SENC SUMMER 2017 by Jim Sills

SE Summer 2017

North Carolina

South

Eats

REGION’S

WACKIEST DONUTS

CHILLIN’ WITH THE

GRILLMASTER ALSO INSIDE: GLASSBLOWING BASEBALL IN FAYETTEVILLE

Celebrate the grape! THE N.C. MUSCADINE FESTIVAL BRINGS YOU OVER 250 N.C. WINES FROM MORE THAN 20 WINERIES!

Sept. 29-30

Duplin County Events Center Kenansville

CONTESTS! VENDORS! TAILGATING! Shag • Wine Making Reserve Your Rent a Space, Bring a Tent.

• Cooking• Photo Contest

Space Now

Enjoy the Festival in Comfort

N.C. WINES!

Taste and Purchase the the State’s Best Muscadine Wines.

DANCE TO THE MUSIC!

NANTUCKET ! Saturday, Sept. 30 • 4-7 p.m.

THE FANTASTIC SHAKERS Friday., Sept. 29 • 6-9 p.m.

THE ENTERTAINERS Sat., Sept. 30 • Noon - 3 p.m.

Tickets on Sale Now!

ADVANCED AT GATE • Children under 5 ........................... FREE .......................... FREE • Children 6 - 20 (both days) ............... $5 ................................$5 • Adults Friday ...............................................$8 ..............................$10 Saturday ........................................$20 ..............................$25 • Two-day pass ....................................$25 ..............................$30 • Military (active/retired/spouses Military ID# required) Friday ...............................................$6 ................................$6 Saturday ........................................$12 ..............................$12

www.etix.com / 910-275-0009

www.ncmuscadinefestival.com • 910-271-0030 2 SouthEast North Carolina Summer 2017 muscadinefestival@gmail.com

Summer 2017

S outhEast North Carolina

Editor’s Note

The only thing up for debate

SE North Carolina www.sencmag.com Issue No. 11

Staff / Credits / Contributions PUBLISHER Jim Sills EDITOR Trevor Normile PRODUCTION/ARTISTIC DIRECTOR Jillian Smith Content & Photography Jacqueline Hough Michael Jaenicke Trevor Normile Gary Scott CONTRIBUTING Writers Todd Wetherington Chris Weston Advertising Becky Cole Alan Wells CIRCULATION Lauren Guy SUBSCRIBE: Four issues (one year) $19.95 plus tax lguy@ncweeklies.com

We’ve collected some great foodthemed stories this issue, so let’s talk about beef, as in the state’s beef with the press. It seems our little magazine could get caught in the crossfire between bigcity newspapers and some members of state government. On June 5, state senators passed a provision requiring periodicals to cover their carriers with workers’ compensation insurance, unemployment pay and payroll tax payments. It is to be sent back before the state House where it started. The unrelated bill initially applied to prison inmates, but Guilford County Sen. Trudy Wade (R) inserted language specifically mentioning newsprint carriers. If successful, this law could mean carriers can’t be treated as independent contractors any longer, as they are now. Wade has it out for newsprint apparently — she’s also the sponsor of this year’s bill to kill legal notice advertising in papers, which would mean a substantial loss of revenue for the print news industry. It would allow county governments to pull public notices from papers and advertise them on their own websites. But while that measure has some objective merit in theory (not in practice, government websites still can’t match newspaper reach), this shot at carriers is

CONTACT senc.ads@nccooke.com senc@nccooke.com 1.910.296.0239 ON THE COVER Colorful Confection Happy Time Photo By Trevor Normile SouthEast North Carolina Magazine is a publication of the Duplin Times and Cooke Communications North Carolina. Contents may not be reproduced without the consent of the publisher.

North Carolina

dumbfounding. You see, this magazine was brought to you by a carrier, driving his or her own vehicle, on paid time with paid mileage. I know this because I know our carriers personally. I help them load their vans. They are retired moonlighters trying to pay bills. They’re dependable, hardworking people and among the strongest pins in this fledgling operation. These people know Southeastern North Carolina perhaps better than we do, because they are the unseen force that scatters us to the coastal winds. It would be good to offer these perks to our carriers, were it possible. For us little guys, it is not realistic. If this bill becomes law, we might have some difficult decisions to make. Currently, it’s unclear if the House will support this measure. SE North Carolina was not formulated as a political publication and it remains detached. However the hypocrisy of a Republican introducing legislation that will not only kill jobs — and it will, that is a fact — but in the end fetter the press in a state that already has lackluster public records laws, is really something to behold. Let me tell you something: we are storytellers each of us, from our writers to our carriers. We will never go away, because we are an idea, we are needed, we are wanted, we are one of the Founding Fathers’ constituted sacraments. Whether our service comes with great consternation or friendly cooperation from the State of North Carolina is, in the long term, the only thing up for debate.

Trevor Normile, Editor 4

SouthEast North Carolina

Summer 2017

Mystery Photo

Where in SENC is this? Where in southeast North Carolina is this? A quick explanation, in case it’s needed: Every quarter, SE North Carolina plans to include a cropped-down version of a landmark in one of SENC’s many signature communities. Try and guess which city in which we took this photo—it’s a picturesque little Wayne County town. Nestled on the Wilmington-Weldon Railroad, this place is known for its daffodil flowers. Turn to page 42 to find out if you guessed correctly.

See page 42 for answer

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GLASSBLOWING BASEBALL IN FAYETTEVILLE

S outhEast North Carolina

Feedback:

Fireflies don’t have to be the only thing lighting up your porch this summer!

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

View past issues at www.sencmag.com 6 6

SouthEast SouthEastNorth NorthCarolina Carolina

No need to spit fire, but if you’ve got something to say, just say it! Welcome to our summer issue of SE North Carolina. We hope you like it, and all of our previous issues dating back to 2014. Now it’s time we heard from you. Like our features and information this time? Got suggestions for future stories? Let us know. Got any thoughts on how this magazine can be improved? We’re all ears. Tell us what’s on your mind and anything else you’d like to share that would help us provide southeastern North Carolina with a magazine you’ll be excited to look forward to four times a year! Send us a message at the address at right. We hope the information and features herein will be the kind of information you want and will look forward to each edition, in portraying our corner of North Carolina in an interesting and honest light. And, if you want to advertise, we provide great service and coverage so your message is most effective over the 15-county region we call home— southeastern North Carolina!

SPRING 2017 Summer 2017

Contents Summer 2017

Features

In Every Issue

Snapshots

Dispatch 14

Wake ’n Bake

Grillmaster

Glass Blowing

Get a sugar high

Learn from the pro The art, the intensity

Sanctuary 30

How do they get here?

Oyster update

Hemp dreams

Center Street Jams

Sea shells sanctuary Farmacy opens second location in Wilmington Live music, hot food, cold beer

Astros Ballfield

EXTRAS

Murmurs

“The search is what anyone would undertake if he were not sunk in the everydayness of his own life.” -Walker Percy, The Moviegoer

Interfaith Refugee

New field, same game A lonely road, a madman

Playdates

Mystery Photo

Daffodil town by the tracks

People

Folk

SPRING 2017 Summer 2017

Upcoming concerts, theater and more in SouthEast N.C.

Contributions and quirks from interesting people in our region A fight for survival!

S S outhEast outhEast North North Carolina Carolina

Kornegay Insurance Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;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 8

SouthEast North Carolina

Summer 2017

SE Snapshot

SE PICKS: WATER CRITTERS

North Carolina

Shiner

Helping the oyster comeback in North Carolina waters NCCF, DMF plant oyster sanctuary in mouth of the Neuse River

n ambitious project to support oyster growth in Carteret County is underway. Crews have started moving 25,000 tons of marl to construct the 15-acre Swan Island Oyster Sanctuary, which will support about 15 million oysters. You may recall we’ve been following this story for some time — construction finally began May 3 and is expected to finish in July, according to the North Carolina Coastal Federation. The sanctuary is being built in Pamlico Sound near the mouth of the Neuse River. Approximately 1,200 loads of stone, carried by tractor trailer, were brought to the location to build reef ridges four feet high and about eight feet wide. “We’re excited to play a role in this public-private partnership and oyster restoration,” said Jason Peters, artificial reef coordinator for the Division of Marine Fisheries. “To build an oyster sanctuary of this magnitude takes a massive amount of material and detailed logistics.” This sanctuary project is a publicprivate partnership, funded through a grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) community-based habitat restoration program, as well as

through matching appropriations from the state General Assembly. Additional funding is provided by Grady White Boats and through donor support.

Endemic to central N.C., this one’s a little outside our purview. But look at those big round puppy-dog-fish eyes! Don’t you just want to squeeze the little guy? Yeah? Well, don’t. The Cape Fear shiner is endangered due to damming and water degradation — and it’s only found in North Carolina.

Kemp’s

ridley sea turtle Overhunting and environmental issues have pushed the Kemp’s ridley to the brink, earning it critically-endangered status. This charming sea turtle is native to the Gulf of Mexico, but they have been known to nest in North Carolina. Conservation efforts include the use of special devices to protect them from shrimp nets.

Crew deploy the material from the barge into the sound. Hibbs/NCCF

Green Tree Frog

As a sanctuary, the site will not be open for oyster harvesting. The island will allow the molluscs to reproduce in safety. Nearby cultch sites will be open to harvest, according to the NCCF. The project is part of a push by the group to foster the growth of 50 million oysters, over about 50 acres, in the next three years. Oysters are valuable for more than just food — they clean water and form an important part of the aquatic environment. For more information about this project and about the N.C. Coastal Federation, visit www.nccoast.org/ oysters. SE

Who doesn’t love finding a little green tree frog, stuck to the screen door on a warm summer evening? Their chipper songs liven up our humid nights and their diet includes creepy crawlies we don’t care for anyway. The American green tree frogs like moist environments, but they’re not above leaving their swamps and ponds to visit our back porches, either.

