SS
SE SUMMER 2019
North Carolina INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
N.C.’S FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICAN BEACH COMMUNITY AUTHOR PHILIP GERARD SHEDS LIGHT ON LITTLE-KNOWN HISTORY WILD GAME COOKOUT IN SAMPSON COUNTY SUMMER SAFETY: SHARKS, JELLYFISH, SUNBURN, OH MY!
SAU
ANCIENT SENTINELS BLACK RIVER CYPRESS TREES STAND TALL AFTER THOUSANDS OF YEARS
LEADING CARE for our COMMUNITY. ALWAYS. At Wayne UNC Health Care, we believe in offering the highest quality care and nothing less. It’s why we continue to expand and innovate through state-of-the-art facilities, a closely integrated network of knowledgeable physicians and providers and a world-class connection to the expertise of UNC Health Care. It’s also why our commitment to providing you access to compassionate and patient-centered care never wavers. For Wayne UNC, our community is everything. Always.
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT all OUR SERVICES visit WAYNEUNC.ORG
2 | WWW.SENCMAG.COM | SUMMER 2019
SUMMER 2019 | WWW.WWW.SENCMAG.COM | 3
Editor’s Note
A lot can happen in just one year
SE North Carolina www.sencmag.com Issue No. 19
Staff / Credits / Contributions PUBLISHER Jim Sills EDITOR Abby Cavenaugh PRODUCTION/GRAPHIC DESIGN Lara Garvin Jillian Williams Content & Photography Abby Cavenaugh Trevor Normile Andrew Kornylak Daniel Griffin CONTRIBUTING Writer Annesophia Richards Advertising Jillian Williams Alan Wells CIRCULATION Lauren Guy SUBSCRIBE: Four issues (one year) $19.95 plus tax lguy@ncweeklies.com CONTACT senc.ads@nccooke.com senc@nccooke.com 1.910.296.0239 ON THE COVER Daniel Griffin provided this gorgeous shot of bald cypress trees along the Black River in Bladen County. Researchers recently discovered that these ancient sentinels date back more than 2,000 years. SouthEast North Carolina Magazine is a publication of the Duplin Times and APG Media of Eastern NC. Contents may not be reproduced without the consent of the publisher.
4 | WWW.SENCMAG.COM | SUMMER 2019
One year ago, I was writing my first “Editor’s Note” for this magazine. (Happy anniversary to me!) In sitting down to write this one, I was struck by how much has changed over this past year. We tweaked our layout a bit, added some new features, got rid of some old ones. So far, the feedback has been all positive. Hopefully, it stays that way. Also in the past year, our area was devastated by Hurricane Florence. I know many people are still feeling the effects of this storm, and will be for years to come. My family are some of the lucky ones — they’re already back in their houses, which were flooded. They’ve got new walls and floors and furniture, so I know we’ve been extremely blessed. I’m so grateful, but still feel so sad when I see how many of their neighbors are still making do in tiny campers. I’m sure it’s the same throughout much of Southeastern North Carolina. But this area has a resilience that’s not often found. I know we’ll continue to keep on keeping on, no matter what the future holds. If there’s a theme to this issue, it’s treasuring the many storied people, events and wildlife of our past. From our cover story about the 2,000-plus-year-old bald cypress trees of the Black River, to the first African-American coastal community in North Carolina, Ocean City, there’s a good bit of our region’s rich history to learn about. Some may be unaware of the history that UNC-Wilmington professor and author Philip Gerard writes about. I only recently learned about the 1898 race riots in Wilmington, and it is truly a tragic story that needs to be talked about and commemorated, if for no other reason than to ensure it never happens again. Gerard also writes about the women, freed slaves and Cherokee of the Civil War. This is a writer who loves to shed light on the unsung and unnoticed heroes and heroines of years past.
SE
North Carolina
Also, in keeping with the theme of treasures of the past, Trevor Normile visited an annual wild game cookout in Sampson County. In the days of yore, eating rabbit and squirrel probably wasn’t uncommon in these parts. However, bear and kangaroo? Probably not so much. And, our regular contributor Annesophia Richards looks to the future of the Heide Trask Drawbridge in Wrightsville Beach, which may not be around to treasure much longer. Finally, with the shark attacks and rip current incidents of late, we thought it’d be a good idea to share some safety tips for when you head out to the beach this summer. That’s not history, really, as much as good information to keep in mind. We hope you enjoy this issue, and find it entertaining and informative. If you have any suggestions or comments, please let me know. Enjoy your summer — and stay safe out there!
Abby Cavenaugh, Editor
SINCE A PICTURE IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS, HERE ARE SOME SELECTED PHOTOS OF DESTINATIONS TO VISIT IN SOUTHEASTERN NORTH CAROLINA ON INSTAGRAM
#southeasternnorthcarolina #southeasternnc
Follow us @se.north.carolina
Currie Hello there little bumblebee! #lizzylousfamilyfarm #slowflowers #grownnotflown #southeasternnc #localflowers #allium #afarmkidslife @lizzylousfamilyfarm
Atkinson Crazy gorgeous, right?! One of my favorite things about this time of year is gettin to admire these gorgeous #turkeyfeathers up close and personal! #southeasternnc #turkeyseason @caitiebnc
Surf City So everyone in the neighborhood treks across the street to watch the sunset ... but not me! I’m going the opposite direction! #rebelwithacause #eastbound #sunset #easternsky #waves @vance.penny
Sneads Ferry Beauty amplified ... sunsets in Onslow County, N.C. #OnlyInOnslow #sneadsferrybridge #southeasternnc @onlyinonslow
Figure Eight Island My paddle buddies this morning. #noplacelikehome #southeasternnc #figure8island @nchobiegirl
Leland One of the great things about living here in beautiful Southeastern North Carolina is all the outdoor activities! #KayakTrip #sharktoothisland #3sisters #moorescreek #southeasternNC #LelandNC @lelandart
Guides to the Good Stuff Join us on social media for insider tips from Southeastern North Carolina natives...
SENCMAG.COM Our staff conceived this publication with a very basic idea in mind: to highlight interesting people, places, and events in Southeastern North Carolina in a way that honors the history and idiosyncratic spirit of the region.
Want your photo featured? Simply post photos of what you love about Southeastern North Carolina on Instagram and use the hashtags at the top of the page! Follow us, too!
SUMMER 2019 | WWW.WWW.SENCMAG.COM | 5
6 | WWW.SENCMAG.COM | SUMMER 2019
SE
Contents
Features 14
Ocean City
Seventy years ago, African-Americans had one option to own coastal property. That small community in North Topsail still thrives today.
21
Bald Cypress Trees of Bladen
Deep in the swamps of Bladen County loom the ancient sentinels. They’ve seen wars, survived storms, and still have many stories to tell.
28
Wild Game Cookout in Sampson
Critter connoisseurs gather to for a meal to support the preservation of their local waterways.
14
SUMMER 2019
EXTRAS
10
34
Philip Gerard uncovers forgotten N.C. history
Author, professor brings unspoken words into the limelight.
40
Summer Safety
Summertime is full of fun in the sun, but make sure you take precautions to keep yourself and your family safe, too.
44
WB’s bridge — soon-to-be history? Months after Surf City’s swing bridge was replaced, the same fate may befall Wrightsville Beach’s Heide Trask Drawbridge.
21
Play Dates
Whether you’re looking for Fourth of July fireworks, plays, concerts or festivals, we help you prepare your summer to-do list!
13
SnapshotsHenri the New Cadbury Bunny
Who doesn’t love an animal celebrity? Meet Cadbury’s newest Easter Bunny wannabe.
33
Snapshots- Turtle Talks
47
Folk: Williams Lake
Many area beaches host “Turtle Talks” all summer long to help educate visitors and residents alike about these ancient creatures.
For decades, a small lake in the woods of Sampson County was the hot spot for live music and dancing. We take a look back at the legendary Williams Lake.
28
SUMMER 2019 | WWW.WWW.SENCMAG.COM | 7 SUMMER 2019 | WWW.SENCMAG.COM | 7
call 24 a County day for offers emergency Counties andthat ofhours Wayne a situations demand quick response. situations that demand quick response. complete line of cleaning and restoration services. Our ®trained technicians are on SERVPRO of Lenoir, Duplin, and Jones call 24 hours a day for emergency Counties and ® of Wayne County offers a SERVPRO of Lenoir, Duplin, and Jones situations that response. complete linedemand of and restoration Counties and of cleaning Waynequick County offers a
OurOur Professional Services Include: Professional Services Include:
•Drying andrestoration Dehumidification services. Ourof trained technicians areDehumidification on •Water Removal complete line cleaning and •Drying and Removal call •Water 24 Our hours a daytechnicians for emergency services. trained are on • Deodorization • Antimicrobial Treatments Our Professional Services Include: situations that Treatments demand quick response. • Deodorization •call Antimicrobial 24 hours a day for emergency •Structural and Contents situations that demand quick response. •Carpet CleaningCleaning •Structural and Contents •Carpet •Drying and Dehumidification •Water Removal OurCleaning Professional Services Include: •Upholstrey CleaningCleaning Cleaning Services Our Professional Include: • Antimicrobial Treatments •Upholstrey •Drying• Deodorization and Dehumidification •Water Removal •Fire and Smoke Damage Document DryingDrying •Fire•Water Smoke Damage •Structural andandContents •Carpet Cleaning •Drying Dehumidification • Document ••and Deodorization • Antimicrobial Treatments Removal Restoration Much More! CleaningRestoration •Structural andTreatments Contents •Upholstrey • •And Deodorization • Antimicrobial •Carpet Cleaning Cleaning •And Much More! and Contents •Fire and•Structural SmokeCleaning Damage •Carpet Cleaning •Upholstrey Cleaning Document Drying •Fire andCleaning Smoke Damage ••Upholstrey • Document Drying Restoration •And MuchCleaning More! Restoration •Fire and Smoke Damage Restoration
See what your neighbors are talking about! FURNITURE - APPLIANCES - FLOOR COVERING - ELECTRONICS OUTDOOR POWER EQUIPMENT
••And Document Much Drying More! •And Much More!
661661 Sussex Street, Kinston 28504 Sussex Street, Kinston 28504 24 Hour Emergency Service 661 Sussex Street, Kinston 28504 24 Hour Emergency Service 661 Sussex Street, Kinston 28504 661 Sussex Street, Kinston 28504 24 Hour Emergency Service 910-275-1881
910-275-1881 24 Hour Emergency 24 Hour Emergency Service of Lenoir,Service Duplin & Jones Counties 252-208-7888 910-275-1881 of Lenoir, 252-208-7888 of Lenoir, Duplin & JonesDuplin Counties& Jones Counties 252-208-7888 910-275-1881 800-219-1298 910-275-1881 of Lenoir,ofDuplin & Jones County 800-219-1298 800-219-1298 252-208-7888 Wayne of Lenoir, Duplin & County JonesCounties Counties 252-208-7888 of Wayne of Wayne County 800-219-1298 Independently Independently 800-219-1298 ofOwned Wayne County and Operated Independently and Operated ofOwned Wayne County Independently Owned and Operated Owned and Operated
Independently Owned and Operated
Like it never even happened. Likeit never it never happened. Like eveneven happened.
401 Northeast Blvd, Clinton
910-592-7077 clintonappliance.com
Like it never even happened.
Like it never even happened.
Your Other Family Doctor We help people remain at home, while receiving the highest-quality, most compassionate homebased care possible.
