Calabash Nav.FP.Spring.10

PRSRT STD
US POSTAGE
PAID
TOWN OF CALABASH
SHALLOTTE, NC
PERMIT NO. 43
Post Office Box 4967 • Calabash, NC 28467
FALL 2010 / WINTER 2011
EARLY TOWN SEAFOOD RESTAURANT HISTORY
HIGHLIGHTED AT ANNUAL TOWN HALL DAY
The focus of the third annual Town
Hall Day this summer was to honor the
early seafood restaurant pioneers. As
a result of their efforts (and an interesting event featuring a famous entertainer!), the town earned its designation as the Seafood Capital of the
World. The well-attended Town Hall
Day, held on July 23rd and organized
by the Community Service Committee, offered residents the opportunity Town Hall Day attendees included (from left to right) Doll Thomas Scheid,
Clarice Coleman Holden, Mayor Anthony Clemmons and Virgil “Tinky” Coleman.
to meet and chat with Town Officials
and staff members in a room festooned with photoin 1935, Clinton Morse and his wife Bessie built, at
graphs depicting the town history. Along with fielding
that location, a crude oyster roasting building that that
enthusiastic and supportive comments from citizens
featured long benches and a sawdust floor. They
about the Town as it is today, Mayor Anthony
served oysters, flat cornbread and beets. The price of
Clemmons reported it was his distinct pleasure to
an oyster roast was twenty-five cents and you were
reminisce about the Town of Calabash as it was yesterserved all you could eat. Clinton and Bessie would
day and to highlight the early seafood restaurant
depart from Calabash in 1939 to open a larger oyster
pioneers.
roast business in Little River, SC.
From the very beginning Calabash had the right
Having taken notice of their success, Vester Beck
recipe for becoming the place to go for seafood. The
started an outside roasted oyster business. By 1942 he
art of roasting oysters was passed down from generaexpanded the business when he built a small, sawdust
tion to generation and each family had their own
floor restaurant. Having purchased the waterfront propspecial way of roasting. The riverfront, with Spanish
erty owned by Oswald Mears, Kurt and Lucy Coleman
moss laden oak trees providing a picturesque backconverted the old oyster and clam building into a residrop, was the location of many an oyster roast. Before
dence. In the backyard Kurt roasted oysters using a tin
becoming the site of Coleman’s Original Seafood
Coca Cola sign that was placed over a fireplace. Virgil
Restaurant, Oswald Mears began selling oysters and
“Tinky” Coleman, their son, said that “mama would cook
fish and cornbread inside and serve it on the back porch.
clams out of an old riverfront building in 1923. Opal
Some folks would eat under the oak trees. Mama kept
Bell Wilson started roasting oysters in 1932 on the
cooking and they kept coming and it wasn’t long before
corner of Calabash Landing Road (present day River
Road) and Georgetown Road. When Opal left Calabash
she cooked us out of house and home.” (continued inside)
UPCOMING
EVENTS:
Calabash Fall Festival & Car Show–Saturday, November 13th
Holiday Tree Lighting–Friday, December 3rd–6:00 PM
Callahan’s Nautical Gift Shop–parade, caroling, food & Santa!
CALLING ALL HISTORY BUFFS –In a continuing effort to preserve Town history, Mayor Clemmons is requesting that anyone having
items of historical content, to please bring them to Town Hall. Whether you are a native or a transplant, photos and articles of your family’s documented history is all a part of Town history!
WHEN WE BUILD IT, YOU CAN COME! The Town was recently awarded a state/matching funds grant for a Calabash Community
Park! The park will be located on a one acre tract adjacent to the Persimmon Road Town Hall. Park amenities include: playground, lawn sports,
covered picnic/entertainment pavilion with a stage, parking and rest rooms. You can help support the park by purchasing a personalized Heritage
Brick! Money collected through this fund raising event will help defray the Town’s matching contribution. Contact the Town Hall for more information about the bricks.
FARMER’S MARKET – The Town now has a place vendors can sell locally caught seafood and hand made crafts! First Saturday in May
through first Saturday in January; 8:00 a.m.– noon, Saturday AND Monday. Fees waived for 2010. Starting in May, 2011 there will be weekly,
monthly and seasonal fees.
