from 7:30a to 10:30a.
At the market you’ll find Pamlico County’s freshest local produce, eggs and baked goods and plants. For more of an idea of what will be for sale this week, visit OrientalFarmersMarket.com and check the ever-updated list. Meanwhile, if you have something locally made or locally grown, you’re welcome to sell it at the Oriental Farmers’ Market. (Fresh produce sellers are especially wanted as customers are looking for fresh greens.) To join the market, call Melinda at 675-0180.
There was a time when cameras were not a part of our phones… You can get a glimpse of cameras in the 20th century at the newest exhibit at Oriental’s History Museum. Most of the cameras were once owned by Oriental resident Wolf Umbach who passed away in January. (Before moving to Oriental, Wolf and and his wife Wally owned camera stores in the NY area.) The exhibit is up now, and on Sunday Septemember 5 at 2p, the museum will hold an opening reception and will also be serving up rootbeer floats.
Oriental’s History Museum is located at 802 Broad St. Museum hours are: Fridays 11a-3p, Saturday 10a-3p, and Sundays 1-4p. Admission is always free.
The Hospice Thrift Shop in Alliance will be changing over to its Fall and Winter collections on Labor Day, Monday September 6th. The week of August 30 through September 4 they’ve got prices cut way down so you can scoop up some bargains on the remaining Spring and Summer clothing. For more info, click here.
Oriental’s Town Board holds its first-Tuesday-of-the-month meeting on September 7 at 7pm at Town Hall. The meeting is open to the public.
Get out for an evening sail and take part in an Oriental tradition — The Wednesday Night Sail Race. No need to register, just be at “Oriental #1” for the 1730 GPS start time. (There’ll be a warning signal at 5:25p.) The course is whichever is more upwind — Garbacon or Adam’s Creek — as a weather mark, then round the other as a leeward mark and a finish at Oriental Marker “1”. For more info, email Joe Valinoti at joesail1@gmail.com.
The Oriental Dinghy Club holds Wednesday evening Laser class sailboat races, too. (They used to race regularly midweeks, and now George Sechrist and ODC are starting that up again.) ODC’s Laser fleet gathers at 5p on Wednesdays somewhere between Marker #1 and Oriental’s waterfront. As with the other Wednesday night race, no need to register, just show up. No scoring either. Just get out and sail. The Laser racers invite their “cousin” Sunfish sailors to race, too.
The Silos Restaurant features acoustic music on Wednesday nights from 6-9p. The house band, CK Full Circle plays on the first Wednesday of the month, followed by a changing rotation of other area acoustic musicians. Dave Crawford’s playing on September 8. Mac Williams is there on September 15. For more info, call 249-1050. To see the full September lineup, click here. The Silos is at 1111 Broad Street — you can’t miss the silos.
The Fourth Annual Celebration of Fine Arts is happening on Saturday September 11 from 9a-4p on Hodges Street and the Oriental Marina. The Eastern Carolina Artists Association is now soliciting artists to take part. Painters, sculptors, potters, jewelers, woodcarvers, metal workers, and fine crafts artisans from throughout the Carolinas are invited to display and sell their latest creations.(Space is limited, so early registration is encouraged.) For more information, contact Marlene Miller at 249-2827 or download the registration form by clicking here.
The 1st Annual Teach’s Cove Kayak Fishing Tournament is happening on Saturday September 11 and starts at 7am from Teach’s Point at the end of Teach’s Cove Road. Contestants will fish from a kayak in the waters inside of the Oriental Bridge — Greens and Smith Creeks and above. Trophies are awarded for the three biggest “Pamlico Slams’ (trout, drum and flounder) and for biggest fish in each category for adults and juniors. Grand prize is a Captain’s Course at Worldwide Marine. The event is being organized by 15-year old Huston Wallace as part of a project at Broughton HS. Entry fee is $50 for adults and $25 for juniors 16 and under and proceeds will go to the Southeast Pamlico Volunteer Fire Department. Visit the tournament website for more information and the registration form.
