SENC Magazine - Spring 2020

SE WINTER 2020 2020 SPRING

outhern SS P R I N G T I M E

North Carolina

Wilmington’s Azalea Festival kicks off the season in style

IN THIS ISSUE: WHY ALL THE BUZZ ABOUT THE BEES? AVENGING WATER POLLUTION A SHIPWRECK, MURDER & MUTINY THE OFT-MISUNDERSTOOD ART OF MOONSHINE

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Editor’s Note

Spring has sprung! (We hope)

SE North Carolina www.sencmag.com

Issue No. 22 / Spring 2020 Staff / Credits / Contributions PUBLISHER Jim Sills EDITOR Abby Cavenaugh PRODUCTION/GRAPHIC DESIGN Jillian Williams CONTENT & PHOTOGRAPHY Abby Cavenaugh Lauren Branch CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Annesophia Richards L.E. Brown, Jr. ADVERTISING Alan Wells Jim Schaffer CONTACT sencmagazine.wordpress.com acavenaugh@ncweeklies.com 1.910.296.0239 ON THE COVER Native Wilmingtonian Todd Carignan created the official artwork for the 2020 N.C. Azalea Festival. Of recreating the Airlie Oak and the festival’s annual garden party, he said, “In my painting, I tried to bring the feeling of the party to life, with impressions of colors brightly dancing across the Airlie lawn, under the giant oak, with its ancient twisting limbs and dripping spanish moss. I like that the tree is so big it can’t fit on the canvas, and the party is so expansive that is moving out beyond the picture’s edge to pull you into the festivities.”

SouthEast North Carolina Magazine is a publication of the Duplin Times and APG Media of Eastern NC. Contents may not be reproduced without the consent of the publisher.

As I write this, it’s sunny and in the 70s outside, even though it’s not officially spring yet. However, having lived most of my life in Southeastern North Carolina, I wouldn’t be surprised if we get a springtime snow storm!

If you’ve lived in the region for any amount of time at all, you know that nothing says springtime quite like Wilmington’s Azalea Festival, held the first week in April for the past 73 years.

There are the Belles in their 1800sstyle hoop skirts, garden parties, queens, the parade, the street fair that draws hundreds of thousands to downtown, art shows, concerts, and of course, the azaleas themselves. Our Wilmington-area writer Annesophia Richards gives us a rundown of the Azalea Festival and its history, as well as plans for the future.

We were also lucky enough to be granted permission to use the official artwork for the Azalea Festival on our cover. Artist Todd Carignan recreated the spirit of the festival in this painting, and it’s a beautiful sight to behold. I think you’ll agree, it’s probably our springiest cover yet.

Of course, the Azalea Festival isn’t the only mainstay of springtime in the South.

Our area also plays host to Burgaw’s Blueberry Festival, Wallace’s Strawberry Festival and Mount Olive’s Pickle Festival. And yes, pickles are a fruit, too— I Googled.

Check out our Snapshot for more on these fruity and fun festivals.

Something else that brings to mind the arrival of spring, at least in my mind, is bees. Writer Lauren Branch checks into one local beekeepers association, and reveals why these buzzing insects are so vital to our continued survival.

Not necessarily seasonal, but altogether interesting, are two pieces featuring the rich history of Southeastern North Carolina.

In late January, a 100-year-old shipwreck was uncovered by the tides on Topsail Island. While the photos of the

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wreckage were cool enough (to me, at least), I then discovered the history of this ship, complete with a murder mystery.

That was unexpected! You never know what you’ll uncover in this neck of the woods.

L.E. Brown also did some digging on the moonshine industry in Southeastern N.C. While it’s often thought of as something that took place in the mountains of our state, the east saw its fair share of illegal whiskey production as well. And likely still does.

