October 2008 Letters to the Editor |
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New Letters to the Editor....10.27.2008 8:15 am
Thanking the community The family of Michael Edward Peele would like to thank all of the churches and our friends and neighbors, for the prayers, support, food, and flowers. Because of your prayers, God allowed us a few more very good days with Michael Edward. Your food sustained us during a time of great grief. All of the beautiful flowers remind us that there is a God and a light at the end of this dark tunnel. The support from friends and new-found family in Baltimore has verified that kindness and goodness are still in great abundance on this earth. With great love for all of you, Michael and Claudia Peele Hatteras Sign of the times I’m a proud Republican. This great country has provided me with many opportunities, but without question the most important is my right to free speech. It is because of this right that I take issue with those that continue to remove political signs from my private property. Under the cloak of night, you enter my yard to conceal your identity without realizing your shroud of anonymity serves to perpetuate the concept of your cowardice. Courage is a characteristic that you lack and respect is obviously a trait you haven’t been introduced to. If you’ll enter my yard while my family is asleep to steal a political sign, then what else will your small-mindedness lead you to do? I wager that you also have a genetic predisposition to steal flowers from gravesites. You are a despicable and mindless individual who seeks pleasure at the expense of others without any remorse whatsoever. My late mother believed in the adage that what goes around comes around, and I too believe that there is a judge that ultimately equalizes those who prey on others Whether it is McCain or Obama, we live in a country where we expect political diversity. We are assured the right to express our ideals without fear of reprisal from our government and our neighbors, but your theft cheapens the appeal of your values and candidate. Remember that my yard is private property, entry is by invitation only, and if you choose to enter it again during the night, be prepared to meet a trusted old friend named Remington. Kevin Conner Hatteras Beach Access and Negotiated Rulemaking To the Readers of the Island Free Press: The single largest controversy and most discussed issue for Hatteras and Ocracoke islands in 2008 has been the future of beach access. The most talked about part of this issue has been the lack of public input and participation. While a lot of the decisions and actions taken thus far have been without the public’s full comments, each month there is an opportunity for the public to be present and speak their peace. The sad part is that very few have taken advantage of this opportunity to show the people in charge what they are thinking. In recent weeks, the National Park Service has decided to move the meetings off of one of the islands being affected to a site more than 50 miles away, depending on where you live on Hatteras. The new facility is being touted as a larger venue with more room to accommodate the public. I encourage each of you to take part in this move. The next negotiated rulemaking committee meeting will be Friday and Saturday, Nov. 14 and 15, in the pavilion of the Wright Brothers National Memorial in Kill Devil Hills. The public can attend. The meetings usually begin at 8:30 a.m. and end around 5 p.m. Members of the public can comment around noon each day and at 5 p.m. on the first day of the meeting. This is the first time the meetings have had a Saturday scheduled in them. This should be a perfect time for a lot of new faces to attend this meeting. Parents and their children should have a new chance to get involved, along with so many others who have yet to have a chance to make it to a meeting. This process needs your face and voice to be seen and heard in order for the world to know how the local population feels. A lot of people have called on others to help them, but those trying to help need those people affected to help them by taking part and showing that it is not a small part of the community that feels this has been a bad deal from the beginning. I am not calling for a protest. Rather I am calling for the public to take part in a public process. I encourage every person, local or visitor, to take part in this. We are all fighting for our access, whether that is a daily use or the yearly visitor use. We need your help. Help us help you. Rob Alderman Buxton I read with interest the article "The problems with negotiated rulemaking process" and would like to comment on same. The move of the meetings to the Wright Brothers National Memorial by the National Park Service makes perfect sense to me. First of all, let us think about the cost factor of the RegNeg meetings. I would imagine the cost of holding the meetings