Historic Bath Tri-Centennial Celebration - March 8th

The Historic Bath Tri-Centennial Celebration Opening Ceremony wll be held Tuesday March 8th at 12:00 Noon and is open to the public.

North Carolina's Oldest Town

The keynote address, will be held in a heated tent on the grounds of the Palmer Marsh House located on Main Steet in Bath. Special invited guests will be in attendance.

A traditional eastern North Carolina barbecue lunch will be served prior to the ceremony. Lunch tickets will be available for purchase at the Historic Bath Visitor Center, Rich Realty of Bath, Wine and Words of Belhaven, and the Washington Visitor Center.

A variety of entertainment will be provided for guests. Musical selections will performed by Bath Elementary students. During the luncheon music selections from “Showboat” will be performed.

The Carolina Charter will be on display and there will be a historical marker dedication. A cancellation stamp will be available for one day only at the Bath Post Office.

For more information visit Original Washington, email or call (252) 923-3971.

War on the Chowan River

Edenton, NC – The War on the Chowan River is becoming a part of the North Carolina Civil War Trails Campaign. The kick-off for the statewide program will take place on Monday, March 14th in Bentonville. Phase One, the Carolinas Campaign, will focus on Sherman’s Carolinas Campaign and those sites east of Salisbury. Edenton and Chowan County are pleased to be joining the Trail with two sites.

War on the Chowan River

The War on the Chowan River sign is located at Cannons Ferry at the J. Robert Hendrix Heritage Park and Cannons Ferry Riverwalk area. It gives an overview of the U.S. Navy vessels that patrolled the Chowan River from its mouth in North Carolina to Franklin, Virginia. This part of the river became the boundary between Federal-occupied counties to the east and Confederate-held counties to the west. It also highlights the Union gunboats Shawsheen, Lockwood, and Underwriter and how they successfully defended the river side of the fort at different times.

The Battle of Albemarle Sound sign is located on the Edenton Harbor Waterfront. The sign shares with Civil War enthusiasts a description of the three hour battle involving the ram Albemarle, some of the Albemarle Sailors that were in the Union Navy, and the many men from Edenton and Chowan County that answered the call to duty in serving the Confederacy. Of particular note was Captain Badham’s Edenton Bell Battery, Company B, Third Battalion, N.C. Light Artillery.

Partners for this statewide project include the NC Department of Transportation, NC Department of Cultural Resources along with the NC Division of Tourism, Film and Sports Development.

While learning more about the Civil War and what it meant to North Carolina, stop in to the South’s Prettiest Small Town to see the role that took place here and then continue on to our neighbors within the rest of Northeastern North Carolina to see how vital a role we all played in the overall war.

For more information contact Nancy Nicholls at (800) 775-0111.

Eighth Annual - Quilt Extravaganza

The Eighth Annual Priceless Pieces Past and Present Quilt Extravaganza will be featured in the Roanoke Island Festival Park Art Gallery in Manteo.

This community based show features and displays over 80 quilts, new and old. An opening reception will be held on Sunday, March 6th from 2 until 4 PM. The event is free and open to the public.

The hours of the show are Monday though Friday 9 AM to 5 PM and Saturday and Sunday 12 to 4 PM from March 1st through the 25th. Vendor day will be held on Saturday, March 12th, from 11 AM. to 4 PM, in the Art Gallery.

For additional information call (252) 475-1500 or visit the Roanoke Island Festival Park web site.

Washington Spring Golf Tournament - April 8th

Golfers! The Annual Washington Spring Golf Tournament will be held Friday April 8th, 2005 at the Washington Yacht & Country Club. This will be a Superball event.

For information or registration forms contact the Washington Beaufort Chamber of Commerce or call (252) 946-9168.

Acoustic Blues and Jazz Concert - March 31st

Barbara Martin and Mac Walter will present an Acoustic Blues and Jazz Concert highlighting their rich stew of earthy blues and folk, peppered with sassy, swinging jazz. Martin’s sultry, soulful voice, interwoven with the bending, sliding strings of guitar wizard, Mac Walter, creates an experience that covers a full emotional palate, moving audiences from tears to laughter.

The concert will be held March 31, 2005 at 7:30 p.m.in the Film Theatre of the Roanoke Island Festival Park in Manteo.

Admission is $10.00 and can be purchased at the door. Call (252) 475-1500 for information.

Relay for Life - February 25th

The First Baptist Church of Ahoskie, will sponsor a Relay for Life - Corned Herring Dinner on February 25, 2005. Please put it on your calendar, for great corned herring, great people and a great event!

The location will be the Kiwanis Building in Ahoskie from 5:00 PM until 7:00 PM. Eat in or take out.

Tickets are $6.00 per person. For information or tickets please call 332-4003 or 356-2501.

Colerain's Seagull Cafe Opens

The famous Colerain "Seagull Cafe" opened with the usual enthusiastic crowd. The first customers through the door as the Seagull opened at 11:00 were smiling.

First Customers This Year!
(Actually the second customers, but the first that would allow me to take their picture. The other couple was smiling though.)

