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Seen and heard around the Albemarle
In case you were planning to attend the Graveyard Gala at Southgate Mall this Saturday, I just received word that it was cancelled. Organizers, who the same folks putting on Fright Night at the old Elizabeth City Middle School, say the haunted house will be open in lieu of the gala.
I had a call the other day from a lady at College of the Albemarle who says next Thursday the school will put on a free haunted house in the lobby of the community auditorium. The haunted tour is open from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. and concessions will be available.
And don’t forget that this Friday, at Christ Episcopal Church, is the annual Lobster Fest. Folks who ordered lobsters can pick them up from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. and it looks as though there may be extra crustaceans to be had if you’re so inclined.
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Busy autumn in the Albemarle
No videos this week, but more will be forthcoming.
I just took a look at the Old Brick House in Elizabeth City. After nearly five years here I never knew that a colony house of such stature existed here.
In today’s edition of The Daily Advance, and here online, you can read about the house. It’s an incredible history lesson.
For the story I was able to read a number of documents pertaining to the house and its Albemarle colony history. It always amazes me that there is such grand history here. I think it’s easy to forget that this is one of the first places Europeans settled when they arrived in the “New World.”
The area has come a long way since then, of course. And likewise, Elizabeth City has changed a great deal over the years that I’ve been here.
When I began editing the Going Out Guide and other calendars, there were a number of events but nothing like we have these days. I would point your attention to the latest incarnation, Music on the Green at Mariners’ Wharf.
Each Saturday through October you can hang out on the Elizabeth City waterfront and listen to great, live music. It’s fall now and the weather is easing up, so afternoons, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., listening to music should be pretty relaxed.
A couple of other events are coming your way as well. You have the now annual Fright Fest put on by the Fraternal Order of Police. Over at the old Elizabeth City Middle School, beginning Oct. 9, those folks will work hard to scare you as you tour their macabre displays and help raise money for FOP causes.
Also, check out Sunday’s Albemarle Life edition for our 13th annual Ghost Walk preview. There’s some new additions this year to the walk, including the ghost of Fred Fearing. It should be interesting.
If I ever hear someone around these parts say there’s nothing to do one more time, I think my head will explode.
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Swampland Video: Debbie Malenfant on Music on the Green
Debbie Malenfant and Maureen Donnelly are launching the first-ever Music on the Green at Mariners’ Wharf Music Festival later this month. See what she has to say about this six-week event.
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My Landmark mistake
My Landmark mistake this week was placing the annual Landmark show on our Out in the Albemarle page today (Thursday) and listing it for Sunday. The show, as publicity chair for Arts of the Albemarle rightly pointed out, is Sunday, Sept. 13.
I apologize for the mishap. I have my reasons, of course, but suffice to say that there is, in the end, just no excuse for these things.
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Swampland Video: Don Pendergraft, Museum of the Albemarle
Don Pendergraft, chief designer at Museum of the Albemarle, talks about the upcoming Coast Guard exhibit, due to open to the public Oct. 3.
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Coast Guard exhibit coming soon
Museum of the Albemarle will be opening a new permanent exhibit honoring the Coast Guard on October 3. Look for a story in this Sunday’s Albemarle Life highlighting the exhibit and the work that went into it and a Swampland video in the next day or so.
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Swampland Video: Randy Midgett’s Power Peel
Undisputed National Potato Peeling Champion Randy Midgett shows us how to shuck a spud in advance of his appearance on the Food Network program, “Glutton for Punishment.” 
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A conversation with Holly Wright
Holly Wright talks about Arts of the Albemarle’s upcoming musical drama theater program for kids.
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Andy Montero makes his popular Grilled Veggie Wrap
Chef Andy Montero’s Grilled Veggie Wrap had a brief shot at national fame on the Regis and Kelly Show last month. We asked him to make the popular lunch item for Swampland.
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A conversation with Simone Cooper
Simone Cooper, founder of the Mariners’ Wharf Film Festival, sits down to talk with Swampland about the success of this year’s festival and plans for next year.
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A conversation with Port Discover’s LuAnne Pendergraft
This week Swampland visits with LuAnne Pendergraft, executive director of Port Discover.
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More Out ‘n the Cold
When I did the interview with Out ‘n the Cold they played two songs. I featured the first on my regular Swampland video blog. Here’s the second song, written by band co-founder Dickey Sanders. For the original interview see the entry below.
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Swampland Video: A conversation with Out ‘n the Cold
Since 1977 Out ‘n the Cold has been playing their self-styled “bentgrass” sound for audiences around the Albemarle and beyond. Saturday the band will play a benefit concert for Arts of the Albemarle at The Maguire Theatre. Here is a conversation with some of the band members and a tune to give you a taste of what they’re about.
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Swampland Video Blog: A conversation with author Stephen March
For our next installment of Swampland, author Stephen March sits down to discuss his latest novel, “Strangers in the Land of Egypt.” Check it out here.
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Swampland Video Blog is Back
It’s been a while since I posted a video blog for Swampland. I have reorganized the video blog and plan to have a weekly installment.
What is different here is that Arts of the Albemarle has allowed us to stage the videos at The Maguire Theatre each week. While some weeks we might go on location to bring you a five minute interview with people of interest in the area, most of them will be set up on the stage of the theater.
The latest installment is an interview with Susan Hinkle, owner of Page After Page Bookstore in Elizabeth City. Susan is a proponent of shopping locally and she explains her philosophy and and program for us on the video. You can link to it here, at the link posted below, or on our homepage under Slide Shows and Videos. You can also link to our Twitter feed on the homepage and get updates on when videos and other items are posted. The Daily Advance also has a link in You Tube where you can watch our latest videos.