at the Wright Memorial vs. holding them at the a hotel is significantly less. After attending a RegNeg meeting as an observer, I can understand the National Park Service concern for safety and security at the public meeting. There was a comment made in the article about people shouting at committee members "but by and large the demonstration was non-threatening." That opinion might be different should you be the one being shouted at. My feeling is that Mr. Murray has taken the necessary steps and has acted responsibility to maintain civil order. As for the videotaping of the meeting, it seems to me that that issue is but a political grandstand event. The serious process of the committee would be overshadowed by the handshaking, baby kissing, what color of shirt and/or tie I should wear to the event atmosphere which would take place. In my opinion, I have serious doubts that the members will indeed make any progress unless the senseless personal attacks, pettiness, politics, and personal distrust/dislike are put aside. Dennis Pohl Kill Devil Hills The “Shooting the Breeze” column on negotiated rulemaking is an excellent, in-depth article. Your journalistic professionalism is truly a gift to the community and the interested public. The public needs to know the facts surrounding this greatly flawed, public-policymaking process. Keep up the good reporting. Mike Berry Chapel Hill I agree with Frank Folb’s guest column on negotiated rulemaking 100 percent. The issue cannot be stated any better than that. Tom Zirkle Winchester, Va. I come to Ocracoke each year for two weeks in late September. I was dismayed by how many trucks were driving all over the beach while my husband and I tried to collect shells (destroyed by tires) and find quiet, restful peace that we treasure on Ocracoke. We are both very sad about trucks being all over the beach. It is dangerous! Maureen Terman Morgantown, W.Va. A small storm causes big trouble on Hatteras Having lived 14 years in Frisco while working with Dare County Emergency Medical Services, my husband and I are quite familiar with Hatteras weather. I must say that I actually miss it and would have liked to have seen the recent storm. Hatteras weather can be exciting as well as inconvenient and certainly keeps one in touch with the elements in a way unlike any other place we know. Rebecca Ziady Smithfield, N.C. Thanks for the pics. My wife and I live on Corbina drive in Rodanthe. We moved here three years ago and love it the area. Walking and driving around after a storm, you learn to respect the Mother Nature. Thanks again for sharing the photos. Glenn and Sandy Howell Rodanthe Absolutely incredible photography. Don Bowers does a superb job of showing how fragile our island paradise really is. Also, I've never seen pictures that show the contrast between the east side of the Point and the south beach so well. Thank you. Alita Carroll Buxton Sad to see the damage. We've rented in that area three times. Very good pictures. Thanks for sharing. Greg Salyers Glen Allen, Va. Exceptional photos of a truly tragic and unexpected event. I drove home to Philadelphia that day and never expected to see this. It is another stark demonstration of Mother Nature's ability to reshape this most natural area. Bill Hirschfeld Philadelphia, Pa. I had a beautiful time this summer on Hatteras. It's awful to see what a small storm can do to such a beautiful place in such a short time. Our stay was in Frisco, on the sound. We had to leave early because of a storm on the way, for fear that Highway 12 would be flooded and closed and we would get stuck or damage our new car. I can say I had a wonderful five days there. Randi Dougherty Staten Island, N.Y. This is crazy! Unbelievable is the word! What in the world are we going to do? Thank you for the awesome photography and slide show and for sharing it with everyone. The aerial view shows what you don't see riding down the highway and demonstrates our desperate need for a bridge. Georgia Hardee Greensboro, N.C. A sad situation. Some of us look the same way in Nags Head. Who would have thought the "No Name Storm" had a backup? Gail Jones Virginia Beach, Va. Unfortunately, this is what we face by living on the immediate coast and barrier islands. All there is to do is 1)not have any irreplaceables in our homes, 2)have wonderful insurance or 3) have a huge U-Haul. Such is life. Mother Nature is not to be played around with. What she says, goes. Selena Camp Pawleys Island, S.C. I can relate to the feelings of those who weather northeasters, although you get more and much stronger storms in the Outer Banks due to your location, it is an adventure when one comes along. The heartache of losing such a lovely home as the Sargent family did in this storm is one I never want to feel. I was a child during the March Storm of 1962 that devastated the east coast of New Jersey. Where I live on the Wildwood Island, the intracoastal waters met