Sounds Magazine

Fall 2012 vol. xxvi

no. three

the Future of

Pender County

Sounds MAGAZINE

2012 立 FALL 立 Sounds 1

a

Editor’s

Note

A

Pender County is known as having some of the best public schools in Southeastern North Carolina. It is thus also known for graduating highachieving students from its school district each year. High school seniors from Atkinson to Surf City will graduate next June armed with skills they learned from the teachers and peers of our rich and vast county.

With that in mind, the Post & Voice staff chose four seniors, one from each high school, who are doing great things in the classroom and beyond to grace the cover of our Fall magazine.

These same four spoke to the teachers at the beginning of the school year at Convocation, which was held at Topsail High School. Selected by Superintendent Terri Cobb, the students represent the collective successes of each senior class they are a part of.

The four students gathered at Topsail Beach for a photo shoot on a beautiful Sunday afternoon in October, with large heavy clouds and a bright blue sky in the background. Post & Voice Editor Andy Pettigrew and Design Director Katie Pettigrew did a tremendous job capturing them collectively and individually that day.

They will represent the county well into the future, wherever their careers may take them.

We also have stories of Pender people who are enjoying their lives as productive artists, craftsmen, fishermen, beekeepers and musicians.

These range from those who reside right here on the island, in Hampstead, and further inland to Maple Hill. We hope you enjoy reading about them.

Thank you for picking up this edition of Sounds Magazine.

Jason Tyson Sounds Magazine Editor

Sounds

about the cover

Jolly Roger pier is the backdrop for this fall Sounds Magazine cover shoot on Topsail Beach. Thanks to Topsail Beach and Quarter Moon Books for giving us fantastic photo opportunities. Also, a special thanks goes out to the students; Breanna Wall, Anna Brodmerkel, Tyler Hagan, and Rubicelia Gasca for being great models.

PUBLISHER Les High EDITOR Jason Tyson DESIGN Abigail Spach ADVERTISING Brenda Curtin Stephen Carpenter CIRCULATION Michelle Charles PHOTOGRAPHY Andy Pettigrew Katie Pettigrew Jason Tyson Stephen Carpenter Ann Vitous Bill Messer Sounds Magazine is published three times a year and designed to serve the greater Topsail area. Correspondence, including letter to the editor, Andy Pettigrew, may be sent to The Post and Voice, PO Box 880, US Hwy 17 N, Hampstead, NC 28443. Our telephone number is 910. 259.9111 or email us at postnews@thependerpost.com. Subscriptions are included with the Post & Voice newspaper. Magazine is property of The Post Publishers, Inc. All material within this publication may be reproduced only by special permission.

2 Sounds Ω FALL Ω 2012

ALL MATERIALS © 2012 THE POST PUBLISHERS, INC.

New pla n: The S

u RESNET Energy Smart Construction Save up to 35% on your Energy Bills

and Pip e

r!

u New Custom Standard Features! u 15 SEER, Trane HVAC & Rinnai Tankless Water Heater u Fully Landscaped with Eco-Friendly Rainwater Irrigation u Great Location: minutes from Beach-Base-Wilmington

2012 立 FALL 立 Sounds 3

style

Topsail Interior Designer influenced by home environment

By Jason Tyson, Sounds Magazine Editor

Susan’s Holiday Tip:

Decorate using fresh cut stems from your own yard or neighborhood, such as the magnolia leaves & bittersweet branches in the floral arrangement on this table.

Living on Topsail Island has been a big influence on Susan Rooksby’s career, but she does not want to be know as just a designer of coastal themes. She prefers to let the customer’s needs dictate each individual job, making every finished product unique.

Rooksby was born and raised on Long Island and has spent a period of her earlier life in the Chesapeake Bay area. She now lives in Surf City with her partner, Col. Dan O’Brien, who retired from the Marine Corps and works as a contractor at Camp Lejeune.

“A lot of the beach is present in our home: reclaimed woods, flaxseed and linen; plus greys and blues, the light colors of the ocean,” she said.

Rooksby has been a residential designer with Paysage of Wilmington since 2008. But calling Surf City home allows her to relax and create a comfortable space she can call her home.

“Surf City is a wonderful community,” she said. “It’s very welcoming and Fall is perhaps the most beautiful time to be here. I am an outdoors person who enjoys the shells and sounds of the waves.”

Rooksby’s appreciation for design inspired by her beach surroundings goes hand-inhand with her work at Paysage, which stresses buying quality hand-made goods that have an attention to detail.

Other trends in interior design that Rooksby embraces are the use of organic fibers in linens, resourced and recycled products and those with “green” components.

“I am open-minded and my design philosophy is to listen to the individual needs of each client,” Rooksby said. “I am just a guide. Its really all about them and what they want.”

Rooksby has two children and three grandchildren. She is available for design jobs through Paysage, located in Lumina Station off Eastwood Road.

4 Sounds Ω FALL Ω 2012

Drum

environment

Speck

Flounder

“

“It certainly is the busiest time of year for our ocean fishing piers.”

Fall & Winter Fishing in Topsail

Temperatures are dropping, the leaves are turning colors and the fishing is HOT. These are sure signs that autumn has started in the Topsail Island area.

That and those little yellow butterflies we see dotting the landscape.

