Seaside Vacations Announces the 2012 Lineup for Club Seaside

(Kitty Hawk, N.C.) Seaside Vacations, a leading vacation rental company located on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, announces the lineup for their 2012 Club Seaside program. Believing that a vacation should be more than just a house at the beach, Seaside Vacations is continuing to redefine the Outer Banks vacation experience by combining the best things about staying in a private vacation home with the best things about staying in a luxury resort. Offered exclusively to all Seaside Vacations guests, the Club Seaside program has grown from eight events, when it was launched in 2009, to 15 complimentary events in 2012. Returning from 2011 are the professional golf and tennis clinics, yoga classes, wine tastings, circuit training, family portraits, beading class, fishing class, pet luau, a tour of The Whalehead Club, and a wild horse tour.

Dare County Commends Congressman Jones for Beach Access Legislation

(Manteo, N.C.) Dare County recently commended Congressman Walter B. Jones for introducing legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives that would authorize access for all users of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore Recreational Area. H.R. 4094, titled the "Preserving Access to Cape Hatteras National Seashore Recreational Area Act," would reinstate the Interim Management Strategy and prevent any additional restrictions on access to the seashore while providing corridors to the maximum extent possible. Warren Judge, Chairman of the Dare County Board of Commissioners said, "Congressman Jones has been a longstanding advocate for providing reasonable recreational access balanced with science-based resource protection. The millions of people who visit the Cape Hatteras National Seashore Recreational Area and depend upon it for economic survival appreciate his commitment and efforts."

Outer Banks Chamber President Retires

John Bone and wife Myra Ladd-Bone

(Kill Devil Hills) The Outer Banks Chamber of Commerce today announced that John Bone, its president and CEO, is retiring. Bone has represented the needs and interest of the Outer Banks business community for nearly thirty years. "You reach a time when you need a change in your life, now is that time for me," Bone said. "I am looking forward to a new chapter in my life." The Chamber plans to fill the President position with an interim position during the process of searching for a new president.  Bone,  who will assist with the transition, began working for the Chamber in 1983 as executive officer.

Online Registration Open for Cupcake 5K Race May 20th to Benefit the American Cancer Society

(Kill Devil Hills, N.C.) Online registration is underway for the Second Annual Cupcake 5K race in Kill Devil Hills on May 20th, benefiting the American Cancer Society as part of the Relay for Life weekend. Adult registration fees are $20 and $25, with under-16 registration $15 online; for details, click on the Cupcake 5K link at www.obxrelayforlife.org. “The cupcake with its candle signifies the individual birthday, and through fundraising, more research can be accomplished and procedures fine tuned, creating the tagline line for the race, ‘Racing toward a world with more birthdays,’” Shane Miles, race director, said. Race organizers are reaching out to competitive runners, casual athletes, cancer survivors, caregivers of cancer patients, and individuals wanting to run in honor of a loved one or close friend to help raise awareness of the fight against cancer. The race begins at 8:30 and snakes through the streets adjacent to the Wright Brothers Memorial in the beautiful Outer Banks.

No Big Mega Millions Winner in North Carolina

(The Outer Banks) That dream beach house in the Outer Banks is still on hold for many, as Tuesday night’s Mega Millions drawing came and went without a winner. No players picked the six correct numbers in the latest multi-state lottery game; as a result, the jackpot has grown to a record $476 million in time for the next drawing on Friday. Several players, 47 to be exact, came very close, matching five of the six winning numbers. Each of those tickets is worth at least $250,000. The winning numbers Tuesday night were: Nine, 19, 34, 44 and 51, with a Mega Ball of 24. The amount of last night’s jackpot was $363 million. In 2007, the jackpot in the Mega Millions game was a record $390 million, which was won by two people in New Jersey and Georgia who split the prize. Mega Millions is played in more than 40 states, the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Canadian Reunited with Camera Lost off the Outer Banks

(Outer Banks, N.C.) A Saskatchewan man has been reunited with his digital camera 10 months after a wave knocked it off his stand-up paddleboard and into the Atlantic Ocean. Zach Wilson, an adventure sports enthusiast and film-maker was paddle-boarding off North Carolina's Outer Banks in May of last year with a friend, when his GoPro digital camera went missing. "We were actually done for the evening, just coming in to the beach and a foot-high wave maybe, it was tiny, knocked it off the board," Wilson told CTV's Canada AM. "I think I had it mounted not quite correctly, and it was gone right away." Wilson and his friend tried to find the camera, but were unsuccessful and eventually gave it up to the ocean, accepting that it was gone for good. Ten months later, on Feb. 28, he got an unexpected surprise when the friend he was with at the time spotted what he thought was an image of Wilson, posted online. "He was like 'you need to check out REAL Watersports' Facebook page...I think your GoPro washed up on shore,'" Wilson said.

