Monday, July 31, 2006

Some 300,000 venture out for Bele Chere

It may not have the kitschy-ness of the National Hollerin' Contest in Spivey's Corner, the "old-timey" quaintness of Mount Airy's Mayberry Days, or even the Southern Charm of Wilmington's Azalea Festival. But Asheville's Bele Chere could be the biggest one of them all.

Some 300,000 people made it out to this year's version this past weekend. And that was despite a heavy downpour, according to the Asheville Citizen-Times.

The astonishing variety of handmade items for sale is one of the draws of the three-day festival, which coordinator Melissa Porter proclaimed a success on Sunday. She cited the packed venues at the three headliner stages at the Asheville Renaissance Hotel parking lot and on Coxe and Biltmore avenues Friday and Saturday nights.

"I was talking to a booking agent, and we were really able to diversify our entertainment schedule this year, and I think it really worked to our advantage," she said. "We just had great crowds on both nights for all three stages." ...

With more manageable crowds and no alcohol allowed, the last day of the festival is the best for those like Asheville resident Mistie Smith, who brought granddaughters Kamyla, 7, and Dee Dee, 3.

"There is so much to do for the kids, especially on Sunday," Smith said as she munched on teriyaki chicken while the girls enjoyed cotton candy, painted butterflies adorning their cheeks.

"As far as bringing the kids, Sunday is the best."

Raleigh's WRAL has a terrific Bele Chere slideshow, available here.

Thursday, July 27, 2006

Blowing Rock resort to be 'wilderness-rich'

"It's become an old story in the generally unspoiled mountains of western North Carolina: Developer buys up large tract of land and marks out plots for yet another upscale community aimed at luring retirees and second homeowners to the region[, writes the Associated Press].

"But the ambitious Laurelmor development planned for Wilkes and Watauga counties comes with a balm for any buyer inclined to feel guilt over the impact of development. The project's developer, Orlando, Fla.-based Ginn Co., intends to protect at least a third of the 6,000-acre project with perpetual conservation easements.

" 'It's being done extremely well' for a development of its type, James Coman III, executive director of the Blue Ridge Rural Land Trust, said Tuesday, as Ginn Co. CEO Bobby Ginn announced his company's conservation plan. Coman's group is to record and monitor the easements, which will protect large pockets of the Laurelmor property from anything but low-impact recreational uses."

You can read more here.

High Point to honor jazz legend Coltrane

It's doubtful that most people know jazz legend John Coltrane grew up in High Point, N.C. But the "City of Furniture" is hoping to become known as the "City of John Coltrane." And Greensboro News & Record writer Jeri Rowe says "It's about time."

"For years, I thought the city neglected its local link to one of the musical giants of jazz," Rowe writes. "I don't believe that any longer.

"The city of High Point has bought Coltrane's old house. The High Point Museum has significantly beefed up its collection. And a group of volunteers is raising money to pay for an 8-foot bronze statue of the musician, which they want to plant this fall in front of the city's symbolic center: City Hall.

"Now, you could argue the statue belongs along East Washington Drive in Coltrane's old neighborhood, a historically significant corridor once known as the 'Harlem of High Point.'

"No matter. At least city officials and business leaders realize the need to spotlight Coltrane's local roots."

You can read the rest of the column here.

Swat those litterbugs

North Carolina is a beautiful state, blessed with thousands of miles of great highways and roads to give people the chance to see this beautiful state. But sometimes it takes the selfish acts of some to ruin it for everyone else.

Look at the sides of the major interstates and you'll know what I mean. There is WAY too much litter and trash along N.C.'s roads.

But we can fight back.

The Department of Transportation offers three ways to "tattle" on those that litter. You can call the Swat-A-Litterbug hotline at -877-DOT-4YOU (1-877-368-4968); you can mail in a Swat-A-Litterbug card (you can obtain the cards by calling 1-800-331-5864); or you can go to this website and fill out an anonymous complaint. (Make sure you have the culprit's license plate number handy.) The litterer will receive a notice in the mail, and he or she will be encouraged not to litter in the future.

Oh, and as my friend Tommy likes to say: Cigarette butts ARE litter.

Monday, July 24, 2006

Folkmoot is N.C.'s international festival

Waynesville's Folkmoot is one of the more unique (and pioneering) festivals in a state full of rich festivals. This year's Folkmoot is the 23rd such festival, and bills itself as North Carolina's "International festival."