206 S. Turner Street Pink Hill, NC 28572 Allow us to be your home care provider! For more information call:
252-568-6022 800-323-1889 8 | WWW.SENCMAG.COM | SUMMER 2019
Margie H. Hunter, DVM • Angela B. Butler, DVM Owen B Martin, DVM • Meredith D. Holmes, DVM PH: 910-293-3348 • FAX: 910-293-3006 1472 NC 24 & 50, Warsaw, NC 28398 Preventive Medicine • Surgery • Dental Care • Pet Supplies • Boarding • Grooming • Exotic/Reptile Care • Bird Feather Clipping
Sessoms Jewelry
Care, Compassion and Dignity
IN STORE JEWELRY & WATCH REPAIR
Community uneral ome F
H
840 West Main Street • Beulaville 910-298-4678
A Southeastern NC Tradition 105 Wall St., Clinton, NC • 910-592-5249
Family-owned for three generations with integrity you know and trust
The
WING COOK-OFF • FRIED CHICKEN LOCAL ENTERTAINMENT • CARNIVAL RIDES ARTS • CRAFTS & MORE!
NORTH CAROLINA
P O U L T RY JUBILEE R O S E
H I L L
NOVEMBER 1ST & 2ND
THE EMBERS
Friday November 1 (8pm-11pm)
THE
ENTERTAINERS Saturday November 2 (4pm-7pm)
FUN FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY
JIM QUICK & COASTLINE
Saturday November 2 (8pm-11pm) 510 E. MAIN STREET, ROSE HILL WWW.NCPOULTRYJUBILEE.COM SUMMER 2019 | WWW.WWW.SENCMAG.COM | 9
Play Dates Greenfield Lake Amphitheater
Wilmington • Tickets available at ticketfly.com
Thanks to its prime location nestled amongst cypress trees and long leaf pines, Greenfield Lake Amphitheater has quickly become one of the best venues in the region for an outdoor summer concert. Most Greenfield Lake concerts are general admission, so that you can enjoy the show with plenty of friends. Children ages 10 and under are admitted free to most shows. • Citizen Cope, July 2, 6:30 p.m.; $35-40. Clarence Greenwood, the trailblazing artist and producer better known as Citizen Cope, recently released a new album, “Heroin and Helicopters.” As with most of his music since his start in 2002, this urban-folk artist draws inspiration from The Beatles, Randy Newman and Bill Withers, and encourages listeners to reflect on their inward journey through life. • Port City Reggae Music & Art Festival, July 6, 2 p.m.; $30-50. This daytime event will feature Inner Circle, Edge Michael, Signal Fire, Of Good Nature, Danglin & Sons Of Paradise, as well as authentic Jamaican food, and arts and crafts vendors. Comedian Ali Coleman will also perform a set, and there will be live painting by Cammeron Batanides. • Greensky Bluegrass, July 18, 6 p.m.; $30-35. After 18 years together, up to 175 shows per year, nearly 1,000 different setlists, six studio albums, and a litany of live releases, Greensky Bluegrass embodies more than just music for members Anders Beck (dobro), Michael Arlen Bont (banjo), Dave Bruzza (guitar), Mike Devol (upright bass), and Paul Hoffman (mandolin). The Kalamazoo, Michigan natives released their latest album, “All For Money,” this year. • Guster, July 13, 6 p.m.; $25-30. An alternative rock band that hails from Boston, Guster has built a large fanbase nationwide since forming in 1991 while the members were students at Tufts University. In January of this year, Guster released their eighth studio album, “Look Alive.” • Stephen Marley, Aug. 2, 7 p.m.; $33.50. The son of raggae legend Bob Marley, and an eight-time Grammywinning musician and producer, Stephen Marley is a wellknown name in the music business. He’ll be joined by DJ Shacia Payne and Constance Bubble. • Dawes, Aug. 8, 6 p.m.; $35-40. This Los Angeles-based indie folk band is made up of brothers Taylor (guitars and vocals) and Griffin Goldsmith (drums), as well as Wylie Gelber (bass) and Lee Pardini (keyboards). “Passwords,” Dawes’ sixth studio album, released last June.
10 | WWW.SENCMAG.COM | SUMMER 2019
SE Pick
N.C.Blueberry Festival Downtown Burgaw
june
14-15 FRI-SAT
An estimated 30,000 people travel to the small town of Burgaw in Pender County each year to celebrate the N.C. Blueberry Festival. Now in its 16th year, the festival “provides an opportunity for people to enjoy a full day of family entertainment while experiencing the Southern hospitality of a small town,” the website reads. Scheduled events include live musical entertainment, a wholehog barbecue cook-off, car and truck show, a 5K race, Tour de Blueberry bicycle race, BMX stunt show, recipe contest, and of course, plenty of fresh blueberries and blueberry treats available as well. For more information and a complete schedule of events, visit www.ncblueberryfestival. com/.
Sneads Ferry Shrimp Festival Sneads Ferry Community Center, 126 Park Lane
AUG
9-11 FRI-SUN
Now in its 49th year, the Sneads Ferry Shrimp Festival celebrates the coastal town’s rich seafood heritage over three days every August. The weekend will be full of events, including a parade Saturday morning, arts and crafts vendors, live music, the Sneads Ferry Shrimp Festival Queens and Kings pageants, and of course, plenty of seafood — including the festival’s namesake, shrimp! Vendors include BF Millis Seafood, Mitchell’s Seafood, Davis Seafood, Grants Oyster House, Baked Pizza Company, Blackbeards Waterfront Cafe, Cancun Mexican Restaurant, Denny’s, Denoia’s Pizzeria, Fat Burgers Sports Bar and Grill, Lorelei’s Pub and Grill, Highway 55 Burgers, Shakes and Fries, Madison’s Prime Rib & Seafood, Outriggers 21, Rick’s Restaurant and Sports Bar, and the Riverview Cafe. Confederate Railroad has been confirmed to perform Friday night, and other events are in the works. A full schedule of events can be found on the festival’s website, www.sneadsferryshrimpfestival.org/.
JULY
4-7
THU-SUN
Ocean City Jazz Festival
Community Center, Ocean City North Topsail Beach The Ocean City Community on Topsail Island was founded in 1949, as the only place African-Americans could purchase coastal property in North Carolina prior to the Civil Rights Act. In 2009, to celebrate its 60th anniversary, a Fayetteville jazz saxophonist and his accompanists were invited to provide entertainment on the porch of the Community Center, and the annual Ocean City Jazz Festival was launched. This year’s event will start with a kickoff party on July 4, jazz performances throughout the weekend, yoga classes, a nonprofit workshop and a church service on Sunday morning. For tickets and a complete schedule of events, visit www.oceancityjazzfest.com/. Read more about this historic community on page 14 of this issue.
july
13 SAT
7 p.m. Crown Theatre, Fayetteville • Tickets $69-95
New York’s legendary Glenn Miller Orchestra will perform one night only at the Crown Theatre, bringing timeless classics like In the Mood, Moonlight Serenade, Chattanooga Choo Choo, Pennsylvania 6-5000, String of Pearls and Tuxedo Junction back to the stage. www.crowncomplexnc.com/events/detail/the-glenn-miller-orchestra.
july
18 THU
Lily Tomlin
SE Pick
7:30 p.m., Wilson Center at
Cape Fear Community College, Wilmington • Tickets: $40-99
One of America’s most well-known and prolific comediennes, Lily Tomlin returns to Cape Fear Community College’s Wilson Center to share more of her one-of-a-kind humorous observations. She has starred in an ever-widening range of media, including television, theater, motion pictures, animation, video and social media, earning accolade after accolade along the way. Throughout her extraordinary career, Tomlin has received numerous awards, including: seven Emmys, two Tony Awards, a Drama Desk Award and an Outer Critics’ Circle Award, a CableAce Award, and a Grammy for her comedy album. In 2003, she also received the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor and, in December 2014, she was the recipient of the prestigious Kennedy Center Honors in Washington, D.C. For tickets and more information, visit cfcc.edu/capefearstage/an-evening-ofclassic-lily-tomlin-2/.
Fun festivities all Summer long Brit Floyd Aug. 5, 7:30 p.m. Wilson Center, Cape Fear Community College, Wilmington
Tryon Palace Multicultural Festival July 27, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Representatives from various cultural groups will have informational booths, demonstrations and displays to share. Enjoy performances all day inside the N.C. History Center at Tryon Palace in New Bern. Children can also enjoy crafts and games. Free admission. www.visitnewbern.com
plus... Pamlico County Croaker Festival • June 28-30, Oriental The 39th annual Pamlico County Croaker Festival will feature arts and crafts vendors, live entertainment from The Embers and Bryan Mayer, a parade, pageants and lots more. Visit croakerfestival.com for more.
12th Annual CCCF Spanish Mackerel & Dolphin Tournament
• July 12-13, Morehead City The 12th Annual Carteret Community College Spanish Mackerel & Dolphin Fishing Tournament is a family-friendly tournament held at Jaycee Park in Morehead City. Prizes will be awarded to children, as well as adults. For more information, visit www.CarteretSMT.com.
“The Odd Couple” July 26-28, 7:30 p.m. & 3 p.m.
Goldsboro’s Center Stage Theatre presents Neil Simon’s classic play about two mismatched roommates: the neat, uptight Felix Ungar and the slovenly, easygoing Oscar Madison. $10. goldsboroparamount.com/the-odd-couple/.
Brit Floyd, the world’s leading Pink Floyd tribute show, returns to the Wilson Center stage with a 40th anniversary retrospective of Pink Floyd’s iconic rock opera, “The Wall,” plus many more of the band’s biggest hits. Tickets range from $45-179. cfcc.edu/capefearstage/brit-floyd-2019/.
Where to Find fireworks on the fourth Southport •July 1-4, North Carolina Fourth of July Festival
Southport’s annual Fourth of July Festival will feature numerous events and activities, culminating with a fireworks display around 9 p.m. on July 4 on the waterfront. For a detailed schedule of events, visit the website at www.nc4thofjuly.com. Surf City • July 3, Soundside Park, 5-10 p.m. Surf City’s Independence Day Celebration will feature a concert by Johnny White & the Elite Band starting at 5:30 p.m. and a fireworks display at dusk. Live music, food, children’s activities and more are part of this annual celebration. New Bern • July 4, Lawson Creek Park, 5:30 p.m. The city of New Bern’s Fourth of July Celebration begins at 5:30 p.m., and will include live music, food trucks, inflatables, games and activities. Fireworks are scheduled for 9:15 p.m. Swansboro • July 4, Downtown Swansboro, 5-10 p.m. The soundside Independence Day celebration will feature live music at the Harry C. Pugliese “Pug” Pavilion, as well as food vendors along Front Street. Fireworks will begin around 9 p.m. Traffic will be blocked, starting at 3 p.m. Wilmington • July 4, Waterfront Park, 9 p.m. The city of Wilmington’s Fourth of July celebration is an annual event that invites everyone to shop and dine in downtown Wilmington, before gathering around the Riverwalk to watch the fireworks display beginning at 9:05 pm.
SUMMER 2019 | WWW.WWW.SENCMAG.COM | 11
NC License # 31589, 29077,20515 20515 & 24530
WE OFFER FINANCING ON REPLACEMENTS AND REPAIRS
10
Buy More Save More
OFF $ $ 20 OFF one System Enhancement
NO0INTEREST ORfor 60 or 72 Months onOFF $ 400 a NEW TRANE % ARP FOR 36,
60 0R 72 MONTHS*
UP TO
TRANE COMPLETE Diagnostic Fee COMFORT SYSTEM REPLACEMENT OFF two! $ SYSTEM 50 May not be combined with any other offer, Not validSpecial on diagnostic or present repairs,coupon or anyatother offer, discount or or coupon.feeMust time of service. promotion. Must coupon time 5/15/18 purchase/installation. SENCpresent Magazine offer at expires SENC Magazine offer expires 10/23/19
*With approved credit. Contact Carolina Comfort Air for details. System restrictions May not fee be combined withorany or or Not valid apply. on diagnostic or repairs, anyother otheroffers, offer,special, discount manufacturer’s promo. Mustcoupon presentatcoupon at time of estimate. promotion. Must present time purchase/installation. 5/15/18 SENC Magazine Magazineoffer offerexpires expires 10/23/19
$
25
OFF
PERFORMANCE LEVEL PERFORMANCE LEVEL COMFORT PROTECTION COMFORT PROTECTION PLAN PLAN
New CPP clients only. May not be combined with any other offer, New CPPorClients Only. May not combine offer, special special manufacturer’s promo. Notwith validanyonother diagnostic fees oror promo. Must Not Valid on diagnostic feestime or repaires. present coupon at repairs. present coupon at of plan Must purchase/scheduling. time of plan purchase/scheduling. SENC Magazine offer expires 5/15/18 SENC Magazine offer expires 10/23/19.
