Tyrrell County’s Country Magazine

July 2014

Purchase your print copy online at www..ScuppernongGazette.com Photo by Ingrid Lemme

Pocosin Arts July 12th “Sunprints” applying photographic

imagery to everyday objects!

And they have a new website!

Check it out!

www.pocosinarts.org

nnn

Somerset Days Gone By July 12: Saturday, 11 am - 7 pm

Bring your entire family/group for this 2nd Saturday annual event and experience life on a plantation.This history, fun-filled and educational

day will feature hands-on historic activities with costumed interpreters. Tours of the plantation homes, outbuildings, and grounds will be available; see historic demonstrations, sample hearth-cooked food. Period games will be

available for young children. Artists and vendors will sell their wares and food items from 11 am to 3 pm. http://www.nchistoricsites.org/somerset/

I am sure ya'll remember the freezing never ending winter that made us all promise to never ever complain about the dog days of summer?   Well, the heat is on, so let's have some fun! Life is good. My new (old) home in Columbia is almost finished and my little grandson is growing like a weed. Wishing you, my dear

readers a good crabbing season, lots of fresh fish and homegrown Scuppernong produce and sweet

watermelons! Please remem-ber that you can order the Scuppernong Gazette, or past issues, in print online if you like. Just log on to

www.ScuppernongGazette.com Happy 4th! ~ Love, Ingrid

z Quote of the Month z“it's a smile, it's a kiss, it's a sip of wine ... it's summertime!”

Kenny Chesney

DEAR READER

P U B L I S H E R : I N G R I D L E M M E ~ E D I T O R : T I M K . N I E L S E N

J U L Y 2 0 1 4

THE LOST COLONY

Millions have seen the compelling story that celebrates the 117 English men, women, and children whose dream still lives on in this American original.

First staged in 1937, The Lost Colony it is the nation’s premier and longest-running symphonic drama. Written by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Paul Green, The Lost Colony’s 77th anniversary season opened May 30 and plays through Aug. 22, 2014 at Manteo’s Waterside Theatre, on North Carolina’s Outer Banks, a 45-minute scenic ride from Columbia.

The Lost Colony is the “grandfather” of all outdoor dramas and is produced by the Roanoke Island Historical Association (RIHA), a non-profit whose mission is to celebrate the history of the first English colonies on Roanoke Island, North Carolina, and to honor the founders of The Lost Colony symphonic drama through drama, education, and literature.

Over 200 actors, technicians, designers and volunteers rehearse each May to bring The Lost Colony to life for another summer season. The production is enormous. The stage itself is over three times larger than most

Broadway stages in New York. You will be seated in the center of the stage area with action happening on three sides of you and even sometimes right next to you in the aisle. You get to see epic battles and Indian dances. Experience the sorrow and heartbreak of tragedy and loss. Witness the pageantry of the Queen and her court and celebrate the birth of Virginia Dare.

There is music, laughter, romance and dance. The Lost Colony is widely acknowledged as the precursor to the modern American Broadway Musical.

www.thelostcolony.org

A MUST SEE!

JPC

JOHNCRAILS

er

vin

g N

C’s

In

ne

r &

Ou

te

r B

an

ks

Finish Carpentry & Design historic restoration specialist

casework millwork remodeling marine

(757) 282-9581

waterborne30@gmail.com

VBS: VERY BIG SMILES FROM

VARIOUS BRAVE SUPPORTERS

BY BARBARA SNELL KREBS

School is finally out and in churches across the nation, brave mothers, grandmothers, and even a few stalwart men are preparing for (or have already survived) the rite of passage known as Vacation Bible School. These valiant heroes have already guided or will be courageously taking on the hordes of children, primarily ages 4-12, who will descend upon various churches in the area. These adults will face many challenges including cat herding, spilled juice, pre-K meltdowns, insufficient staffing, and crafts that require an engineering degree, but yet they will lead their young charges through a morning of singing, dancing, Bible study and crafts with a smile on their faces.

When I attended Vacation Bible School, it was at my grandmother’s (Alethia Snell) church, Sound Side Missionary Baptist. There are several things that I remember quite well. First and foremost, the heat. In the days before central heat and air

conditioning were everywhere, most churches still depended on giant fans for cooling, which simply meant that they moved the hot air around you. By nine o'clock in the morning you were already sticky and damp. No matter how merrily or quickly the fans whirled around, they only managed to offer the illusion (or was that delusion?) of coolness.

And so the moist morning would start. The women would then commence to cat herd, ahem, line up the little children and march them into the sanctuary. After the ladies had finally managed to settle us into the front pews, we would solemnly recite the pledge of allegiance and perhaps the Lord’s Prayer. Then we got a chance to loosen up a little by singing songs.

There would, of course, be Bible lessons and snacks, but what really got grabbed my attention was craft time! After our session in the sanctuary, we would be taken into smaller groups arranged by age into the classrooms in the back to begin our crafts. And, wow! How exciting! There were felt pipe cleaners in a rainbow of colors, just waiting to be shaped into any manner of configurations. Extra bonus--they felt good, too! All wooly and smooth, a tactile feast!

