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Pender Sheriff’s Office to dedicate memorial to fallen county officers
Praise on the National Day of Prayer
By Andy Pettigrew Post & Voice Publisher T h e Pe n d e r C o u n t y County Sheriff ’s Office will dedicate a memorial to fallen county law enforcement officers in a special ceremony May 14. The service will be held at the Pender County Law Enforcement Center, 605 E. Fremont St. in Burgaw beginning at 11 a.m. Due to COVID-19 restictions, attendance is limited, and the ceremony will be streamed live on the Pender County website. Four Pender County law enforcement officers who lost their lives in the line of duty will be honored: Burgaw Officer Samuel Brothers (May 6, 1939), Sheriff John T. Wells (Oct. 31, 1953), N.C. Highway Patrolman Hugh Griffin (Sept. 14, 1975), and Deputy Jeff
Jones (Nov. 23, 2002). The memorial will “honor those officers and heroes, who through their courageous deed have made the ultimate sacrifice and lost their lives serving the citizens of Pender County.” Burgaw Policeman Samuel Brothers, 48, was shot and killed by a man who had been threatening him for the previous two weeks after Brothers arrested him for liquor law violations. Brothers was in the post
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Burgaw OKs Stormwater Management Utility By Andy Pettigrew Post & Voice Publisher The Burgaw Town board unanimously approved the creation of a Storm Water Management Utility at Tuesday’s May board meeting. The Utility provides an additional revenue source that is according to the
town, “more equitable than property tax” and places less burden on the town’s General Fund to provide funding for the operation, maintenance and improvement of storm water collection systems. All property owners – residential property, business,
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PEP Open Mic Night fundraiser coming June 4 By Lori Kirkpatrick Post & Voice Staff Writer Covid has impacted Pender Education Partnership’s (PEP) annual fundraiser two years in a row. This year, they are thinking outside of the box. The 501(c)3 nonprofit is sponsoring an Open Mic Night as its SOS (Support Our Seniors) fundraising event. It will be held June 4 from 6-8 p.m. at Burgaw Middle School. Local businesses and individuals can join in the effort by pledging at least
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Staff photos by Andy Pettigrew
Kari Sea performs a dance to the hymn Amazing Grace at the National Day of Prayer service at the Hampstead gazebo May 6. Post & Voice columnist Jefferson Weaver (right) was one of the speakers at the service, sponsored by the Pender East Ministerial Association.
County monitors fuel crisis, issues state of emergency From Staff Reports Pender County officials are closely monitoring the fuel emergency, the result of a cyber-attack on Colonial Pipeline late last week. “Pender County will ensure the continuity of local government operations,” said George Brown, Chairman of the Pender County Board of County Commissioners. “The fuel disruption may extend through this week, according to
our communications with state officials. We have issued a state of emergency and we are proactively addressing county staffing to ensure the safety of Pender County residents.” “Analysts say it will take days for normal conditions to return,” said Brown. “Experts advise motorists not to panic purchase or hoard fuel as that will prolong
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Fresh produce, seafood and more at Burgaw’s Legends By Lori Kirkpatrick Post & Voice Staff Writer
$50 to the cause. Those who participate will be able to display a sign or banner on Burgaw Middle School’s
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Legends Seafood and Produce is a general store bringing fresh seafood, fresh produce, ice cream, and hunting/outdoor products to the town of Burgaw. The store started with a soft opening in November offering a few items, and its selection has gradually expanded over time. Owner David Futch, a Pender County native, opened the business after retiring from his job as a production manager at a chemical plant in Wilmington.
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“I retired and decided that I wanted to try something different,” said Futch. “We’re expanding a little at the time. We started with convenience items, and then we started selling seafood. We offer fresh fish, shrimp, oysters, and other seafood. We have frozen seafood like stuffed
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crab and crab cakes. We do a lot of fresh local meats from Buddy’s as well. We are trying to be a general all-around store.” You can find fresh eggs and produce at Legends. You can also visit their garden center which offers perennials, annuals, hanging baskets, trees, and a little bit of everything. They sell local honey, jellies, jams, and sauces and seafood seasonings. Futch likes to support local businesses and to offer items that can’t be found just anywhere.