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OBXSpringTraining.com Now Active

(Kitty Hawk, N.C.) Casual apparel and activewear company OBX Outfitters has launched OBXSpringTraining.com, an online resource for outdoor events in the Outer Banks. OBX Spring Training is a clearinghouse of springtime events where serious runners and casual athletes get together in the beauty of the Outer Banks and pursue their sport of choice, often to benefit charitable causes. As a "Thank You" to the many marathoners and running enthusiasts who make the Outer Banks such a special place to vacation and live, OBX Outfitters is offering a 25% discount off our Find Your Stride(TM) activewear. Additionally, the company is inviting OBX businesses supporting the many events listed on OBXSpringTraining.com to submit free listings for consideration of publication on the website. For more information, visit OBXSpringTraining.com.

The Pitfalls to Overpricing Your Home

by Tom Hranicka, Sales Department Manager, Outer Beaches Realty
(Hatteras Island, N.C.) Buyers today are primarily looking for location, condition, and price in the properties that they purchase. Since the location is fixed, and rental homes are usually in good condition, the variable over which a seller has the most control when listing their home for sale is the asking price. Traditionally, the best measures of a home's value are the price at which comparable properties have been sold and those that are under contract. We also study the prices at which similar properties are presently being offered for sale to get some feel for the competition. Despite the market indicators that lead us to a determination of the probable sale price for the home that is being evaluated, some homeowners choose to "overprice" their properties.

Rise in Oil Prices isn't Affecting Hotel Industry, Starwood CEO Says

(Reuters) The chief executive of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide said oil prices would have to rise "pretty significantly" from current levels to put a dent in hotel demand. Frits Van Paasschen said the current increase in oil prices reflects a U.S. and global economy that is gaining speed, a factor that bodes well overall for hotels. Starwood caters to higher-end customers with brands that include Sheraton, W and Westin. Oil prices rose on Friday, with Brent crude moving above $125 a barrel, as Iran oil supply worries and a weakening of the dollar on lesser chances of U.S. monetary policy tightening improved investor risk appetite for commodities. Van Paasschen said he wasn't overly concerned about oil price levels at the current time. >> Read More

Groups Aim to Keep Fishing Traditions Alive

(Morehead City, N.C.) Coming up with a catchy slogan has been the easy part. Fishing families in North Carolina have faced plenty of challenges in the past few decades — from adapting to tighter regulations to heavy competition by foreign fishing fleets and farmed products. For leaders in the state’s growing local-catch movement, which aims to keep North Carolina’s fishing traditions alive, the big challenge ahead is getting the rest of us to remember that “buy local” applies to seafood, too.

Last month, local-catch leaders gathered here in Carteret County to look at ways to spread the word about N.C. seafood.

The Feb. 22 Local Catch Summit, sponsored by North Carolina Sea Grant and Saltwater Connections, drew about 25 representatives from North Carolina’s four local-catch groups — Carteret Catch, Brunswick Catch, Ocracoke Fresh and Outer Banks Catch — and North Carolina Catch, a newly formed umbrella organization. >> Read More

March 17 is 3rd Annual Night at the Races

(Kill Devil Hills, N.C.) The 3rd Annual Night at the Races, which will be held on the 17th of March at the Hilton Garden Inn, is sponsored by the Corolla Wild Horse Fund together with former professional jockey Jeffrey Carle. Paying guests will be entitled to receive $30 playing money which they may use for any or the six races slated for the night. They may also participate in the various contests that will be held throughout the event while enjoying refreshing hors d’oeuvres. Other activities that make up the event’s program include etched wine glass sales, a silent auction, a cash bar, and lots of raffles. Guests are invited to don their most delightful headpieces as there will also be a contest for the best hat for ladies and gentlemen. No guest will go home with heavy spirits as there are also prizes prepared for both winners and losers.

