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LUMINA NEWS YO U R C O A S TA L C O M M U N I T Y N E W S PA P E R S I N C E M AY 2 0 0 2

Jan. 19–25, 2017

Volume 16 | Issue 3 | 25¢

Source: National Weather Service

luminanews.com

StriperFest Auction and Banquet

Weekend police report

Page 3

Wrightsville Beach angler nabs huge tuna

Town keeps

parking rates, hours consistent for upcoming season By Terry Lane

By Terry Lane

Staff Writer

The Wrightsville Beach Board of Aldermen will not raise rates or extend hours for the upcoming parking season after conducting a workshop on parking issues last Thursday. There could be some minor changes, however, as the board agreed to further examine some capital issues regarding new equipment and consider reducing collection hours in one location. The board’s workshop didn’t include a formal vote, but the board did instruct staff to bring back other items to either the Jan. 23 board retreat meeting or the next board of aldermen meeting in February. During the upcoming February meeting, the board said it would further examine whether to reduce collection periods on Harbor Island from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. down to 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. These areas would include the town hall and parks and recreation parking lots, as well as parking on Old Causeway Drive, Marina Street and Keel Street. The town will continue to only enforce these areas from

Supplied photo

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Jake Ramsey, clockwise from bottom left, Bradley Pigford, Lucas Edmondson and Fabry Stroud reeled in a 500-pound bluefin tuna about a mile-and-a-half off Masonboro Island on Tuesday, Jan. 17.

A Wrightsville Beach fisherman came away with the catch of a lifetime on Tuesday morning, reeling in a nearly 500pound bluefin tuna just a day after another angler made a similar catch in Carolina Beach. After seeing reports and photos of the local 500-pound tuna catch on social media Monday, Jake Ramsey, of the 400 block of Causeway Drive, and a group of friends decided to go out in search of their own tuna. Sure enough, the crew of four hooked a bluefin tuna less than two hours after casting lines on Tuesday morning, Ramsey said, bringing in the 96-inch fish. Though he’s reeled in big fish before, Ramsey said he’s never caught a tuna that big, or in this area. The crew caught the tuna about a mile-and-a-half off of the Masonboro Island shore, just north of the Carolina Beach Inlet. “I’ve never caught a bluefin tuna that close to the beach,” Ramsey said, noting that most of his tuna fishing is done out of Morehead City. “This time of year, it’s kind of sporadic, you don’t know n See TUNA Page 2

Fishermen at odds over state shrimping proposal By Terry Lane Staff Writer

State fishery regulators heard public comments this week on a proposal to limit commercial fishing operations in North Carolina. The year’s first government meeting regarding an ongoing dispute pitting shrimpers against recreational anglers set the stage for a key February meeting in Wilmington. Tuesday, the North Carolina Marine Fisheries Commission advisory panels voted against the proposed rules limiting the size, areas and times that commercial shrimpers could operate in North Carolina. During Feb. 15-16 meetings at the Wilmington Convention

Center, the full commission will consider the advisory panel’s votes before it decides on the petition for new rules filed by the North

“The main problem is that if you wipe out the small fish, then you don’t have the big fish.” Carolina Wildlife Federation. The federation’s petition asks the commission to limit trawling to three days a week, reduce the size of nets, expand fish nursery areas to all state estuarine and ocean waters

and eliminate night trawling, which is currently permitted. The proposed new rules highlight worries brought by recreational fishermen, who are concerned that the bycatch of other fish from commercial shrimp-trawling operations will destroy game fish populations. Meanwhile, representatives of the state’s fisheries said commercial shrimpers have already made net modifications that significantly alter bycatch and that further restrictions could heavily impact business. The issue has ignited passion from both sides. Media coverage of Tuesday’s meeting in New Bern reports the line of speakers was so long that not everyone in line had an n See SHRIMPING Page 2

Grand View seeks new permit for dock project By Terry Lane

Lumina News file photo

Staff Writer

Staff photo by Allison Potter

The developers of the Grand View Apartments have filed a Coastal Area Management Act permit to build a 79-foot dock, two 38-foot floating docks and a floating gazebo on the Intracoastal Waterway.