And then there were beads and glitter and popsicle sticks, oh my! And you know what amazed me most? It was how CLEAN those popsicle sticks were. I always wondered how the ladies got them so spotless after you had licked them. There was absolutely no trace of the yummy cherry or grape or orange or lime that you had previously enjoyed. It was many years later that I discovered you could actually buy clean, UNUSED popsicle sticks, specifically intended for craft projects. Who knew? (Of course, this is coming from the same kid who was always amazed at how those road-building engineers always managed to find those two little hills together so they could build a bridge across another highway. I’m pretty sure I didn’t

figure that one out until high school.)

But I digress. These days the craft table is missing one important item--the big industrial-size bottle of Elmer’s Glue. It’s not that we don’t glue stuff together anymore. It’s just that, to avoid messes (and there were always messes), we use glue sticks and glue dots. No more big bottles of ooey, gooey glue. More’s the pity, because I was definitely one of those kids who poured extra just so I could smear it on my fingertips and let it dry. Then you could peel it off--just like a sun burn, but without the annoying burn! Yet another tactile delight!Sadly, I have no memory of all those wonderful projects that I’m sure I did except one--my popsicle-stick basket. It is a marvel of patience, creativity and

engineering. And I use the present tense because this awesome feat of ten-year-old dexterity still exists and continues to do its utilitarian duty at our house. These days it happily holds a small collection of my daughter’s stuffed animals, which she is not yet ready to part with. It has held any number of things in its past (curlers in my teen years, when you actually used those agonizing instruments of torture to curl your hair; kitchen utensils from my 20s when any cheap, um, free, basket was corralled for duty; up to my 40s when it made its way to my then-

infant daughter’s room to assume its current important responsibilities). I can’t help but smile at this one remnant of my Vacation Bible School days.

So when I look at my basket, I need to say that if any of you ladies who staffed those long-ago days of VBS at Sound Side Missionary Baptist are still around, I apologize now for paying far more attention to craft time than to lesson time. Now, if you could just figure out a way to illustrate Bible stories with a gallon of Elmer’s Glue and popsicle sticks …

YOYO’S AND A WHOLE LOT MORE!

BY MIRIAM FAUTH

Over past months I have written about 4H events in Tyrrell County, and what follows is also about 4H, but intertwined with a tapestry of family experiences revolving around the latest 4H event: State Congress in Raleigh and the State Presentations. As a reminder, District 4H Presentations were held in Elizabeth City in February. While Tyrrell County is proud of all competitors, there were three chosen to compete in Raleigh at State Congress-- Sam Clough, Jon Mark Swain and my son Jacob. Bear in mind, three months had gone by, and of course Jacob was quite opposed to re-learning his once-

memorized presentation. (How easy for me, was my first thought, that I would not have to wake up at 3am Saturday morning to drive to Raleigh to attend the event.) However, I decided to get myself a pep talk, and called Susan Swain, who I knew was preparing her son Jon Mark. She gave me an up lifting word or two about encouraging Jacob to compete. She was right, Jacob had worked so hard preparing his Yo Yo presentation, and it would be well worth the experience for him to go on to compete in Raleigh. My next pep talk was with Jacob. It really was not that hard to convince Jacob to get out his yoyo’s, and his information boards and script. The following days went by with him practicing, and he really had not forgotten it, he just needed a little brush-up. My plan was to leave 3am Saturday morning, as presentations for Jacobs age group started at 8.30 am, and I wanted to leave enough “getting lost” time.  Of course, this had to be the one morning that I over slept! But, we were on the road by 4am. The complication was that Elana and Layah, my two daughters, were left at home with instructions to get up by 7m, as they were also going to Raleigh for the Teens 4H Congress event that is held alongside State

Presentations. They were planning to leave at 8am with a few other Tyrrell County teens, driving with Bridget Spruill their 4H agent. They had late night packing, needing a pretty dress for the banquet, as well as business attire for workshops and interviews. For two young girls this was a challenge, and packing was done far too late, so I worried they would not wake up in time to meet Bridgett. My plan was to give them a 6am wake-up call, but of course, they did not answer the phone.

So, it was time for my next neighborly phone call, this time to Mr. Marcel Van Dorpe. I hesitatingly called him (as it was so early), explaining the girls were not answering the phone, and asking if would he mind walking our house to make sure they were getting ready. “Of Course,” he replied. So, at 7am, Mr. Van Dorpe rang our doorbell, and thankfully found them both getting ready. This is quite an unusual thing for us: we arrived in Raleigh, at the NC State Campus--early! It was our first time to this beautiful, picturesque campus, with its curves and mazes, but we eventually found our location. Jacob found his presenting room for his category, which was "Open Class,” and he

signed in.Then, what a lovely surprise, Judy Winslow walked into our room, wife of Frank Winslow, and our Tyrrell County Extension Office manager. It was reassuring to have a friendly face in the room, among the families of the other competitors. There were seven other competitors in Jacob‘s category. Judy informed us that her husband was with Sam Clough in his presenting room. That was good know, as this was Sam’s first time presenting, and I knew that the encouragement would be valued by Sam and his parents. It can get a bit overwhelming, standing before three judges and a room full of the other presenters and their families, especially as a first time presenter. Also, she mentioned that a relation of theirs was with Jon Mark to support him in his category. 8.30 came, and the younger age group in Open Class presented. A very talented young man won with his presentation about tennis. Then, the first in Jacob’s age group started his presentation about Sci Fi movies and imaginations. He was good. The door of our classroom was opened by the door monitor when this young lad finished, allowing any people waiting outside to enter. We had our next