“See your independent dealer for complete program eligibility, dates, details and restrictions. Special financing offers valid on qualifying equipment only. All sales must be to homeowners in the United States. Void where prohibited. The Wells Fargo
TheHome Wells Fargo Home issued Equal Housing Lender. Special termswithapply to qualifying purchases with approved credit. The special terms Projects credit card Projects is issued bycredit Wells card FargoisBank, N.A.,byanWells Equal Fargo HousingBank, Lender.N.A., Specialanterms apply to qualifying purchases charged approved credit. The special terms charged APR will continue to apply until all qualifying purchases areAPR paid will in full. The monthly payment purchase willpurchases be the amount the purchase full in equalfor payments during thewill promotional (special terms) period. Purchasesin willfull apply certainpayments fees such asduring a late payment fee or if you continue to apply untilforallthisqualifying are that paidwillinpay full.forThe monthlyinpayment this purchase be the amount that will payTheforAPR theforpurchase in toequal the promotional use(special the cardterms) for otherperiod. transactions. For new accounts, the APR for Purchases is 28.99%. If you are charged interest in any billing cycle, the minimum interest charge will be $1.00. This information is accurate as of 1/1/2018 and is subject to change. The APR for Purchases will apply to certain feescurrent such as a late payment fee or if you use the card for other transactions. For new accounts, the APR for Purchases is 28.99%. If youFor information, call us at 1-800-431-5921. Offer expires 12/31/2018” are charged interest in any billing cycle, the minimum interest charge will be $1.00. This information is accurate as of 5/1/2019 and is subject to change. For current information, call us at 1-800-431-5921. Offers vary by equipment. All sales must be to homeowners in the United States. Void where prohibited. Offer expires 10/23/19.
12 | WWW.SENCMAG.COM | SUMMER 2019
SE Snapshot
North Carolina
I
Wilmington’s Henri the Bulldog becomes a nationwide star
n a city often referred to as grew up with it, and now to even be “Wilmywood” and “Hollywood considered to become a part of it, I was East,” it’s no shock that one just ecstatic.” Wilmington native has recently Cadbury asked all finalists to submit achieved celebrity status. What a video showing their pet’s ability to is surprising, however, is that wear the ears and hold a pose for at least this particular resident happens one minute, no small feat in the animal to have four legs and a body world. Henri’s experience being dressed covered in irresistible wrinkles. This past up for photo shoots gave him the comspring, Henri the Bulldog beat out over petitive edge over a field which included 4,000 other pets in a nationwide search for horses, geckos and many other types of Cadbury’s newest Easter bunny. pets. His photogenic personality won He got the part playing the newest the judges over, and in early March, the Cadbury bunny in the chocolate compaSantillos got the call that Henri had been ny’s iconic commercial featuring different selected to become the newest Cadbury animals auditioning to be the Cadbury bunny. bunny. The commercial has aired for “When my phone rang that night decades, and Henri’s part was added to the and the caller ID said ‘Hershey Corporaoriginal footage that included a cat, lion, Henri the Bulldog is shown shooting tion,’ I ran into the kitchen and told my pig and others. husband that we both needed to listen. his Cadbury Easter Bunny commerFrom his eagerness to please to his We were just so happy to hear them say cial in March at a Wilmington hotel. quintessential bulldog behaviors, Henri has they’d chosen Henri.” had all the makings of a star since the day Filming of the commercial took place he was born. soon afterwards in a Wilmington hotel conference room. The “He’s everything I’ve ever wanted in a bulldog,” says Henri’s setup included a large green screen, lights, cameras, and mulbreeder and owner, Kathie Santillo. “He’s funny, super smart, tiple people, including the artistic director, other Cadbury repand incredibly loving. He’s over the top with every mannerism resentatives, and a member of the Humane Society. Although bulldogs have, and he has moods just like a little kid. If he’s filming was scheduled to last five hours, Henri impressed upset or pouting, he’ll actually turn his back on me and lean his everyone with his cooperation and performance, and in less head against the wall!” than two hours the commercial was a wrap. Kathie and her husband Tim have been dressing Henri in “Afterwards they gave us a nice flower arrangement and outfits since he was five weeks old, so modeling now comes a giant box of Cadbury eggs, and Henri received a stuffed naturally for him. When the costume comes on and the camera Cadbury bunny and a blanket. We also won the $5,000 prize, comes out, Henri simply knows how to perform. all of which is going to him. Anyone who owns an English “It only takes about three minutes to get a good picture of bulldog knows they’re not cheap to keep.” him, because when the costume is on and he hears the camera As for his future, Kathie has big plans for her budding star. clicking, he knows to pose and follow the camera.” He’s currently training to become a therapy dog while conWhen Kathie stumbled across the Cadbury contest online tinuing to pursue his new modeling career. back in February, she immediately knew she had just the right “If we get offered other acting jobs, we’re more than willing pet for the part. She submitted Henri’s application along with to take them. We’re not sure if Cadbury will have Henri conseven of his best photos, and then anxiously awaited the results. tinue to be in their commercial next year, but if this is his only When news came through email that Henri had made it to beyear, then Henri will be happy to pass the ears on to someone ing one of 20 finalists, the Santillos couldn’t believe it. else!” “The Cadbury bunny commercial has been such an iconic — Annesophia Richards commercial for so many years. We grew up with it, our kids SE SUMMER 2019 | WWW.WWW.SENCMAG.COM | 13
14 | WWW.SENCMAG.COM | SUMMER 2019
Ocean City:
A legacy of ‘stick-to-it-ness’ Story & Photos: Abby Cavenaugh Additional historical photos courtesy of Ocean City Beach Citizens Council Seventy years ago, Topsail Island was little more than an expansive, unspoiled beach with sparse housing, no paved roads and no electricity. The only access to the island was a floating pontoon bridge across the waterway. In fact, World War II had ended just a few years prior, and the U.S. military still owned and controlled much of what would become today’s tourist destination with property values soaring into the millions. Kenneth Chestnut was a young child when his father, Wade, Sr., became one of the founders of a predominantly African-American community in North Topsail Beach, which came to be known as Ocean City. At the time, with the Civil Rights Movement still 20 years in the future, it was the only place in the state where African-Ameri-
cans could purchase coastal property. “After the war, Mr. Edgar Yow, an attorney out of Wilmington, had the vision of African-Americans being able to acquire oceanfront property,” Chestnut recalls. “He found a one-mile stretch of land, which he thought would be the perfect place to start this community.” Yow went to a dentist in Wilmington, Dr. Samuel Gray, with the idea, and though Dr. Gray was hesitant to take time away from his practice to participate, he pointed Yow toward the Chestnut family, who owned an auto repair shop in Wilmington. “An integrated corporation formed,” Kenneth Chestnut says. “It was Mr. Yow and my dad and some others. Together, they designed lots. This was before Highway 210 was even here. It was just a two-lane road.”
Edgar Yow and Wade Chestnut, Sr., with their corporation, Ocean City Developers, Inc., took a big gamble. It ended up paying off. Prominent and middle-class African-American families began moving to Ocean City and building homes. Oceanfront lots were $500, while homesites on the other side of the street went for about $100. The first homes were built by Fayetteville contractor William M. Eaton. The Chestnut family were the first residents, in 1949, followed by Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Rogers of Fayetteville and Mr. and Mrs. Henry Mallette, Sr. of Wilmington in 1950. Eaton also built about 30 additional homes at Ocean City, a motel, the chapel, and camp dormitory and dining hall. The motel and restaurant were built in 1953. “It started to really grow,” Kenneth
SUMMER 2019 | WWW.WWW.SENCMAG.COM | 15
Top: Some of the ladies of the Ocean City community socialize in one of the beach houses. Middle: A day at the beach in Ocean City. Bottom: The Chestnut family, who were co-founders of Ocean City, from left, Wade, Sr., Wade, Jr., Kenneth and Caronell. Top right: The Ocean City Fishing Pier boasted some of the best fishing on Topsail Island. Opposite, clockwise: A cross inside the chapel was made from a ship’s drive shaft and rudder. The Wade Chestnut Memorial Chapel and cottage. A large clamshell serves as a baptismal for the chapel’s congregation. 16 | WWW.SENCMAG.COM | SUMMER 2019
says. “And then in 1954, Hurricane Hazel came through, and wiped everything out.” However, Ocean City residents were not deterred. “The homeowners here committed to rebuilding,” Chestnut says. “We’d had masonry homes before the storm. Hazel taught us to build on pilings.” After rebuilding, the community thrived more than ever. A restaurant opened in the nearby missile tower, called “the Bumblebee Tower” by locals, since it was part of the Army’s Operation: Bumblebee initiative during World War II. In 1959, a fishing pier was added to the restaurant. “Ocean City was a place where you could come and fish and stay overnight,” Kenneth says. “It was a very family-friendly community, a very closeknit community. A lot of the men would work in Wilmington or Durham, and come here on the weekends. We would go crabbing together and then cook out together, and fix all that crab. It was very much a community. And that spirit is still here.” Kenneth says one of his fondest memories is going crabbing with the ladies of the community. “They had it down to a science,” he recalls. “They said if the moon was full, the crabs had more meat in them, things like that. “We were down there one day, and the tide came in, and the baskets just filled with crab, almost in a biblical sense. They were overflowing. I remember us kids were wearing swimming trunks under our jeans. Well, they told us to take our jeans off and tie off the legs, and they filled those with crab, too. Then we went home and cooked them.” The Chestnut family often hosted Sunday morning church services in their living room, until the St. Mark’s
Episcopal Chapel was built in June 1957, on land donated by Wade Chestnut, Sr., and his partners. The chapel became a place in which every resident was considered a member, regardless of what their denomination might be. The original wood paneling remained, up until the chapel was heavily damaged by Hurricane Florence. It’s been re-drywalled and refurbished, but some of the most treasured pieces remained unscathed by the storm, including a large clamshell, which is used as a baptismal, and a cross that’s made out of a ship’s drive shaft and rudder. The chapel was later dedicated and renamed in honor of Kenneth’s father, Wade Chestnut, Sr. It still holds services every Sunday morning, Memorial Day through Labor Day. Ocean City also became home to summer camps, with a dormitory that could house up to 60 children and their counselors, and a dining hall. The camp eventually merged with Camp Trinity in Emerald Isle, but for many years, was the diocese’s camp for African-American youth, Kenneth says. The Ocean City Fishing Pier was also a big draw to the community. Craig Torrey, whose wife grew up in Ocean
City, is a member of the citizens council, and said that he recently spoke with Jeff Hudson, CEO of the Onslow Water and Sewer Authority (ONWASA), who remembers his uncle always taking him to the Ocean City pier as he was growing up. “It’s one of those things that transcends race,” Kenneth says, “fishing and the beach. The pier was the best fishing spot on the island when I was growing up. Everybody came here to fish.” Unfortunately, the fishing pier was destroyed in 1995, when Hurricanes Bertha and Fran hit the Topsail area. Now, all that remains is the ruins of the tower and a few pilings out in the ocean, which serve as a nesting spot for pelicans. “We’ve always been threatened by severe erosion,” Kenneth admits. “We work with the N.C. Coastal Federation on preservation.” The damages from hurricanes aren’t the only toll time has taken on Ocean City. Once an African-American community, Torrey said now, they make up “almost 1 percent of the population on the island.” “It’s definitely more integrated,”