the Atlantic Ocean in the middle. It blew for three days straight with high tides that could not go down because of the high winds. It was a bit scary. When Mother Nature gets angry, look out. Respect that ocean. It is a beautiful and powerful mass of water. My thoughts go out to all who have weathered all storms. Pauline Prince Wildwood Crest, N.J. Thanks for the shots of the storm. It is sad to see the Caramore cottage go down, but the photography is spectacular. Thanks for sharing. Judith Tagert Carolina Beach, N.C. My family members are natives of Hatteras Island. My grandfather was Cape Hatteras Lighthouse assistant keeper from 1906 to 1920, and my mother was born in his first year at the keepers’ quarters. She passed away in 2005 at 99 years of age. We still own property that has been in the family for over 100 years. It was the Charles H Fulcher land in Frisco, there have been so many changes over time. It is so sorrowful to keep seeing the island slowly deteriorating. As to this last event, we send our deepest regrets. Paul E. Sharp and Charles H. Fulcher descendants Chesapeake, Va. I was born in Buxton 52 years ago. It has been more than 30 years since the state of North Carolina has done anything to protect the property and livelihoods of the Hatteras Island people. Other states realize the value of their coastlines and the importance of nourishment to the beaches. Hatteras Island has a unique situation in that Highway 12 is our only "lifeline" to the mainland. We allow eggheads like Orrin Pilkey to dictate the "do nothing" policy of coastline protection. The state of North Carolina should be embarrassed to allow the neglect that has occurred along the Outer Banks. To the elderly, pregnant, or injured -- just make sure that you don't need to travel to the hospital or doctor's appointment during a northeast wind because you won't be able to drive along this state's Highway 12. It will be closed, but if you are a bird or turtle, we will spend hundreds of thousands of tax dollars to protect you and keep you safe from harm. Maybe those of us who call Hatteras Island our home should grow feathers and lay eggs, and then our government will rush to save us. Carol Dawson Buxton, N.C. This is a great article and well written. The pictures are awesome. It is a shame the owners had to lose this beautiful home. Dottie Robinson Buxton I stayed in Serendipity years ago and they were trying to save the beach then. I would say eight to 10 years ago. Great pictures. Edward Frost Atlantic, N.C. We had to drive through Highway 12 right behind Tropical Storm Hanna, and I thought that was bad, these pictures are amazing. It's scary to think that so many homes are at the mercy of Mother Nature. I pray that the folks who lost their home will be able to rebuild, but I just can't imagine that they would have a lot to put a home on now. Lisa White Morganton, N.C. I was born and raised on Hatteras Island but moved away 3 1/2 years ago to West Virginia. Seeing these pictures of what the ocean can do brings back memories of all the storms we have faced on the island, yet they still build on the ocean. Why? Yes, it is beautiful and breathtaking, but what about the damage that this storms are causing? Do people think that when you build a house on sand with water around it, that it is going to stand in a storm? No matter how much money you spend on that house, the sea is always going to win. I say that once a house in knocked into the sea -- and what I mean by this is not the native homes that are there but these giants that sit along the coast -- once they are gone, that is it. Give the people no money and say no more building. The natives -- those who were born and raised there -- are having to pay for these homes that are there, and it is heartbreaking to see those who really do love the island have to leave because of the high cost of living due to the storms that keep destroying these million dollar homes. I am not saying that homes should not be built, but there has to come a time when enough is enough. I will always be an island girl and have the sea salt running through my veins, but to see our island being destroyed because of greed makes me sick! Please stop destroying the island, so that my children and their children can see and enjoy a piece of heaven that I had as a child. Stay safe and take care. Bonnie Swain Trout Nitro, W.Va. Thank you so much for the coverage of the storm last weekend (and the slide show!). As an out-of-town owner of a property in Waves, the information in The Island Free Press is invaluable to us. Keep up the good work! Laurie Amatucci Phoenix, Md. The third week in September of this year, we spent a week at Mirlo beach in Rodanthe in the house named Sahara, which is four houses south of Serendipity. We had some mild flooding at the end of our week and took pictures of some of us standing under the Serendipity house, as well as pictures of the ocean water flooding