For Midge Ogletree of Columbia, retirement wasn’t exactly about relaxing, but more about giving back. She serves on the Columbia Board of Aldermen and on the federation’s Board of Directors and works tirelessly to restore the environment of the northeast N.C. coast.
People
Murray Bridges: Still Fishing After All These Years
Despite declining water quality, soaring fuel prices and increased foreign competition, commercial fisherman Murray Bridges still takes to the water early most mornings in search of beautiful swimmers.
Volunteers Protecting a River
Meet federation volunteers Kevin Talon and Phyllis Evans, members of what’s become known as the Lockwood Army, so-called because of their disciplined and tireless contributions to the health of Brunswick County’s Lockwood Folly River and Inlet.
Coastal Sketch: Russell Blackwood
Come enter the aquatic world of this Buxton resident and freediver who uses his camera to take intimate photos of the denizens of the not so deep.
Meet Margaret Herring
Margaret Herring’s advocacy comes honestly. She marched with blacks in the South in the 1960s and worked with poor white coal miners in Kentucky. And it almost killed her.
Beth Moulton: A Jill of All Trades
A keen interest in kayaking brought Beth Moulton into the office one day almost 10 years ago, and her love for the coast has kept her coming back to help keep things moving smoothly around here.
Manteo’s Rain Garden Lady
Mary Ann Hodges, a teacher at Manteo Middle School, knows that kids can learn from doing something as simple as planting a tree.
Meet the Parrot Heads
You won’t go far at this weekend’s Native Plant Festival without bumping into Parrot Heads, who like to say they party with a purpose.
Coastal Sketch: Veronica Carter
It took a long time for Leland’s Veronica Carter to become an environmental activist and volunteer for the N.C. Coastal Federation, but it was a role she’d been preparing for most of her life.
Ron McCord, a Great Ambassador
There was no “Aha!” moment, no defining event that crystallized Ron McCord’s long-time commitment to the federation. It was, rather, a steady growth in his awareness of the environmental threats posed to the coastal region he had adopted.
Coastal Sketch: Harry Brown, the N.C. Senate’s ‘Fixer’
State Sen. Harry Brown of Jacksonville is the majority leader and the coast’s highest-ranking legislative leader. A well-known car dealer, Brown talks about juggling his business life with a hectic schedule in Raleigh and his ability as a “fixer.”
Coastal Sketch: Marc Basnight Rises to Power
Marc Basnight of Manteo rose to unprecedented political power as the president of the N.C. Senate for 18 years. In this, the second of two parts, Basnight, who retired last year, talks about his legislative legacy and about having Lou Gehrig’s disease.
Coastal Sketch: Marc Basnight, the Squire of Manteo
Marc Basnight was the most powerful politician in the state before his retirement last year from the N.C. Senate. He championed many measures to protect coastal resources. Diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s disease, Basnight talks about his career in the first of a two-part series. It’s the only interview he’s granted since his retirement.
