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New Years Eve 2011 Going into 2012
Exit the Year of the Flood
January 3, 2012


I
t may have been the year of the Rabbit on some calendars, but for the citizens of Oriental and Pamlico County, 2011 was the year of The Flood – as in Hurricane Irene. Saturday night, hundreds of visitors gathered on Oriental’s waterfront to escort the old year out and welcome 2012 in. Entertaining the crowd were a giant dragon, a dancing dragon and a 4 1/2-foot Croaker lowered from a sailboat mast. Pots and woks were banged, kimonos paraded, hand cannons fired and dogs the village over decided whether to join or flee. For those seeking a better year ahead, there was no need to look farther than Hodges Street.
Touch that dragon! Two dragons took part in the festivities. Here, the excited crowd presses in to touch the 8p dragon. It is said that touching the early dragon brings luck. This year, folks seemed especially motivated to get a feel of dragon tusk – or scale, tail, or whisker….
One reason folks wanted to touch the dragon for good luck. This is how the New Years Eve parade route looked on August 27, 2011, just before the eye of Hurricane Irene passed over Oriental. Just over 4 months later, the streets were filled with hundreds of people welcoming in a fresh – hopefully hurricane free – 2012.
A little Saturday night magic. Nothing like a touch o’ the dragon’s tooth to ensure wealth, health, and fair weather in the year ahead – hopefully.

Saturday’s festivities began with the 8p dragon run. This was for the Oriental-built dragon, the one large enough to make dozens of volunteers and well wishers disappear under its fabric flanks. From its lair under the Coldwell Bankers building, it ambled past the Inland Waterway Provision Company, down Hodges Street and past the Bean coffee shop. After a rigid turn (it takes a lot to change the course of dragon that’s being carried by dozens of folks that decide, at the last second, it would be fun to carry one) it retraced its route to its block-and-lattice staging area.

Occasionally, this overly public exposure has come at the dragon’s expense. Lore has it that touching the dragon brings good luck in the year ahead. While most well-wishers left it that, an occasionally over-ardent encounter left the dragon damaged. This year, though, the crowd treated the creature gently. While the dragon did loose one of its top right teeth en route, the missing member was returned shortly after the parade ended.

This cheered Susan and Perry Cheatham who organized this year’s run. Though Perry estimates the dragon made its way through a crowd of “about 800 people”, he said folks treated the dragon well, adding it was great to see the dragon, “live to dance another year.”

Ronnie Kennamer holds the dragon’s tail high. With him is Savannah Grunmeier and her grandmother JoAnn Hudson of New Bern. JoAnn says she lived in Oriental for over 30 years and “only missed two dragon runs since we came to Oriental in 1973.”
Hard hat: running with dragons calls for lots of pot and pan noise. Here, Ruby Lochner and friend Neil show one way to stow a noisemaker.

Traditionally, Oriental’s New Years Eve celebration featured two dragon runs – an early one for the family crowd and a later one for folks that prefer their dragon experience closer to midnight. A single dragon served for both runs.

Saturday night, another tradition may have been started. A new, smaller dragon took over the 11:30p run.

Last year, Oriental resident Charlier Overcash organized the purchase of a Chinese dragon – this one built in China instead of the Sailing Capital of North Carolina. More agile than the larger dragon, it has appeared around the village at events such as dragon boat races and the Chinese New Year celebrations in February. This was the first year it participated in the New Year celebrations.

Eric and the Dragon. Eric Kindle standing at the new dragon’s head moments before the beast took to Hodges Street.

Dancing dragon organizer Wendy Osserman, who helped organize Saturday night’s New Year run, says unlike the early dragon which is patted for good luck, this one is more of a performing dragon. She says,“Chinese tradition is to not touch the dragon because it would be bad luck since the dragon represented the emperor who was a god. The new Chinese-born dragon will be offended if people are touchy-feely, but he welcomes all who will parade with him as a guardian.”

The crowd seemed to respect the wishes. Though some in the crowd joked that touching the dragon could result in parts of the toucher’s body falling off, occasional contact was made without dismemberment.

Originally, the plan had been for the dragon to meander through the crowd, dance in front of the Town Dock then return to the staging area. As the planned performance was coming to a close, Eric Kindle, operating the dragon’s head, decided the crowd and dragon were having such a good time, the creature would linger. After more improvisational dance, the red creature wound its way out of the crowd and disappeared behind a Hodges Street home.

Keep on dancing. The dragon picks up on the crowd’s vibe and stays for a little longer.
Wendy Osserman leads the dragon away. Walking alongside is Charlie Overcash, who led the effort to bring a second dragon to Oriental.

