SE Spring 2015
Carolina Brewcraft
North Carolina
Bringing the hops and yeast down east
Hell on Wheels
Wilmington’s own Cape Fear Roller Girls
Signing Off
The ‘Big Dawg’ looks back at a life in radio
The ‘Yes’ Factor
An exclusive sneak peek at spring wedding fashions
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Spice Bouquet is locally owned and operated by Frank Crowley Spring 2015
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SE
North Carolina
Editor’s Note:
So far, so good Our dispatch from the swampy Southeast—the first SE North Carolina magazine—went over with some fanfare, so we’ve made another. This issue begins our new seasonal print schedule, and we’re all geared up to roll one of these puppies out every three months. This spring, we sampled the area’s fast-growing beer industry. Naturally, we settled on a double-feature, because the only thing better than one beer... is two beers. Of course, there are plenty of great breweries we could have featured. We chose Mother Earth and Combat breweries because they exemplify two very distinct spirits—Mother Earth is a slick-marketed, established business with a kind of Bohemian chic that stands out in its home town of Kinston. Combat Brewery on the other hand is a guerrilla fighter, resisting the Big Beer establishment. Started by beer lovers for beer lovers, Combat has a different kind of Americana about it—less Flower Child Chillness, more Shell Shocked Badassery. We wanted to Each is great in its own way. Each is sample the owned, brewed and supported by the local folks. area’s fast-growBy the way, brewmasters, SE North ing beer industry, Carolina would be psyched if you used so naturally we those nicknames for your brews. We’ll settled on a doubleeven buy a round. Or eleven. feature, because Moving on, we found some great stothe only thing betries to tell about a group of tough ladies ter than one beer... who made roller skating cool again, the is two beers. ongoing concerns with the USS North Carolina’s hull and thieving souls who snatch up our state’s rare Venus flytraps. We even looked closer to home for a feature on a former radio man, who in Sam Elliott’s description of Jeff Bridges’ Jeffrey “The Dude” Lebowski: “Sometimes, there’s a man—well, he’s the man for his time and place.” FM junkies will remember him as Big Dawg on the Radio. We just know him as Alan. We even sent one of our writers to New York City to learn from the designers about southeast N.C.’s upcoming spring wedding fashions. We’ve been busy since the winter time, and we hope it shows. There’s plenty more to come.
Trevor Normile, Associate Editor
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SouthEast North Carolina
Spring 2015
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 we took this photo in—it’s a coastal port known for its entertainment connections. The former home of the N.C. Shipbuilding Company, other WWII artifacts can also be found here. Turn to page 73 to find out if you guessed correctly.
See page 73 for answer
IN SENC THIS ISSUE!
Are you with us?
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Goldsboro.....................68 Kinston.........................12 New Bern...........22,44,68 Trenton.........................18 Pink Hill........................69 Fayetteville.............29,68 Beulaville.......................9 Kenansville..................30 Morehead City.............28 Beaufort.............30,31,67 Jacksonville.................28 Wallace.........................22 White Lake...................69 Surf City.......................67 Wilmington...................... ...28,29,34,45,54,67,68,69 Carolina Beach............69 Fort Fisher...................29 Southport.....................29
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/ Table of Contents Spring 2015
SE North Carolina
Staff / Credits / Contributions PUBLISHER Gary Scott
Features
EDITOR Todd Wetherington ASSOCIATE EDITOR Trevor Normile PRODUCTION/ARTISTIC DIRECTOR Bryan Pinkey PRODUCTION ASSOCIATE Becky Wetherington CONTENT & PHOTOgRAPHy Jacqueline Hough Nadya Nataly Trevor Normile Bryan Pinkey Gary Scott Todd Wetherington ADvERTISINg Alan Wells Evelyn Riggs Gary Scott Marlane Carcopo CONTRIBUTINg PHOTOgRAPHy Louis Keiner (Tsunami Photography) ADvISORy Debby Scott We have made every effort to maintain the accuracy of information presented in this magazine and assume no responsibility for errors, changes, or omissions. Inclusion should not be construed as a recommendation or endorsement. Likewise, omission represents only a lack of information at publication time.
People 12
Carolina Brewcraft
22
Signing Off
28
People Profiles
Local craft breweries are tapped
‘Big Dawg’s’ radio days recalled
Interesting individuals of SENC
Places 34
USSNC WWII vet trying to stay afloat
22
In Every Issue 34
9
SE-Snapshots Appalachian dulcimers Lessons learned for a sound that is full and complex
Our Picks:
N.C. traditional musicians
38
The “Yes” Factor
44
River Art
SENC spring wedding fashions
64
Queen Anne’s Revenge Exhibit allows visitors to view 300-yearold artifacts
Our Picks:
New Bern’s waterfront sculptures
Entertainment 54
31
Shipwrecks off N.C. coast
45
Venus Flytraps Stealing this southeastern plant is now a felony
Our Picks:
Peculiar plants
Bring the Pain
67
Roller girls on a mission
Creative Writing
Voted as the best U.S. waterfront
Our Picks:
Burning shame to the ground
60
Wilmington waterfront
Waterside bars
Events
68 74
Check out Play Dates for upcoming events in Southeastern N.C.
Humor Todd Wetherington explores his unique relationship with Southern cuisine
What they said SE North Carolina’s inaugural issue draws attention from around the region. We’d like to hear from you this time.
In-depth articles highlight our part of the state A friend shared with me the inaugural e-edition of SE North Carolina and I loved it. I appreciated the depth of the articles about different areas in southeastern North Carolina and loved the photos that accompanied the articles. The photos were rich, color saturated and captured the essence of the article. Thanks for your work in highlighting our part of the state. Carolyn Hirst-Loucks Sunset Beach
SE
North Carolina Fall/Winter 2014-15
MIKE’S FARM
How a Christmas tree farm became a destination for family, friends and food
Also in this issue: Kindred Spirit
Bird Island offers a secluded beach with a bit of mystery
A Coyote’s Life
Can’t wait for the next edition You have truly outdone yourselves! SE North Carolina is amazing. I can’t wait to get home, sit down and read it from cover to cover. At a glance the stories, photos, design, and advertising have drawn me in. I am so excited and impressed and already can’t wait to see the next one. Dawn Craft Duplin County Schools Kenansville
Wants to subscribe Hey, I recently saw your magazine in a business in Rich-
A look at the underground world of human trafficking
What’s a Peanut Boil?
A stylish, yet down-home gathering of family and friends... and boiled peanuts
Thank you again for a great publication and the time you take for SENC! Ted Park Richlands Subscription information is now available. Please see page 71.
Magazines disappeared almost immediately Thank you so much for thinking of the library as a distribution point for the magazine. It is a beauty! And it disappeared almost immediately. Several folks asked us about it — you made a splash. Susan Parrish Cumberland County Public Library Fayetteville
Eye-catching lands, N.C. I looked through it and quickly found the info to contact you! 1. Wonderful magazine for us in the best part of the state! 2. How can I subscribe to this magazine and how much would it cost? 3. I am interested in contributing to this magazine in any way I can. I feel that I could provide some good “outdoor” articles for future issues. How could I submit, and what would you be looking for in an article?
Just came across my first issue of the magazine and it is really beautifully done and eye catching. Tara Arnette Wilmington
About time Great job with the new magazine, SE North Carolina. It’s about time our part of the state had a quality publication. I’m looking forward to reading future issues.
Matt Whitehurst New Bern
FEEDBACK: Got something to tell us? We want to know. Send comments or suggestions to SE North Carolina editors, P.O. Box 69, Kenansville, NC 28349 or email senc@nccooke.com 8
SouthEast North Carolina
Spring 2015
SE / Snapshots
SE PICKS: N.C. Traditional Musicians
North Carolina
Carolina Chocolate Drops
The ‘sweet song’ of Appalachian dulcimers
Lessons learned for a sound that is full and complex
H
og fiddle, harmonium, harmony box— whatever the player calls it, the simple dulcimer is a rare yet true-blue mark of American folk music. In a sea of banjo players, bullfiddlers and mandolinists, the dulcimer player is a musical unicorn. Everyone seems to enjoy them, but they’re not exactly common at courthouse-steps pickin’ sessions. Here, we introduce to you the Duplin Dulcimer club, one of many groups in the area fighting The Duplin Dulcimer Club performs to keep interest in this jangling at the Country Squire Restaurant in Warsaw. You don’t have to be a prolittle instrument alive. fessional musician to learn to play a Led by professional music in- dulcimer—as long as you know how structor Barbara Strickland, mem- to count and are willing to learn. bers meet two days a month at (Photos: Trevor Normile) Cabin Missionary Baptist Church near Beulaville, in Duplin County. Interest in dulcimer music here mainly stems from Appalachian folk music, while the instrument itself can be traced north to the Shenandoah Valley and Eastern Europe. Its chiming tones can be extracted by picking or hammering, depending on the instrument’s design. Hammered dulcimers are popular in European folk music (the name is derived from Romantic language words for “sweet song”). To find a dulcimer club near you, a quick search online is all you need. This website: www.everythingdulcimer.com, includes contact information for dulcimer clubs across the country. The Appalachian dulcimer is a string instrument with beginnings in Europe, and which found its way to America and into Appalachian folk music. The continuing popularity of those heritageladen tunes is still popular all over the state.
Working from the nearly forgotten tradition of African-American string bands, the Durham-based Carolina Chocolate Drops combine banjos, fiddles, jugs, bones and harmonicas with gospel hollers and dirt-floor dance intensity, revisiting antique sounds with a joyful, 21st Century vengeance.
Malcolm Holcombe Born and raised in the mountains of North Carolina, Holcombe has been recording his haunting country blues for nearly 25 years. Drawing on a catalog of music that maps the backwoods corners of the human heart, his possessed, close quarters solo shows are not to be missed.
Doc Watson The man, the master, the legend—Arthel Lane “Doc” Watson is one of the first names one must know in North Carolina folk music. The blind Watauga County man brought his blistering brand of bluegrass to generations of adoring masses right up until his death in 2012.
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Spring 2015
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SouthEast North Carolina
Spring 2015
SE /People
North Carolina
Craft Beer
12
Southeastern North Carolina is in the midst of a craft beer renaissance. Two breweries, Mother Earth in Kinston and Combat in Trenton, represent two sides of the brewcraft coin-the established hipster and the scrappy upstart. Both are dedicated to one thing— spreading the craft beer religion.
Signing Off
22
From reel-to-reel tape to CDs, dusty grooves to digital, Alan “Big Dawg” Wells spent years entertaining radio listeners throughout North Carolina. Wells looks back at his onair adventures, from hanging out with his classic rock heroes to the tragic loss of Dale Earnhardt.
People Profile
Spring 2015
28
What do a spray can artist, a poetry slam organizer, a ferry captain, a social worker and a professional liar all have in common? Not much, other than the fact that they’re all featured this month in our profile section. There’s no shortage of interesting characters in southeast N.C.
SE /People
The Craft of Carolina Story: Trevor Normile Photos: Todd Wetherington, Trevor Normile & Bryan Pinkey In a swanky office adorned with modern artwork and a glass-walled view of Mother Earth Brewery’s titanic beer tanks, founders Stephen Hill and Trent Mooring settled in for what was meant to be a short interview, but which got sidetracked every so often, as do most conversations about (or over) beers. A few minutes prior, as the rest of southeast North Carolina toiled about at their regular jobs, driving regular pickup trucks and wearing regular clothes, Hill and Mooring (the younger of the two, and Hill’s son-in-law), climbed out of a gleaming white Alpina sedan, covered in plaid, sporting matching designer vests of complimenting colors, and skin-tight chinos. Sunglasses? Check. That scene probably made up the hippest cubed-foot volume for at least 10 miles around. Especially considering that was a Wednesday, in January. The hip quotient is actually quite important to Mother Earth, which opened in 2009 and sells beer up and down the coast.
