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Dec. 17–23, 2015 Volume 14 | Issue 51 | 25¢

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Wrightsville’s volunteer firefighters honored

n See FIREFIGHTERS Page 5

n See SEISMIC Page 5

Dawson takes county board chair as candidates begin to crowd election slateBy Terry LaneStaff Writer

As Republican Beth Dawson seeks re-elec-tion to the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners, she will do so as the board’s sit-ting chair after the commissioners voted her to that position on Monday, Dec. 14.

Former board chairman Jonathan Barfield Jr., who nominated Dawson for the position, was elected to the position of vice-chair. Both posi-tions carry one-year terms.

“It is an honor to serve the citizens of New Hanover County and I look forward to continuing to ensure that our community grows and prospers in a meaningful way,” Dawson said.

Competition for several local races became more heated this week as candidates continue to file ahead of the Monday, Dec. 21 deadline for regis-tration with the New Hanover County Board of Elections.

While both Dawson and Barfield are running for re-election, it’s still unclear if fellow commis-sioner Woody White will seek another term on the board. White has already said he won’t seek a seat in Congress and has said he is waiting to see

n See ELECTION Page 5

Public works director retiresBy Emmy ErranteStaff Writer

Wrightsville Beach public works director Mike Vukelich announced his retirement Dec. 15 after 15 years in charge of the department. His last day of employment will be Jan. 31, 2016.

His career has spanned more than 50 years, so retirement has been on his mind for a while, he said.

He tried retiring briefly after his previous job with a Fortune 500 company but said, “It didn’t work well for me. I need to be active and interact with people and feel like I make a difference.”

In an email to town staff he stated the goal of the public works department is to be invisible to resi-dents — “when you turn on the water it is there, when you flush it isn’t there, when you leave your

Coastal reps seek to halt

offshore seismic testingBy Chris RussellContributing Writer

Local opposition to seismic testing received fed-eral support when 33 members of Congress urged the federal government not to issue permits for the procedure used to find oil and gas offshore until more environmental reviews are conducted.

The letter received support from a handful of congressional representatives in the region, but Rep. David Rouzer, the Republican representing Wrightsville Beach, parts of New Hanover County and the North Carolina coast from Surf City to the South Carolina border, said there is no evidence showing seismic testing can result in harm to marine life.

However, Rep. Walter Jones, the Republican whose district includes parts of Wilmington and the rest of the North Carolina coast, is a signer of the letter, as is Rep. Mark Sanford, a South Carolina Republican representing the southern portion of the state’s coast. Sanford was a lead author of the letter, along with Rep. Bobby Scott, D-Va.

Wrightsville Beach, Carolina Beach and Wilmington have all passed resolutions opposing seismic airgun testing off of the North Carolina coast, citing concerns that the technology can be harmful and disruptive to marine life.

The full effect of seismic airgun testing on marine life needs further research, the 33 mem-bers of Congress wrote to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) on Dec. 10. Until further research is conducted, the bureau should

Groups work to spread holiday care

n See HOLIDAY Page 5

n See VUKELICH Page 5

Staff photo by Allison Potter

Firefighter of the Year Marc Scott and his wife, Bethany, attend the Wrightsville Beach Fire Department’s annual awards dinner Saturday, Dec. 12 at 22 North.

By Emmy ErranteStaff Writer

The Wrightsville Beach Fire Department honored Firefighter of the Year Marc Scott and sev-eral other volunteer members Dec. 12 for their exceptional efforts toward keeping the com-munity safe.

The awards, which included a Service Commendation Award for firefighter Garrett McQueen, were handed out during the fire department’s 100th annual Christmas Dinner at 22 North. The event was sponsored by the Wrightsville Beach Volunteer Firefighters Association, a non-profit corporation comprised of the fire department’s volunteers and interns.

Only volunteer firefighters were eligible for most of the awards because, Smith said, “you’re recognizing people that volun-teer their time — and in a lot of


Kacin Mercer, front, and Joel Shackelford unload canned goods at Mother Hubbard’s Cupboard Friday, Dec. 12 as part of Wilmington Regional Association of Realtors’ year-long campaign, Feed ILM.

By Chris RussellContributing Writer

Sporting Santa hats and lug-ging armloads of canned foods, members of the Wilmington Regional Association of Realtors unloaded more than $5,000 worth of food and sup-plies at Mother Hubbard’s Cupboard on Friday, Dec. 11.

The donation was just one of many that groups in the Wilmington area are making during the Christmas season to help the homeless, school children, and many who may be in the group of nearly 17 per-cent who fall below the poverty level in New Hanover County in a 2014 census report.

“I think helping the com-munity is very important, especially during the holidays. We have a lot to be thank-ful for,” said Bobby Jean Harvey, chairman of WRAR’s Community Affairs Committee. “Most of us have so many blessings and to be able to pro-vide a little happiness for others during the holidays is what it is all about.”

Philanthropic surveys and websites confirm November and December are the busiest months for charity donations. The National Philanthropic Trust reports the average American household donates

warm holiday weather

Walkers enjoy mild temperatures Wednesday, Dec. 16 in downtown Wrightsville Beach. ~ Allison Potter

2 Lumina News — Your Coastal Community Newspaper since May 2002 Dec. 17–23, 2015

Despite safety concerns, town approves Polar Plunge site change

By Emmy ErranteStaff Writer

Large events on Wrightsville’s beach strand can cause public safety and parking concerns for town officials, but Dec. 10 the board of alder-men approved a request to hold a 400-person New Year’s Day Polar Plunge at Stone Street after organizers promised to take extra precautions.

The town originally approved the inaugural Communities in Schools Polar Plunge for Johnnie Mercer’s Pier and town officials were hesitant to comply with organizer Jim Busby’s request to move the event to Stone Street. Johnnie Mercer’s Pier has more available parking, a better staging area and easier access for emergency vehicles, they argued.

Town officials were also worried about repeat-ing a situation encountered during a previous Polar Plunge held near Moores Inlet.

“That polar plunge exceeded organizers’ expec-tations,” said Katie Ryan, Wrightsville Beach parks and recreation program supervisor. “It resulted in some emergency access issues.”

Busby acknowledged the town’s reasons for pre-ferring the Johnnie Mercer’s Pier location but was adamant about moving the event to Stone Street because of the site’s proximity to the central busi-ness district.

The Polar Plunge itself takes no more than 15 minutes, Busby said, so it is important to provide activities like shopping and dining for participants to do afterward.

“We believe it’s unrealistic to expect people to drive out to the beach, jump in the ocean and then get back in the car and drive home,” he said. “We’re promoting the event as a family outing to the beach, which could involve breakfast, lunch, shopping and viewing football games at the local restaurants and bars.”

The aldermen voted in favor of Busby’s request because he agreed to take extra measures to com-pensate for what the Stone Street area lacks in parking and space.

Busby said he plans to hire off-duty police offi-cers to help with traffic and in-water lifeguards to provide medical support. He will have por-table toilets to supplement the public restrooms near the Trolly Stop Hot Dogs and Wrightsville Beach Methodist Church has donated their lot for overflow parking.

“You need to make sure you give access to the people living on Stone Street,” Mayor Bill Blair pointed out, “and enough policemen. So if you can agree on that number [with police chief Dan House] that would satisfy us.”email [email protected]

County delays adoption of land use map after concerns over environmental areasBy Terry LaneStaff Writer

The New Hanover County Board of Commissioners delayed approval of a compre-hensive future land use map for development after concerns over whether the map would meet Coastal Area Management Act (CAMA) environmental requirements.

The board didn’t vote on a res-olution that would approve the future land use map as part of the process to adopt parts of the comprehensive plan for future development, instead asking for the county planning staff and members of the planning board to meet with state officials to get more clarification of how environmental protection rules could affect the map.

At issue was what county planners called the “exceptional resource areas” map, which laid out certain areas where envi-ronmental concerns could be a factor in development. The map distinguishes features such as primary aquifer recharge areas, flood zones, potential wetlands areas, potential significant nat-ural heritage areas and public inland and coastal waters.

The current county zoning map prevents development in these areas, but with the future population growth expected for the county, it’s likely that this land would need to be utilized for future projects, said county planner Jennifer Rigby.

Commissioner Woody White raised the question about whether exceptional resource areas should be identified on the future land use map because areas like wetlands are outside of the county’s regulation.

“We ought to regulate and chart out what we have author-ity to, and not put words and things in maps that are up to

other jurisdictions,” White said. “Two years from now, three years from now, it will still be confusing to people. The defini-tions will have changed.”

Tyler Newman of Business Alliance for a Sound Economy, a regional business lobbying group, spoke in support of the land use map, but also agreed with White when he said that exceptional resource areas should be removed from the map.

“Federal rules are changing, regarding waters of the United States and what constitutes a wetland. It’s not really infor-

mative to have it on a map,” said Newman, who pointed out that the precise location of the aquifer and its recharge areas aren’t known. “The cross hatch lines on the map are somewhat arbitrary and could cause more confusion than they need to.”

Rigby said the future land use map would need to be certified through the CAMA process and that removing the exceptional resource areas from the map could jeopardize that. CAMA is a state law that governs devel-opment near coastal areas, with its regulations overseen by the North Carolina Coastal Resources Commission.

“These are elements they

are looking for,” Rigby said. “I’m not sure we can change direction.”

White said that since CAMA rules are likely to be relaxed, the new map should reflect these changes.

The board approved a reso-lution from commissioner Jonathan Barfield Jr. to require the planning board and county planning staff to meet with state regulators to get more informa-tion on possible CAMA changes and approval of the map, and return to the board with that information.

The county’s planning board

also considered whether it was useful to have exceptional resource areas identified in the map, but ultimately decided to leave it to the board of commis-sioners to decide whether they needed to remain in the future land use map.

Coun ty manager Chr i s Coudriet told the board that delay in adopting this part of the plan could push back the com-pletion of the comprehensive development plan by months. Additionally, Coudriet said that it would be the change in zoning and ordinances, not adoption of the map, that would ultimately enact the comprehensive plan.email [email protected]

“We ought to regulate and chart out what we have authority to, and not put words and things in maps that are up to other

jurisdictions. Two years from now, three years from now, it will still be confusing to people.

The definitions will have changed.”

Study facilitates more efficient erosion protectionBy Emmy ErranteStaff Writer

A new study showing how Wrightsville’s 4-mile beach strand erodes will make future coastal storm damage reduction projects, also known as beach renourishment, more efficient by indicating where sand should and shouldn’t be piped.

