BY MILES LAYTON
James “Ooker” Eskridge was sworn into another term as Tangier’s mayor by Accomack County Clerk of Circuit Court Talia Taylor on Friday in the clerk’s office in Accomac.
First elected as Tangier’s mayor in 2007, Eskridge has been a tireless advocate of the island.
“I’m grateful to be re-elected,” he said. “I think the team that we have will do our best to serve the community.”
When Earl Swift wrote a book about Tangier, he interviewed Eskridge. In Chesapeake Requiem – A Year with the Watermen of Vanishing Tangier Island, Eskridge gave his take on climate change, an issue that always seems to paint outsiders’ perspective of life on the island.
A deeply religious man, Eskridge is quoted in Swift’s book as saying, “Our main concern is the erosion. Sea level rise, that might be occurring, but it is small scale next to the erosion. I’m not so sure it’s man that is the cause of it. That’s my thing, is how much of it is man’s cause. I don’t think man can do a lot to affect it.”
Eskridge has made headlines near and far by talking to folks such as President Donald Trump and former Vice President Al Gore. Because of all the attention that Eskridge has attracted, Tangier has been the beneficiary of much needed state and federal dollars to preserve the island’s shorelines and heritage. More still needs to be done to preserve this way of life, but Eskridge remains committed to serving his community of about 400 souls living on a tiny island nestled in the heart of the Chesapeake Bay.
According to The Daily Times, when Eskridge spoke to Trump in June of 2017, he told the president that Tangier Island is “a huge supporter of Donald Trump. … This is a Trump island; we really love you down here.”
Eskridge continued: “I said, ‘The stuff you are doing is just common-sense stuff.’ I said, ‘I believe you’re for the working man — and you want people to get back to work — you’re for the military, and Israel and religious liberties — It’s all the stuff that we value.’ I said, ‘I believe you came along for such a time as this.'”
Not much has changed since that interview — there are many Trump flags flying near and far across the island. President Trump, if you read this, we would certainly appreciate a follow-up call! Congratulation on your re-election too.
During CNN’s “The Climate Crisis” town hall in 2017, Eskridge said to Gore, “I’m a commercial crabber and I’ve been working the Chesapeake Bay for 50 plus years. And I have a crab house business out on the water. And the water level is the same as it was when the place was built in 1970.”
Eskridge continued, “I’m not a scientist, but I’m a keen observer. And if sea level rise is occurring, why am I not seeing signs of it? I mean our island is disappearing, but it’s because of erosion and not sea level rise and unless we got a sea wall we will lose our island, but back to the question, why am I not seeing signs of the sea level rise?”
When Gore, bless his heart — not a compliment from this writer, responded to Eskridge’s question, he shared his perception of global warming, ultimately talking about sun and wind energy.
“We have heaven sent, so to speak, enough solar energy in one hour to provide what the entire world uses for a full year. And from wind, we get 40 times as much energy as the entire world needs. We have the tools available now to solve this crisis.”
Born and raised in Tangier, Eskridge is one of the best watermen anywhere — he has been featured in many documentaries such as Yellow Shanty about life on the island. He is also known as an animal lover and family man with deep roots in the community.
Tangier Island, Virginia 