Right: Taps at the bar of Mother Earth’s tasting room. Below: bottling production.
But all the happy green trees, marketing machines and craft brewing in the world won’t make a business successful if the people at the top can’t keep it together. “We are organized,” Mooring says. “I was giving a tour the other day, [as I was showing] one person said, ‘God, y’all are organized.’ He said, ‘Do you plan your brews out on a week?’ I said, ‘We plan our brews out on a year. I can tell you what day Old Neighborhood Fall Seasonal is going to be brewed in 2015. We haven’t always been like that, but we are now. You have to be efficient and productive.” Here’s an example: to schedule an interview with Mother Earth’s founders, it took a collective 45 seconds on the phone. That’s it. No calling the public relations department, no gatekeeper assistants, no nothing. Mooring got the call electronically, he clicked on, and it was scheduled. In fact, he, Hill and Brewer personally delivered the first kegs of Mother Earth to craft beer bars, concerts and more in Raleigh, in a van, as often as they could. Does Mother Earth brew more beer now? Hill and Mooring do some quick math to find out exactly what the specific output rate of the brewery is today, but the short answer from Hill is ,“Oh God, yes.” Exactly what they brew has also expanded. From the sunny disposition of Endless River kolsch to the darkly-rich and complex Dark Cloud Munich dunkel beer (and all the seasonals, tripels, wits and pale ales in between), Mother Earth has a pretty comprehensive selection at any given time.
Wheat Ale
Wheat beers are particularly food-friendly due to their abundance of flavor. When choosing a food to pair with American or Belgian witbier variety wheat beer, try light fair such as chicken, fish, salads or pastas. Fruit dishes and desserts made with warm spices (cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg) also blend well with these beers. For heavier dishes, try a German hefeweizen or dunkelweizen as a compliment to cured meats, sausages, and hams.
Breakfast Stout If IPAs include a smorgasbord of selections, stout beers offer the whole supermarket. Literally. How about breakfast for dessert... in a bottle? Oatmeal stout. In the mood for the darkest of the dark? Russian Imperial Stout. In general, a good stout takes the bully out of a punchy porter and leaves the cream, coffee and chocolate notes behind. Another U.K beer style, stouts now enjoy worldwide popularity. Stouts are often served slightly chilled (around 53 degrees), and pair well with most red meats, including that Celtic sausage specialty, bangers ’n mash.
Even better, you can buy it almost anywhere these days. Mother Earth also distributes in Georgia and Virginia at the time of this writing. When the brewmaster completes a new recipe, Hill and Mooring taste it. If they like it, the brew gets some original artwork slapped on and Mother Earth sells it. In reality, the process is much more time-consuming, and requires serious planning. But every time a new Mother Earth beer appears on the shelf, it’s a product of that basic method. In fact—and you read it here first, folks—a new summer seasonal beer called “Porch Pale Ale” is due out in May. In Hill’s exuberant words, hands-waving in the air, “It’s aweesomme... it’s aweeesommme!” Mooring says, “It’s just like how a chef comes up with a new recipe. Josh [Brewer] comes up with stuff, and Stephen and I sample it and we might say, “we love it, this is what we want to name it, this is what we want the art to look like, and that’s pretty much how it goes.” Hill adds, “We get to try that beer, we say, ‘that’s phenomenal, we want to put that in production.’” The reason, they explain, that breweries like Mother Earth are popping up across the state is because of pale ales like that one, and a little piece of legislation that almost kept them out of production. In 2005, the state legislature agreed to raise the legal alcohol content for beer from just six percent to 15 percent. Since
pale ale-style beers are highly popular with craft beer drinkers (and naturally contain more than six percent alcohol on average), that change in legislation allowed a rush of producers to set up shop and turn a profit. Now, it’s kind of a rite of passage for breweries to produce their own pale ales. When Hill was growing up, alcohol content was limited to around three percent, and local beers were probably hard to come by. Now, beer drinkers can stop by their local grocery store and pick up something made not only in the United States, but in a town near them. “We are Americans. If you drink a Budwesier, that money isn’t going into an American’s pocket, it’s going to a foreign corporation. You are now drinking offshore,” he says. Today, Kinston is still bustling with activity. But the damage done by the tobacco buyouts and the fading shopping mall frenzy is apparent. A number of buildings around the legendary Queen Street “Magic Mile” have been uncared for in many years, just as some others have held on. Call it entropy if you want, but some (including other shops around Mother Earth) have resolved to retake Kinston at all costs. “Revitalization” isn’t the right word. It’s too sterile, too esoteric. It doesn’t capture the meaning of what people like Mooring and Hill are doing. “Resurrection” This is where the Mother Earth narrative becomes a little more sentimental.
Signs of new life downtown—a sweet little cupcakery apparently named for someone called “SweetiePie,” an old oxygen supply warehouse now full of new bicycles, even the acclaimed Chef and the Farmer restaurant reside within twominutes walk of one another. And those are just a few. “When I was little, I would come down and go to Burt’s Surf Shop. I loved going to Burt’s ... Stephen [Hill]’s redoing that building where the surf shop was. But it’s cool to be able to go with the old buildings and remember—the skateboards were right here, the surf boards were right here—I’d buy my clothes at H. Stadiem [which is still open] and saw all my friends from school,” Mooring says. “Everything we’ve done with the transformation of Kinston and the tourism we’ve generated, is all just gravy we never planned on. That’s been the biggest surprise to us—our tourism is unbelievable.” Hill, a Kinston native himself, remembers the city from further back. “I’ve been shopping at the same hardware store across the street, Parrott Brothers, since I was a little boy ... Downtown used to have wonderful gift shops and things like that on Queen Street. It’s all changed over the years. But it’s coming back. Herritage has the gift shop and the barber, and we’ll have a spa across the street. There’s a new hotel going up down here,” he says. “When I was young, they called Queen
Street the Magic Mile, because you could come down here and see people from Goldsboro, Greenville, New Bern, they shopped here ... That went away in the late 1970s and early ’80s. What the mall didn’t ruin, Walmart did the rest.” Today, the brewery employs a number of professionals who left their fields and found work at Mother Earth. They include a Wall Street trader with degrees from UNC and Duke University who took off his suit, grew a beard and started brewing beer; an engineer from the medical field who now handles packaging and a Kenansville man who lost his marketing job and started building boxes at the brewery—and is now over Mother Earth’s sales. Outside the brewery, Hill has been buying up cheap real estate, including houses for employees to live in and even an old bank building, which will be turned into a hotel. “You see around here all these things could be awesome, so why sit on your butt? We see it very differently than most people do,” Hill says. “This is our future, we knew we’d either have to leave downtown or secure everything so we don’t have to leave,” he says, adding that the renovation projects, the branding, the success—it all falls a little short of a deeper vision of his. “I have dreams and aspirations that don’t have anything to do with money—but with resurrection.” SE
Top: Owners Trent Mooring and Stephen Hill sit atop the brewery in a lounge built for the workers. Middle: The Mother Earth brewers stand in the production area, where the beer is brewed. Bottom: A worker at Mother Earth packages bottles as they come off the line. Beer production at Mother Earth has come a long way since the brewery’s early days.
Combat Trenton brewery fights the good fight for local craft beer Passing through the small town of Trenton, about 20 miles southeast of Kinston, a traveler would have little reason to turn their eyes to the unassuming, khaki-colored warehouse set back off of N.C. 58. The only clue to the building’s occupants is a sign guiding motorists into the town’s small industrial park, and past one of the more isolated and unlikely outposts in North Carolina’s craft beer uprising. Though its facade may be inconspicuous, Combat Brewery is among a handful of small, independent operations in eastern North Carolina currently leading the charge in producing locally manufactured, unique beer combinations. The movement that brought the craft beer industry to Jones County can be traced back to Wisconsin native Dustin Canestorp, a retired U.S. Marine Corps
Zero Dark Thirty
major who previously worked at Camp Johnson in Jacksonville. Canestorp began forming the idea for the brewery after returning stateside in 2007 from an especially brutal tour of Iraq, during which one of his close friends was killed. To help with his readjustment to civilian life, Canestorp organized a poker group made up of fellow veterans and beer enthusiasts, who dubbed themselves The Beer Army. An award winning homebrewer, Canestorp paid tribute to his comrades by founding Beer Army, LLC in 2008 in an effort to increase local demand for and access to craft beer. In 2012, he launched the Beer Army Outpost in New Bern, a 3,000 square foot establishment which features a taproom and bottle shop. The following year, he put his efforts toward a more ambitious project—opening a professionally
Rebellious Patriot
Heroes Never Die
staffed, high quality brewery. “Dustin’s been all over the world with the Marine Corps and drank a lot of great beer, but when he came to Eastern North Carolina there wasn’t much here. So he really wanted to try and change that culture, which has been really cool to see,” explains Scott Andrews, who has worked as Beer Army’s public affairs officer since 2012. Luckily for Canestorp, Jeff Brungard, a fellow Marine combat veteran and homebrewer, was thinking along the same lines. Canestorp hired Brungard as his brewing officer and then sent him off to study at the Siebel Institute of Technology and World Brewing Academy in Chicago, America’s oldest brewing school. Brungard then went on to apprentice at the world famous Doemens Academy, in Munich, Germany. After scouting other locations in
Fire in the Hole
Battle of Bro
Story: Todd Wetherington Photos: Trevor Normile & Todd Wetherington Morehead City, Jacksonville, and New Bern, the Beer Army squad selected the 10,500-square-foot building in Trenton as the site for the newly christened Combat Brewery. After $300,000 in renovations the brewery opened on April 19, 2013. “Jones County was just really awesome when it came to wanting use here, reaching out to us and finding out what we needed,” says Andrews. “They also have great water here, and that’s the basis of all beer.” Visitors can sample the results for themselves, amidst the tangy aroma of boiling hops and fermenting yeast, at the Combat Brewery tap room, which is located a few feet away from the brewing area. Andrews says it was important to everyone involved to locate the brewery in an area where it would make an impact economically. “We like to think we’ve brought people to Trenton who maybe wouldn’t have normally stopped by or come through. People come into the tap room from here and drink on Friday and Saturdays. We don’t serve food, so they’ll call down the street and get some Aggie’s Pizza or something
ocks Mill
Angels
from Two Jays Diner. We really hope we’re pushing business their way in addition to bringing people to Trenton to check it out.” The brewery has even named one of their beers, the smoked porter Battle of Brock’s Mill, after a historical Trenton landmark located less than a mile from the business. Other beers currently produced by Combat Brewery include: • Heroes Never Die!!! (American Style IPA) • Fire In The Hole (Irish Style Red Ale) • Angels (Belgian Style Blonde Ale) • Zero Dark Thirty (Double Black IPA) • Rebellious Patriot (American Ale)
Combat Brewery beers are currently distributed across North Carolina as well as in Washington, D.C., Delaware, and Maryland. “We’re trying to do this across states with only five or six employees, trying to brew it and make it all work, so it’s definitely a struggle,” Andrews admits. Currently, there are no plans to expand Combat Brewery’s bricks and mortar operation outside of Jones County, says Andrews. “You can get really excited in this industry and think the next shiny toy or moving into another state is going to help you, but with that comes a lot of headaches and a lot more responsibility, so we’re Combat Brewmaster Jeff Brungard
not really trying to push the envelope.” One area where the Beer Army has expanded its reach is charity work. Beer Army Foundation, a nonprofit, community outreach organization hosts beer related events to support local education, volunteerism and other projects. The foundation recently sponsored the fifth annual Jolly Skull Festival in Greenville and the Boom Town Beer Festival in Jacksonville. “Every event we have Dustin Canestorp scheduled for 2015, 100 percent of the proceeds are going straight to the foundation and will go to help fund and award 50 scholarships to students in the next three years,” says Andrews. A New Bern native with family ties to Jones County, Andrews says he’s been all too happy to follow Canestorp into the beer business trenches. “You can tell a Marine who’s just gotten through [a tough time] and has just kept on chugging away and won’t let anybody take him down, and I saw that in him. I wanted to be a part of anything he touched. I jumped into it and never looked back.” SE
Shop it!