FALL 2010 / WINTER 2011
CALABASH COMMUNITY NEWS, HIGHLIGHTS & UPCOMING EVENTS
Page 2, THE CALABASH NAVIGATOR
FALL 2010/WINTER 2011
FALL 2010/WINTER 2011
SEWER PROJECT UPDATE
EARLY TOWN SEAFOOD (continued from front page)
In 1950 Lawrence and Ella High opened Ella’s
Restaurant. Lawrence, who fished and harvested
oysters, quickly found that folks were enjoying the
seafood so much that he could not keep up with the
demand for seafood.
Disaster struck the Town in the form of Hurricane
Hazel in 1954. Despite the destruction of the waterfront, the restaurant pioneers fought back. Recovery
began with Hartford Price and Buddy Dew building
Dockside restaurant in 1955.
Seafood, along with personalities, abounded on the
waterfront during those early years. Long before WalMart started hiring greeters, Calabash had Miss Clarise
Price, affectionately called “Granny,” who not only
welcomed customers, but often sat down and ate lunch
with them as well.
By 1983 Calabash could boast having 23 seafood
restaurants with 1.5 million folks enjoying world
famous seafood every year. While space prohibits
naming all 23 restaurants, all are fondly remembered
and photos of just about all of them can be seen on
exhibit during Town Hall Day.
In the beginning, restaurants were closed during the
summer. Before long demand for a platter of fried
shrimp, oysters and hushpuppies started to increase
and restaurants opened year round.
Calabash style seafood includes more than just the
famous recipe: add a little salt and pepper, lightly
batter in fine flour and fry in 350 degree oil. Town
resident Carolyn Schrieber is a cook in the style of
“Kenny Rogers”. She says “you have to know when
to lay it down and when to pick it up.” When it comes
to the art of Calabash seafood there is a fine line
between overcooking and undercooking.
The history of seafood in Calabash would not be
complete without mentioning that in the early days the
focus wasn’t just on the fish. Families were very
important. Then, as now but to a lesser degree, operating a seafood business was a family affair, with the
families living adjacent to their restaurants. Consider
Mrs. Amanda High, the “Matriarch of Calabash.”
She moved to Calabash in 1923 and four of her children started seafood restaurants – Lawrence (Ella’s),
Lucy (Coleman’s Original), Ruth (Beck’s) and Ivey
(present day Grapevine).
The “family” designation was extended to customers. Folks who ate at the restaurants were treated like
one of the family and often were on a first name basis
with the owners.
Like any early settlers, those intrepid restaurant
pioneers had to deal with forces beyond their control.
Lucy’s restaurant was destroyed by Hurricane Hazel
and was a victim of fire not once but twice. But she
kept right on going. Imagine how hot the ovens were
in those early days – the days before electricity became widely available.
And now for that famous entertainer that was
mentioned! We speak of the legendary personality
Jimmy Durante and his visit to Calabash. He ate at
Lucy’s restaurant and was so impressed with the food
and service that he told her he was going to make her
famous. As he left the restaurant he turned and said
“Good night Mrs. Calabash.” Jimmy Durante’s
famous saying can be viewed on YouTube.
It is with great appreciation that we thank the
Community Services Committee for presenting an
event to the public that remembers and honors all of
the early seafood restaurant pioneers, and celebrates
passions and pursuits we continue to have in common.
Building Boom
The intersection of Clariday Road and Old
Georgetown Road will soon be sporting an apartment
complex. Fourteen of the eighteen three story buildings, the clubhouse and pool and some of the garages
should be ready for occupancy in the Spring. As of
October there were seven new single family houses
under construction. There is a new Family Dollar on
Beach Drive.
