FAMILY& PARENTING Coastal Carolina
February - March 2018
ANNA COLE An interview with a local rising star
ST. PATRICK'S DAY FESTIVAL Celebrations for the entire family
Wine & Chocolate
Festival Excitement this February in downtown Wilmington
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
4 Wine & Chocolate Festival
8
12
Fun for the entire family, Irish style!
Anna Cole
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6
CALENDAR
OF UPCOMING EVENTS
14
ON THE COVER
Valentine’s Day Homemade Dessert
ANGRY GINGER
HOSTS ST. PATRICK’S DAY FESTIVAL
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Help with Math Homework COVER PHOTO BY COUTURE EXPRESSIONS PHOTOGRAPHY
Managing Editor
Contributing Writers
Sales Manager
Ena Sellers
Kenbasa Harrell
Bobby Stone
Contributing Photographer Meghan Parker
Chris Dewitt
Senior Account Executive Tye Rudy
“Family & Parenting” is published 6 times a year. Circulation: 10,000. Distribution of this magazine does not constitute an endorsement of information, products or services.
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A celebration of all things sweet and bitter too BY KENBASA HARRELL
ine enthusiasts and chocolate lovers alike, prepare your palettes for a treat. It’s time for the fourteenth annual Wine and Chocolate festival in downtown Wilmington. The event promises to be a marriage of decadent delights, flavorful beverages, live entertainment and children’s activities. The festivities will be held at the Coastline Conference and Event Center, Feb. 2 through Feb. 4. Vendors from various parts of North Carolina will be lining the streets offering craft
wines, chocolate creations, specialty foods and unique wares for participants to sample, savor and purchases as well. Some of the artisans who will be in attendance include renowned chocolate and candy crafters Dee Lee’s Delights and wine vineyards like Shadow Springs and Windsor Run Cellars offering products for purchase by the glass, bottle and even by the case. The weekend will be complete with musical performances by the Benny Hill Quartet, Susan Savia, Teddy Burgh, William Gerald and El Jay Johnson to name a few. But the entertainment doesn’t stop there, the Wine and Chocolate Festival coordinators are excited to host a comedy show throughout the weekend as well with internationally-seasoned comedian Basile as the headliner. Children’s activities will alternate every hour in the Riverview room and will include Lego puzzles, movie showings, art projects and hands on science experiments. For over a decade the festival has brought large crows, and the participation is expected to increase this year. “Last year’s festival drew an unprecedented
crowd and raised funds for the Volunteer Older Citizens Action League,” said Joyce Edwards, festival chair. VOCAL is a support and response group geared to assist the needs of senior citizens of the local community. “The success of the event is due largely to the support of our generous sponsors and partners,” said Edwards. “And to our gracious vendors who return each year and donate time and products for sampling. Together, everyone is dedicated to the mission of the VOCAL board.” For more information, visit www. wilmingtonwineandchocolatefestival. com or call 742-0120.