Downtown Wallace North Carolina 25+ Great Shops & Businesses
WEST MAIN The Lady & The Dragon Antiques * Simpson Real Estate Group, Inc.* Farrior’s Flooring & Interiors * Shoe Outlet & Hospital Peek-A-BooTique * Cavenaugh’s Gifts * The Upper Room * Pretty Up! * Art of Hope * EAST MAIN Evans Jewelers * Treasure House The Hager Group* The Sassy Ladybug Blown Away Salon* Graham Drug Co. * Van’s Beauty Supply Honeycutt Pawn & Variety * Fancy Blossoms Boutique* RAILROAD STREET Kay’s Hair Salon Collectibles by the Trax * NORTH COLLEGE Phil-AM Boutique * Merle Norman & The Polka Dot Zebra * NORWOOD AT MAIN Southern Treasures
Hops, used for flavoring, are an essential part of beer brewing.
* Find our pages on Facebook! Discover Downtown Wallace *
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Spring 2015
SouthEast North Carolina
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Radio
SE /People
Days
Former DJ, Alan Wells, looks back on the golden age of SE N.C. broadcasting
Story: Jackie Hough Photos: Trevor Normile & Alan Wells’ collection Before television and iPods, there was radio. In the 1930s, in households across America, families gathered around these new sound transmitting devices to listen to variety shows, music, and other entertainment. Though the technology for transmitting electromagnetic waves has been around since the late 19th century, radio has managed to survive by changing and adapting with the times, finding new life in a variety of forms. Wallace native Alan Wells grew up listening to radio legends such as Wolfman Jack and Rick Dees on AM radio beamed in from as far away as Chicago. “I was always intrigued with what they did and their personalities,” he remembers. “And I always loved music.” It was a progressive journey that eventually led Wells to turn his passion for music into a career. “I’ve just always had music in my veins,” he says. In 1977, at age 15, Wells got his first taste of the radio business. A friend who worked for a radio station on weekends became a little inebriated at a local hangout and enlisted Wells’ help at the station. He ended up on air. “I actually did a couple of shifts for him that nobody knew about,” he recalls. “I thought it was really cool to play records and talk on the radio.” The experience was just like being at home playing records, Alan ‘Big Dawg’ Wells with two turntables and a telephone Spring 2015
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SE /People except there was a microphone, Wells remembers thinking at the time. “Instead of acting like I was Wolfman Jack or Casey Kasem, I was actually doing the job that they were doing.” After graduating from Wallace-Rose Hill High School and attempting college in different locations, Wells returned to Wallace. He started working at WLSE and WZKB in 1984. It was a simpler time, when disc jockeys played music and salespeople sold ads. “I did an air shift and wrote and produced commercials,” says Wells. The budding DJ also went out and recorded music on reel-to-reel tape machines for the automated radio system. After working at the station three and half years, Wells had gone from part-time to program director. The station had also changed during that time, switching their play list from beach music and top 40 to rock and roll. Wells says he realized if he wanted radio to be a long-term career, he would need a college degree. In 1987 he returned to school and earned a bachelor’s degree in communications in radio/television from Lenoir Community College. From there, he went on to work at
B-100 WVBS, a top 40 station in Wilmington. A year later, he left to work in New Bern at another Top 40 station— WVVY 99.5. Wells worked the morning show, which was music intensive with news, sports, weather, call-ins and games. In 1993 his career took another turn when WVVY’s parent company, Wilcox/Beasley Co. bought 106.5 WSFL, which was once a powerhouse in the region but had been off the air for years. It was time to turn eastern Carolina back on to classic rock. Wells says he was more than happy with the change. “I love all genres but coming up in the ’60s and ’70s that was the music I grew up with.” Wells says one of his favorite aspects of working at WSFL was attending concerts for the station. He had a chance to interview musicians such as Graham Nash, Ann Wilson of Heart and Joe Perry of Aerosmith. Wells remembers the Perry interview as one of his favorites. After it was over, he sat and talked with the guitarist for about 30 minutes backstage. He recalls Perry being down-to-earth and talking about his new barbecue sauce.
Wells says he had an epiphany at that moment. “Even though they were rock stars, they were just regular people with cool jobs making lots of money,” he says. “But they were still people.” Wells continued to work in radio until 2006, when he began feeling burned out and in need of a change. In 2009, he moved to Chicago for family reasons. He had been out of radio for three years when a position at a local station become available. Wells interviewed for the position and did an air shift, but quickly decided the market wasn’t for him. While in North Carolina he had been a big fish in a small pond. In Illinois, Wells says, he “felt like a minnow in the ocean.” Despite the setback, Wells says he still had confidence in the talents he’d been blessed with—the gift of gab and the ability to relate to people. Now out of the radio business, Wells has gone into sales for print media. “I’m reminded by friends of how I’ve transformed from Dr. Johnny Fever to Herb Tarlek (on WKRP in Cincinnati TV show),” he says. Looking back on his radio career, Wells says two moments stand out for him.
Alan “Big Dawg” Wells and former WSFL mid-day personality Beth McCall entertain the crowd during the station’s Super Bowl party in 2001.
The first is September 11, 2001. Wells said the world really did stop that day following the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. “We did too,” he says. “Our music changed. Our thoughts changed. It wasn’t as much a priority of putting on a show. It was all about being together.” For seven to eight hours, the whole radio on-air staff— from day, evening and weekend—was there together. “We were all kind of talking among ourselves and were taking phone calls,” Wells remembers. The other was February 19, 2001—the day after NASCAR racing legend Dale Earnhardt Sr. died during the 2001 Daytona 500. Wells was working at WSFL, which he describes as a “big NASCAR station.” “That Monday was one of the toughest radio days I had,” he says. “He (Earnhardt) was NASCAR. A lot of grown men cried on the radio.” “We all cried,” Wells admits. “We all reflected. We let people say whatever they wanted to say. I think it helped our community of NASCAR fans.” During his career in radio, Wells saw numerous changes in the industry, as vinyl and tape gave way to the new digital age. When he started in Wallace in 1984, recalls Wells, the control panels consisted of small boards with knobs, cart machines and magnetic erasers. “You had to put a penny on the turntables arm above the needle so the record wouldn’t skip,” he notes. By the time Wells began working at WSFL, records were still being played but there was also plenty of reel-to-reel tape being used. Wells says he was driving around recently and heard a listener call in to an afternoon radio show. The call reminded him how the segments were handled years ago, by recording a caller on tape and then splicing together sound bites from the call to ensure no foul language made it onto the air. “It was very time consuming,” Wells recalls.
The WSFL radio station in New Bern has changed with the times. Top: The station’s classic rock playlist is now handled by Selector, a music scheduling computer program. Middle, Bottom: WSFL’s main studio features a computer that runs ad spots and a state of the art production board.
SE /People With present day technology, a call can be taken, edited during a commercial break and then played immediately afterwards. “Technology has made the radio/ TV industry so much more handson,� Wells says. The digital age of radio didn’t start until the mid-1990s, when CDs came into prevalence. Wells says the new technology made things easier but also ushered in the era of increased multi-tasking. “Suddenly, you could voice track (use prerecorded segments) or be live,� he recalls. In recent years, a new side of radio has emerged, with sites like iHeartRadio, Pandora and Sirius Satellite offering listeners more options than ever before. “Radio has completely changed,� says Wells. “It has broadened somewhat.� “A person living in Texas can now listen to a station in Charlotte or Asheville.� While Wells spends time on Sirius Satellite stations such as 70s on 7 and NFL, when he tunes in to local radio he listens to his old station— WSFL 106.5 FM. Though the industry has changed significantly with its expansion into satellite and Internet, Wells says he doesn’t see radio going away any time soon. “Music is a universal language. But it will certainly be interesting to see what changes in the next 25 years.� SE
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SE / People
Seven who have made southeastern North Carolina home
North Carolina
‘Chubz’ Ramirez
Stencil/spray can artist Anthony “Chubz” Ramirez has an artistic belief that “All people have the ability to create something awesome as long as it’s driven by passion and heart.” The Jacksonville-based artist has developed a special art style that uses stencils and spray paint and stems from the beauty and culture of growing up in the Inland Empire of Southern California. With all the artistic beauty surrounding him, it was only natural for him to fall in love with the art of graffiti. His path started when his older brother gave him his first black-book (hardbound sketch book). He mimicked his brother’s style and letters until finally developing his own approach. Years passed and Photo by Bryan Pinkey/SE North Carolina Anthony continued to paint and get even more comfortable with a spray can. Paint brushes could never match up to the excitement that came with graffiti. Anthony’s transition into stencil art and canvas painting came after joining the Navy. While stationed at Camp Lejeune, he began looking into the style and following artists like Christian Guemy, Jason Thomas Clark and Shepard Fairey. His appreciation for these artists established a greater respect for the craft, the precision of every cut and layer of color that brings his pieces to life. His influences stem from all things in life. He pulls from music, movies, past life experiences, friends and family. His plans are to open and manage his own gallery, allowing other artists a chance to receive the recognition they deserve. Anthony’s work can be seen on Instagram @ ovrlkd_art 28
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More profiles on page 30
Claire McFall
N.C. School Social Worker of the Year
As a child, Claire McFall’s family came to the U.S. from Switzerland, living in an unfurnished apartment until local church members came one day to fully furnish the family’s household—even down to a bar of soap in the bathroom. That’s a legacy that has guided McFall in her adult life. Her work as a school social worker and the motivation she’s got to make a difference for students at Sunset Park Elementary School in Wilmington earned her the honor of School Social Worker of the Year for North Carolina in January. “For me, being a school social worker is almost a calling or a ministry,” she told the Wilmington StarNews. “It’s about respecting and loving everybody. There is some tough stuff, but I try to be respectful and kind.”
Her principal, Jakki Jethro, says, “She builds trust.” Among the efforts she makes are leading the school’s Family Involvement Team, working with the school’s nurse, guidance counselors and mental health therapist. She does frequent home visits, working to clear the needs and distractions that could keep a child from being able to concentrate on schoolwork. That has included arranging transportation for a homeless student to and from school each day, insuring a more stable environment, providing donated school uniforms to students in need of clothing, and building rapport with skeptical parents. “The problem is huge... I can’t always fix what’s wrong with their lives.” But she can make sure
Rodney Kemp
school is important to the family. “It’s a beautiful place to be,” she said. “When I put my head on the pillow, I can go to sleep feeling I’ve made a difference. It’s just what you do.”