Old timers will tell you when the yellow butterflies show up, so do the fish, especially spots. Ask local fishermen about their favorite fishing season and you likely will hear the word fall mentioned more often than not.

It certainly is the busiest time of year for our ocean fishing piers. Our sounds, creeks and river have a lot of visitors this time of year too, from near and far away. As the catches of Spanish mackerel, bluefish and pompano begin to taper off, the spot, speckled trout and red drum bite picks-up.

Spot is one of the area’s favorite catches this time of year. Fishermen (and fisherwomen) line the pier rails and waterways. They come armed with fresh shrimp pieces, blood worms and similar baits.

Many use a typical two-hook bottom rig. When the bite is hot, you’ll hear that spot are being caught “two at a time”, meaning both hooks come up with fish on.

Some will fill their coolers with this tasty little fish in just a few hours.

Others are more interested in the speckled sea trout, commonly called “specks” in these parts. This prized

By Mike Becker, Topsail Angler Photography, Breadman Fishing Ventures

fish is caught year round in our area. However fall is one of the best times of year to catch them. They can be found not only in the inshore marshes and creeks but in the surf and from the ocean piers.

Specks are a prized catch and good eating too! Live bait such as shrimp or finger sized mullet and large minnows are good baits. Many anglers prefer using artificial baits like Mirrolures or soft plastics on jigheads. The live baits are often fished under a popping cork and are retrieved using a jerking motion. The hard baits and soft plastics are most often retrieved using a zig-zag or jerking pattern and allowing the baits to drop a bit between retrieves.

Speaking of good eating, another prized fish in these parts is the flounder. These flat fish are often found in the same places as specks. Many of the same baits can be used to target both. Flounder lie on the bottom and ambush prey when they pass close by.

My favorite way to target flounder is with a Berkley Gulp! ® shrimp on a jighead. I’ll “bounce” it along the bottom with frequent, short pauses. If there is a hungry flounder around this will get its attention.

Topsail Island is blessed with three ocean fishing piers. These piers offer good access for ocean fishing and amenities such as bait, tackle, rest rooms and even a restaurant. Most will even cook your catch for you, adding the sides and a drink for a very reasonable

price. This is fishing’s version of the “EASY” button.

Not that catching is guaranteed but it sure is nice trying from one of our piers.

Each of our three towns has a pier. So no matter which section of the island you visit or live near, there’s a pier close by. Seaview Pier is located in North Topsail Beach, (910) 328-3172. Near the south end of the island in Topsail Beach Township is Jolly Roger Pier, (910) 328-4616. And last but not least, smack dab in the middle of the island is Surf City Pier, (910) 328-3521.

And don’t forget about winter fishing. Our mild winter season provides some of the most serene fishing you will find anywhere. I love to wet a line on a nice clear, crisp winter day. There are fewer folks around but still fish to be caught.

Inshore is your best bet this time of year. The marshes and creeks are the best places to try for catches of flounder, specks and red drum. Yes, some of each of the species stays here year round. Not in the numbers found in the fall, but still some to catch for the avid angler. Just remember a s-l-o-w retrieve is key when the water temperatures are below 60 degrees.

So go get ya some.

Visit my website at www.TopsailAngler.com where you will find fishing reports, a local fishing Wiki, and discussion forums.

Tight lines to all!

2012 Ω FALL Ω Sounds 5

environment How to Get Involved and Active with Local Beekeepers

By Barry Harris Cape Fear Regional Beekeepers Association

T

he Cape Fear Regional Beekeepers Association (CFRBA) is a member organization of the North Carolina State Beekeepers Association. CFRBA serves New Hanover, Pender, and Brunswick counties as well the greater Cape Fear area.

CFRBA is engaged in providing honey bee related education to hobby beekeepers and the general public. The association provides systematic monthly instruction for beekeepers during the months of January through September of each year. These monthly instructional sessions are

designed to teach a comprehensive and cohesive system of beekeeping based on science and the accumulated knowledge of several generations of full time commercial beekeepers. These classes are conducted the third Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. at Poplar Grove Plantation. The sessions are taught by Barry E. Harris Jr., a N.C. Master Craftsman beekeepers who earns his full time living from the bee industry along with his wife Jill and their children.

CFRBA also offers a beginner’s beekeeping school in conjunction with Honey Bee Educa-

tion and Research, Inc. which begins in January of each year. Additionally, the association holds a special beekeeping event each November typically featuring a special guest speaker or a fulllength beekeeping film.

CFRBA also participates in outreach to the general public by participating in special events when requested to do so and by providing speakers for general interest talks to schools, garden clubs, etc.

Those desiring more information about Cape Fear Regional Beekeepers Association should contact Barry Harris at (910) 352-7868.

Rusty’s Bait & Tackle

FISHING • HUNTING • CAMPING 1061 East Ocean Rd. • Holly Ridge Only 4 Minutes from the Surf City Bridge

Hwy. 50 between Holly Ridge & Surf City

Guns & Ammo • Rod Building/Lure Making Supplies Rod/Reel Repairs • Rod/Reel Combos from $18.99 Gift Certificates Available

Bring in this Ad for $5.00 OFF Any Purchase of $25 or More Offer expires March 30, 2013

910-329-0257

Hours: Monday - Saturday 7a.m. - 5p.m.