Recycling Revisited
The one thing you’ll need to recycle in Town is a
decal. The decal, which is free and obtainable at Town
Hall, identifies you as a Town resident so you can
access the large blue recycling receptacles located in
the Town Hall parking lot. Recycling items includes:
newspapers and inserts (untied and can be in paper
bags but no plastic bags), aluminum cans (emptied and
rinsed out), glass and plastic (all plastic #1 through #6empties, rinsed, and crushed). NOT accepted: any
glass that is not a food/beverage container, aluminum
foil (pie plates and related items), toys, cardboard,
pizza boxes or Styrofoam.
Leaf Pick Up Program
As this newsletter goes to press, the Mayor and the
Board of Commissioners are discussing possible
changes to the Branch/Brush/Leaf curbside pick-up
program. If there are any significant changes, that
information will be reported in the newspaper. Please
call Town Hall with your questions regarding this
program. Until changes are made to the curbside pick
up program, no burning of yard debris permitted.
THE CALABASH NAVIGATOR, Page 3
THE FIRST STEP: Complete a SEWER SERVICE AGREEMENT with the county.
Contact the county’s Customer Service/Billing department at 253-2633 ext. 3.
As the project is almost complete with residents receiving a letter from the County informing them they can begin
the process of connecting to the system, the following
information about the necessary permits may be useful.
Town permit fees have been waived. Inspections are
required. For GRAVITY connections only a licensed
plumber is needed. The homeowner or the licensed
plumber can obtain a permit at Town Hall. After the
connection is made, either person can call Town Hall to
schedule the inspection. After an approved inspection, the
Town informs the County that the connection has been
made and approved. For LOW PRESSURE/GRINDER
connections a licensed electrician and licensed plumber
are needed. Once the licensed electrician has been hired,
that person or the homeowner can apply for the permit.
The owner or contractor can call to schedule an inspection.
Once the connection is approved by the Town inspector,
the County will install the pump and test the system. The
Town contacts the property owner that the test has been
completed and the licensed plumber can be called in.
The contractor or home owner then obtains the second
permit. After the connection is made, the work is inspected. After a successful inspection, the Town contacts
the County. There will be a period of one year in which
the B.C. Utility Department will waive the connection fees
– these fees are in addition to the assessment fee (which
has not been established but it does not appear the amount
will exceed $5500).
Sewer/Wastewater Collection System
Connection Assistance Program
There is an amount of money that has been set aside to
assist low income and handicapped property owners with
the cost of connecting to the County’s wastewater collection system. Applications can be obtained at Town Hall
and once completed, mailed to the County for review.
Applications will be accepted and approved until all the
funds have been allocated or one year from the date of
sewer service availability. Apply BEFORE you start the
connection process.
CALABASH TOWN OFFICIALS
Board of Commissions
Mayor
Mayor Pro-Tem
Commissioner
Commissioner
Commissioner
Commissioner
Anthony Clemmons
Forrest King
John Melahn
William“Bill” Dixon
Joseph “Jody” Nance
Mary Louise Knight
Board of Adjustment
Chairperson
Regular Member
Regular Member
Regular Member
Regular ETJ Member
Alternate Member
Alternate Member
Sonia Climer
Martin Keefe
J.W. Brown
Charles Daniels
Vacant
Patricia Lewellyn
Bobby Lewis
Town Hall Holiday Closings
November 11 (Veterans’ Day)
November 25 & 26 (Thanksgiving)
December 23 & 24 (Christmas
December 31 (New Year’s)
Planning and Zoning Board
Chairperson
Vice Chairperson
Town Member
Town Member
Town Member
ETJ Member
Town Member
J.W. Brown
Martin Keefe
Alton Watts
Joshua Truesdale
John Thomas
Kenneth Drennan
Vacant
Town Hall Staff
Interim Town Admin./Town Clerk
Tax Collector
Code Enforcement Official
Office/I.D. Assistant/LPO
Town Services/Animal Control
Town Services/Code Enforcement
Town Services
Town Services
Town Services
Kelley Southward
Carolyn Silvers
Stanley W. Dills
Barbra Bianco Hagan
Bill Danford
James McCartney
James Morgan, Jr.
Sid Silvers
Corky Marshall
Administration: (910) 579-6747 • Building Inspections: (910) 579-0500
Fax (910) 579-5495
Web: www.townofcalabash.net • Email: [email protected]