Kenneth says. “No matter what race, though, we are still a community and we still come together.” During the mid-1980s, many of the original residents of Ocean City sold their homes and moved off the island, as property values began to rise. “Some families stayed for generations, and others spread out,” Kenneth says. “A lot of the older people sold their property after Bertha and Fran in the mid-90s.” Although they obviously can’t control the sprawl of nearby cities Wilmington and Jacksonville, Torrey says the council does try to conserve the community, by making sure they know when homeowners are selling property, and covenants that are enforced, like no mobile homes within the community. “We try not to have big-box houses,” Kenneth adds. Also, to help preserve the spirit of Ocean City for years to come, the council established the annual Ocean City Jazz Festival as a way to raise revenue. “The money from the jazz festival is used to support the community and for the upkeep of the buildings,” Kenneth explains. “It continues to grow every year.” This year will be the 10th annual Ocean City Jazz Festival, and will take place over the Fourth of July weekend. The festival will kick off with a wine and beer tasting on July 4, followed by a
SUMMER 2019 | WWW.WWW.SENCMAG.COM | 17
kick-off party. Friday, July 5, will include yoga classes and a “FUNdraising Good Times Workshop.” That evening, performances will include: Jazmin Ghent, The John Brown Little Big Band and The Sax Pack featuring Jeff Kashiwa, Steve Cole and Marcus Anderson. Saturday night’s acts include Selina Albright, The Ocean City All-Star Band featuring Cyrus Chestnut, Mark Whitfield, Derrick Gardner and John Brown, and Eric Darius. On Sunday, July 7, a church service will be followed by a Gospel Brunch. Performances Sunday night feature Gail Jhonson, John Brown Quintet and Adam Hawley featuring Kat Hawley with Special Guest Marcus Anderson. “Tourism is a big industry here,” says Torrey. “The jazz festival gives a big boost in tourism. We work closely with Only in Onslow, Pender Tourism and the Topsail Chamber to help bring folks in.” Ocean City literally found its place on the map in 2012, a few years after the implementation of the jazz festival. On May 26, 2012, commemorative Ocean City street signs were dedicated. The signs mark the beginning and end of the community’s limits, with an “Ocean City Est. 1949” logo on the right-hand corner of each sign. “It’s been an amazing journey,” Torrey says. “Because even though we are only 1 percent of the total population, we all join together. That’s the amazing thing about Onslow County, I’ve noticed. If you have a problem, people will rally around you.” Torrey says that after Hurricane Florence devastated the area last September, he asked the North Topsail Beach town manager what he could do to help. He thought maybe he should throw a benefit for first responders, or donate supplies. But instead, the town manager told him that what the community really needed was to protect the beach from severe erosion. “He said to collect old Christmas trees,” Torrey recalls. “So that’s what we did. The old Christmas trees help to build the shoreline back up.” It’s just one of many ways the Ocean City community gives back, and carries 18 | WWW.SENCMAG.COM | SUMMER 2019
on the way of life passed down from the founders. That’s one of inclusion, and of family. Kenneth recalls a time shortly after Hurricane Hazel, when he and his father returned to the island, but could not get to Ocean City, because of all the damage. They saw Yow at a store near their community, but still in the “white” area of Topsail Island. “Mr. Yow asked if I wanted a soda,” he remembers. “I told him I didn’t have any money, and this was before the Civil Rights Act, so everything was very segregated, still. But Mr. Yow took me into that store, and he said to the cashier, ‘Give him whatever soda he wants.’ And she did, without even batting an eye. That’s the kind of person Mr. Yow was, and that
made a big impression on me.” Torrey says that although he didn’t grow up in Ocean City, his wife Carla did, and he is honored to help carry on that legacy. “My father-in-law paid $500 for his lot,” he says. “It took him 10 years to pay for it, but that’s the kind of stickto-it-ness and perseverance this community’s made of.” Kenneth adds, “They left us a good legacy, and we want to be good stewards of that.” To learn more about Ocean City, visit oceancitync.com. For information and tickets to the 10th Annual Ocean City Jazz Festival, visit www.oceancityjazzfest.com or see the Play Dates section on pages 10-11 of this issue.
SE
Kinston-Lenoir County
Visitor & Information Center
OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK
“Make us your first stop in Lenoir County� 101 East New Bern Rd., Kinston, NC 252-522-0004
Opposite page, top: The Ocean City community is part of the Jacksonville-Onslow African-American Heritage Trail. The marker sits in front of the Wade Chestnut, Sr. Memorial Chapel on Island Drive. Opposite page, bottom: Kenneth Chestnut points to himself as a child in this 1953 photo of the original chapel in Ocean City, which was later dedicated in memory of his father, Wade Chestnut, Sr. He recalls that parishioners had to bring in their own folding chairs for the first service in the chapel. Above, from top to bottom: All that remains today of the Ocean City Terrace (top photo) and its attached fishing pier. Commemorative street signs were dedicated in 2012 to mark the boundaries of the Ocean City community in North Topsail Beach.
Kinston-Lenoir County Parks & Recreation Department 2602 W. Vernon Avenue, Kinston NC 28504
252.939.3332
www.kinstonrec.com SUMMER 2019 | WWW.WWW.SENCMAG.COM | 19
“Make The Wise Choice” Our agents
Whether you’re looking for that perfect home, land, can help you! or commercial property, West Agency’s experienced sales staff can help you find just the right Norwood West Pearl West property. Serving Duplin, We turn houses into Sampson, Wayne, Onslow & Pender Counties.
HOMES!
Serving all of Duplin County, Randy Wise and his staff offer a great selection of fine jewelry including watches, necklaces, earrings, and diamonds, diamonds, diamonds!
Wise Jewelers Fine Jewelry • Watches • Gifts
WWW.WESTAGENCYREALTY.COM 119 W. College St., Warsaw, NC 28398 910.293.4156 • westagencyllc@gmail.com
100 Front St. (On the Corner) Kenansville
910-275-0311 Expert Jewelry Repair • We Buy Gold!
Hours: Mon.-Fri. 9:30-5:30 • Sat. 9:30-1:00
Have your wedding at the farm!
Restaurant Hours Thursday-Friday 4:30-8:00 Saturday 4:00-8:00
20 | WWW.SENCMAG.COM | SUMMER 2019
Gift Shop & Bakery Hours Thursday-Saturday 12:00-8:00
Sentinels of the Swamp Bladen County’s ancient bald cypress trees
Story: Abby Cavenaugh
L
Photo/Andrew Kornylak
ong before the colonization of the United States, before European explorers discovered North America, even before the birth and death of Jesus Christ, bald cypress trees stood tall, lining the Black River in Bladen County and shading the swamp lands. Researchers recently discovered that these trees date back more than 2,000 years, with the oldest among them 2,624 years old. “That is by far, the oldest living tree ever found in eastern
SUMMER 2019 | WWW.WWW.SENCMAG.COM | 21
Photo/Andrew Kornylak
Photo/Daniel Griffin 22 | WWW.SENCMAG.COM | SUMMER 2019
Photo/Andrew Photo/Andrew Kornylak Kornylak
“You don’t get near something that old and something that’s been that significant, in your whole life, and when you come in here, you get that and feel that.” –Cpt. Charles Robbins North America, and for sure it’s one of the oldest living trees in the world,” said University of Arkansas professor Dr. David Stahle, part of a team of researchers who discovered the trees in the Three Sisters area of the Black River. “We were looking for old cypress trees in the mid-1980s to take cores, build exactly dated tree ring chronologies, and use those chronologies for climate reconstruction,” Stahle explained. “This research was supported by the National Science Foundation. We were amazed at the number of trees over 1,000 years old during our first visit in 1985. Black River has the highest number of millennium-old
trees that we know of for this species, bald cypress. Now we know some of them are well over 2,000 years old.” The Black River is, in Stahle’s words, “one of the greatest natural areas left in eastern North America.” According to the Nature Conservancy, the Black River flows 66 miles through portions of Sampson, Pender and Bladen counties before emptying into the Cape Fear River 14 miles north of Wilmington. The majority of the 2,000-plusyear-old trees can be found near the Bladen-Pender line. Stahle said that he and his team looked throughout eastern North America and Latin America before finding trees that were this ancient.
“This is the best stand we’ve ever found.” In order to determine the age of the tree, Stahle’s team uses a tool that twists into the bark to the center of the tree. This tool brings out a sample about the size of a pencil. That sample is then polished, cleaned and looked at under a microscope. The researchers take hundreds of cores from hundreds of trees, and then use this process to date them. The Black River stand has one tree that dates back to 70 B.C., and another dating back to 605 B.C. “It’s a remarkable discovery,” Stahle said. “It’s also a wonder that
SUMMER 2019 | WWW.WWW.SENCMAG.COM | 23
Photo/Daniel Griffin
an organism can live this long. The natural world has been vastly reduced, and there’s only a little left.” That’s why it’s important to preserve these marvels of nature, he added. “Black River is one of the great natural areas in eastern North America. It has the oldest known trees in the East, has never been systematically logged, and preserves high biodiversity and water quality. These kinds of places are increasingly rare and they certainly need protection if we hope to preserve nature and functioning ecosystems for our children.” Captain Charles Robbins of the Cape Fear River Watch added, “We need places like this. We need to be able to get out into nature. It does us more good than you can imagine.” Luckily for the Black River ecosystem, Stahle said that recent storms have had very little negative effect on the trees. “I have visited the Black River many times, including before and after Matthew and Florence,” he said. “Bald cypress is famously wind firm and they have survived 24 | WWW.SENCMAG.COM | SUMMER 2019
many flood and wind events. Florence washed the cypress stems off nicely, rearranged a few sand bars, and flushed out some of the alligator weed that had built up a little in the swamp. So Black River is now as beautiful as ever.” It’s a little tough to get to see these trees in person. You’ll definitely need a boat, kayak or canoe. The Nature Conservancy provides the following suggestions on its website: • The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission has two public boat landings on the river: one is located approximately five miles north of Beatty’s Bridge on Ivanhoe Road (SR 1550 in Bladen County and SR 1201 in Pender County) and the other is located 1.2 miles east of the Highway 11/53 bridge off Long View Road (SR 1547). • You can access the river fairly easily from either side of Beatty’s Bridge. There is a sandy bank under the bridge that provides good canoe access. • You can access the river by canoe from the N.C. 11/53 Bridge located
just outside Atkinson. If you want a daylong canoe or kayaking trip: • Put in at the Wildlife Resources Commission public landing approximately five miles north of Beatty’s Bridge on Ivanhoe Road and take out at Beatty’s Bridge. This stretch is about nine river miles and passes through some bottomland hardwood areas, as well as cypress swamp. You can park a car on the side of the road at Beatty’s Bridge. • If you are ambitious, you could put in early in the morning at Beatty’s Bridge and canoe about 14 miles to another Wildlife Commission public landing that is about 1.5 miles south of the 11/53 bridge just outside of Atkinson. This stretch of the river contains Larkin’s Cove and Three Sisters, sites where the oldest known stands of bald cypress have been found. • Another option is to park and put in at the second Wildlife Resources Commission landing and canoe upstream toward Three Sisters. No matter how you get there,
Photo/Daniel Photo/Daniel Griffin Griffin SUMMER 2019 | WWW.WWW.SENCMAG.COM | 25
those who have been say it’s an experience you’re not likely to forget. “You don’t get near something that old and something that’s been that significant, in your whole life, and when you come in here, you get that and feel that,” Robbins said. Added Julie Moore of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, “The Black River, it’s not like other rivers. I has a whole personality of its own. You just feel like you’re in an ancient place.” For more information, visit the Ancient Bald Cypress Consortium website at cypress. uark.edu, or the Nature Conservancy’s Black River Preserve page at www.nature.org/enus/get-involved/how-to-help/places-we-protect/black-river-preserve. SE
Intenet photo 26 | WWW.SENCMAG.COM | SUMMER 2019
T hanks for making us #
1
You’ve made us the number one modular and manufactured home retail center in Southeast North Carolina
Government USDA, VA, loans available FHA now!