Last of the ‘Fish House Liars’
Rodney Kemp is keeping a tradition alive of recounting local lore he grew up hearing. “In the days before mass communication, down at the community store or the fish house, the entertainment in the evening was the guy who could tell stories,” says Kemp. Kemp, 69, keeps that tradition alive. He says he’s the last of Morehead City’s fish house liars, as they’re called, who still tells audiences the local lore he grew up hearing. And just like the fish house liars before him, he’s known to embellish the truth to please a crowd. These days, instead of a country store or other similar gathering place, he plies his
Spring 2015
Photo by Mark Spencer/ Wilmington Star-News
stories to monthly audiences at Carteret County Historical Society’s The History Place museum. The museum’s website calls him “Carteret County’s most beloved historian.” “It’s stories that are on the edge of the truth, but if you tell them right they’re almost believable,” he says. “In your mind you tell them so much, you get so you don’t know the difference between a lie and a truth.” People don’t mind that, he says. “You can wrap a lot of local history around humor because people are humorous here, particularly when they’re out on the water and they haven’t caught a fish all day… the
Getting to be a went from small boat ship’s captain is not captain to mate on easy. It takes years the larger vessels and N.C. Ferry System of experience at sea; finally to captain on a whole series of larger boats. boat captain promotions along the She moved with way, from able-bodied her husband to seaman, to mate, then southeastern N.C. on to master and then and got a job with the captain. At each step, Ferry Division after there are practicums to working with Cape Photo from WECT.com. be passed and tests to Fear Community Portions of this be taken. And then you College’s ocean-going report are have to wait for a posiresearch vessel, the from WECT and MetroNC tion to open up. It’s RV Dan Moore. She Online. not for the impatient volunteered to take the or the uncommitted. vessel with a crew to Mary Beth Ray of Wilmington is one of New Bern for repair, and her North Carolina only two female ferry boat captains in the boating career began. She spent seven years N.C. Ferry System. Her journey on the way as a deckhand with the Ferry system and was to captainship of one of the two Southport-to- promoted to assistant captain. In 2003, she Fort Fisher ferries actually began as a 12-yearbecame the Fort Fisher-Southport ferry route’s old when her family moved to the Bahamas, first female captain. where she lived until she was 35. “They rarely hire captains off the street, “It was perfect for me,” she said. “You can’t usually our work force starts as a mate, or a get far from the water on an island.” Her first deckhand, and works their way up”, said Ray. job was running a small marina — maintain“Quite often, from women, they will look ing a fleet of 16 boats. up and I will see a big two thumbs up from This experience served her well; she was them,” said Ray. “But I think people are still hired by the marine department at an acoustic surprised to see a woman on the bridge.” listening station in the Bahamas, where, at 21, In her off time, she had her first captain’s job providing expeRay operates a standrience on larger crafts — from 60 up to 180 up paddleboard feet. She ferried the crews ashore, performed business in the re-supply missions, and also made regular Southport runs between Andros and Palm harbor. Beach, Florida. Her career
Mary Beth Ray
“For me, spoken word has always been a place to escape,” said Eean Tyson, who co-founded the Marquis Slam, a monthly PSI certified poetry slam presented by Marquis Market and Enfinite Entertainment with friend Sherris Johnson in 2012. “It’s the one place you can go and leave everything on the table.” Whether it’s getting his heart broken or watching events unfold in Ferguson, Missouri, “when I experience something, that’s where I take it,” Tyson told the Fayetteville Observer recently. The Marquis Slam, one of the largest poetry slams in North Carolina, draws more than 100 people to the spacious downtown cafe on the first Saturday of each month for a night of fearless self-expression and candid competition. Those willing to stand up with microphone in hand and express their own style of recitation and experiences put themselves before selected judges randomly selected from the audience, who hold up scores between 1 and 10, with top scorers advancing through the rounds. “I think that’s the hardest part, seeing your score right away,” Tyson said. Tyson is a security and investigations Photo by professional from Johnny Horne Fayetteville by Fayetteville Observer day, but has helped build the “Slam” into a popular Poetry slam organizer cultural event. The Pensacola, Florida native, an Auburn University criminology graduate, says he hopes the Marquis Slam can bring about a new chapter for poetry in Fayetteville, in North Carolina, and the U.S, showcasing the best poets and spoken word artists all over the country and eventually the world. This summer, a team of four “slammers” from Fayetteville will compete in Arkansas and California. The Marquis Slam is held the first Saturday each month at the Marquis Market, located at 116 Person St. in Fayetteville. Now in its third season, the event spotlights a featured artist prior to the Slam. It has developed a loyal audience and attracts talented poets from all over. There are number a of admission packages available to enhance your experience. www.enfiniteentertainment.com/the-marquis-slam/
Eean Tyson
basis of my history is I’ve been here forever, and that’s a blessing.” The man has a tremendous amount of affection and gratitude for his upbringing in Morehead City and for its people. He’s even helped an area in Morehead known as “The Promise Land,” a precious neighborhood, he calls it, publish two books about stories of the people who grew up there and their upbringing. Kemp still works his day job selling insurance, working with folks he’s known since he was four or five years old. He lived nearly half a lifetime before Continued on page 30
Photo by Tess Malijenovsky/Coastal Review
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Continued from page 29
North Carolina
Austin Obasohan
Nationally recognized school leader
Photo by Todd Wetherington/SE North Carolina
Superintendent Dr. Austin Obasohan of Duplin County Schools believes all children deserve the chance to fulfill their dreams. “It is their job to dream their dreams and our job to make their dreams become reality,” Obasohan told SE North Carolina. The Nigerian native’s leadership and spirit of innovation have been recognized locally, nationally, and internationally during his tenure with the school system. He was selected as one of the nation’s sixteen “Leaders to Learn From” by Education Week in 2013. As a panelist on a Congressional Jobs for the Future forum and the National New Schools Conference, he shares with others the vision and passion the people of Duplin County have for college, career, and life success for all children.
Joe Ramus
Marine biologist research professor Joe Ramus took a job with Duke University’s Marine Lab in 1978, arriving on Pivers Island in Beaufort at a time when Carteret County was fabulously under-developed. He fell in love, with the environment, and with a local girl, whom he married. He became entwined in the close-knit marine science community, which also includes NOAA and University of North Carolina labs, as well as the headquarters of the state Division of Marine Fisheries. Ramus also became entwined with the local people and culture. Ten years became 36 and counting; he served a stint as director of the ever-more-prestigious lab and forged close relationships with numerous researchers engaged in countless projects. It was — and still is — Ramus said, one of the most unique marine environments anywhere, ripe with research possibilities and a fine place to teach Duke Univ. photo and continue to learn and contribute. From growing up near Berkeley and Oakland, California, Ramus first studied engineering at UC-Berkeley, but when life meant earning money to finish college, he took a surveying job that led him to change his focus and major to biology. Throughout the years, the basic theme of his work has been the ecological response of a large estuary, the Pamlico Sound system, to watershed-scale natural and anthropogenic perturbations. One of his most important accomplishments—along with colleague Hans Paerl of the UNC Institute of Marine Sciences in Morehead City—was the cre-
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In April 2014, Dr. Obasohan was selected as a panelist by the Clinton Global Foundation on the topic of “The Future of Higher Education: Redefining Learning as We Know It.” Last August, he was invited as a conference speaker at the 5th Annual Nigerian Leadership Summit where he was awarded the 2014 Nigerian Excellence Image Award. Dr. Obasohan currently serves on N.C. Governor Pat McCrory’s Education Branding and eLearning Committees. Obosahan credits the educators and administrators under his leadership, saying, “Our children are blessed to be surrounded by gifted and compassionate educators and others who continue to do whatever they can to help all of our children succeed regardless of the pathway they choose.”
ation in 2000 of the FerryMon project, which studied and researched Pamlico Sound waters using water quality measuring instruments on the state’s ferry boats that criss-crossed the sound. The massive infusion of water and pollutants following Hurricane Floyd in 1999 led to that project, resulting in vast new knowledge about the sound, the quality of its water and changes to it brought on my weather events large and small. Ramus’ learned love of eastern North Carolina’s estuaries led him to volunteer with the N.C. Coastal Federation, an organization he says “trains the next generation of environmental stewards. But it’s not a flash of light. It’s a slow, positive influence on people’s lives, and it’s fun.” Ramus’ career has allowed him to become one of the world’s leading authorities of environmental conservation. Adapted from a feature by Brad Rich, in Coastal Review Online
Rodney Kemp
Continued from page 29
he ever gave his first professional speech. He went to college in Texas where he studied journalism, English and history. He came back to Morehead City and became a school teacher. He coached basketball, ran 12 marathons and married Pat Giblin, “the most beautiful woman I’d ever met.” They had two daughters and a son. Though Pat fought a courageous battle with cancer and “went home,” Kemp says about seven years ago, he still wears his wedding ring, he says, because he was very blessed in his 35 years of marriage. Story adapted from a feature and photo in Coastal Review Online by Tess Malijenovsky. Nominate someone for inclusion in SE People. Send information to senc@nccooke.com.
SE / Snapshots
North Carolina
Queen Anne’s Revenge
Exhibit allows visitors to view 300-year-old artifacts
S
ince 1997, thousands of artifacts have been excavated from the wreck site of the pirate Blackbeard’s flagship, Queen Anne’s Revenge (QAR), by archaeologists and historians with the state Department of Cultural Resources. Those artifacts are on display at the North Carolina Maritime Museum in Beaufort. Items This 13-foot anchor is one of hundreds of artirange from the bones of live- facts recovered and conserved from the wreck stock consumed on board to site of Blackbeard’s flagship, Queen Anne’s Revenge. medical devices. State Archeologist Steve beard, who ran the ship aground at Claggett says almost everything from the shipwreck is covered in a Beaufort Inlet in 1718. “There is now more material there heavy crust. “It looks like concrete but is a that hasn’t been on public display unbuild up of sand and other materi- til recently,” says Claggett. Claggett estimates that 50 to 60 als,” notes Claggett. percent of the material on QAR has Items recovered from the ship are been recovered from the shipwreck. taken back to QAR Conservation Lab “There is a whole lot left down in Greenville at East Carolina University, where x-rays are done to reveal there. We always have plans to go back out as soon as we can but that all what is inside. “Finding them is one thing but the depends on money.” Claggett says additional funds latter part takes months or years,” says will be needed to recover the reClaggett. “Everything has been in the maining items. ocean for 300 years.” Donations are accepted from the One of the recent items found at public through Friends of Queen the shipwreck site is small grenades. Claggett describes them as “little Anne’s Revenge, which is a 501(c) cannon balls filled with gun pow- (3) nonprofit organization estabder that the pirates used to blow up lished to support the archaeology and conservation of the wreck site other people.” Recently, the museum opened an and to engage in public outreach expanded exhibit on QAR and Black- initiatives. SE Spring 2015
SE PICKS: Shipwrecks off the N.C. coast USS Atlanta Lost at sea in December 1869 off the coast of Cape Hatteras, this ironclad warship served in both the Confederate and Union navies during the Civil War. After several failed attempts to attack Union blockaders, the ship was captured by two Union monitors in 1863 when she ran aground. The ship was repaired, and rearmed, serving in the Union Navy for the rest of the war.
SS Central America The SS Central America was a 280-foot sidewheel steamer that sank off the N.C. coast, along with more than 550 passengers and crew and 30,000 pounds of gold, after being caught up in a Category 2 hurricane in September 1857. The loss of the gold helped contribute to the Panic of 1857, the first world-wide economic crisis.
U-352 Sunk in 1942 by the crew USCGC Icarus with depth charges off the coast near Morehead City, the German U-352 submarine still sits on the ocean floor and today is a popular site for advanced divers to see a preserved piece of World War II history. In a Discovery Channel documentary about the wreck, surviving crew members said ship Captain Hellmut Rathke pushed the ship and its crew obsessively to achieve status in the German Navy by sinking allied ships. The ship never claimed any victories; 15 German crewmen died in the U.S. Coast Guard assault, while 33 were taken captive.
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SE / Places
North Carolina
34 USS North Carolina
Wilmington’s battle scarred monument survived WWII intact. Now, the famed tourist attraction needs the public’s help to remain afloat.
The ‘Yes’ Factor
38
New York glamour meets Southern charm in this month’s fashion feature. Get a sneak peek at some big city designs available Down East and a behind the scenes look at the filming of “Say Yes to the Dress.”