The developers of the Grand View Apartment building just west of the Heide Trask Drawbridge to Wrightsville Beach are again seeking approval to build a dock into the Intracoastal Waterway that the town previously opposed because of concerns it could impact a key sewer line. In a CAMA permit application to the North Carolina Division of Coastal Management, developers of the apartment’s docks at 202 Summer Rest Road said they could construct a dock facility for residents of the 111unit apartment building without needing to dredge around the

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WB remembers repeat flotilla winner Paula Sturdy By Terry Lane Staff Writer

The family of a well-known and well-loved Wrightsville Beach resident who died unexpectedly last week has asked her friends to honor her memory by supporting the event through which many of her friends said they will remember her. Paula Sturdy, 60, was an avid supporter and advocate, as well as repeat winner, of the North Carolina Holiday Flotilla boat parade held annually in Wrightsville Beach. Many of her friends said it was fitting the family asked that donations be made to the flotilla in her memory, as the boating lifestyle, and n See STURDY Page 2

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Police Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . For the Record . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Editorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

For daily updates visit LuminaNews.com

Paula Sturdy and Van Marr accept their award for Best in Show at a North Carolina Holiday Flotilla luncheon on Nov. 29, 2009.

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Lumina News — Your Coastal Community Newspaper since May 2002 as her ability to quickly strike up friendships with strangers. “She was a friend to everyone she met,” said Jim Freeman, a past chairman of the flotilla, and friend of Sturdy since they first met in the late 1970s in Myrtle Beach. Sturdy, along with husband Van Marr, won the flotilla four consecutive years on their boat, Reel Hot. Each year, she and Marr hosted a party on the back deck of their condo at the Moorings, where visitors helped decorate the boat that would later pass by those very docks

as part of the flotilla parade. For Sturdy, boating wasn’t just about the parade, as she was praised as an excellent yachtswoman who learned the art of sailing on her family’s 85-foot Hatteras yacht, eventually winning several sailing cups. “She could repair a boat engine with the best of any man,” Jones said. “She could park that boat like threading a needle.” While Sturdy made an impression on the town’s boating community through the flotilla, her love of Masonboro Island also created a venue for

her to make new friends. She was a regular at the uninhabited island, enjoying time on the raft with friends and often sleeping overnight in the boat anchored just offshore. “She was always at the center of the raft up,” Freeman said. “You could count on them to be out there every Saturday and Sunday.” Sturdy earned her business administration degree from East Carolina University and remained a loyal Pirates fan and close to her sisters in the Sigma Sigma Sigma sorority. She recently had retired

from the Sturdy Corporation, a local company founded by her father, where she worked for 36 years, most recently as a purchasing director. Friends and relatives of Sturdy attended her viewing on Sunday and funeral on Monday. Freeman said that hundreds attended the events, as she was “so well known and respected throughout the community.” Police said Sturdy died last Tuesday, Jan. 10, when she hit her head after a fall. The investigation is open, but police said it does not appear suspicious.

As friends said they are struggling to cope with Sturdy’s unexpected death, they said it will be important to honor her memory through donations to the North Carolina Holiday Flotilla, which can be made at P.O. Box 713, Wrightsville Beach, N.C. 28480. “They were such an integral part of the flotilla family for many years,” said flotilla organizer Linda Brown. “It’s a terrible loss to our whole community, she’s been supportive of so many things.”

hour reeling in the massive fish. “We had him on the leader four times, but each time, he’d get up and run away from us again,” Ramsey said. He finally hit the fish with a harpoon. After taking the fish back to

n SHRIMPING

Jerry Schill, president of the North Carolina Fisheries Association, said the proposed regulations would be “devastating” to the state’s commercial fishermen. Schill said commercial fishing operations in North Carolina have been working to reduce bycatch since the 1980s. “It didn’t take a state mandate, the fishermen did it themselves,” Schill said. “It takes the wind out of your sails. You are working to reduce bycatch and then the legislature wants to restrict it or ban it all together.” David Sneed, executive director of the North Carolina Coastal Conservation Association, said by reducing the size of the boats and nets in inshore areas, fourand-a-half pounds of bycatch are lost for every pound harvested during shrimp fishing. “The inshore is where fish grow up,” he said. “They’re three to five inches long here and if they’re caught in the nets, they’re dead and discarded while

they cull out the shrimp.” Sneed said because trawling is more open in North Carolina, boats are coming in from South Carolina and other areas where the practice is banned. “We’re the last state that allows inshore trawling the way we do. Most states ban inshore trawling,” Sneed said. “By making this change, fish stocks would be impacted up and down the coast.” However, Schill noted that South Carolina and Virginia don’t have large inshore fishing areas like the Pamlico Sound, which is what he said makes North Carolina different, and supports the state’s diverse commercial fishing industry. “It’s an ocean, really, and already over 50 percent is closed to shrimp trawling,” he said. Schill said that further restricting shrimp trawling wouldn’t just affect the fishermen, but also the fish house owners across the state, who want to buy domestic shrimp, not stocks raised in

Asia. Gene Long, owner of Motts Channel Seafood in Wrightsville Beach, agreed, noting that years of state regulations against shrimping have virtually eliminated shrimping in the town. “From 27 years ago, there’s been an incredible change,” Long said. “There is zero commercial fishing around here now. There used to be eight to 10 shrimp boats tied to the docks, but I haven’t seen a shrimp boat in 10 years.” He said that groups like the CCA were misinformed about the issue, arguing that stormwater runoff pollution has had a greater impact on recreational fish stocks than any of the shrimping regulations. “They’re pointing the finger at the wrong people,” Long said. “You’d be surprised at how much is closed to shrimping. There are already areas where everything can breed.”