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End a Valentine’s Day dinner with homemade dessert Valentine’s Day is synonymous with many things, including chocolate. Exchanging chocolate on Valentine’s Day or making chocolate confections is a fun way to celebrate with your children. The following recipe for Swiss Mountain Ice Cream is a great way to end a “sweet” holiday dinner. SWISS MOUNTAIN ICE CREAM
Makes about 2 quarts • 2 cups whole milk • 1 cup sweetened condensed milk • 3/4 cup granulated sugar • 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa • 14 ounces premium milk chocolate (over 32% cocoa solids), chopped • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla essence • 1 1/2 cups whipping or heavy cream, chilled • 6 1/2 ounces white nougat, roughly chopped • 1 ice cream maker (optional)
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1 freezer-proof tray or container 1 mountain-shaped mold (optional)
Put the milk, condensed milk, sugar, an cocoa in a pan, bring to a boil, then simmer gently for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in the chocolate and let melt, stirring occasionally. Let cool completely, then add the vanilla essence and refrigerate for about 1 hour. Stir the cream into the mixture, then churn-freeze in an ice cream maker in two batches. This will take 20 to 30 minutes. It will increase in volume as it thickens and freezes. Stop churning when thick and smooth, add the nougat, and churn to mix, then transfer to a chilled freezer-proof tray, cover, and freeze. If you don’t have an ice cream maker, put the mixture in a freezer-proof tray or container and freeze until it is frozen around the edges. Mash well with a fork and return to the freezer. Continue mashing with a fork and freezing the mixture until thick and smooth, about 2 hours. Stir in the nougat. At this stage, you can
pack it into a mold and return to the freezer. If the ice cream is in a mold, remove from the freezer and dip briefly in hot water to melt the outside. Invert onto a chilled plate, lifting off the mold. If the ice cream is in a container, transfer to the refrigerator to soften for 20 minutes before serving in scoops. Drizzle with White Chocolate Sauce and serve. WHITE CHOCOLATE SAUCE Makes about 2 1/2 cups • • •
1 cup light or heavy cream 6 tablespoons milk 8 ounces white chocolate (over 25 percent cocoa butter), chopped
Put the cream and milk in a small pan and bring to just below boiling point. Remove from the heat and let cool for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the white chocolate and stir until completely melted. Serve warm. If reheating, do so over gentle heat. Do not allow to boil or the sauce can thicken and seize.
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Angry Ginger to host St. Patrick’s Day Festival March 16 through 18
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BY CHRIS DEWITT
reak out the green t-shirts and shamrock hats, St. Patrick’s Day is on the way. The holiday offers a chance for people to celebrate their Irish heritage and partake in festivities with family and friends. One such celebration happening in the community is the St. Patrick’s Day Festival hosted by the
Angry Ginger Irish Pub. The event is set to take place March 16 at 5 p.m. through March 18. Donna Thomas, who works as a DJ at the Angry Ginger, has gladly helped plan and coordinate the event for the past two years. “We enjoy giving back to the community and offering this taste of fun and Irish authenticity is really cool for us,” said Thomas. “We spend a whole year planning for this event. It is also special to imagine something of this magnitude and then watch it come to life. We are an Irish pub so we have to do it up big!” The scheduled list of activities includes karaoke contests, a performing magician, amusement rides for kids and live-music performances by The Phantom Playboys, Matt Bowlin and Mick Birmingham. The Angry Ginger Irish Pub seeks to provide fun for each member of the family with this annual Irish extravaganza.
“We love seeing families come out,” said Thomas. “This festival is very family friendly, right down to our newest addition to the festival, our Family Day on March 18. Families should come because it is a great time for them to spend time with each other enjoying our many planned events. It is extremely important for us to make them feel welcome and hopefully make them a part of our Angry Ginger family.” Having fun is not the only priority on the agenda for the festival. A silent auction will be held to raise funds for the Angry Ginger’s own yearly charity, Feeding Families Thanksgiving Baskets. For more information about the festival, visit angrygingeririshpub. com or call 333-9198.
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Emerald Isle’s
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St. Patrick’s Day Festival
brings fun for the entire family
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BY ENA SELLERS
s March approaches the town of Emerald isle gears up for their annual St. Patrick’s Day Festival to kick start the shoulder season and bring people to the island. The event is scheduled to kick off at 9 a.m. March 17 at the Emerald Plantation shopping center. Each year the festival brings thousands of festival goers for one big celebration. The event will feature more than 75 arts and crafts vendors and a large variety of food vendors selling carnival favorites as well as traditional Irish dishes. Amusement rides, face painting booths, a climbing wall and a
petting zoo are just some of the many family-oriented activities that will be available to festival goers. Among the fun activities geared for the entire family is the Little Ms. and Mr. Leprechaun contest for children in two categories, one for ages 2-3 and one for ages 4-5. The contest will take place at the Main Stage. To enter one of the two categories participants must preregister. The lil’ leprechauns will be judged on originality and creativity. For adults over 21 years of age, the Beer Garden will open at 10 a.m. and will feature live music throughout the day until 5:30 p.m. Admission to the festival and parking is free. No pets are allowed. For more information about the St. Patrick’s Day Festival, call the Emerald Isle Parks and Recreation at 252-354-6350.