$0 Down, Low Rates
Land/Home Packages
CONNECTIONS 2971 E. NC 24 Hwy. • Beulaville
(910) 298-3387
www. ourhomeconnections .com Email: ourhomeconnections@yahoo.com
Award Winning Customer Service... Before and after your purchase! SUMMER 2019 | WWW.WWW.SENCMAG.COM | 27
28 | WWW.SENCMAG.COM | SUMMER 2019
Critter Cuisine
Eating various assorted animals with the Friends of Sampson County Waterways Story and photos: Trevor Normile The breeze in Clinton was chilly for late March, but it carried an unusual odor, like beef or pork cooking over coals. “Like,” but not quite. Further inspection revealed that the Friends of Sampson County Waterways were out grilling raccoons and rabbits under the pavilion at the City Market. “It tastes like steak. This piece I got was real tender, tasted like roast beef. It’s got a little different taste from roast beef,” said Don Meece, one of the founders of FSCW, describing the kangaroo meat his wife had prepared for the annual Wild Game Cookout. Have tasted, can confirm — the meat is sort of like grass-fed beef or maybe venison. Mixed up with some dirty rice, it’s good. Just try not to think about, you know, Kangaroo. Ever stand at the meat shelves in Piggly Wiggly and wonder: “Pork, chicken or beef?” Does it seem a little, maybe boring? Pick meat, apply heat. We’re obviously fortunate to even have that ability in this society. We eat it almost as fast and much as we can in America — especially Southern America. USDA estimates [ERS Report Summary, March 2008] the average American consumed 242 pounds of protein in 2005. On balance against San Franciscan vegans alone, it’s probably safe to assume your average Southerner consumes much more than .66 pounds of protein per day. But America didn’t really get
good at industrial agriculture until the 20th century, so wild game once made up a big part of the American diet. If Davy Crockett wanted a little somethin’-somethin’ to go with his hardtack and coffee, he’d probably have to shoot it. Squirrels, beavers, even things we wouldn’t give much thought to eating today, were part of the American diet. In fact, Richard Schweid writes in Gastronomica (“Consider the Eel”), “Although eel has virtually disappeared from tables in the United States, it was one of the nation’s founding foods ... it is hard to assign a reason for why the eel has been shunned where it was once loved.” Can you imagine eating eel in America — Land of Chicken Fingers, Home of the Whopper? “Now it’s getting harder and harder to find wild game,” said Meece, back at the cookout. “I talked to one guy, he paid $300 to join a hunting club, the whole year he saw one deer and it was too far away to shoot,” he explained. “Other game like rabbit and stuff is getting scarce. This year, we still had a lot of wild game from hunters, but we went out and got bison and I was able to get a kangaroo roast from Australia.” It’s not likely North Carolina is running out of deer and rabbits, but accounts from the frontier days make mainland America seem like it was positively teeming with wild-
life, like a Disney production, but with less song-and-dance numbers and more disease and Indian raids. The cookout serves as a fundraiser for the Friends of Sampson County Waterways, which formed after Hurricane Fran in the 1990s to help protect resources like the Black and South rivers and the Coharie creeks. “FEMA came through, the county was devastated with floods and trees down. In order for FEMA to designate any more money, the county would have to make some attempt to keep trees out of the river,” Meece said. That’s where the FSCW comes in. Meece is one of the original members, as is Ralph Hamilton, who joked that a “lack of sense” got him involved in the monumental effort to keep the waterways of his home clear. “There are 300 miles of waterways in Sampson County; that’s a lot to maintain. I think back in the 1950s, the Army Corps of Engineers stopped maintaining it. So it’s going to be up to the local people to do it,” Hamilton said between bites of animal. Meece, a resident of Salemburg, explained FSCW’s mission. “We’re a non-profit organization. Our goal is to keep trash out of the rivers, to include trees, everything else that causes flooding, that backs up for roads, farmlands, things like that,” he said. “We also have a fleet of boats, kayaks, canoes, we take
SUMMER 2019 | WWW.WWW.SENCMAG.COM | 29
organizations or individuals out on paddle trips.” A big part of that work is just lugging big chunks of wood out of the water to keep it flowing. That helps protect the banks and keeps it open for others’ enjoyment. “We want to make sure they’re open, accessible, easy for people to get to, enjoy the water, keep it clean, that’s our main goal. Over the years, we’ve kind of moved into people doing trips, church groups, 4-H, scouts, people even from Raleigh and the western part of the state come down. We’ve kind of made a name for ourselves as well, making sure the waterways are clean,” said Joshua McLamb, an FSCW member from Harrells. “Actually, Some of the more fun trips we do are the clean-outs. It’s a good deal to be able to keep the waterways open and clean, and accessible to people. That’s the best part.” The cookout raises money through entry sales and a kayak raffle (the kayak, from Hurricane Aquasports, is actually made in Warsaw, the next town over from Clinton). Of course, FSCW has a unique selling point for their lunch fundraiser. “We had one guy who showed up here with a raccoon, he thought somebody was going to cook it for him,” Meece said. “We’ve had alligator before, barbecued raccoon. We had wild pig, musk ox, wild turkey, of course venison. One girl from Wilmington brought an armadillo cake.” In fairness, the cake was of the red velvet variety, only decorated to look like a desert animal. Still, it’s a positively special experience for meat enthusiasts, hunters, or those simply interested in American history. Dr. Beth Hogan and husband Scott Dooley were quickly preparing their own fare for the cookout — bear sliders, very carefully and 30 | WWW.SENCMAG.COM | SUMMER 2019
quickly cooked over just enough heat to prevent the lean muscle from drying out. “We’re both whitewater paddlers. In Fayetteville, it’s mostly flat water, back streams, Cape Fear River, and I just wanted to get out,” said Hogan, who teaches at Fayetteville State University. “We love to paddle, kayaks and canoes, and so I found out about FSCW, joined them and started coming out, and just had a great time doing it.” Hogan feels drawn to the waterways — she finds peace in the little elbows of quiet creeks where cypress swamp meets crystal-clear water and sandy shores show no sign of humans. Those places still exist, if you’re willing to look. “A lot of streams, you see plants you never would have seen, you see the water quality, beaver dams and what they do to rivers. We love it,” Hogan said, as husband Scott tapped her on the shoulder, going over the ingredients for their bear marinade (bearinade?). Telling the ingredients of that bearinade without permission would be inconsiderate, but it suffices to say it involves balsamic vinaigrette and a bunch of common kitchen ingredients. Bear can be tricky, but rewarding. “Cooking wild game is sort of an art in and of itself. These bear sliders, we found out that bear meat is very lean, so it really needs to be ground up. We clean it, grind it, make it into [patties] — caramelized onions, swiss cheese and a tiny dollop of barbecue sauce.” Conversely, slow-cooking can also serve the lean muscle well. Willie Mitchell’s bear stew popped with flavor, far more complex than simple beef stew (and probably the best dish of the day) . The same could be said of the cheesy bear stroganoff, a welcome departure from regular old beef stroganoff, which is one of the most forgettable dinners this side SUMMER 2019 | WWW.WWW.SENCMAG.COM | 31
of 10-minute spaghetti. Duck, too, depends on front-end work. The key to cooking it is in the marinade, said Tim Marley of Rebel City, who roasted the waterfowl morsels on a grill with his son Colin. The two harvested wood ducks and mallards together while hunting near home. As an appetizer, they offered some rabbit salad. It was like chicken salad but maybe better, if for no reason other than it was part of a small batch of truly homemade food. It cried for hot sauce and black pepper on a sandwich. “We hunt mostly in low creeks around here, South River, Black River, few beaver ponds around Rebel City,” Tim said. “I enjoy just being out with the family, spending time with the kids, keeping them out of trouble,” he added with a laugh. Tim and Colin aren’t members of SCFW, but they’re happy to help support the annual cookout — and to help eat. “That’s one of the reasons I like coming out here, you get to try a little bit of everything,” he said. If you’re sensing a theme, it seems to be that cooking meat that took time to collect from the wild means having a careful touch when it comes to preparation. “You’ve got to know who to prepare it, got to know how to marinate it,” Tim said. He declined to share his marinade, as secret ingredients are involved, but did say the meat must be marinated for three days, and overcooking avoided at 32 | WWW.SENCMAG.COM | SUMMER 2019
all cost. Finally it was noon, and once the cooks were done, it was time to serve. Visitors lined up to fill their plates — with God’s creation and man’s preparation. “Got some gator salad. Got mullet. Got some wild hog stew, cheesy bear stroganoff, green beans and slaw,” said Mike Sylvis between bites. “It’s good, real good, everything we’ve tried so far has been good. If I had to pick one, I like the stroganoff.” Nearby, Jason Guerin bit into a venison sausage slider. “It’s real good, it’s got a little bit of spice to it, almost like a breakfast sausage kind of taste. Needs a little sauce or something, so I might get a little — I think that’s rabbit stew there [nods to the serving table] — to dunk it in,” Guerin said. This place was carnivore central. “Oh yeah. I had to get some vegetables just to tell my wife I was being good.” Gator salad. Cheesy bear stroganoff. Even tongue-in-cheek was on the menu — plates were set out of “free range hotdogs” and “wild pimiento cheese sandwiches,” probably for less-adventurous visitors. The hotdogs were boiled. The pimiento cheese wasn’t bad. Still, with all that critter cuisine piled up on the buffet, it was worth it to try them. You know, just in case the labels were telling the truth. Nearby sat Ralph Hamilton, who with his wild beard looked quite at
home eating the menagerie. He was there at the beginning, both of the Friends and the Cook-Out. “It’s a lot of hard work. We got started because there weren’t any people taking debris out of the water, and so a group of us would get together and cut out the blockages,” he remembered. “It started from there, I advertised in the county paper. We met at the county offices, the old building is gone now, and, what kept us doing it, was the success of what we had been doing.” That hard work takes its toll after a while. An all-volunteer group, the Friends seem to need all the help they can get. After all, while some rivers can flow backward under the right conditions, time does not. “You can see I’m getting old, I can’t do what I used to be able to do,” Hamilton said. But when the FSCW and annual cookout started more than 20 years ago, the ancient cypress trees along the Black River were already ancient, and hopefully will continue to be for some time. And people can enjoy those wonders safely — it will just take some work, that’s all. “I’ve been on the water all my life, I would like the next generation’s children to be able to get on the water.” Learn more about FSCW at www. visitsampsonnc.com or find their public group on Facebook by searching “Friends of Sampson County Waterways.” SE
SE Snapshot
North Carolina
Area beaches talk turtles
W
hen it comes to Southeastern North Carolina marine life, few animals are as protected and revered as the sea turtle. Most local beaches have volunteer groups dedicated to walking the seaside in the early morning hours (before sunrise) to check for sea turtle nests. Sea turtles usually come onshore at night to lay their eggs, and they return to sea, leaving telltale tracks in the sand. If a volunteer finds a nest, he or she reports it to the local turtle group leader, and the nests are evaluated to make sure they’re in a viable location. Sometimes, if the nest is dug too close to the high-tide line, it must be moved. Mother turtles are attracted to light, so oceanfront residents are asked to extinguish outdoor lighting during the nesting season, which starts in May and runs through the end of the summer. Pollution — especially plastic bags — can have a negative impact on sea turtle populations as well. Turtles often mistake floating bags for one of their favorite delicacies, the jellyfish. All of these topics and more are discussed at free “Turtle Talks” held throughout the summer, up and down the coast. The talks are usually held weekly, and will include kidfriendly information about coastal North Carolina’s nesting sea turtle population. Following is a listing of some of the Turtle Talks in Southeastern North Carolina: • Atlantic Beach — 10:30-11:30 a.m., July 5 and Aug. 9 at Fort Macon, 2303 E. Fort Macon Rd. A
ranger will talk about all species of turtles and may even show visitors a nest, if there’s one available. • Carolina Beach — 7 p.m. every Wednesday, June 5 through Aug. 28 at Carolina Beach State Park, 1010 State Park Road. • Holden Beach — 7 p.m. every Wednesday in June, July and August, at Town Hall, 110 Rothschild St. • Kure Beach — 7 p.m. Mondays, June 10 through Aug. 26, at the Kure Beach Ocean Front Park & Pavilion, 105 Atlantic Ave. • Ocean Isle Beach — Mondays at 3:30 p.m. through Sept. 2 at the Museum of Coastal Carolina in Ocean Isle Beach. The turtle talks are free with regular admission to the museum. Turtle Talks are also held Tuesdays and Thursdays, 5:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. through Aug. 27 at the Ocean Isle Beach Community Center, 44 E. 1st St. • Sunset Beach — 7 p.m. Sundays, June 9 through Aug. 25 at Sunset Properties, 419 Sunset Blvd. • Topsail Island — Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue & Rehabilitation Center, open for public tours on Thursdays and Saturdays throughout the summer, from 1-4 p.m. Located at 302 Tortuga Lane, Surf City. • Wrightsville Beach — 7 p.m. every Tuesday in June, July and August, at the N.C. Coastal Federation Buiilding, 309 W. Salisbury St. SE
SE PICKS: Other beloved sealife found in SENC Dolphins Several species of dolphins migrate along Southeastern North Carolina’s shore throughout the year. The town of Surf City regularly posts photos of dolphins frolicking offshore on its Facebook page. Near the shore, you’re most likely to see bottlenose dolphins. Other species, such as spotted dolphins, travel mostly in offshore waters.