Riverfront 44 Art The New Bern waterfront is known for its seafood restaurants and scenic Riverwalk. It’s also home to some uniquely creative and historic works of art, from a spidery sculpture to a clock-like boat hauler. Spring 2015
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SE /Places
Battleship in distress
When the keel of U.S.S. North Carolina was laid in October of 1937, it was the first U.S. battleship to be constructed in sixteen years. It became the first of ten fast battleships to join the American fleet in World War II. At the time of its commissioning on April 9, 1941, it was considered the world’s greatest sea weapon. Armed with nine 16-inch/45 caliber guns in three turrets and twenty 5-inch/38 caliber guns in ten twin mounts, the North Carolina proved a formidable weapons platform. Its wartime complement consisted of 144 commissioned officers and 2,195 enlisted men, including about 100 Marines. During World War II, the U.S.S. North Carolina participated in every major naval offensive in the Pacific area of operations and earned 15 battle stars. In the Battle of the Eastern Solomons in August of 1942, the Battleship’s anti-aircraft barrage helped save the carrier Enterprise, thereby establishing the primary role of the fast battleship as protector of aircraft carriers. One of its Kingfisits pilots performed heroically during the strike on Truk when he rescued ten downed Navy aviators on April 30, 1944. In all, the North Carolina carried out nine shore bombardments, sank an enemy troopship, destroyed at least 24 enemy aircraft, and assisted in shooting down many more. Its antiaircraft guns helped halt or frustrate scores of attacks on aircraft carriers. It steamed over 300,000 miles. Although Japanese radio announcements claimed six times that North Carolina had been sunk, it survived many close calls, near misses and one hit: when a Japanese torpedo slammed into the Battleship’s hull on 15 September 1942. A quick response on the part of the crew allowed the mighty ship to keep up with the fleet. The U.S.S. North Carolina was decommissioned June 27, 1947 and placed in the Inactive Reserve Fleet in Bayonne, New Jersey, for the next 14 years. In 1958, the announcement of its impending scrapping led to a statewide campaign by citizens of North Carolina to save the ship from the scrappers torches and bring its back to its home state. The Save Our Ship (SOS) campaign was successful and the Battleship arrived in its current berth on October 2, 1961. It was dedicated on April 29, 1962 as the State’s memorial to its World War II veterans and the 10,000 North Carolinians who died during the war.
A proud history
www.battleshipnc.com
U.S.S. North Carolina needs public’s help for repairs to continue as a memorial Story: Jacqueline Hough Photos: Todd Wetherington & Jacqueline Hough
For years, Battleship North Carolina has served as a memorial to World War II veterans. With time and the elements having taken their toll, however, the decorated battleship is in need of donations to help repair its hull so it can continue to educate thousands. To meet Navy standards, the Battleship N.C. should have a high-level hull repair every 20 years, says Captain Terry A. Bragg, USN (Ret.), executive director for the battleship “This ship has not had this level of hull repair since 1953,” says Bragg. “So we are out of date and delinquent. And the Navy wants us to fix the ship.” Battleship North Carolina officials are working with the state for engineering and funding to help correct the problem. It is a plan based on crafted technology that was done on the Battleship Alabama in Mobile Bay. “We can execute and protect the ship for the next 40 years,” says Bragg. “It will cost us right at $15 million.” To repair the ship, a cofferdam, a temporary enclosure, will be built so water can be pumped out and repairs can be completed in a dry environment.
SE /Places Though $15 million sounds like a lot of money, Bragg notes that Battleship N.C. is a huge structure. It measures about two city blocks long and 15 stories high. The Generations Campaign started on April 9 and will run through July 4 with the goal of raising $7 million for repairs. So far, corporate and state donations have brought in $10.5 million. The State Employees Credit Union voted to give $3 million to build a veteran memorial walkway around the ship. Other donations have come from Wells Fargo, Duke Energy and BB&T. “We have had some big donors to recognize the value of Battleship N.C.,” notes Bragg. During World War II, Battleship N.C. participated in every major naval offensive in the Pacific area of operations and earned 15 battle stars. “The Battleship has a great history of preserving the messages and the legacy of the men and women who served during World War II,” Bragg says. “There are very few places you can even observe or recognize the contributions of those who went before us.” During the war, the ship was a floating city at sea for more than 2,300 sailors. It was commissioned in April 9, 1941and armed with nine 16-inch guns in three turrets and 20 5-inch guns in 10 twin mounts. After World War II, the ship was decommissioned on June 27, 1947. Though it was scheduled to be scrapped in 1960, a statewide campaign raised $330,000 to purchase, dredge and prepare a site on the Cape Fear River and to have the ship towed from New Jersey. It was formally given to the state on Sept. 6, 1961 and was opened to the public the following month. According to Bragg, each year, 300,000 visitors come to the ship, which also hosts weddings and other special events. Bragg sees the Battleship N.C. as a great economic engine contributing to the local economy with hotels and visitors. “We bring people to the area to spend their dollars,” he says. Bragg stresses that the Battleship is a state enterprise and essentially a nonprofit. “Everything we generate goes back into repairs for the ship to make it better,” he says Donations may be made by check to Friends of the Battleship North Carolina; Generations Campaign; P.O. Box 480; Wilmington NC 28402 and at www.battleshipnc.com. “We are trying to wrap up the campaign and trying to get across the finish line,” says Bragg. SE 36
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Spring 2015
Destination Weddings Don’t need to be thousands of miles away.
Duplin Winery not only has beautiful grounds for your picture perfect wedding, we also have delectable catering options, facilities to host your reception and of course, plenty of wine. In the spring of 2015, David’s Chapel will be available to host your wedding and celebration in a perfect vineyard setting.
Call 800.774.9634 or visit duplinwinery.com to find out more information today. 505 N. Sycamore Street Rose Hill, NC 28458
800.774.9634 www.duplinwinery.com
Spring 2015
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SE /Places
The
‘
yes’ factor A look at coastal spring wedding fashions straight from NYC
“Saying yes” was easy when SE North Carolina had an opportunity to visit Kleinfeld Bridal of New York. Kleinfeld, a titan of the designer wedding gown industry, is the set for TLC’s series, Say Yes to the Dress in New York City. Chances are good, too, that many of the white wedding dresses that polka-dot eastern North Carolina daily come from the outlet—big city fashions fit for a beach wedding. The grand tour of Kleinfeld was grand indeed. Its open space and glamorous decor reminds one of heaven, on wedding day. As the director of the show yelled “action,” design guru Randy Fenoli and his consultant came to life. In one afternoon, Fenoli consulted dozens of brides—the excitement of
Story: Nadya Nataly Photos: Nadya Nataly, Kleinfeld Bridal Above: A recent filming of The TLC show, ‘Say Yes To The Dress.’ Right: The dress that says, ”Romantic sunset beach wedding,” is a dark nude-over creme draped gown with full gathered flounce by Mark Zunino design.
SE /Places
finding the dress was so contagious that even the bride-to be’s friends and families began hearing wedding bells. “My first goal when a bride comes in is to make her feel comfortable and welcome, then to help find her the perfect wedding dress,” exclaimed Fenoli behind the scenes of the show’s set. “What excites me most about the wedding dress selection is when a bride steps into that perfect dress, sometimes tears up, and feels absolutely beautiful. For me, it’s like winning a gold medal.” The search for a wedding dress to fulfill a bride’s fantasy—dealing with materials, styles, colors, and even body image—can be a struggle. But just as Cinderella had a fairy godmother, brides have Randy Fenoli waving around his magical wand just in time for the ball. Backing up Fenoli is Terry Hall, fashion director of Kleinfeld. Hall juggles the bulk of his time on a neverending search for gowns that will suit the fashion desires of any bride. “We see over 18,000 brides a year and with the success of the show, Say Yes to the Dress, we are in over 180 countries. I only say that to
“This isn’t just retail. The brides are really creating a lifetimememorable moment” -Terry Hall
say that we see brides from all walks of life, from all cultures, all ages, all price points, and with all very different senses of style,” explains Hall. “I literally travel the world looking for the right assortment of gowns for these brides to have. These brides are traveling from all over the world and they expect to see something unique or something they can’t see anywhere else.” Of course, that includes brides-to-be from this area as well. Former Miss Kinston Juanette Roache is just one local woman shopping for a unique gown, possibly among designers featured in Kleinfeld’s repertoire. Roache even attended the annual New Bern Wedding Expo and Venue Tour in New Bern, to gather ideas and feedback for her big day. “Right now I am looking for a venue and location, but oh my goodness, when it comes to my wedding dress ...” says Roache. “I am looking for a mermaid fit, fitted, and I want it to kind of flare from the bottom. I’m not really overwhelmed. I am a creative person. I am looking around getting ideas so hopefully I can bring all of those together in preparation for the big day.” Understand, the fashion industry has its hotspots just like other industries. While a number of great designers might call Eastern North Carolina home, cities like Manhattan and Paris still have tremendous pull—the highlight of a ceremony on Topsail Island could well be a dress designed in New York City.
Mark Zunino
Zunino
The 2015 Mark Zunino collection is inspired by flowing water (hint-hint, beach brides). Soft movement through fabrics such as silk illusion, sheer silk chiffon, lustrous silk organza, glistening beadwork of cut crystals and polished glass all give the alluring sound of water. The palette of transparent colors in icy blush, dusty nude, and shades of cloud-like white hues give the collection visual serenity. The white beaded net over nude, deep V-necked gown with illusion ball skirt (left) is a striking look for a beach -inspired wedding on the dreamy North Carolina Crystal Coast.
Terry Hall, fashion director Regarding raw fashion, a bride can easily get lost in a particular neckline or gown style without even knowing what she wants to wear. Of course, it’s important for a bride to pick a dress she loves for her wedding day. It’s the dress she will wear to make the breathtaking entrance into the ceremony, the dress she’ll remember in photographs and that symbolizes the rite of passage in professing the love she and her fiancé have for one another. The problem is, there’s a lot of pressure for brides during the wedding planning process. Locations, center pieces, invitations, guest lists, the planning of a honeymoon, and the bridesmaid’s gowns all need to be coordinated somehow. “This isn’t just retail. [The brides] are really creating a lifetime-memorable moment that we are helping create and it is a very emotional time. It’s all about the experience and not just purchasing the gown,” explains Hall. The most important thing for brides to remember, says Hall, is that the first dress or even fourth tried-on might not be the dress. Many brides look for dresses to evoke a reaction. Does it fit well, or more importantly, does it make her feel like a bride? The key to success in the wedding gown treasure hunt is to keep searching. The traditional white dress is becoming less prevalent; many brides look for other colors to express themselves. Contemporary brides are incorporating
feminine colors like rose gold or dark nude to accentuate the bodice of the gowns. Lending more appeal to warm spring weddings is the lightweight material and cool satins used to keep the bride comfortable and able to move around easily. Outdoor venues are wildly popular in the Southeast, and brides who draw inspiration from the location of the wedding can also use that drive to find a gown. But often, “spring” means outdoor weddings. Southeastern North Carolina is surrounded by beaches, vineyards, and the occasional country club. So cap sleeves, strapless dresses, or even off-the-shoulder styles are very fitting for the season. One of this spring season’s biggest wedding trends is the Hollywood “glam” look: a lighthearted, stylish interpretation of the wedding dress. Brides looking for an
Pnina Tornai
Pnina Tornai’s collection adds magical touch to a bride’s fairy tale as it comes to life before her eyes. The collection is a classic fantasy, showcasing the magic of fabrics. The long sleeve embroidered chiffon sheath with bateau necklne (right) represents the fine line between reality and fantasy. Tornai combines several fabrics to create richness and dimension. With the large number of wineries throughout Southeastern region, this dress is a jewel that captures a contemporary Southern bride appeal and is ideal for an outdoor vineyard wedding.
Tornai
SE /Places exciting aesthetic in their weddings may seek a red carpet appeal upon their entrance. A fitting dress could be a Pnina Tornai spaghetti-strap sweetheart lace mermaid gown adorned with a plunging back and floral jewelry. Also popular is anything unique: offthe-shoulder Chantilly lace with crisscrossed lace straps or a boned bodice with cascading ruffle on an A-line skirt all are makings of wedding day exclusivity. Complimenting a recent social push for wider acceptance of women’s body types, several designers are also incorporating sown-in corsettes to accentuate the bride’s curves. The rules of wedding fashion are the same as in any other sector—there really
Mark Zunino
Basso
Pnina Tornai
Dennis Basso
aren’t any. Hall encourages the bride to try a dress with a plunging neckline and open back or, say, a lace ball gown, even if she does not think she’ll like the look. The objective is to explore and be creative, to be the last step in the creative process started by the designer. With new options always coming to showrooms, Hall implores women to experiment with their wedding day vision. “Brides who are in other areas and may not be in New York or Atlanta should look to the show and these designers for inspiration,” says Hall. “Even the brides who are on the show—when they come in, the dress that they end buying is not what they thought they wanted.”
