15
upfront
Who doesn’t just love our Stars and Stripes?
Editor/Publisher
www.wrightsvillebeachmagazine.com WBM
O HONOR
those who died,
were injured,
or whose lives
were wrecked
T
16 years ago on 9/11, we begin
with “Pledging Allegiance.”
Boy Scouts from Troop 232,
sponsored by Little Chapel on
the Boardwalk, demonstrate
proper flag-folding protocol
and how to dispose of worn
American flags.
Then we feature the archi-tecture
of the New Hanover
County fire stations, and
there are some good ones.
My son is a Brigade Chief
with Nassau County, Florida’s
fire department; his dad is
a retired chief from Duval
County. I can testify from
first-hand observation that
not all towns have fire stations nearly as attractive to look at as we do.
If I had to pick an architectural favorite it would be the Market Street station, the headquarters for Wilmington’s firefighters, but I love
the ones with all that glass, too.
Besides my flag waving I am also seriously pro first-responder, and so we segue into our feature on the county’s K-9s and their han-dlers.
Wrightsville doesn’t currently have a police dog, but the Carolina Beach and Wilmington police departments do. The sheriff ’s
office has eight dogs, including K-9 Bane, the tracking hound who located the Wilmington child chained to a tree in the woods last
year. They are all my heroes.
While we had four-legged creatures on our radar, we also went to learn about the county’s animal shelter, now under the direction of
the sheriff ’s department. The work they are doing is impressive. Adult discretion is advised; don’t open this section unless you want to
lose your heart and maybe your home to a homeless animal.
One of my favorite four-legged friends is a mischievous white fluffy ball of fur, Queeni-Bee, who lives with Randy Trull, famous for
six decades in the textile trade. In “A Legend in the Rag Trade,” learn about fabric design and a career that is unique unto itself; this
man changed textiles as we know them through his immense gifting and drive. We tag onto that the favorite rooms from five of the
area’s many talented interior designers.
One of the pieces from the art feature on super doodler Heather Divoky graces our cover. We had a field of exceptional choices, but
we couldn’t say no to those unforgettable seahorses.
The issue closes out with North Carolina’s state fruit, the scuppernong grape, which fortunately is ripe now.
Pat’s hair by Frank Potter, Bangz Hair Salon. Hair and makeup styled by Bangz’s Madeleine Hinton. American flag from Craft Hardware.
PHOTO BY ALLISON POTTER