And rightly so.

"Folkmoot USA, will bring dancers from Canada, China, Colombia, Ecuador, France, Gabon, Jamaica, New Zealand, Serbia, United Kingdom, Thailand and Venezuela to Blue Ridge Community College," according to the Hendersonville Times-News.

For more information, check out www.folkmootusa.org.

Thursday, July 20, 2006

A photographic tribute to Hugh Morton

Sure, there are a few too many UNC Tar Heel photos in it, but the Charlotte Observer has (on its website) a wonderful "photographic journey" that celebrates the life and vision of Grandfather Mountain's Hugh Morton, who passed away recently. (Morton, a lifelong Tar Heel fan, redeemed himself with a great shot of the late Jim Valvano.)

Among the great Morton snapshots included in the slideshow are his famous one of the Charlotte skyline (taken from atop Grandfather, some 80 miles away), the Linville viaduct and the Grandfather mountain bears. My personal favorite is toward the end, of a deer, admiring its reflection.

View the slideshow here, and let us know what's your favorite photo.

(Thanks to Tom Snow for passing this along.)

Report: State offered to buy Chimney Rock Park

The State of North Carolina reportedly made an effort to purchase Chimney Rock Park recently, but the offer apparently wasn't enough. The family that owns the park is hoping someone will drop at least $55 million on the landmark; development is not out of the question, either.

The state is still hoping to purchase the park and transition it into a state park.

"Much of the 1,000-acre Chimney Rock Park put up for sale for $55 million this week would be open to development, should negotiations with the state fail," said an article in the Asheville Citizen-Times.

"Chimney Rock Co. President Todd Morse stressed Wednesday that he and his family — owners of the land for more than a century — want to preserve the park’s trails, the chimney and other sensitive natural areas. ...

" 'If you had a development up on top of the mountain that could be separate from the park but had some interaction with the park — if you could leave the park basically alone — that’s one thing that could be kind of wonderful,' Morse said."

North Carolina had offered $20 million before the property was put up for sale, Jill Lucas, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Administration, confirmed Wednesday. ...

State Sen. Walter Dalton, who is working to assemble land for a state park planned for the nearby Hickory Nut Gorge area, said the state’s offer was the top price suggested after an independent appraisal of the property’s value.

“It’s a little disappointing that we were in negotiations and we have an objective appraisal and put that money on the line,” only to see Chimney Rock go on the market for nearly three times the appraised price, Dalton, D-Rutherford, said Wednesday.

Negotiations with the N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation have been ongoing for more than a year. Morse said they would continue, but his company has to explore all options. ...

The Rutherford County Tax Office put the total assessed value of parcels owned by Chimney Rock Co. at $4.9 million, including the park’s buildings. That assessment comes from 2002, a total that likely will go up when property revaluations are completed this year. ...

Chuck Tessier, the owner of a real estate management and consulting firm in Asheville, says putting the property on the open market makes business sense.

“An asset like that is like a piece of art — it has a unique value for different people,” Tessier told the media.

Theater of the American South returning

About 1,600 people enjoyed the Theater of the American South, which was held in May in Wilson. About 20 percent of theater-goers were out-of-towners.

In other words, the theater did more than well enough to warrant another year.

"I think the response we got from Wilson was enthusiastic," Judi Thurston, interim director of the Wilson arts council, told the Wilson Daily News. "Of course, it was the first year, and it takes several years to build up a festival like this.

"The Theater of the American South was a great opportunity for not only the Arts Council but also the city of Wilson to introduce people to a taste of Southern hospitality through the arts." Although some people have wondered if holding the first festival during the busy May season hurt attendance, organizers are planning for the same time next year.

For the 2007 festival, [Raleigh's Gary] Cole[, the theater's director] plans to follow the same general format — two plays, cooking demonstrations, lecture series and gospel services — with some fine tuning and more local promotions.Plays haven't been selected yet. This year, some patrons objected to the strong language in one of the featured plays, "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof."

"We of course will be sensitive to the community's sensibilities in choosing plays for next year, and in making our selections next year, we will consider all comments," Cole said.