South Lumina Parking Lot by the Oceanic Restaurant, and has several residential units on the street. Blair said residential passes are restricted at, and near, lots that have public restrooms and facilities, as those are designated for visitors. But he questioned whether these restrictions were necessary on that section of the street. Both the changes to Harbor Island parking hours and to residential parking on South Lumina Avenue between Sunset and Iula streets will be considered during the board’s Feb. 14 meeting. Lanier Parking, which manages parking for the town, will conduct a presentation on new parking meter technology that could replace the town’s current pay stations, which allow payment by credit cards, coins and mobile phone apps. Of the town’s 26 pay parking stations, 23 will lose warranty coverage in March 2018. The town will pay $4,000 for extra parts for

the machines while considering investing in new technology that would stay more current. During the town’s upcoming retreat meeting Jan. 23, the board will review its contract with Lanier Parking, which expires at the end of 2017, as well as consider options into capital upgrades of the parking infrastructure. That could include how to upgrade the 263 gray meters around the town that take only coins, town manager Tim Owens said. Lanier Parking will also present proposals for managing boat ramp overflow parking on the town’s grass lot on the municipal complex, where the farmers market is held. The boat overflow parking would be only for Fridays and Saturdays during holiday weekends. Weeks said that on holidays, boaters are often left with little recourse but to park illegally. Wrightsville Beach once allowed boater parking at the empty lot, but it caused

damage to the field that is also used for the farmers market that takes place on Monday mornings from May through October. Weeks suggested only parking on the lot on Friday and Saturday, eliminating Sunday so the field could be ready for Monday’s market. Lanier Parking said it will research the costs and benefits of stationing an attendant at the lot to collect parking fees and monitor traffic. In another potential parking development, town officials are seeking a Coastal Area Management Act permit for parking in the area around the North Lumina Avenue cul-desac located north of Shell Island Resort. Owens said neighbors of the properties have been notified, with the permitting process expected to take around two to three months. If permitted, the town will then contract a firm to draw up engineering and design plans for the area.

n DOCK

79-foot and two 38-foot floating docks, as well as a floating 20-foot by 20-foot gazebo. While the earlier proposal had dredging within 11 feet of the sewer line, the new proposal puts the closest piling at 19 feet and features a detachment point for the floating docks, which will allow Wrightsville Beach authorities access to the sewer line for maintenance. Wrightsville Beach Town Manager Tim Owens told the board of aldermen in a Friday email that he still considers the project to encroach on the town’s right-of-way and that the proposal will be submitted to the town’s attorney for review. “It’s still built over the sewer line, there’s still a piling there, so the potential to damage is there and we still have some concerns,” Owens said. Damage to the sewer line would come at stark costs for Wrightsville Beach, town officials said during a 2014 deliberation on the project. Rupturing the sewer line would result in what one town employee described at the time as a “minimum of 300 gallons a minute of sewage that we can’t

control.” In 2014, the board of aldermen instructed the town’s attorney to draft a letter of opposition to the project, citing the potential for damage to the drainage system and the environmental impact it could have. The town is currently in the process of researching whether a redundant sewer line is needed or feasible. The current 14-inch, 30-year-old sewer line is the only way sewage is piped off of the island and to the Cape Fear Public Utility Authority’s wastewater treatment plant. The town has contracted an engineering firm to both assess the condition of the current sewer main line and propose possibilities for constructing a second line off the island. Owens said that the board of aldermen could receive that report during the February meeting. Bailey and Associates, the Jacksonville-based real estate development firm that built the Grand View Apartments, faced local criticism last year when it took down several oak trees and severely cut back another lining Wrightsville Avenue in front of the apartments.