Engineering firm Moffatt & Nichol’s second annual shoreline mapping study, pre-sented Dec. 9 to New Hanover County’s Port, Waterway and Beach Commission, compiled erosion rates for 116, 736 feet

of shoreline from Mason Inlet to Fort Fisher. In addition to show-ing the varying rates of erosion along that shoreline, the study proved regularly piping sand back onto the beaches mitigates long-term erosion.

Previously collected data showed Wrightsville Beach would lose a significant amount of sand yearly without renour-ishment. With renourishment, the beach’s yearly erosion rate is essentially zero.

The same holds true for Carolina Beach, Kure Beach and Fort Fisher. Without renourish-ment, the local shoreline would

lose 650,000 cubic yards of sand a year but with renourish-ment, there is almost no overall erosion.

The county’s shore protection coordinator, Layton Bedsole, said that data helps justify spending $10 million to pipe sand onto the beaches every four years. Moffatt & Nichol engineer Robert Neal agreed, saying the yearly studies will be useful in the beach towns’ fight for continued renourish-ment funding from the federal government.

But it is also valuable, Bedsole said, to know where the sand is most needed, and therefore how

to get the greatest amount of ero-sion protection using the least amount of sand.

The center of Wrightsville’s beach strand, approximately from the Blockade Runner Beach Resort to the Holiday Inn Resort, erodes much faster than the rest of the beach, so renourishment should be focused in that region, Bedsole said.

“The purpose of the shoreline mapping is to ensure we’re plac-ing the right amount of sand in the right location,” he said. “No more, no less, because sand is a limited resource.”email [email protected]

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The infrared sauna carries the debris and bound toxins out of the body very quickly via the sweat glands. At the same time the infrared therapy initiates hyperthermia, which starts an immune response.

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A crew from the City of Wilmington removes a dying laurel oak beside the Salt Works Station driveway on Oleander Drive Thursday, Dec. 10. The tree had previously dropped large branches onto the road, creating a hazard for drivers. ~Allison Potter

oleander drive tree removed

Lumina News file photo

Participants in the Wilmington Area Rebuilding Ministry’s fourth annual Resolution Run take a quick dip in the Atlantic Ocean after finishing their 5K run Jan. 1, 2013.

Dec. 17–23, 2015 Lumina News — Your Coastal Community Newspaper since May 2002 3

Tidal Creek food co-op seeking downtown moveBy Terry LaneStaff Writer

Facing lower sales following increasing pressure from com-petitors, the Tidal Creek Co-op said last Friday that difficult business conditions would likely force the food market to move from its Oleander Drive location to a new location in downtown Wilmington.

A public letter from the board of directors on Dec. 11 detailed several issues the co-op was fac-ing, including new competitors, declining sales and a loss of available parking and greenspace.

The co-op announced in March it was considering a move to downtown, but recently the own-ership of the unoccupied Cinema 6 property changed, resulting in a loss of use of the site’s addi-tional parking. Tidal Creek will also lose access to greenspace by the co-op’s 8,000-foot loca-tion in a shopping plaza at 5329 Oleander Drive, the space it has occupied since 2002.

With these changes coming after Dec. 31, Tidal Creek said it had received positive reaction from its March proposal to move locations. The March announce-ment said it was possible the Oleander location could remain

open, but the latest announce-ment said the parking changes would make conducting busi-nesses at the current location even more difficult.

“Given the above conditions and after months of exhaustive research and debate, a move to downtown seems to represent our most compelling alternative,” the board wrote. “Despite being a disappointment for some who wish to see us remain at Oleander, we have had an overwhelmingly positive response from the com-munity, the community leaders we have connected with, and most importantly, the ownership of Tidal Creek.”

From its opening in 1982, Tidal Creek offered local and organic food options long before stores like Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods capitalized on the growing trend. Those two specialty gro-cers are among the 15 grocers, all with natural foods offerings, that are located within four miles of the co-op.

The competition appears to be driving down the co-op’s revenues. The letter included a graphic that showed Tidal Creek’s sales had dropped from nearly $5.5 million in 2012 to around $3.75 million in 2015. Another problem the co-op’s

board raised is access to the store, which requires sharp turns onto and off Oleander to reach, with a parking lot that’s difficult to manage.

H o w e v e r , d o w n t o w n Wilmington offers the co-op the opportunity to relocate in an area bereft of grocery options. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has classified the downtown area as a “food desert,” reflect-ing the lack of grocery stores with healthy food options available to residents there.

“Downtown needs more food options, and we need down-town,” the board wrote in the letter. In its March message, the co-op described a downtown location as “an amazing oppor-tunity to provide a service to the community.”

The board said it was work-ing on a presentation to the city of Wilmington with the goal of forming a partnership with the city to encourage the co-op’s relocation.

Commercial Realtor and developer Gene Merritt said in May that Carolina Heights, Carolina Place, Forest Hills, the historic and mansion dis-tricts, Princess Place and other north side Wilmington neigh-borhoods could all benefit from

closer access to fresh groceries. The closest store to downtown is a Food Lion at the intersection of Dawson Street and Oleander Drive.

A co-op operates as a locally owned organization where indi-viduals can buy memberships that provide an ownership stake. It is operated by a board of direc-tors. With its goal of keeping resources within the community, a co-op will buy more locally sourced goods, while also using profits for community services like educational programs and charitable donations. Only an estimated 5 percent of Tidal Creek members live near the store, with many members com-ing from as far away as Leland and Jacksonville to shop.

The co-op did not announce a time frame for any decision. The board encouraged its members to continue to shop at the co-op and renew their ownership.

“While this change will be hard, we feel entirely confident that this new chapter is actually an exciting opportunity,” the board wrote. “Together we can redefine what our co-op is and how we serve this awesome com-munity, we just need your support to do it.”email [email protected]

For The RecordQuestion and photographs by Lexi Schimelfenig

How do you help others during the holiday season?

Hamilton Wells Hampstead, N.C.

“I try to help those in need. Sometimes we do a canned food drive or donate toys for kids through our church.”

Bethany Pratt Cincinnati, Ohio

“I have been going around to members of my family and helping them get

ready for the holidays like decorating and that sort of thing.”

David Estrada Asheville, N.C.

“I give my family presents and also volunteer to wrap presents

for people at home.”

Kate Harrington Boston, Mass.

“I help the family I babysit for wrap Chanukah presents and babysit while

they do their shopping.”

David Montague Wake Forest, N.C.

“By giving all you can give. … That’s what I love to do. I love people.”

Friday, Dec. 18

New Hanover County Schools holiday luncheon, noon, Board of Education Center, 1805 S. 13th St., Wilmington

Monday, Dec. 21

Deadline for 2016 candidate registration, New Hanover County Board of Elections, noon,

230 Government Center Drive, Suite 38, Wilmington

Wednesday, Dec. 23

New Hanover County offices closed for Christmas holiday

Thursday, Dec. 24

Wrightsville Beach town office, New Hanover County office closed for Christmas holiday

IMPORTANT DATES

Weekend Police ReportDec. 11Citations

• Samantha Stortini was cited for expired registration.• Eric Cornielle was cited for hit and run and driving during revocation.

• Laura McClain was cited for a stoplight violation.

Dec. 12Arrests

• Solomon Njiraini was charged with order for arrest out of Guilford County.

Citations

• Solomon Njiraini was cited for driving during revocation and stop light violation.

• Kendall Kirsteier was cited for a stoplight violation.

Dec. 13Citations

• Charles Angelo Saia was cited for expired registration.• Brittain E. Knowls was cited for speeding.

Warning tickets

• Charles Angelo Saia was warned for fictitious registration tag.

Mason Inlet relocation starts in JanuaryBy Emmy ErranteStaff Writer

The New Hanover County Board of Commissioners will provide funds to a $3.6 million project to correct the southward migration of Mason Inlet, which separates Wrightsville Beach from Figure Eight Island, by nudging the inlet north.

The board agreed on Dec. 14 to fund the project through the room occupancy tax under the condition that the county is reimbursed by property owners on Wrightsville’s north end and Figure Eight’s south end. The project is scheduled to begin in January 2016.

Those 1,044 property owners whose homes could be affected by the inlet’s migration make up the Mason Inlet Preservation Group and through a 2001 agree-ment are responsible for funding the inlet’s maintenance.

The district includes properties north of the Wrightsville Beach’s Holiday Inn Resort because “it was determined those properties would benefit by the relocation of Mason Inlet,” said David Kellam, president of the Figure Eight Island Homeowners Association.

While Figure Eight’s properties aren’t threatened by the inlet’s migration south, those homeown-ers benefit from the deal because they buy the sand dredged during

the relocation and use it to build up the south end of their beach.

“That’s our only benefit,” Kellam said, “being the recipi-ent of the sand.”

Figure Eight buys the dredged sand at $5.50 per cubic yard, so the more sand that is dredged, the less Wrightsville Beach home-owners have to pay. This time, based on an engineer’s estimate, Figure Eight will buy $2.6 mil-lion worth of sand, leaving Wrightsville Beach stakeholders to pay the remaining $1 million of the project cost.

Over the last decade, Mason

Inlet has required maintenance about every three years, although the county’s shore protection coordinator, Layton Bedsole, told the commissioners “we’re trying to make efforts to extend that [cycle].”

In the late 1990s, the inlet’s extreme southern migration necessitated a wall of sandbags protecting Wrightsville’s Shell Island Resort, which Kellam said was “falling into the water.” In 2002, to save the hotel and nearby residences, the inlet was moved 3,000 feet north.

Bedsole said to avoid such

drastic measures in the future, triggers were put in place to prompt a minor maintenance project if the inlet moves too far south or becomes too shallow in certain areas.

“It’s much better to maintain anything than to re-fix it,” he said.

The project will involve a dredge in Mason Inlet, but all the plumbing to deposit the sand will be located on Figure Eight Island. Bedsole said the project should be finished by the third week in March.email [email protected]

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Sand removed from Mason Inlet is relocated to Figure Eight Island during routine maintenance dredging Jan. 22, 2013.

CorrectionMatthew Snyder was served a subpoena as a witness in a shoplift-

ing case. He faces no charges. The Dec. 10 edition of the Lumina News did not clearly make this distinction. We regret the error.


Harbor Island Ship Models Bldg. 7232 Wrightsville Ave. Ste. D, Wilmington, NC 28403

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“Praise be to Jesus, all Glory and Honor is Yours.”

PUBLISHER/EDITORPat Bradford

NEWS DIRECTOR Terry Lane

ASSOCIATE EDITORSSimon Gonzalez

Susan Miller

STAFF WRITERSEmmy Errante

Terry Lane

DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHYAllison Potter

STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERSEmmy ErranteAllison Potter

EDITORIAL INTERNS Krys Estes

Lexi SchimelfenigElizabeth Weaver

PRODUCTION & GRAPHIC DESIGN

Cissy Russell

CONTRIBUTORS Skylar Walters

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SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE

Jill Sabourin

DISTRIBUTIONJim Rees

Lumina NewsSince 2002, Lumina News has illuminated Wrightsville Beach with award-winning news, beauti-ful photography and insightful views of life on Wrightsville Beach. Lumina News is published weekly and is distributed to the public on and around Wrightsville Beach. Audited circulation 2,500. www.luminanews.com.

