Ocracoke Alive News Update: Skipjack Wilma Lee Party (You're Invited!), A Tale of Blackbeard Finishes the 2014 Season, and a Poetry Invasion!

Hello friends of Ocracoke Alive!

We hope that everyone is doing well off the island and that you might have had the opportunity to pay Ocracoke a visit this summer. This week teachers returned to school in preparation student arrival next week. This time of year island visitors quickly transition from larger family groups to couples of all ages and small children. We had a bit of cooler weather mid-summer, but the humidity has been turned back up for these dog days of summer, making a dip in the ocean even more appealing.

A Skipjack Wilma Lee Boom and Sail Party August 31st . . . and you are invited!

Repairs to the Skipjack Wilma Lee are proceeding smoothly after the damage she sustained during hurricane Arthur. The boat has been hauled out at Moores Marine in Beaufort, NC and the workers there anticipate that she may be back in the water by mid-September. Captain Rob has also ordered a new mainsail to replace the one shredded during the hurricane, so we hope that she will be complete and back in action heading into fall.  Total damage to the vessel appears to be in excess of $60,000. Many thanks to Traveler's Insurance for their quick response in our time of need!

Ocracoke Alive is working diligently to come up with the $18,000 needed to pay for the downpayment on the insurance ($7500) and the new sails (around $10,000).  Ed and Susan Norvell have generously offered a matching grant of $5000 and so we have put together a fundraising party on Ocracoke from 5-7 PM on Sunday, August 31 at the Kugler cottage.  You need not be present to help us out with a contribution, but we would love to see you if you are on the island! Wine, beer, hors d'oeuvres, and an excellent sunset have been ordered for the event.  Allan Casavant has generously contributed the use of the beautiful historic soundfront home for the occasion!

If you would like to participate, let us know the number of guests that will be attending.  Tax deductible donations can be made payable to Ocracoke Alive, PO Box 604, Ocracoke, NC 27960. Online credit card or Paypal contributions can be made through the link at the top of our Skipjack Wilma Lee page on the Ocracoke Alive Website. Thanks for all of your help! Questions? Contact info@ocracokealive.org or (860) 933-0259 (Wilma Lee Committee Chair, Tom Pahl).

Here are some snapshots from the boatyard.

 

  

 

Ocrachicks concert raises over $700 for the Skipjack Wilma Lee

On July 27, the Ocrachicks of Ocracoke held their annual summertime concert and contributed the over $700 towards the repairs for the Skipjack Wilma Lee. Organized by storyteller Lou Ann Homan, the show featured, music, stories, and theatrical performances by island residents and talented friends from off. Performances at the sold-out show ran the gamut of heartfelt to humorous, and the backdrop was provided by Kitty Mitchell who did a lively painted illustration of the songs and stories on a canvas at the back of the stage. Ocracoke Alive sends out a BIG THANK YOU to everyone who participated in the wonderful evening.

A Tale of Blackbeard finishes a Successful 2014 Show Run! T-shirts Now Available Online

August 11 brought a close to the theatrical summer season of Julie Howard's A Tale of Blackbeard with a rousing sold out show at the Ocracoke Community Center. The revival of this wonderful show on its 40th anniversary filled the audience every Monday night for this summer run. If you didn't get a chance to see it or were turned away at the door in 2014, keep checking back at the Ocracoke Alive website for next year's plans. We hope to bring it back next summer for another round! Many thanks to all of the cast, crew, volunteers, and donors who helped bring this revival to life! If you missed getting a T-shirt, they can be ordered online through the Ocracoke Alive website store at www.ocracokealive.org. They come in red and black. Also, visit the new A Tale of Blackbeard website at www.ataleofblackbeard.com for historical archives and more information on happenings with the show.

 

 Ocracoke Alive helps bring NC poet Phillip Shabazz to the Island

Phillip Shabazz shares original work from his new book

 This July, island visual artist and poet, Bob Ray, approached Ocracoke Alive about assisting in funding to help bring NC poet Phillip Shabazz to the island for an event that would feature him and other island writers on August 8th.  We were honored to lend a hand to a beautiful evening set amongst live oaks at the stage next to Books to Be Red.  The show featured works by Bob Ray, Carme Prete (read by Mickey Baker), Pat Garber, Carol Soo Lee, Kelly Shinn, and Richard Bryant as well as special guest Phillip Shabazz. Thanks to Bob Ray, all the participants, and host Leslie Lanier and Books to be Red for putting together a thoughtful and entertaining evening. We hope it will be the start of many more such productions!

Bob Ray holding court!

 That's all for now. Thanks for keeping in touch! We have more plans for the fall. We'll update you in our next newsletter.

Ocracoke Alive