Summer 2017

S outhEast North Carolina

Play dates Upcoming things to do in southeastern North Carolina

festivals JUN-JUL

25-4 10 DAYS

N.C. Fourth of July Festival

Waterfront Park, 100 E. Bay St., Southport

For more than 200 years, Southport has celebrated our nation’s Independence Day in a big way with the 4th of July Festival Parade, classic car show, Festival Finale Fireworks, dance contests, live music, children’s games, fire fighters competition and beach events on Oak Island. www.ncbrunswick.com

Bernaroo

Isaac Taylor Garden,228 Craven St., New Bern One-day pass $15, Two-day pass $25

July

14-15

FRI-SAT

Bernaroo Music & Arts Festival is a family friendly, communitybuilding event that gives voice to the rich talents North Carolina by showcasing a love of music, visual art and vibrant culture. This festival highlights local artists, musicians, restaurants and craft vendors with after parties each night. www. bernaroomusicfest.com

N.C. Muscadine Festival

Duplin Co. Events Center 195 Fairgrounds Drive, Kenansville

Sept

29-30

FRI-SAT

The N.C. Muscadine Festival has wine, music, good food and a rockin’ good time, drawing visitors from up and down the East Coast. Tailgating spots inside festival and camping spaces outside festival available.Tickets: advance and at gate, $8-$25. www. ncmuscadinefestival.com.

SouthEast North Carolina

National Lighthouse Weekend AUG Celebration 4-6 10 a.m.- 6 p.m., 101 Lighthouse Wynd, Bald Head Island

FRI-SUN

This year, celebrate “2 Centuries of Light” on Bald Head Island, in honor of Old Baldy’s 200th birthday! Saturday activities include a sand sculpture contest and more of the popular maritime celebrations. Tickets available for island tour, Gala in White, Salute to N.C. History, Cuisine and Spirits, night climbs, and sand sculpting contest. www.oldbaldy.org

JUl-AUG

11 3 TUE THU

Shackleford Banks:

Horses, Hiking & History 9 a.m.- 1 p.m., 315 Front St., Beaufort

Experience Outer Banks heritage and wildlife with a guided hike on Shackleford Banks, part of the Cape Lookout National Seashore. Not suitable for children under 12. Advance reservations required. Fee: $25 per person. North Carolina Maritime Museum. Admission: Fee: $25. Advance registration required. Also on Sat., Sept. 30. www. ncmaritimemuseums.com

Vans Warped Tour ‘17 Door open at 11 a.m. Legion Stadium, 2149 Carolina Beach Road Wilmington

July

TUES Fifty-eight bands, all day, now featuring Mutant Party Zone. Bands include The Acacia Strain, The Adolescents, The Ataris, Bad Omens, Courage My Love, Dance Gavin Dance, I Prevail, Jule Vera, Neck Deep, Our Last Night, Sonic Boom Six, Too Close to Touch and many more. journeys.com/warpedtickets Summer 2017

SE Pick

Tony Bennett

Wilson Center, Cape Fear Community College Downtown Wilmington Showtime: 7:30pm

Tickets start at $58 + taxes & fees* http://cfcc.edu/capefearstage/tony-bennett/

Greenfield Lake Amphitheater WILMINGTON

SUMMER CONCERT SERIES

Aug

18 FRI

SE Pick

Admission $25-$30 Fri.; Yonder founding members Aijala, banjo player Dave Johnston, and bassist Ben Kaufmann reconfigured Yonder Mountain String Band as a traditional bluegrass instrumental five-piece in 2014 with the recruitment of new players Allie Kral (violin) and Jacob Jolliff (mandolin). ticketfly.com.

Cape Fear Blues June Festival 9 a.m.- 6 p.m., various venues in Downtown Wilmington

23-25

Cody Jinks Plus Paul Cauthen • Thurs., July 13, 6:30 p.m.

FRI-SUN

The Cape Fear Blues Festival is a cultural fixture in our region and an up-and-coming festival throughout the national blues industry where blues fans can satisfy their soulful cravings. Wilmington’s premier blues music venues -the Rusty Nail Saloon and Ted’s Fun on the River - will host the 2017 Cape Fear Blues Festival. Performers include James Armstrong Band, Dustin Arbuckle & The Damnations, JRandy McQuay, Coastal Blue Bande, Spider Mike Bockey, Dry Pond Blues Band, Brett Johnson & The Most and many more. (910) 350-8822

Yonder Mountain String Band Plus Tyler Childers • Sunday, July 9, 5 p.m.

Rick Ross & K. Michelle Don & Diva Tour 8 p.m., Crown Coliseum, Fayetteville

Jul

Admission all ages, $22.50-$150. Cody Jinks is an American country music singer from Denton, Texas. [1] His 2016 album, I’m Not the Devil, reached No. 4 on the Billboard’s Country Albums chart. He is backed by The Tone Deaf Hippies. ticketfly.com.

FRI

$43, $58, $75, $102. Award winning Rap Artist, mogul and Grammy award nominee Rick Ross and National Recording artist, chart-topping and award-winning R&B singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and television personality, K. Michelle, perform. www.crowncomplexnc.com

An Evening with Chris Robinson Brotherhood • Wednesday, August 9, 6:30 p.m. $25-$30. Chris Robinson Brotherhood is an American blues rock band formed in 2011 by Black Crowes singer Chris Robinson while The Black Crowes were on hiatus. The band has released four studio albums. ticketfly.com.

Check local venues for times

Center Stage Theatre and Paramount Theatre SEP-OCT

29 1

Fri., Sept. 29 8 p.m. Sat., Sept. 30 7:30 p.m. FRI-SUN Sun., Oct. 1 3 p.m. • 139 S. Center St., Goldsboro $15-$18. Center Stage

Theatre’s 40th Anniversary Celebration will be a grand concert event featuring a full orchestra and chorus, conducted by Jayson Keeton, a wide variety of artists will perform some of the most memorable songs from some of the most popular shows that CST has produced in the last 40 years. From classics like Show Boat and Rodgers & Hammerstein to modern favorites from Godspell and Little Shop of Horrors, there is sure to be something that everyone will enjoy. http://www.goldsboroparamount.com/

Dark Water Rising 2017 tour June 24, Paddy’s Irish Public House, Fayetteville July 29, Backstreet Pub, Beaufort Aug. 5, Satellite Bar and Lounge, Wilmington Aug. 26, The Red Room, Kinston

The band attributes their style of playing and singing to a combination of influences, which range from attending Sunday morning worship services to absorbing the diverse styles and tones of artists like Aretha Franklin, Michael Jackson, the BeeGees and Lynyrd Skynyrd. DWR explores various themes of life — love, heartbreak, sacrifice, celebration, despair, pain.

Sept

21-24 THU-SUN

Benson Mule Days City-wide event, Benson

UB40 Legends Ali, Astro & Mickey • Monday, September 18, 6 p.m.

$39.50-$69.50. Original UB40 members Ali Campbell, Astro and Mickey Virtue are back on tour. Ali and Mickey left the band in 2008 and were reunited with Astro when he left too in 2013. ticketfly.com.

The Infamous Stringdusters • Saturday, September 30, 6 p.m..

$25-$30; children under 10 free. The Stringdusters are an acoustic/bluegrass band known for a complex, distinctive and groove-friendly sound along with a bluegrass theme. ticketfly.com.

The weekend is packed with rodeos, a mule pulling contest, arts and crafts, vendors, street dances, carnival rides, camping, trail rides, parades, bluegrass shows and more. www.bensonmuledays.com

Summer 2017

S outhEast North Carolina

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SouthEast North Carolina

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Summer 2017

SE Dispatch

North Carolina

Wake ‘n Bake

Chillin’ with the Grillmaster

We visited Danny Tangredi of Wake ’n Bake Donuts of Carolina Beach to learn what drives him to such confectionery madness. The specialty doughnut scene has exploded in southeastern North Carolina, and his creations may be the wildest of all.

It’s summer time now and you might think you know the secrets to grilling the perfect steak. Still, we reached out to chef, carnivore and allaround nice guy Aaron Lancaster for some pointers on summer grilling.

GlasStation

Glassblowing is an ancient art, but it’s not lost at ECU’s “GlasStation” in Farmville. We explore the brutal conditions and the fine finesse needed to create beautiful works from molten glass. As if it weren’t hot enough outside already. Summer 2017

Wake n Bake,

The story behind Carolina Beach’s strangest Just past the bridge into Carolina Beach, a colorful little shop packed in next to the local Food Lion will give you pause if you just consider its name for a moment. Wake ’n Bake. Donuts. “But aren’t doughnuts, like, fried, man?” you might ask in your quest for glazed, besprinkled lard-and-carb pleasures. Well, yes, they are, but that’s kind of the, erm, joke. “In general, it was supposed to be bakery and coffee shop. It was concept I came up with when I was in college,” owner Danny Tangredi says, sitting at a table inside, as the diabolically mouth-watering scent of fried dough made it difficult to pay attention sprinkles glaze chocolate lunchtime. The joke is something perhaps no one could see coming from Danny, a laid-back, long haired man who used his marketing degree and business knowledge to start a donut shop at the beach. “The grit, the brutally honest story is, I was in college and I was smoking a lot of weed and ‘wake and bake’ was kind of a culture down there.” To be clear, it should be mentioned Wake ’n Bake is a family donut shop. Families come in, purchase donuts, eat, listen to reggae and leave. But it’s an interesting, subliminal way to capitalize on the subculture of recreational marijuana use that, let’s be honest, is probably in those people’s pasts as well. As it turns out, Tangredi spent much of his childhood doing what

he does now — baking. Food. This article is about food. “I really had a love affair with sweets. So growing up I made a lot of pies, cakes, cookies. I’d put them in the county fair when I was super-young. Even when I was really young, I had the idea of starting a cookie company, I made cookies for everyone all the time,” he explains as customers filed into the shop, marveling at the selection. Jokes aside, that’s the appeal of Wake ’n Bake. Step up to the display case and choose your poison: doughnuts covered in cereal, candy, ghost peppers, chocolate, potato chips — it’s almost as if someone, during a relaxing evening at home, not hurting anyone, maybe watching some cartoons, suddenly got really hungry and decided to throw a bunch of

we opened, being like ‘oh [no], I made a bad choice.’ I had put a lot into it, every credit card was maxed, every dollar. I just kept looking at the numbers thinking we’d have to sell 20 dozen doughnuts a day,” he remembers. “Fast-forward and we’re selling like 300 dozen doughnuts. So it was one of those things, we didn’t really know until we opened. We didn’t tell anybody, we just kind of opened the doors. We had like 60 people. I felt a lot better.” It’s no secret that gourmet doughnuts have surged in popularity in the southeastern part of the state in the last few years. While Britt’s Donuts has retained the old-fashioned appeal of their famous glazed confections, Duck Donuts has opened franchise shops. It would be fair to name the rest, but frankly, there isn’t enough space. We saw it in the craft beer industry, which since the Pop the Cap law in 2005 flooded North Carolina with locally-made beer. So maybe your product is great, but how do you break through? More importantly, in this case, how does a shop not only play off high times culture and still remain family friendly? “Originally, I wanted to make all the desserts, everything would have something like a weed reference, or something that would relate to that culture,” Tangredi says. “I think it depends on how you play it. The original idea was supposed to be a blatant, in-your-face,