Humpback Whales Although it’s summertime now, early winter and early spring are the best times to spot humpback whales passing by offshore. A fully grown humpback whale can grow to between 40-50 feet and weigh 33-40 tons. They’re known for breaching the surface of the water, which is surely a breathtaking sight to behold. In the image above, which went viral earlier this year, paddleboarder Chris Hill had a close encounter of the humpback kind.
Seals Seals usually prefer cooler waters, but they have been known to swim up to Southeastern N.C. beaches. In May 2013, a harbor seal pup was spotted on Wrightsville Beach, then moved south to Carolina and Kure beaches. Last January, a seal was spotted napping on Harkers Island. According to a 2015 Cape Hatteras National Seashore study, seals are known to gather in large numbers in at least one area of Pamlico Sound. SUMMER 2019 | WWW.WWW.SENCMAG.COM | 33
34| WWW.SENCMAG.COM | SUMMER 2019
Philip Gerard: opening eyes to forgotten history Story & Photos: Abby Cavenaugh The thing with history is that we depend upon mere mortals to recount it, and trust that their eyewitness accounts are accurate. In some cases, portions of history are purposely forgotten, the more horrific actions of some people fade into the past, never to be resurrected. That’s where people like University of North Carolina at Wilmington creative writing professor Philip Gerard come in. In 1994, his novel, “Cape Fear Rising,” was published. It’s been in print ever since, with a 25th anniversary edition released this year. The book chronicles what’s been dubbed “the race riots” in Wilmington, in 1898. It’s a darker piece of Wilmington’s history that many would rather forget. “The reason I wrote ‘Cape Fear Rising’ is that when I got here, I was appalled by the segregation that still existed,” the Delaware native recalls. “I asked around, and found out about the race riots. I couldn’t believe nobody else had written about it.” The so-called race riots weren’t so much an uprising; instead, it was a group of white Wilmington residents that decided to drive all African-Americans out of their city after some blacks were elected to public office. Those who weren’t driven out of town or into hiding were killed. “By the time order was restored, many of the city’s most visible black leaders had been literally put on trains and told to leave town, hundreds of black citizens were forced to hide out in the city’s cemetery or the nearby swamps to avoid massacre, and dozens of victims lay dead,” the book’s description reads. “There are always people that say that it didn’t happen,” Gerard says. “Like anything that people are ashamed of, it goes underground, like a great family secret.” Despite resistance from certain factors in the community, Gerard sold the book to a publisher on a proposal, then took a full year to completely immerse himself in the subject matter. “I found a lot of stuff at UNC in Chapel Hill, Duke University, ECU, our library here in downtown Wilmington ... I used only primary sources,” he recalls. “By the end of the year, I’m pretty sure I knew more about it than anyone alive, maybe more than the people who experienced it, because I had a broader
“The hardest thing is to find a regular person who wasn’t famous. Those letters and diaries of regular people were the best, because those are the truest emotional connections to the war.” –Philip Gerard scope, kind of knowing both sides.” He spent a lot of time in downtown Wilmington, on foot, so that he’d know exactly how long his characters would’ve walked from one point to another. He walked to the cemetery, timed how long it took to get from the armory to sites where major events occurred. “I really wanted the landscape to feel palpable and real,” he says. “There was no liability,” Gerard says of the “riots.” “It was done with complete impunity. No one ever got prosecuted; there was not even a police report.”
He likens it to something that “people would never believe could happen here,” like the riots in Charlottesville, Va. a few years ago, when Nazis and white supremacists marched in the streets with torches. “It feels like something that shouldn’t have happened,” he says, “but it did.” Gerard says that he feels the 25th anniversary of “Cape Fear Rising” is timely, considering the recent rise of white nationalism. “With all that’s happening now — voter suppression, immigration issues, etc. — I’m sure some brown people feel like they
SUMMER 2019 | WWW.WWW.SENCMAG.COM | 35
“There’s nothing like seeing Wilmington from the river, or seeing the salt marshes behind Masonboro Island. I always believe when you’re in a place, you should be in it. For me, it’s natural to want to explore where you live.” –Philip Gerard don’t belong here,” he says. “When I first moved here, I thought North Carolina was a very progressive state, but over the past couple of years, I’ve seen that systematically dismantled.” His most recent release, “The Last Battleground: The Civil War Comes to North Carolina,” focuses on little-known faces of the Civil War. According to publisher UNC Press, the book tells of “a personal war waged by Confederates and Unionists, free blacks and the enslaved, farm women and plantation belles, Cherokees and mountaineers, conscripts and volunteers, gentleman officers and poor privates.” “I’m trying to look at the entire war through the eyes of North Carolina,” Gerard explains. “It’s the perfect state for that, because it was the homefront and the battleground at the same time. Loyalties were split right down the middle.”
36 | WWW.SENCMAG.COM | SUMMER 2019
He adds that he wanted to focus not solely on generals and battles, but on the freed slaves fighting on both sides, nuns working as nurses and surgeons, the families that were left at home while fathers and sons were off fighting the war. “I visited a lot of landmarks, and looked at a lot of letters and diaries and that kind of thing,” Gerard says. “The hardest thing is to find a regular person who wasn’t famous. Those letters and diaries of regular people were the best, because those are the truest emotional connections to the war.” Gerard is currently working on a historical novel about the Fontana Dam. Although the characters will be fictional, it is based on true events surrounding people who were thrown off their land so that the dam could be built. “I also think it’s a love story of a different kind,” he says. “There were people getting hurt and dying to build
this dam, but it was part of the war effort. I think about what makes the news — it’s not people just going about their lives, it’s the plane crashes and the disasters like hurricanes. But the real story is how people respond to these things.” In between teaching creative writing at UNCW, and writing and promoting his books, Gerard is also a musician. “The idea is not to write great songs, but to communicate an idea or a feeling,” he says. His latest CD, titled “American Anthem,” is, to him, a story about writing. He says one of the tracks, “Let Us Cross Over the River,” describes much of how he felt about finishing “The Last Battleground.” “Music is often a great way to reach a coda,” he says. “It’s kind of a vacation from your mind. You can feel both tired and refreshed after you’ve played a good show.” Gerard recommends music for anyone, of any age. “I was in my 40s before I started playing the steel guitar. You can learn to play anything on the Internet. And, the more you play, the better you’ll play.” As for advice to fellow writers? “Turn off your screens. Go outside and close your eyes for a few moments. Then, find your stillness. Write about all those things you saw and felt out in the world.” “Don’t expect it to be any good,” he cautions. “Trust that it’ll get better later.” For Gerard, writing has always been a natural way of expressing himself. “I think at a certain point, everyone who writes thinks, ‘There’s a book I want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet.’ So you must write it.” Gerard’s first novel, “Hatteras Light,” was set during World War I on North Carolina’s Outer Banks, where he spent much of his youth exploring during the summers. He says he was always drawn to history, whether it be fiction or what he dubs “creative nonfiction.” He’s actually written several textbooks on creative nonfiction, which are still used in colleges and universities. “I always looked forward to writing history papers in school,” he says. “I started writing really terrible stuff on my own dur-
ing high school, but I always loved making stories.” After a time in Arizona, he and his wife Jill moved to North Carolina, and he eventually ended up at UNCW. “I’ve always felt drawn to water,” he says. “If you don’t get on the water here in Wilmington, you’re
missing what this area’s all about. There’s nothing like seeing Wilmington from the river, or seeing the salt marshes behind Masonboro Island. I always believe when you’re in a place, you should be in it. For me, it’s natural to want to explore where you live.”
No doubt if there’s a historical element yet to be discovered in North Carolina, Gerard will find it and write a book about it. For more information about Gerard, his books, short stories and music, visit his website at philipgerard.com.
SE
SUMMER 2019 | WWW.WWW.SENCMAG.COM | 37
EDWARDS Alignment Center
Four quarterly issues mailed to your home for the annual rate of:
19
95+ tax
$
om
nich
U
L TO E WEL ARE BRIDG G ND F A FO Y’S SWIN CIT SURF
SE
N
orth
svil
le
com
Ca
ro li
: ISSUE OKS LIVE E THIS E BO NT O KS INSID AMONGST THCE IN MOURD BAN
Tuc k
Age er n avil t le s. com
EA GE NC NT .CO M
SA
TE
e Age ll olas Ken nt .bel a l@ n ins.
S
WIN
Nic kB
ncfb
PAS
Ac
6
S
HOM
9
na
DS ETOW HEL N H PIN ER GH O AND
G
We have been locally owned for over 40 years and family owned for the last 12 years. We are a certified tire dealer of Nexen, Michelin, Nitto, and Firestone, and we stock tires for cars, trucks, SUV’s, vans, tractors, and all your other farm equipment. We are a friendly tire shop that is a Bridgestone Firestone dealer in Clinton, NC.
