Beach Bites

BY Brian Freskos Lucy Huber CJ Williams

Published April 26, 2009


Harbor Island Garden Club Home Tour grants access to six of Wrightsville Beachs cherished homes


One of our very favorite spring happenings is the Harbor Island Garden Club Home Tour. This year the tour will take place on Friday May 15 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. It will begin at the Wrightsville Beach Museum of History and include six breathtaking WB homes all waterfront properties located either oceanfront or on the sound.


“We are always so excited for this event ” says Linda Brown Harbor Island Garden Club president. “Were going all out this year.”


While the tour is an exciting opportunity to stroll through some beautiful private homes its also an easy and fun way to give back to the community: All proceeds go toward the conservation and upkeep of Wrightsville Beach. The home tour is the Garden Clubs main fundraiser the last three tours have collectively raised more than $55 000 for the cause and they hope this will be their biggest year yet. “It is our mission here at the Garden Club to preserve and beautify Wrightsville Beach ” says Brown.


The tour is self-guided but the Garden Club has made sure all guests will be comfortable providing vans to make transport from house to house easy and King Neptune Restaurant is featuring $5 boxed lunches for hungry tour-goers. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased at the Wrightsville Beach Museum on the day of the tour or before. For more information or ticket reservations visit www.harborislandgardenclub.com email BrownBahama@aol.com or call (910) 256-8472. Lucy Huber





Jazz in the Park Festival


Legendary jazz musician Louis “Satchmo” Armstrong once said “If you have to ask what jazz is youll never know.” Well WB residents dont need to ask. Theyve been celebrating jazz for 13 years with the annual Wrightsville Beach Jazz in the Park Festival.


This years festival will be held at Wrightsville Beach Park on Sunday May 17 from 1-5 p.m. and will be free to all lovers of beautiful blue notes (if you arent a jazz aficionado when you arrive you will be by the time you leave). More than 400 guests are expected to get their groove on to the soulful sounds of Grenaldo Frazier and other hip and happening musicians.


There will be more than music in the air on that jazzy Sunday. The park will be open for kids to play and the Wrightsville Beach ice cream cart will be serving hot dogs snacks and yes ice cream.


The event is supported by the Landfall Foundation and sponsored by local businesses the Cape Fear Jazz Society and Wrightsville Beach Parks and Recreation. “Its a real community event ” says Tanya Suarez president of the Cape Fear Jazz Society. “Bring your kids your grandparents everyone!” Lawn chairs and blankets are the order of the day but dont expect to spend too much time sitting; youll be moving and grooving all afternoon. For more information call Wrightsville Beach Parks and Recreation at (910) 256-9880. Lucy Huber





Domestic Violence Shelter Silent Auction & Fashion Show


Show your support for victims of domestic violence on Friday May 8 at the Domestic Violence Shelter and Services 17th Annual Silent Auction and Fashion Show. The theme for this years event is “Seasons of Love.” A luncheon ($40 per person) and dinner ($50 per person) will be held at the Hilton Wilmington Riverside. All benefits go toward the elimination of violence and oppression against women and their children and to provide emergency and support services for victims of domestic violence. To sponsor a table or purchase tickets in advance visit www.domesticviolence-wilm.org/donate  or call (910) 343-0703. Lucy Huber





10th Annual Fabulous Fantail Film Festival


On Friday evenings in May the Battleship North Carolina will be hosting the 10th annual Fabulous Fantail Film Festival. Beginning at 8:30 p.m. you can watch movies on the fantail (or aft deck) of the ship just like her WWII crew. First up on Friday May 1 is Destry Rides Again a classic Western starring Marlene Dietrich and Jimmy Stewart; The Clock with Judy Garland will show on May 8; John Wayne in They Were Expendable will run on May 15; and Father Goose with Cary Grant will close the Fantail on May 22. The festival has been steadily growing in popularity every year; last year each film had more than 350 visitors so choose your film (or films) and come aboard because as Battleship program director Danielle Wallace says “If you havent seen a movie on the fantail you havent seen a movie yet.” Tickets are only $1 per person. For more information call (910) 251-5807 or visit www.battleshipnc.com . Lucy Huber





8th Annual Longboard Classic


Access four on the north end of WB will be buzzing on Saturday May 2 and you definitely wont want to miss it. Whats all the fuss? The Wrightsville Beach Longboard Association (WBLA) is presenting the 8th annual Longboard Classic.


Classic surfers compete by age including divisions from 14 and younger to 58 and older. “We have people who are 70 years old ” says WBLA president John Beausang “and theyre really good.” In addition to the age divisions there will also be a super tanker division (thick heavy boards more than 11 feet in length) classic log division (boards that were built before 1968) and new this year an open division. “Were hoping the open division will attract professional surfers from outside the area ” says Beausang. “We already have surfers coming from Virginia and California.” There are no qualifications for entering and you dont have to be a member of the WBLA to sign up but be prepared to face some fierce competition the Longboard Classic always attracts top talent.