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Doesn’t add up: BY MELISSA ERICKSON
If you’re a parent who has trouble helping your child with his math homework, you’re not alone. Today’s young children are exposed to math concepts earlier than their parents ever were. What’s a parent to do when confronted with tricky homework? “Although parents don’t play as much a role as teachers do in teaching math to elementary-age kids, they are essentially faced with the same problem when they try to help,” said Fuchang Liu, associate professor of math education in the Wichita State University College of Education. An educator for more than three decades, Liu has some helpful tips for parents, too.
“As many common mistakes in teaching elementary math have been passed down from generation to generation, parents make similar mistakes as teachers do,” he said. “This applies to one group of parents in particular: those with children being home-schooled. Most of these parents did not go through any teacher education program, let alone any specialized training in math,” said Liu. A parent’s anxiety about math can make homework time even more difficult. If you’re confused about homework, Liu suggests picking up a resource book to help. Look for a book that is appropriate for your child’s grade level, Liu said. If you’re not a math guru, your child’s teachers should be your first
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Ways to help with tough math homework line of help. “After all, they teach the math their children are learning and they are doing a fantastic job on a daily basis, and many issues may be discussed with them and get solved,” said Liu. One common problem many parents encounter is that they may know a different way of reaching a correct answer. If you’re baffled, reach out to the teacher for a deeper conversation. Get help immediately rather than waiting for the annual parent-teacher conference. Many schools also offer beforeand after-school tutoring. Friends, family members and even the babysitter may be able to help, but Liu said to “avoid seeking help from people without proper training in math or math education. They may be well-intentioned, but advice given in the wrong direction may have a long-lasting but detrimental impact on the child,” he said.
Don’t necessarily believe the internet. “Parents should also avoid relying exclusively on information put on the internet. Anyone can put anything on the internet, and many times the person posting the information may not have the proper understanding of the math problem being discussed. I’ve seen many YouTube videos with serious mistakes in them. Such information should only be used with a critical eye, not blindly,” said Liu. Editor’s note: Liu recently published a book, “Common Mistakes in Teaching Elementary Math,” based on his years of experience working with elementary school teachers.
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12-year-old rising star delights local community with her voice BY ENA SELLERS
A natural talent, the pursuit of a dream and the unconditional support of a loving family are some of the driving forces that have brought a lot of attention to Anna Cole’s musical talent. The vivacious 12-year-old from Swansboro, North Carolina has been in the spotlight ever since the release of her popular song “It’s for Freedom.” A song inspired to honor the sacrifices of service members and their families. With family friends constantly moving and experiencing deployments, Anna and her family felt inspired by their strength and resiliency. Together, the Cole family decided to come up with a song to honor service members. According to Anna, her mom Jennifer, played a big role creating the foundation for the lyrics and from then on it became a team effort. “When the lyrics were ready, Anna had an idea for the melody,” said Terry Cole Jr. “All I did was place music to the melody.” “After the lyrics were done, we worked on it for maybe a day or two to get the basics,” said Terry Jr. “It took us about a month to put it all together. Once it was all done we went to Swansboro Middle School’s auditorium and that is where we recorded the video.” Anna’s video has reached more than 100,000 views. According to her grandfather, Terry Cole Sr., despite the media attention Anna has received, the young artist remains incredibly humble and continues to work on developing each aspect of her career as an artist, not only singing, but also working on her stage presence. “I am taking some voice lessons