From August 30 thru September 13, the water coming out of your tap in Oriental may smell bleachier because the Town of Oriental’s water Plant will be using only chlorine to disinfect our drinking water. Most of the year, the town uses a combo of chlorine and ammonia, – it’s called chloramine – to clean the water, but state regs say the town has to switch back to plain old chlorine for two weeks of the year. During that time, the water will still be safe to drink, though more bleachy in taste and smell. If you have fish tanks or pond life, you may want to pay closer attention. For more info, click here or contact Town Hall at 249-0555.
The 22nd Annual Oriental Cup Regatta is coming up on the weekend of September 17-19. The OCR is one of eastern North Carolina’s longest running regattas and will include PHRF Spinnaker, PHRF non-spinnaker and PHRF Multi-hull classes and may also include “one design” classes. For those without a PHRF rating or the inclination to race, OCR has set up the “Social Cruising Class” whose winner will be drawn by lottery. (Catching, cleaning and cooking a fish for the committee boat may also score some points in this division.) Proceeds from the OCR go to the Bill Harris Scholarship Fund. The OCR starts Friday night Sept. 17 with a welcoming picnic, continues with the race on Saturday, buffet dinner and music and Bloody Mary Awards Breakfast on Sunday, Sept. 19. For more info, contact OCR chairman Larry Summers at 757-508-0153 or Joe Wakefield at 252-249-0901
The Oriental Repertory Company presents the play, “Simply Divided” on September 17 and 18 at 7:30p. Billed as a Southern comedy, the play by Jeff Lovett will be making its world premiere at Oriental’s Old Theater in that Friday-Saturday night run. The play is set in Simply, Alabama and revolves around the handsome new stranger who arrives in town and the women who are regulars at the Simply Delicious Diner. Tickets to the play are $12 (with a $2 discount for Old Theater members) and are available at Croakertown as well as at New Bern’s Bank of The Arts and at the box office on the nights of the show.
Help clean up the roadsides and waterways of Pamlico County during this year’s Big Sweep on Saturday September 25. It’s happening from 9a to 1p. Last year, a record 166 volunteers hauled away more than 600 pounds of debris — bottles, lumber, crab pots, even one large screen TV — from the landscape. Bill Ellers and Daniel Simpson of the Cooperative Extension Office in Alliance are coordinating this year’s Big Sweep and ask that you contact them to register and let them know what area of the county you plan to clean up. You can reach them at 745-4121.
Pamlico Musical Society opens its 2010-2011 season with classical pianist Di Wu on Saturday, September 25 at 7:30p at Oriental’s Old Theater. Her performances have been described as ‘high spirited’ and ‘sublimely elegant.’ Tickets will soon be available at Croakertown. Right now, you can order tickets for this performance and other shows in the Pamlico Musical Society lineup, by buying a season’s ticket. Click here to learn how to get the discount when you buy for 5 or more shows.
Looking ahead a few months, the Pamlico Musical Society will also be presenting: Anne and Pete Sibley on October 16, the Matt Savage Trio on November 5 and Valentina Lisitsa in two performances, December 18 and December 19. There are even more shows in 2011. For details and the rest of the lineup, visit the Pamlico Musical Society website.
Oriental’s Planning Board holds its monthly meeting on Tuesday September 28. As with all town meetings, it’s open to the public and takes place at Town Hall starting at 7pm.
Oriental’s Tourism Board meets on Wednesday September 29 at 7p. The Tourism Board receives about $9,000 yearly from the occupancy tax tourists pay in hotel and B&B’s. The board aims to use the money to promote tourism in town. The Tourism Board meetings are open to the public. (They’re also looking for one more member. Contact Town Hall if you’re interested.)