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Pender-Topsail Post & Voice, Thursday, May 13, 2021, Page 13A
PEP Continued from page 1A fence as part of PEP’s “Line the Fence” initiative. Those who wish to have a turn at the mic can register through a link on the Town of Burgaw’s website. The public is invited to attend the free event. “We’re asking for the folks to bring a lawn chair, come out and enjoy the variety of talent that we will have there,” said PEP President Tammie Parris. “Blueberry vendors will be available. There will be food trucks, and we will have a basket raffle. All of the proceeds will go to our annual scholarship challenge, and it’s for four high schools in Pender County - Heide Trask High School, Topsail High School, Pender Early College High School, and Pender High School.” In addition to scholarships for high school seniors, PEP offers a teacher mini-grant program. Teachers who have educational project ideas for their classrooms that are not covered under the state budget can apply for a grant for up to $500. The nonprofit also provides recognition for Principal of the Year. In the past, PEP was able to give assistance to teachers who were affected by Hurricane Florence. Parris said that PEP is working to continue what was set forth years ago by
Hope Continued from page 9A about four minutes until just tender, add garlic the last two minutes. Stir in sausage coins. Stir in pasta sauce and eggplant cubes, bring to a low boil; cover. Lower heat and simmer on medium low for 10 minutes, or until eggplant is tender, stirring occasionally. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and place in a large bowl. Add sauce, basil, parsley, and remaining salad dressing; gently stir together. Sprinkle with grated Par-
Lady Patriots Continued from page 10A It is said that in a close game, one play can make a difference. That play was made by junior Telisha Moore. In the top of the sixth, a long fly ball was hit to center field with a runner on second base. It appeared to be another homerun by Bulldog shortstop Logan Sutton. Moore backed up to the fence and caught the ball. The junior’s glove was two foot above the fence. Pender scored two runs in the bottom of the sixth and freshman Lillie Hansen shut the Bulldogs down in the seventh to earn the win and send her teammates to the third round. Holmes and freshman Linde Klein each had a hit and two runs batted in to pace the Patriots. Jayleigh Leonard had two hits and two runs scored. Ha n sen pi t ched t wo scoreless innings to earn the win. The Bear Grass Charter Bears came into the third round game with a 13-2 record. They had beaten East Columbus to get to the third round. The Lady Bears offense is stuff that legends are made of. They had scored more than 10 runs seven
their for mer president, Susan Croom. Croom saw the need for scholarships in Pender County for our high school seniors, and she began reaching out to businesses for their support. PEP collaborates with community partners including area businesses, other organizations and individuals to develop funding and provide innovative learning opportunities for students and teachers. 100% of the proceeds collected by PEP go directly to scholarship recipients, mini grant recipients and educator recognition. “This year our challenge is what we call “Line the Fence.” We are asking Pender County businesses to pledge a sign commitment of $50. They provide their own banner, logo, feather flag, or whatever they choose, and we will line the football fence at Burgaw Middle School with all of the sponsors. If we can get 200 commitments, then we can raise $10,000. That’s our ultimate goal,” Parris said. P E P Vi c e P re s i d e n t Tammy Proctor explained how the foundation has evolved since its inception in May 2015. “The superintendent at the time was Terri Cobb, and she had been in Wake and different counties that had foundations for scholarships,” said Proctor. “She approached Susan Croom and me and said, ‘We need this’ I had been at a loca-
tion where we had three foundations for different school districts, and saw how much a foundation like that can do for a community - so we were on board immediately. It’s really a community effort, a great way for the community to come together and be a partner in bettering the education of our students.”
Jef f Rivenbark from WWAY TV-3 will serve as Emcee for Operation S.O.S. Rivenbark believes that attending a community college or four-year institution is critical for a young person to expand their worldview. He said that he is thrilled to be a part of such a great program that awards scholarships to
deserving teens and gives educators additional resources to promote student engagement in the classroom. “PEP is an amazing program that relies heavily on the financial support of the community,” Rivenbark said. “Our youth have the potential to accomplish great things, but we have to
be willing to invest generously today to ensure the next generation is equipped with the education they need to be successful in the future.” To get involved, visit PEP’s website at https:// pendereducationpartnership.org or contact Tammie Parris at tparris@ cfcc.edu.