“Look, when you eat a doughnut, you’re happy. I’ve never seen anyone come in here and not be happy. snacks on a donut. And it worked. The shop opened in 2014 and now has a satellite take-out location in downtown Wilmington. By the end of this year, Tangredi plans to offer franchises. When it opened, he had recently started a family and put everything into his venture. “I can remember the night before

brah.

doughnuts

Story & Photos: Trevor Normille

Wake ’n Bake cooks down to two essential elements: an original product and good-oldfashioned customer service, Tangredi says.

idea. I was exposed to Krispy Kreme [in Florida], and this was supposed to be a bakery of all sorts. I didn’t finalize doughtnuts until I met my wife and we went to a doughnut shop in Ocean City. I was looking at the layout and I thought this would be more manageable for someone who doesn’t have an extreme background in baking. “At that point, I was also a parent, so then I thought it would be cool to play off the culture in a more respectable way, so we’re not boxed into a situation in which parents don’t want to bring their kids in. The people who will get it, will get it.” Tangredi adds with a laugh, “We wake up, but the funny thing is we don’t bake, we fry. But ‘Wake ’n Fry’

doesn’t sounds as good.” Wake ’n Bake cooks down to two essential elements: an original product and good-old-fashioned customer service, Tangredi says. A doughnut shop is more streamlined than a traditional restaurant, so there’s less to go wrong. “Maybe the wait time is too long [at a restaurant], the waitress wasn’t nice enough, the order was wrong, the food doesn’t taste good, you’ve got all these things you can screw up,” he explains. “We don’t. People come in here, they’re just happy. All we have to do is facilitate that happiness. It’s like an ice cream shop, you almost can’t mess that up.” Summer 2017

Things seem to be working out for Wake ’n Bake. Last year, they won the Cooking Channel’s Donut Showdown. BuzzFeed called them “Best Donut Shop in North Carolina,” Encore Magazine awarded them the “Best Donuts” prize in 2015. Part of that fame is down to the unique, colorful doughnuts they fry up for customers. “I like to push the envelope a lot. I’m a big foodie in terms of general life. I love off-the-wall combinations. Back in the day, you’d get stuffed sandwiches, they’d throw fries, mozzarella sticks, chicken tenders in there. I like places that make something you haven’t seen before,” Tangredi explains. “Let’s make something that, when S outhEast North Carolina

you come in, it’s like, ‘oh my God, I can’t believe they full a full Snickers bar in a doughnut!’ Customer service should always be of primary concern to a business, Tangredi seemed at least as concerned about his staff as the doughnuts they serve. “We do, for a doughnut shop, extensive training to be able to handle customers. We only hire people we think can perform at the level we want them to. The way that businesses are losing is, they’re kind of adapting to that. I think buying is kind of shifting to online sales, and you don’t get any customer service online ... I think that kind of is overflowing into the retail industry,” he explains. “We make it a point to talk to our customers. We only get maybe a minute, but we want to make sure we at least build a relationship. I tell the folks who work for us, right now you’re working at a doughnut shop, but if you’re into movies, there could be a movie producer who walks in here to get a doughnut one day, and you could end up kicking it off with them.” As always, there’s a little more to it. A doughnut is a wonderful thing in and of itself — eggs, living yeast, milk, life-giving water — the dough is alive and flowing at one instant and then later a solid, edible thing. In most applications, a doughnut re-

sembles a zero, one of humankind’s greatest scientific and philosophical achievements. Topologically, it is a solid torus, like a blood cell, a magnetic field, or if you squint hard enough, an apple. Nutritionally, we are hardwired to seek sweet, fatty foods, owing to our distant ancestors who needed these things to survive. But we can analyze its form and

“Our customers are individuals, and therefore they want to come in and get a product that represents their individuality as well.” still fall short of what makes a doughnut a doughnut. The confection’s invention as we know it today, probably came in the mid-19th century, according to the Smithsonian. The

food was later accepted into mainstream American culture a century ago during World War I, when volunteers fed them to U.S. soldiers in France. What is it that has kept doughnuts in the American consciousness all this time? “In my opinion, in my world,

we’re in a fast culture. Breakfast, which used to be sitting down, having eggs or toast, whatever, that’s a very long process,” Tangredi says. “And so a doughnut is one of those things you can easily get, easily eat it, and you can be full and enjoy it. And it hits a lot of the things we want, we want something that tastes good, something that makes

us happy, we want something sweet, filling. “From a breakfast perspective, it has everything you’re looking for, you can grab it, get in your car, go to work, finish it, be happy. People come in, they’re just absolutely happy to be here, their eyes light up.” The answer gets even more complex from there. In recent years, specialty yogurt shops have come and gone, health food crazes seem to fade as fast an açaí berry rotting in the sun. Doughnuts are special, Tangredi explains. “Look, when you eat a doughnut, you’re happy. I’ve never seen anyone come in here and not be happy. I had a guy ask me once why I think doughnuts have taken off. When you go through a tough time, there’s comfort food. We were just coming out of a recession and economicallytrying times. I think the places that survived and thrived were the places that made people feel good,” he says. America needed some comfort food, he seemed to imply.

WHAT ARE PRE-PACKAGED MEDS?

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I’m gonna teach you how to eat

Chillin’ with the Grillmaster Story & Photos: Trevor Normille Since the prehistoric humans discovered that meat 1 tasted better2 cooked over open flame, grilling’s place in most cultures has changed from a way of life to a delicacy, a prep-intensive indulgence saved for special occasions. But it’s still a way of life for some, like Aaron Lancaster. Last issue’s research brought SE North Carolina to the town of Eureka, which is, coincidentally, more or less Lancaster’s home town. It was in Eureka, at BJ’s Café, that the man who proclaims himself “the Grillmaster” started his culinary path — since then Lancaster worked for free, washed dishes, mopped floors and honed his culinary skills at a few restaurants before finally securing a swanky steakhouse cook position at the well-known Carl and ’Chelle’s Grill Room in Goldsboro. Now that grilling’s back in season, we asked the Grillmaster himself to share some of his Zen-like wisdom on meat, and the addition of heat. Even in a bright-red chef ’s uniform, Lancaster, 25, is low-key. His mother, a minister, his father, a farmer and his brother, an avid hunter, the Wayne County man confesses he always preferred the kitchen to the outdoors. “I’ve always loved to cook. My aunt Elaine and my Mama, kind of

have always helped. “I was one who didn’t like to be doing what my Daddy was doing. He was out there working hard, farming. I was one who always liked to stay in the house,” Lancaster laughs.

Now that grilling’s back in season, we asked the Grillmaster himself to share some of his Zen-like wisdom on meat, and the addition of heat.

1.) I like to imagine a giant rack of brontosaurus ribs. 2.) Probably. Anyway, it was safer and easier to digest. Summer 2017

“I kind of feel like, when everybody’s in the kitchen — and you know how it is — it’s the same with any kitchen, it’s almost like people are happier. So you’ve got a happiness that’s just not there any other time. If you get in the kitchen, it’s hard not to be happy.” The “Grillmaster” moniker is part in jest, but partly not. It’s equal parts Lancaster’s droll sense of humor and a gentle reassurance of his methods. So in the interest of responsible, hard-hitting journalism, I bought some large T-bone steaks on the company’s dime1 to test his lofty epithet. We talk as Aaron ignites a pile of match-light charcoal, which begins Lesson One: always stack the charcoal. This ensures the coals not only heat up more quickly, but more evenly. Once the fire dies out, they’re ready to go. Some people refuse to touch matchlight, some don’t mind. Lancaster says it doesn’t really matter, as long as the coals burn down. “I’ll spray a little Pam on them bad-boys and we get to cookin’,” Aaron says, retrieving the metal grill grates. There’s nothing special about his grill — like most others, it’s a big metal box with metal grates in it. What’s important is the heat inside of it. Lesson Two: get that grill hot. “For grilling a steak, I really want the grill as hot as it will go. I shut the lid after I get done cleaning,” Lancaster explains. “I let it sit for a minute. Around 400 degrees, it’s ready. You want to sear the steak, that’s the main thing. It’s gotta be hot enough to sear.” “People eat with their eyes,” He says. It’s true, presentation is a big part of goes into a proper dish; those sear marks, the smell of carbonized meat, it sparks something primitive in our brains: meat cooked over flames is instinctually desirable, even as human civilization seems today a synthetic shadow of its wild past. But safe meat consumption doesn’t end with heat, it’s in preparation too. Lesson three: clean those grates, and clean them again. Lancaster has scraped and brushed

1.) Which led to an interesting conversation with Publisher Jim Sills. 20

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his grill grates, and after placing them over the coals, he wipes them down with a paper towel and coats them with cooking spray. This removes any stray bristles that might have broken from his brush. “A lot of people want to use them crappy grill brushes like this one,” he says, holding up a Teflon brush. “That’s why I always wipe it off with a paper towel. Them little grill brushes, they’re plastic, so when they melt, the bristles get all over the grill. You could get one in your food.” And now it’s time to prepare the meat. Lancaster has arranged some smoked sausage and fresh shrimp to go with our steaks. To season the meat, he uses a simple blend of sea salt, fresh-ground black pepper and garlic powder, his essentials. While there’s nothing wrong with marinades, Lancaster says he prefers to go without. We’re of one opinion here, especially with desirable cuts like our T-bones. Simplicity is good for T-bones because they’re complex cuts, part familiar strip steak, part succulent tenderloin. The Grillmaster coats the steak with brushed-on butter before adding a sprinkling of seasoning to taste. Half, he explains, will be lost in the cooking process, even though our steaks will only be prepared to rare consistency. The sea salt in particular will play a nuanced part in the cooking process. “Sea salt has a better consistency than table salt I think,” Lancaster says. “When the table salt breaks down, it kind of puts a coating of salt on the steak, which is fine for some things. I actually like the sea salt better, and fresh-ground black pepper. “You kind of want to layer your flavors, with anything you’re cooking that’s how you want to do it.” He places the T-bones on the grates to sear. Today, these particular steaks won’t sear quite to a picturesque, perique-black crosshatching one sees in foodie magazines due to the thickness of the bones disturbing their surfaces, but Lancaster makes it work. As he cooks, Aaron remembers his first line cook job, at Port of Call in Salter Path. At home, family and Summer 2017

friends would forgive an over-cooked piece of meat. At a restaurant that charges more than $30 for a 10-ounce steak, the patrons may not be as forgiving.