n STURDY Continued from Page 1

the oversized personality she injected into it, was how many said they will remember her. “She was bigger than life,” friend Robin Jones said. “Her heart was as big as it was tender. She wanted her friends happy and she loved them all dearly. Paula was funny, gorgeous and rare, a unique individual who impacted every life she touched.” It was an observation echoed by several of her friends, as well

n TUNA

Continued from Page 1

where they’re going to be.” On Monday, the reports of the big tuna off of North Carolina shores set the group off in search of boating, as Ramsey said his boat was in winter storage. “A buddy of mine called me about it Monday night and we decided to try to go out,” Ramsey said. “I was supposed to be at work in the morning, but had some time.” A friend brought a 22-foot Pioneer Bay boat out of storage. Ramsey said the craft wasn’t the usual sport-fishing boat for this type of game, but ventured out to try anyway. T h e c r e w, w h i c h a l s o included Bradley Pigford, Lucas Edmondson and Fabry Stroud, had lines in the water by 5:30 a.m. and by 7:15 a.m., the tuna was on the hook. Ramsey and the crew spent about an

Continued from Page 1

opportunity to be heard. Wrightsville Beach State Rep. Ted Davis, R-19th District, has said that he would support more limits to the trawlers, arguing that the disparity of regulations in Virginia and South Carolina are bringing more boats to the state and making an impact on the commercial regulations. In fact, Davis said the issue may be raised in the North Carolina House of Representatives’ Wildlife Resources Committee. “One of the tasks we’ll focus on is how to define what is a commercial fisherman. It may seem easy, but it’s not,” Davis said. Davis said limiting trawling was needed to “protect the resources” in North Carolina waters. “The main problem is that if you wipe out the small fish, then you don’t have the big fish,” he said.

“We had him on the leader four times, but each time, he’d get up and run away from us again.” his dock on Motts Channel, Ramsey and friends cleaned the fish, cutting tuna steaks and inviting over friends to help and to claim some free seafood. “We gave anyone who wanted one a piece,” Ramsey said. Email terrylane@luminanews.com

n PARKING Continued from Page 1

May 1 through Sept. 15, unlike the beach strand’s March 1 to Oct. 31 enforcement period. Alderman Lisa Weeks said she believed the parking collection times could be reduced while still achieving the goal of deterring beach parking. The change would also make it easier on early-morning and late-evening walkers and exercisers on The Loop. The board will also consider rescinding restrictions on residential parking passes for spots on South Lumina Avenue in between Sunset Street and Iula Street. Mayor Bill Blair urged board members to go look at the street, which runs by the

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Life is Good

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area. In 2014, Wrightsville Beach opposed a similar proposal out of concern to its proximity to the only sewer line connecting Wrightsville Beach to the mainland. The earlier proposal would have put 27 boat slips on docks in the ICW, but also required dredging near the sewer line. The current proposal lays out only 10 slips, with plans to replace the current 66-foot dock with a structure of the same dimensions at an adjusted angle. The developers plan to add a

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Jan. 19–25, 2017

Lumina News — Your Coastal Community Newspaper since May 2002

For The Record Question and photographs by Terry Lane

This Friday, the United States will inaugurate its 45th president when Donald Trump takes the oath of office. How do you feel about the change in the country’s political leadership?

Jessi Oester

Barbara Olsen

“It seems we’re going in a different direction than the last eight years and I’m hopeful we can continue to unite.”

“I am anticipating it will be good. I will be watching the inauguration from start to finish.”

Wilmington

Police

Andrew Hall

Jim Arlart

Ivy Hageman

“It is a huge change and no one can know what the outcome will be.”

“I feel great about the change in leadership, I’m hopeful the future will be better.”

“I have no idea how it’s going to go. I hope things don’t digress, I’d like to see continued progress.”

Wrightsville Beach

briefs

Police cite ultralight pilot with airspace violation Wrightsville Beach police cited the pilot of an ultralight aircraft with violating the town’s 500foot altitude limit on Dec. 31. Police issued Walter M. Knight Jr. of Stoneville, North Carolina, a ticket for aircraft violation, after they shot video and photos of Knight flying the small craft over the beach strand. Police said they issued the citation to Knight when he landed the craft near Public Beach Access No. 28 on the south end.

Afterparty fight leads to assault charge Wrightsville Beach police charged a Morganton, North Carolina, man with assault after an earlymorning fight ended with a man being pushed into a glass-top coffee table. Kendall Childress, 42, was charged with assault inflicting serious injury after an after-hours party came to blows at a house on 16 East Henderson Street. Wrightsville Beach police said several people went to the house after the nearby bars closed. Words were exchanged between two attendees, with punches being thrown, and one man being pushed into the coffee table. EMS responded to the scene, police said.