Doktor Kaboom comes to the Old Theater for two shows on Saturday October 2. David Epley combines his love of science with interactive comedy and uses that to explore the scientific method. Physical sciences meet physical comedy. The shows are suitable for all ages and take place at 2p and 7:30p. Tickets are $15 ($13 for Old Theater members.) Special discount for school age students. Tickets are available at Croakertown and at the Bank of the Arts and at the Box Office one hour prior to performance. For more information email info@oldtheater.org
Oriental’s History Museum celebrates its 5th anniversary this year and invites the public to come help celebrate on Sunday October 24th. There’ll be a quick meeting of the Friends of Oriental’s History and then Lou Ostendorff will talk about “the Underwater Exploration of the Wreck of the Steamer ‘Oriental’”. That’s at 2p at the History Museum. You can also help celebrate by stopping by the museum anytime to see all of the new additions to the collections. You’ll find it at 802 Broad St. Museum hours are: Fridays 11a-3 p, Croaker Festival Saturday 10a-3 p, and Sundays 1-4p. Admission is always free.
Hodges Street Studio features drawings by Laura Turgeon(whose work you see here on TownDock) and sculpture and paintings and newly turned heirloom furniture by Gil Fontes. Hodges Street Studio is open on Saturday from 10am-4pm and is located on Hodges between Broad and Midyette. (Look for the Quonset hut in the driveway. When you can see that, you’re close.) In addition to the Saturday schedule, the gallery is also open by appointment.
Oriental’s Drummin’ Dragons hold their weekly drum circle at Oriental’s LouMac Park on Thursday evenings. Bring your drums and join in — or pick up one of the spare drums there for you to try your hand at it. It starts at 7p and runs to about 8:30p. Call 249-1551 for more information.
Alcoholics Anonymous meets in several locations in the area throughout the week.
At Oriental Free Will Baptist Church on Ragan Road, Tuesdays at 8pm and Thursday at noon. At St. Thomas Episcopal Church on Freemason Street, Sundays at 8pm.
And at Rock of Zion Church on Hwy 306 in Grantsboro, on Fridays at 8pm.
There is also an Al-Anon group meeting Tuesdays from 8-9pm at St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Oriental.
The Oriental Express Bicycle Club invites anyone with a bike to join them for their Recreational Ride on Saturday mornings. It winds its way through th Old Village and on to the Dolphin Point area. It’s about 8 miles and the pace is very undemanding. Conversational you might say. Just show up with bike and helmet and you’re off!
In addition to their Saturday morning recreational ride in Oriental, the Oriental Express Bicycle Club also goes on longer and faster rides on Sundays and Wednesdays. These are ‘no-drop’ rides focused on fitness and fun. For more info, including the days, locations and times, check out the Bicycle Club’s web site. or call Doug Sligh 249-3362 and Cynthia Cochran 249-0761.
Find a bargain in your clothes shopping and help Hospice of Pamlico County at the same time. The Hospice Thrift Shop on Highway 55 in Bayboro is open from 10a to 4p Monday-Thursday and 10a-1p on Friday and Saturday. The proceeds from sales of such items as men’s, women’s, and children’s clothing and household items support Hospice of Pamlico County. Donations of clothing, costume jewelry and house wares can be dropped off at the shop during business hours. For more info, contact the store manager, Bette Baldwin at 745-5033.
Handy with a hammer and nails? Pamlico County Senior Services needs more volunteers to help build handicap access ramps at the homes of some of Pamlico’s older residents. Senior Services provides the materials while volunteers led by Tim Balfour construct one ramp every month. Contact Tim at 745-3247 to offer a hand for the next project.
In just a few years, the prayer shawl ministry at Oriental United Methodist Church has knitted or crocheted more than 225 shawls for those in need. The group meets Thursday mornings from 10-11:30am at the church to crochet or knit shawls and pray for the recipients of them. The weekly gatherings have brought together people from all walks of life and religious faiths. (And even non-knitters; if you don’t know how to knit, stop on by and get a lesson and join in.) Contact Leigh Price at 249-1361.
In Haiti the need is still great, and here in Oriental you can still help. Oriental’s United Methodist Church continues to collect bags of dried beans and bags of rice for Haitian earthquake victims. Thanks to generous donations in January, a truckload was sent to MERCI, the Methodist disaster relief center in Goldsboro, which is sending regular shipments to Haiti. Contributions of rice and beans greatly appreciated at the Methodist Church at Freemason and Church Streets. Cash may also be dropped off at the church office. For more info, contact Nancy Huff at 249-0732.
When you go to the bank, you can help the food bank feed those who don’t have enough to eat.