9
N
NB AL eg en dM ich ae l Jo rda n
1 20
SE
U
01
REN HT EFO A NIG G A DIFFE SHACKL FARMS N MAKIN TOWN O VER HOG O GHOST G STINK THE BI
LEN SA
R2
RIN SP
PAS
michael edwards, Owner monday-Friday - 8am-5pm 517 Warsaw road Clinton, nC 28328 Email: edwardsalignment@gmail.com Phone: 910-490-1292
8
SEhange of season
148
light truck & Heavy Duty,Brakes on ALL Vehicles, King Pins
201
an c s a e is m pro orrtheCaro lina mNi o th s e. an 96L FAL
Alignment Services for Passenger
h ort
aro
C
I E IS OM TH AVE SIENDS MS IDE G TO S D FR S TEA UN INS HELPINATHEREL NEEDOME R TO THETEVILLE Y : FE ECIA A H OUT AYET ALIT RED SP HIT ME IN F OSPIT ONO E E TAK GAM RN H IME-HION? LL E T IT BA OUTHH OR RAD S YT T M
a
: UE SS
lin
WE SPECIALIZE IN FARM AND AGRICULTURAL TIRES, CONSTRUCTION TIRES, PASSENGER CAR, SUV AND LIGHT TRUCK TIRES.
Gi ve sB ac k
nd sa ct vi on C
& S RS IE E P N P O U S P RI P
FLO CAR REN OLIN CE A A R INS ND EMA THE IN ID HAP AN BURG S IN JA E TH IS IS PY H TIQU EON MES OLID ES: A ING TAY S AY M STE OYST LOR’S UE: P EMO INT ER IN MIN RIE O SE DUS D S IN NC TRY ’S THE MA PAST KIN G
m ea st ne ni ca
up
to
ge an ch
38 | WWW.SENCMAG.COM | SUMMER 2019
Michael Edwards, Owner 910-592-4741 • 317 S.E. Blvd., Clinton NC • tireincofclinton.com
es liv
SUMMER 2019 | WWW.WWW.SENCMAG.COM | 39
Make sure safety is part of your summertime fun On Memorial Day alone, 20 people had to be rescued from rip currents along Wrightsville and Carolina Beaches near Wilmington. That’s just one day, on two area beaches. The following weekend, a 17-year-old girl was attacked by a shark at Fort Macon in Atlantic Beach. Though she survived, she had to have a leg amputated and suffered severe damage to her hands. Most of us want to enjoy the sea breezes and sunshine during the summertime, especially when temperatures are in the 90s and the humidity seems to be at 100 percent. But, officials urge beachgoers to keep safety in mind while enjoying time on Southeastern North Carolina’s beautiful coastline. Rip currents and animal bites are just a few of the risks summertime can bring. Here are some helpful tips to keep you and your family (including your four-legged fur babies) healthy and happy this summer.
RIP CURRENTS
One of the most talked about summer dangers is rip currents. These dangerous forces of nature can happen on any beach that has breaking waves. According to the United States Lifesaving Association (USLA), more than 100 deaths occur each year due to rip currents on American beaches. Lifeguards reportedly rescue about 60,000 swimmers annually, and rip currents account for over 80 percent of those rescues. The National Weather Service is40 | WWW.SENCMAG.COM | SUMMER 2019
sues a surf forecast each day for area beaches. Beaches that are protected by lifeguards during the summer months, like Wrightsville Beach, use colored flags at each lifeguard stand to indicate water conditions in the area. A green flag means low hazard, waters are fairly calm. A yellow flag indicates a moderate hazard and that powerful currents may be present. Those who can’t swim well are discouraged from entering the water. A red flag indicates rough conditions, including strong currents and crashing waves. All swimmers are discouraged from entering the water. If there’s a double red flag, the beach is closed to public use. If you do throw caution to the wind (literally) and get caught in a rip current, keep in mind the following tips from the National Weather Service: • Try to relax. Rip currents will not pull you under. A rip current is a natural treadmill that travels an average speed of 1-2 feet per second, but has been measured as fast as 8 feet per second — faster than an Olympic swimmer. • Do NOT try to swim to shore. Swim along the shoreline until you escape the current’s pull. When free from the pull of the current, swim at an angle away from the current toward shore. • If you feel you can’t reach shore, relax, face the shore, and call or wave for help. Remember: If in doubt, don’t go out! • If at all possible, only swim at beaches with lifeguards. If you choose to swim on beaches with-
out lifeguards present, never swim alone. Take a friend and have that person take a cell phone so he or she can call 911 for help, if needed.
SHARK ATTACKS & JELLYFISH STINGS
Although shark attacks are uncommon, it is important to note that they do happen on Southeastern N.C. beaches, even if they’re rarely fatal. The Florida Museum offers these tips to avoid becoming shark bait: • Always swim in a group. Sharks most often attack lone individuals. • Don’t wander too far from shore. Doing so isolates you and places you away from assistance. • Avoid the water at night, dawn, or dusk. Many sharks are most active at these times and are better able to find you than you are to see them. • Don’t enter the water if bleeding. Sharks can smell and taste blood, and trace it back to its source. • Don’t wear shiny jewelry. The reflected light looks like shining fish scales. • Avoid waters being fished and those with lots of bait fishes. Diving seabirds are good indicators of such activities. • Avoid an uneven tan and brightly colored clothing. Sharks see contrast particularly well, so use extra caution when waters are cloudy. • Don’t splash a lot. Also, keep pets out of the water. Erratic movements can attract sharks. • Use care near sandbars or steep drop-offs. These are favorite hang-
SUMMER 2019 | WWW.WWW.SENCMAG.COM | 41
outs for sharks. Jellyfish are some other sea creatures that can instill fear in swimmers. However, it’s uncommon that a jellyfish sting results in death. In 2018, more than 1,000 people were stung on a Florida beach in one week. The National Marine Fisheries Service says there have been more blooms of jellyfish in different parts of the world. Agricultural runoff, commercial fishing and warmer oceans have contributed to the increased jellyfish population in recent years. Most jellyfish stings occur in the summer and fall when people are most active at the beach. Jellyfish stings can be treated with vinegar to neutralize the pain before removing the tentacles if they are present. Also, exercise caution when walking barefoot on the beach, as there may be jellyfish washed up on the sand.
STAYING COOL
Even though summer warmth is welcome for many people, State Farm warns that heat is one of the leading causes of weather-related fatalities, resulting in hundreds of deaths each year in the United States alone. Ensuring summer recreation plans remain enjoyable means keeping an eye out for heatrelated illnesses and other dangers. • Hot cars can be traps. It is never safe to leave a pet, child, elderly person or disabled individual locked in a car. Temperatures can climb rapidly inside of a sealed vehicle, even if the windows are cracked. If you see a pet in a hot car, act quickly to try to locate the owner. He or she is likely in a nearby establishment. Talk to the proprietors of nearby stores and ask them to make an announcement to customers. Then, call the non-emergency number of your local police department or animal control. Stay on site until help arrives. While most pet owners have the best intentions, many are unaware of the danger of leaving a pet in a hot car. Free online resources, 42 | WWW.SENCMAG.COM | SUMMER 2019
Photo/Abby Cavenaugh Above, Be careful where you step — jellyfish commonly wash up on North Carolina beaches, like this Cannonball Jellyfish that was found on North Topsail Beach in May. Below, Remember to keep your four-legged friends safe this summer. Never leave your pets in a sealed car, even if the windows are cracked.
Internet Photo
available at HumaneSociety.org, offer tips, advice and important information on keeping pets safe. • Pay attention. Listen to or read weather forecasts to stay abreast of potential temperature changes, as well as the heat index. Discuss safety precautions with members of the family and make sure everyone knows what to do in an emergency. • Stock up on fluids. The Red Cross says to stay hydrated by drinking plenty of fluids, even if you are not thirsty. Avoid drinks with alcohol or caffeine. Make sure the elderly also get plenty of water, as they often do not recognize dehydration as readily as others. • Limit strenuous activities. Reschedule outdoor activities if there is a heat wave, or move them to cooler times of the day. Spend the hottest portion of the day, usually between noon and 3 p.m., in the shade or inside in the air conditioning. People on job sites should take more frequent breaks and find shade whenever possible during these hours. • Loose-fitting, lightweight, lightcolored clothing will help keep you cool. Avoid dark colors when spending time in the sun. • Recognize distress signals. Heat stress, exhaustion and heat stroke progress as symptoms worsen. Nausea, weakness, elevated body temperature, clammy skin, confusion and delirium are some of the symptoms of heat-related illnesses. • Find ways to stay cool. Not everyone has air conditioning. On especially warm days, going to public places with air conditioning, such as libraries, can help. Be sure to check on the elderly or others who may have difficulty finding cool places to spend their day.
KEEPING SKIN PROTECTED
Remember the sunscreen! Even if you tan more than burn (lucky you), you could still be at risk for skin cancer. Here are a few things to
keep in mind: • Make-up may not be enough: If your makeup contains SPF 15, don’t assume you’re covered. Luckily, there are sun protection options today that leave a matte finish and won’t mess with your cosmetics routine. • Think in all-day terms: Many people mistakenly believe they receive most of their sun exposure from going to the beach. It’s all too easy to underestimate the damage to skin from daily incidental sun exposure, which accumulates and prematurely ages skin. Whether you’re driving and catching rays through the window, or walking the dog in the morning, be mindful that you’re getting sun exposure and take necessary precautions. • Make it easy: One of the toughest aspects of applying sun protection is remembering to do it. But if it’s with you, you’ll use it. Toss some in your purse or bag. • Like your choice: Doing the right thing for your skin shouldn’t be a chore or create other skin care issues. So be sure you like your choice of sun protection. Look for options that won’t clog pores, are lightweight and offer easy application. • Take care of your planet, too: Oxybenzone and Octinoxate are chemical ingredients used in certain sun protection that are considered to be harmful to coral reefs. Make sure your sunscreen is Oxybenzoneand Octinoxate-free, and preferably, not tested on animals. These are just a few tips that can help make your summer not only fun and memorable, but safe and healthy as well. Don’t forget to be kind to yourself, as well as your environment. — Compiled by Abby Cavenaugh, information from MetroCreative and StatePoint Media
SE
Visit Elizabethtown and “Enjoy the Experience”
Visit White Lake and discover your next affordable vacation! SHOP • DINE • VISIT • RETIRE WWW.ELIZABETHTOWNWHITELAKE.COM
SPECIAL
COLLECTION Consignment Shop
3503 Hwy 24 East • Beulaville (in the Blizzard Shopping Center)
910-298-3432
OPEN MONDAY-FRIDAY 9:30-5:30 SATURDAY 9:30-4:00 You’ll love our selection of quality clothing and GENTLY USED MERCHANDISE useful ~FIRST-RATE SELECTION items. Why pay more?