“You gotta cook from your head and your heart. You gotta know about it, and let it happen.” “In there you can actually get a sense of, you’re cooking for 300 or 400 people a night, and that’s kind of how it is. I did sauté, I did grill, I did a lot of frying, and I actually learned a lot about cooking seafood ... I’ve worked with people who’d get frustrated, it would be the busiest time of the night and they’re frustrated out of their minds, but if you can hold your calm, it’s all gonna be good,” Lancaster remembers.

“I set my mind on food and get my mind off of everything else, which is a good thing for me, it’s like therapy I guess. You just forget about everything, you’re just concentrated on

cooking. You’re not worried about your girlfriend, you’re not worried about what’s going on after work. “That’s one thing I love about it, it just puts you in the cookin’ place, your own little cooking world. I feel that way right now, even though we’re talking.” But the chit-chat is over, because it’s time for Lesson Four: Don’t overcook the meat. Aaron pulls the food off the grill and explains searing, a technique that, in many minds, separates a good steak from a great one. Searing is made easier on grills that have dedicated searing grates, but the method is simple either way: sear it diagonally on the grate, turn 45 degrees (think 10:00 and 2:00 on a clock), then flip and do the same. About two minutes on each side of a half-inchthick steak should yield a rare steak, but this depends on the grill’s heat. It could take a little practice for people without thermometers, but less

is always more — you can always toss the meat back on a few more minutes, but you can’t un-grill it. “Honestly, the biggest mistake people make is leaving the steaks on too long,” Lancaster says. “Some people like them well-done, if that’s your, uh, preference. But a lot of people just don’t get their grill hot enough, so they end up with an under-seared, over-cooked steak, it’s just gray.” We sit down for a meal, the steak is at least as delicious as any I’ve had. My subterfuge has worked — not only have I gotten a free T-bone, but a professional chef cooked it for me2. And of course I learned some things about grilling. For Aaron, cooking is a calling, and grilling is the most sacred part, as it is for many Americans each summer. “You gotta cook from your head and your heart. You gotta know about it, and let it happen.”

“Thank ya.”

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Summer 2017

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North Carolina

Tobacco

Hemp Farmacy pushes forward with second location The return of hemp continues in N.C.

emp certainly isn’t without a plethora of uses — humans have been cultivating it for thousands of years. Those looking for a holistic treatment for their ailments can now purchase hemp-based products at another location of what is technically North Carolina’s first cannabis dispensary, Wilmington’s Hemp Farmacy. Hemp is a species of cannabis, but the cannabidiol (CDB) naturally occurring in the plant doesn’t get users high like marijuana. As we reported in a feature on hemp in our last issue, “hemp will not — unless they’re planing to smoke a joint the size of a telephone pole — get a person stoned,” this according to Matt Collogan of the Hemp Farmacy. Instead, CDB oil is claimed to salve the senses in a more subliminal fashion. It is used to treat inflammation, anxiety, stress, attention deficits, epilepsy, chronic pain and other things. Those claims aren’t yet supported by the FDA, but hemp has garnered a significant following in the U.S. as a medicinal plant. The Farmacy grows its own hemp at the N.C. Hemp Farm, which has been reaching out to

farmers to encourage planting of hemp for next year’s growing season. Since the Farmacy’s opening in 2016 on Grace Street, Wilmington, owner Hempleton Investment

The Hemp Farmacy claims to be the first to legally import hemp seed in N.C. in over 80 years.

Group has added a second location on S. College Road. The Farmacy offers CBD oils, hemp extracts, vape liquid, crystals, dabs, skin treatments, patches and more. The business is also licensed to sell hemp seeds and clones. Collogan believes hemp has a future in North Carolina. “North Carolina has all the right tools, the right people and the right land,” he said in spring. “It is warmer down here. We can produce. We have tobacco farmers still trying to find the next thing.” SE Summer 2017

Tobacco long reigned as king of North Carolina cash crops and it’s still profitable. N.C. produces almost three-quarters of the country’s flue-cured tobacco, according to the N.C. Dept. of Agriculture and Consumer Services. The crop continues to be phased out however as smoking rates fall.

Cotton Although the advent of synthetic fibers and a plague of boll weevils in the 1970s caused cotton acreage to fall, the crop has made a comeback. According to the N.C. AGR, the eradication of the boll weevil in the 1980s and increased demand for textiles abroad has caused farmers to look back to cotton. The cropped peaked in 1919 with 1.8 million acres.

Soybeans Soybeans are a versatile crop that holds major value for growers worldwide. Soybean farming peaked in 1982 with 2.1 million acres, according to the N.C. AGR. Nutritious soybeans can be used for everything from fuel to livestock feed, to food for humans. Long before the United States became one of the world’s biggest producers of soybeans, Asian societies saw the merit of these hard, brown legumes.

S outhEast North Carolina

GlasStation

helps amateurs learn ancient art form

Story & Photos: Jacqueline Hough Heat has starring role at the GlasStation in Farmville. It is what Mike Tracy needs to help him demonstrate the ancient art of glassblowing. Before he started, everyone in the small group gathered on a warm May morning could feel the heart and soul of the studio – the glass furnace. So 24 hours a day, seven days a week, it has stayed at more than 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit. Inside there is a big ceramic bowl with four hundred pounds of molten glass. And by the end, those initial steps of glassblowing had no resemblance to the finished piece. He started by dipping a stainless steel pipe into the pool of liquid 24

SouthEast North Carolina

glass. “At this temperature, glass is the consistency of thickened honey,” said Tracy, who is the glassblowing instructor and East Carolina Faculty coordinator at GlasStation. Public demonstrations were just part of what the Farmville Group had in mind when it decided to grow the economy of the town through the arts. Three years ago, the group approached East Carolina University about opening a studio or art gallery. ECU in turn proposed a glass art facility to not only serve as a classroom for students but those in the public interested in glassblowing. Soon the perfect location was Summer 2017

Glassblowing has been around since 50 B.C. under the Roman Empire when the blowpipe came around and they started blowing glass.

found – a former gas station which was donated to the Farmville Group. Once renovated, ECU supplied the equipment and Tracy. Located on West Wilson Street, the GlasStation had exposed brick, high ceilings, large windows with about 2,400 square feet of studio space. “Because of the partnership, we are right here in the middle of downtown that it is much more open to the people around here,” Tracy said. But on that warm May morning, Tracy was just getting warmed up at the public demonstration. Repetition is key in glassblowing as he showed onlookers how to make a cylindrical vase from start to finish. In the span of almost hour, Tracy used a choreographed process of heat, Summer 2017

movement and pressure to make the piece. He gathered some glass out of the furnace and dipped it into a container containing purple glass. The material was hot so it could be picked easily and stuck like sprinkles on frosting. After dipping it in four times, he rolled the glass on a steel table. And while it looked like an ordinary table, the fixture was actually a tool called a “marver,” a tool used for shaping and cooling. Tracy emphasized that all handblown glass starts with one small bubble. It doesn’t matter if it would become a small goblet or a four-foot table walker vase. As he worked on the vase, Tracy gave a brief history on glassmaking. Glassblowing has been around since 50 B.C., during the Roman Empire, when the blowpipe was invented and people started blowing glass. “Glass has been around longer than that,” Tracy said. “I do know by 1,500 B.C., there was a good glass industry in Egypt.” At the time there was no glassblowing so it was all solid work. Glassblowing was perfected between the 14th and 16th centuries in Italy. “The way we do it today is exactly the way they did it then,” Tracy said. “We have the same tools, the same processes and the team work method.” S outhEast North Carolina

Then the blowing started with Dennis Fish, a fellow glassblower, helping him with steady puffs down the length of the pipe to create a little bubble. The instructors used equipment like a jack, a paddle and a sofietta to help the glass vase come to fruition. Normally, Tracy said he would fiddle

with a piece for a while but because it was a demonstration, he declared it a finished vessel, which was purple with a black lip. The piece was taken to the kiln, where it would cool down over a period of hours to prevent it from cracking or breaking. The GlasStation opened earlier this year with the public demonstrations starting a few months ago. Tracy said the events are free and open to public as a way for everyone to enjoy what the studio is doing. Five students were enrolled in ECU’s first glassblowing class during the spring 2017 semester. The class, an elective in the art program, went very well, Tracy said. There were only two workstations, so space for students was limited. “It went outstanding,” he said. Pitt Community College planned to offer some glassblowing classes possibly in the fall. Jennifer Backus of Goldsboro came to the demonstration with her dad. A fan of glassblowing, she loved watching videos online about it and was thrilled at

the chance to see it in person. “I think the demonstrations are wonderful,” She said. “It was worth the drive.” One of the items on her bucket list is to be able to make a piece herself. “In the future, I might sign up for a class,” she said. And through the continuing education program at ECU, there are three two-hour class giving the potential glassblower a chance to make paperweight, a candy bowl or a garden ball. The cost is $100 per class. To register or for class times, visit ecu. edu/cs-cfac/soad/glasstation.cfm.