Sunday 1:30p.m. - 4:30p.m.

QUALITY MERCHANDISE • FRIENDLY KNOWLEDGEABLE SERVICE • OFF BEACH PRICES

6 Sounds Ω FALL Ω 2012

206 N. Green St. • HOLLY RIDGE, NC

Off US Hwy 17N. in back of Bank of America. Look for the big red word FURNITURE on the side of the bldg.

910-329-4422

QUALITY USED FURNITURE & VINTAGE GIFT SHOP

Pre-owned Furniture Wicker • Beach • Deco Collectibles • Vintage Glass • Jewelry Accessories & Décor

Hours: Wed. - Fri. 12-5, Saturday 10-4 Consignments by Appointment We also purchase outright!!

Email: classics_furniture@bellsouth.net

fossil filled quarry draws

environment

collectors

There used to be dinosaurs tramping across Pender County: Raptors, Allosaurus and Triceratops. There were also prehistoric mammals, such as the miohippus, a three-toed horse.

During the Late Crestaceous, Rocky Point, and all of Pender County for that matter, was a shoreline and ocean, teeming with now-extinct wildlife and plants.

On Thursday and Friday afternoons, at the Martin Marietta Aggregates site in Rocky Point, you can still find evidence of these and thousands of other creatures, if you look hard enough. Fossil and sedimentary rocks dated over 60 million years in Pender County, those are treasures worth keeping. left: Johnny, a fossil enthusiast from Carolina Beach, traces the size and shape of an extinct whale backbone he found.

Art ExposurE! 22527 Hwy. 17N. • Just South of Lowes and Hwy. 210 E

Studios • Frame Shop • Gift Shop Gallery • Art Classes • Art Supplies Yoga Classes • Events www.artexposure50.com artexposure50@gmail.com 910.330.4077 910-803-0302 2012 Ω FALL Ω Sounds 7

Sticks + stones:

personalities BRYANT SHEPHARD,

MAPLE HILL WOODCARVER

By Bill Messer Special to Sounds Magazine

T

ravel down NC Highway 50 toward Holly Ridge and often as not, in Maple Hill there’s a man sitting in his garage doorway. The cars have long since been moved outside. This is the workshop of Mr. Bryant Shephard, and Mr. Shephard makes walking sticks.

Bryant Shephard was born and raised in Maple Hill.

He left, travelled to the other side of the world, circled around the planet for a while, and finally settled back about 100 feet from where he started, next door to

8 Sounds Ω FALL Ω 2012

where he was born.

Mr. Shephard left Maple Hill to join the US Air Force in 1954 and received crew training on a B-24 Liberator bomber.

Military assignments took him all over, even to the middle of the Pacific, to Guam.

He later worked as operations manager for two shopping malls, until one day he called his wife Pearl and told her he’d quit. He was going back to Maple Hill.

And so the Shephards came back to Maple Hill and

settled in.

“Our father used to make toys for us, that he whittled, spinners and so on,” he said, “And when I got into it, my brother said I had more talent, that he’d never taken it to the extent I had.”

He makes and sells walking sticks, plain and fanciful, some to assist walking, many to assist walking in style, many more to reflect a personal feeling.

Once in a while, a person who needs a sturdy walking cane is brought to his workshop by a friend, ac-

maple hill craftsmen make canes and bullets quaintance or pastor. A selection is offered for choice. “How much?” is the first question.

Often, the person in need is told there is no price, it is his if he needs it.

“I’ve got about sixty canes I’ve given away,” he said, and added,” When He (God) blesses you, He expects you to bless somebody else.”

The walking sticks themselves are often naturally grown, young trees with a horizontal limb branching off to form the handle. Some special canes are formed when a honeysuckle or other vine grows around the young tree and squeezes the wood into a spiral as the tree grows and ages. If it looks like a snake, the spiral is emphasized, lifted and carved, sometimes with a head and tail.

“Where do you get your wood?” I asked. He pointed toward the back yard.

“Out there, the lot goes back eleven hun-

dred feet.”

The land was inherited, passed down through generations, and was once part of land holdings from a Burgaw plantation.

There’s a lot to choose from, including sassafras, sweet gum, oak, pine, even a mulberry. Sticks of every shape and size, and in various stages of completion, are arranged in display holders, in barrels, propped up against others.

Mr. Shephard left for a few minutes and I had a chance to look around the shop.

Here’s a dog, there’s maybe a duck, that might be a pig, or possibly a cat - unfinished forms on their way to a final shape.

The aluminum door squeaks open and Mr. Shephard works his way down the steps into the garage with an armload of finished sticks: a dog, a horse, a blue arched dolphin, and an eagle.

“The eagle is real popular with veterans,” he points out.

Come Decorate Your Soul a Little Bit

Home decor and gifts with a spiritual flair!

Jewelry · Local Art · Tableware Soaps · Books · Cards Candles · Children’s Gifts · Holiday Gift Wrapping Service

201 Alston Blvd · Surf City Crossing · Suite B

910.329.7685

Mon-Thurs 10-6 • Fri-Sat 10-9 • Sun 1-5

THERE ARE INDUSTRY TEST STANDARDS. AND THEN THERE ARE TRANE STANDARDS. Expect more from your independent Trane dealer.

