BY MILES LAYTON
Not everyone is lucky enough – blessed – to know Tangier’s rhythms, so here is a standard week in July that’s topped off by the Fourth of July.
Why write about this? Because the Town’s website is seen by thousands of people who need to know that Tangier is about much more than media-driven stories about climate change — the Island that’s nestled in the heart of the Chesapeake Bay is filled with people who have a strong sense of community.
There are a lot of people who’ve lived longer on the Island who can tell this story better – they know more – folks such as Mayor James “Ooker” Eskridge, who has appeared on national television discussing the Island with former Vice President Al Gore. There have been a few documentaries made about Tangier, with the most recent being “Been Here Stay Here” which I wholeheartedly recommend seeing. That’s Mayor Eskridge in the movie’s poster.
And then there’s Earl Swift’s fantastic book, a New York Times bestseller — “Chesapeake Requiem: A Year with the Watermen of Vanishing Tangier Island” — that provides a living history of the people and places of the Island.
This time, I get to share the stories — I’ve always believed God puts folks where He wants them, and I’m blessed to be a fairly good reporter. These little anecdotes that I’ve written – they happened over the course of a few days to paint a sketch of life in a place where neighbors know and help each other, visitors are welcome, and where island life moves at a bit slower pace. Photos come from a combination of past and present trips to the Island.
The sun gets out of bed early, around 5:45ish in July, but that’s usually long after many watermen have left the dock to go crabbing. It’s sunny with a light breeze. The forecast calls for rain later in the day, but that’s to be seen.
After a cup of coffee, other folks are getting to work too and will greet each other by name or with a friendly wave.
Cameron Evans said crabbing is pretty good this season – prices have stayed steady. He is blessed to work on the water. Coincidentally, when Evans was out on the water that morning, renowned Chesapeake Bay photographer Jay Fleming was touring with some folks while Evans was crabbing. If you love taking photos of island life, maybe sign up for one of Fleming’s tours of the bay – Tangier and Smith Islands.
Evans is a man who wears many hats. You can rent kayaks from his shop, buy a souvenir or one of his photographs to take home or go on one of the photography tours he runs. You can find out more at https://www.cameronevansphotography.com/
Speaking of crabs, I saw a mother with some small children crabbing later in the day by the bridge that spans “The Gut” – a waterway that bisects the Island. One of the kids’ nets scooped up a crab too!
Back to the morning – another friendly greeting – Beth Thomas – she said hello and waved on her way to work, where she collects fares for the Courtney Thomas and manages a small store near the dock that is the boat’s departure point. The Courtney Thomas is a mailboat that ferries mail and passengers six days a week between Tangier and Crisfield, Maryland.
Monday through Saturday, the boat departs the Island at 8 a.m. sharp and, after leaving Crisfield at 12:30 p.m., returns home around 1:30 p.m. The trip between the Island and the Mainland is worth the $30 fare – wind in your hair, views of the crabbers’ deadrise boats in the bay, maybe even see an occasional dolphin or two racing the boat to its destination.
Thomas and her family, who own/manage Courtney Thomas, are active in island life – she knows everyone, and she posts regularly to social media if the mail boat, more or less the Island’s lifeline, may be delayed by bad weather. Worth noting, there are other boats piloted by knowledgeable captains that travel back and forth to the Island.
As I was walking back to the house after drinking the morning’s coffee, a man from Medford, New Jersey, named AJ, greeted me while he was parked in a golf cart in front of Tangier Combined School, taking in the cool morning – it had rained the night before; storm’s breeze still blowing. AJ is a retired Army veteran who served for 22 years — he heard about Tangier because he and his family passed through the Eastern Shore to visit relatives in Virginia. They are staying at the Island Oasis, an Airbnb located near the waterfront.
“I always wanted to visit Tangier, so I brought the family to see the Island — great place,” he said.
Many people are like that – finding Tangier, because unless “you know, you don’t know” where this place is. I think God has a hand in bringing folks to the Island.
AJ said his family had dinner at Lorraine’s Seafood Restaurant – great food – and they enjoyed their time exploring. I told him Tangier is filled with friendly people who embrace their town. After wishing AJ well, I walked home, thankful I could talk to someone about the Island’s virtues, maybe he’ll tell other folks to visit.