Wilmington

BEACH BRIEFS Negotiations on landfill site continue Negotiations between a Charlotte-based real estate developer seeking to buy old landfill space and the town of Wrightsville Beach will continue after the town met privately on Thursday, Jan. 12 to consider the deal’s terms and conditions. DPJ Residential placed a $1.3 million bid on the 5.17 acres of property at 910 Old Maccumber Station Road on Thursday, Dec. 8. The town considered the bid in a closed session and town manager Tim Owens said the board

StriperFest Auction

would send back revised terms to the bidders. He said the town expected to hear a reply from the bidders before the end of February.

Rouzer appointed to committee U.S. Rep. David Rouzer, R-N.C. 7th District, was

appointed to a seat on the House Natural Resources Committee, giving the local representative more involvement in energy production, mineral lands and mining, fisheries and wildlife, public lands, oceans, Native Americans, irrigation and reclamation policy. Rouzer also serves on the House Agriculture and Transportation committees.

IMPORTANT DATES Monday, Jan. 23 Wrightsville Beach Board of Aldermen retreat, 3 p.m. public safety building, 3 Bob Sawyer Drive New Hanover County Board of Commissioners meeting, 9 a.m., New Hanover County Courthouse, room 301, 24 N. Third St.

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Cape Fear River Watch hosted a sold-out crowd at the Coastline Conference Center for the ninth annual StriperFest Auction and Banquet Friday evening, Jan. 13, benefitting the restoration of the Cape Fear River Fishery. ~ Johanna Ferebee

Weekend Police Report FRIDAY, JAN. 13 Arrests • Alec Guarnaccia was charged with failure to appear in court.

Citations • Lauren Elizabeth Johnson, Ronald Arthur Woody, Coty Tahj Loray, Kellie Roy, Sarah Davis and Alec Guarnaccia were cited with speeding. • Joseph Thomas Humphrey III was cited with driving while licensed revoked. • Shardee Conxum was cited with driving without a license. • Craig Scott Cook Jr. was cited with human waste.

SATURDAY, JAN. 14 Arrests • Dustin Langston was charged with DWI and cited with driving left of the center lane.

Citations • Jeremy Scott Edens was cited with possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia.

• Shawn Michael Epperson was cited with careless and reckless driving. • Elle Bressler and David Ward were cited with stop light violations. • Jack McMackin, Brandon Carter, Alexander Carlson and Dajon Turner were cited with speeding. • Justin T. Pratt and Shira Hughes were cited with impeding traffic. Jared Sigman was cited with littering. • Caleb Hofer was cited with open container. • Benjamin Austin and Aaron Stasiak were cited with a noise complaint.

SUNDAY, JAN. 15 Citations • Jasson Forrest Walker and Lauren Grace Savage were cited with driving while license revoked.

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Jan. 19–25, 2017

Lumina News — Your Coastal Community Newspaper since May 2002

Editorial/Opinion Our thoughts By Simon Gonzalez

We are a divided nation. Granted, that’s not exactly a newsflash. It was a frequently repeated theme before the presidential election in November, and the stories have intensified in the run-up to Donald Trump’s inauguration on Friday. Back in October, stories focused on the difficulties presumptive winner Hillary Clinton would face in uniting the country because of how many Trump supporters loathed her. There were more “divided country” reports after Trump’s upset win, but speculation about how the president-elect would unite the country vanished. It seemed to be taken for granted that we were now hopelessly ripped asunder. The idea that this is somehow a new phenomenon is silly. We are always divided politically. In every presidential election, about half of the folks who bother to cast a ballot are backing the losing candidate. Even so, there is ample evidence that the country is highly divided. It’s not clear, though, just who is to blame. Mr. Trump isn’t helping things, to be sure. It would help if he could use diplomacy and tact and stop reacting to the media, celebrities and anyone who disagrees with him. Sticks and stones, Mr. Trump. Rise above it! At least he acknowledged the divide and the anger and promised to do something. “IT WILL CHANGE!!!!” he tweeted. But there’s only so much Trump can do. It’s difficult to come together with people determined to widen the rift. If you are truly interested in uniting the country, you don’t riot in the streets because your candidate lost or threaten to disrupt inauguration events. You don’t start impeachment petitions before the man has even taken the oath of office. You don’t organize boycotts of a company because a board member donated her own money to Trump’s campaign. You don’t threaten to blacklist singers for performing at the inauguration. And you don’t boycott the inauguration because you “don’t see this President-elect as a legitimate president.” That last quote is from Georgia congressman John Lewis, who went on to say, “I think the Russians