Wednesday, July 19, 2006

12th annual Tomato Sandwich Day held

Tomato sandwiches used to gross me out -- until my mother finally convinced me to try it one afternoon many years ago at Topsail Beach. Now I associate slices of tomato tucked in between two pieces of white bread with mayonnaise and pepper to boot as a Southern toast to summer.

And though I work just a couple of blocks from the Legislative Building in Raleigh, I had no idea that our esteemed General Assembly members celebrate this Southern summer sandwich with a "day" of its own.

But that's what happened recently on Jones Street: the 12th annual Tomato Sandwich Day.

"It’s fitting that on one of the hottest days of the summer, senators, representatives, staff members and lobbyists lined up outside of a Legislative Building committee room for a chance to munch down on tomato sandwiches, complete with salt and pepper," said this article from the Kinston Free Press. "Olive oil was available for those who wanted it.

"Sen. Hugh Webster, an Alamance County Republican who is responsible for the event, calls it the 12th-annual tomato sandwich fest.

"It’s become a tradition at the General Assembly. One day, every year, Webster brings tomatoes with all the fixings. He got eight boxes of German Johnson tomatoes from Iseley Farms in Alamance County. He bought 50 loaves of Bunny Bread. Senate President Pro-tem Marc Basnight, a Dare County Democrat, added a tone of bipartisanship to the event. He brought in three gallons of Duke’s Mayonnaise."

“ 'It crosses all boundaries,' Webster said, noting that sometimes animosities fester in the halls of political power. 'I specifically make it a point to try to invite everybody.' "

Webster told the Free Press that he plans to continue the tradition as long as he’s in the General Assembly.

Blue Ridge Parkway named No. 1 scenic drive in America

Shermans Travel's editorial staff (courtesy of MSN.com) have named the Blue Ridge Parkway as America's favorite 'Scenic Drive,' coming in ahead of such well-known drives as US1 in New England, California's State Route 1 and Hawaii's Hana Highway.

Says Shermans: "Stretching some 469 miles along the Southern Appalachian Mountains and linking two eastern national parks — Shenandoah National Park in Virginia and North Carolina's Great Smoky Mountains—the Blue Ridge Parkway has often been referred to as 'America's Favorite Drive.' ... Though some may argue that autumn is the best season to drive this stretch, as the brilliant fall foliage is in full effect, May is also a superb time to head this way, to witness the profusion of wildflowers in bloom along the elevated mountainsides. ... Of course, no nature drive of this sort would be quite complete without wildlife sightings: Keep an eye out for resident whitetail deer and black bears."

Tuesday, July 18, 2006

Say it ain't so: Chimney Rock Park for sale














According to the Associated Press, the venerable Chimney Rock Park, on top of which one can overlook Lake Lure (see photo) and where "Last of the Mohicans" was filmed, is for sale.


Owner Todd Morse says his family is asking $55 million for the 1,000-acre tourist destination, famous for dramatic views and the elevator ride to the top of the signature Chimney Rock. The asking price is believed to be the highest ever for a piece of private property in North Carolina.

Morse says the sale is being prompted by rapid changes occurring in the area around the park, including the state's acquisition of land for a park in nearby Hickory Nut Gorge.

Chimney Rock Park opened in 1902, after it was first developed by Morse's great-great uncle Lucius B. Morse. It served as the setting for some scenes in the 1992 movie "Last of the Mohicans."

I sincerely hope that a foundation or an organization steps in and purchases and PRESERVES the park. Chimney Rock Park is a state institution. I had the pleasure to enjoy its breathtaking vistas just a few months ago (see some of the photos). I had no idea that, if things go a certain way, that couldn've been my last opportunity to see the park. Here's to hoping that that's not the case. But it's hard to begrudge someone for wanting to insure his family's financial security for a long time, if not forever.

Curle: Proud of his N.C. heritage

Willow Spring's James Curle -- friend, father, husband, slick photographer, writer, barbecue cooker and charter Society member -- recently posted some terrific comments on his MySpace site about how proud he is of his North Carolina heritage.

James' point of reflection was his annual pig pickin', which was held at the Curle homestead.

"There was a moment I enjoyed, briefly, right after the last person through the line had come for their serving of pork," he writes. "As I wiped the grease from my hands, I looked out across my yard at the folks who'd come to visit with us that day, the setting sun filtering through the oak tree by the cooker. ...