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Editorial/OpinionMy thoughtsB y P at B R a d F o R d

’Tis the season of giving, with the ultimate example set for us. We celebrate Christ-mas to remember the Father giving His only Son to redeem the world back to what we lost when Adam ate the apple.

Emmanuel — God with us. Lamb of God; Jesus left heaven to be born of a virgin and live among us. It is His birth we celebrate.

This is the season of joy. How will you celebrate this year? Will you

spend it lost in bah-humbug? Or feverishly shop to shower family and friends with gifts they may never use?

If your family is like mine, they have everything they need, two or three times over.

There was a time when I knocked myself out shopping for the perfect gift for each of them, wrapping and decorat-ing each to the max, ’til my fingers were sore.

Admittedly some in the family are grateful for any-thing they receive, very appreciative. But mostly it’s “Thanks” and my special gift joins a pile of returns, is stuck in the closet, or becomes re-gifted. I am not throwing off on my family, just saying 90 percent already have more than enough. Their lives are saturated with good things.

When I talk to others this time of year, in lines, in stores, in parking lots, those serving me, I don’t see a great deal of joy. Instead, I see worn out people. Edgy. In a hurry. Busy.

In the last 24 months, I have come to realize busy, even in ministry, is not a gift of the Spirit. I want more love, joy, peace, longsuffering, good-ness, and faith; not busy, rushed, and late for an important date.

Among my friends I count a guy who has no place to live come January 2, and yet he spent three days this week helping others move their goods and belongings into new homes. Back-to-back-to-back days and nights moving others without compensation — instead of out searching for a place to lay his head in a matter of weeks. That’s giving.

Another friend will routinely pay for the meals of the people in line behind her at the fast food

drive-through window. Do you want to create some simple, instant

joy this Christmas? Let me suggest following her example and paying for those in line in front of or behind you. In a drive-through, coffee shop, movie theater, grocery or hardware store, any-where. The possibilities are everywhere. We stand in line endlessly.

Yes, it takes an initial moment of courage, but the return on the investment is high. Lean in to include the cashier in on what you want to do,

he or she will quickly get on board. Or with an “I’ve got that,” swipe your card with a big smile. This will always be met with a burst of joy for everyone present. This time of year I promise there is sat-isfaction in adding a sincere “Merry Christmas.”

In a restaurant, notice those around you and tell the wait-ress you want to pay for another table’s meal(s).

Another option that will step it up a notch: The next time you eat out, consider blessing your waitperson by tipping 50 or even 100 per-cent of your meal ticket, no strings attached. This one takes less courage, but the results are pretty big.

If you are more adventur-ous, make several dozen sandwich and fruit bagged

lunches, drive to the downtown Wilmington library at lunchtime and hand them out to the homeless who gather there. Not good in the kitchen? Hot pizza or chicken biscuits will go over well. Do even more and take a stack of new blankets, or hoodies or clean socks and dispense those at the same time.

Programs, soup kitchens and the host of minis-tries to the least of these are wonderful options, but you don’t have to join one to be your own little joy program and ministry of one. It begins with you taking action.

And it is contagious. Do it once and you’ll want to do it again.

Too shy to step out on your own? Enlist a friend or coworkers and get to it.

The Good Book says we are to do good unto others, loving them more than we do ourselves.

This is the Spirit of Christmas.Go spread the joy.

Do you have an OPINION?

Now you have TWO places to share it

Write a letter to the editorMail to:

Lumina News, P.O. Box 1110, Wrightsville Beach, NC 28480

Email to: [email protected]

Visit the Lumina NewsFacebook page

Do you want to create some simple, instant joy this Christmas? Let me suggest following her

example and paying for those in line in front of or behind

you. In a drive-through, coffee shop, movie theater, grocery or hardware store, anywhere. The possibilities are everywhere. We stand

in line endlessly.


close to $3,000 per year to charities.

North Carolinians may wonder where they rate among donors in the 50 states. A 2012 Chronicle of Philanthropy report states North Carolina ranked ninth in total charitable giving.

It is not hard to find ways to donate to good causes. Opportunities abound at local chain stores, fast food restaurants, schools, civic groups, hair salons, churches, grocery stores and even stoplights.

Great Clips hair salons raised more than $20,000 for New Hanover Regional Medical Center’s Foundation in support of children with cleft lip or cleft palate. Part of the monies help

provide specially shaped bot-tles and nipples and teddy bears wearing lip-area stitches like the patients who will undergo surgery.

Feeding New Hanover County children is the priority of Nourish N.C. The non-profit’s website states that one in four children in the county lack sufficient food at home. They are currently sup-plementing food to over 500 area children, with plans to aid 600. County employees and others have been donating canned foods and non-perishables through a drive, which ends this week.

“We are almost there, we are just 15 children short, but things are going to ramp up this week,” executive director Steve McCrossan said.

The group is also preparing holiday boxes to help children

through the long break during school closings. Donors can help to meet these needs at www.nour-ishnc.org.

“Schools are closed 16 days and we hope to provide three meals a day,” McCrossan said.

Duke Energy will make Christmas brighter for 59 stu-dents in 11 different NHC schools with the gift of bicycles.

“Our students and families are very appreciative of this generous donation from Duke Energy. Nothing says ‘Merry Christmas’ like a shiny new bike and for many of our families this would have otherwise been out of reach,” said Cyndy Bliss, princi-pal of Castle Hayne Elementary School.

Public Radio WHQR (91.3 and 96.7fm) partnered with Food Lion for a one-day on-air fundraiser

Dec. 10. They raised $25,052 from 399 donors, meeting the goal of $25,000. Funds go toward the programming costs and other expenses of WHQR. And for every pledge made, Food Lion is donating five pounds of food to the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina. Almost one ton of healthy food will be donated. The Wilmington Branch Director for the Food Bank, Beth Gaglione, said the gift will pro-vide hundreds of families with much-needed meals this holiday season.

Those who are short on cash or just prefer to give sweat equity have options for giving, too. The local Habitat for Humanity group will be digging footings for a new home this Saturday, Dec. 19. To find the location and hours con-tact [email protected].

n HOLIDAY Continued from Page 1

cases, a lot of their time — to be a member of the fire department and perform on the same level as the career employees who are getting paid to be there.”

Scott earned Firefighter of the Year for his contributions to the department during the past year, Smith said. He attended over 200 hours of fire service training and participated in 34 drills, 10 more than the minimum requirement. He also completed the extensive assessment process to become a lieutenant.

“He really shows initiative to advance his fire service train-ing and take advantage of all the training opportunities he can,” Smith said.

Scott’s promotion to lieutenant also proved his diligence because the process involves a group inter-view with members of the fire department’s command staff and tactical simulations of emergency situations. As lieutenant, he is now responsible for leading and direct-ing groups of firefighters, both during training and emergency situations, Smith said.

“He’s performed that respon-sibility very capably as well,” he added.

One of the fire department’s interns, 22-year-old Garrett McQueen, was honored for fur-thering his training with the fire

department while earning his graduate degree at the University of North Carolina Wilmington.

McQueen is studying and work-ing to becoming a federal law enforcement officer, Smith said, but on top of his role as a graduate student he is also the fire depart-ment’s senior intern, a director of the Volunteer Firefighters Association, an emergency medi-cal technician and qualified to be a fire equipment operator and an ocean rescue lifeguard.

“He’s involved in nearly the whole spectrum of the depart-ment’s operations,” Smith said.

The fire department also values

McQueen’s ability to serve as a mentor to younger interns. Newly hired interns are often recent high school graduates who have just moved away from home for the first time, and McQueen helps them with that transition, Smith said.

“It’s really important to have someone who can mentor them but still is close enough to their age and their situation that they can directly relate to,” he said.

The Volunteer Firefighters Association handed out several other awards during the dinner. In addition to his Firefighter of the Year honor, Scott received the

Best Drill Attendance Award for attending 34 department training drills and he, along with firefight-ers Kyle Kling, Gordon Smith and Caleb Vankirk, were recognized for attending over 200 hours of fire service training during the past year.

Vankirk also received the Most Duty Time Award for serving 416 on-call duty shifts and the Most Fire Alarm Responses. A five-year Service Anniversary Award was presented to firefighter Trey Shipp and a 10-year Service Anniversary Award was presented to firefighter Mike Arthur.email [email protected]

n FIREFIGHTERS Continued from Page 1

stop issuing permits for seismic testing along the Atlantic Coast, the members of Congress wrote.

“The current basis for issuing seismic testing permits is incom-plete,” the letter said. “It does not take into account the long-term effects that seismic testing will have on marine life or the impact on the economy due to industrial-ization of the coast. Accordingly, we don’t think testing that could profoundly affect our coastal communities should be allowed to proceed based on an insuffi-cient study.”

In a statement to Lumina News, Rouzer said the National Oceanic

and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) concluded in 2014 that there is “‘no proof that [airgun arrays] can cause serious injury, death, or stranding, even in the case of large airgun arrays.’”

“However, extra safety mea-sures, in the form of exclusion zones, are taken to ensure that marine life is safe from harm,” Rouzer wrote. “Moreover, all entities must undergo strict compliance tests and receive authorization from the state and federal government respectively to proceed with their proposals. This additional rigorous over-sight is taken to preserve all marine resources.”

In March 2015, a group of 75 scientists, including some of the

world’s leading experts in marine biology, called on the adminis-tration to reverse its decision to permit seismic surveys in the Atlantic. Close to 90 towns, cities, and counties along the Atlantic Coast have passed reso-lutions opposing seismic testing and/or offshore oil drilling.

The representatives’ letter stated nearly 1.4 million jobs and more than $95 billion in eco-nomic production rely on healthy ocean ecosystems, mainly through fishing, tourism, and recreation in the Atlantic. They contend that seismic testing and oil drilling will put the coastal economy at risk, due to indus-trialization of the coast, daily impacts and regular spills from

oil drilling activities, and pos-sible catastrophic accidents like the Deepwater Horizon disaster.