participated in helping this man get elected. And they helped destroy the candidacy of Hillary Clinton.” In the interest of fostering unity, let’s review some facts. Some 63 million people voted for Trump. Those dastardly Russians didn’t make them do it. The emails leaked to Wikileaks weren’t fiction. If they destroyed Clinton’s candidacy, it was because they exposed the dark inner workings of the Democratic National Committee and her staff. The election is not illegitimate because Clinton “won” the popular vote. Trump carried a majority or plurality in 30 states, giving him a comfortable margin in the Electoral College. He ran according to the rules, and triumphed. Trump won because he out-campaigned his opponent in the swing states, particularly in the Rust Belt. He flipped 220 counties that voted for Barack Obama in 2012. Even “Time” magazine, no friend of the incoming president, ascribed the shift to “the success of his trade and economic message in the nation’s heartland.” Like him or not, whether we voted for him or not — Mr. Trump is about to be sworn in as the 45th president of the United States. The best thing we can do now is let him do the job for which he was elected. It is ridiculous to root for Trump to fail. If he reduces the debt, boosts the economy, simplifies the tax code, and pushes the Republicans to come up with a better health insurance plan, that’s great for everyone. Trump has appointed conservatives to his cabinet, but he is not an ideologue. The Never Trumpers on the Republican side opposed him because he’s not conservative enough. North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis got it right in an editorial run by the Charlotte Observer: “If the election was a mandate for anything, it was for elected officials in both parties to break through the gridlock to finally start producing results. … Republicans should remember that when Trump campaigned, he wasn’t holding up a conservative manifesto at every rally. Instead, his message was simple: cut deals and deliver results.” If Trump can do that, maybe he really can heal the divide.

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Hook, Line & Sinker See-saw weather not influencing those determined to catch fish By Skylar Walters

The up-and-down weather of last week has finally settled into a more spring-like pattern. Anglers are taking full advantage of it and catching plenty of fish. With the calmer winds and warmer weather, water temperatures have crept up above 50 degrees and look to remain that way for the foreseeable future as weather conditions are forecast to stay warm with slight seas. The offshore fishing has been really good for wahoo and bottom fish the past week and with reports of large bluefin tuna being caught, anglers that had already put up their gear are scrambling to dust it off and de-winterize their boats. The big story is the bluefin tuna being caught a mile off Carolina Beach. When the first reports of whales being seen just off our coast started coming in, anglers knew the bluefin would be in the area, and they were right. Large tackle and large baits are needed, as well as a good knowledge of how to land one of these fish, so if you don’t know much about it, find someone who does before trying to tangle with one of these monsters. Offshore, the calm conditions have allowed anglers to head out to the blue water and many of them doing that found the wahoo were plentiful and hungry. Areas around the Steeples produced as did locations nearby. Some boats had multiple fish in just a few hours’ fishing time. The fishing

TIDES Masonboro Inlet

Latitude 34° 11’ N, Longitude 77° 49’ W

conditions look to be prime for those wanting to head off the beach this weekend. Closer to the beach, in water depths around 70-80 feet, the sea bass fishing has been very good with very large fish and anglers getting their limits in short order. Both double dropper rigs baited with squid and smaller jigs have been working very well. A few triggerfish have also been reported in the deeper water. Inshore, the speckled trout fishing has picked up again and although there are a lot of smaller fish being found, there are some keepers being reported. The deeper creeks and channels are good locations to try as are the marsh backs where there is a good supply of muddy bottom as that tends to hold some warmth. Slow retrieves are still necessary due to the fish being lethargic. Anglers are also reporting good numbers of red drum being found around the same areas and the docks. Fishing natural baits, such as cut shrimp and cut bait, has also produced some decent catches of black drum. As always, if heading out during the winter months, file a float plan and make sure you and your crew are well prepared for any type of onboard emergency. It goes without saying that this is very important anytime you head offshore, but especially imperative during the cold season.

Date Time ht(ft) Time ht(ft) Time ht(ft) Time ht(ft) 1/19 Thu

12:19 AM

3.39 H

06:36 AM 0.26 L

12:29 PM 3.12 H

07:08 PM -0.01 L

1/20 Fri

01:09 AM

3.3 H

07:39 AM 0.37 L

01:17 PM 2.88 H

08:00 PM 0.01 L

1/21 Sat

02:03 AM

3.27 H

08:34 AM 0.37 L

02:10 PM 2.72 H

08:47 PM -0.04 L

1/22 Sun

03:00 AM

3.33 H

09:24 AM 0.3 L

03:07 PM 2.66 H

09:31 PM -0.12 L

1/23 Mon

03:55 AM

3.47 H

10:10 AM 0.18 L

04:04 PM 2.71 H

10:15 PM -0.23 L

1/24 Tue

04:44 AM

3.66 H

10:56 AM 0.03 L

04:53 PM 2.83 H

10:59 PM -0.36 L

1/25 Wed

05:27 AM

3.86 H

11:41 AM -0.15 L

05:35 PM 2.98 H

11:43 PM -0.49 L

Lumina News A publication of: SoZo8, Inc. (ISSN 1937-9994) (USPS 025-292)