under our house. We vacation in Rodanthe every September, and as long as there is a way in, we will continue our yearly trips. My hearts go out to the family that lost their house, and I wish them the best and hope they can rebuild. The locals in Rodanthe are wonderful people, and we so enjoy our trips. We have even considered moving down there. Thanks for the slide show. See you all in September of next year. If anyone is interested in seeing the pictures we took of the houses in September, e-mail me and I will e-mail the pictures to you. My e-mail is lrea819@email.com Lisa and Jon Rea Waynesboro, Va. It’s unbelievable how Mother Nature is trying to reclaim what is naturally hers. While I feel very bad for the homeowners that were affected by the storm, it should also be a warning to all potential home buyers to be wary of where they are building their home. Remember that this part of Rodanthe was connected to the rest of Hatteras Island just some 45 years ago. Perhaps nature is trying to tell us something about reconfiguring the island. Hank Prolog A concerned Cottage Owner West Chester, Pa. Thank you so much for the update on the storm. I love the Outer Banks and Rodanthe! I rent fall and spring through wonderful staff at Midgett Realty. I left at 6:30 a.m. on Oct. 19 to head back to Pennsylvania. I just got through in time. Every house should have a tide table on the refrigerator for us "landlubbers." I have suggessted this in the coffee table journals. So sorry to hear about the Serendipity – again. Everyone feels so attached to that lovely home. It has brought such joy to thousands. We will keep praying. I have been going to Ocracoke since the ‘60s and still do when I am on Hatteras. I appreciate these updates and news. Joyce Luff West Lawn, Pa. Wow! We just spent a week at the "Wanderer’s Rest." I hope it's there next year. The slide show is amazing. My friend, Lois, is staying in Salvo now. She called me to tell me about the wind and your Web site. I'll put it in my "favorites." Donna O’Brien Mechanicsburg, Pa. Myself and five other firefighters from Lynchburg, Va., come down to Rodanthe, Buxton, or Hatteras every October and surf fish for a week. Last October (2007), we stayed in the Caramore cottage. We booked it for this year but got a call from Surf or Sound back in July telling us we needed to pick another house due to conditions at the Caramore. We ended up staying in Avon. I remember last year on the deck of the Caramore, we talked about how it would not be long before that house was swimming with the fishes because it was so close to the surf. Unfortunately, nature has a way of reclaiming what is rightfully hers. I truly believe it is a matter of time before most of the Outer Banks is wiped off the map. I hate to say that because I love coming down every year, but it seems every year more and more homes are missing. It looks like we barely escaped this year. We left Avon on Oct. 18. So sad! Maurice Bruce Lynchburg, Va. In the 1940s, the federal government took all the oceanfront land in Rodanthe from the local owners, who had owned this land for a long time. They went to Norfolk (I think) to protest, but the government won, of course. Later, the government leased the oceanfront land to others for 100 years and people started building on this land. Seems in the beginning, the government took the land for a national reserve. I lived in Rodanthe in 1950-51. My mother taught school there one year. I remember hearing about the misfortune of these people of Rodanthe. It has been a long time since this happened, and I guess these natives are no longer living, but I'm sure this can be checked out. I'm sorry these people lost their houses, as they were not responsible for these Rodanthe natives losing their ancestral land, but sometimes karma prevails. Another note, the natives knew better than to build on the ocean side of the island. All older villages are on the soundside. Think maybe they had good insight? Also, when I lived in Rodanthe in 1950-51, I had an Army jeep, and when we went to the ocean, we took a dirt road beside the Coast Guard Station. There were huge sand dunes all the way down the beach area. It seems we were going almost straight up to get over them. They were all grass covered. Maybe if no building had been allowed so close and on top of the dunes, our coast would not have been raped. Betty Williams Brown Kinston, N.C. Buxton Waterspout  About the waterspout story and photos (http://islandfreepress.org/2008Archives/08.25.2008-WaterspoutSurprisesBuxtonResidentsAndVisitors.html) I have this exact same picture. We were vacationing in Hatteras the week of August 22. My husband and son had gone out fishing early in the morning so I packed up and went to the beach. As I was sitting there reading, I looked to the north and saw this waterspout, which I had never heard of until reading this. I wasn't sure what it was because it was so far away, but it