surprise, Mr. Frank Winslow, Susan and Buddy Swain (armed with a video camera) and Lydia and Jon Mark and Grace Swain walked in. They came to support Jacob. They also had good news, as Jon Mark was proudly holding his Gold Award prize he just won for his “Cecil and Leonard” skit category--an i Pod! We also learned that Sam Clough had

won a Silver Award for his "Potato" presentation. The doors closed again, and the next presentation was called up to stand before the judges--Jacob Fauth. It was a bit like having family sitting next to us, as we watched Jacob present. He had a lot of fun, talking about the history of YoYo’s , types of YoYo’s , and showing a few tricks he had taught himself. He

presented very well, told the judges all of his information clearly, and amused them with the tricks he had taught himself, including making a picture trick of the Eiffel Tower while the yoyo was spinning.  After the 7th presenter, families were asked to leave the room. We nervously waited outside while the judges tallied their score sheets. We were then called back into the room, and listened while a judge shared with us all  , that “all” the presenters were winners to have gotten to State level, and that they were very sad they could not give everyone an award, as all the presentations were excellent. The spokeswoman for the judges then began handing out awards. Bronze was handed out, and the young man who presented about Sci Fi Movies won Bronze. Silver was handed out to the young man who spoke about cooking with Dutch ovens. Then, they called Jacob’s name to receive a Gold Award!Tyrrell County once again could be proud, one silver award awarded to Sam Clough, and two gold awards, Jacob Fauth and Jon Mark Swain. Not only was it lunch time, but time for our next surprise--the familiar voice of Kim Sprouse. We had not seen

her and her family for nearly five years, when they moved from Creswell. They are also a 4H family, and their son 16-year-old Jacob was about to present in the Arts and Communications section for 14 to 18 year olds. I am so thankful we ran into them. It was lovely to catch up on their news and be amazed at how tall their children had grown! Another thing falling into place was we decided to stay and support their son Jacob’s presentation.  Not only did we get to see their Jacob’s outstanding presentation about clay pipes, we had an entire morning's education! My family and I were privileged to learn about the ocarina (a Russian instrument), the ukulele, the history of Nursery Rhymes, a presentation about being observant, Leonardo Di Vinci , and a even more topics. I was so taken aback at the high standard of these young people's work and their passion about their topics. It really was an education for my younger children to see the older people present! I have to add one more surprise-- Brian Cutterall, from Creswell, was also to present this weekend, and amazingly he also waspresenting about yoyos. So there we were, in just the right place to

see him and also offer our support. And, Jacob, my son, got to hear his topic YoYo’s presented again, but on a much deeper level! We all learned a whole lot more about YoYo’s! Brian is also an officer at District level, where he has been 4H Vice-President for our region the past year. So it had been quite an eventful day, which continued

down this path. We now waited until 8.30 in the evening, as Layah, our daughter, had been chosen to sing the National Anthem at the opening ceremony for State 4H Congress, and we wanted to hear her sing. We decided to walk around town near the campus and found a Middle Eastern café that sold falafel, and shawarmas. We decided on an early supper there--how unusual to find falafel and hummus! Back to the 4 H Congress location, and in the reception area we spotted Susan Swain sitting in a quiet place away from

every one. She was hiding from her daughter Grace! Grace did not know this yet, but she had been chosen for 4H Honors Club, which is quite an achievement. Susan had to wait for the Tapping Ceremony later in the evening, and only at that time could she reveal herself to Grace and congratulate her! People were being ushered in, and the first Congress meeting began. Layah sang the National Anthem-- beautifully and powerfully! We were so proud of her! The candlelight tapping ceremony for new entrants to the Honor Club was also beautiful, and Hannah, Grace’s sister, was chosen to pass the candle to her sister to commence Grace’s

acceptance to The Honor Club. We were so happy that our family could be there to share Susan’s pride as she watched her two daughters in this lovely ceremony. Now, we were beginning to tire, having been on the road since 4am. Time to head home and to recall the day's events on the drive. What a day--simple, but wonderful! I felt so thankful, reflecting on our lives here in Columbia, and all the people we have been privileged to meet. I feel compelled to say destined to meet.

“REAL SOUTHERN BARBECUE”

BY DEAN ROUGHTON

Summer, and especially July 4th weekend, typically sees a lot of people returning home to Tyrrell County to enjoy the water and to partake in family cook outs or reunion dinners. It is with great anticipation that those of us who have gone away from home for any length of time look forward to returning down east and eating some genuine home cooking. (After all, in the South, food is love, right?)

While the following chapter excerpt deals with a return to Tyrrell at Christmas, it fits thematically with the whole notion of eagerly awaiting mouthwatering summer culinary delights with friends and family. So grab an ice cold beverage, fire up your grill, and

get ready for some yummy summer cooking.