"It was in that moment that I was thankful to be alive, to be free, and to be a North Carolinian. Nothing brings folks together in harmony like good food. No food is greater in my mind that pulled pork with plenty of fixins', and no pulled pork on the planet can compared to that from a N.C. pig cooked outdoors on a nice cooker. ...

"I am a North Carolina native, born of other North Carolina natives, and these days in my part of the State that's a rare commodity. I take great pride in all things of The Old North State. I was the kid that drank the coolaid in 4th Grade when we learned about North Carolina history (even if my end-of-year project sucked out loud). I loved learning about the cardinal, the box turtle, the dogwood flower, the longleaf pine, the fall line, the piedmont, Ocracoke, Croatan, etc...this is my home, and I'm proud of it."

Couldn't have said it better myself, James.

You can read the piece in its entirety here.

Monday, July 17, 2006

Highlands gets front-page, national treatment

One of my favorite places in the entire state is the gorgeous mountain town of Highlands. For at least a little while, the town near the Georgia border is gaining "front-page" notoriety on CNN.com's Travel page with an article called, "Highlands, N.C. blends rustic charm, rich history" as part of the travel section's "Southern Accents" series.

"Since this North Carolina town arranges itself on a ridge 4,000 feet above sea level, the 'high' in Highlands is entirely justified.

"Yet it has taken more than altitude to uphold this town's reputation as a favorite summer refuge for more than a century. It's the related gift of remoteness that's key. Getting to Highlands requires intent. You don't pass through on the way to somewhere else."

The article goes on to do a nice job of describing the history of Highlands as well as the many attractions (such as its high-dollar Main Street stores) that continue to draw people to the town.

Yadkin College: Who knew?

The Winston-Salem Journal has an excellent piece (along with a slide show) about the now-defunct Yadkin College, a Methodist-sponsored college in the picturesque western part of the state that saw its heydey in the late-19th Century.

"On a hilltop in Davidson County, in a loop of the Yadkin River, sit the remains of Yadkin College," says the article. "The school was the dream of Henry Walser, a legislator and church leader with a drive to promote higher education in Western North Carolina. Sponsored by the Methodist Protestant Church, Walser bought a 500-acre lot and set his own slaves to making bricks for a two-story classroom building, with a low-pitch metal roof and chimneys at both ends. The school opened its doors to a handful of students in 1856, and the enrollment had reached 80 by the start of the Civil War, according to Country College on the Yadkin, a book by Virginia Fick. ...

"But its picturesque setting in a remote bend of the Yadkin River contributed to its undoing. It was too far off the beaten path to attract new students, and the Methodists transferred their patronage to a new college in bustling High Point - now High Point University. Yadkin College struggled into the 20th century as a prep school, then closed its doors in 1924 as a private high school."

Read more about Yadkin College here.

In Brief: Beaufort Seaport & Washington's walking tours

The Washington Daily News has an article about some of that quaint town's wonderful walking tours.

The town of Washington is steeped in history, but oftentimes area residents drive past homes, churches and businesses without giving them a second glance. But, oh, what stories those structures could tell.

Most of us know that the town was the first in the country to be named in honor of General George Washington. It is, after all, the Original Washington.

The Washington Visitors Bureau wanted to make sure residents and travelers alike would more fully appreciate this gem on the river.They thought, what better way to present the history of Washington than with a walking-tour book? Inspired by a brochure touting Lafayette, La., the bureau approached Stanton Blakeslee of the Greenville ad agency Eye Integrated. He put together a mock-up of the proposed book and the rest is, well, history.

The final product was published last December just before Christmas and was an immediate hit, according to tourism director Lynn Lewis.“The response has been superb,” said Lewis. There are already plans to eventually reprint the walking- tour book with the addition of new houses, she added.

And WRAL TV's David Crabtree did a piece on efforts in Beaufort to "pump up" its historic waterfront in the same vein as Connecticut's Mystic Seaport. You can watch the piece here.

Thursday, July 13, 2006

'Hot' ice cream brings Angier national exposure

Personally, I don't think ice cream that tastes like hot peppers (and has the same effect as eating a hot pepper; one must sign a waiver before eating it) sounds all that appealling. But that hasn't stopped the town of Angier from becoming a "hot" spot, thanks to Scott Wilson's Cold Sweat treat, according to the Dunn Daily Record. In fact, ABC's "Good Morning America" is coming to Angier on July 18 to celebrate National Ice Cream Day.