almost looked tornado like. Reading this article has just answered my question. Interesting. Barbara Siegfried Bath, Pa. Commentary from a member of negotiated rulemaking committee I totally agree with everything that has been written in this article by Frank Folb. I was at Buxton this past weekend and almost everything was closed. There are not near as many people on the Outer Banks this year as last. As I stated earlier, I won't be on the Outer Banks in the spring, and the National Park Service will sooner or later have the beaches empty except in front of the villages. Wayne Church Pfafftown, N.C. Sadly, Frank Folb is telling it like it is. I would be very interested in Supt. Mike Murray's response and hopefully he will have something to say. Moving the RegNeg meetings to Nags Head is especially onerous, but it will make it easier for the outside environmental groups and their legal cronies to attend the meetings, and they will not have to set foot on the island they are intending to destroy. Donald Delwiche Fairport, N.Y. Videotaping negotiated rulemaking committee meetings We live in the small town of Ashland, Va. All of our town council meetings are videotaped and broadcast on a community station. We have no stars, celebrities, or "great public figures -- just ordinary citizens who are elected or appointed to serve, protect, debate, and otherwise take care of town business. This keeps all townspeople informed of the matters at hand and the decisions considered. Most of them don't look at the camera or the camera is at the side and really not even noticed. I wouldn't think recording the meetings would be a distraction. Jill Marshall Ashland, Va. Thanking Global Surf Network for raising funds The Outer Banks Preservation Association (OBPA), North Carolina Beach Buggy Association, and the Cape Hatteras Anglers Club would like to thank the Global Surf Network and event organizer Mr. Rob Beedie for their efforts in organizing and promoting the “Beach Awareness’” event that was held Saturday, Sept. 20, in Buxton. This fundraising event demonstrated that while protection for birds, wildlife, and the natural resources are important and necessary, equitable access for surfers, fishermen, families, birdwatchers, outdoor sports enthusiasts who visit the Cape Hatteras National Seashore Recreational Area, is a part of the dual mandate the National Park Service is charged to uphold. Access is vital to our community’s economy and access to the beach is what Cape Hatteras is all about. Global Surf Network raised more than $1,800 for OBPA’s beach access legal defense fund. These funds are dedicated to help secure and protect the publics right to access the public lands within the seashore. The public was entertained all day with live music from numerous bands, both local and from surrounding areas. Local heavy metal band 3/4 Slug donated its fee to help support beach access. Food Lion in Avon was very gracious and donated all the hot dogs and buns for the Cape Hatteras junior class, which worked the food concession stand, to help raise money for their high school prom. Special thanks, to the Fessenden Center and staff for providing a venue for the event. We look forward to next year and all the fun that was had by all!! John Couch President Outer Banks Preservation Association Buxton Hatteras Island Cancer Foundation Fun Run The Spa Koru Running Club had so much fun on Saturday! Despite the rain, there was a great turnout and energy. Thank you so much to the Hatteras Island Cancer Foundation for hosting a wonderful event! Kristi Davidson Avon Guest Column: Bring back the night sky I would like everyone to take this theme one step further. Turn off all of those mercury vapor or sodium vapor "security" lights! If you are afraid of the dark, install floodlights on motion sensor switches that turn off in four minutes. The last time I was on the South Point at Ocracoke in December, enjoying the stars on a moonless night, there was an ominous glow from Hatteras village quite clearly visible. The light pollution from Ocracoke village obscured one-fourth of the sky. As a child, I remember my grandmother taking me out in her backyard, six blocks from the square in downtown Statesville, and showing me the Milky Way. It looked like it was painted with a big brush, a white band across the sky. Now, seven miles from the city limits, I cannot see it. I have to drive to a mountain top to enjoy the stars. Bob Wasson Statesville, N.C. Island Cooking I loved Lynne Foster's shrimp article, recipes, and local viewpoint. Powerful. I am a frequent reader of The Island Free Press. Dann Campbell Roanoke, Va. ‘Nights in Rodanthe’ What a beautiful movie and well acted by all. Gail Latowski Vancouver, Canada New Letters to the Editor....10.13.2008 7:45 am Commentary from a member of the negotiating committee Thank you, Frank Folb. It has become painfully obvious that the National Park Service has buckled under the