July 2024

In the greater Wilmington metro area, Carolina Beach, with a population of 6,500 in the 2020 census, has its own special history dating back to before English settlers arrived in the 1700s. The first inhabitants were Native Americans. The Cape Fear Indians, associated with North Carolina’s eastern Siouan tribes, made a settlement on the east…

As I write, it’s Flag Day and the celebration of our nation’s Independence Day is right around the corner. I can’t think of a better way to celebrate than to wrap myself in an American flag for a photo. I must admit to spending some time this year thinking about what our Founding Fathers thought…

It’s a scene straight out of a Southern movie. Down the long gravel drive, just past the 300-year-old live oak tree draped in Spanish moss is the sprawling Southern-style estate named Shandy Hall. Spanning two acres on Shandy Lane, the property is believed to be one of Wilmington’s very first homesites. Dr. Robert Fleury drove…

There is a skill in finding the beauty in everyday surroundings. Walking the dog through the same park every week, the view out a workshop window, and the short walk from the car to the house can all blend into a mundane blur of green leaves, black pavement, and blue skies. We can completely ignore…

When going out to eat, people want an experience and a story, something they can tell their friends and family about, a stunning atmosphere with delicious food and owners who care about the meals they serve. Wilmington has a wide variety of restaurants featuring local selections of seafood, protein, and produce. However, it is hard…

The commercial fishing industry is chock-full of regulations. There are seasons and bag limits designed to prevent overfishing of different species. Not so with lionfish. Any fisherman at any time is welcome to take as many as possible. Not only welcome but encouraged. Lionfish are instantly recognizable by their reddish white-and-black stripes, their wavy fan-like…

Unless we had a grandparent, parent, uncle, aunt, or cousin who was there, most of us learned of D-Day from the pages of a history book or through the movies. Our first inkling of one of the pivotal events of World War II might have been Henry Fonda commanding the 4th Infantry Division across the…

June 3 was Capt. Terry Bragg’s first official day of retirement. He and Phoebe, his wife of 46 years, have been making the rounds of retirement parties and fielding phone calls. How many retirement parties? “Lots,” Phoebe says. “All wanted to say goodbye,” Terry says. “With many respects I have just been relieved. I have…

The 2024 Worrell 1000 offshore long-distance beach catamaran sailboat race began in Hollywood, Florida, May 12 and finished 13 days later in Virginia Beach, Virginia. The open ocean race is not only a physical and strategical challenge, but one of mental endurance as well. Twelve teams hailing from Australia, Germany, France, and the United States…

The Appeal to Heaven flag with a white background and eastern pine tree depicted in the center is a historical American flag that began use in 1775 during the American Revolution. The Appeal to Heaven flag, the Grand Union flag, the Gadsden flag and the Betsy Ross flag were some of the flags flown over…