Lumina News by Lumina News

April 10–16, 2014

Lumina News — Your Coastal Community Newspaper since May 2002

Boat show benefits Cape Fear students By Cole Dittmer Staff Writer

Taking advantage of the warm weather, a healthy number of exhibitors and other coordinating events on the Cape Fear Community College campus, the 15th annual CFCC Boat Show was another successful iteration of the event. The Saturday, April 5 show provided an outlet for handmade boat collectors and manufacturers to showcase their vessels, allowed CFCC students in the

wooden boat building and boat service and manufacturing programs to open the doors of their workshops to the public and raised money for scholarships to those programs. CFCC Marine Technology department chair Jason Rogers said this year’s event was successful in raising those vital scholarship funds. “Financially we had one of our most successful shows,” Rogers said. “We netted about $3,000 into our scholarship fund, which is really good.”

The bulk of the funds raised during the event come from the sponsors and exhibitors. Rogers said title sponsors Bell Hart Marine, Johnson Custom Boats, Inc. and Masonboro Skiff Company contributed the most to the scholarship fund. There were also 28 handmade boat exhibitors during Saturday’s show. The boats ranged from antique rowboats to powerboats and models unique to the Lower Cape Fear Region like the Simmons Sea Skiff. Simmons Sea Skiff owner

Staff photo by Cole Dittmer

Handmade antique boats are displayed at the Cape Fear Community College Boat Show in downtown Wilmington Saturday, April 5.

was a young boy in Wrightsville Beach because of the wooden boats’ handling and stability. “I remember when I was kid at Wrightsville Beach and all of my friends’ families had one,” he said. “We would go skiing in the ocean with these boats, and there are not many boats you could do that with because of the waves.” Stories and boats like Allen’s were on display for the many visitors who walked through the boat show on Saturday. CFCC public

George Allen has exhibited every year at the CFCC Boat Show and said his 22-foot, original two-tone blue skiff was one of the last, made in 1971 at Tom Simmons’ Myrtle Grove shop. “I found this one for sale off Oleander Drive in 1977,” Allen said. “I try to let the people here know about wooden boats because they are an endangered species.” Allen said he admired the Simmons Sea Skiffs since he

Staff photo by Cole Dittmer

Visitors admire the handmade boats on display at the Cape Fear Community College Boat Show Saturday, April 5, near the college’s boat building workshops in downtown Wilmington.

information officer David Hardin said many of those patrons also visited the open house at Union Station that day. “It is always a good event but this year was especially good because we got some new exhibitors,” Hardin said. “Also the open house at Union Station has been going on all day, and I think we attracted a lot of people to the show that might not have come otherwise.” email cole@luminanews.com

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Laura Venters shows her fashion line, Ouisi, at the Emerging Designers Show at the Wilmington Convention Center Friday, April 4, as part of Wilmington Fashion Weekend.

By Samantha Santana Intern

Photographers’ cameras flashed as each model strutted down the runway with a signature look. The audience gazed as each model wore fashionable pieces highlighting Wilmington’s emerging designers’ talent. Clothes varied from complicated geometrical pieces to simple colorful swimwear. Some ensembles included statement pieces like taxidermy bird wings and deer horns. Wilmington Fashion Weekend was a four-day event showcasing locals who had an eye for fashion. A portion of the proceeds raised were donated to DREAMS of Wilmington, a nonprofit providing free after-school and out-of-school arts and humanities programs to atrisk youth. “It was exciting,” WFW model Anastassiya (Siya) Georgiev said after the April 5 Emerging Designers Show. “Everyone is so infatuated with how much energy there is. We all had so much fun getting ready. It was so great to see the community together. It was one big Wilmington family.” The opening night was a Cirque du Soleil-inspired social at downtown Wilmington’s Bakery 105. Mayor Pro Tem Margaret Haynes made a special appearance on behalf of Mayor Bill Saffo to cite an official proclamation designating April 3-6 as Wilmington Fashion Weekend. WFW co-founder Khalilah Olokunola said she was excited

about the mayor’s proclamation and hopes the event continues every year. “That’s amazing. I didn’t know [Mayor Bill Saffo] would think it was a worthwhile idea,” Olokunola said. “I’m super excited and I hope it happens every year.” On Saturday, April 5, WFW held a trunk show at the RiverRoom. The trunk show featured accessories from local vendors and designers such as Perla Segovia, who creates art glass and jewelry. “I’m excited about this event. Wilmington is growing,” Segovia said. “When we moved down here from Missouri two years ago, it was a ghost town.” Andrea Stacey, volunteer coordinator, said the event was sold out after expecting more than 300 people. “We were sold out before the doors opened,” Stacey said. “[It’s] absolute excitement. … It’s a sense of pride that Wilmington is really supportive.” Following the Emerging Designers Show, TJ Dunn, founder and director of WFW, was receiving pats on the back and compliments about the event’s success. “I love it. The community came out,” Dunn said. “My team handled everything so well … I didn’t know we were going to sell out.” On Sunday, April 6, the grand finale took place at 3 p.m. at the Wilmington Convention Center. Awards were presented for Best Shop Award to Lula Balou and Emerging Designer

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Staff photo by Emmy Errante

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Award to Casey Crespo. The event’s host was Jesse Williams, owner of Edge of Urge, who said that Wilmington Fashion Weekend emerging designers all possessed great talents. “The craftsmanship is very superior to many manufactured clothes,” Williams said.

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