Pamlico County Fishes And Loaves is collecting canned goods and they have a drop-off point inside First Citizens Bank in Oriental. Fishes and Loaves is a cooperative effort of a number of churches and organizations in Pamlico County working to provide food to the hungry.
In the winter months, it’s not practical to hold the sailboat races at night, what with the earlier sunsets and all. But there was enough interest in the Wednesday Night Races this year that they will be moving to Saturday afternoons for the next few months. Same course (starting Oriental “1”, and some configuration of Garbacon and Adam’s Creek) but in the middle of the day. If you want to take part, just show up for a 1p (1300) start at Oriental “1”. Five minute warning’s at 12:55. All races are weather permitting. Use channel 72 for communications. If you have questions before you get out there, contact Joe Valinoti at joesail1@gmail.com
Avoid the longer lines and drive to New Bern’s DMV office and take care of your driver’s license renewals at the DMV mobile unit that visits Pamlico County once every month. The time and place has changed. The big DMV RV is set up outside the County Health Department (behind the courthouse in Bayboro) on the second Thursday of the month. Hours are 9a-3p.
Habitat for Humanity of Pamlico County wants to help you with your spring cleaning. If you have items to donate, volunteers from the Habitat Resale Store will pick them up — and save you the trip to the Habitat thrift store in Bayboro. (You can also drop off an array of donations; small and large appliances (in working order), furniture, TV’s, building materials, and other household goods. (They don’t take mattresses or clothing.) The Habitat Resale shop is at 13584 Highway 55 in Bayboro (next to Eastern Propane). Its hours are: Mon & Tues. 9a-1p; Thurs & Fri & Sat. 9a-2p. Call 252-745-1106 .
The Pamlico Amateur Radio Society meets at Brantley’s Village Restaurant at 9am on the last Saturday of every month (except June). They invite all HAMS and those interested in amateur radio to attend. For additional information, please call Bill Cresswell (K20NN) at 745-1246.
The Pamlico County Library hosts two book clubs. The Bookworm Club meets on the third Monday of the month at 2pm. The Beach Books Club – which takes on lighter fare – gets together on the second Tuesday, also at 2pm. New members welcome. Call the library at 745-315 for more info.
US Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 20-03 meets the first Wednesday each month at Fire Station # 19 on Straight Road, Oriental, at 7:30 PM. The meetings — which focus on boating safety, navigation and GPS, for instance — are open to the public. New members welcomed. For more info, contact the Auxiliary’s Peg Witt at 252-249-3619
Buy a rainbarrel to collect rainwater from your roof and keep more storm water from running off in to creeks. And while you’re at it, you can also help the fish in another way. Ron Zielinski’s heading up the rainbarrel project to raise funds for the artificial fishing reef off of Dolphin Point. Made from Mt. Olive Pickle barrels, and fitted with a faucet and screen top, the rain barrels will be $70 apiece. If you want to make your own and just buy the barrel and retrofit it yourself, the cost will be $40 for the plain barrel. To order a rain barrel, contact Ron at 249-2128 or look for him at the Farmers’ Market Holiday Market.
Go take a walk! The Oriental Walking Group sets out on a series of organized walks through the village on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Meet up with walk leaders Gary and Pat Leonard at Lou Mac Park for a 9am departure. Oriental’s a great town to walk around and the walking group may help you stay disciplined about getting fit. Pedometers and water bottles provided by the Flexfit program of Heartworks. Call the Leonards for details at 249-0138 or just show up.
Friends of the Pamlico County Library meets the first Thursday of the month at 11am at the library on Highway 55 in Bayboro. This is the group of folks who help sustain the library. For info, call 745-3515.
Oriental Rotary Club meets every Monday at the Oriental Steamer starting at 6:45pm. The club does good things throughout the community….from scholarships to road clean-up. For info about the club and meetings contact Ed Braun at 745-3462.
The Oriental Woman’s Club holds its meetings on the first Tuesday of the month at 1pm at the clubhouse at 1007 Gilgo Road. Guests are welcome. For further information contact Christa Becker at 249-6558.