Later that morning, I needed to get a leaky spigot fixed. Tommy Eskridge sold me a wrench at the Town’s hardware store. Eskridge is a good councilman – though I didn’t have my glasses on, I think I could see that he was wearing a Trump t-shirt. That made me happy.
I discovered that the spigot’s threads had been stripped bare, with the rubber missing too; it was an old backyard spigot used for gardening. Chris Haynie, supervisor at the Town’s water department, helped me out, made two trips to his shop – one for a pipe wrench and another for the right spigot. Haynie fixed that spigot up right good. Thanks!
Between late morning and early evening, I stay indoors because it can get hot outside during the summer same as it does at most places. That said, I needed milk and maybe a gallon of ice cream to better cope with the heat.
Tuesday is the day when the shelves are stocked at the town’s grocery store, Daley and Son Grocery. That’s when most of the locals do their shopping, whether buying bread, milk, deli meat – the store has most anything – good prices too.
Saw Nancy Creedle in the aisle where the milk is stored in a big cooler. Creedle is active at Swain Memorial Methodist Church – she was born in Newport News and raised in West Virginia, where I lived for many years. Her family moved to Tangier after her husband, Wade, was appointed pastor of the church in 1992 — he passed away in 2010. RIP
Holding a half-gallon of milk, Nancy asked me if I could tell her what the expiration date was. I answered that it was at least two weeks away. Then I reached into the back of the cooler to give her another half gallon that would expire a little later, maybe in two and a half weeks. That made her happy – and I, too, grabbed a half gallon of milk.
Bought some duct tape, too – I needed to patch a tiny hole in a plastic pipe. Yes, I own an old home that I’m proud of, which needs some work from time to time. Around 400 souls call Tangier home — Seeing what the world has become lately, I thought it best to move to a place that still values faith and family —a real-life Mayberry, the town from the Andy Griffith Show.
Paid for my groceries using Apple Pay at the cash register. Last summer, I lost my debit card and didn’t have any cash –Lance Daley, co-owner of the store, wrote down my name on a ledger and allowed me to pay a short time later – when I got my card. Thx! After that happened, I had one of my kids, with help from my wife, Nicole, download Apple Pay onto my cellphone.
Tuesday, the store hadn’t stocked the shelves as yet with ice cream, so I went to Four Brothers Crab House and Ice Cream Deck, which has all sorts of flavors. Four Brothers is very popular year round, but especially during the summer.
Lot of kids on bikes – I don’t see that a lot in towns on the mainland anymore. Those kids are too busy playing video games and pushing colors around on other screens. That’s too bad.
Early evening, around 6 or so, I was walking through town when Joan Parks offered me a ride to The Brigadune, an inn located near where I was going – the beach. A native of Tangier, Joan has lived on the island her entire life, raised two daughters, Christine and Andrea.
One of them I knew – Christine – she teaches K-5 at Tangier Combined School. I think she’s been teaching around 30 years. Joan’s other daughter – Andrea, she’s a hair stylist – lives on the island too.
That must be nice, raising your children in a close-knit community and being around them as they raise their own families. Joan’s mother and sister live on the Island near The Brigadune.
After Joan dropped me off, I walked to the beach nearby to go swimming, cool down after a hot day. I try to do that each evening — walk to the beach, go swimming, maybe walk a good ways to the tail end of the Island to where the beach thins out to less than 25-yards wide or so, bordered by the Chesapeake Bay on both sides.
Wednesday, there is Sunday school in the evening at Swain Memorial Methodist Church. Unfortunately, I got so caught up in work that I missed that. Religious life is healthy on the Island with two churches – Swain and at New Testament. When time allows, I attend both Sunday services – you can catch New Testament first and then Swain.
And I’ll say this – some places, you feel a little more closer to God – Tangier is one of those places. Yes, God is everywhere, but I think He too has His favorite spots. Moreover, because the “noise” of life outside the Island is unable to intrude, that quiet and stillness allows you to reconnect with your faith and think about what’s really important.
Thursday was a cool morning – fog on the Island too and quiet except for the sound of “mules” motoring to the docks with watermen who were planning to do some crabbing – Bay’s waters were calm, still.