threat of defending expensive lawsuits from the Southern Environmental Law Center. Once Mr. Wenk (of the Department of the Interior) turned tail on his own people, things became very sour. Superintendent Mike Murray is in an impossible position and cannot side with the ORV access people and keep his job. Local NPS is on a razor's edge, and when the slicing is done, the thick meat will fall to their master's plate. Hawk Hawkins Mechanicsville, Va. Kudos to Mr. Folb! He has well described a decaying situation with, I fear, a predictably unhappy outcome unless we can conjure up a miracle. At every step, the National Park Service has (not so) subtly pointed RegNeg toward its desired conclusion-- the repression of long-traditional vehicular beach access. By conceding to the environmental minority a de facto, at times de jure, veto, they have stirred up public sentiment and outrage. The retreat of RegNeg to Fortress Wright Memorial shows a flagrant disregard for public expression. Refusing videotaping of meetings, denying placards, reducing public comment opportunity from three to but one brief period makes NPS eligible for the annual "Muzzle Award" of the Thomas Jefferson Center for the Protection of Free Speech. A recent NPS news release (Update on the Negotiated Rulemaking Process, 29 Sept. ‘08) warns us that "a decision to take legal, political or media action may seriously compromise negotiations," going onto state that if ground rules are "breached" committee members may use such actions "in any formal submittals to a court." Isn't that just what we are laboring under in the form of the consent decree? Interesting guidance, indeed. Those many who share Mr. Folb's opinions must also press forward, hoping for the best. Fred Westervelt Ocracoke The letter that Frank Folb wrote to Mike Murray was deeply appreciated by this long-time resident. I totally agree with Frank’s observations, and he has my long-lasting gratitude. Hopefully, the pro beach-access members will stand firm in these final meetings and not agree to severe restrictions on ORV use. Billy Norrell Avon More on beach access My gandparents were Almy and Lovie Burrus of Hatteras village. I lived on the island until I was 6 years old and remember "driving the beach" to reach the ferry to what I then considered the mainland. The beach has gone to summer houses. The National Park Service in my opinion "saved" Hatteras from the same fate. History and wild places and species of animals and birds are being destroyed daily. Leave Hatteras Island and Ocracoke Island alone. Spend time and energy exploring who the original settlers were. My husband and I were in Ireland a few years ago for two weeks. While in a rare bookstore in Shannon, I found out that the spelling "O'Neal" (my grandmother's maiden name) was the most ancient spelling of the name. Let what's left of the beaches be, please. They are unique to the history of this country and the people and wildlife who have lived there for generations. Barbara Mitchell Kaseote Virginia Beach About the story in The Virginian-Pilot “Outer Banks tourism overcomes bad news.” A better title to this would have been “Northern Outer Banks reaps benefits of southern Outer Banks beach closures.” We have owned a business in Buxton for 31 years and saw a decrease in business this past summer, especially on weekends when the families that used to come for a weekend of sun and fun quit coming. I think if you interviewed most business owners here on the south side of Oregon Inlet, you will find business has been off, especially in towns where the beach driving closures were close by. I would like to see a breakdown of gross receipts by town as compared to last year, or at least a breakdown of north of Oregon Inlet and south of Oregon Inlet and taking into account inflation before presenting numbers boasting how “good” it's been. Carol Busbey Buxton ‘Nights in Rodanthe’ I saw the movie Saturday night. Boy, oh boy, I cried just looking at the beauty of your lovely island. I am a regular twice a year, spring and fall. The movie was a little mushy, but the scenery was just spectacular. See in you in November! Kathy Freeborn West Grove, Pa. “Nights in Rodanthe” is so wonderful! I do have to say, though, that it would have been better to me if it had a happy ending. I have seen it twice already! The first time was on Sept. 27 in Kill Devils Hills. That crowd rocked! They cheered and hollered and had a great time -- until the ending. Then we all cried just as loud. When I returned from my "girls’ getaway" with my friends, I took my mom to see it on Sept. 30, and I enjoyed it just as, much even though the crowd here was not as much fun. I can not say it enough -- I loved the movie! Richards Gere and Diane Lane were perfect together! I plan to purchase the movie as soon as it is released! Thank you everyone for a great movie! Karla Carlton Rocky Mount, N.C. I went to see the movie with friends and loved