right now,” said Anna. “Marry Howard (dance coach) is going to helping me with moving around on stage. I’ve also started working with Emerald Isle productions; they have laser light shows, and glow dance parties for schools.” Anna has been singing professionally for nearly three years and practices daily after she is done with homework. The charismatic middle schooler grew up looking up to her dad performing. “My dad was the lead singer with Sharkadelics for more than 10 years,” said Anna. Terry Jr. performed with the Ashville-based cover band before relocating to Swansboro and has been Anna’s producer since the moment she decided to sing professionally. He now teaches social studies at Swansboro Middle School. “She has performed with him on stage since she was about 2 years old,” said Terry Sr. The young performer has many wonderful memories of her growing up and watching her dad perform on stage. One of her favorite memories is of a time when she was up on stage
with her dad singing Pink Floyd’s The Wall as he held her hand. “My mom has a beautiful voice too, but my dad is the one that made me think ‘I want to do that too’,” said Anna. “He quit performing when we moved here to Swansboro, so he could be more with us.” At her young age, Anna’s drive is impressive. She not only makes time to maintain her grades as an honor student, but she also puts a lot of time and dedication to her professional development. “Every time I get an opportunity to perform on stage I take it,” said Anna, who enjoys karaoke in her spare time. “One time I was singing ‘Don’t Stop Believing’ and some of the workers came out to see me and got me to sign a T-shirt; they hung it up on their wall at the Yacht Club.” According to Terry Sr., Anna’s vocal talent landed her a gig at the Swansboro Yacht Club, which opened the doors to several other local opportunities and getting her name on national news. Over the last year, Anna has made
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six music videos for songs she wrote and recorded in her home studio. According to Terry Jr., this year Anna started working with a full-time record producer and his team in Montreal, Canada. “I’ve taken this as far as I can here, in our garage,” said Terry Jr. “There is a lot you can do now a days with digital, but I am a school teacher and a dad. I am not a full-time record producer. Now she is working with her first major producer.” Anna’s next project focuses on teen suicide prevention, a subject that is affecting many people. Anna hopes that her song will resonate with teens who are going through a rough time and perhaps her message can stop someone from taking their life. “My new song is going to be a teen suicide anthem,” said Anna. “We are trying to raise awareness about teen suicide because it’s a big problem. We want teens to know that there are people here for them, that there is always tomorrow and there is hope.” The Cole family is excited for Anna’s future. “If that song does what we want it to do, it’s going to speak to millions of people,” said Terry Sr. “Anna is a well-rounded special young lady, and the great thing about her is that her head hasn’t gotten bigger.” To listen to Anna’s music, you can visit her page at http://www.annacole.net.
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Community CALENDAR
Chocolate Run FEB. 3, 8 - 9 A.M.
Run for the love of chocolate! For those who love to dress-up, come to the Tarawa Terrace Community Center dressed as your favorite sweet. Enjoy some hot chocolate during our postrace party. The race is free. For information, call 450-1687.
The Ghost Hunters Return FEB. 9 AND 10, 3:30 P.M.
Prominent paranormal investigators Grant Wilson
and Dustin Pari visited the USS North Carolina Battleship back in 2005, when they filmed Season 2, Episode 4 of Ghost Hunters. Now they are returning to the infamously haunted battleship once more. For more details, visit www. senterstageevents.com/events.
Cupid Dance Camp FEB. 12-15, AT 9 A.M.
Preschoolers are invited to dance and groove at the Swansboro Recreation Center. Each camper will be taking home a treasure
trove (tutu and dance bag). The class is geared for pre-K children. For more information, call the Swansboro Parks and Recreation at 326-2600.
Dr. Seuss Birthday Bash! MARCH 2, 7 P.M. - 8:30 P.M.
”You could not, would not, want to miss - a party as much fun as this!” Fun for all ages; join the celebration at the Onslow County Main Library. For more information, call 4557350.
Emerald Isle St. Patrick’s Day Festival MARCH 17, 9 A.M. TO 6 P.M.
The festival will feature amusement rides, face painters, arts and crafts and many other fun, family-oriented activities at the Emerald Plantation shopping center. Admission and parking are free. For more information, call 252-354-6350. For a list of more upcoming events, visit www.facebook.com/camplejeuneglobe.
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