Support Grows for Change.org Petition to Remove ORV Rule

(Cape Hatteras, N.C.) Over 17,000 signatures have been collected for an online petition on Change.org to remove the ORV rule recently implemented by the National Park Service. Quoting the petition, "This Recreational Seashore was set aside and dedicated 'for the benefit and enjoyment of the American People.' With the new 'rule' in place, an enormous loss of income will occur on Hatteras and Ocracoke islands as a result of closures and new restrictions. These new restrictions will have the effect of limiting commerce within the National Park Service fostered, tourism based, economies now extant within the eight villages surrounded by the Seashore." Support for the petition is growing just as Congressman Walter B. Jones (R-NC) introduced H.R. 4094, legislation that would restore reasonable pedestrian and motorized access to the Cape Hatteras National Seashore Recreational Area, on March 5th. The bill would overturn the final rule implemented by the National Park Service (NPS), as well as the 2008 U.S. District court approved Consent Decree. Both the Rule and the Consent Decree excessively restrict human access to the Recreational Area. The bill would reinstitute the Park Service’s 2007 Interim Management Strategy (IMS) to govern visitor access and species protection in the Recreational Area. The Interim Strategy was backed up by a 113-page Biological Opinion issued by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service which found that it would not jeopardize the species of concern, namely piping plover and sea turtles. H.R. 4094 has been referred to the House Natural Resources Committee for further consideration. To view and/or sign the petition, >> click here <<

General Assembly Lawyer Says Governor Can't Block Ferry Toll Increases

(Raleigh, N.C.) A lawyer for the General Assembly said today that Gov. Bev Perdue had no constitutional authority to block new and increased ferry tolls ordered by the legislature in the state budget, and a House panel voted to seek an opinion from Attorney General Roy Cooper. "We've enacted a budget that requires tolls to be established," Gerry Cohen, director of the legislature's bill drafting staff, told the House transportation appropriations subcommittee today. "And in my opinion, the governor is bound by the constitution to administer the budget as enacted and does not have any authority for a moratorium on its provisions." The Republican-controlled legislature adopted a budget last year that included a directive for new tolls on two ferry routes that are now toll-free and for increased rates on three routes where tolls are collected. The new tolls were supposed to take effect April 1. >>Read More

Read more here: http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/03/08/1915645/general-assembly-lawyer-perdue.html#storylink=cpy

A Lifeline Built on Shifting Sands

(Rodanthe, N.C.) Last August, when Hurricane Irene sliced across the Outer Banks, it cut Highway 12, Hatteras Island’s lifeline, in two places. Engineers rushed to repair the damage, filling and repaving a washed-out stretch of roadway here and building a bridge over a newly formed inlet a few miles to the north. The road reopened on Oct. 11, to the cheers of anglers, would-be vacationers and the innkeepers, restaurateurs and merchants whose livelihoods had taken a huge blow. But the winds and waves that shape the coast were already gnawing at the new bridge. By January, engineers were reinforcing its southern approach with sandbags and rock trucked in from the mainland, in hopes of keeping the road open until a more permanent fix could be designed and built. >> Read More

OBX St. Patrick's Day Parade Beverage Tips

(Nags Head, N.C.) The annual St. Patrick's Day parade will take place at 1 pm on Sunday, March 18, 2012 rain or shine. Note that at 12 pm on parade day, S. Virginia Dare Trail (aka the Beach Road) will be closed from Eighth Street (at the Nags Head/Kill Devil Hills town line) south to Hollowell Street. If you plan to drink alcohol during the parade, please read the tips below.

• Malt beverages (beer/wine coolers) are allowed to be possessed and consumed in public areas to include sidewalks, roadsides, parade route, etc.    
• Spirituous liquor (includes mixed beverages) are NOT allowed to be possessed or consumed in any public area which includes sidewalks, roadsides, parade route, etc. 
• Alcoholic beverages (spirituous liquor/including mixed beverages and malt beverages) that are purchased at a restaurant must remain on that establishment’s property.  
• Open containers and/or the consumption of any alcoholic beverage in a vehicle are prohibited.
• No personal alcoholic beverages (spirituous liquor, mixed beverages, malt beverages, beer/wine coolers) may be brought onto the property of a restaurant.
• No alcoholic beverages may be possessed or consumed on any property owned by the Dare County Board of Education (Nags Head Elementary School and Board of Education Administration building parking areas).
• If you plan to drink alcohol, consider using a designated driver.

If you have questions, please contact the Nags Head Police Department at 252-441-6386.