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Interfaith Refugee Ministry

Fayetteville Astros baseball

So you’ve made it to the United States as a refugee. What now? Last year, about 200 people arrived at Interfaith Refugee Ministry of New Bern. They weren’t given a free ticket to citizenship — with help from IRM, refugees are led to self-sufficiency. Learn more about the process.

Major League Baseball and the City of Fayetteville have signed a new contract for a $33 million, 5,000 seat stadium. What that means: even more local baseball, more development and, hopefully, some good fun.

Murmurs

It’s a classic slasher tale: two buddies, out for a night of partying with friends, driving down a dark road in the middle of nowhere, when they learn it’s impolite to honk at strangers. Don’t read this one before bedtime. Summer 2017

Interfaith Refugee Ministry helps newcomers with challenges in new country

Story & Photos: Jacqueline Hough Imagine fleeing your home country and having to spend months or years in a refugee camp. And when you are finally able to come into the United States through the Refugee Admissions Program, what happens next? For Susan Husson, executive director of Interfaith Refugee Ministry (IRM) in New Bern, the answer is simple – you start over. “When a person comes here, they are starting from scratch,” Husson said. “They have fled from their homes.” For instance, people from Burma have been persecuted for demonstrating for democracy. The Burmese army has been known to burn villages. People go from village to village or into the jungle to live. Eventually, they could make it to the border into Thailand and be in a refugee camp for awhile before they coming to the United States or other countries. The goal is have a life and be safe, Husson said. In 2016, IRM had 198 people arrive to resettle in New Bern, Greenville and Morehead City. So far this year, there have been about 70. When many refugees arrive, the language barrier is one of the biggest challenges facing them. “How can you help someone if you can’t speak the language or you don’t have anyone else who does,” Husson said. Tutors are provided to help at the IRM offices or to go to refugees’ homes. The goal of Interfaith Refugee

Ministry is to help refugees rebuild their lives here in eastern North Carolina. But the rebuilding has started long before refugees arrive in North Carolina or even the United States. A refugee is defined as someone who is outside their homeland and they are unwilling or unable to return to that homeland because of persecution or fear of persecution because race, religion, ethnicity, political opinion or membership in a social group, Husson said.

through a structured program. “We are talking structured program and not people just coming over the border,” she said. Also refugees who come here or to those other countries have been interviewed, passed security checks and medical exams. “So it is not a willy-nilly process at all,” Husson said. People could wait in refugee camps, which are supposed to be temporary, for an average wait of 17 years. The average time from the time someone applies to come to any country can be between 18 to 24 months. And in the U.S., for example, it would depend on a variety of factors such as the security process, multiple interviews with department of Homeland Security or Immigration. When someone is completely cleared, his or her name goes to a central processing agency. Then one of the nine national organizations working in refugee resettlement through the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program will direct those cases to various affiliates. IRM, an affiliate of the Episcopal Migration Ministries in New York City, has an office in New Bern and a sub office in Wilmington. Before refugees arrive, Husson said they get information about them before they come. “When they first arrive, they must be self-sufficient four to six months after they arrive,” she said. Husson said 99 percent of refugees who arrive are self-sufficient by six months. Services provided include help with housing, food, clothing and

“THE STRANGER WHO SOJOURNS WITH YOU SHALL BE TO YOU AS THE NATIVE AMONG YOU; AND YOU SHALL LOVE HIMSELF AS YOURSELF.”

SouthEast North Carolina

Lev. 19:34

Since 1975, more than three million refugees have been resettled in this country. The process starts with interviews done by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees to determine their status. Once the criteria are met, refugees can be interviewed by the U.S. or any other country that accepts them. The top five countries to accept refugees are Canada, Sweden, Denmark, United States and Australia. Husson added there are other countries in the world that accept refugees Summer 2017

employment. “Anything you would think that someone would need right away until they could get on their feet,” she said. Cultural orientation classes are offered to help refugees understand how to live and work in the United States along with learning the customs and laws. School is offered for both adults and for their children. Husson said even if the children have gone to school elsewhere, school systems are different all over the world. “You can assume whatever country is having issues is where refugees are fleeing from,” Husson said. The first caseloads were people from Bosnia in 1992-2004 during the war there. And when it is over, a country doesn’t automatically go back to the way things were. IRM still had people coming from Bosnia as late as 2004. In the meantime, they started resettling people from Burma. She said this is probably the caseload that has been resettled for the longest. In the past, people have been resettled from Iraq, Afghanistan, Cuba and Colombia. The newest caseload has been people from the Democratic Republic of Congo. Husson has worked in the office since the mid-90s and has seen firsthand the difference IRM has made. She can remember people who came in when she first started. These same people have gotten married and had children. The children have graduated from high school and gone onto other opportunities. “You can see that people who have come here have come for a life to live in peace and safety, see their children

grow up in peace and safety and have an opportunity to live in this country,” Husson said. And she said she is glad they have had the opportunity to save lives and make someone’s life better. Recent presidential executive orders have affected the Refugee Admissions Program. Husson noted there was more in the 120-day ban, which was overturned, than many realized. The total number of refuges allowed

in the country for 2017 and 2018 was cut drastically. Most people working in refugee resettlement have seen numbers rise and fall every year. For many years, after Sept. 11, 2001, it was pretty low, Husson said. It dropped drastically as new procedures were put in place but then slowly rose again. For the last several years, 60,000 to 70,000 people have been allowed into this country annually. Summer 2017

By fiscal year 2016, it was up to 85,000. For this year, the number had been raised to 110,000. “We were all very pleased to see that number,” she said. “All we could think about was that it was letting in people who are desperate and may not ever have another chance at life if they don’t get here.” Then the number was cut to 50,000. This meant all the agencies and affiliates of the nine nationals had to take another look at their budgets. Husson pointed out that those budgets were based on those numbers. “So it has caused a lot of pain for people who thought they were going to be able to come and now can’t,” she said. “And for people here who are waiting for and thought they were going to be reunited with friends or relatives.” The decrease in numbers also affects those working in refugee resettlement because with no refugees, there is no point for them being there. “The policy has not made any of us happy,” she said. “We are looking at 50,000, which is almost done for this year, and 50,000 for next year. It is a drastic cut.” IRM recruits, trains and welcomes community volunteers. It is included direct contact with refugees as an English tutor, client transporter, computer assistant, cultural orientation and how to use public transportation. Behind the scenes volunteers are also needed with donation assistants, furniture movers and apartments setup or special projects. For more information, to volunteer or to make a monetary donation, call Husson at 252-633-9009, email at shusson@helpingrefugees.org or online at helpingrefugees.org. S outhEast North Carolina

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Summer 2017

SE Snapshot

SE PICKS: CONCERT SERIES

North Carolina

New Bern

Goldsboro’s Center Street Jam series Live bands to perform every other Thursday through August 24

ummer just isn’t the same without live music, and the fun won’t stop any time soon at the Center Street Jam in

governors, professional football players and, on June 29, Center Street, Goldsboro. Beach music veterans The Embers will perform July 13, fol-

Goldsboro. Live bands will rock Center Street in town every other Thursday night from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., with hot food and cold beer on sale for The Center Street Jam series continues through revelers. August on Center Street, Goldsboro. The Center Street Jam has become a tradilowed by rock and variety local tion in Goldsboro, drawing local veterans, Digger Foot, on July and national acts and crowds 27. upward of 2,000 people on ocGary Lowder and Smokin’ casion. Hot will visit the Jam August 10 The next show in the series from their native North Myrtle is scheduled for Thursday, June Beach, their repertoire consisting 15, featuring Soul Psychedelique of soul, R&B, funk, jazz and, of Orchestra, a variety band that course, Carolina beach music. pulls out every last stop for live Self-proclaimed “party band” performances. Hip Pocket, which performs Featuring a horn section, everything from Bruno Mars to string quartet, rhythm section George Michael and Zac Brown, and disc jockey, there’s not much will end the series on August 24. they can’t do. The Center Street Jam is sponThe next show features Liquid sored by the Downtown GoldsPleasure, a rockin’ throwback boro Development Corporation. to the days of Chuck Berry, the The street concerts are held in Four Tops and Aretha Franklin. the John Street parking lot, 130 They’ve played for presidents, North Center Street. SE Summer 2017

The New Bern Chamber of Commerce has several bands lined up for its Summer Concert Series. Rockin’ on the Rivers is July 14 in Historic Downtown New Bern and the YPG River Jam on Aug. 11 at the New Bern Farmer’s Market. For bands and ticket information, call the chamber at 252-637-3111 or visit newbernchamber.com.

Clinton The Alive After Five Concert Series is on the third Thursday of May, June, September and October at the Clinton City Market, 215 Lisbon Street in downtown Clinton. The event starts at 5 p.m. with concert starts at 6 p.m. Concerts are presented by Sampson Arts Council, City of Clinton and the County of Sampson. For bands, call the chamber at 252-6373111 or sampsonarts.net. Click on Alive After Five.

Wilmington The 12th annual Downtown Sundown Concert Series is every Friday at Riverfront Park in front of the Federal Courthouse from May 26 to Sept. 1. Concerts feature different musical styles with an emphasis on tribute bands. It isCoordinated by Wilmington Downtown Inc., concerts are held rain or shine. For headlining acts, www.wilmingtondowntown.com/events/downtownsundown.