Speaking of work, because there is always a healthy bay breeze blowing, I’ve seen women hanging their clothes to dry on their clotheslines in the backyards. Lawnmowers cut grass in tiny yards and not-so-tiny yards across the Island.
Random notes from walking out and about:
- Chesapeake House (pictured above) is undergoing repairs/renovation — saw three or four guys out front ripping up the wood on the porch with planks of new wood being stored inside. Fixing that place up — that’s a big deal to the Island.
- That tiny red shack, I forgot what it was once called, but watermen used to talk there — located sort of by the walkway as you come up from the harbor — long in disrepair, well, that’s been torn down.
- Swain Memorial’s roof has had some work done — looks nice.
- Air conditioning at the New Testament Church is top notch.
- There are now hand-painted signs pointing folks to the beach.
- There is a “tiny” book library on Main Ridge Road — near the shaded part, sort of in the Chesapeake House area.
- Town Hall is no longer at the airport building, but is now centrally located “downtown” in the old clinic building.
- Feels like there are more small engine planes coming and going, traveling to Tangier.
- Houses with yards that needed some mowing — well, their yards have been SUPER mowed and weeded — very impressive.
- A Christian cross has been erected, maybe re-erected, in the marsh by West Ridge Road, more or less near Mayor Eskridge’s house.
Waved to Duane Crockett – pastor and school teacher. He’s a great historian when it comes to his knowledge of the Island, knowledge that he shares with his students at Tangier Combined School. And when Crockett leads the prayer at public gatherings or gives a sermon at New Testament Church, one almost senses God’s smile.
Friday morning – as I walked to the bridge crossing the waterway – “The Gut” where I drink my coffee soon after sunrise, I thought I heard a rooster crowing on this end of the Island – first time I’ve heard one crowing on this side of the Island.
Being that it’s Fourth of July, the American flags were flying in the graveyards by Swain Memorial and the Island’s health clinic – the David B. Nichols Health Center – a top notch place to get medical care from Elizabeth Inez Parks Pruitt, who grew up on the Island and serves the community as its primary medical officer.
Island residents have fireworks planned for later – watermelon too. Fireworks will probably be by The Brigadune that’s owned by Rob and Barb Baechtel – great place to stay. The Baechtels, who are very active in Island life, sort of serve as the welcoming and greeting committee for people coming to Tangier. Earlier this week, when I stepped off the Courtney Thomas, Rob was the first to recognize me and say hello. I’d been gone for a few months – too long – traveling here, there and everywhere. On that note, Anita Wheatley gave me a ride to the house — thx!
Later this morning, Friday, I’ll be talking to Allen Parks, whose newly Coast Guard-certified boat, Elizabeth Joy II, will be ferrying folks – tourists and residents – back and forth across the Tangier Sound – he takes over that important job from Captain Mark Haynie, who retired after many, many years of service. That’s a photo of Capt. Mark below — a story about Parks’ new boat will be featured in a future story.
Speaking of Haynie – his wife Sharon, a former councilman who is active in Island life – said hello to me as I was walking about. She retired as principal in 2022 after serving many decades in education. Thanks for your service to the community.
Speaking of Tangier Combined School, this was Loni Renee Charnock’s first week as principal. She grew up on the Island and her five kids have attended school there, with her daughter, Alona, being the valedictorian for the Class of 2024.
“My first day — it was fabulous! Honestly, when I walked in this morning (Tuesday) I thought someone was going to send me back home,” Charnock said. “I’m just glad that all the hard work has paid off. I am nervous and excited at the same time.”
Another Town councilman – Normand St.-Pierre, a world traveler and retired Ohio State professor – I saw him leaving the Post Office, that’s sort of the central hub and meeting place for residents when they pick up their daily mail.
Picked up my mail — Postmaster Dolores Daley always greets folks with a smile.
Back to Normand — his story starts in Canada, takes him to Columbus, Ohio, where I used to live in nearby Athens, and then to Tangier. His life is a fascinating one that inspires belief in the American dream: that anything is possible if you put your mind to it and work hard.
And there you have it — about a week’s worth of life on Tangier. I encourage folks living on the mainland, anywhere for that matter, to explore the Island and get to know its people and places — Tangier is America at its finest.
Tangier Island, Virginia 