The great fried chicken disaster of November 2000 was precipitated by homesickness. I

had been living in the Detroit metro-area for several months and, prior to that, had never been outside the South more than a few days at a time. Add to this the fact that my girlfriend and I had recently broken up, and I was really in need of some comfort food. My

daily drive to work had me pass a restaurant whose window sign boasted "Real Southern Barbecue." Up until that point, I had the good sense to know that any place above the Mason Dixon line that would actually spell out "barbecue" in full was most likely neither real nor Southern.

After being seated, I ordered the "barbecue" and a sweet tea. Now I was not so naive as to not know about the difficulties of finding sweet iced tea so far from the South, but since it was listed on the menu, I thought I would give it a whirl. Sadly, the plate that was set before me contained cubed hunks of burned beef topped with ketchup, and my "sweet

tea" arrived in a Snapple bottle. My level of disappointment was akin to what I once felt on vacation in “sunny” San Francisco where, instead of buying a new bathing suit for the expected 95 degree California temperature, I had to invest in one of the bulky winter coats which were sold in almost every store in the Fisherman’s Wharf area to accommodate idiot tourists like me with no real concept of just how expansive and climate varied a state California really is.

With this unfulfilled mindset, a couple of weeks after the barbecue debacle, I had a conversation about southern fried chicken with Mark, the resident "chef" of the boarding house where I was staying, and again ignored my inner cynic, who was screaming at me at the top of his lungs that this boarding house resident from upper Michigan with a steel plate in his head from a motorcycle accident might not be the next Colonel Sanders.

Mark and I sat watching TV and pretty much drooling over every restaurant commercial that came on. This led to sharing my “Real Southern Barbecue” story with

him which, in turn, led to him telling me about his experience as a “chef ”-- or line cook, depending on your perspective-- with southern cuisine. The next thing you know we were off to the Kroger supermarket to buy everything needed to make honest to goodness, real, southern fried chicken--in Michigan.

Mark’s process seemed pretty legitimate: rinse the chicken, dip it in egg, shake it in a mixture of flour and seasonings, and carefully drop it in the boiling hot grease of the electric deep fryer. Had we not tasted a test run chicken leg to adjust the seasonings, we never would have had a problem. But as soon as the bite of succulent, southern tasting chicken hit my mouth, I lost my mind.

“Here, you keep an eye on this while I hop in the shower,” Mark instructed me. “When it’s golden brown, you take out these three pieces and add three more.”

“No problem,” I responded on auto-pilot as my eyes were transfixed on the bubbling grease, just waiting for the magical moment when the chicken would hit that perfect, golden brown color--which was

my signal to dip it out and shove it in my mouth all in the same motion.

“Be really careful when you add in new pieces, so that it doesn’t boil over. OK?”

“Umm, uh huh.”

The same moment Mark shut the bathroom door, a delicious looking, correctly colored chicken leg popped to the top of the grease. With the same excitement level as the baby chicken hawk who continually tries to bag Foghorn Leghorn for dinner, I scooped out the leg and shoved a huge bite in my mouth. Alternating between chewing and opening my mouth to allow steam to escape, I was in heaven and

could not wait to get even more of this great taste.

Carefully, dropping in the three pieces of chicken one at a time, I noticed that there was still more room in the fryer, so in my chicken gluttony, I dropped in another piece, and then another -- and yes, then another. As the grease began boiling over the top of the fryer, it quickly sparked a fire consuming the paper towels on which we intended to drain the chicken. Then the fire ran up the back of the stove and lit the aged paneling behind it.

“Ahhhhhh!” I screamed, not so much out of fear of the fire as out of the realization that I had just screwed up the

chicken that I had been fantasizing over for months.

“What’s the matt…” Mark couldn’t even finish his sentence as he opened the door and saw the nice blaze I had going. For a guy with a metal plate in his head, he was both pretty quick thinking and quick acting as he grabbed the small fire extinguisher, which I didn’t even know existed, and doused the flames, coating the wall and stove in the process.

“Aww, man!” I cried out.

“It’s OK, don’t worry. There is a half a piece of paneling in the shed. You and me can fix it with no problem.”

“But what about the chicken?” I mumbled through a mouthful of white, foamy wing.

A couple of weeks later, I had finished the semester and was ready to head back to North Carolina. The night before I was to leave, I packed the car with everything except what I would need to get dressed in the morning. Then I gassed the car up, so I would not waste any time in the morning. I even went so far as to take some over the counter sleep aids because I knew my anticipation would likely keep

me awake. I wanted to be well rested because I intended to get up early and make the 14 hour drive all in one whack so as to be home in time for dinner – for some REAL SOUTHERN food.

As I lay in bed, I had visions of chicken and dumplings, eastern North Carolina BBQ, fried venison, and homemade mashed potatoes. Imagining my mother busy in the kitchen, I could almost smell these delectable delights. Like a kid on Christmas Eve, the harder I tried to go to sleep, the more impossible it became. After three hours of tossing and turning, I finally just hopped out of bed, grabbed the few belongings still in my room and jumped into the car. Other than a few snow flurries, everything was fine for the first hour, but by the time I hit Toledo, the sleep meds kicked in, and I had to pull into a truck stop for a couple hours rest in the car.

