down a narrow road beside a tiny house with 

 roosters running through the yard. 



She crosses the highway, heading toward 

 an empty softball field — built in the early 

 1970s and once home to a semiprofessional 

 baseball team. She stops where a concrete 

 concession stand had stood. 



"Everybody in Salter Path would come 

 out to the games," she says. "If a kid caught a 

 foul ball or got a hit, he would get a free drink. 

 Kids would fight each other to get a drink." 



Down the road from the ballpark, mobile 

 homes cover a large area. 



"This used to be all woods," she says. "It 

 is where the kids went to shoot rats." 



As Guthrie heads back to the highway, 

 she points to a locally owned restaurant 

 — Frost Seafood House — which has been on 

 the island since 1956. Up the road, two other 

 landmarks are still operating — the William 



CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Mike Fiorini sells a variety of seafood at Homer's Point Marina & Seafood. 

 • Skimmer trawls are popular among shrimpers on Bogue Sound. 

 • Doug and Kathleen Guthrie, along with granddaughter, Lucy Gugliotta, and daughter, Heather 

 Gugliotta, savor time on the beach. • Frost Seafood House is a restaurant and a local landmark. 

 • The Big Oak Drive In & Island Pizza also is popular with residents and tourists. 

 • Years ago, Salter Path children would run through the schoolhouse's yard. 



and Garland Motel, and the Big Oak Drive- 

 in & Island Pizza, where you can get a tasty 

 shrimp burger with slaw and tartar sauce for 

 only $3.95. 



Guthrie drives down another back road 

 near Bogue Sound, where several buildings 

 were destroyed during Hurricane Ophelia. 



"This is where a blue shack used to be," 

 she says. "It was blown away by the storm. 

 At one time, you would see 20 or 30 people 

 opening scallops in the season." 



Not far from there, she points out where a 

 shed was destroyed on a lot owned by Guthrie 

 and her husband. 



"This used to be a great divide — where 

 Uncle John's path ran through it," she says. 

 "On one side is where the town's eastern crowd 

 gathered," adds Guthrie. "On the other side, the 

 western crowd congregated." 



"Even in Salter Path, they had divisions," 

 she adds. 



The last stop is the Save-A-Stop, where 

 local men — from retired ferry captains to 

 commercial fishers — gather and trade stories. 

 The store sells a variety of groceries, beach 

 goods and fishing tackle. Over the bait cooler, 

 old fishing photos adorn the wall. 



"I come here a lot," says Bernie Guthrie, 

 who is retired from the N.C. Ferry Division. 

 "You can learn a whole lot here. I have been 

 coming here for 20 years, since Irvin's store 

 closed." 



The men start arriving around 6:45 a.m. 

 to sit on stools and share news. "We are all 

 big professors," jokes commercial fisher Neal 

 Smith. "We know everything." 



Some natives aren't happy about the new 

 residents or surge in tourism. They often reflect 

 on the changes. 



"It was nice growing up here," says Smith. 

 "Now tourists and dingbats have taken over." 



Despite the changes, the old-timers still 

 treasure the community. 



"People from Salter Path still care 

 about being from Salter Path and preserving 

 memories of fishing," says Kathleen Guthrie. □ 



TJie Core Sound Waterfowl Museum 

 sponsors a "Community History Night" 

 the third Tuesday in 



each month. Each 

 program highlights 

 a Carteret County 

 community. 

 To check the 

 schedule, visit 

 the Web: www. 

 coresound.com. 



NEW SALTER PATH CD: 

 Colorful Songs and Stories 



During the mid-1960s, some 

 Salter Pathers were still in the "slow 

 mode." 



Some residents fished from 

 boats without outboard motors and 

 made their own nets. 



The fishing bond between a 

 father and son is the inspiration for 

 "I Wanna GO Feeshin.' " 



The song is just one of several 

 about the hard lives and times of 

 Salter Path residents on the new 

 CD "Will This Town Survive?" 



Produced by Mark Fielding 

 Darden, the songs journey into the 

 history and tales of Salter Path, as 

 well as residents' struggles today 

 to survive the growth in the tiny 

 fishing village. Salter Path musicians 

 play and sing most of the music. 



A 60-page booklet of pictures 

 and colorful stories depicts islanders 

 who have survived hurricanes, 

 nor'easters and wars — providing 

 motivation for the songs. 



To order the CD, go online to: 

 www.salterpathnc.conn. — A.C. 



Coastwatch I Holiday 2006 I www.ncseagrant.org 11 