The representatives expressed concerns, noting the information gathered by the oil companies will be proprietary, and any seismic data gathered in the Atlantic about offshore energy resources will not be available to states, the public, or other com-panies. The letter said states will not gain information from seismic airgun testing that would enable them to make a cost-benefit analysis as to whether the risks posed by offshore drilling would outweigh any benefits derived from offshore energy extraction. “Over 85 cities and counties along the Atlantic coast have spoken out

against seismic testing or offshore drilling, but current protocols don’t allow them access to the testing data to determine whether the risks of seismic testing out-weigh the potential benefits from offshore drilling,” the letter said.

Last week, the Mid and South Atlantic Management Councils reiterated their concern with seismic airgun blasting and off-shore drilling off the East Coast. Specifically, the councils took action to update their policies related to non-fishing activities in order to ensure fisheries in the region are protected from other ocean uses such as oil and gas exploration and development. Under federal law, the councils are given a voice in the management

of ocean resources in their juris-dictions, which stretch from New York to Florida in an area from three to 200 miles offshore.

Oceana, a world-wide ocean advocacy group, supported the efforts to stop airgun testing.

“These policies should be a wake-up call to the federal gov-ernment, highlighting the threats of offshore drilling exploration and development on fish, fish habitat, and everything that relies on a healthy ocean ecosystem. Commercial fishing and other coastal industries would suffer from routine leaks as well as the looming risk of BP Deepwater Horizon-like oil disaster along the East Coast,” Oceana campaign director Claire Douglass stated.

n SEISMIC Continued from Page 1

if other conservatives will run for the board before he decides.

He said Patricia Kusek, a financial planner who is cam-paigning for a seat on the board of commissioners as a Republican, is one conservative running and if another conser-vative runs, he would consider filing for re-election in order to create a voting block of three conservatives for the three open seats.

The most crowded race is for the Democratic representatives for the New Hanover County Board of Education. So far, five candidates have filed for the three seats that will be con-tested in the election. A race is also emerging for the District 20 seat in the state House of Representatives, as now two Republican candidates seek to replace Rep. Rick Catlin, who announced earlier this year he will not seek re-election.

This week , Lisa Es tep joined Jeannette Nichols as Republicans school board members that will run to defend their seats. Frank Christopher Meares has also filed as a Republican candidate for the board of education.

Estep, a mother of five chil-dren who are in or have attended county schools, is running for her second term on the board of education. In July, Estep was appointed by Governor Pat McCrory to the State Board of Community Colleges, where she will serve a six-year term.

There will not be a pri-mary election unless other Republican candidates enter the race for board of education.

The Democrats will face off in the primary however, as now five candidates for board of education are competing to be among the three that will be on the ballot in November 2016. They include Emma Saunders, Rev. James Jamison Jr., Chris Meek, Kevin Spears and Sandra Leigh. The primary election is scheduled for March 15, 2016.

Saunders, a retired educator with more than 30 years in the New Hanover County school system, unsuccessfully sought a board seat in 2014. She serves

on the board of directors for the Child Development Center and the Wilmington Convention Center.

Jamison is a recently retired Wilmington Housing Authority safety and security official and pastor of Hope Baptist Church at 1401 Greenfield St. and Church Without Walls for the homeless. Though he has more than two decades’ experience volunteering in different charity organizations, this is Jamison’s first time running for local office.

Jamison said he had consid-ered running for years and felt it was necessary to add both ideological and economic diver-sity to the board. Currently, all members of the county board of education are registered Republicans.

“When you’re at a certain economic status, you may not see the impact some decisions will have. A decision that costs parents an extra $15 a month can be a fortune in some cir-cles,” Jamison said. “It’s good to get the pulse of the other side of the track in addition to your side of the tracks.”

Another Republican on the board of education, Tammy Covil, has filed as a candi-date for the District 20 seat. She will face Holly Grange, a graduate of the United States Military Academy, who serves on the North Carolina Ports Authority, as well as on the Cape Fear Community College Foundation and the U.S.O. of North Carolina.

In other developments, the board of elections will add a day of Sunday voting to its early voting schedule for the March primaries, said New Hanover County Democratic Party Chair Elizabeth Redenbaugh, who pushed for the Sunday voting schedule.

“Some voters are working multiple jobs and have other responsibilities. Sunday voting gives them another opportunity to vote,” she said. “There are businesses that are open on Sunday. The board of elections should be treating the voters like customers as well. A lot of people want to participate in the democratic process.”email [email protected]

trash out it disappears, the beach strand stays clean,” he stated.

Yet he is proud of many of his department’s accomplishments over the last 15 years, like oper-ating the town’s water, sewer and stormwater systems despite the unique challenges presented by Wrightsville Beach’s low ele-vation, coastal location.

Although Vukelich is retiring, he doesn’t anticipate sitting around. He wants to travel, but most importantly, he plans to spend time with his wife.

“It’s very important to me, in the autumn of our years, that my wife and I get to spend time together,” he said. “I’ve dedi-cated 100 plus percent to my career and any success I may have had in life is in large part due to her and her support.”

Wrightsville Beach’s public works department must now

move forward on several sig-nificant projects with a change in top leadership. Vukelich’s retirement comes one month after assistant public works director Steve Dellies resigned, but Dellies’ resignation was preceded by a two and one-half day suspension for sending an email to Vukelich citing frustra-tions like low staffing, low pay and a lack of support from town leaders.

Dellies position has not been filled, but town manager Tim Owens said filling Vukelich’s position is now a higher prior-ity. Vukelich’s replacement will then help choose a new assistant public works director.

“Whether it be an internal candidate, or changing the organization around, or hiring an assistant director, I’d like the new director to have some say so in that,” Owens said.

He plans to advertise the soon-to-be vacant director position,

but admitted, “It’s going to be really hard to replace that many years of service and that type of institutional knowledge.”

Early next year, while the public works department’s leadership is in flux, the town must move forward with a major

initiative to decide the future of the its water and sewer sys-tem. Vukelich and Dellies were previously guiding an ad hoc

committee in how to fix the town’s system to ensure better drinking water. The committee’s job is to recommend several options for the board of alder-men to consider.

Those options include water filtering techniques, purchas-ing water from other systems or selling the system to Cape Fear Public Utility Authority. All options are costly and will result in an additional water rate increase for residents.

“It would have been easier to have the director in place to help with that process,” Owens said, “but we’ll pick up and move on.”

Vukelich admitted the public works department is changing, but he believes the department will weather the transition.

“We’ve got a lot of new employees,” he said. “It’s becom-ing a younger department, but with the proper experience and tenor on job, they’ll do just fine.”email [email protected]

n VUKELICH Continued from Page 1

n ELECTION Continued from Page 1


Kyle Miess, from left, Kayla Thompson, Haley Overman and Garrett McQueen attend the Wrightsville Beach Fire Department’s annual awards dinner Saturday, Dec. 12 at 22 North. McQueen, senior intern and a director of the Volunteer Firefighters Association, received a Service Commendation Award.


Wrightsville Beach public works director Mike Vukelich announced his retirement Dec. 15 after 15 years with the department. His last day of employment will be Jan. 31, 2016.


making a Difference in the cape fear region

LIFESTYLES

W H AT ’ S C O M I N G D O W N T H E P I P E L I N E T H I S W E E K E N D ?

Christmas with the FishesSanta by the SeaSaturday, Dec. 19, 5 p.m., $15-$18N.C. Aquarium at Fort Fisher

The aquarium presents a holiday treat for families by closing at 4:30 p.m. then reopening at 5 p.m. decorated for the season, including holiday crafts, music, games and a meet-and-greet with Santa. Santa might even take a dip with Sheldon the sea turtle. Each child receives a complimentary photo with Santa. For more information or to buy tickets visit www.ncaquariums.com

The Season for GivingToys for Tots FundraiserSaturday, Dec. 19, 7:30 p.m., $10The Brooklyn Arts Center

Local band L Shape Lot will collect toys during its fourth annual Toys for Tots Fundraiser. This year the group will play alongside special guests Rebekah Todd and The Odyssey. All new and unwrapped toy donations will be accepted. Tickets are available at the door and doors open at 6:30 p.m. For more information please visit www.brooklynartsnc.com/index.php?c=concerts

All Aboard“Polar Express” DaySaturday, Dec. 19, 9 a.m, $9.75 admissionChildren’s Museum of Wilmington

This early-morning event encourages children to show up in their pajamas and enjoy activities such as painting train ornaments, writing letters to Santa, drinking hot chocolate, and receiving a Christmas spirit bell — just like the story. A read-ing of “The Polar Express” begins at 10 a.m. For more information email [email protected]

Twinkling TrainsLight and Train SpectacularFriday, Dec. 18 to Saturday, Dec. 19, 6:30–8 p.m., $5Wilmington Railroad Museum

Filled with holiday cheer, this event showcases more than 20,000 Christmas lights and holiday cookies with Santa Claus. Model train layouts and musical animations are also entertainment for the evening. For more information, contact [email protected]

With unseasonably warm weather Dec. 12, the only snow-flakes fluttering to the ground during the Wrightsville Beach Museum’s annual Jingle Bell Run 5K were the decorative kind used by team named Snowflake Ladies

to create their prize-winning costumes.Most of the 514 Jingle Bell Run participants wore holiday outfits,

but the Snowflake Ladies created elaborate tutu costumes with spar-kly adhesive snowflakes that started sliding off as they ran, leaving a glittering trail around the John Nesbitt Loop.

“They were melting,” team member Dawn Wallace said, laughing.Many of the first racers to cross the finish line, like female winner

Terra Jackson and male winner Ross Riar, opted for simple holiday attire like Santa hats or reindeer antlers. Soon, a correlation became apparent between order of finish and extravagance of costume.

Snowflake Ladies team member Brenda Swartz said she and her friends worked on their costumes for three weeks over dinner par-ties. Several of them had never entered the Jingle Bell Run before and one team member, Emily Morgan, had never entered any 5K.

“And the majority of us are in the over-50 age bracket!” team captain Kathy Parker added.

While the Snowflake Ladies won a team costume prize, the indi-vidual costume prize was given to Wrightsville Beach resident Rhea Cooper for dressing up as a golden Christmas star. Patrick Argo won best pet costume for donning reindeer antlers and pulling his yellow Labrador, dressed in a Santa hat, in a wagon decorated as a sleigh.

A 19-person team from MCS Noble Middle School won best overall team costume for the fifth time in six years. Last year, after helping create 16 Elves on Shelves costumes, team captain Camille McKeon told her daughter, “We are never doing this again.”

But her daughter already had another theme in mind: The 12 Days of Christmas. They didn’t have enough people to represent all the various gifts listed in the lyrics, McKeon realized, “So we decided I would make a bunch of fake people. And birds.”

