What’s Up Duck
By Monica Thibodeau-
New Duck Town Hall. The new town hall opened in February of this year.
After a fairly mild winter, the Outer Banks is waking up and getting ready to greet our visitors.
Folks that were here during our quieter months had the opportunity to attend the grand opening of the Duck Town Hall and community meeting space on February 16th. It was a great opportunity to tour the new buildings, reflect on the accomplishment, and visit with fellow residents and guests. An introduction and champagne toast were led by Mayor Don Kingston. Delicious tastings from Red Sky Cafe were offered in all corners of the facility so visitors could graze while taking in the many facets of the building. Be sure to stop by and take your own tour when you are in the area.
The festivities continue throughout the year as Duck celebrates its 10th year as an official town. May 1st marks the actual date of incorporation, and plans a for small celebration are in development. We have a special logo and a commemorative postage meter stamp. Artwork and pictures remembering Duck’s early years as well as the past ten years will soon be on display in the lobby of the town hall.
A committee of citizens has been working on wall decor for the facilities. There’s great sentiment to honor the early history of Duck, and after much research, the group has amassed some fantastic images and items for exhibit. Outside, new landscaping around the buildings will blend with the plants and natural vegetation in the surrounding park. It’s a work in progress that is taking shape and will be enhanced over time.
With this milestone year, Duck continues to look ahead. Many issues are on the table, and like every other town, Duck is trying to work within a tighter budget—revenues have been shaved a bit and the careful allocation of our resources is always a concern.
One project, funded entirely by grants, is the next sound side boardwalk extension. With plans to be complete by mid May, this section will connect the park southward along the sound to a point just across from Christopher Street at the Wings store. Eventually, the plan is to extend the boardwalk all the way to the southern end of the Village Commercial area.
With partial assistance from the Dare County Shoreline Commission, a comprehensive study of the beach is also underway. Planned in three phases, we will have sophisticated mapping along of the beach, the dunes and under the surf. This mapping gives us baseline data. Phase two will provide models which can help predict erosion and potential vulnerabilities. Phase three will offer some concrete suggestions for action and associated costs.
In the meantime, Duck’s portion of the interest income from the Shoreline Commission funds allows us to plant sea grass; this season it will be planted along the southern half of the town’s beach, enhanced with sand fencing funded by individual homeowners associations.
On the private property arena, this will be the last season to enjoy the original Duck Deli. Plans were just approved for a completely new building which, in addition to a more modern kitchen and dining facility, will offer a much safer parking solution. The project should begin next October so there should only be a short interruption of their famous BBQ.
The community of Duck should be proud of the past ten years as an official town and excited about the future.
Happy 10th Anniversary Duck, from the staff at the North Beach Sun and Access Design!
Monica Thibodeau, Principal Broker of Carolina Designs Realty, serves on the Town Council,and has been a resident of Duck for over 20 years.