When I awoke and realized where I was, I took off again on the turnpike and never stopped, except to get gas and to use the restroom a couple of times. As I was crossing the county line to home, I noted

that I would make it home just in time for dinner, and man, I could hardly wait.

Entering the front door, I was greeted by a round of pleasantries and hugs from my parents. Sensing my hunger, as only mothers seem to be able to do, my mom ushered me into the kitchen.

“You go on and sit down. I will fix you a big plate.”

“Thanks, mama. What are we having?” I asked, supremely relieved to be back inside the comforting walls of my happy Southern home.

“Yankee pot roast.”

EXCERPT FROM THE CHAPTER

“REAL SOUTHERN BARBECUE”

OF HIS LATEST BOOK. PLEASE

VISIT DEAN ON HIS HOME PAGE

WWW.DEANROUGHTON.COM

We are a family owned and operated business.

Come see us on the farm or across from Food Lion!

Join us on Facebook:www.facebook.com/pages/Scuppernong-

Produce/184987611553472

Fresh veggies are a must even on dreary days! Call to order a

'Variety Basket'! It includes squash, zucchini, cucumbers, tomatoes,

snap beans, corn, onions and PEACHES! All for $20 a basket!!

THE MAIN STREET GYM IS OPEN! Visit us at 201 Main Street, Columbia - Call (252) 394-5032 and like us on Facebook www.facebook.com/MainStreetGymColumbia

TYRRELL MEN IN THE 1864 VIRGINIA CAMPAIGN was the subject Rob McClees described to the Tyrrell County Genealogical and Historical Society April 27. Tyrrell had 54 men killed, wounded or captured in battles at Spotsylvania, Bermuda Hundred, Cold Harbor, Early's Valley Campaign, Fort Stevens, Winchester, Fisher's Hill and Cedar Creek. Company A (all Tyrrell men), Confederate 32nd NC Regiment, engaged in the assault on Fort Stevens July 13, the only Civil War battle fought inside the District of Columbia. (R. McClees photo)

TYRRELL COUNTY HISTORICAL AND GENEALOGICAL

SOCIETY UPDATE

BY CATHY ROBERTS, PRESIDENT

The Tyrrell County Historical and Genealogical Society was formed in 1995 to preserve and promote the history and genealogy of Tyrrell County. One of the ways we do this is through programs and featured speakers at our meetings. So far this year, the society has had five presentations which were well received by those attending the meetings.

We began the year with a program by Doward Jones, about the lighthouses, known as riverlights, in the rivers and sounds of the area, with particular attention being given to the Laurel Point lighthouse, which stood just off the coast of Tyrrell County in the Albemarle Sound.

In February, Billy Leggett, of Leggett Land Surveying, P.A., gave an interesting presentation on how land surveying works. He showed the tools of his trade and gave some Tyrrell County examples of surveys.

Bill Barber gave his second presentation on "Forgotten Patriots" at our meeting in March. After a quick review of the men who were mentioned in Part One, which was given last year, Barber proceeded to give an informative and interesting review of several men from northeastern North Carolina who were leaders during the Revolutionary War and who also had some kind of participation in the Battle of Great Bridge, which is now being recognized as the "Bunker Hill" of the south. These men were Gideon Lamb, his son Abner Lamb, and brothers Dennis and Peter Douge.

Rob McClees also has a multi-part series of presentations, following the fates of Tyrrell County men throughout the Civil War. Part One began with the events leading to the battle of Gettysburg, as well as the battle itself. This past April, he presented the second part of his series, this one entitled "Tyrrell County Men at the Battle of Spotsylvania, Part Two of the Civil War Series."  This presentation gave an accounting of the units which contained Tyrrell men during the spring campaign of 1864 in Virginia. In April, the program featured Sarah Lilley Phelps, who

did a presentation on the tourism treasures of Tyrrell County. Her program covered the various recreational activities that are hosted here every year, as well as the Scuppernong River Festival and Old Town Christmas, and included the County's efforts to promote itself and this area. She also gave an overview of the various activities happening at the 4-H Center, including hosting team building exercises for companies, classes, and of course, summer camp.

As the school year came to a close, the Society sponsored an essay contest at Columbia High School. Due to the busy end-of-year schedule for the sophomore to senior classes, this essay opportunity was presented to the 9th Grade English class. The students were given three topic areas, and the nine best papers were sent to the Society for judging. During the May meeting, the First and Third place winners, Kesean Capon and Kaitlyn Phan, were presented their prizes and given the opportunity to read their essays to the attendees. Lettie Swain-Hernandez was the Second place winner, but she was unable to attend due to a conflict with a 4-H event being held in Raleigh that same day. She will be presented with her prizes at a

later date, and also be given the opportunity to read her essay to the members. The students received memberships in the Society as well as cash prizes of $100.00, $75.00 and $50.00 for their entries.

Coming up, we have two programs on the calendar so far. In September, we'll have Janeth Murphy, a professional genealogist and member of the Albemarle Genealogical Society, presenting a program on "Strategies to Overcome Your Genealogical Research Obstacles".