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Dennis Basso When Dennis Basso designed his 2015 collection he thought of the bride who doesn’t want to be too revealing, but wants to be noticed. The ivorybeaded and embroidered bodice with plunging Vneckline on satin ball gown skirt with love V-line back gives a bride a glamorous, sophisticated appeal. The collection is inspired by a classic bride with European taste; she is front and center in the design. She is modern without being edgy, alluring without being too seductive.
Dress Buying Do’s and Don’ts
Do
1. Do research before scheduling a dress fitting appointment. Be open-minded about what kind of gown you could wear. Find pictures of dresses you think you might like and keep them. Research websites, magazines, and catalogs to learn the styles and designers available. On the day of your appointment take your clippings and findings to show your consultant what you found. 2. Know your wedding date and know your venue. Putting your wedding date in perspective is important because it gives the opportunity to research specific designers and styles that may be available in time for the wedding. This will also provide you with a clearer picture of an alteration schedule and the time you have to find a gown. 3. The silhouette is important. There is a difference between a good wedding dress and a great one. Finding the silhouette and details that work for your figure and bust is important. Focus on your personal style and what will flatter you the most. 4. Bring people you trust. The right amount of honesty is necessary when looking for a wedding gown. Taking one or two people to your appointment who will be honest and respectful of the dress selections is recommended. 5. Have a price in mind. Make a budget and stick to it. Avoid falling in love with a dress out of your price range. You’ll thank yourself. 6. Add accessories. Whether you wanted a tiara or a dashing set of pearls, coordinate accessories to compliment your dress. A little bling or dainty crystal belt can give your look an extra alluring touch. 7. Trust your instincts. The bride knows what she wants. If you have to be reassured the dress looks great on you, it’s probably not “the one.” 8. Have fun. Though finding your ideal dress is important, loosen up and live a little. After all, the search for the dress is all about you. Allow yourself to enjoy the experience and avoid stressing out. The right wedding dress will find you if you don’t find it first. 1. Don’t book a dress fitting appointment at the last minute. When ordering a wedding dress, it’s important to order eight to 10 months before the wedding. Ordering the wedding gown early leaves plenty of time for any necessary alterations. Be sure to schedule your appointment early in the day to allot you the necessary time to browse. Your bridal consultant will also be more alert in the morning than after a day of helping others. 2. Don’t pick a wedding dress just because it’s trendy. Picking a trendy wedding gown will not stand the test of time. Finding a timeless look can be more rewarding. The dress can be contemporary with a traditional touch, while making the bride feel beautiful. Allow yourself to think outside of the box and be creative. 3. Don’t try on too many wedding dresses. Don’t feel forced to try on a hundred gowns for the sake of it. Find a good balance of choices, styles, and assortments. Trying on too many gowns can overwhelm a bride and increase her stress. It
Don’t
is important to find a bridal shop that carries your favorite designers and matches the style you want. 4. Don’t bring an audience to your fitting appointment. Sometimes less is a good thing. Bring one or two people who will give you honest opinions and support. Don’t bring the whole family. Too many people will take the focus off of you. The audience may cause conflict and confusion. In fact, it’s not rare for a bride to go dress shopping alone. 5. Don’t freak out about the sizing of wedding dresses. For the most part, wedding dresses run about two to three sizes larger than regular sizes. Be realistic and pay attention to how it looks and not to the size of the dress. Remember the dress can be altered and customized to fit your body. 6. Don’t forget wedding accessories and dress sales are final. This means no refunds. The search for the ideal dress should be taken seriously. Payi attention to how the dress and accessories look together or else you’ll end up with a big purchase you can’t return. Wedding gowns are customized to fit your body and appeal to your unique style. 7. Don’t wear old undergarments. Wear a bra or undergarments that may potentially be worn the day of the wedding to get the fit and shape as accurate as possible. 8. Don’t ignore the consultant’s suggestions. Trust your consultant. Be open to suggestions and listen to the advice. If the consultant brings anything for you to try on, give it a shot even if you’re
SE /Places
River Art New Bern has a long history of visual artistic expression, from the Bank of the Arts gallery to wellknown painters such as Willie Taglieri and Gary Gowens. Visitors to the town’s waterfront can get a first hand experience of local art in the form of sculptures and historical reconstructions that help frame the city’s modern touches in the raw materials of its past. (Left): The “Spider Lily” sculpture, created by artist Susan Pascal Beran, is located behind the New Bern Riverfront Convention Center. The 29-foot sculpture was a gift to the city from local pediatric dentist Dr. Jim Congleton in 2011. The unique design was inspired by the flower Lycoris Radiata, which was brought to New Bern from Japan in the mid-1800s. (Right): The “Extraterrestrial Totem” by Stephen Fabrico can be found on New Bern’s downtown Riverwalk behind the Hilton Hotel. A plaque at the base of the sculpture reads: In loving memory of Karen Wade Cowardin, September 18, 1942-February 21, 2007. From her Daughters and Sisters. (Left): A World War II era hauling machine located at New Bern’s Lawson Creek Park was once used to pull large ships onto dry land for repairs and inspections. The biggest of the machine’s massive gears weighs almost seven tons. It was discovered in 2004 nearly intact on the Neuse riverfront at the former site of Barbour Boat Works and reassembled in 2014 to honor the city’s long and proud maritime history.
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North Carolina
Stealing flytraps is now a felony Photo/ Architect of the Capitol
An area about 30 miles around Wilmington is the only place in the world where Venus Flytraps grow wild
I
n reality, the Venus Flytrap is far from the monstrous chimera of plant and beast that pop culture has portrayed. It’s gentle, delicate and even quite ingenious. Dare we say it? It’s actually kind of cute. But the carnivorous little dicot may not be around forever. New legislation aims to protect it for as long as possible. Last fall, state lawmakers passed a new bill to make it a felony to
“You’re robbing the citizens of the beauty of this area...” —Jerry Bell steal the plants from their protected habitats along the coastal savannahs of eastern North Carolina. Only about 35,000 of the plants are believed to still live in a 70-mile radius that is their only natural home. Though flytraps remain popular at outlets that sell them legally, it’s
now a felony to snatch them out of the wild. The legislation comes as a countermeasure against ongoing thefts of the plants from protected areas. One such theft, the 2013 heist of more than 1,500 Venus Flytraps from Wilmington’s Aldermen Park, decimated the Stanley Rehder Carnivorous Plant Garden’s flytrap population. All for what? Well, about $30 a plant on the black market, according to legislators. Under the new legislation, poachers can receive more than two years in prison for stealing the plants. Horticulturist Jerry Bell is the one who cared for the Aldermen Park flytraps. He told a Wilmington television news station that the crime not only took from the garden, but from everyone who enjoyed seeing the flytraps waiting for their meals. “It’s not right to do this,” he said. “You’re robbing the citizens of the beauty of this area to be able to come out and enjoy it.” SE Spring 2015
SE PICKS: Peculiar Plants The Corpse Flower
(Amorphophallus titanum) A plant with a flower taller than a man, stinking strongly of putrefying roadkill and colored deep burgundy to mimic rotting flesh, Indonesia’s Corpse Flower sounds like something out of science fiction. Analyses of chemicals released by the plant show the “stench” includes dimethyl trisulfide (limburger cheese), dimethyl disulfide (rotting fish), and isovaleric acid (sweaty socks).
Century Plant (Agave americana) Originally native to Mexico, Arizona, and Texas, the Century Plant actually only lives 10 to 30 years. Near the end of its life, it sends up a tall, branched stalk, laden with yellow blossoms that may reach a total height of up to 25–30 feet. The plant dies after flowering, but produces shoots from the base which continue its growth.
Pando, the Trembling Giant (Populus tremuloides) The only plant on this list to have a nickname, Pando is actually a collection of quaking aspen trees with one enormous shared root system— essentially one plant together with many trunks. Pando’s male clonal tree trunks sprawl over 106 acres near Fish Lake, Utah. Including roots, he weighs an estimated 13 million pounds. Pando’s root system is estimated by some to be 80,000 years old, making it one of the world’s oldest, biggest organisms. S outhEast North Carolina
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SE / Entertainment
North Carolina
Roller Girls
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Cold Horror
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Roller derby is the viral sport of the 21st Century, and Wilmington’s Cape Fear Roller Girls is one of North Carolina’s premier teams. Though the hits come hard and fast, it’s not all about the action.
Trevor Normile welcomes springtime and bids a long-awaited goodbye to the winter blues in this fever dream of a short story. Beware the cypress swamp.
Play Dates 68 Got a hankering for slithering serpents or some sweet soul sounds from the Motown era? How about a musical beach bash or an iPad-inclined illusionist? Check out the entertainment riches coming to your area. Spring 2015
S outhEast North Carolina
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Pain
SE /Entertainment
Bring the Story: Todd Wetherington Photos: Todd Wetherington & Louis Keiner
O
ut of the cold, late January night the women come one by one through the slow drizzling rain, trailing behind them small suitcases with grafittied helmets swinging from their handles. They make their way across the dimly-lit roller rink parking lot and gather at the entrance, where they huddle against the chill as the families who’ve stayed until closing time begin to clear out. While they wait the women speak casually amongst themselves, laughing, gathering the details of each other’s lives. As the last of the sullen children and bleary-eyed parents pull away from Jelly Beans Family Skate Center, the entrance door is opened and the women file through a narrow hallway, past the ticket booth and into the changing area. They spread out and begin unhooking the helmets, opening the cases, and assembling the gear—skates, knee and elbow pads, mouth guards—that is as integral to their roles in this arena, to their transformation from the identities they’ve left outside, as Superman’s cape or Wonder Woman’s lasso. It’s the second practice of the new year for the Cape Fear Roller Girls, Wilmington’s premier women’s flat track roller The Cape Fear Roller Girls square off against the Lowcountry Highrolllers from Charleston, S.C. during a bout at the Schwartz Center in Wilmington
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SE /Entertainment
Kat Von D-Liquent speeds around the track during a Cape Fear practice session. Top: Cape Fear Referee Sara Campbell (Marquis de Sadie), left, keeps the mayhem in check during a home bout.