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Fayettevil

It’s a safe bet to think Archibald “Moonlight” Graham grinned and shook his head every-so-slightly after hearing the latest news from his hometown. You remember Graham, he’s the reallife character brought to life 89 years after his death in the 1998 hit movie “Field of Dreams.” True baseball fans “felt” Moonlight as he walked out of the cornfield with the simple hope of coming to bat in the Major Leagues. Graham, a Fayetteville native, played one-half an inning and was never heard from again. More than a dozen North Carolinians played in one and only one MLB game. His short-lived career at “the show” led him to become a small-town physician in a rural Minnesota town. Graham and his fellow dirty dozen Tar Heel contemporaries likely won’t make a

Story: Micheal Janicke Photos: Populous (internet)

grand entrance as Baseball Gods, but chances are they were playing a heavenly game of medicine ball when they heard Fayetteville’s venture to land a minor league baseball team was a home run. And the new $33 million stadium that will house the Houston’s Astros High-A Carolina League team in 2019 will combine old ballpark looks with modern architecture and feature player, fan and family immunities. The MLB club and the City of Fayetteville signed a 30-year lease agreement that will provide an economic boost to the city, and tie into rivalry with Carolina League teams in Kinston (Rangers), Zebulon (Brewers) and Winston-Salem (White Sox). The league includes four Virginia clubs — Frederick (Orioles), Lynchburg (Indians), Woodbridge (Nationals), Salem (Red Sox) and one in Wilmington, Del., (Royals). The team is playing in Campbell Uni-

versity’s Jim Perry Park as the Buies Creek Astros this season and in 2018. “The Astros are excited to be affiliated with the City of Fayetteville, which is about to see big things happen,” says Houston Team President Reid Ryan. “Whatever you expectations are, I promise you we’re going to exceed it. Just the transformation of the downtown is going to be something to behold.” The new ballpark will seat 5,000, with ticket prices averaging $6.50. It will be located in the historic Hay Street district, an outfield-to-home-plate throw away from the Airborne & Special Operations Museum, police station and Festival Park. “The new stadium will serve as an catalyst for economic development for the downtown area and Fayetteville as a whole,” said Fayetteville Mayor Nat Robertson.

le Astros Fayetteville lost its Single-A team in 2000 when the Cape Fear Crocs left town. Since then the only professional baseball has come via the Swampdogs, a collegiate summer team which play their games outside of the town proper‚ J.P. Riddle Stadium. Last summer, Fayetteville got its first taste of MLB when the Braves and Marlins played in a make-shift ball park built specifically for the game on Fort Bragg. It was the first time a MLB game has been played in North Carolina. The 12,500-seat park “pop-up” stadium was packed and city officials could clearly see there was a buzz about having professional baseball back in Fayetteville. The temporary stadium became a permanent softball and multi-purpose facilities for soldiers and their families. During the leadup to the game, a poll of 1,300 people suggested professional baseball would be a big hit in Fayetteville. Nearly 88 percent of residents in the poll said they “would go to a game,” while just 16 percent said attending would be “extremely unlikely.” The new team would have approximately 70 games in Fayetteville, with an estimated 250,000 waiting for a souvenir ball to come to their seat. The nearby Prince Charles Hotel is turning into housing rentals. The hotel Summer 2017

investors and the city each own about 10 acres that comprise the ballpark. The hotel’s $10 million plan calls for 300-400 roof-top parking spots. Property tax money from it would open the door for Fayetteville to pay for the 30-year limited bond loan needed and not increase taxes. One city official said there were more than 1,600 parking spaces within a quarter-mile of the stadium. Baseball consultant Dan Barrett said the metropolitan appeal is part of the ballpark’s DNA. “It will benefit from having existing parking infrastructure of the downtown and encourage people to walk and fill up existing (parking) spaces in the city center,” he said. Fayetteville also has a new bus terminal in the works a few blocks from the stadium. The parent club is seeking input on a new name for its newest minor league affiliate, before rebranding the team. Individual ticket sales will not begin immediately, but fans can buy 20-game reserved seating for $110; $70 for general admission. A 10-game reserved seating package is $60; $40 for general admission. For information, call 910-893-1459. The proposed stadium’s capacity is slightly less than most Carolina League clubs, six of which can seat more than 6,000. The park can also be used for athletic events, concerts, and other communityrelated functions. The fan-friendly park is also close to City Hall, shopping, restaurants, bars and historical building. The Astros are building a new spring training facility in Palm Beach, Fla., and want to streamline all of its minor league affiliates in the Eastern time zone. “We’re in this for the long run,” Ryan said. “And we feel this project is going to help both partners significantly.” S outhEast North Carolina

“Make The Wise Choice”

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! Plus a big selection of Southern Gates and John Wind jewelry.

Becoming a caregiver is never easy. So it’s important to know that you’re not in this alone. Our home healthcare can help you get your loved one the care they need and restore some of your peace of mind. Maybe that’s why so many turn to us for skilled nursing, rehabilitation and therapy services.

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Fine Jewelry • Watches • Gifts

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SE / murmurs

North Carolina

ROAD RAGE

DON’T YOU KNOW IT’S RUDE TO HONK? Story: Christopher Weston Illustration: Trevor Normile

lone pair of headlights cut through the dark of the evening as the small car wound its way down the road from a late-night party. The trees on either side were tall and menacing, and it only passed a house once every 10 minutes or so. The vehicle’s two occupants were largely silent, the driver’s attention was fixed on the road ahead of him and the passenger gazed vacantly out the window. The radio was on, but the volume was low so that neither of them could make out the song. After some time, the driver broke the silence, “We should have found the main highway by now. Why are we still on this podunk road?” “I don’t know, Kyle,” said his companion, Mike, his roommate, turning his head to face the other. “Maybe we took a wrong turn or something. Or maybe your cousin’s shortcut is wrong. Who knows?” Kyle glanced at Mike and replied irritably, “Well, what should we do? Keep on going until we find something, or turn around and hope we find something we missed?” “Hell,” Mike sighed, shaking his head. “That doesn’t answer the question,” Kyle said, gripping the wheel. “I don’t know, man,” Mike snapped, his voice rising a little. “You’re the driver, you decide.” “Well, you’re in the navigator’s seat,” Kyle retorted angrily. “So how about you do some damn navigating?” “Don’t blame me for this,” Mike warned.

“I wasn’t blaming you,” Kyle replied, struggling to remain calm. “I was merely suggesting that you speak up and give me some suggestions about what to…” The car rounded a bend and Kyle yelped as he slammed on the brakes. It skidded along the broken pavement and gravel, coming to a stop less than a foot behind an old red pickup truck that was parked in the middle of the road. If Kyle had been just a second slower, the car would have been pulverized. The teens stared out the windshield at the truck, breathing heavily out of shock. “No idea,” Kyle muttered, watching the truck. He saw no sign of movement inside, no indication of life. Was the truck abandoned? Or was the occupant inside asleep? Drunk? And in either case, what the hell was it doing right in the middle of the road? The boys exchanged looks. “Should we just drive around him?” Mike asked as the car’s engine puttered, its brake lights illuminating the road behind. “Can’t,” Kyle answered, still gripping the wheel. “It’s taking up both lanes, and there are ditches on both sides.” “Well then, what?” Mike asked. He didn’t want to admit it to Kyle, but he was feeling very uneasy. He couldn’t place it, but the truck was giving him a bad vibe. Kyle didn’t answer. Instead, he placed his hand on the horn, hesitated for just a moment, then pressed down hard. The long note blared into the silent night, echoing eerily through the surrounding forest. Nothing happened. Suddenly, Kyle unfastened his seat belt and opened the driver’s side door. “What are you doing?” his friend asked,

his voice a little higher than usual. “I’m going to go see if the driver needs help,” Kyle replied, setting a foot on the pavement. “No!” Mike yelped, and Kyle paused, surprised. “No, let — let’s just get the hell out of here.” “Why?” Kyle asked, frowning. “What if he needs help?” “Buddy, please,” Mike begged. “I— I just don’t feel good about this. Just get us away from here.” Kyle didn’t move. “But what if he’s hurt?” he asked. “We can’t just leave him here.” “And what if there’s no one there?” Mike countered. “Or worse, what if he’s waiting for you?” “What?” Kyle shook his head in bewilderment. “Waiting to do what?” “I don’t know, to attack you or— or kill you,” Mike said, raising his hands, exasperated. “If he’s dangerous, then you’re setting us both up—” A loud bang rent the air. Kyle instinctively ducked as lead pellets shattered the left headlight of the car. Mike swore loudly as his friend looked around. The driver side door of the truck had opened while they talked, and a big man had stepped out of the cab. In the dim light, Kyle could see that he was bulky and muscular, his head covered with a long, scraggly beard. And he was holding a shotgun. Kyle screamed again and ducked into the car, throwing it into reverse. The vehicle shot around the corner, and the boys ducked again as another gunshot rang out. A piece of buckshot left a hole in the windshield, missing Mike’s head by inches. Kyle twisted the wheel, and the car spun around. Throwing it into gear, Kyle buried the gas pedal and the car

took off. “What the hell was that about!?” Mike screamed, glancing over his shoulder at the darkness behind them. “No idea,” Kyle replied, his knuckles white on the steering wheel. “What a psycho! What did we do to deserve—” His sentence was cut short when another pair of headlights illuminated the car’s interior from behind them. Mike twisted around again and could just barely make out the dim outline of a large pickup truck bearing down on them, picking up speed as it came closer and closer. He screamed again, “Floor it, he’s right behind us!” Kyle leveled the gas pedal, but the truck still gained on them, the headlights now blinding in the reflection of the rearview mirror. Kyle glanced back over his shoulder, a fatal mistake. The car began to drift, and the front tire left the road. Kyle yelped and swore and yanked the wheel, sending the car careening in the opposite direction. It shot across the road at and dove into the ditch, coming to a grinding, crashing halt, shattering the windows and showering both boys in a rainstorm of glass. Kyle, who had not refastened his seat belt, was thrown forward. He felt the steering wheel column rupture some internal organ as utter agony clenched his abdomen. Mike was luckier; his shoulder was dislocated from the force of the impact, but he was otherwise unharmed. For a long moment, there was absolute silence as the two boys came to grips with what had just happened. Kyle coughed and blood dribbled down his chin. Mike reached out to help or console him (even he wasn’t exactly sure which) and cried out as his shoulder screamed in pain. But they were not given a long reprieve. The truck came to a halt on the

