One of the fun quirks of summer holidays is that when you put your extra flags and bunting out for Memorial Day, you can keep them out for Flag Day (June 14) and then keep ’em going right into July for our nation’s birthday celebration.
I don’t know about you, but I am giving thought to taking the ferry to Southport’s small town Fourth of July Parade this year. We’ve got the details in this issue for all to consider.
To go with your grilled hot dogs and hamburgers, boat rides, trips to the beach and ice-cold watermelon, you can purchase patriotic cupcakes from Apple Annie’s and help support the Battleship North Carolina. In this month’s Savor you’ll learn about the same bakery’s incredibly gifted cake decorator, Hans Westermark.
Another master of his craft, new friend Giorgios Bakatsias, has turned a dark and shuttered Lumina Station restaurant space into a living, breathing thing of beauty. Doing the interior design himself, Bakatsias, a noted Triangle-area restaurant owner and designer, has redone this location as the 15th for his restaurant group. His use of light, hues of color and textures has created a very inviting and comfortable space for diners to enjoy his superb food.
Agriculture is the top industry in North Carolina, and increasing ag stories has been on my radar. When working up the annual year-end real estate round up in late December 2021, we heard of the significant sale of an equestrian property in Sampson County that had been advertised in our pages. The 1,200-acre property was unique. As I made an appointment to hear from the new owners about their Wagyu beef farm, I couldn’t foresee they would turn out to be a dynamic young couple with roots in this community. Now my Monday stop at the Wrightsville Beach Farmers Market includes Jaclyn and Reid Smith’s Wilders booth to resupply myself with the best beef I have ever tasted. Personally, eating Wagyu has made Keto easier.
For those who enjoy weekend drives in the country, we introduce barn quilt tours — not tours to see handmade quilts, but painted quilt pattern art on barns and other buildings.
As we put this issue to bed, an era has ended for me and many in the community as we celebrate the life of my next-door neighbor, Kevin Walker. For 24 years we have shared a roof, a driveway and dock, enjoying beach life on separate sides of a townhouse duplex. Kevin will be deeply missed by all who knew him.
Life is short, be a blessing.
— Pat Bradford, Senior Editor/Publisher