derby league, and the members are still working themselves into shape—mentally and physically—for the coming season. Arguably, roller derby is the viral sport of this past decade. Chances are it has already infected your town, or soon will. In North Carolina alone there are currently teams in Asheville, Boone, Bryson City, Charlotte, Eden, Fayetteville, Greensboro, Raleigh, Greenville, Wilmington, Jacksonville, Kannapolis, Kernersville, Kill Devil Hills, Morganton, Kinston, Waynesville, and Winston-Salem. But this isn’t your father’s, or grandfather’s, roller derby. In 2015, the sport has little in common with the televised spectacles of its previous heyday in the 1970s. Tara Arnette, who’s entering her fourth season with the Cape Fear Roller Girls, agrees that derby has come a long way since its descent into parody nearly 40 years ago. “Initially a lot of people think it’s like the WWF, that it’s staged. But then they come out and see this amazing spirit, this amazing thing that it’s evolved into,” says Arnette, or Taranado D. Bree as she’s known on the derby track. A skating enthusiast as a young girl, Arnette says she was looking for a new challenge, “something unique,” when she discovered roller derby. “I had done some skating as a kid and was excited to hear we had a roller derby team in Wilmington. After watching my first bout in Carolina Beach, I showed up on a Wednesday evening and gave it a go. It was one of the best decisions I’ve made.” Established in 2005, the Cape Fear Roller Girls became Women’s Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA) members in June 2010, and now boasts 30 plus members. The league is open to all women at least 18-yearsold and, as Arnette emphasized “of all sizes and backgrounds.” The league’s season runs from January through November and consists of both home games and, this year, competitions as far away as Savannah, Ga. Arnette said all teams are ranked and placed in different divisions, with competitions scheduled based on the rankings. “Typically leagues trade off games—such as we travelled to Pennsylvania last year, so they’ll travel to us this year.” Chess on skates According to Arnette, roller derby competitors rely as much on mental acuity as physical intimidation. “It’s basically chess on skates. A game of strategy, switching from
defense to offense and back in a second.” Games, or ‘bouts’ consist of a series of short matchups called “jams.” Each team features four blockers and one scoring player, called a “jammer,” who can be identified by the star on her helmet. At the starting whistle the jammer attempts to maneuver her way through the pack of skaters, while the blockers try to stop the opposing jammer and help their own scorer through the pack. The first one through the pack becomes the lead jammer and receives a point afterward for every opposing blocker she passes. While it may sound, and often look, chaotic, the sport requires a level of discipline that would put many professional sports teams to shame. Each new Cape Fear recruit goes through a 10-week training program in which they learn the rules and skills needed to be a roller girl. Once they graduate from the program, the “fresh meat” will join the veteran skaters in endurance practices until they are ready to scrimmage. “It can be a long process, but it’s for the safety of everyone involved,” explains Arnette. The Cape Fear Roller Girls hold two hour, twice a week practices. The workouts, which
often resemble military training sessions, consist of off-skate training, endurance drills and mock competitions. “It can be hard the day after practice, getting up and going to work; you’re definitely sore,” admits Cabell Bryan, who goes by the derby name
“It’s basically chess on skates. A game of strategy, switching from defense to offense and back in a second.” McVenom. Bryan, an Oak Island native, has been with the Cape Fear Roller Girls since their inception. “A friend approached me about starting the team and I said, ‘Sounds great.’ I joined up and began my ongoing roller derby affair,” remembers Bryan, smiling beneath a pile of Carolina Blue hair.
Roller derby workouts often resemble military training sessions.
Arnette, who handles the team’s marketing, says she had no idea the level of commitment the sport would require. “It’s way harder than I ever thought it would be. You need to always be practicing and learning new skills. One week you have the best scrimmage of your life and feel at the top of your game, then next day you can’t land a decent hit.” The importance of the practice sessions becomes apparent once derby competition begins. Those not properly prepared can quickly find themselves on their backs grimacing in pain, or being carried off on a stretcher. “We actually pay to play. It’s completely real and the hits hurt,” stresses Arnette. Every roller girl worth her salt has a story about an especially vicious hit, or an illegal block that sent them sprawling into the crowd. And they have the scars to back it up. Michelle Ingraham, a four year Cape Fear veteran who works as a business
SE /Entertainment analyst by day and takes to the track as Fiona Fatale, points out that even derby practices can be dangerous. “I hurt my knee the first month after I passed assessments during an offseason practice,” she remembers. Bryan also suffered a practice-related injury, breaking her elbow during an accident last year. Despite the dings and bruises, Arnette maintains all the hard work pays off, outside of the derby rink as well. “I would say it’s actually really beneficial for your body—a ton of cardio work, strong legs and a strong core. And plus, everyday girls just don’t have a booty like us derby girls.” While the players take the sport’s competition and training seriously, they’re equally aware of roller derby’s theatrical side. Apart from their colorful derby pseudonyms, the players often personalize their gear, in particular their helmets and “derby panties,” with phrases that range from the intimidating to the scandalous. It’s not uncommon for certain members to sport horror movie inspired face paint and other garish makeup as well. “It’s all part of the tradition,” says Bryan. Though there’s no such thing as a typical roller derby bout, spectators new to the sport should prepare themselves for a spectacle that resembles a cross between a NASCAR race, a close quarters rugby match and a Halloween party. If they choose to seat themselves at the very edge of the derby track, they can also expect to become part of the action themselves.
Derby fans face the very real possibility of having a dislodged mouth guard, an errant skate bolt, or even a sweaty derby girl land in their laps at any moment. A game of rules While roller derby places an emphasis on individuality and gamesmanship, it’s also governed by rules and regulations, which are enforced by the sport’s unsung heroes, the referees. Sara Campbell, a former skater with the Jackson Hole Juggernauts in Wyoming, began refereeing with the Cape Fear Roller Girls in July, 2014. The league asked her to return this year as their head ref. Campbell says that, while the audience expects a physical, hard fought bout, it’s her job to keep unnecessary violence to a minimum. “There are types of hits that when you see them as a spectator, your jaw hangs because they’re usually ‘large hits’ that take people to the ground hard and fast. There are legal hits that can also be big, but there are illegal hits—for example to the head, back and legs—that are unsafe and can result in injury.” Campbell said penalties that are especially severe can end in a player being expelled from the game. “It’s not a high number by any means, but it does happen. Anytime someone has to be asked to leave the track is unfortunate.” Though she suffered a tendon injury during her very first event, Campbell said such incidents are rare. “There’s always the possibility that anyone on or near the track can be injured, but the likelihood of
Left: Former Cape Fear skater Cal Cutler (Mad Cal) earns “lead jammer” status. Right: (L-r) Tara Arnette (Taranado D. Bree),
an official getting hurt is pretty remote.” Family If there’s a sport where the hoary old cliché about teams becoming families achieves something like reality, it’s probably roller derby. As Ingraham puts it, “When you beat each other up, you get close.” “Most of us socialize with each other off the track; some of us are roommates,” says Bryan. “You meet such incredible people that will be with you for the rest of your life. That’s the best part.” Ingraham points out that, contrary to derby’s image as a sport filled with lone wolves and outsiders, most of the Cape Fear players are married with families. “We’re not all in biker gangs,” she says with a sarcastic grin. Campbell, a mother of four, says her children often accompany her to derby events. “They love it; they’ve already picked out their derby names,” she jokes. Campbell says playing roller derby actually inspired her to become a volunteer EMT. “I have been in close proximity to those as they have gotten injured. The feeling of being right next to someone who was hurting, and not being able to help, really wore on me.” According to Arnette, her team’s camaraderie extends to rival derby players as well. “During a bout we are out to win! win! win!, but as soon as that last whistle blows it’s all hugs and planning for the after party.” In that same spirit, the Cape Fear Roller Girls have also committed themselves to
Kelli Joyce (Semper Fight-Her) and Kelsea Thomaier (Terror Nova) fight for position during a Cape Fear workout.
SE /Entertainment their community. For each home bout, the league donates a portion of the proceeds to a local charity. Recipients include Coastal Horizons Rape Crisis Center, Cape Fear Habitat for Humanity, American Heart Association, and the Mugs for Jugs breast cancer awareness fundraiser. “We try to be active members of our community, not just a sports team,� says Ingraham. ..... As their practice winds down, the members of the Cape Fear Roller Girls, looking tired but satisfied after an intense, two hour training session, slowly change back into their street clothes, pack up their gear and head out to Jelly Beans’ nearly empty parking lot. As the last of her teammates pulls off into the night, Michelle Ingraham leans wearily on her gear bag and remembers her early days in Wilmington, shortly
after relocating there from her home city of Boston. Those were times, Ingraham recalls, when she’d often end up alone at the end of the work day. Then, while exercising at the YWCA one afternoon, she happened to strike up a conversation with a couple of girls who told her about a sport she’d been curious about but never tried. “I was very isolated when I first moved here; I’d go to work and go home. Now I’ve joined this gigantic community of people from different states and from all over. I’ve gained so much
confidence. Through derby I’ve had experiences I never would have had; I’ve met people I never would have met. I found a family.� SE
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SE /Entertainment
I burned my shame to the ground By Trevor Normile
I could feel my Shame twisting under the stress of the swamp fingers as they shambled across the sides of the shack, like some gangly farmer rubbing the head of his crooked shepherd dog.
I once lived in a miserable shack in the murmuring throes of a cypress swamp. Every morning, the knurled fingers of some unnamed horror reached from the muck and scratched at my drooping windows, waiting for me to come out and play along the roots. The house was called Shame, and the sickening noise set my fear alight with every tendril’s hollow
scratch. With the passing of each sun, the moon would drive away the burglar vines and the gray days would turn to black nights. And then the purples and reds and blacks of unconsciousness set upon me for many hours. I paced through the dust, called my fellow hostages, the spiders, by their names and for what they were. But I was no better. The scratching at the windows left me shattered in fear.
What do the fingers want? Will they ever come in? Will they ever leave? I resolved never to know. Months passed, the evercovering forest keeping my shack, my Shame, frosty through the blue winter. The hostage spiders subsisted on what unfortunate critters managed to creep into the room. There was only one room, covered with all the dust one could fit into his cheeks. There was one book
shelf—empty but for some rambling evil scratched into the side. And a pair of eyes. No matter how many hours I spent reading it, I never understood. In the cupboard, among the hostage spiders, a booklet of matches lay on the paper sheets lining the bottom. More eyes. More scratching. Inside and out. There was just enough room for me to sleep, to escape the dreaded fingers from the swamp. Just enough room to keep my little blue box of pictures, my embarrassment, inside. One night, after many days and nights inside the cupboard, I left and I danced with the hostage spiders in their webs and shared with them my dust, and they offered me their critters. We laughed in the moonlight as it dripped through the wavy window glass. Then, as the sun rose, the fingers returned, scratching outside as I hid in Shame. A cold horror fell inside me. Back into the cupboard. Into the gloom. Into the dust. For just a moment though I dawdled in the room among the dust and spiders. My eyes fell on the cracked, mushroom-covered paintings, the mildew-filled walls, the stained, haint-
blue ceiling. But when the yellow light from the morning sun washed over me I was warmed. Outside, the swamp glowed with the emerald greens and gilded yellows of a new springtime. But the scratching was worse now. The fingers knew I was exposed. Not content with taunting, they wanted me now. Crash! The horrible windows were smashed one-by-one in the not-quitelight of the low sun and its shadows. I could feel my Shame twisting under the stress of the swamp fingers, as they shambled across the sides of the shack, like some gangly farmer rubbing the head of his crooked shepherd dog. “If this keeps up, I’m done for,” I mumbled, wild-eyed, to the spiders. “Leave us,” one replied. As the nearest of the fingers returned and aimed its tip for my skull, I ran for my cupboard—one chance to be done with these scum-lurking creepers— once and for all. I remembered what the sun felt like now. I loved the moon and my fellow hostages, but they were doomed long before I arrived. I had tasted the yellows and greens again. Winter was over.
