July 2020

DuchessFirst named: EileenThe featured boat in the 1930 New York City Boat ShowMake/model: Elco Flat Top CruiserYear built: 1930Length overall: 45’Draft: 4’Power Twin Cummings: B210 Diesels John Tinney was enamored by wooden boats from an early age. His foray from aficionado to collector began with a 1943 Elco rounded stern Core Sounder named Karen. Now…

Photography by  Michael Blevins/MB Productions NC The vintage Pelican Drive home was modest by Wrightsville Beach standards, about 2,300 square feet. Built in 1967, it had been improved over time and palm trees planted long ago had matured, adding a layer of privacy to the two-story dwelling. “I had planned to live in the house…

Marlene Hieronymus has just watched a movie about Judy Garland, the Hollywood icon who tragically died of a drug overdose a couple of weeks after her 47th birthday. “She lived a horrific life,” Hieronymus says. “She was made to entertain. She was lonely.” Hieronymus likes to learn about the lives of interesting people. She sometimes…

Those with an eye for fine things are often drawn to the sight of wooden boats and launches with classic charm. Among these are the Elco. The Electric Launch and Navigation Company, later known as Electric Launch Company (Elco), was founded in 1892. Its boats debuted at the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair, a fleet of 55 motor…

In a busy, modern world, taking the time to fully appreciate a work of art almost seems decadent. The effect is compounded when contemplating works with a high degree of intricacy, such as the art of Abby Spangel Perry.  On the surface, Perry’s art is vibrant and richly detailed. It is impossible not to recognize…

In 1914, the popular tongue twister “Sister Susie’s Sewing Shirts for Soldiers” depicted the importance of seamstresses in the war effort. “Susie on her Singer” became a mantra for those providing much-needed clothing to troops during World War I.  World War II again called on sewers as demand for military uniforms caused a nationwide shortage…

 Learning piano.— Venitta Reeves Home schooling and animal fostering… the schooling is/was new and I’m hoping not to repeat it this fall. — Jeanine Pridgen Long walks with the puppy dog and the kids. — Jessica Kirst Anne and I have been watching our new pet [raccoon] who visits for several hours each day. The raccoon is…

Along with the terrible impact on our nation’s health and the number of fatalities, Covid-19 forced many service-related businesses to close their doors. The trouble facing restaurants, bars, coffee houses and hotels may not exactly be surprising. They were ordered to close in an attempt to keep the virus from spreading, and their customers were…

It’s probably safe to assume that as more people started gardens this spring than in the past 30 years as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and fears of limited food supply chains. Or perhaps because people just needed something to keep them busy when we were all ordered to stay at home. Whatever the…

National Recognition Wrightsville Beach Painting Featured in Online Exhibition    By Giovan Michael The impressionist paintings of Nicole White Kennedy live somewhere between realms of photorealism and warm memories of summer days. Her work captures the everyday goings-on of Wrightsville Beach, and her subjects are real people. A little girl with a bright yellow cap excitedly…