road and Mike heard the door open and the sound of two big, heavy feet hitting the pavement. “Oh no—no-no-no-no!” he muttered, scrambling to unbuckle his seat belt. He glanced up and screamed as he looked into the wild face of the truck’s driver, leering in through the driver side door. Kyle’s eyes were wide and filled with horror as he stared into the hideous, wild facial features, and he opened his mouth to scream. The sound was quickly cut off by the blade of a large hunting knife, slashed swiftly across his throat. Mike screamed helplessly. Kyle’s hands rose to clutch his neck, but they couldn’t stop the blood. Soon his body went limp, his eyes still open in unseeing horror. Mike whimpered, feeling around for the door handle. He found it and tugged, but the impact had jammed it shut. The killer had watched, amused. The terrified teen scrambled back from the window to get away from the horrid, leering face and the dripping knife he held. “Trick or treat!” the man roared, slashing the air, missing Mike so closely Summer 2017

that he felt flecks of Kyle’s blood speckle his face. Mike scrambled over Kyle’s lifeless body, trying to open the driver’s door, but it too wouldn’t budge. “Don’t bother,” the man growled. Mike was reminded of a cat toying with its prey before going in for the kill. “There’s no escay-yape...” Mike lunged at the window, sliding through the opening and slicing his arm on a loose shard of glass as he did so. He toppled and was scrambling to his feet before the truck driver even understood what was happening. Then he let out a roar of rage and tore around the side of the car, chasing the terrified boy into the woods beyond the road. “COME BACK!” he bellowed. Mike ran as fast as his legs could carry him. His breathing was raspy and his heart pounded painfully in his S outhEast North Carolina

chest as he dodged trees and roots. The wound in his arm and his dislocated shoulder continued to throb, but he tried to ignore them as he ran. Behind him, heavy footfalls confirmed that he was still being pursued. Mike didn’t dare look back; he just concentrated on putting as much distance between them as he could. Up ahead, the trees started to thin, and he could make out the lights of a house. Hope and relief flooded through him as he burst into a clearing, occupied only by a rather shabby-looking one-story house with peeling gray-white paint. But Mike didn’t care much if it would make the front page of Better Homes and Gardens, he only cared that it was safe. Already, the killer seemed to be falling back, unwilling to expose himself. Mike ran up to the porch and pounded on the front door. “Help!” he yelled. “Help me! Please, somebody help me! Open up in there, please! He’s going to kill me! HELP ME, PLEASE! HELP MEEEEEEE!” The porch light turned on, and the front door opened to reveal a middle-aged woman who looked like she had been through better days. She was wearing an old fuzzy bathrobe of faded pink, and her hair was tousled. “What’s going on out here?” she said, half-irritated and halfalarmed. Mike pushed past her into the house and slammed the door shut behind him, locking the deadbolt as he said, “There’s someone out there who’s trying to kill me! He just killed my friend and now he’s trying to kill me! You’ve gotta help me, please!” “Calm down, calm down!” the woman said calmly. “Come into the kitchen and sit down while I phone the police.” Mike followed her into the tiny kitchen, which seemed to double as a living area. A few photographs lined the walls, and a black-and-white television stood in the corner by the back door, showing some grainy horror film in celebration of Halloween. The woman muted the program and picked up the telephone. Mike sat down, not fully listening to the call she made as the adrenaline started to wear off and the pain in his shoulder returned full-force. The woman hung up and said, “They’ll be here soon, honey. I’ll make some coffee for you, okay?” Mike nodded, too worn and horrified to speak. His eyes wandered around the 40

SouthEast North Carolina

room while the woman bustled about, examining the photos on the walls with mild interest. There was one of the woman when she had been much younger, in the arms of a handsome young man. The next one had been taken a few years afterward, and her husband had started to grow a beard. His heart sank. “Here you go, dear,” the woman said, putting a cup of coffee down on the table before him. But Mike didn’t notice. He was staring in horror at the photo on the wall. The kitchen door suddenly opened; Mike whipped around. He felt his bladder let go, and he screamed. The trucker stood on the threshold, Kyle’s body draped over his shoulder like a

sack of grain, blood dripping from his neck and pooling on the floor. “There you are, Marv! I was starting to get worried!” said the woman. Marv dropped Kyle, who fell to the floor and lay motionless, wide eyes staring up at Mike in final, sightless terror. At the same time, the woman grabbed Mike’s arms and pinned them behind. He had no energy to struggle. Marv stepped forward, the knife raised in his hand. He grinned malevolently at Mike and said, “Don’t you know it’s rude to honk at somebody?” Mike couldn’t answer. He couldn’t even scream.

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

Summer 2017

FREE Automatic Fill Service

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Have your wedding at the farm!

Restaurant Hours

Gift Shop & Bakery Hours

Thursday-Friday 4:30-8:00

Thursday-Saturday 12:00-8:00

Saturday 4:00-8:00

Summer 2017

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Where in SENC is this?

We have been locally owned for over 40 years and family owned for the last 10 years. We are a certified tire dealer of Nexan, 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.

Fremont, N.C. Corner of Goldsboro and Main Streets, Fremont This one was easy. On our trip to see Aaron “The Grillmaster” Lancaster for our summer cooking feature, we snapped this photo of beautiful downtown Fremont. Originally called “Nahunta” by the area’s Native American inhabitants, Fremont began as a small, dirt-road settlement in the late 18th century. Fremont (renamed in 1869) then boomed along with many other towns in Southeastern N.C. with the opening of the Wilmington-Weldon Railroad in 1840. Birthplace of North Carolina Gov. Charles B. Aycock and now home to the annual Daffodil Festival, Fremont today retains its small-town charm with clean streets and a pleasant downtown area. 42

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WE SPECIALIZE IN FARM AND AGRICULTURAL TIRES, CONSTRUCTION TIRES, PASSENGER CAR, SUV AND LIGHT TRUCK TIRES.

Michael Edwards, Owner 910-592-4741 317 S.E. Blvd., Clinton NC tireincofclinton.com

Summer 2017

Home of friendly faces & a southern atmosphere.

We offer a variety of home décor, refinished furniture, apparel, jewelry, floral supplies and gifts. 100 Northeast Blvd / Clinton, NC / 910-249-4646 M – F 10am – 7pm / Sat. 10am – 3pm

Offering a variety of gifts, refinished furniture, apparel, home decor, floral supplies, custom wreaths & bows, & seasonal outdoor plans. 100 Northeast Blvd / Clinton, NC / 910-249-4646 M-F 10am-7pm / Sat. 10am-3pm

Experience... “Bladen County’s Best Kept Secret” Cabin rentals for special occasions and getaways Gift Shop & Wine Tasting Open Daily Monday-Saturday 10am-6pm Sunday 1pm-6pm 910.866.5819 www.lumilvineyards.com

Monday-Thursday 8 am - 5pm, Fridays 8 am - 12 pm

Summer 2017

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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

Care, Compassion and Dignity

Community Funeral Home 840 West Main Street • Beulaville 910-298-4678

Family-owned for three generations with integrity you know and trust

Downtown Wallace, NC

Art of Hope* Shoe Outlet & Repair The Glass Slipper* Simpson Real Estate* Farrior’s Flooring & Interior * Find us on Facebook! 44

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Summer 2017

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 foods, good times, history, and oldfashioned SENC hospitality!

travel

LENOIR COUNTY

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

P lanner ONSLOW COUNTY

Country Store & Restaurant 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 See the world’s only full-size replica of a Confederate Ironclad.

SEE OUR AD ON PAGE 3 www.cssneuseii.org

LENOIR COUNTY

Kinston-Lenoir County

Visitor & Information Center

OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK

“Make us your first stop in Lenoir County”

KENANSVILLE

Celebrate the grape!

THE N.C. MUSCADINE FESTIVAL BRINGS YOU OVER 250 N.C. WINES FROM MORE THAN 20 WINERIES!

Sept. 29-30 Duplin County Events Center Kenansville

DANCE TO THE MUSIC!

NANTUCKET ! Sat., Sept. 30 • 4-7 p.m.

TAILGATING! CONTESTS! VENDORS! N.C. WINES!

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Sat., Sept. 30 • Noon - 3 p.m.

THE FANTASTIC SHAKERS Friday., Sept. 29 • 6-9 p.m.

SEE OUR AD ON PAGE 67

Call for Details 910-324-3422

www.ncmuscadinefestival.com

www.mikesfarm.com

muscadinefestival@gmail.com

BEULAVILLE

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101 East New Bern Rd., Kinston, NC 252-522-0004

Kinston-Lenoir County

Parks & Recreation Department 2602 W. Vernon Ave., Kinston, NC 252-939-3332

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CONNECTIONS

(910) 298-3387

www. ourhomeconnections .com Email: ourhomeconnections@yahoo.com

Kinston-Lenoir County Parks & Recreation Department 2602 W. Vernon Avenue, Kinston NC 28504

252.939.3332

www.kinstonrec.com

Summer 2017

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SE People North Carolina

Entrepreneur makes a ‘Shark Tank’ deal Whiteville native Harriet Mills and her husband Patrick landed a deal on the popular TV show “Shark Tank.” The show was aired in May during the program’s season finale. The Millses’ business, Wine and Design, is a result of Harriet’s need to “pay the bills,” she told the News Reporter in Whiteville. She had just been laid of from a corporate job and the Millses had a 1-year old to be taken care of as well. Wine and Design is a peoplefriendly business that offers painting lessons for participants while they sip A live nude male model was wine. The Raleigh- part of the Mills’s on-stage TV based business now presentation on Shark Tank. has 75 franchises in 14 states. “Wine & Design provides ‘memories and a masterpiece’ in just two hours. Each painting session is led by a local artist, who provides

step-by-step instructions to first-time painters, aspiring artists and/or self-proclaimed pros,” Mrs. Mills said. Participants take their paintPatrick and Harriet Mills on the set during their presentation to financial sharks on the popular ings home to TV program Shark Tank. (Photos from ABC-TV Shark Tank web site.) keep. Offerings include five divisions for all age and experience paint a rendition of a nude male model live levels, including children as young as 4 years. on stage. The model was strategically placed Adult groups sponsor painting sessions as a behind a pineapple for TV purposes. business team-building exercise or to celebrate The Millses accepted a $500,000 offer from a special occasion. Private bridesmaids’ parties Kevin O’Leary that included a $350,000 loan and baby showers bring friends together to and a 10 percent stake in the company. paint and laugh. Individuals can also attend The Millses are now benefiting from the expublic classes on their own. pertise and the infusion of O’Leary’s new capital. The Millses’ presentation on national TV, The show last month has generated an intense made last October when Mrs. Mills was nine amount of interest in the business and new franmonths pregnant, included having the sharks chises will be added very soon across the nation.