Trane heating and cooling systems have always been known for their high performance, precision engineering and solid dependability. But like any great system or tool, they can only operate at full potential when in the hands of an expert.

Trane Comfort Specialist™ dealers earn their title by satisfying the most demanding critics -- the customers they serve.

This elite group delivers: • The highest levels of customer satisfaction • Superior rate of customer referrals • Ongoing commitment to continuing education

Conquer Rising Energy Costs While Enjoying The Ultimate In Indoor Comfort.

910-328-1817 Gideon Heating & Air Co., Inc.

WE TAKE CUSTOMER SATISFACTION TO THE HIGHEST DEGREE.

98 J H Batts Rd Surf City, NC 28445

www.gideonhvac.com License #16039

The

Gift Basket Fine Gifts and Jewelry

702 South Anderson Blvd., Topsail Beach, NC Call for Hours 910.328.7111 www.topsailgiftbasket.com

The

TOPSAIL ISLAND TRADING COMPANY “Resort Wear & Gifts for the Family”

201 N. New River Dr., Surf City, NC Call for hours 910.328.1905 or 800.762.1257 www.topsailtrading.com 2012 Ω FALL Ω Sounds 9

personalities

ROBERT JOSELYN,

Maple Hill Bullet Maker

By Jason Tyson, Sounds Magazine Editor

R

obert Josleyn is one of a number of a growing trade of craftsman who make things not out of wood, yarn or stone, but bullets made of metal.

In a immaculately organized barn down a road in Maple Hill with miniature horses and long-horned cattle across the street, Josleyn is hard at work.

“I’ve been doing it on my own for 10 to 15 years and got the idea to turn a hobby into drudgery,” Josleyn said. “So I saved some money, bought the equipment and got certified to make bullets.”

The machines are made by Dillon Precision Press, including one that heats the metal at temperatures above 600 degrees. He also uses a master caster and various

10 Sounds Ω FALL Ω 2012

grades of surplus gunpowder.

Josleyn pays close attention to each bullet: it is a precise art. If the the diameter or length of a bullet is off by just a hair, it could become lodged in the gun, resulting in injury or worse to its user.

Josleyn understands this after spending 21 years in the Marine Corps.

“My prices will be competitive, but the difference is that it will be made locally,” he said.

He’s also kept the name of his enterprise simple: Pender Bullets & Shot, L.L.C. “I sell to individuals and gun shops, but I do not do any business out of my barn,” he said.

Coastal Living:

entertainment

By Jason Tyson, Sounds Magazine Editor

Topsail Island Chili Festival looks to become annual staple Southeastern North Carolina has long been known as an area rich in annual festivals, and Pender County is no different. The Blueberry Festival, Spot Festival, Shrimp Festival and Autumn with Topsail are just a few of the well-attended events. If organizers get their wish, this year’s first annual Topsail Chili Festival will join that traditional group of celebrations.

The festival was first announced earlier in the summer, and is slated to be held on November 16-17.

Proud craftsmen of chili in Pender and around will be also be able to put-up their recipes in the competition.

Two of the instrumental players who helped to come up with the idea for the festival were Board Chair Scott Wheeler and Chamber president Craig Stinson. “We are marketing the event from Wilmington to Jacksonville, and even in Fayetteville and Raleigh,�

Stinson said. “We hope that people from all around will attend, and we think there will be a lot from Pender and Onslow.�

Stinson said his group wanted the event to be held in Sneads Ferry, where the Shrimp Festival is held, and wanted it to be in the Fall, to mirror the group’s own Hops of Spring Beer Festival, usually held in April. Like that event, there will be vendors and bands will perform. “Sneads Ferry is a big part of our community here,�

Stinson said. “We hope that this event will be a template that is very viable and ‘palatable’.�

A Chili Festival held in Ocotber Havelock has attracted close to 25,000 people in recent times. That cook-off

has been a staple of that community for the past 30 years and is run by Havelock’s Chamber. Stinson said that group has helped and supported the organizing effort, and that the groups will attend each others festivals. “Because the event is a competitive cook-off and because we wanted our event to be official, we joined the International Chili Society,� Stinson said. “The winner will advance to a regional event, and then, possibly the nationals.�

Another related topic that got Stinson excited is a possible ingredient for those chefs who wish to make their chili extra spicy, Naga Bhut Jolokia, the ghost chili pepper, is feared by many food enthusiasts for its high heat content. The ghost chili is classified as “extremely hot� and one of the highest rated on the Scoville scale, a rating system for peppers, around one million heat units. “The other day I was in Holly Ridge and I heard that the police officers there are growing this strange and fabled chili: the ghost chili,� he said. “I’m a food person and I like spice, but I don’t know about this one.�

Stinson said he would have to look to see if the ghost chili is allowed as an ingredient under the rules of the International Chili Society, standards he said the festival would strictly abide by. He also said the board is in the process of selecting judges, and some notables could be selected. “It’s going to be a great time of year, the week prior to Thanksgiving,� he said. “The weather is getting cooler and people are getting into the holidays. We see this as a very handy event for our members and for this area.�

“

The winner will advance to a

regional event, and then, possibly the

3RUWHUV 1HFN 3RUWHUV 1HFN /RFDWLRQ /RFDWLRQ 0DUNHW 6WUHHW 0DUNHW 6WUHHW

ZZZ PHGDFKHDOWK FRP ZZZ PHGDFKHDOWK FRP

nationals.