Unlike his usual sweet confections mixed with fruit flavors or other mouth-watering ingredients, this time Mr. Wilson took his ice cream making to the limit. He combined hot peppers, spices and sauces to form an ice cream experience that is being talked about literally the world over. In an informal interview for a feature story in The Angier Independent last month, Mr. Wilson described his latest ice cream adventure as a "personal challenge for people that live in the world of extra hot."Soon after the story about Cold Sweat ice cream was published in The Independent, The Daily Record in Dunn also printed the news about this unusual treat. This was only the beginning of what would soon be a worldwide news event.

Cold Sweat is quickly becoming a household phrase, as Mr. Wilson participates in interviews for radio stations, newspapers and television from major cities across the United States and abroad, including USA Today and MSNBC — even the New York Times has called. Mr. Wilson described his new position in the spotlight as "way out of control.""It's overwhelming in the sense that my mom and pop's ice cream shop has turned into people calling from other countries," he said.

"When you have national and international media focusing on your town, that can only be positive for our business community," Angier Chamber Director Jamie Strickland said. "When little Angier is being talked about across the globe, that's big for a town our size, and I think it's awesome."

Asheville on verge of being over-developed?

According to an article by the Associated Press, new housing density regulations proposed in Buncombe County have developers rushing to get building permits approved. The surge in permits have "provoked worry" among county officials and environmentalists that the "Asheville area is becoming too popular for its own good."

The new rules went into effect July 1, and the county received 23 applications for subdivisions just before the deadline, commissioner David Young said.

"Asheville and Buncombe County have been discovered," Young said. "Real estate in Florida has tanked, and we're getting a lot of developers coming in from other places wanting to develop our mountains. It scares me to death."

The new rules affect subdivisions with 11 or more lots. They control density on slopes greater than 25 percent and restrict the amount of cleared areas on steep lots.

The changes will likely increase development costs and prevent builders from placing homes on some mountainsides.

Debbie Truempy, a county planner, said her department usually gets three to five subdivision applications for each of its twice-monthly meetings. The 23 applications, for 1,713 lots, came in during the last week of June.

She noted that only a dozen applications were new master plans, and the rest were amendments to existing plans.

Developers contend that the surge is purely a business decision.

"It's not that anybody is trying to rape anything or exploit anything," Brad Galbraith, president of the Asheville Board of Realtors, said. "They're just trying to make a good business decision and abide by the rules and regulations in place at the time. It's not something where all of the sudden we're going to get a lot of skyscrapers."

Monday, July 10, 2006

Rocky Mount to honor BBQ heritage

In the months since this society was founded and this blog was began, one of the reoccurring king themes of North Carolina heritage is, without a doubt, barbecue. It seems like a couple of weeks can't go by without mentioning 'cue.

Now, one of the "meccas" of Eastern-style barbecue is honoring one of the original temples to pulled pork.

Rocky Mount is taking its first steps to build a park honoring the state's first sit-down barbecue restaurant – Bob Melton's Barbeque [according to the Rocky Mount Telegram].

Preliminarily dubbed BBQ Park, the city's Parks and Recreation Department will soon install a fishing pier on the Tar River near the site of the old restaurant, which moved after the 1999 flood and closed a few years later.

Eventually, through grants and capital improvements funding, the park will feature the restaurant's original cooking pit, a picnic shelter, horseshoe pits and a springhouse over the artesian well on the site, said Parks and Recreation Director Pete Armstrong. ...

Melton's restaurant is credited with firmly establishing Eastern North Carolina-style barbecue, according to the N.C. Museum of History.

The article goes on to say that Rocky Mount was once known as the "Bar-b-cue capital of the world" -- at least according to an old post card.

This new park, coupled with the new Barbecue Society, should go a long way in continuing to latch on to a great part of Tar Heel State heritage.

Friday, July 07, 2006

Highland Games 'channel' Scottish roots

It only makes sense that the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games would've been founded by a guy named Donald MacDonald.


When Donald MacDonald began planning the first Grandfather Mountain Highland Games in 1956, he had no idea what a success they would be [according to the Winston-Salem Journal].

MacDonald said he created the games with Agnes MacRae Morton because of his interest in his Scottish heritage and his desire to bring together Scottish clans.