Then, in place of our regular meeting in July, the Society will have the November Group reception. Back in 2011, Society member Ray McClees brought an idea to the Society that he called the November Group. His idea was that this group would be composed of Tyrrell County citizens who were at least 90 years old. McClees felt that the Society or other volunteers could interview the Group members, and that the Society could publish the interviews in one of their publications. McClees also wished there to be a yearly reception to honor the Group

members, and he urged the Society to vote to take the November Group on as a project.

The Society members agreed, and plans were put in motion, to start doing interviews. Then Mother Nature interfered with a hurricane, and all planning for the interviews and reception kept getting pushed back and back and back. The Society was able to get the November Group under way this year, and members led by George Haislip have already conducted several interviews. The highlight of the year will be the reception. The November Group Reception Committee, comprised of George Haislip and Martha DeLong, have worked hard to gather the names of the people who qualify for the November Group, and getting the interviews and reception planned, with 38 invitations being mailed, with two of those invitations going to two couples where both are over 90. The county has volunteered the use of Tyrrell Hall for this event, and we look forward to being able to honor these seniors. The Society also had a

booth in the vendor area at the National Genealogical Society Conference, held in Richmond, VA, this past May. There were over 2,000 people at the Conference, and quite a few of them passed by our booth, some stopping because they had ancestors from the area. We will also have a table at Heritage Day, in Raleigh, which is sponsored by the North Carolina State Library, and as always, we will have a booth at the Scuppernong River Festival this October.

The Tyrrell County Genealogical and Historical Society meets monthly, and has programs during those meetings. If anyone has ideas for programs, or would like to present a program to the Society, then please let us know so we can try to find programs that will appeal to everyone in the county, and not just to the Society members. Attending meetings is not limited to paid members, and we enjoy having guests. We meet on the 4th Sunday of every month (except for November and December) at 2:30 pm at the Senior Citizen's Center in Columbia.

SARA LILLEY PHELPS described local tourist attractions to the Tyrrell County Genealogical and Historical Society May 18. Tourists are interested in such diverse things as the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, bicycle and motorcycle rallies, 4-H Center events, agriculture, fishing, hunting, Scuppernong River Festival, Rivertown Christmas, the Pettigrew family cemetery. Phelps is marketing director for the Eastern 4-H Center and a member of the Tyrrell County Tourism Authority. (R. McClees photo)

WELDING: AGRICULTURE

AND ART

BY ERIC NICHOLAS GODWIN

            “What is welding?” “Welding is not part of the agriculture industry!” “Why do we have to learn this?” These are a few common responses I receive from my students enrolled in my agriculture education program, when I tell them they will be learning how to weld in my class.

My response is “because welding is a very vital industry related to agriculture, and it is important to learn this skill because you never know when you might have to weld something one day, even if you do not choose it as a career.” The definition of welding is “a joining process that produces a local coalescence of materials by heating, by applying pressure, or both” (Welding Information Center, 2004). The short definition of welding, I tell my

students, is fusing metal together by using heat.

“Welding dates back to the earliest days of metalworking, and continues to be widely applied today due to its cost-effectiveness, reliability, and safety.” (Welding Information Center, 2004). That is correct! Welding is cost-effective,

reliable, and safe (with proper protective equipment). That is why welding is part of the agriculture industry. There are many careers in agriculture that utilize the art of welding, such as farming, manufacturing, auto/diesel mechanics, and construction. For example, a farmer might need to perform a

weld on a piece of equipment to save some money, instead of hiring someone else to come a do it for him. The proper weld will hold, it is safe, and it saved the farmer a bunch of time and money!

Teaching welding in our secondary schools is extremely important. Individuals push

students to attend a four-year university to receive a higher education, but there are areas, such as welding, in which students can make a really good wage with only a two-year degree or certification. The Welding Information Center indicates that "over 450,000 Americans were employed as welders, cutters, and welding machine operators. By including the workers from other professions that are directly involved in welding (pipefitters, boilermakers, ironworkers), the size of the

welding community swells to over two million workers, or over 10 percent of the manufacturing workforce.” (Welding Information Center, 2004). Metal Fabrication and welding is the largest component of the Agricultural Mechanics 2

curriculum, and those statistics are the reasons behind it.

Learning welding in secondary schools is also more than filling manufacturing positions. A lot of individuals see welding as just a skilled labor career that someone chooses. Others see welding as an art. Welding is a skill, but there is an art to it as

well. The welder has to have a steady hand to precisely keep the bead in a straight line, while at the same time keeping the electrode 1/8 of an inch away from the metal at all times, and keeping the “puddle” of hot metal continuously going, to properly join two pieces of metal. Once the skill has been

learned, you can then master the art behind it. An example of welding art is in front of Full Circle Crab in Columbia, NC. All of the different pieces of art have been constructed by welding. Each individual piece is unique in its own way. Some people like them; others do not. But that is art!

THERE'S AN APP FOR THAT

BY GABRIELLA CRAIL

We all know that an apple a day keeps the doctor away, but what if, as in my case, you hate apples? In an ever evolving world, it's tough to make decisions for your health and well-being with so much access to information aimed at the general public.