& 21*5$78/$7,216 * 5$'8$7(6 21*5$78/$7,216 5$'8$7(6 Always $OZD\V KHUH $OZD\V UHDG\ WR VHUYH \RXU PHGLFDO QHHGV 2IIHULQJ WKH YHU\ EHVW LQ XUJHQW PHGLFDO FDUH here, Always& ready to serve your medical needs. * Offering the very best in urgent medical care! $OZD\V KHUH $OZD\V UHDG\ WR VHUYH \RXU PHGLFDO QHHGV 2IIHULQJ WKH YHU\ EHVW LQ XUJHQW PHGLFDO FDUH 0('$& &219(1,(17 0(',&$/ &$5( 0('$& &219(1,(17 0(',&$/ &$5( 6KLS\DUG %RXOHYDUG ‡ X 0LOLWDU\ &XWRII 5RDG ‡

6KLS\DUG %RXOHYDUG ‡ X 0LOLWDU\ &XWRII 5RDG ‡

2SHQ 'D\V D :HHN ‡ D P S P ‡ 1R $SSRLQWPHQW 1HFHVVDU\ 2SHQ 'D\V D :HHN ‡ D P S P ‡ 1R $SSRLQWPHQW 1HFHVVDU\

0HGDF &RUSRUDWH +HDOWK ‡ 6KLS\DUG %OYG ‡

0HGDF &RUSRUDWH +HDOWK ‡ 6KLS\DUG %OYG ‡

2SHQ 0RQGD\ )ULGD\ ‡ D P S P ‡ )RU \RXU HPSOR\HH RFFXSDWLRQDO KHDOWK QHHGV 2SHQ 0RQGD\ )ULGD\ ‡ D P S P ‡ )RU \RXU HPSOR\HH RFFXSDWLRQDO KHDOWK QHHGV

2012 Ί FALL Ί Sounds 11

entertainment

Editorial and Photography By Stephen Carpenter Special to Sounds Magazine

Flounder Giggin’

T

Turning down a narrow, dusty road I begin to get that familiar awareness that lets me know I’m approaching a body of water. The smell of salt air and weather hardened foliage only help to validate this primitive sensation. The road snakes lazily through a quaint little neighborhood. I can tell water is getting close.

Like most quaint little neighborhoods along southern waterways, the makeup and style of housing vary widely. Petite, charming manufactured homes seem to pair up naturally and peacefully with gargantuan feats of southern architectural mastery. Both domiciles enjoying a part of the world only few are fortunate to experience and even less are fortunate to reside in. My intuition is confirmed as the first sight of water appears. Cresting over a sloping bluff, a saltwater creek slowly reveals itself.

Both magnificent and humble, the creek quickly widens toward the horizon as it readies itself for the sea. I’m here to interview a local band named Fryd Flounder. The band’s arrangement, attitude and sound bring back that same visceral awareness that there must be a beach or waterway somewhere nearby.

As a child I was only able to visit our Carolina beaches and waterways during the spring and summer. During these brief vacations I was always fascinated by how the local children, teenagers and even adults all seemed to hang out together as equals. Age,

12 Sounds Ω FALL Ω 2012

housing and financial circumstances had no bearing on social status. The members of Fryd Flounder share that same small town camaraderie and solidarity. Comprised of all local members, Fryd Flounder’s roots are as old as the Topsail Community itself. Originally founded 18 years ago by Trapper Cramer (guitar/vocals) and Dr. Tim Powell (bass/keyboard) under the name T.U.G – Topsail Underground; the band has survived in various forms and fashions as members have come and gone. The group Fryd Flounder in its current existence was born five years ago when life long friends Chris Batts (guitar/vocals) and Leslie Hall (lead guitar) teamed up with Cramer and Dr. Powell. Additional band members include Scott Edwards (drummer), Doyle Wilkes (percussion).

Daryl Erny (sound/vocals) and Tim Biggs (sound).

After being greeted with a friendly handshake and a cold beer, it soon became apparent that this was not going to be a quick and easy interview. The room was abuzz with people dragging wires about, tuning instruments and working together effortlessly as all were eager to make music. Like childhood friends itching to get out of the house and play; I could tell there was never a problem with band members showing up late for practice. “We try to make it fun, not like work” states Edwards.

Set up in the basement of a waterway

home, their practice space conjures up even more aquatic sentiment. Soothing coastal colors, turtle shells and paintings of distant corral reefs adorn the walls. A pool table in the middle of the room provides a good place to lean and enjoy the atmosphere.

Leading off with Loving You Ain’t Easy, practice starts like a well oiled machine. The sound is crisp and pleasing to the ear, worthy of any pool hall or stadium show I have ever witnessed.

Everyone hits their marks with a disciplined precision, picture perfect with heart and feeling. The lyrics to the song impart lost love and difficult choices that can only be born through personal experience. The band smoothly transitions to the lovely ballad “Willow Tree”.

