Up Front

This is the time when locals turn over the beaches we treasure all year long to visitors to enjoy for a few short months.

As you prepare for the influx of visitors, we bring you the story of the Wilmington Police Department’s Mounted Patrol Unit. This unit was catapulted into the limelight in 2022 when a motorist hit one of the horses from behind while on patrol in downtown Wilmington. The 19-year-old horse, Elton, sustained a leg injury, and public outrage followed.

Interest in the equine officer drove the department into a new era, with a celebrity horse on staff. I am certain you will enjoy this story as much as we did preparing it for you.

Staying in the downtown area, this month’s Home of Distinction is simply dazzling. If you have lived in the area for any length of time you have passed this yellow mansard house on a corner of 5th Avenue. Over its 168-year history it has gone through a number of iterations, but probably none of them are as stunning as this. Come along and see.

Our Savor feature is also downtown on North Water Street, as we showcase Our Place, the Cape Fear Community College culinary program’s student-run, student-staffed instructional restaurant open to the public one day a week, reservations only. The food changes weekly and is wonderful. One of my friends is enrolled in the program. She’s been a cook for her family for decades, but says she is learning so much.

Another exciting story is the tale of Derek Brunson, a homegrown athlete who competes internationally in mixed martial arts and holds several impressive titles. The fact that he has a gym in Wilmington is extraordinary, as is his training of teachers from the small private school, the James B. Dudley Academy. Those instructors then train their students as part of the daily curriculum. It’s a match made in heaven.

You’ll notice an update on the Power Squadron safety patrol. This group of dedicated safety officers completes voluntary inspections at the request of boat owners (to avoid getting ticketed by the Coast Guard later).

Enjoy and be blessed during this traditional holiday month as the season approaches.

—Pat Bradford, Senior Editor/Publisher