With my new resolve, I took my matches and ripped the pictures from the bottom of my cupboard and set them to burning fury. The fingers were now reaching further into the room, wrecking the spiders’ webs and whipping the dust into a fog pierced only by the sparks and chaff from my newfound torch. In defiance of the fingers, of the shack that held me, of the melancholy that had embarrassed me and sent me away in the beginning, I held my torch up to that haint-blue paint and set my Shame alight. In horror, the fingers made their retreat from the burning shack. As I climbed through a smashed window pane, I saw that they were cypress knobs, risen from the swamp to torment me. Simple, common, ugly, worthless. And I set their world on fire. My Shame burned among the cypress. With a new kind of fear, the swamp sent up waters to quench the flames. As I ran from the woods and into the fields, I didn’t look back at my victory, but only redoubled my pace. Trevor Normile is the Associate Editor of SE North Carolina magazine. SE
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SE / Snapshots
North Carolina
Wilmington voted best U.S. riverfront
R
eaders of USA TODAY recently learned what the residents of eastern North Carolina have known for years—Wilmington has the best riverfront in the United States. The city came out on top in a 2014 reader’s The city’s Riverwalk connects the poll ranking the top northern and southern areas of riverfront destinations downtown with a wide walkway in the nation, beating and boardwalk to enhance visitors’ out such famed waterand residents’ local experience. side locations as Savanbeauty, and eccentric mix of people. nah, Ga., and Louisville, Ky. Wilmington’s riverfront is re- Wilmington’s historic downtown nowned for its breathtaking Cape has an eclectic artistic hipster edge Fear River sunsets and views of the by day. Families, students, loners, Battleship North Carolina as visi- and young couples can be seen walktors walk the 10-block long River- ing the cobblestone streets. Nestled on the riverfront are an walk. The riverfront also serves as a array of quaint bistros, shops, bars backdrop to dozens of festivals and events, as well as film and television and dozens of restaurants with cuisine inspired by the freshest seafood and regional specialties, like North Carolina barbecue. The combination By night, downtown is transof sea and fresh formed into a metropolis of partywater air gives goers. The nightlife venues also vary the city a special in style and music. Many places play Top 40 music, but specialty venues ambience. also host live shows. Music artists like Lupe Fiasco, Sevendust, and productions such as Iron Man 3, and Drive-By Truckers have all played TV’s Sleepy Hollow and Under the shows in downtown Wilmington. Regardless of age, there’s a little Dome. something special for anybody who The combination of sea and fresh is looking to get away from the norm water air gives the city a special ambience. The Port City is known and spend a day or night in America’s for its deep-rooted history, natural premier riverfront city. SE Spring 2015
SE PICKS: Waterside bars Backstreet Pub,
Beaufort
Housed in a century-old former bakery, Backstreet Pub is a hangout for fishermen and writers, retired spies, deep sea divers and just about anyone looking for a cold beer. The pub hosts some of the best rock, funk, and blues bands on the East Coast and serves as a venue for the annual Beaufort Music Festival.
Lula’s (a pub),
Wilmington
A popular destination on Wilmington pub crawls, this cozy little pub sits underneath a larger building at the corner of Front and Orange Streets. Look it up online, and the page reads “if you can’t find us, there’s a reason.” With its selection of good beers and cozy, friendly atmosphere, Lula’s is certainly worth ferreting out.
The Trailer Bar,
Surf City
The Trailer Bar. It’s pretty self-explanatory—it’s like a bar, except in a trailer. Live bands on the deck, bars inside and out and (of course) pool games make The Trailer Bar a solid choice on a Saturday night. Located on North New River Drive, the Trailer Bar isn’t exactly the most, erm, refined of drinking establishments. What it is: a darn good place to have a beer and listen to some live tunes. And what else does it need to be?
S outhEast North Carolina
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Play dates Upcoming things to do in Southeastern North Carolina into The Woods
MAY 8,9,15,16, 22, 23 7:30 p.m., New Bern Civic Theatre, 414 Pollock St., New Bern (Matinee May 10 & 17 at 2 p.m.) A musical (may not be suitable for young children): The Brothers Grimm’s epic fairytale about wishes, family and the choices we make. The story follows a baker and his wife who have a child, Cinderella who wishes to attend the King’s Festival, and Jack, who wishes his cow would give milk. The wishes are granted, but consequences ensue. Admission: Advance $17, Door $19, Students and active duty military $10
SE Pick Snakes! ONGOiNG EXHiBiT
11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mon.-Fri. &11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sat. & Sun. Cape Fear Serpentarium at 20 Orange St., Wilmington 54 displays of over 40 venomous species of snakes, five large bays featuring giant constrictors, and three habitats housing three species of crocodile– and more! Individual and group admission rates.
Sammy cortino (illusionist) FRiDAY, MAY 1
7:30 p.m. Paramount Theatre, 139 S. Center St., Goldsboro
Merging the power of music with the captivating art of magic, Sammy Cortino is spellbinding audiences in ways never conceived. While the general public pairs magic with sequins, blow-dried hair, and rigged box tricks; Cortino amazes audiences in no-nonsense fashion with original feats of the impossible utilizing familiar objects like iPads and guitars as props. In some cases, he’s merely feet away from his audience, making the magic more believable and showgoers a part of the magic. The show is backed to a diverse soundtrack as Cortino storms the stage with charisma and original effects. Admission $15. www. goldsboroparamount.com
Wings Over Wayne
SAT. & SUN., MAY 16-17 Gates open 8 a.m. each day Seymour Johnson AFB, Goldsboro Popular airshow featuring U.S Air Force Thunderbirds, Army Black Daggers, Tora Tora Tora Pearl Harbor re-creation, Plus many more performances. Free admission, free parking. www. wingsoverwayneairshow.com
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SouthEast North Carolina
Tyler Perry’s Madea on the Run SATURDAY, MAY 2 SUNDAY, MAY 3
3 & 8 p.m. Sat.; 3 & 7:30 p.m. Sun. at Crown Complex, 1960 Coliseum Dr., Fayetteville Tyler Perry recreates Beyonce and JayZ’s “On The Run” tour poster for his most outrageously funny stage play to date. Watch as Madea is at it again and performing four shows at the Crown Theatre. Admission $48-$88. www. crowncomplexnc.com
Spring 2015
White Lake Spring Half
SATURDAY, MAY 2 7 a.m., Triathlon at White Lake, N.C. (Bladen County) (Event #5 of the AAA Car Care North Carolina Triathlon Series). Registration to participate is required and $195. Participants will perform in a 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike race and a 13.1-mile run. Type this shortened link into your Internet browser for more information: goo.gl/5aw07J
Rose
Festival
SATURDAY., MAY 16, 2015
Annual town festival celebrates warm weather and gardening in a “pink” way. This town goes all out with traditional festival events, pageants, musical entertainment on two stages, good food and roses—not just pink ones—that grow all over town. Free admission. www.rosefest.org
carolina Beach Music Festival
Waterman Ocean Festival / April 17-19 • All days., St. Columbia Street access, Wrightsville Beach
SATURDAY, JUNE 6 10 a.m., Carolina Beach (Celebrating 30 years, this festival is the perfect chance to dance barefoot on the sand or just sway to the beat while standing in the surf. The Beach Music Festival is billed as “the biggest and only beach music festival actually held on the beach on the N.C. coast” and one of the longest running beach music festivals in the U.S. www.pleasureislandnc.org/carolina-beach-musicfestival or call 910-458-8434
All day, Downtown Pink Hill
Celebrate surfing and water sports with three days of water-related activities and competitions. www.visitwrightsvillebeachnc.com
Festival of Fun / April 18 • 10 a.m., Union Point Park, New Bern
The kooks with Joywave and Young Rising Sons THURSDAY, MAY 7 7 pm., Ziggys by the Sea, 208 Front St., Wilmington New millennial rockers who revived the knowing, catchy clatter in the mid-2000s, their 2006 debut Inside In/Inside Out was part of a rebirth of British guitar bands. Admission $20 advanced and $25 day of show. www. ziggysbythesea.com
For children and families. Free admission. For more information, visit www. newbern-nc.org or call 252-639-2902.
N.c. Pickle Festival / April 24-25 • Downtown Mount Olive
Friday night concert; Saturday carnival rides, live entertainment on two stages, petting zoo, games, food, vendors, farm equipment display... and lots of pickles! www. ncpicklefest.org
Dogwood Festival / April 25-26 • Festival Park, 335 Ray Ave., Fayetteville
Paint the town “dogwood” with one of the state’s largest festivals, including fireworks. faydogwoodfestival.com
34th annual BBQ Festival and Neuse Artfest / May 1 • 400 N. Queen St., Kinston
SE Pick iration
The city’s biggest festival celebrates Carolina cooking and the arts! 252-527-2517.
carolina Strawberry Festival / May 8-9 • Downtown Wallace Friday night concert with beer and wine
with Hours Eastly and Stick Figure
garden; Saturday, strawberries, ice cream, vendors, live entertainment, carnival! www. carolinastrawberryfestival.com
WEDNESDAY, APRiL 29 5 p.m., Greenfield Lake Amphitheater, Wilmington
Artists, wine tasting, cooking demonstrations, arts and crafts—for the whole family! www.swansborofestivals.com
Iration is an alternative/reggae group of musicians formed in Isla Vista, California. A deeprooted reggae influence is fused with elements of rock and pop to create smooth original sounds that keep listeners’ feet moving, hands swaying and hearts beating – “We’re all about luv,” states the band. Admission $25-$65. www. greenfieldlakeamphitheater.com Spring 2015
Arts by the Sea / June 13 • Downtown Swansboro
N.c. Blueberry Festival / June 20 • Downtown Burgaw
Pender County celebrates its most famous crop, under the shady comfort of the courthouse and spreading out all over downtown! www.ncblueberryfestival.com
SouthEast North Carolina
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Saturday, June 20Anniversar •Celebrating Our 10th ALL DAY ENTERTAINMENT! June 15, 2013
The NC Blueberry9 AM Festival - 10 PM Associati Proudly Presents
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SouthEast North Carolina
Spring 2015
SE / Humor
North Carolina
To hell with collards and black eyed peas. Yams also. And most beans.
T
Story: Todd Wetherington Illustration: Trevor Normile
A contrarian’s look at Southern cuisine
he scene goes something like this: A holiday dinner, my family gathered around the table to celebrate the ties of blood and kinship and, above all else, to consume ungodly portions of the most delectable morsels prepared by various mothers, aunts, sisters, cousins, and grandparents. As the plates of food are passed around, there comes a moment, inevitably, when I’m forced to turn away a certain dish that has been prepared with time honored love and devotion, but which, nonetheless, leaves me unmoved, bewildered, or simply repulsed.
Why was I being made to feel like some kind of degenerate Yankee simply because I couldn’t stomach a helping of yams? There follows the inevitable questions, chastisements, and shaming for my failure to partake in what, for many southerners, is a sacred rite: the consuming of certain leafy greens, vegetables, roots, peas and beans native to our land, the fruits of the southern soil that have been nourished, tended and toiled over by our ancestors from time immemorial. And then I have to hear the story, the
one about how I used to love all manner of foul foods when I was just a wee tyke. Apparently my tastes were somewhat different in my early childhood, when, so I’m told, I had a craving for collards and black eyed peas, maybe even tomato juice. I can only chalk this up to a notfully-formed brain and the bad influence of my elders. As I recall, my indulgence of the inferior foods ended when I reached the age of reason, around 10 or so. There was a time when my supposedly uncouth culinary predilections grieved me to no end—why was I being made to feel like some kind of degenerate Yankee simply because I couldn’t stomach a helping of yams? Today, however, I am able to proudly proclaim my independence, to look my relatives in the eye and say, “Thank you, but please get those damn collards away from me before I retch.” Speaking of that malodorous weed, it’s a known fact that even people who claim to like collards admit they have to be cooked just so, picked at just the right time, seasoned in just the right manner, or they will turn out sour and virtually inedible. And consider this: If you had no idea what was being cooked, your first reaction upon entering a dwelling where collards were being prepared might be that something had died beneath the house or that sulfuric fumes from a pulp mill had drifted in an open window.
Is this really, I ask you, the food item we want to hold up as the paragon of Southerness? Personally, I’d choose cabbage any day. Let me state for the record: I love many varieties of southeastern N.C. cuisine. Succulent baked ham, string beans, fried chicken, chicken and dumplings, barbecue (with vinegar sauce of course, not that damn red crap), garden fresh tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers, fried okra and squash—they all have a place in the buffet of my dreams. The same cannot be said for the aforementioned yams, collards, and black eyed peas, as well as beets, turnips, lima beans, and yes, a sin though it may be to even think this, sweet potatoes. In my humble opinion, a body would do just as well to consume dirt or clay (a practice not uncommon in our state’s Piedmont region) as shove the orange mush of a sweet potato down his or her gullet. And while I’m committing sacrilege, I’ll go ahead and throw this out there as well: I’m not a big fan of cornbread, with its dry, crumbly texture—just give me a biscuit, already. One more thing: please people, for the love of Julia Child, stop ruining your hotdogs and hamburgers with a slathering of slaw. It’s simply unconscionable to disgrace a perfectly good summertime staple with what amounts to rotten cabbage. And oh yeah, about those pickled eggs.... SE
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