I can feel the wind of a gentle breeze I can hear the cry of a lover’s plea I can feel the rain, coming down…

Songs such as “Willow Tree”, the traveling tune “Going to Daytona” and the seminal classic “Topsail Song” give the listener a glimpse into southern life and beach culture. The Fryd Flounder “sound” is a timeless composition that defies a genre. Not southern rock, not blues, not country but the amalgamation of over 40 years of diverse musical influences such as the Beatles, AC/DC, Eric Clapton, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Molly Hatchet and The Allman Brothers. From

80’s hair metal to down-home blues and gospel, all categories of music are well represented and flow together with ease. At this point in time you can only listen to Fryd Flounder live. With regular bookings in the Topsail-Surf City area, local fans can stuff themselves on as much Flounder as they want. The band has made plans to record their first studio demo this winter and anticipate a spring release date. While fans will soon be able to listen to Fryd Flounder in their cars, on the beach and while relaxing in their homes; the ultimate direction of the band does not involve record deals or big money contracts. “We just want to make good music and have a good time,” explains Batts. Edwards quickly adds, “This is the ultimate, we have already made it”.

As I say my goodbyes and begin my journey back up the little dusty road, I can only smile as the music and the coastal scenery slowly fade behind me. Trying to hold onto a quickly fading memory, I hum the chorus to “Soul Shine” so heartfully performed by the tight knit group of friends. If you are fortunate enough to be in, or travel to, the Surf City-Topsail areas please make plans to enjoy the music of Fryd Flounder. I can assure you that memories of long summer days spent with good friends and that familiar feeling of water just over the horizon will come rushing back.

Federation Leads environment Push for Review of Plans for Wood Pellet Project MOREHEAD CITY - The N.C. Coastal Federation and the local group that led the successful fight last year to stop a proposed sulfur smelter at the state port here have asked the N.C. State Ports Authority and other state agencies to adhere to state law and assess the potential environmental effects of state plans to store and ship wood pellets at the port.

The Southern Environmental Law Center in Chapel Hill sent a letter Tuesday on behalf of the federation and the Clean County Coalition asking for the review. The letter was sent to Thomas Bradshaw, executive director of the Ports Authority; Eugene Conti, secretary of the N.C. Department of Transportation; and Scott Saylor, president of the N.C. Railroad Co., a private company owned by the state. The Ports Authority is under DOT administration.

News reports several weeks ago revealed that the Ports Authority is prodding the railroad company to quickly pledge $70 million over the next decade for a new storage facility at the Morehead City port that could start shipping wood pellets to European electric utilities by January 2014.

The pellets would be made from forests in Eastern North Carolina and shipped to Morehead City by rail, quadrupling the yearly train traffic on the single track through downtown.

Wood is considered a “biofuel” and is thought to release less carbon dioxide, a powerful greenhouse gas, when burned than an equivalent amount of coal, though several recent studies question that claim. European power companies, however, are increasingly looking to forests in the Southeastern United States to provide wood pellets to replace coal. More than 1.5 million tons of pellets, mostly from Southern trees, were shipped from the United States to Europe last

year. That number is expected to reach 5.7 million tons in three years.

Using Eastern N.C. forests as Europe’s fuel depots could have severe environmental implications for the region’s woodlands, the groups note in their letter. Increased train and truck traffic through Morehead City could be unsafe, create problems with noise and dust and affect the town’s tourist-based economy, they write.

“This proposed project has the potential to cause significant adverse impacts to Morehead City, including its residents, visitors, local businesses and environment,” the letter states. “It also has the potential to cause significant adverse impacts to North Carolina forests from accelerated harvesting to meet the demand for wood pellet export.”

The state Environmental Policy Act requires that those and other potential adverse effects be studied before the project moves forward, the groups note. The law requires that any project on public land or that involves public money; requires a state action, such as a permit; and has potential environmental effects must first undergo a review of the possible issues. The proposed wood pellet facility meets all three requirements of the law, the letter says.

“The law is meant to reduce surprises, to study all the possible effects before public money is spent or a shovel of dirt is turned,” noted Todd Miller, executive director of the N.C. Coastal Federation. “This is a state project, using taxpayerowned land. These state agencies need to adhere to the law.”

If it had done so several years ago when it bought land for the ill-fated International Terminal near Southport, the Ports Authority may have saved taxpayers a bundle, Miller noted.

picturethis

Without doing any environmental review or study, it bought 600 acres for $30 million, which was more than the land’s tax value at the time.

Public opposition to the new port ignited soon after plans were announced. Political support eventually shriveled, and the project has been on indefinite hold. The land now has a tax value of about $13 million.

“If the law had been followed in that instance, public opposition would have surfaced during the review process, as would the land’s true value,” Miller said. “It would have led to more prudent decisions.”

Not much is known about the wood pellet project or how it might affect Morehead City, noted Richard Bierly, the president of the Clean County Coalition. Residents and business owners are worried about drastically increasing train traffic along the one, street-level track through the middle of downtown.

“How much noise will that create? What will it do to traffic? How would tourists react?” Bierly said. “Those are the types of questions we need answered before we can adequately assess this project. The review that the law requires would begin to provide those answers. It seems to me that asking these state agencies to follow the law is not an unreasonable request. “ The groups also ask, under the state’s Public Records Law, for all written and electronic records regarding the project.