Harbor Island Ship Models Bldg. 7232 Wrightsville Ave. Ste. D, Wilmington, NC 28403 Address all correspondence to: Lumina News, P.O. Box 1110, Wrightsville Beach, N.C. 28480 Phone: (910) 256-6569 • Fax: (910) 256-6512 • E-mail: info@luminanews.com

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Lumina News Since 2002, Lumina News has illuminated Wrightsville Beach with award-winning news, beautiful photography and insightful views of life on Wrightsville Beach. Lumina News is published weekly and is distributed to the public on and around Wrightsville Beach. Audited circulation 2,500. www.luminanews.com.

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“Praise be to Jesus, all Glory and Honor is Yours.”

Jan. 19–25, 2017

Lumina News — Your Coastal Community Newspaper since May 2002

The Good News Church Services NEAR THE BEACH LITTLE CHAPEL ON THE BOARDWALK

ST. THERESE CATHOLIC CHURCH

PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH (U.S.A.)

Father Joe Vetter

wRev. Patrick Thomas Rabun, pastor

209 S. Lumina Ave., 910-256-2471

2 W. Fayetteville St., 910-256-2819, ext. 100

Mass: Saturday, 5:30 p.m., Sunday, 8 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.;

www.littlechapel.org

Monday, noon.

ANDREW WOMMACK MINISTRIES teaching God’s unconditional love and grace

One year with Jesus in the Gospels www.awmi.net

Early Worship: 8:30 a.m. Sunday School (for all ages): 9:15 a.m.

ST. MARK CATHOLIC CHURCH

Traditional Worship: 10:30 a.m.

Father Patrick A. Keane

Nursery provided.

1011 Eastwood Road, 910-392-0720 Vigil Mass: Saturday 5 p.m.

ST. ANDREW’S ON-THE-SOUND EPISCOPAL

Sunday Masses: 7:30 a.m., 9:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m.,

The Rev. Richard G. Elliott, rector

1:30 p.m. en Español

101 Airlie Road, 910-256-3034

Monday Mass: 8:30 a.m.

7:45 a.m., 9 a.m., 11:15 a.m.

Tuesday Masses: 8:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. Wednesday Mass: 8:30 a.m.

WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH BAPTIST CHURCH

Thursday Mass: 8:30 a.m.

John McIntyre, senior pastor

Friday Mass: 8:30 a.m.

601 Causeway Drive, 910-256-3682

followed by Adoration with Benediction at 9 p.m.

Traditional Worship: 9-10 a.m. Sunday School for all ages: 10:10-11 a.m.

BETH SIMCHA

Contemporary Service: 11:10 a.m to 12:20 p.m.

MESSIANIC JEWISH CONGREGATION Congregational Leader/ Rabbi Marty Schilsky

WRIGHTSVILLE UNITED METHODIST

7957 Market St.

CHURCH

Wilmington, N.C. 28411

Doug Lain, senior pastor

910-681-0117

4 Live Oak Drive, 910-256-4471

Shabbat Services 10:30 a.m. Saturday

Worship Services: 8:30, 9:45, 11:15 a.m. Sunday School: 9:45 a.m.

HEROD’S FOLLY January 19 Mt. 2:13, “...for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.” MATTHEW 2:13-15 Herod had ruled over Judaea for nearly forty three years at the time of these events. He had the title of King conferred on him by the Roman senate at the recommendation of Antony and Octavius. His accomplishments included the building of the temple in Jerusalem which was one of the most magnificent structures in the world. Most people would have thought that Herod had it “made”. However, history reveals that Herod was extremely paranoid. He actually killed his wife and one of his sons because he feared they would take the kingdom from him. All his power and fame couldn’t buy him the peace that the angels proclaimed (Lk. 2:8-14). His paranoia led him to kill the innocent children in Bethlehem. His insecurity was evident. He had everything and yet he had nothing. In contrast, the King that Herod was trying to dispose of came humbly, not exalting Himself. He gained the acclaim of others by serving them, not oppressing them. The scepter of Jesus was righteousness; not tyranny. Jesus gave the ultimate sacrifice; Himself, because of His great love for people. Today, Herod’s only claim to fame is that he was the man who tried in vain to kill the King of Kings. Remember, it is worth nothing if you gain the whole world and lose your own soul (Mt. 16:26). Make today count for God.