The Seagull will be open every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 11:00 AM until 2:00 PM for lunchtime. The view from the Seagull shows the Chowan River at its best. The small Cafe is located by the river near the end of River Road, close to the Colerain Beach Club.



View is spectacular!


The Cafe will remain open through April as it does annually. The food is unique and I highly recommend it. The menu includes herring specially prepared as they only do it here. This town had the first herring fishery in the new world, before the United States even existed. It also includes white perch prepared incredibly, and the most delicious shrimp you will ever taste. The cooks are simply the best.

The Seagull Staff

The crowd, as usual filled with regulars, was large and enthusiastic, and this year included people from Virginia who came down especially for the opening.

The Happy Crowd.

Irish Souper Bowl - Real Irish Fiddling

Great night - Great food - Great Art - Great Music!

The Bertie County Arts Council is having its annual Irish Souper Bowl on March 12 at 6:00 PM. The event will feature the Hunt Family Fiddlers. It also features an authentic Irish Dinner of corned beef and cabbage, potato soup, homemade bread and dessert. This is a great way to get in the mood for Saint Patrick's Day.

Each participant will receive a handpainted ceramic bowl created by Bertie County Arts Council members! The bowls are on display at the Bertie County Arts Center, 124 S. King Street, Windsor, NC.

Kiln Fired Bowls by Local Artists

The Irish Souper Bowl begins at 6:00 PM, on March 12th, 2005. The location will be the Bertie Senior Center on School Street in Windsor. Tickets are $20 for adults and $12 for children age 8 and under. Anyone interested may contact BCAC by telephone at (252) 794-9402 , or email to bertiearts@earthlink.net.

Bobbie Cobb (left) and Cleo Warlick, were Bertie County Arts Council's Featured Artists of the Month for February. The wall is filled with their work. (Photo by Jeanette White)

The Bertie County Arts Council also has additional artwork from local artists on display at the Bertie County Arts Center. Although work by multiple artists is on exhibit at the Arts Center all the time, work is featured by one or two artists every month. Other recent artists featured have been Barbara Sant of Windsor, Ken Attkisson of Edenton and Margaret Attkisson of Windsor. Artist for March is Carolyn Dail of Windsor and other upcoming shows will feature Dr. J. Fred Saunders of Aulander, Nancy Spruill of Windsor and Jacquelyn Perry of Colerain.

Bertie County Arts Center offers the work of numerous local artisans, including fine art, jewelry, ceramics, photography, needlecrafts, books, handpainted glassware and other select items.The Council has public classes and workshops throughout the year that offer such crafts as stained glass, guitar, piano and knitting.

The Arts Center is open free of charge Monday-Friday from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.at 124 South King Street in Windsor.

200th Anniversary Luncheon

The 200th anniversary of the Dismal Swamp Canal and the 65th anniversary of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway Luncheon was held today, and it was a great success. The room was packed as you can see below.

Panorama of the Luncheon

The speeches were truly educational, informative and enjoyable. The speakers included Randy J. Forbes, U.S. Congressman, Dalton S. Edge, Mayor of Chesapeake, Melvin Jeralds, Chairman Camden Commissioners, Lloyd Culp, Refuge Manager, George Ramsey, Local Historian and Eric Sheppard, President Slave Descendants Freedom Society. The Keynote speaker was Bland Simpson, Director - Creative Writing Program - UNC-Chapel Hill.

Speaker's Dais

The programs of all speakers had a consistent theme, highlights of the history of the area, its influence on the nations transportation infrastructure and its incredible impact on American will. The Dismal Swamp, bordered on the North by the Tidewater, on the East by the Outer Banks, the South by the Albemarle, and on the West by the Roanoke Chowan rivers, has been at the heart of our nations creation as a nation of freedom. The Dismal Swamp, like our nation, was heavily influenced by George Washington. His involvement also influenced his growth as an individual and contributed to creating his amazing will and determination, characteristics that served our nation well in the revolutionary war. Another local individual who is famous is Moses Grandy, from Camden County. A former slave, his determination and will to be free reflect what has been the driving force of many American's personal history, overcoming adversity. His ultimate success is the American dream.

Mr. Bland Simpson performed some delightful songs about the region to conclude the service.

Bland Simpson

A special award was given to Penny Leary-Smith for her outstanding contributions. Penny is shown below (in red) with Program Chair, Colonel Yvonne Prettyman-Beck, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, along with Melvin Jeralds, Chairman Camden Commissioners.

The History Of Hannah Crafts

(Windsor, NC.) The Roanoke-Cashie River Center will host a program given by Greg Hecimovich, an English Professor at East Carolina in Greenville, NC. The presentation is entitled, “The History Of Hannah Crafts”.

Hecimovich’s research on Crafts focuses on her life as slave and her accomplishments as being the first African-American to write a novel. The program has been moved from Thursday, February 24 to Tuesday, February 22 from 7:00-8:00pm. For more information, please call The Roanoke/Cashie River Center at (252)794-2001.

The Roanoke/Cashie River Center is a Partnership for the Sounds facility, an organization promoting eco-tourism and sustainable economic development in the Albemarle-Pamlico region.