“This is exactly the type of project that the law is designed for,” said Geoff Gisler, staff attorney with the Southern Environmental Law Center.

“A public entity using public money to build a public project that will have long-term impacts on the environment demands an opportunity for public input; state law requires it.”

2012 Ω FALL Ω Sounds 13

history

Space Coast North Carolina

“

Imagine a pipe in which air is rammed in at a very high

velocity, fuel is added to the

airstream and

ignited and the hot

expanded gasses rush out the back.

and THE FLYING STOVEPIPE

By Bill Messer Special to Sounds Magazine

Cape Topsail | The Wright brothers launched powered flight just up the coast in Kitty Hawk in 1903 with a rear-mounted engine and propeller pushing air behind to propel their aircraft forward. Most later aircraft designs moved the engine to the front, and used the propeller to pull the aircraft forward.

Propeller speed must stay within a certain RPM range so that the blade tips stay below transonic speeds, and as more powerful engines are used, generally more propeller blades are added, increasing from a simple two-bladed propeller to three-, four-, five- and more bladed designs to use the power but staying at a relatively low RPM. Frank Whittle and others got the idea to enclose a centrifugal compressor, and later an axial compressor, in a tube, suck in air and compress it, add fuel to the compressed air and ignite it, and the heated air would rush out the exhaust pipe at a much higher speed than it came in, pushing the jet powered aircraft through the air.

Jet engines mostly use many small propellers arranged around a central shaft in a disc array, more often than not have multiple disc arrays that form the compressor assembly. At the back of the engine is another set of propeller blades, the turbine, located in the exhaust and powered by the rush of outgoing gasses. It is connected to and powers the front set of compressor blades.

Jet engines are finely crafted, ultra reliable and efficient at high altitudes. The whole of the engine is filled with a shaft fitted with compressor blades and turbine blades, and a combustion section. Within the family of jet engines are many, many variations, developed for particular operations. While jet powered aircraft can go fast, and some go extremely fast, for certain uses they’re not fast enough.

Jet engines are air-breathers. Rocket engines go faster and will operate in space, in the absence of combustion air, but they have to pay a penalty and carry along the oxygen necessary for combustion, either as liquid fuel/oxidizer or in solid fuel.

Ramjet engines use all the same principles as other combustion engines, whether piston, jet or rocket. It’s called suck, squeeze, bang, and blow, but in the ramjet it’s ram, squeeze, bang and blow.

Imagine a pipe in which air is rammed in at a very high velocity, fuel is added to the airstream and ignited and the hot expanded gasses rush out the back. The incoming air pressure is configured to keep the burning gasses from blowing out the front. The whole of the engine is filled with mostly nothing, just some fuel nozzles and a sparkplug, a long hollow pipe with an adjustable cone spike at the inlet.

The only problem is that ramjets don’t work at all unless they’re already moving through the air fast enough to achieve the air pressures necessary for operation, so a ramjet can’t be used for takeoff from a dead stop. It must be moving through the air at a pretty good clip before it is ignited.

After World War II ended, and for a brief while, Topsail Island could have been thought of as Space Coast North Carolina. The US Army built a facility of the south end of the island to test the feasibility of ramjet powered flight.

Much of the structure developed for the tests remains. The Assembly Building in the town of Topsail Beach is just that, the building in which the test rockets were assembled.

The launch pad is still here, only now it’s the patio on the ocean side of the Jolly Roger Inn. The launch control tower is between the Assembly Building and the launch pad, and telemetry towers are spaced along the face of the island.

Here’s how it worked.

The Army had already developed the HVAR, or High Velocity Aircraft Rocket, during WWII, and it was the standard 5 inch rocket slung below airplane wings and

14 Sounds Ω FALL Ω 2012

used for ground attack.

During Operation Bumblebee, the Army test program, several of these standard rockets were arranged in a circular assembly and fired along the face of the island.

Data gathered from the telemetry equipment established how long it took to get from one end of the island to the other. This was the base rate for subsequent tests.

The ramjet engine was added to the standard rocket assembly and fired. If everything worked as planned and the ramjet fired successfully, the increase in speed would confirm its operation, and that’s what it did. Once the theory was proven with these first successful tests, the whole operation moved to a more suitable proving and development facility.

Many operational guided missiles were developed from these early experiments, and ramjet experiments are still going on with the USAF X-51A Waverider hypersonic flight demonstrator.

Much speculation over the years has led to some pretty far-fetched explanations of what the towers were, and what they were used for. They served as elevated platforms on which to mount cameras and observation equipment, and electrical telemetry equipment collected synchronized flight data for analysis.

No jet powered commercial aircraft use ramjet engines because the plane can’t take off from a stop. The ramjet engines works only when there is sufficient speed through the air to enable the shockwave at the engine’s inlet to control compression of the incoming airstream.

Military and research aircraft use a variation of ramjet technology called a ‘scramjet’ and it’s usually a combination of a conventional turbojet or fanjet for takeoff and operation at low airspeeds, with the scramjet engine used for higher hypersonic flight.

Breanna Wall Pender Early College High School Immediate Family members: Parents: Eddie and Vickie Wall, Siblings: Mandi Wall and Brandi Buffkin Hobbies/Free Time activities: Fitness club and Zumba, Hosting at Jones Fish Camp, and Friday night football games What do think is the best thing about your high school?: The opportunities it provides for the students by allowing us to obtain both a high school and two year college degree 4-5 years.

