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No Oriental team made it to the World Series this year, but decades ago, the game was hugely popular in town. There was even a covered stadium on Midyette Street. You can learn more at the Oriental History Museum’s “Baseball in Oriental” display thru the end of the month. And while you’re there, how about pitching in for the home team and becoming a member and contributor to the museum….

Friday October 10, 2008

Hey.. just a reminder. If you want to vote on November 4th, you have to have your name registered on the voting rolls by this afternoon at 5pm. You can register down at the County Courthouse. For more info, click here.

The village settles in to the rhythm of a fall weekend. The Farmers’ Market is happening tomorrow morning, starting at 8:30a. Fresh, locally grown produce, baked goods, plants and crafts. (Hey, it’s not too soon to be picking up those choice locally made items for gifts!) Also, Laura and Gil are opening their Hodges Street Studios. All day Saturday you can pop by and see their drawings, and sculpture and paintings. Meanwhile, up at CircleTen, the focus is on paper.. paper that’s been batiked, embroidered, photographed, all in a diverse display by Lou Ann Plummer. And sports fans! ….. the History Museum has a display about the history of baseball in Oriental. (That field you see on Midyettte Street used to house a covered baseball stadium.) We have all the details at What’s Happening

Thursday October 9, 2008

A chance of rain falling the next day or two, but so far, not on Sunday when the Oriental Express Bicycle Club goes off on a Century Ride — it’s an ambitious 100 mile ride that skirts some of Pamlico County’s peninsulas. There’s still room for more riders. For more info, see the OEBC website by clicking here.

Looking ahead to next weekend… cos you might want to get your tickets now… the 2nd Annual Oriental Folk Fest runs Friday and Saturday nights (the 17th and 18th) at the Old Theater. Meanwhile, the Pamlico Paddle offers a chance to kayak on a tributary of the Bay River that Saturday, the 18th. Previews are that it’s a wonderfully pristine place. If you’re coming to town for one event.. why not take in the other? Think of it as saving gas…. or at least optimizing your fuel usage…. More details at What’s Happening

Our On The Cover photo today is just one scene of many inside Marine Consignment of Oriental. Andy and Cindy have been running it since February and it’s become the place to check out for trading in or finding spare boat parts.

The shop has become a popular stop off point for cruisers and with the snowbird season underway, we’re starting to see more of them, and their boats in the harbor, lately.

Tuesday October 7, 2008

7:53pm Oriental’s Town Board voted 3-1 tonight in favor of establishing an Overlay District on upper Broad Street. It means that new construction of business buildings must have porches across at least half of their frontage facing Broad Street, landscape buffers near the street, and pathways linking their parking lots to adjacent properties. Buildings 25 feet high or less in that overlay district could have flat roofs, something not allowed on other lots zoned MU. Voting in favor were Commissioners Dave Cox, Nancy Inger and Sherrill Styron. Commissioner Candy Bohmert voted against. Commissioner Kathy Kellam was absent.

11:00am Oriental residents are resetting clocks today, thanks to a four hour power outage in the dark hours of the morning. We know how it happened… if not exactly why.

If you’re feeling in a bit of a fog today, take heart. Here are photos of some real fog that rolled over town yesterday morning.

7:00am Tonight’s presidential debate may be getting the national headlines, but closer to home there are two events going on today that may be of interest to the engaged citizen. One has to do with bombing ranges for the military in Pamlico Sound, and the other has to do with that entry way in to Oriental and whether the town should require new buildings there to have porches and landscaping.

If you’ve seen charts for the Neuse River, you’ve likely noticed those circular areas which make clear that they are PROHIBITED. Those are places where the military does its target practice. Well, the Marines want to have a wider circle in which to carry out those exercises and their proposal would keep a bigger area of the sound off limits to all other vessels for one day a week between February and November. If you want more info or want to pose questions (even follow ups) you have your chance this afternoon from 4-7 at the high school. More details are in What’s Happening.

And at 7 tonight, Oriental’s town board holds a public hearing on whether to set up an Overlay district on upper Broad Street, aka, Highway 55, aka, the entryway in to town. Basically, it would mean new buildings in that part of town should have porches on them, in keeping with a look of existing businesses. The issue has brought up an ongoing philosophical debate.. one side saying the town shouldn’t dictate what buildings look like, the other side saying some standards are needed to keep a sense of the town’s character. Your turn to speak is tonight…

Winston Churchill might have had a word or two on the issue.. check today’s Dock Quote.

Saturday October 4, 2008

The Neuse Solo Race is the big event on the water this weekend, but not the sole event going on in town…

Circle Ten Art Gallery opens its ‘Art Vault’ on Saturday morning. It’s an all-day fundraiser for the artists’ cooperative at which you can bid for pieces of art. And there’s the Farmers’ Market going on Saturday, too.

Tomorrow, a new exhibition opens at Circle Ten — batiked paper. Meanwhile, the Oriental History Museum offers up root beer floats Sunday afternoon, while at the high school, the Pamlico Community Band will be playing. Details on these events and more going on this weekend can be found in What’s Happening.

With the Solo Race today, a Dock Quote from the old single-hander, Joshua Slocum….

Friday October 3, 2008

Light winds today, and light winds still in the forecast Saturday for the Neuse River Solo Race. You can still register for the race… download the race registration form by clicking here… and head over to the Tiki Bar (race headquarters) tonight from 5-8pm and sign up.

It’s great sleeping weather, too. You can get a few more winks tomorrow and still take in the Farmers Market. Its new starting hour is 8:30am (and it’ll run to 11:30am).

Thursday October 2, 2008

Hundreds more people have registered to vote this year in Pamlico County – pushing the voter rolls to more than 9,000. If you haven’t done so yet, there’s still a bit more time. How to vote in 2008 is explained – click here.

Democracy is a beautiful thing, but onboard it can sometimes lead to mutiny. Such is the beauty of the annual Neuse Solo Race – just you and your boat – this Saturday October 4.

The weather is cooperating for the coming weekend – nothing but clear dry days in the Oriental NC forecast. If you’re planning for the Solo race Saturday have the light air sails ready… 5 – 10mph winds are expected in the marine forecast.

Pull up a chair at the bar – and take in this month’s drawing in Drawing The Town.

The tropical storm season might be winding on down. Kyle spun out a few days back. Laura fizzled out in the north Atlantic yesterday. Nothing in the immediate Atlantic Outlook – the season does however officially extend til the end of November.