Ft. Bragg service member gets Red Cross Presidential award Marc Castleberry / Photo courtesy of American Red Cross

By day, Marc Castleberry serves his country as a U.S. Army member stationed at Fort Bragg. And by night, he throws on a Red Cross volunteer vest and responds to nightly home fires in his community. Because of his dedication to serving others, Castleberry received the Red Cross Presidential Award for Excellence on March 28, at the Red Cross Annual National Awards and Recognition Dinner in Washington, D.C. The Presidential Award for Excellence is given each year to American Red Cross employees and volunteers who demonstrate superior job performance aligning with the organization’s priorities. This year, nine individuals and five teams received the prestigious award in the United States. Since joining the Red Cross in October 2014, Castleberry has held multiple volunteer responsibilities, including as a disaster action team captain, leading disaster response in Cumberland County. In 2016, Castleberry’s team responded to 123 disasters, assisted more than 450 clients and supported 1,555 shelter overnight stays. “Marc truly embodies what it means to be SouthEast North Carolina

Summer 2017

selfless and compassionate,” said Barry Porter, regional CEO of the Red Cross in Eastern NC. “At the end of a day of work and training, Marc just doesn’t go home. He continues to serve.”

Beaty is ‘Military Child of An Onslow County teen got the honor of his young life in Washington, D.C. in April. With a patriotic bow tie and smile on his face, Jackson Beaty, 18, accepted his award for Military Child of the Year on behalf of all Marine Corps children in the country. The award includes a $10,000 prize from Operation Homefront for each award recipient. “It’s a huge honor and I feel like I have to be better than who I am,” he says. “I have to try harder, I have to do better things. It’s very overwhelming, I said that a lot lately,” Beatty said, according to a report on Jackson Beaty / WITN-TV. Photo courtesy of But Beaty is Operation Homefront

Spelling winner: ESL student goes to D.C. A 12-year-old Fayetteville student represented Cumberland County in May at the 90th Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C. Kendal Win, a seventh-grader at Pine Forest Middle School, did not bring home the national trophy (she lost out in a semi-final round), but as one of 291 spellers in the competition, her place there might have come unexpectedly to some. Kendal’s parents and grandparents immigrated to the United States from Burma (now called Myanmar). The family spoke Burmese at home, said her mother, Kathleen Chug. Kendal learned English as a second language when she started preschool, Chug said. Kendal’s family moved several years ago to Fayetteville, where Kendal’s father is a physician at the Veterans Affairs medical center. She’s competed in the local spelling bee every year since arriving in Fayetteville. “I usually just have trouble with German words overall,” Kendal told The Fayetteville Observer. “They have a lot of consonants in them, so sometimes you’d think there’d be a vowel, but instead Photo / there’s like another consonant that you don’t even hear.” © The Fayetteville Observer/Melissa Sue Gerrits

Long-time worker transcends library’s history At 16, Joan Coco became the first African-American to work at Wilmington’s “white” library. At first she was in the back, typing labels and processing new books. Her skill soon impressed the library director and soon, the new girl was assigned to handling interlibrary loans and typing the entries on the library’s precious file cards. Coco was still a sophomore at Williston High School then. She’s been at the library ever since. “She’s an incredibly dedicated employee,” said New Hanover County Library Director Harry Tuchmayer. “She takes pride in the service she provides. She’s always ready to fill in for others on the staff. And she’s a great trainer — she takes new people under her wing and shows them the ropes.” Coco wound up graduating from New Hanover High Photo courtesy of Wilmington Star-News School, being just one credit short when Williston closed in 1968. She left for Louisiana for a few years and started a family. But soon she was back in Wilmington—and she was almost immediately offered her job back. Things were somewhat rougher when already doing incredible things. He’s captain of Coco stepped out front and began working the wresting team and marching band at Lejeune with the patrons. “One woman threw her High School, maintains a 3.97 GPA and makes library card in her face, snarling “I’m not time to give back to the community. letting HER wait on me.” Fellow librarians “I like seeing people smile,” Beaty says. “Them quickly pulled away, signaling the lady had no coming up to me and having a conversation, it’s other choice. awesome.” Coco has seen plenty of changes in her But for a time, Beaty lost his smile, facing years at the library: the computerization of bullying at school for his condition, a form of the library, the removal of the main collection skeletal dysplasia. He says d it was a struggle for from the WLI building to the renovated Belk him to strike up a conversation. Beery building in 1981. More black people “He’s an incredible representative of our miliand Hispanics are using the library these days, tary families,” says Aaron Taylor with Operation she said. Homefront. Coco officially “retired” in 2007, but she’s Beaty plans to put the money towards paying still coming back part-time. Most Fridays, you for college. He’ll attend University of Alabama can still find her behind the check-out counter this fall. of the downtown library at 201 Chestnut St. His message to other kids struggling to reach “It has really been a lesson, working here,” for their dreams: “Follow your dreams and never Coco the Wilmington Star-News recently. “I’ve give up. Give it all you’ve got. Try everything you really learned a lot.” want to. Don’t be afraid.”

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Summer 2017

Photo courtesy of Onslow County Cooperative Extension

Husband-and-wife team are inducted into Hall of Fame More than 80 farmers and their wives gathered around tables decorated with mason jars holding bouquets of flowers, along with burlap table runners and small jars of canned honey to see Mike and Teresa Lowe inducted into the Onslow County Agricultural Hall of Fame this spring—the first time a husband-and-wife team has been so honored. The Lowes own and operate the successful Mike’s Farm enterprise in western Onslow County, between Richlands and Beulaville. When she realized she and her husband were getting the award at the 34th annual banquet, Mrs. Lowe silently mouthed “oh my gosh” and accepted the award alongside her husband with tears. Mike Lowe stood off to the side during her speech, gazing at his wife with a look of love and pride. “We just love working with people and are hoping that we’re leaving something our daughter can continue with and we wanted to keep the family farm in the family,” Theresa Lowe told The Daily News of Jacksonville following the event. Mike Lowe, a man of few words, said receiving the award was just great. The Lowes built an agri-tourism business through Mike’s Farm, which has become known regionally and statewide. Adding a Christmas gift shop, a bakery, and a family-style restaurant were not something an extension agent recommended, but has become a success. In addition to the agri-business, the Lowes work with the Richlands Ag Program and Future Farmers of America, along with other community endeavors. S outhEast North Carolina

SE / Folk

North Carolina

Seven Springs: A fight for survival following another flood

Story: Jacqueline Hough

The struggle of a small town to continue his column is sort of a love letter to one of my favorite places to visit – Seven Springs. Most people will wonder why but Seven Springs, in Wayne County, has always had a special place in

back to Mount Olive. For years, I kept the map in my desk at work to remind me of her kindness. It was her kindness and my sheer determination to figure this place out, that encouraged me to stay and fall in love with southeastern North Carolina. Whenever I had a chance, I would go to Seven Springs, just to visit. As the oldest town in Wayne County, it is so peaceful and nice. The library is located at the top of a hill. One of my favorite festivals to attend was Ole Timey Days. It made me appreciate the history of the area, with its Civil War reenactments. That was one of the first festivals I had ever covered, I remember walking through the campsite interviewing and talking with folks. Since returning to the area in 2014, I hadn’t been able to attend the event. Times, and reporter beats,

my heart. It is right down the road from where I live in Mount Olive. There may be about 12 miles between us, but I feel like we are neighbors. Sixteen years ago, I was a young reporter who had just moved away from home in South Carolina and everything I knew to come to work at a newspaper in Mount Olive. Three weeks into my job, I was homesick and questioning why I had moved here. I had finished an interview in the little community of Albertson and on my way home, somehow took a wrong turn somewhere and ended up lost. I don’t think the word “lost” describes it. Nothing looked famil- “I am rooting for Seven iar because I had only been Springs to not give up because in town for it is a great place and I am three weeks. proud to call them a neighbor.” This was before cell phones became popular, so I couldn’t call anyone. change. I managed to find my way to Seven At the newspaper where I worked, my Springs. A very sweet lady saw an almost coworkers Steve Herring and the late Nelhysterical me in my car. She approached son Bland would tell how Hurricane Floyd and asked if I was okay, she said I seemed flooded the town in 1999. They always said that was a 500-yearlost. She calmed me down, gave me a can of old flood and would never happen again in Pepsi and drew me a map to help me get our lifetime.

Well in October of 2016, it happened again. Hurricane Matthew came for a visit and left his mark on the town of 115. As I hunkered down my bedroom in the dark during the hurricane, I listened to the wind howling, the rain pounding and trees falling down, I said a prayer for those in Seven Springs. I knew whatever was waiting outside for me would be nothing compared those in path of the Neuse River. Days later, I saw on the news of how the town was devastated. It took my breath away because I can remember walking those streets. Hurricane Matthew beat Floyd’s high water mark by 15 inches. The Seven Springs Fire Station, EMS unit and the Post Office were flooded. This year, Ole Timey Days had to be cancelled. The town is struggling and many were not back in their homes as recently as a few months ago. I have heard rumors that Seven Springs had considered giving up its charter, to no longer be an incorporated town. I hope they push ahead, I love that little town. I would probably move there if I didn’t like my own place so much (Once you establish a home library with more than 1,000 books, moving it becomes a major life decision). I am rooting for them to not give up because it is a great place and I am proud to call them a neighbor. This column ran in the Duplin Times newspaper on March 9.

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