mesan cheese. Quick and easy refrigerated peach jam 3½ pounds fresh peaches, about 8 peaches, peeled, halved, pitted, and cut into chunks 1¼ pounds g ranulated sugar about 3 cups 1 tablespoon plus one teaspoon fresh lemon juice Kosher salt ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional) Wo r k i n g i n s m a l l batches, pulse peaches in a blender or food processor until chunky. Transfer to a saucepan and add sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, stirring frequent-
ly. Boil, continuing to stir, until bubbles show, foam subsides, fruit rises to the top, and the jam sticks to a spoon when lifted, about 12-15 minutes. Let cool. Spoon into lidded jars or refrigerator containers. Refrigerate. Peach jam can be refrigerated for up to two months. Lemon lush dessert with raspberries 1 cup all-purpose flour ½ cup butter, softened ½ cup toasted pecans, chopped 8 ounces cream cheese, softened 1 cup confectioners’ sugar 1 8-ounce container whipped topping, thawed
Opinion
try and protect each and every student – athlete in Pender County. I guess it is my grandfather persona. Just remember, I have my own opinion on this matter. This opinion does not represent Pender High School or Pender County Schools. It is just me, and my opinion, and maybe the opinion of quite a few parents and student-athletes.
times this season and more than 15 runs four times. Pender stayed close for a while but the Lady Bears broke things open in the fourth inning and rode two homeruns in the later innings to a 15-2 win in five innings. Bear Grass scored one run in the top of the first. Pender matched that run in the bottom half of the frame. A singe to left by Holmes was followed by a steal by the senior shortstop. A double by Moore scored Holmes. The Lady bears scored four runs in the third frame and added five runs in the fourth. Pender managed a run in the third but trailed 9-2 after four innings. Bear Grass added six runs in the top of the fifth on five hits and an error. Pender went down in order in the bottom half of the inning to end the game. Despite the loss, Pender had an outstanding year. Coach Matt Davis lamented that fact after the game. “Anytime you make a deep run in the playoffs and end up bowing out, you’ve got to be careful not to focus on what might have been and instead focus on what we did accomplish. We had a great season fueled by an unusual mixture of senior leadership and talented underclassmen. In the end
we played a better team. Our girls worked hard all year to get better and to play the best they possibly could. They found ways to win tough games in the late innings.” Senior right hander Haley Schaeffer was undefeated through conference play. She led the conference in wins and was in the top three in earned run average. Fellow senior Tyanna Holmes was third in the Coastal 8 Conference with a .531 batting average and second in runs scored. Five of the Patriots nine starters were in the top 11 in the conference in fielding percentage. Pender graduates four seniors. Tyanna Holmes, K a i t ly n B e ave r, H a l e y Schaef fer and Jayleigh Leonard. Coach Davis had these words to describe these young women. “These four seniors went from just making the playoffs as a wild card as freshmen to leading us to our first Coastal 8 Conference title and a run to the regional semi-finals. They’ve impacted their community, giving back to future generations of softball players by mentoring and investing their time and talents at the local ballpark.” Pender finished the season with a 16-1 record.
and divided 1 3-ounce box lemon pudding mix ½ cup granulated sugar 2¼ cups water, divided 2 egg yolks 1 cup fresh raspberries In a bowl mix together flour, butter, and chopped p e c a n s l i ke a b i s c u i t dough. Press into an 8x8inch pan. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until brown. In a bowl mix together cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar, and one cup whipped topping. Spread over warm cooked pastry. In a saucepan stir together lemon pudding mix, granulated sugar, ¼ cup water, and egg yolks. Stir in two cups water, stirring constantly, with wire whisk, cook on medium heat until mixtures comes to a full boil, remove from heat. Cool for 5 minutes, stirring twice. Place a piece of plastic wrap over the top of the hot pudding and cool for about 30 minutes. Remove wrap and spread this mixture over the previous layers in pan. Cool completely and top with remaining whipped topping and fresh raspberries. Cover and refrigerate.
Staff photo by Bobby Norris
Middle school football is underway in Pender County. Topsail Middle took on Cape Fear Middle at Trask Stadium last week.
Community, Policing and Race Relations Meeting COVID-19 gathering restrictions have been loosened and we have begun meeting again. Please join us on Thursday, May 13, 5:30-7:30 pm at the Train Depot. Come, join in on having the “necessary conversations” to become more understanding and unified as a community. Shared participation in open, honest dialogue helps remove biases and prejudices. This Forum is sponsored by Pender County Law Enforcement, Town of Burgaw Police, and the CPR Committee. To reserve your space, please call one of the following by Tuesday, May 11. •Sheriff Alan Cutler – 910-259-1212 •Chief Jim Hock, Burgaw Police – 910-259-4924 •Bishop James Malloy – 910-540-7299 •Karen Malloy -919-740-7802
Continued from page 10A public schools. I realize this may sound like sour grapes and I may be a sore loser. Yes, you are correct. I am a sore loser, especially when I think our kids got a bad deal. You see, I feel like I have an obligation to cover and