It took McKeon one month to create the props for the Noble Middle School faculty and staff to carry while they ran — or in this case, walked. They weren’t the fastest around the loop, but eventually the lords, ladies, maids milking, French hens and turtle doves crossed the finish line led by former Wrightsville Beach Mayor David Cignotti, carrying a stuffed partridge in a pear tree.email [email protected]

CreativeCostumes

Inspired by Jingle Bell RunBy Emmy Errante, Staff Writer

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Staff photos by Emmy Errante

❶ Coleman Cooper and Rhea Cooper, winner of best individual costume, cross the finish line in the Jingle Bell Run Saturday, Dec. 12. ❷ Christopher Godwin and Emerson Moeller, part of the family that won best family costume. ❸ The Snowflake Ladies pose after the run. ❹ Patrick Argo’s yellow Labrador won best dog costume. ❺ Sandra Behrmann and Emily Church represent 10 Lords a-Leaping in the 12 Days of Christmas costume that won best group costume. ❻ David Cignotti carries a partridge in a pear tree as part of the 12 Days of Christmas costume.


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Garden Club gathers for fundraising, festivitiesBy Terry LaneStaff Writer

The Harbor Island Garden Club renewed its annual tradition of fundraising and merrymaking on Friday, Dec. 11 when its luncheon and silent auction at the Blockade Runner Beach Resort drew more than 80 attendees.

The club’s biggest fundraiser helps raise money for the beau-tification projects that occupy the members’ time throughout the year. But on this afternoon, the members spent their time min-gling through the silent auction room and bonding with their fel-low members.

“All of the proceeds go back into beautification of Wrightsville Beach,” said club president Melynda McNeil, who is in her first year of a two-year term. “We put the money back into these projects so that people can enjoy them.”

The club’s contribution to beautification begins with the Harbor Way Garden, located on the west end of Wrightsville Beach Park. The club maintains the lush grounds around the 36,400-square-foot garden that includes the Children’s Fountain, which uses collected rain for its water supply. The club also works to beautify the three parks on South Harbor Island.

Their beautification projects also include uplighting trees throughout the town, and hang-ing the mermaids that adorn light poles during the Christmas

season and the wreaths distrib-uted in locations around town, including at the post office and on the bridge tender’s tower of the Heide Trask Drawbridge.

The club sponsors the Junior Garden Club at the Wrightsville Beach Elementary School, which provides the flowers and boutineers for the students upon graduation. They also organize a field trip to Airlie Gardens for the students.

2014’s auction was a banner year for the club, but mainly because a substantial donation of furniture by the Blockade Runner

bumped up the total, which was estimated to be about $17,000.

The garden club has been a Wrightsville Beach institution since 1952. McNeil said it was the garden club that helped cre-ate the inviting foliage that makes the town attractive for so many.

“All of these trees weren’t here,” McNeil said. “It was just sand and sand spurs.”

The garden club currently has 62 members, 45 of whom are active. The club has an exclusive membership, as they must either live on the island or have a family member in the group. The holiday

luncheon is a popular event with members because it is one of the few events where members can invite friends.

The club is also preparing to host the district 11 meeting of the state’s federated garden club next October, inviting members of garden clubs from Bladen, Brunswick, Carteret, Columbus, Craven, Duplin, Greene, James, Lenoir, New Hanover, Onslow, Pamlico, Pender, Sampson and Wayne counties to visit Wrightsville Beach.

Former president Elise Running said the job keeps both the

president and the volunteers busy. “There’s something to do every

day,” she said.Members donated all of the

items for the auction, includ-ing crafts, baked goods and art. While those items were bid on through the silent auction format, the luncheon concludes with a live auction during which club members bid on more exclusive items, like weekend stays at vaca-tion homes.

“The live auction is fun,” said member Patti Jacarusso, who helped set up the side room where the auction items were stored. While arranging the auc-tion room, Jacarusso said it was important to create a festive vibe for the displays.

“You’ve got to get a flow,” Jacarusso said. “You need to make it so they keep walking. It needs to be inviting.”

One popular item was the

holiday cake from Nancy Haerne, which had at least seven bids and was up to $60.

Pam Carroll, one of the club members, had special reasons to bid on the bracelet that she won for $30. It included the name of her brother, Jay Miller, who died of Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), more com-monly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. The bracelet was originally made for the Circle of Friends fundraiser Carroll helps organize to raise money for ALS research while honor-ing her late brother.

“It’s very meaningful,” said Carroll of the bracelet. Being able to bid on the item during the lun-cheon emphasized the value the club’s membership offers to her.

“Everything is all connected,” Carroll said. “This club is like family, they’re amazing.”email [email protected]

TNT drama to film in WilmingtonBy Krys EstesContributing writer

Wilmington will again be a filming loca-tion in early 2016 after the TNT cable network announced it ordered a full season of the pilot show filmed here in October. The show, titled “Good Behavior,” will give local film crews the opportunity to resume work in the industry.

TNT announced last week it would pick up 10 episodes of the show, which stars Michelle Dockery of “Downton Abbey” along with Juan Diego Botto, an Argentine-Spanish actor who is best known for playing a supporting character in a television adaptation of “Zorro.”

Johnny Griffin, director of the Wilmington Regional Film Commission, confirmed “Good Behavior” would start filming again in the Wilmington area starting in early 2016. Griffin said this would be the only project scheduled for filming in the area.

“Anytime a production is here, it is good for the local industry. They will provide jobs and spend money with local small businesses,” Griffin said.

In October, film crews shot the first episode, known in the film industry as the pilot episode. Local Wilmington filming locations included downtown restaurant Manna, Isaac’s Men’s Store, Cape Fear Country Club and The Salt Works restaurant. The producers were awarded $1.25 million in grants from the state’s film pro-duction program, which covers up to 25 percent of the project’s costs.

There is no decision on who will be taking

charge of the extras casting and that information will be determined early 2016. Vanessa Neimeyer, a local extras casting director, said on social media that she was excited about the production return-ing and hopeful to join the crew, but won’t know until January.

“We know for sure it’s coming back to Wilmington, which is excellent news,” she wrote. “I feel like I have an excellent chance of it, but I never want to just assume I have a job, because anything can happen!”

Casting and crew members are not the only ones expressing gratitude that Wilmywood is back in business.

“Film in North Carolina offers great opportuni-ties for cast, crew, and background actors. It is a wonderful place for filming,” said Tony Hooper, a background actor. “People can network and gain experience while boosting the economy.”

“Good Behavior” is based on the Letty Dobesh series by best-selling author Blake Crouch. In the series, Letty Dobesh is out of prison and attempt-ing to make ends meet when she overhears a hit man being hired to kill a man’s wife. Letty, who will be played by Dockery, sets out to stop the hit, putting her in harm’s way while entangling her in a relationship with the killer.

“‘Good Behavior’ is a distinct drama that will define the new direction of TNT,” Sarah Aubrey, TNT’s executive vice president of original pro-gramming, said in a statement. “We believe audiences will love watching Michelle Dockery trade in her manners for the life of a sexy, complex ex-con in ‘Good Behavior.’”

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Staff photo by Terry Lane

Members of the Harbor Island Garden Club review items up for bid during the group’s silent auction at the Blockade Runner Beach Resort on Friday, Dec. 11. All items were donated by members, which included baked goods, arts and crafts and vacation home rentals.


From left, Leigh Kelly and Ashley Miller auction off a weekend at a Blowing Rock, N.C., cabin for members of the Harbor Island Garden Club Friday, Dec. 11 at the Blockade Runner Beach Resort.


December 13, 2015, 6:18 p.m.Dream

I speak to you in a dream and vision, yet so few believe they are true

The sign of our communication is best served by the dream that I give you

Trust that My voice and the desire to speak truth into your livesComes from your faith and trust that a vision and dream will

surviveAnd guide your spirit from time to time without any need for

understandingWhat you see and feel in your heart and soul is My voice

demandingYou listen to that inner man, the one you trust with all that you

areKnow that I am with you wherever you stand and My touch

is not farAvailable to soothe the pains you endure and replace them with

My gloryNo matter what others may think your dream is not just a storyBut an awakening of what will be and a vision of things to comeMy voice is guiding your dream and is available to all, not just

someBelieve and trust that our communication is a valuable part of

sharingWhat heaven is and will be here on earth as you worship Jesus

My son by declaringFrom your hearts that His salvation is the only thing that mattersHeaven will provide the dream and vision that cause all your

enemies to scatter

C ARL WATERSH2OLiving

LET GOD’S PEACE LEAD YOUDecember 17

Luke 24:36 “And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.”

LUKE 24:36Just as every sport has disputes that must be settled by the officials,

the peace of God is the umpire that settles all disputes as to what the will of God is for our lives. We must learn to listen to and heed the peace of God in our hearts.

God’s peace is something that every born-again believer has. It’s a fruit of the Spirit. That peace is always umpiring; we just don’t always pay attention. How many times have you acted contrary to the peace in your heart and afterwards, you experience disaster? You say, “I never did feel good about that.” That was the peace of God umpiring, but we chose to play by our own rules.

There are some things we can do to facilitate the peace of God umpiring in our hearts. First, consider ALL the options. Many wrong decisions have been made because not all the options were considered.

Don’t let fear rule out God’s possibilities. Next, use your imagination to explore what will happen with each choice. You should be able to discern a greater peace as you consider the option the Lord would have you take. That is not to say that there will be total peace with any of the choices. In your spirit there will be total peace over the right choice, but we aren’t always totally in the Spirit and it is not unusual for some turmoil to exist. Just as an umpire has to make a call, be bold enough to follow the direction that gives you the most peace.

The rudder on a ship can’t go any direction until the ship is moving. The ship doesn’t have to be going full steam ahead for the rudder to work, but it does have to be moving. Likewise, we have to act before the peace of God will give us perfect direction. Even if you make a mistake, you will have made it in faith, trying to follow the peace of God in your heart. The Lord can bless a wrong decision made in faith from a pure heart, more than He can bless indecision (Rom. 14:23).

Andrew’s Gospel Truth television broadcasts air M-F @ 6:30 a.m. ET on Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN). Help/Prayer Line: 719-635-1111

One year with Jesusin the Gospels

ANDREW WOMMACK MINISTRIESteaching God’s unconditional love and grace

www.awmi.net

The Good News

(Joel 2:28 NRSV) Then afterward I will pour out my spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions.

(Mat 1:20 NRSV) But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.

(Mat 2:12 - 13 NRSV) 12 - And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road. 13 - Now after they had left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.”

(Mat 2:19 - 20 NRSV) 19 - When Herod died, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, 20 - “Get up, take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who were seeking the child’s life are dead.”

(Mat 2:22 NRSV) But when he heard that Archelaus was rul-ing over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And after being warned in a dream, he went away to the district of Galilee.

(Acts 2:17 NRSV) ‘In the last days it will be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams.