Name a teacher or role model who has inspired you and why: Both my high school biology teacher Ms. Pierce, and my college biology professor Mr. Kiser have inspired me to further persue my major in biology.

List of schools you are considering applying to/next step once you graduate from HS: NC State is my first choice, but I am also looking into UNC-Chapel Hill for in-state and Texas A&M for out of state.

Favorite quote or saying?: ”For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11

Breanna

Tyler Hagan Topsail High School Immediate Family Members: Scott Hagan (father) Melissa Hagan (mother) Kensley Hagan (sister) Best Things about high school: The best thing about Topsail is the diligence that is shown by the teachers. The teachers at Topsail show a sense of compassion and they realize that as important as academics are, life is just as important and they always have an open ear and an open heart to your personal life.

Hobbies and free time activities: My free time consist of basketball, HOSA, and hanging out with my friends.

Teacher that inspired me: There are two teachers that have inspired me throughout my high school career, Coach Jeff Gainey and Mrs. Miranda Wells. Coach Gainey is the varsity basketball coach at Topsail and has coached me for three years. Throughout those three years he has not only driven me to achieve my goals as an athlete, but has prepared me mentally to face college and what life after high school will truly be like. Mrs. Wells has been my health sciences teacher and my HOSA advisor.

Mrs. Wells has always been there for me through the thick and the thin and has served as someone that I know I can always talk to and always rely on, not only during school but outside of school as well. I am beyond grateful that both of these exemplary role models have been huge influences in my life, making me the student and teen I am today.

List of Schools applying to: Duke, UNC Chapel Hill, University of Tennessee at Knoxville, University of North Carolina at Charlotte Favorite quote: “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”

- Martin Luther King, Jr

Tyler

picturethis

Anna

Anna Brodmerkel Heide Trask High School Immediate Family members: Mom: Jan Brodmerkel, Dad: Scott Brodmerkel Hobbies/Free Time activities: Softball, Volleyball, Marching Band, Bridge Club (social mentors to students with special abilities), Science Olympiads What do think is the best thing about your high school?: Trask is a place of acceptance. No matter who you are, you can always find someone willing to help you. The Titans are a strong student body that stick together through any circumstance.

Name a teacher or role model who has inspired you and why: My mom is my role model. She dedicated herself to giving me every possible opportunity to succeed and became involved in my school and activities, while working full time.

She leaves a lasting impact wherever she goes, and is able to accept change with grace. She inspires me daily, and I am blessed to call her mine. It’s not every day you meet a woman as wonderful and caring as my mother.

List of schools you are considering applying to/next step once you graduate from HS: Princeton, Clemson, UNC Chapel Hill, Davidson, UNC Asheville, majoring in anthropology or sociology Favorite quote or saying?:”I’m an idealist. I don’t know where I’m going, but I’m on my way.” - Carl Sandburg Rubicelia Gasca Pender High School Immediate Family members: Gustavo Gasca (father), Maria Gasca (Mother), Gustavo Jr Gasca (Older sibling), David G. Gasca (sibling), Marisol Gasca (younger sibling) What do think is the best thing about your high school?: The best thing about my school would be the Teachers. They are always willing to help in anything that is needed and they always make time to advise and help students out.

Name a teacher or role model who has inspired you and why: One teacher that I really admire and that has inspired me to work hard to accomplish my goals and to never give up would be my (English /yearbook) teacher Karen McGowen.

She has a lot on her plate from graduation projects, to Beta Club and FCA, to yearbook. But even though she has all these activities around her she always has time for her students. She has helped me in many things, and she has taught me that dedication is the key in completing anything that is thought to be impossible. I thank her for everything she has done for me.

List of schools you are considering applying to/next step once you graduate from HS: University of Chapel Hill, ECU, UNCW Favorite quote or saying?: “The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically.

Intelligence plus character - that is the goal of true education.”

- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr

Rubicelia

2012 Ω FALL Ω Sounds 15

Goodbye Neglected.

Hello Connected.

SM

Is it about time you upgrade your wireless provider?

Join a wireless phone company that is recreating itself to be a better wireless provider, with better phones and better service at prices that make life easier.

Stop into an Atlantic Wireless store today and find out how you can get free phones, accessories and faster upgrades with our rewards program. uscellular.com

Samsung Galaxy S™ III 4G LTE Data Capability Android™ 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) 4.8" HD Super AMOLED™ Screen 1.5 GHz Dual Core Processor 8 MP Camera with LED Flash and no shutter lag 1.9 MP Front-facing Camera Full HD 1080P Video Recording & Playback Wi-Fi Capable 16GB of Internal Memory microSD™ Memory Card Support Up To 64GB Access to thousands of apps through Google Play

Hampstead 14560 U.S. HWY 17

910-270-8575 4G LTE not available in all areas. See uscellular.com/4G for detailed coverage information. 4G LTE service provided through King Street Wireless, a partner of U.S. Cellular.

Android and the Android Robot are trademarks of Google, Inc. Trademarks and trade names are the property of their respective owners. While supplies last. ©2012 U.S. Cellular.

16 Sounds Ω FALL Ω 2012