Nearly 1,000 people attended the games that first year, which lasted a day and featured just one bagpipe band. The games are now a four-day festival that attracts about 30,000 people each year.

"It was flabbergasting," MacDonald said about the growth.

This year's games began yesterday. Organizers are also celebrating the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games by honoring all past presidents of the games and commemorating the contributions of Hugh Morton, who died on June 1. Morton, whose mother co-founded the Highland Games with MacDonald, owned Grandfather Mountain and hosted the games for years.

"It's going to be something lacking, not having Mr. Morton here taking pictures," said Thomas Taylor, assistant general manager of the games. "He's a great deal responsible for the games being what they are today."

Thursday, July 06, 2006

Tall Ships: Terrific success ... and unbelievable disaster

Depending on who you talk to, the 2006 Pepsi Americas Sail (aka, "Tall Ships") held last weekend in Beaufort/Morehead City/the Crystal Coast, was either a sight to behold or an unmistakable disaster. We've heard of numerous tales of people waiting on buses for several hours (to only go a couple of miles), then waiting in the searing heat to stand in line for a few more hours ... only to be turned away without having seen a single boat.

And these were folks WITH tickets.

The Raleigh News & Observer, in an article title, "Sailing fest crowds leave some landlubbers bitter," stated that "some disgruntled visitors said events were overbooked, resulting in long waits and canceled tours. Rufus Swain of Wilson said Wednesday that his family spent $120 on tickets for two ship tours Saturday that they weren't able to take because of the crowds. Swain, 79, said many people had to wait for shuttle rides in withering heat. 'It's frustrating,' he said. 'I feel for all the people who were around us.'

The article goes on to say that an estimated 160,000 people attended the Pepsi Americas' Sail 2006 between Friday and Tuesday, said Don Holloway, the festival's executive director.

"All in all, we think it was a great success," he told the paper. Holloway went on to say that 34,000 tickets were sold for events, including the tours of some tall ships. He said the festival's shuttle service carried 200,000 riders.

The Independent Weekly out of Durham called the event's glitches a "fiasco" in a July 5, 2006 headline, even going as far as to say that the "good people of Beaufort" have once again "survived occupation by privateers."

"They took with them untold booty," the article says, "but a simple run of math tells you that ticket sales at least were well over $1 million -- 40,000 at roughly $30 a pop. That would be great if every one of those 40,000 ticket holders, lured by a made-for-TV romantic image of tall ships sailing into a hisoric seaport, got what they paid for."

Still, the folks associated with the event and with promoting the Crystal Coast were encouraged by the turnout and the response. In fact, according to the Jacksonville Daily News, officials think the tall ships will one day -- hopefully sooner rather than later -- return.

"One of the goals of Americas’ Sail was to make Beaufort and Carteret County a regular stop for tall ships from around the world," said the article.

"The North Carolina Maritime Museum has invited a number of tall ship visits in the past and will continue to do so. It’s hoped that more will come now that Beaufort is well known. ...

" 'I think the tall ships will be a regular occurrence here,' said North Carolina Maritime Museum director David Nateman."

Perhaps. But hopefully everyone who buys tickets will actually be allowed to use them next time.

Wednesday, July 05, 2006

Follow that turtle!

Now anyone with a computer and Internet access can follow the sea-going exploits of four loggerhead turtles, who will head for the waters off Bald Head Island next week.

According to the Raleigh News & Observer, the four turtles have been outfitted with transmitters "on their shells that allow satellites to track them." Scientists will study their movements, but so can you. All you need to do is go to www.seaturtle.org to follow the ocean reptiles.

"We have no idea where these turtles are going to head," Melissa Hedges, a Bald Head Island Conservancy naturalist, told the N&O.

Turtle tracking isn't cheap [according to the paper]. Transmitters cost $2,000, and tracking the signal by satellite costs $3,000 a year. Researchers give sponsors a chance to name the turtles. Michael Coyne, a Duke University research scientist, said the projects raise money and encourage public involvement. He said schools, businesses or community groups can use tracking maps and photos for educational programs.

The turtles will be outfitted with tracking devices between Sunday and July 14. Hedges said the public can take part in watching for turtles on the beach from 9 p.m. to midnight. For information, call the conservancy at (910) 457-0089.

Since 2003, 12 turtles from Bald Head Island have been tracked as far away as New Jersey and Florida.