it. I have been watching the ocean overtake Serendipity over the last few years when my family and I come down to the OBX. I just love the house. It was really wonderful getting to see Hatteras Island on the big screen. Lisa White Morganton, N.C. Beach access issues While I agree with Jeff Golding (Guest Column on citizens’ beachwatch) on what he is saying, I simply don’t see the Defenders of Wildlife or the Audubon Society letting this happen. As Jeff stated the consent decree takes precedence over Park Service policy and has resulted in the absolutely rigid stance on any of the questionable issues that have popped up over the summer months. I personally feel that the Department of the Interior, as well as the National Park Service, is being run by special interest lobbyists in Washington D.C. -- not by the common sense polices Dave Masland Carlisle, Pa. Great article, Wheat! (Jeff Golding’s Guest Column on citizens’ beachwatch) What a great idea. Personally, I would enjoy being a watchstander. Just knowing that I was helping the NPS and our beaches would give me great satisfaction, especially considering how much those beaches give us! It's in these critical times when you realize your next of kin could possibly never have the wealth of experiences the Cape Hatteras beaches offer. I will do anything to make sure that does not happen. Sam Ensogna Winchester, Va. After watching Derb Carter "speak" before the Congressional subcommittee, I can see why he does not want to be videotaped. Hawk Hawkins Mechanicsville, Va. Did anyone think that possibly -- just possibly -- it's not the ORV people who are vandalizing nests, but the organization that has set out to rid the beach of all the ORV traffic that is doing the damage in order to permanently block on beach traffic? I find it hard to believe that anyone would vandalize a nest, but sometimes it's the ones we least expect doing the damage to prove a point. Like I've said before, I live in Wilmington, N.C., 30 minutes from the Topsail Sea Turtle Rescue, and in our area, from at least Topsail Island all the way to the south end of Fort Fisher, we can still drive on our beaches and the nests are blocked off in a 4-by-4 foot area. There has been no trouble that I am aware of with nests being disturbed. Just a thought. Pat Breeden Wilmington, N.C. Tragic incident on Hatteras Inlet ferry I would just like to say that you left out a chunk of important information (in the story about the ferry captain who died on the boat). What happened was that the guy who took over the boat, whose name is Jason Bosley, made sure that the passengers were not going to collide with an on coming vessel or even land. How do you think the Coast Guard got onto the boat? They could not have just chased down the boat, as it was going along at what I was told was a significant pace. In fact, my brother was the gentleman who took over that boat. He was the first Yankee to drive cruise ships up the Mississippi River and used his prior knowledge to save the people on the boat. I think that it is very unfortunate that Captain Lou (Schroeder) passed away. My brother spoke to his wife and wishes her the best. However, this situation could have been worse. So, basically, it wasn’t just some random passenger taking over the boat. It was my brother, and he is a hero. I don’t see this paper. I am not from the area, but it was e-mailed to me because your facts were misconstrued, and I decided that it would be best to let you know. Felicia Bosley East Burke, Vt. ‘Nights in Rodanthe’ This article was a lot of fun for me to read. I did catch a matinee on Saturday and agree with Amberly Dyer about Serendipity and the OBX looking "gorgeous." I feel sure the movie will promote tourism. I also agree with the person who said, “What do you want? It's Sparks.” Who the heck is he to tell me about broken hearts? He who is still married to his high school sweetheart and has bunches of brilliant, well-adjusted children. Still, many thanks for the in-depth review. We may mourn our loss of privacy when gazillions of tourists descend. Judy Latham Raleigh, N.C. Good job by Amberly Dyer (My life as an extra). Tom and I will be looking for you and your grandma's koozie! You make a potato sack look great! Thanks for sharing your day. It was exciting to learn what it was like to be on the set. Marilyn and Tom Harrison Salvo Nicely done, Joy Crist (commentary on what the critics are saying). Unfortunately, dumbness related to the Outer Banks is epidemic and incurable. It wouldn't be so bad if those who don't know weren't trying to run the place. Kenneth Murrow That story is rich! (My life as an extra) You don't put out beer and expect the locals, whose ancestors were probably pirates, not to drink it! My hats off to ya lassies and lads of the Outer Banks. None asked and none given! ARRRRRRRGGGGGGGHHHHHHH! Gregory Bell Bakersville, Calif. |
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