Church Services NEAR THE BEACH

LITTLE CHAPEL ON THE BOARDWALK PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH (U.S.A.)

Rev. Patrick Thomas Rabun, pastor2 W. Fayetteville St., 910-256-2819, ext. 100

www.littlechapel.orgWorship at Wrightsville Beach Public Access No. 4: 8 a.m.

Sunday School: 9:15 a.m. Traditional Worship: 10:30 a.m. Children’s Church: 10:45 a.m.

Nursery provided.

ST. ANDREW’S ON-THE-SOUND EPISCOPALThe Rev. Richard G. Elliott, rector

101 Airlie Road, 910-256-30347:45 a.m., 9 a.m., 11 a.m.

WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH BAPTIST CHURCH601 Causeway Drive, 910-256-3682

Traditional Service: 9-10 a.m.Sunday School: 10:10-11 a.m.

Celebration Services: 11:10 a.m to 12:20 p.m.

WRIGHTSVILLE UNITED METHODIST CHURCHDoug Lain, senior pastor

4 Live Oak Drive, 910-256-4471Worship Services: 8:30, 9:45, 11:15 a.m.

Sunday School: 9:45 a.m.

ST. THERESE CATHOLIC CHURCHFather Joe Vetter

209 S. Lumina Ave., 910-256-2471Mass: Saturday, 5:30 p.m., Sunday, 8 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.;

Monday, noon; Tuesday, 6 p.m.; Wednesday – Thursday noon;

Thursday noon followed by Eucharistic Adoration

ST. MARK CATHOLIC CHURCH Father Patrick A. Keane

1011 Eastwood Road, 910-392-0720Vigil Mass: Saturday 5 p.m.

Sunday Masses: 7:30 a.m., 9:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m. en Español

Monday Mass: 8:30 a.m. Tuesday Masses: 8:30 a.m. and 6 p.m.

Wednesday Mass: 8:30 a.m.Thursday Mass: 8:30 a.m.

Friday Mass: 8:30 a.m. followed by Adoration with Benediction at 9 p.m.

BETH SIMCHA MESSIANIC JEWISH CONGREGATIONCongregational Leader/ Rabbi Marty Schilsky

7957 Market St.Wilmington, N.C. 28411

910-681-0117Shabbat Services 10:30 a.m. Saturday

Tune In To Family Radio Online: www.wwilfm.com

Family Radio now offers live online radio so you can listen to your favorite worship music

no matter where you are!

Praise and Worship the Whole Day Through!


14 SP 899

NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE

NORTH CAROLINA, NEW HANOVER COUNTY

Under and by virtue of a Power of Sale contained in that certain Deed of Trust executed by Ryan M. Tallant and Jane P. Wood to Jackie Miller, Trustee(s), which was dated July 28, 2009 and recorded on July 31, 2009 in Book 5428 at Page 2977, New Hanover County Registry, North Carolina.

Default having been made of the note thereby secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Trustee Services of Carolina, LLC, having been sub-stituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust, and the holder of the note evidencing said default having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will offer for sale at the courthouse door of the county courthouse where the property is located, or the usual and customary location at the county courthouse for con-ducting the sale on December 29, 2015 at 10:00AM, and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following described property situated in New Hanover County, North Carolina, to wit:

Being all of Lot 9 of Capri Estates Subdivision as the same is shown on a map of said subdivision recorded in Map Book 8 at Page 69 in the Office of the Register of deeds of New Hanover County.

Save and except any releases, deeds of release or prior convey-ances of record.

Said property is common-ly known as 422 Crete Drive, Wilmington, NC 28403.

A cash deposit (no personal checks) of five percent (5%) of the purchase price, or Seven Hundred Fifty Dollars ($750.00), whichev-er is greater, will be required at the time of the sale. Following the expiration of the statutory upset bid period, all the remain-ing amounts are immediately due and owing. THIRD PARTY PUR-CHASERS MUST PAY THE EXCISE TAX AND THE RECORDING COSTS FOR THEIR DEED.

Said property to be offered pursu-ant to this Notice of Sale is being offered for sale, transfer and con-veyance “AS IS WHERE IS.” There are no representations of war-ranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at, or relating to the prop-erty being offered for sale. This sale is made subject to all prior liens, unpaid taxes, any unpaid land transfer taxes, special assess-ments, easements, rights of way, deeds of release, and any other encumbrances or exceptions of record. To the best of the knowl-edge and belief of the under-signed, the current owner(s) of the property is/are Ryan M. Tal-lant and Jane Piper Wood.

An Order for possession of the property may be issued pursuant to G.S. 45-21.29 in favor of the pur-chaser and against the party or parties in possession by the clerk of superior court of the county in which the property is sold. Any person who occupies the prop-erty pursuant to a rental agree-ment entered into or renewed on or after October 1, 2007, may, after receiving the notice of sale, terminate the rental agreement by providing written notice of ter-mination to the landlord, to be effective on a date stated in the notice that is at least 10 days, but no more than 90 days, after the sale date contained in the notice of sale, provided that the mort-gagor has not cured the default at the time the tenant provides the notice of termination [NCGS § 45-21.16A(b)(2)]. Upon termi-nation of a rental agreement, the tenant is liable for rent due under the rental agreement prorated to the effective date of the termi-nation.

If the trustee is unable to convey title to this property for any rea-son, the sole remedy of the pur-chaser is the return of the deposit. Reasons of such inability to con-vey include, but are not limited to, the filing of a bankruptcy petition prior to the confirmation of the sale and reinstatement of the loan without the knowledge of the trustee. If the validity of the sale is challenged by any party, the trustee, in their sole discretion, if they believe the challenge to have merit, may request the court to declare the sale to be void and return the deposit. The purchaser will have no further remedy.

Trustee Services of Carolina, LLCSubstitute TrusteeBrock & Scott, PLLCAttorneys for Trustee Services of Carolina, LLC5431 Oleander Drive Suite 200Wilmington, NC 28403PHONE: (910) 392-4988FAX: (910) 392-8587File No.: 14-23923-FC01December 17 and 24, 2015

NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE

15 SP 753

Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by Sharon D. Smith (PRESENT RECORD OWNER(S): Sharon Smith) to CB Services Corp., Trustee(s), dated the 30th day of November, 2005, and recorded in Book 4944, Page 2187, and Modification in Book 5869, Page 437, in New Hanover County Registry, North Caroli-na, default having been made in the payment of the note there-by secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Sub-stitute Trustee Services, Inc. hav-ing been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust by an instru-ment duly recorded in the Office of the Register of Deeds of New Hanover County, North Carolina and the holder of the note evi-dencing said indebtedness hav-ing directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will offer for sale at the courthouse door in the City of Wilmington, New Hanover County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 12:00 PM on December 29, 2015 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in the County of New Hanover, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows:

Being all of Lot 2 as shown on that map entitled “Recombina-tion of Tract II of Deed Book 2805 Page 624 for Wilmington AME Zion Housing Development Cor-poration” which map is record-ed in Map Book 48, Page 124, New Hanover County Registry. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 2910 Princess Place Drive, Wilmington, North Carolina.

Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in NCGS §45-21.23.

Should the property be pur-chased by a third party, that party must pay the excise tax, as well as the court costs of Forty-Five Cents ($0.45) per One Hundred Dol-lars ($100.00) required by NCGS §7A-308(a)(1).

The property to be offered pursu-ant to this notice of sale is being offered for sale, transfer and con-veyance “AS IS, WHERE IS.” Nei-ther the Trustee nor the holder of the note secured by the deed of trust/security agreement, or both, being foreclosed, nor the officers, directors, attorneys, employees, agents or authorized representa-tive of either the Trustee or the holder of the note make any rep-resentation or warranty relat-ing to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at or relating to the property being offered for sale, and any and all responsibilities or liabilities aris-ing out of or in any way relating to any such condition expressly are disclaimed. Also, this prop-erty is being sold subject to all taxes, special assessments, and prior liens or encumbrances of record and any recorded releases. Said property is also being sold subject to applicable Federal and State laws.

A deposit of five percent (5%) of the purchase price, or seven hun-dred fifty dollars ($750.00), which-ever is greater, is required and must be tendered in the form of certified funds at the time of the sale.

If the trustee is unable to convey title to this property for any rea-son, the sole remedy of the pur-chaser is the return of the deposit. Reasons of such inability to con-vey include, but are not limited to, the filing of a bankruptcy petition prior to the confirmation of the sale and reinstatement of the loan without the knowledge of the trustee. If the validity of the sale is challenged by any party, the trustee, in their sole discretion, if they believe the challenge to have merit, may request the court to declare the sale to be void and return the deposit. The purchaser will have no further remedy.

Additional Notice for Residential Property with Less than 15 rent-al units, including Single-Family Residential Real Property

An order for possession of the property may be issued pursu-ant to N.C.G.S. § 45-21.29 in favor of the purchaser and against the party or parties in possession by the clerk of superior court of the county in which the property is sold.

Any person who occupies the property pursuant to a rent-al agreement entered into or renewed on or after October 1, 2007, may after receiving the notice of foreclosure sale, ter-minate the rental agreement by providing written notice of ter-mination to the landlord, to be effective on a date stated in the notice that is at least 10 days but not more than 90 days, after the

sale date contained in this notice of sale, provided that the mort-gagor has not cured the default at the time the tenant provides the notice of termination. Upon ter-mination of a rental agreement, the tenant is liable for rent due under the rental agreement pro-rated to the effective date of the termination.

SUBSTITUTE TRUSTEE SERVICES, INC.SUBSTITUTE TRUSTEEc/o Hutchens Law FirmP.O. Box 10284317 Ramsey StreetFayetteville, North Carolina 28311Phone No: (910) 864-3068https://sales.hutchenslawfirm.comCase No: 1169823 (FC.FAY)December 17 and 24, 2015

15-SP-331

NOTICE OF SUBSTITUTE TRUST-EE’S FORECLOSURE SALE OF

REAL PROPERTY

UNDER AND BY VIRTUE of the power and authority contained in that certain Deed of Trust exe-cuted and delivered by Shan-non A Fussell and Paul E Kinnin III dated January 25, 2010 and recorded on January 25, 2010, in Book 5464 at Page 650, in the Office of the Register of Deeds of New Hanover County, North Car-olina; and because of default in the payment of the indebtedness secured thereby and failure to carry out and perform the stipula-tions and agreements contained therein and, pursuant to demand of the holder of the indebtedness secured by said Deed of Trust, the undersigned of Poore Substitute Trustee, LTD (Substitute Trustee) will offer for sale at the court-house door in the City of Wilm-ington, New Hanover County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclo-sure sales, on December 30, 2015 at 10:00 A.M., and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the fol-lowing real estate situated in the County of New Hanover, North Carolina and being more particu-larly described as follows:

BEING all of Lot 326 in MONTEREY HEIGHTS SUBDIVISION, Section 10, as the same is shown on map recorded in Map Book 20 at Page 30 in the New Hanover Coun-ty Registry, reference to which is hereby made for a more particular description.