Here's some relief, you are not the general public. You are not Jane Doe nor John Smith. We all know our lifestyle is what defines our level of healthiness. While some factors may be out of our control, we can utilize various tools to fit our needs based on our health risks. One good thing that comes out of the wealth of information and technology available is the internet! Swap the Angry Birds or Candy Crush for something like a fitness app, you'll be surprised at how obsessive you

may become. Especially since those of us with smartphones are glued to them anyway.

In the past week I have downloaded and joined three different apps. Myfitnesspal app is a do-all app for good general health, but it's mostly geared toward calorie-counting. It does however give you the option to tailor the different aspects of

your nutrition levels with which you need help. For instance, I raised my daily fiber intake goals and lowered the salt and sugar levels. It allows you to log in and track your meals, snacks, water intake, exercise, weight progress and even inches. You

can view your progress with graphs and charts noting your ups and downs, as we all have them, and tells you where you can make changes or improve. All this at the tap of an icon!

Who doesn't love food? Moderation is key, and planning can make that easier. There's an app for that! All of those deadly sweet or fried foods we crave are strangely addicting yet

completely devoid of any nutrition. And no, French fries are not part of the vegetable group. Download a food app that helps you plan your meals, makes grocery lists and has simple recipes. Cooking light is a good one, if you're willing to pay. Food network of course, with all your favorite celebrity chefs. There's even an app that plays 25 minutes of a hypnosis track that

slowly tricks your subconscious into thinking you don't have those cravings!

If you want to get serious and have trouble with commitment there's an app for that! This is free to download

but makes you pay when you don't meet your own goals! I had to know. You can start your progress low and commit to simply eating more veggies. You say you'll eat more veggies for three days a week and each day you don't, you pay $5 or $10. Pact keeps you motivated with money. And why not, we hate something annoyingly tapping into our hard earned cash, it makes sense. It's a little extreme but if you do meet your goals, that pool pays you! I think it's brilliant!

Now possibly the most crucial thing to consider is sleep. This is where we wind down and reboot for the next day. If you're not sure whether sleep is causing you stress, which then leads to other health risks, get the app. I've been using Sleep Cycle for several months now. It allows you to track your sleeping habits. This is optimized for an iPhone 5 however it does work well with other iPhones and Android. You activate your cycle by setting your alarm, but before it's active it asks you how your day was. You can customize this by adding different stress factors in your life. Things like eating late, drinking caffeine, or stressful day at work. Once active, it uses

the accelerometer in your phone to track your movements and wakes you gently out of a deep sleep before your set time. Wake slowly to the sound of quiet ocean waves and feel much more rested than being jolted by a buzzer. Track your sleep quality and it compares that data with the stress factors that you clicked and how it relates. For instance, the nights I clicked "ate healthy" I have up to 80% sleep quality versus the nights I clicked "ate unhealthy" ringing in at 60-70%.

Don't have a smartphone? Get a FitBit. It does all of these things minus the meal planning via an external source. A wristband that tracks your movement and helps you maintain a healthier lifestyle. It's very similar to the Myfitnesspal app except you simply wear it.

I learned something about myself and you can too! Once you get an idea of your own habits and how they're affecting you, you can come up with your own plan. Life is just too short and precious to spend hours on things that don't reward us.

MYFITNESSPAL (ANDROID APP)

This Android app gives you full mobile access to your MyFitnessPal.com account — including our entire food and exercise database — so you can log your food and exercise from anywhere, at any time! All changes made on your phone will be synchronized with our website and vice versa. Best of all, it's 100% FREE!

OR

Use one of the available barcode scanner apps on your phone to scan the QR code to the right

GABRIELLA CRAIL IS THE

OWNER OF ELEMENTS COFFEE

CORNER, INSIDE VINEYARDS

ON THE SCUPPERNONG

WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/ELEMENTSCOLUMBIANC

TYRRELL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

UPDATE

BY ANN WARD

The Greater Tyrrell County Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors recently held a day long retreat to strategically look at where the Chamber is now and how it can improve to better benefit the business community of the county. Chamber of Commerce representatives from three nearby counties shared with the group ideas of how their respective Chambers operate. The Tyrrell County Board, with the help of Richard Bunch, Regional Marketing Manager of North Carolina’s Northeast Commission, identified possible goals and objectives for the coming year to help strengthen our local Chamber.

The ideas were then organized into five Program of Work areas including Membership, Education/Work-force Development, Government Affairs/Economic Development, Finance/Staffing and Special Events. The Board of Directors is presently deciding which ideas under each category are most important at the present time.

Once these are determined there will be committees formed to address the priorities. Committees will be composed of Board members and the membership at large.

*The Chamber is presently seeking applications for a part-time employee. This individual will have administrative, marketing and community relations responsibilities. Qualifications required include good communication and organizational skills. Applicants need to be energetic, self-motivated and able to work independently, be technologically savvy (Work, Excel, Quickbooks, Internet and Social Media.) A professional appearance is very important as well as has reliable transportation, as travel will be involved. Interested individuals may call 252-796-2014 for more information or to request an application. The position will be filled as soon as a qualified person is found.