Following the late dragon run, with only minutes remaining in 2011, an oversized illuminated Croaker appeared in the rigging of a sailboat tied to the Town Dock. Its descent would mark the final moments of the year.

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The Oriental tradition of lowering a Croaker is in response to other cities lowering acorns and apples to mark the New Year. The first year a Croaker was dropped, 2004, it was a modest affair. Simply an 18-inch piece of spray painted plywood adorned with tinsel and a few bulbs.

The crowd waits for the Croaker in the sky to drop
The Croaker on high

In the 7 New Years since, the Croaker has grown 3 feet longer. Still built of plywood, this year’s Croaker was illuminated by 33 AA batteries, 4 glow sticks, driveway reflectors and a handheld spotlight. All these options make for a heavy fish that, given the slightest side-to-side movement during its descent, begins oscillating. To solve the weight problem, the fish is raised by a bridle secured in two locations. Fore and after guys, attached below the fish’s head and tail, minimize twist.

While the Croaker’s technical details can be addressed before its deployment, finding a height to lower it from is less scripted. Some years, local sailboats have been pressed into service. Others, such as this one, the arrangements were more spontaneous.

This year, Steve Archambault, visiting the Town Dock aboard his 1976 Cheoy Lee ketch “Windeva” volunteered his mast for the midnight Croaker drop. Steve, who was visiting from Maine, had recently had both his mast completely stripped and revarnished. It was from his main mast, to mark the final seconds of 2011, that the Croaker was lowered.

Visiting sailor Barry Alten mans the Croaker’s aft guy, the line attached under its tail. Volunteers hold cards they’ll flash to represent the last seconds of 2011. And the countdown begins….
….almost there. Vessel owner Steve Archambault lowers the Croaker to the deck as Tim Balfour counts down the final seconds. Number holders Rita Vorleiter (9) and Greg Berndt (8) are already hugging and we have ….
…a New Year! Card holders Emma Conley, Emma Wheeler, Elizabeth Sligh and Kathy Long give the crowd the 2012 Oriental analog welcome.

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Noise is an integral part of running with the dragon. Whether to run off bad spirits, or just vent a little stress, the crowd put great effort into their din making devices. Some were air powered, like Donna and Jerry Luh’s conch horns.
Others were of the culinary sort. Here, representatives of the Olsen and Thrasher families, visiting from New Bern, take a fortune cookie break with their skillets, pot and baking tin.
There were drums to be beat, too, including this one getting a good workout by a kimono clad Bella Gibson.
Then there was the hand held cannon. Turned from the prop shaft of a vintage sailboat, it was loaded with black powder and a detonator. When the firing pin was struck with a hammer, the cannon roared to life.
If you’re going to come to Oriental to run with the dragon, you want to have your picture taken, especially if you drove all the way from … Wisconsin. Here, Susan Cheatham makes a souvenir photo for Marie Inkenbrandt and Scott Finch. It took them 25 hours to drive from Milwaukee to Oriental because, as Marie admits, “we took a few detours.”
This paint brush wielding photographer was enjoying her anonymity.
Signing up participants for the 2012 Oriental Dragon Boat Races were Jeff Aydelette and Flora Moorman.
Also taking in the festivities in their kimonos were Marc and Lynne Kaplan. Marc says he brought them home from a trip to Beijing.
While human revelers exulted in bringing in the New Year, reaction among canines was mixed. Here, an unenthusiastic participant catches a ride up Hodges Street in human arms….
…which would not have been an option for Rowland. Had he taken a fright, there’s no way owner Keith Bruno, seen here visiting with Jim Edwards, could have carried the large dog home. Keith reports the Anatolian shepherd enjoyed watching the goings on.
Perfect recovery. Susan Cheatham is shown slotting one of the dragon’s teeth back into place. The tooth had been dislodged during the race but was returned within minutes of the event’s finish.
And so the man said to the dragon…. While it’s unclear what message Perry Cheatham is trying to convey, it’s probably favorable. Actually, he’s speaking with dragonmaster Fred Schultz, visible deep in the dragon’s throat. Fred carried the creature’s head during the run.
How many people does it take to count down the last 9 seconds of the New Year 2012? Ten. They are (9) Rita Vorleiter, (8) Greg Berndt, (7) Lynn Stiller, (6) Taylor Stiller and (5) Jess Harris. Not pictured are (4) Kara Wheeler, (3) Nicole Edwards, (2) Emma Conley, (1) Elizabeth Sligh and (0) Emma Wheeler. That makes nine people. To spell “2012” requires a tenth person. Kathy Long was the second “2”.

Happy New Year!

Posted Tuesday January 3, 2012 by Bernie Harberts


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