Address of Property: 320 Bode-ga Bay Road, Wilmington, NC 28412

Present Record Owner: Shan-non A Fussell and Paul E Kin-nin III

Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in N.C.G.S. §45-21.23.

The terms of the sale are that the real property hereinbefore described will be sold for cash to the highest bidder. The Sub-stitute Trustee reserves the right to require a cash deposit or a certified check not to exceed the greater of five percent (5%) of the amount of the bid or seven hundred fifty Dollars ($750.00). In the event that the holder is exempt from paying the same, the successful bidder may also be required to pay revenue stamps on the Trustee’s Deed, any Land Transfer Tax, and the tax required by N.C.G.S. §7A-308 (a) (1).

The real property described above is being offered for sale ‘‘AS IS, WHERE IS’’ and will be sold subject to all superior liens, unpaid taxes, and special assess-ments. Other conditions will be announced at the sale. The sale will be held open for ten (10) days for upset bids as required by law.

If the Trustee or Substitute Trustee is unable to convey title to this property for any reason, the sole remedy of the purchaser is the return of the deposit. Reasons of such inability to convey title include, but are not limited to, the filing of a bankruptcy petition prior to the sale and reinstate-ment of the loan without knowl-edge of the Substitute Trustee(s). If the validity of the sale is chal-lenged by any party, the Substi-tute Trustee(s), in its/their sole discretion, if it/they believe(s) the challenge to have merit, may declare the sale to be void and return the deposit. The purchaser will have no further remedy.

Additional Notice where the Real Property is Residential with less than 15 Rental Units:

An order for possession of the property may be issued pursu-ant to N.C.G.S. § 45-21.29 in favor of the purchaser and against the party or parties in possession by the Clerk of Superior Court of the County in which the property is sold. Any person who occu-pies the property pursuant to a rental agreement entered into or renewed on or/after October 1, 2007, may, after receiving the notice of sale, terminate the rent-al agreement by providing writ-

ten notice of termination to the landlord, to be effective on a date stated in the Notice that is at least ten (10) days, but no more than ninety (90) days, after the sale date contained in the Notice of Sale, provided that the mortgag-or has not cured the default at the time the tenant provides the Notice of Termination. Upon ter-mination of a rental agreement, the tenant is liable for rent due under the rental agreement pro-rated to the effective date of such termination.

This is a communication from a debt collector. The purpose of this Communication is to col-lect a debt and any information obtained will be used for that pur-pose, except as stated below in the instance of bankruptcy pro-tection.

If you are under the protection of the bankruptcy court or have been discharged as a result of a bankruptcy proceeding, this notice is given to you pursuant to statutory requirement and for informational purposes and is not intended as an attempt to col-lect a debt or as an act to collect, assess, or recover all or any por-tion of the debt from you per-sonally.

Dated: October 14, 2015The Hunoval Law Firm, PLLC, Attorney for Poore Substitute Trustee, LTD Substitute TrusteeBy: Mathias H. HunovalChristina Rampey HunovalSarah E. BanksDavid A. Simpson, Attorney At Law501 Minuet Lane, Suite 104-ACharlotte, NC 28217December 17 and 24, 2015

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Having qualified as Executor of the Estate of Horace Lee Wil-liams, late of Wilmington, New Hanover County, North Carolina, the undersigned does hereby notify all persons, firms and cor-porations having claims against the estate of said decedent to exhibit them in care of the under-signed at 93 Remington Road, Wilmington, NC 28409, on or before February 26, 2016, or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons, firms and corporations indebted to the said estate will please make immediate payment to the under-signed.

This the 26th day of November, 2015. Harold Lee Williams, Executor of the Estate of Horace Lee WilliamsJerry A. Mannen, Jr., AttorneyYOW, FOX, & MANNEN, LLP102 N. 5th Ave.Wilmington, NC 2840111/26, 12/3, 12/10, 12/17/2015

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA

COUNTY OF NEW HANOVER

IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE

BEFORE THE CLERK OF SUPE-RIOR COURT

EXECUTRIX’S NOTICE

The undersigned having qualified as Executrix of the Estate of Betty Midgett Boggs of New Hanover County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons having claims against said estate to pres-ent them to the undersigned at the address shown below on or before the 26th day of February 2016, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned.

This is the 26th day of November, 2015.Susan Boggs Reynolds, Executrix5814 Ocean Hwy E.Winnabow, NC 2847911/26, 12/3, 12/10, 12/17/2015






The undersigned having quali-fied as Executrix of the Estate of Rodney Bruce Maslanka of New Hanover County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons hav-ing claims against said estate to present them to the undersigned at the address shown below on or before the 26th day of February 2016, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned.

This is the 26th day of November, 2015.Carol A. Maslanka, Executrix222 Bayshore Drive Wilmington, NC 2841111/26, 12/3, 12/10, 12/17/2015




SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION

BEFORE THE CLERK

FILE NO. 15 E 001430


IN THE MATTER OF

THE ESTATE OF:

EUGENE ALBERT LEES

Having qualified as Executrix of the Estate of Eugene Albert Lees of New Hanover County, North Caro-lina, this is to notify all persons having claims against the estate of said Eugene Albert Lees to pres-ent them to the undersigned on or before February 26, 2016, that being three (3) months from the first date of publication of this Notice or same shall be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All per-sons indebted to said estate please make immediate payment.

This the 26th day of November, 2015.Patsy Ruth S. Lees of the Estate of Eugene Albert Leesc/o Stephen E. CulbrethAttorney at LawP.O. Box 446Wilmington, N. C. 2840211/26, 12/3, 12/10, 12/17/2015





EXECUTOR’S NOTICE

The undersigned having qualified as Executor of the Estate of Ella Marie Rodman of New Hanover County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons having claims against said estate to pres-ent them to the undersigned at the address shown below on or before the 4th day of March 2016, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned.

This is the 3rd day of December, 2015.Robert E. Rodman, Executor 6 Lake Forest Court Greensboro, NC 2740812/3, 12/10, 12/17, 12/24/2015

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Having qualified as Executrix of the Estate of Wesley H. Harrelson, late of New Hanover County, North Carolina, the undersigned does hereby notify all persons, firms and corporations having claims against the estate of said dece-dent to exhibit them to the under-signed, c/o Brian G. Morrison, 300 N. Third Street, Suite 301, Wilming-ton, North Carolina 28401, on or before the 7th day of March, 2016, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons, firms and corporations indebted to the said estate will please make immediate payment to the under-signed.

This the 3rd day of December, 2015.Josette Denise Harrelson, Execu-trix of the Estate of Wesley H. Har-relsonBrian G. MorrisonSmith Moore Leatherwood LLP300 N. Third Street, Suite 301Wilmington, NC 2840112/3, 12/10, 12/17, 12/24/2015





EXECUTOR’S NOTICE

The undersigned having quali-fied as Executor of the Estate of R. Bertram Williams, Jr. of New Hanover County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons having claims against said estate to present them to the under-signed at the address shown below on or before the 11th day of March 2016, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recov-ery. All persons indebted to said estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned.

This is the 10th day of December 2015.R. Bertram Williams III, Executor2134 Gloucester PlaceWilmington, NC 2840312/10, 12/17, 12/24, 12/31/2015

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF NEW HANOVER



The undersigned, having quali-fied as Executor of the Estate of BRENDA M. BEST, Deceased, of New Hanover County, North Caro-lina, does hereby notify all persons, firms and corporations having claims against said Estate to pres-ent them to the undersigned at the address shown below on or before March 11, 2016, or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebt-ed to said Estate will please make immediate payment to the under-signed.

This the 10th day of December, 2015.WILLIAM J. BEST, Executorc/o Richard A. Horgan, Esq.Attorney at Law1213 Culbreth DriveWilmington, NC 28405-363912/10, 12/17, 12/24, 12/31/2015






The undersigned having quali-fied as Executrix of the Estate of Donald Vaughn Micklos of New Hanover County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons hav-ing claims against said estate to present them to the undersigned at the address shown below on or before the 11th day of March 2016, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned.

This is the 10th day of December, 2015.Rebekah Lynn Micklos, Executrix501 Marsh Oaks DriveWilmington, NC 2841112/10, 12/17, 12/24, 12/31/2015





CO-EXECUTOR’S NOTICE

The undersigned having qualified as Co-Executor of the Estate of Donald A. Sellers of New Hanover County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons having claims against said estate to pres-ent them to the undersigned at the address shown below on or before the 11th day of March 2016, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned.

This is the 10h day of December, 2015.Donna S. Cudicio, Co-Executor348 Semmes DriveWilmington, NC 28412Susan Johnson, Co-Executor7429 Dunbar RoadWilmington, NC 28411J.C. Hearne, IIAttorney at Law

265 Racine Drive Suite 104Wilmington NC 2840312/10, 12/17, 12/24, 12/31/2015

NOTICE FOR PUBLICATION

NOTICE OF DISSOLUTION OF ASHTON PLACE DEVELOPERS,

LLC

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that ASH-TON PLACE DEVELOPERS, LLC, a North Carolina LLC, was dissolved on December 15, 2015. All credi-tors of and claimants against the LLC are required to present their respective claims and demands immediately to the LLC so that it can proceed to collect its assets, convey and dispose of its prop-erties, pay, satisfy, and discharge its liabilities and obligations, and do all other acts required to liqui-date its business and affairs. With respect to all claims, please take notice of the following:

1. Claims must be in writing and include the name of the claim-ant, the amount of the claim, and a short summary of the basis for the claim.

2. Claims should be mailed to the LLC at P.O. Box 15156, Wilmington NC 28408.

3. A claim against the LLC will be barred unless a proceeding to enforce the claim is commenced in a proper forum within five years after the publication date of this notice.

This the 17th day of December, 20 15.ASHTON PLACE DEVELOPERS, LLCBy: Sandy D. Wood, ManagerDecember 17, 2015

FOR LEASE

One Bedroom Ocean View Con-dos for rent. Completely furnished also with washer/dryer. Start-ing at $995/month. Starting Oct 1, 2015-April 30, 2016. For more details, call 910-256-9100.