At the June meeting of the Greater Tyrrell County Chamber of Commerce the “Buy Local” prize winner was Minnie Lou McGowan. She won a golf umbrella donated by BB&T Wealth. The “Buy Local” program encourages Tyrrell County residents to buy all we

can within Tyrrell County to support local businesses and the health of our county’s economy. Each month a drawing is held at the regular Chamber meeting. The prizes are donated by local businesses. All Tyrrell County residents are welcome to participate in the campaign drawing. Simply collect 5 receipts for at least $5.00 each from purchases within Tyrrell County. Envelopes and drop boxes are placed around Columbia for convenient drop off of your receipts. Locations of drop boxes include: the Visitor Center, Tyrrell County Library, Town of Columbia offices, Tyrrell County Water Department office, and the Senior Center.

It is a very exciting time to be involved with our Greater Tyrrell County Chamber of Commerce. Anyone interested in becoming a member can call 252-796-1996 or send a written request for a membership application to PO Box 170, Columbia, NC 27925.

It is a very exciting time to be involved with our Greater Tyrrell County Chamber of Commerce. Anyone interested in becoming a member can call 252-796-1996 or send a written request for a membership application to PO Box 170, Columbia, NC 27925.

www.visittyrrellcounty.com

REDUCEDto $80 000!!!

POCOSIN ARTS IN JULY

BY JOSHUA CRAIG

What a great time to catch up on happenings at Pocosin Arts.  July is the exciting first full month of our Summer Art Camp.  The fun, and enthusiastic energy that the campers bring to Pocosin Arts  is such a joy.  We have classes for all age groups, and spots are filling up with nearly every class at capacity.

Students in our “Pop Art” class will create fun and colorful jewelry using recycled aluminum cans.  Older campers will learn the basics of drawing in Dynamic Drawing under the guidance of our returning summer camp Instructor Ms. Holly Humphlett.  Ms. Humphlett is also leading a class for the little ones called Mini Masters  where campers will learn the basics of painting, sculpture, collage, and more all while learning about

some of art history’s great masters! 

Later during Summer Art Camp Pocosin will open the doors to its jewelry studio for the first time to campers ages 13 and up.  Ms. Tina Lazzarine will lead her group in a ring making class for one week, teaching students to file, saw, and rivet their very own set of stackable rings!  The following week students who had signed up for the first class will then

have the opportunity to expand on their skills and learn more advanced ring making techniques such as soldering, and stone setting. 

We are also very fortunate to have a number of students signed up to take our musical instruments class, with North Carolina artist/instructor Aaron Iaquinto.  Mr. Iaquinto returns to Columbia after having taught in this most recent Cabin Fever

Reliever to offer a musical instrument workshop geared just for kids.  Campers will work alongside Mr. Iaquinto recycling materials and creating a “whole orchestra of possibilities.”  We are excited by the success of this year’s Summer Art Camp and are working hard to provide these kinds of opportunities to children year round.  To register for or for more information regarding summer art camp

please visit: http://www.pocosinarts.org/classes/summer-youth-art-camp/. 

  One of the fabulous aspects of working at Pocosin Arts is the opportunity to meet so many wonderful people and introduce

them to Columbia.   One such person is Ms. Christine Zuercher.  Ms. Christine is a photographer born and raised in Dayton, Ohio. She exhibits work nationally, is a 2010 Dayton Art Institute Yeck Fellow and a 2013 Ohio Arts Council Excellence Award Recipient.  She has most recently shown work at the PhotoPlace Gallery in Middlebury, Vermont, Castell

Gallery in Asheville, North Carolina, and the New Harmony Gallery of Contemporary Art in New Harmony, Indiana.  She is currently working on her MFA in photography at East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina.  We were so fortunate that we were able to connect with her and invite her to Columbia for a short residency this summer, and she has been a wonderful instructor for our Handmade photographs session of summer art camp. 

In fact, the kids have had so much fun that we decided to ask Christine to teach a one day

workshop in July just for adults!    On Saturday July 12th at 10 Christine will be teaching a workshop entitled “Sunprints: Applying photographic imagery to everyday items.”  The workshop description reads:

  “Photographs can be made outside in the sun!  In this workshop participants will learn non-darkroom based photography and learn how to apply their own handmade photographs to everyday items.  The beginning of the workshop will involve a nature walk where students will gather natural materials to use in their images and afterwards students will

return to the studio and learn to apply their handmade photographic imagery to tote bags and scarves using the simple process—cyanotype!

  For more information about this workshop or to register please visit:

http://www.pocosinarts.org/classes/one-day-workshop-sunprints-applying-photographic-imagery-to-everyday-objects/

JOSHUA CRAIG is Pocosin Arts new Programming and Marketing Coordinator and designed the new website. www.pocosinarts.org

Maggie Duke Antiques & Art Proudly Presents the

Remaining Important Works of

Asa McEwan

(widely recognized Outsider Artist)

210 Historic Main St * Columbia NC

(252)706-­0534

www.asamcewan.com

Tyrrell County’s Country Magazine

July 2014

Purchase your print copy online at www..ScuppernongGazette.com Photo by Ingrid Lemme