THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, April 4, 1995 TAG: 9504040321
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY ANNE SAITA, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 54 lines
In recent years, some people have traveled across the Atlantic Ocean to spend the summer working on the northern Outer Banks.
On Thursday, Corolla merchants hope people will consider crossing Currituck Sound for those same positions.
As many as 200 jobs are up for grabs at the TimBuck II Shopping Village Job Fair from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Griggs Elementary School in Poplar Branch.
````We've got all types of jobs: from managerial jobs to clerical jobs, golf course maintenance and rental of aquatic equipment,'' said Buck Thornton, the developer of TimBuck II and Buck Island.
Organizers are looking for locals, particularly retirees, students and homemakers who want to work full or part time. Most jobs are seasonal, but some are year-round.
Successful applicants will be placed in restaurants, retail sales, management and water sports within the growing commercial complex in Corolla. Job training is usually provided.
``Some merchants have brought people all the way from Europe,'' Thornton said Monday. ``They have to travel 3,000 miles, and there are people three miles straight across the sound.
``There has got to be a way, if the folks on the mainland are interested, in getting them to come over here to work.''
Currituck County mainland residents, already able to provide their own lodging, would seem a natural work force for the resort area, which pays an average $7 to $10 an hour. But few have driven the 30 miles up the barrier island for a paycheck.
One major deterrent is traffic, which frequently backs up for miles near the Wright Memorial Bridge during the summer.
``With the bridge going to four lanes, a lot of that is going to be alleviated,'' Thornton said.
The job search is being concentrated in the Aydlett and Poplar Branch areas and points south, where residents have easy access to the five-lane U.S. 158. Thornton is considering running a boat service to shorten the commute, if enough sign on.
``Some sort of pontoon conveyance would be the most viable means of transporting people in all but the most inclement weather,'' the developer said.
This is the first time TimBuck II has put on a job fair for mainland residents, who frequently travel to another county or city to earn a living.
``This could be the start of something big, and it would be great to have Currituck people working in Currituck County,'' Thornton said. by CNB