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Duck is the perfect place to spend an afternoon or a whole vacation. Everyone
loves the beaches and strolling along the
main thoroughfare and exploring the quaint shops and locally owned restaurants.
Behind the scenes of this favorite vacation destination, the town staff and community members work hard to make Duck a great place to visit and to live, and in 2007 they
are celebrating Duck’s fifth anniversary.
“We believe that we’re a unique town and we work hard to try to keep it that way,” said Neil Morrison, mayor of Duck. Morrison was elected mayor in December 2005, and he has served on the Duck Town Council since its first council was elected in 2002. A visitor
to Duck for many years, Morrison says,
“Every time I left I wanted to come back.”
He became a permanent resident in 2000.
Duck resident and longtime town council member Nancy Caviness chose Duck as her home after being captivated by the natural beauty of the small coastal village when visiting the Outer Banks. It was Duck that inspired her to relocate to the area with her best friend and become a first-time bed-and-breakfast owner. They figured that their venture would be successful because if they were so smitten with Duck, others surely would be too. Caviness was right, and soon she became involved with the Duck Civic Association, then the taskforce created to investigate
incorporating as a town, and finally the Duck Town Council.
The Town of Duck was officially incorporated on May 1, 2002. Over the past five years, the council’s achievements include hiring a town manager, creating a police department and purchasing land in the heart of Duck to build a town park.
“In the first five years we’ve accomplished a lot,” Morrison said.
The new soundfront park in the heart of the village is a huge accomplishment for this small town.
“The council kept imagining a central
area in the village for people to come together
outdoors – a village green,” said Caviness. “It’s amazing that within five years it is a reality. Lots of small towns can only dream of such
an accomplishment.”
The town park is a public place that
everyone will be able to enjoy. When it’s completed it will include a soundside boardwalk, a public canoe and kayak launch, a playground, a parking area, a picnic pavilion, a gazebo, nature trails and a small amphitheater.
The town is celebrating its five-year anniversary with a variety of special events this summer. The summer events schedule begins with Duck’s Third Annual Fourth of July Parade. The parade includes community groups, local businesses and children, and visitors are welcome to participate. The parade begins at Scarborough Lane and proceeds for a mile down Ocean Way and Christopher Drive. Last year 200 people participated in the parade, as well as about 50 dogs. After the parade there will be live music and more fun at the town park.
The Town of Duck’s Summer Music Series will take place Tuesday and Thursday evenings in the town park. The music series includes everything from acoustic rock to classical and choral music to dance rock and roll. Bring lawn chairs, blankets and a picnic to spread out on the lawn. A morning music and theater series includes a children’s puppet show, music reviews by The Lost Colony cast, and more. There will also be a children’s story time held in the park on Thursday mornings from July 5 to August 9. A local instructor will lead Tai Chi classes on the lawn of the town park two mornings a week.
On October 7, Duck will host its first annual Town of Duck Jazz Festival with four east coast, regional and local artists. |