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Dolphin sightings
Several people have told me there is a pod of dolphins currently visiting us in the Pasquotank River. The latest sighting was over near River Wind. There seems to be four or so swimming around out there. Hopefully they will be here for the Fourth.
Speaking of the Fourth, if you have missed any one of our numerous events listings for this weekend’s festivities, well, we’re still publishing them. Saturday, in the print edition of The Daily Advance, you will see it twice. But just in case you miss that, please head over to our listing online http://www.dailyadvance.com/features/independence-day-ready-to-go-off-with-a-bang-691730.html
DON’T FORGET THE FOOD BANK They need your help, folks. There is a food drive at the Tuesday night free movie over at Mariners’ Wharf Park, downtown EC. A barrel is provided over by the tent. Even if you don’t stay for the flick, go ahead and drop off a can or two. I estimated that if each person attending the film would bring just one can of food, then there would be a pretty good haul for our friends at the Food Bank.
Remember, you are helping not only your neighbors, but yourself as well. You never know when you might need the assistance of the Food Bank. Yes, even you.
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Food Bank needs your help
It shouldn’t be a secret by now that aid agencies such as our own Food Bank of the Albemarle have fallen on hard times along with the national economy. The Food Bank donations, both cash and food stuff, has been down in the last year or so. That said, they need your help.
There are several ways you can help. One way is to go and attend a free movie on Tuesday nights at Mariners’ Wharf Park. It’s the Mariners’ Wharf Film Festival, an outdoor event that is showing free classic films on Tuesday nights. A Food Bank donation bin will be set up there each Tuesday and all you need to do is bring a can or two and drop it in. It’s not obligatory, of course, to bring it, but the Food Bank needs your help and it’s just not that difficult to drop a can or two in the bin.
The other way you can help is by organizing your own food drives. If you have an event, a gathering of any sort, just let people who are attending know that a can donation or two would be very welcome. You can drop the items off at the Food Bank when you’re done with the event. If you have questions about organizing your own food drive you contact the Food Bank by calling them at 252-335-4035.
There are other events throughout the summer that benefit the Food Bank. Keep your eye on the Going Out Guide published daily in The Daily Advance for the Canned Summer Concert Series. Held at Christ Episcopal Church during the summer, the event brings you in touch with great music while asking you to simply bring a food donation as an entry fee.
Remember, when we help others, we also help ourselves.
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Where will you be seen?
Apparently there were about 100 people at Tuesday’s third installment - the second was sadly rained out - of the Mariners’ Wharf film fest. An outdoor screening of famous Hollywood flicks is available on Tuesday’s at 8:30 p.m., just bring a lawn chair. Next week is Jack Lemmon starring in “The Apartment,” I understand.
This weekend you can be seen at Waterfront Park for the eighth annual Juneteenth Celebration. It’s a great event and full of a lot of good music, vendors and food.
You can also head over to Edenton for their annual Music and Water Festival. It happens this weekend with great music and activities.
More to come, I am sure.
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Hope
On Sunday, in The Daily Advance, you will have a chance to read a great story written by Vernon Fueston from our sister paper, The Chowan Herald. When I saw that he was writing this story I knew it had to go on the Sunday Albemarle Life front.
It is a story of a couple in Chowan who over the years have been taking in “throw away” children and giving them a home. This couple does this without government assistance and relies, it seems, primarily on faith to get by. Check it out, it’s a moving story.
Last week’s film fest was rained out. The forecast looks good for next Tuesday when Ray Miland will star in “The Lost Weekend.” Check it out at Mariners’ Wharf park, 8:30 p.m. Bring your own lawn chair or blanket.
Also, check out the listing in our Going Out Guide for a comedy show coming June 20 to the COA auditorium. T. Bubba Bechtol (I don’t know who he is but some say he’s funny) will put on a fundraising show for Benjamin House. Ann and Lennie Hughes put the Benjamin House together and it’s a great place. You can read a story about them and the show in our Friday June 12 edition.
Those who say they read this blog, this is my pledge to you to do better and keep this updated at least once a week. Like the title of this particular entry suggests, there is always hope.
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Three Square meals
For now, Sally Stimatz, wife of councilman Tony, is keeping the name of her new restaurant, Rachel’s, on the window, but don’t be surprised when you see Three Squares go up on Main Street across from Arts of the Albemarle’s The Center.
Sally recently took over operation of the eatery and says the menu is still the same. The place looks a little different, but not strikingly so. She says she will begin to change things over slowly, and will be offering breakfast and lunch.
When I was inside the place this morning, having noticed Sally behind the counter, there were some regulars there and they didn’t seem to mind the new owner. Everyone seemed to be happy and well fed.
Sally’s background is in restaurant management and she is a chef. We might expect great things from her as she continues to put her spin on the local favorite.
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UNC TV in EC
Last week a number of people noticed UNC TV trucks and film crews around town. I found out yesterday that the public television channel is shooting a segment of its monthly show, Our State, for a November airing. It will be hosted by hometown boy, author and performer Bland Simpson.
I don’t have all of the details just yet, but I will be working on a story for next week. With any luck, I will talk with UNC folks and Simpson about what angle they are taking for this show. I know that Simpson, from interviewing him several times, has a great affinity for his hometown and the region surrounding it so I imagine it should be a treat. Stay tuned.
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LIGHTED BOAT PARADE, Got a Boat. It’s for everybody, Goto Pelican Marina for application. TKS Greg
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