Andrew’s Gospel Truth television broadcasts air M-F @ 6:30 a.m. ET on Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN). Help/Prayer Line: 719-635-1111

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Jan. 19–25, 2017

Lumina News — Your Coastal Community Newspaper since May 2002

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Classified and display deadline: Friday noon • Call 910-256-6569 ext 100 • classifieds@luminanews.com LEGAL NOTICES STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF NEW HANOVER IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE BEFORE THE CLERK OF SUPERIOR COURT EXECUTRIX’S NOTICE The undersigned having qualified as Executrix of the Estate of Anne Heins Lamson of New Hanover County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons having claims against said estate to present them to the undersigned at the address shown below on or before the 31st day of March 2017, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This is the 29th day of December, 2016. Mary Brooke Lamson, Executrix 1718 Chestnut Street Wilmington, NC 28405 12/29/2016 & 1/5, 1/12, 1/19/2017 STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF NEW HANOVER IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE BEFORE THE CLERK OF

SUPERIOR COURT EXECUTRIX’S NOTICE The undersigned having qualified as Executrix of the Estate of Billy Joe Gray of New Hanover County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons having claims against said estate to present them to the undersigned at the address shown below on or before the 31st day of March 2017, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This is the 29th day of December, 2016. Callen Murrow, Executrix 3019 Answorth Court Wilmington, NC 28405 12/29/2016 & 1/5, 1/12, 1/19/2017 STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF NEW HANOVER IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE BEFORE THE CLERK OF SUPERIOR COURT ADMINISTRATOR’S NOTICE The undersigned having qualified as Administrator of the Estate of Bonita Effie Kobbins

of New Hanover County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons having claims against said estate to present them to the undersigned at the address shown below on or before the 31st day of March 2017, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This is the 29th day of December, 2016. Karen K. Litcher, Administrator 3224-C North College Road, PMB #178 Wilmington, NC 28405-8826 12/29/2016 & 1/5, 1/12, 1/19/2017 NOTICE TO CREDITORS Having qualified as Executor of the ESTATE OF MARION M. MAIER, deceased of Wilmington, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons having claims against said estate to present them to the undersigned on or before the 7th day of April, 2017, or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate, please make immediate payment.

Claims should be presented or paid in behalf of the undersigned at 6016 Inland Greens Drive, Wilmington NC 28405. This the 28th day of December, 2016. Thomas John Maier Executor Estate of marion m. maier James A. MacDonald The MacDonald Law Firm, PLLC 1508 Military Cutoff Road, Suite 102 Wilmington, NC 28403 1/5, 1/12, 1/19, 1/26/2017 NOTICE TO CREDITORS Having qualified as Executor of the Estate of Hyton W. Babson, late of New Hanover County, North Carolina, the undersigned does hereby notify all persons, firms and corporations having claims against the estate of said decedent to exhibit them to the undersigned c/o Jill L. Peters Kaess, 101 N. Third Street, Suite 400, Wilmington, North Carolina 28401, on or before the 7th day of April, 2017, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons, firms and corporations indebted to the said estate will please make immediate payment to the under-

signed. This the 5th day of January, 2017. Roger G. Babson, Executor of the Estate of Hyton W. Babson Jill L. Peters Kaess Smith Moore Leatherwood LLP 101 N. Third Street, Suite 400 Wilmington, NC 28401 January 5, 12, 19, 26, 2017 STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF NEW HANOVER IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE BEFORE THE CLERK OF SUPERIOR COURT EXECUTRIX’S NOTICE The undersigned having qualified as Executrix of the Estate of Alyssa L. Van Bourgondien of New Hanover County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons having claims against said estate to present them to the undersigned at the address shown below on or before the 14th day of April 2017, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This is the 12th day of January, 2017.

Susan Donovan, Executrix 5602 Locke Street, Apt. 104 Wilmington, NC 28403 1/12, 1/19, 1/26, 2/2/2017 STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF NEW HANOVER IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE BEFORE THE CLERK OF SUPERIOR COURT EXECUTRIX’S NOTICE The undersigned having qualified as Executrix of the Estate of Albert Leland Cherry of New Hanover County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons having claims against said estate to present them to the undersigned at the address shown below on or before the 14th day of April 2017, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This is the 12th day of January, 2017. Jacqueline Suzette Greene, Executrix 1736 Wilsons Crossing Drive Decatur, GA 30033 1/12, 1/19, 1/26, 2/2/2017

Help Wanted/Mechanics Diesel Mechanic for Trucking Co. Great Benefits! Vacation/ holidays. Exp. w/Major & Minor repairs. Own tools. Wilmington area. 855-975-8625 1-19-2017

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