That night after the Classic WBs legendary Causeway Caf will host a raffle silent auction and awards ceremony for the winners all of whom will receive a handmade Longboard Classic trophy carved from wood to look like a surfboard. Two real surfboards a three-month membership to Golds Gym and a free week at Surf Camp are a few of the prizes to be won at the raffle and silent auction. All proceeds go to WBLAs scholarship fund for two college surfers one male and one female community outreach programs that help local surfers in need and Surfers Healing a renowned nonprofit program that seeks to enrich the lives of autistic children and their families by exposing them to the surfing experience. To sign up for the Longboard Classic visit any local surf shop or www.wblasurf.org. Lucy Huber





Hail and Farewell



On March 31 with fireworks lighting up the sky along the Cape Fear River and its deck filled with friends family and local dignitaries the Battleship USS North Carolina bid an emotional farewell after a brilliant 17-year career to Capt. David R. Scheu and welcomed its new commanding office and executive director Capt. Terry Bragg.


As speaker after speaker took control of the microphone and thanked Scheu for his loyalty and leadership not only to the North Carolina but to Wilmington and New Hanover County it became apparent that it would take a special man to sit in the captains chair.


Enter Bragg who says hes glad to take the helm and hopes to preserve the ships legacy and continue Scheus good work. Bragg brings with him more than 30 years of Navy experience an impressive career that has taken him across the country and around the world. While commander of a destroyer squadron in San Diego he took a four-ship task force to the Far East where he served as the countrys representative to kings ambassadors and heads of state.


As leader of this beloved local landmark Bragg will pursue new avenues of economic development for the Battleship and says his goal is to “continue to develop education and community support programs specifically science- and math-based programs for school children as well as for the Boy and Girl Scouts.” To Capt. Scheu we say “Thank you and smooth sailing.” To Capt. Bragg we say of course “Welcome aboard.” Brian Freskos





YMCA Summer Camps


Ready for even more summer camp fun? So is the Y. Here are their cool camps for kids.


YMCA Teen Camp


Dates: July 13-July 24


Time: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.


Ages: 13-15


Cost: $35 Registration Fee plus $75 for members or $100 for nonmembers


Location: YMCA 2710 Market Street


To Register: (910) 251-9622 ext. 246


This camp will give teens the opportunity to work as a team to perform enjoyable and meaningful community service. Teens will volunteer as a group at the Coastal Therapeutic Riding Horse Program. Engaging in community service teaches responsibility and fosters an ethic of service and civic participation in teens who will be tomorrows leaders. Teens of all abilities are welcome.



Camp High Hopes


Times: Rides in begin at 7:30-8:30 a.m.; Rides out begin at 5-6 p.m.


Required: 2 snacks lunch water bottle towel sunscreen


Cost: One time registration fee of $65 plus $115 a week for members and teachers or $135 for program participants


To Register: Fill out registration form located at YMCA


For more Information: Contact Andrea Mohammad at (910) 251-9622 ext. 255 or at andrea.mohammad@wilmingtonfamilyymca.org


Camp High Hopes will run for nine weeks during the summer with each week differing from the next. The following is a quick look at the nine weeks of Camp High Hopes:



Holiday Camp


Dates: June 11-12; August 17-21 “Celebrate multi-cultural awareness”


Cost: $23 a day for members and teachers or $27 a day for program participants.



Week 1: Team Spirit Week
Dates: June 15-19
“Meet me meet my team”



Week 2: Mother Earth
Dates: June 22-26
“Reduce Reuse Recycle”



Week 3: All American Cookout
Dates: June 29-July 3
“Celebrate America”


Week 4: Wet-N-Wild
Dates: July 6-10
“All Things that go squish squirt splash”


Week 5: Welcome to the Jungle
Dates: July 13-17
“Explore our planets animals”



Week 6: Movie Madness
Dates: July 20-24
“Write produce and star in your own film”



Week 7: Olympic Epic
Dates; July 27-31
“The goodwill exploration of many sports and games”



Week 8: Hometown Heroes
Dates: August 3-7
“A tribute to our community protectors”



Week 9: Under the Big Top
Dates: August 10-15
“The greatest show on Earth”


Additional YMCA Camps


To Register: Contact Wilmington Family YMCA at (910) 251-9622



June 2009:


22-26 Basketball 9 a.m. to noon ages 5-14


29-July 3 YMCA Soccer 9 a.m. to noon & 3 p.m. ages 5-14


 


July 2009:


6-10 Volleyball 9 a.m. to noon ages 8-16


13-17 Hammerheads YMCA Soccer 9 a.m. to noon & 3 p.m. ages 5-14


20-24 Basketball 9 a.m. to noon ages 5-14


27-31 Sea Dolls Dance Camp 9 a.m. to noon; 1-4 p.m. girls only


 


August 2009:


3-7 Kevin Whitted Basketball 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. ages 8-18


10-14 Softball 9 a.m. noon; 1-3 p.m. girls ages 6-14 CJ Williams