“Greenleaf Home Fragrance”
SUMMER 2019 | WWW.WWW.SENCMAG.COM | 43
Future of Wrightsville’s drawbridge remains up in the air Story by Annesophia Richards • Photos Courtesy of Wrightsville Beach Magazine Anyone familiar with Wrightsville Beach knows that the Heide Trask Bridge is the only way on and off the island. For over 60 years, the drawbridge has welcomed beach residents and visitors alike, rising on demand for commercial traffic and on the hour for recreational boaters. Now, North Carolina’s Department of Transportation is projecting that due to its age, the bridge will need to be replaced within the next few decades. State transportation officials recently drafted a bridge replacement feasibility study. The results forecasted the bridge’s remaining lifespan to be about 23 years, even with significant maintenance. 44 | WWW.SENCMAG.COM | SUMMER 2019
“The bridge has exceeded the original anticipated life expectancy,” says DOT deputy division engineer Chad Kimes. “Maintenance repairs continue to be occurring on a regular basis, which means the costs of maintaining the bridge continues to increase. Also, parts are not readily available. Since this is the only access to Wrightsville Beach, it is very important that we plan accordingly.” The DOT’s report offered five design concepts, two of which would replace the current bridge with a high-rise bridge, while the other three opted for a new drawbridge. The proposal of an elevated bridge would allow marine vehicles to pass freely below, eliminating
traffic congestion caused by the drawbridge. However, a structure that large would also likely impact the current location of several businesses and residences. Four of the concepts also included the utilization of roundabouts to provide easier access to the bridge on the beach side. Estimated costs of the projects range from $69 million to $122 million, and whichever one is ultimately selected will still need to be added to any long-term traffic plans for the region. “With this feasibility study, we’re really just trying to get a jump on things and see what the future hold for the bridge,” says
Wrightsville Beach Town Manager Tim Owens. “The feasibility study for this project is a very important step to get feedback from the community so the department can better plan for a future bridge replacement on an aging structure,” Krimes adds. “The feedback will greatly affect how we move forward with this project. Once this study is complete, we will begin the process of identifying funding. Since this can take many years to obtain on a project this size, it’s best to start our planning today, rather than waiting for tomorrow.” Only the first design, labeled “Concept 1,” would require that no homes or residents be displaced, making it the most cost effective and least disruptive of the options. As one of the designs that includes the construction of a new drawbridge, it is also likely to appeal to those with a nostalgic sentiment. Given that the Heide Trask Bridge will need to remain open during any future construction, all five proposals include replacement paths to the north or south of the
current site. During the DOT’s assessment of the current bridge’s sustainability, factors such as the increased influx of both tourists and residents garnered significant consideration. “The whole area around Wrightsville Beach is growing,” says Owens. “There are a lot of undeveloped tracts that are now being developed, so it’s become a very busy part of the county. We are concerned about looking forward to the future of what traffic will look like.” The feasibility study highlighted the continued maintenance costs associated with keeping the bridge safe for motorists and pedestrians. Some proposed improvements include bicycle paths on both sides of the road, an extension of the multi-use paths from Wilmington across the bridge, and even the prospect of turning the current drawbridge into a “pedestrianonly” bridge. “The takeaway here is that these projects take a long time to get designed, funded, and permitted,” says Owens. “So it might happen 10, 20 or 30 years from now, but
first we need to know what we can do, what the process is going to be, and chart that out. Ultimately, the bridge is something that will have to be replaced.” SE We’re There When You Need Us!
Service n Maintenance n Replacement Residential New Construction Wilmington: (910) 473-6831 Jacksonville: (910) 459-4182 Dunn: (910) 292-3448 Kinston: (252) 653-4405 NC License #31589, 29077, 32508 & 30936
www.carolinacomfortair.com See our offers on page
12
SUMMER 2019 | WWW.WWW.SENCMAG.COM | 45
No matter how you slice it...
Still Beulaville’s Favorite Restaurant! •Pizzas • Subs •Burgers • Appetizers •Lasagna • Spaghetti •All You Can Eat Salad Bar!
PIZZA VILLAGE
Daily Lunch Buffet, Monday ~ Saturday
811 W. Main Street (N.C. 24 West)
910-298-3346
46 | WWW.SENCMAG.COM | SUMMER 2019
SE
North Carolina
Folk
When ‘going to the lake’ meant going to a dance party
T
Story by Abby Cavenaugh
Above, Williams Lake in the 1940s, when it was growing into a popular teen hangout. Below, The pavilion in the 1980s, after the lake had run dry and the building began to succumb to the effects of time.
here’s not much left today, but starting in the 1930s and reaching its heyday in the ’60s, a small lake in the middle of nowhere in Sampson County drew hundreds every weekend for a shagging good
dance party. “The lake’s water amplified the music and ratcheted up the level of excitement in the dancer and bystander,” Kent Wrench wrote in a 2008 issue of the Sampson County Historical Society newsletter. “Dancing to the music of the jukebox lasted for three decades or more, and then came the bands.” Williams Lake started out as a millpond, which became a swimming hole, and then a teenage hotspot. It was located in northeastern Sampson County, near the Mingo Township. Partiers had to travel through dirt roads in the woods to get there, which just added to Williams Lake’s unique appeal. According to Wrench, the pavilion was built somewhere around 1938, and included separate dressing rooms for men and women, and the addition of the all-important dance floor. “The public asked for music,” Wrench wrote. “[Owner] Mr. [Clayton] Williams responded by hooking a nickelodeon/jukebox to his generator. ... In the earliest days square dancing and jitterbugging were popular on the dance floor. The lake opened on Memorial
Day and remained open through Labor Day until the mid-sixties.” While many parents and churches didn’t approve of the shenanigans at Williams Lake, that, of course, didn’t stop teens from going there. And eventually, some big-name acts visited this dance hall in the woods. “Nationally recognized singers such as the Platters and Jackie Wilson (having appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show and American Bandstand) performed in the ‘middle of nowhere,’ which was Williams Lake,” Wrench wrote. Some other bands that performed at Williams Lake: The Drifters, Fat Boy, Billy Stewart, Mary Wells, The Embers, The Monzas, Gene Barbour and the Cavaliers, Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs, The Tams and many, many others. Robert Honeycutt ran the dance hall from 1965-69. He helped organize reunions that still drew in big-name acts, up until the final reunion in 2015. “I don’t think we appreciated what we had,” Honeycutt told the Sampson Independent prior to the final reunion. “We got used to seeing The Tams and
Maurice Williams. Who would’ve ever thought that Jackie Wilson would play out here in the woods of Sampson County, or The Platters? It was a heck of a lineup. We just didn’t realize — and we didn’t think to take pictures.” SE
SUMMER 2019 | WWW.WWW.SENCMAG.COM | 47
Forbes Mobile Home Supply of Kinston
We offer RV Parts, Doors, Windows, Skirting, Plumbing, Set-up Material & Goodman Units Package or Split.
1716 Hwy. 11/55 South, Kinston
252-527-2166
www.forbesmobilehomesupply.com Hours: Mon.-Fri. 7:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. • Sat. 8:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Pink Hill, NC
Your Hometown Pharmacy handling all your healthcare needs.
107 West Broadway • Pink Hill, NC 28572 Ph: 252-568-3161 • www.realopinkhill.com 48 | WWW.SENCMAG.COM | SUMMER 2019
SE
North Carolina
Our corner of North Carolina offers much more than just scenic beauty... Here are some great places you can appreciate for the good food, good times, history, and old-fashioned SENC hospitality!
travel ROSE HILL
P lanner LENOIR COUNTY
ONSLOW COUNTY
The
NORTH CAROLINA
P O U L T RY JUBILEE R O S E
H I L L
The CSS Neuse Civil War Interpretive Center offers state of the art exhibits that invite visitors to larn about the ironclad gunboat. The Confederate Navy launched the Neuse in al ill-fated attempt to gain control of the lower Neuse River and the occupied city of New Bern.
SEE OUR AD ON PAGE 3
www.nchistoricsites.org/neuse
FUN FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY 510 E. MAIN STREET, ROSE HILL WWW.NCPOULTRYJUBILEE.COM WALLACE
OFFERING CORRAL BOOTS FOR EVERY OCCASION!
We offer multiple venue locations for everything from family cook-outs to elegant weddings. We have a large covered shelter, a large banquet room, and The Barn. The Barn is our newest upscale venue for weddings and other events.
Thursday & Friday 4:30-8 p.m Saturday 4:00-8 p.m.
1600 Haw Branch Rd. Beulaville
NOVEMBER 1ST & 2ND WING COOK-OFF • FRIED CHICKEN LOCAL ENTERTAINMENT • CARNIVAL RIDES ARTS • CRAFTS & MORE!
Country Store & Restaurant
See the world’s only full-size replica of a Confederate Ironclad.
Call for Details 910-324-3422
www.cssneuseii.org
www.mikesfarm.com
SEE OUR AD ON PAGE 47 3
LENOIR COUNTY
BEULAVILLE
Kinston-Lenoir County
No matter how you slice it...
Visitor & Information Center
OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK
“Make us your first stop in Lenoir County”
PIZZA VILLAGE Is Still Beulaville’s Favorite Restaurant!
101 East New Bern Rd., Kinston, NC 252-522-0004
Kinston-Lenoir County
HWY 41 WALLACE NC • 910.285.2617
Parks & Recreation Department
Daily Lunch Buffet, Monday ~ Saturday
2602 W. Vernon Ave., Kinston, NC
811 W. Main Street 910-298-3346
252-939-3332
SUMMER 2019 | WWW.WWW.SENCMAG.COM | 49
Monday-Friday 11:00a.m. - 8:30p.m.
114 East Main Street Beulaville
Fireflies don’t have to be the only thing lighting up your porch this spring!
Sunday 11:00a.m. - 3:00p.m.
910-298-9121
Owned and Operated by Tony and Janet Miller
The Lighting Gallery 1144 US Hwy. 258 N. Suite B, Kinston, NC 28504 Open Mon. - Fri. 8 - 5:30 • Sat. 9 - 1
252-523-7878
thelightinggallerync.net litegals@yahoo.com
Comprehensive Eye and Vision Care Since 1975 Duplin Eye Associates, OD, PA specializes in diagnosis and management of: glaucoma, retinal disease, cataracts, eye infections and injuries. We offer contact lenses, optical dispensary and complete eyeglass service. Outside prescriptions are welcome. Surgical consultations and referrals are available. We accept most major credit cards, as well as CareCredit and also accept most major insurances. Call or stop by today!
304 N. Main Street • Kenansville
Dr. John Mason Dr. Eric Yopp R. Dax Hawkins, MD Surgical Eye Care, PA
402 N. Main Street Kenansville
1-910-296-1781 or 800-545-8069
NEW Patients Welcome! 50 | WWW.SENCMAG.COM | SUMMER 2019
Come see us!
Kornegay Insurance We’ve Got You Covered... In Eastern NC
A Commitment of Spirit, Pride and Service in our Community
Larry Kornegay
Hope Kornegay
Amy Medin
JoAnn Cooper
Karla Grady
Kolby Holland
Clint Britt
Logan Kornegay
Tim Smith
Tammy Jones
Tammy Elliott
Peggy Johnson
Nick Herring
Sandra Aquilera
Carl Kornegay
939 North Breazeale Avenue Mt. Olive, NC 28365 919-658-6027
201 West Broadway Street Pink Hill, NC 28572 252-568-3911
www.kornegayinsurance.com SUMMER 2019 | WWW.WWW.SENCMAG.COM | 51
Life insurance is more than a policy, it’s a promise. (910)296-1486 www.ncfbins.com Matt McNeill LUTCF Agency Manager roy.mcneill@ncfbins.com
Teddy Bostic
Nick Bell
Agent Kenansville
Agent Kenansville
teddy.bostic@ncfbins.com
nicholas.bell@ncfbins.com
Matt McNeill
LUTCF Agent roy.mcneill@ncfbins.com An Authorized Agency for
NCLFNP41000
Lynn Mobley
Doug Pierson
Agent *North Carolina Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Co. Beulaville
Agent Beulaville
*Farm Bureau Insurancelynn.mobley@ncfbins.com of North Carolina, Inc. doug.pierson@ncfbins.com *Southern Farm Bureau Life Insurance Co., Jackson, MS *An independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association
Elvis Tucker Agent Beulaville elvis.tucker@ncfbins.com
Duplin County Farm Bureau
308 N. Main Street • Kenansville, NC 28349 151 Crossover Road • Beulaville, NC 28518 THIS ARTWORK CANNOT BE ALTERED, REVISED, RESIZED OR REBUILT BEYOND CHANGING THE AGENT PHOTO OR CONTACT INFO. CONTACT MADGENIUS WITH ANY QUESTIONS AT COOP@MADGENIUSINC.COM
(910) 296-1486 (910) 298-8400
NCLFNP41000
www.ncfbins.com *North Carolina Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Co. *Farm Bureau Insurance of North Carolina, Inc.; *Southern Farm Bureau Life Insurance Co., Jackson, MS *An independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.
®
Get Real Auto • Home • Life • Health
PAS