9/10-12/31/2015

FURNITURE

Mattress OutletBrand New

Mattress SetsFull $99

Queen $109 King $179

Can Deliver Free Layaway

910-742-77671040 S. College Road

Wilmington(next to Katy’s Grill)

L E G A L N O T I C E S

CLASSIFIEDClassified and display deadline: Friday noon • Call 910-256-6569 ext 100 • [email protected]

IT PAYS TO

ADVERTISE

Call 910-256-6569 ext. [email protected]

CLASSIFIED

LUMINA NEWS


Senior frontcourt leads Hoggard in defense of conference titleBy Terry LaneStaff Writer

Led by a senior frontcourt, the Hoggard High School boys’ basketball team has started the season off strong as it seeks to repeat as conference champi-ons and make another run in the state tournament.

Hoggard High improved to 5-1 Tuesday, Dec. 15 after defeating Topsail 55-30 in the Mideastern Conference opener.

On Friday, Dec. 11, the Vikings won their fourth game of the season when they used a decisive second-half perfor-mance to push past Jacksonville 56-46 at James Hebbe Gym on Hoggard’s campus.

A g a i n s t J a c k s o n v i l l e , Hoggard built a lead of as large as 19 points in the sec-ond half after being up by four over the Cardinals at the half. Senior center A.J. Frye led the Vikings with 20 points while senior forward Xavier Johnson added nine points in their win over the Cardinals, which came into the game ranked seventh in the state’s MaxPreps 3A power ranking.

The Vikings are led by their sizable frontcourt, with the 6-foot, 4-inch Frye leading the team with 16.4 points per game and 5.4 rebounds per game while the rangy 6-foot, 7-inch Johnson adds 8.6 points per game and 4.8 points per game. Frye has been named the team’s player of the game three times this season.

“We have some big guys,” head coach Brett Queen said after the Jacksonville game. “We try to take advantage of that and get the ball inside to them. I thought they were really good tonight.”

The Vikings are also getting significant help from their guard play, with senior guard Jack Bagley contributing 10.2 points per game and junior guard Robert Wilkerson adding 5.4 points per game.

Hoggard is looking to repeat on its recent success, including its 2015 Mideastern Conference regular season and tournament championship, and its run to the Sweet 16 in the North Carolina High School Athletic Association 4A tournament. Hoggard also

advanced to the regional quar-terfinals in 2013, 2009, 2008 and 2007.

Queen said he was pleased with the team’s early season play and was optimistic since some players were joining the team following the end of foot-ball season.

“Our football guys missed a lot of practice at the beginning of the year, so we’re trying to get everybody on the same foot,” Queen said after the Jacksonville game. “I like where we’re headed. I’m really pleased at how they played tonight.”

The Vikings have some close wins early this season, including the overtime win against Coastal Christian in the season opener.

Frye hit a basket with 1.1 seconds left to give the Vikings the win, while Johnson scored 12 of his 14 points in the second half and Bagley added 10. The win was the Vikings 14th straight season winning their home opener.

The Vikings got a late surge from senior guards Bagley and Walker Bateman, who combined for 11 points in the fourth quar-ter, as Hoggard edged Rocky Point’s Heide Trask High 47-45 on Dec. 8 for the team’s first home win of the season.

Hoggard cruised to a 70-50 win over North Brunswick on Dec. 2, with Frye leading the way with 16 points and junior for-ward Patrick Morrison adding 15 points. Bagley went four for

five from three-point range to add another 12 points for the Vikings.

Following that win, the 4A Vikings fell in their home opener against the 2015 1A state champions East Carteret, who were also the state runner-up in 2014. Down by one point at the half and five at the end of the third quar-ter, the Vikings couldn’t keep pace with the Mariners, who outpaced Hoggard by nine points in the fourth quarter for the 71-58 win. Bagley led the Vikings with 16 points.

The Vikings’ next scheduled game will be against Ashley at Hoggard’s James Hebbe Gym on Friday, Dec. 18 at 7:30 p.m.email [email protected]

Anglers enjoying spring-like conditions in late December

Hook, Line & Sinker

By Skylar Walters

Sports/Marine

No one could have predicted the warm spring-like weather our area has been experienc-ing the past few weeks, but you won’t hear the local or visiting anglers complain-ing one bit. Air temperatures reaching close to 80 degrees and water temperatures still hovering in the mid-60s are something that only Christmas wishes are made of, and it looks like Santa made those wishes come true a couple of weeks early.

Unfortunately, as men-tioned, we are nearing the latter part of December and it’s only fit that the weather return to a more season-able density, which should be occurring about the time

you are reading this report. The weather will have some effect on the upcoming week-end, namely for the offshore anglers, but there should still be plenty of decent fishing for those wanting to fish the creeks and inside waters.

Offshore, the past weekend produced some of the most awesome seas that anglers have had the pleasure to fish in quite some time and those who were ready took full advantage of it. Plenty of king mackerel and even an few sporadic dolphin were found in the 20-mile range and were caught on both nat-ural dead baits and for those who were more meat fishing, spoons and planers. The king mackerel were also reported to be very thick around Frying Pan Tower.

The bottom fishing was good starting around 20 miles out to around 30 miles. There were plenty of keeper grouper

found in the shallower water, around 80 feet deep, which is standard for this time of year, but there were also lots of undersized black bass and other assorted unwanted spe-cies. Anglers had better luck finding keeper black bass in a little deeper water. Those heading further off toward the blue water found some decent action from wahoo and a few dolphin.

Along the beach, the fishing for Virginia mullet has been on fire with sand fleas result-ing in the larger fish while fresh shrimp is also enticing some decent specimens. A few black drum have also been caught with a lot of small, undersized fish stealing baits.

Bluefish and a few trout and red drum have been caught by those fishing for speckled trout with soft artificial baits and mud minnows.

Inshore, the fishing for speckled trout has slowed greatly with the influx of small fish and small bluefish. There are still some decent keeper fish being found but it is tak-ing a lot of hard work and a lot of replaced baits to get fish for the cooler. Areas near the inlets and the lower Cape Fear River are better locations to try your luck with finding some keepers. A few red drum and flounder are still being found as well in the same areas but they are also becoming a little more difficult to find.

Until the weather turns really sour and winter-like, there should be plenty of options to wet a line and maybe catch a fish or two. Until that time comes, get out and enjoy some salt air.

Seahawks’ furious comeback at Georgetown falls shortBy Terry LaneStaff Writer

The University of North Carolina Wilmington men’s bas-ketball team mounted a late, but ultimately incomplete, comeback last Saturday against powerhouse program Georgetown, with the 87-82 loss giving the Seahawks the first blemish on their season.

Now 5-1, UNCW trailed the Hoyas by 25 points with a little more than eight minutes to play before rallying behind its pres-sure defense and the shooting of its rising star in junior guard

Chris Flemmings. He scored 13 second-half points to lead all Seahawks with 19. Forwards Dylan Sherwood and Marcus Bryan both added 14 points and guard Jordan Talley hit two free throws with 18 seconds left to pull UNCW to within three points, giving him 11 for the game.

UNCW ou t r ebounded Georgetown 41-36, forced 16 turnovers and scored 18 points off of them. But Georgetown’s sharp shooting proved too much for UNCW, with the Hoyas mak-ing 49 percent of their shots,

compared to the Seahawks’ 40 percent. UNCW made only 24 percent of their first half two-point attempts, contributing to the 38-28 halftime deficit to the Hoyas.

Coach Kevin Keatts’ pressure defense helped fuel the come-back, as the pressure forced the Hoyas into turnovers, but also resulted in 55 total fouls for the game. Thanks to the team’s defensive scheme, UNCW leads the nation in turnover margin with a 9.2 advantage and is sec-ond in the nation in steals per game at 11.5.

Keatts said Georgetown’s first half shooting put the Seahawks on their heels.

“In the second half, we started believing once we made some shots,” Keatts said after the game. “Today’s kids define their game if they’re scoring on offense. If they’re not scoring on offense, then other areas suffered. Our defense suffered because we weren’t scoring the ball in the first half. In the second half, we started scoring and picked our activity up.”

It was the Seahawks first-ever matchup with the Hoyas, who hosted UNCW in front of 8,132

at Washington, D.C.’s, Verizon Center.

Before the loss, UNCW was one of 10 remaining unde-feated NCAA Division 1 teams, though the Seahawks’ early sea-son schedule has included two lower-division teams in Milligan and Coker. The Seahawks also have wins against the directional schools of Eastern Kentucky, Western Michigan and East Tennessee State, the latter being a dominant road victory.

Flemmings’ performance against the Hoyas shows he is emerging as a new star in second-year coach Kevin Keatts offense, as he has led the Seahawks in scoring for the past four games, starting with his 19-point out-burst against Western Michigan at Trask Coliseum on Nov. 21.

Senior guard Craig Ponder, the second-leading scorer on the team with 13.2 points per game, was ice cold against Georgetown, missing all seven of his shot attempts, and scoring only three points from free throws before fouling out.

UNCW plays next when it travels to Greenville to face East Carolina on Dec. 16.email [email protected]

Latitude 34° 11’ N, Longitude 77° 49’ W

TIDESMasonboro InletDate Time ht(ft) Time ht(ft) Time ht(ft) Time ht(ft)

12/17 Thu 05:19 AM 0.05 L 11:35 AM 4.16 H 06:01 PM -0.23 L

12/18 Fri 12:05 AM 3.8 H 06:33 AM 0.11 L 12:29 PM 4.01 H 07:05 PM -0.31 L

12/19 Sat 01:03 AM 3.94 H 07:45 AM 0.04 L 01:26 PM 3.87 H 08:05 PM -0.46 L

12/20 Sun 02:05 AM 4.1 H 08:49 AM -0.12 L 02:28 PM 3.78 H 09:00 PM -0.63 L

12/21 Mon 03:10 AM 4.32 H 09:48 AM -0.31 L 03:32 PM 3.76 H 09:54 PM -0.79 L

12/22 Tue 04:11 AM 4.57 H 10:44 AM -0.47 L 04:33 PM 3.82 H 10:46 PM -0.9 L

12/23 Wed 05:07 AM 4.79 H 11:40 AM -0.61 L 05:27 PM 3.89 H 11:38 PM -0.96 L

Unfortunately, as mentioned, we are nearing the latter part of December and it’s only fit

that the weather return to a more seasonable density, which should be occurring about the

time you are reading this report.

Andrew Consulting engineers, P.C.STRUCTURAL, MARINE and FORENSIC ENGINEERING & PROJECT MANAGEMENT

3811 Peachtree Avenue : : Suite 300Wilmington, NC 28403 : : Phone: 910.202.5555

www.andrewengineers.com

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Senior forward Xavier Johnson puts an offensive rebound into the basket during the Hoggard Vikings 56-46 win over Jacksonville on Friday, Dec. 11. Johnson scored nine points in the game.

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