And then, the fangirl in me was thrilled to see actor Mark Ruffalo in person, when he visited Wilmington earlier this year. I’ve admired him since I saw him in “13 Going On 30” years ago, and with my Marvel fandom, I, of course, know him as the Hulk in the Avengers movie franchise as well. I also thought he should have won the Oscar for “Spotlight,” but that’s neither here nor there.

Superheroes and romantic comedies aside, Ruffalo is a passionate activist and his visit to Wilmington was about more than promoting his latest movie, “Dark Waters.” He helped to kick off the #WhyWeFight campaign, which is helping to raise awareness of “forever chemicals.” PFAS, as they’re also known, frighteningly enough, are in 99 percent of us already. And studies have shown that they cause multiple types of cancer, as well as birth defects and thyroid disease.

It’s a frightening reality, and hopefully, Ruffalo’s star power will lend a Hulk-sized punch to the fight.

So, this issue has plenty of diverse stories that we hope you’ll enjoy. Hopefully, you’ve come to expect nothing less from this publication.

Always feel free to send us a note to let us know how we’re doing, and best wishes for a sensational spring!

Abby Cavenaugh, Editor

SINCE A PICTURE IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS, HERE ARE SOME SELECTED PHOTOS OF DESTINATIONS TO VISIT IN SOUTHEASTERN NORTH CAROLINA ON INSTAGRAM

#southeasternnorthcarolina #southeasternnc

Wrightsville Beach Gulls in a frenzy over the convergence at the tip of the jetty #jetty #easternseaboard #landscapephotography #welovenc #outaboutnc #seascapes #onlyinnorthcarolina #southeasternnc @rightcoast.photo

Oriental Sunset facing east... Oriental views are the best on the water. @CrzieBird | Cindy Lark Hartman #OrientalNC #NorthCarolinaLiving @orientalvillagenc/ @CrzieBird

Guides to the Good Stuff Join us on social media for insider tips from Southeastern North Carolina natives...

Follow us @se.north.carolina

Duplin County The meandering Northeast Cape Fear, about five miles above Hallsville. #easternnc #outaboutnc #naturephotography #explorenc #nchiddengems #landscapephotography @rambling.carolinian

Carolina Beach It’s the most beautiful time of the day! #sunset #carolinabeachstatepark #southeasternnc #lovewhereyoulive @jlawson9

Wrightsville Beach A warm January beach day with mama! #aintnothingbutahounddog #summerdayinjanuary #beachbeagle #beaglesofinstagram #dogsofinstagram #southeasternnc @littlemanstitch

SENCMAGAZNE.WORDPRESS.COM Our staff conceived this publication with a very basic idea in mind: to highlight interesting people, places, and events in Southeastern North Carolina in a way that honors the history and idiosyncratic spirit of the region.

Want your photo featured?

Simply post photos of what you love about Southeastern North Carolina on Instagram and use the hashtags at the top of the page!

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Contents

Features 14 The Buzz on Beekeeping

Bees help sustain life on our planet.

So, who helps sustain them?

SPRING 2020

EXTRAS

28 An Avenger fights 10 for Wilmington water Actor Mark Ruffalo kicked off the #WhyWeFight campaign to help combat “forever chemicals” in our water supply.

ON THE COVER 22 Azalea Festival: 34 Tide Uncovers Pomp & Southern Shipwreck on Topsail Earlier this year, the tides at Topsail Circumstance

Beach revealed a 100-year-old Since 1948, the Azalea Festival has shipwreck with a fascinating history. been a mainstay of springtime in Southeastern North Carolina. With Moonshine: belles, garden parties, concerts, and of course, azaleas,there’s lots to Misunderstood? enjoy this April!

Illegal whiskey: crime or misunderstood art form?

40

Playdates

From concerts and theatre to festivals, we’ve got your spring schedule covered.

13

SnapshotsFruity Festivals

As spring arrives, festivals hit full swing. We take a closer look at three that focus on some sweet Southern treats.

50

Folk: Grandpa, tell me ‘bout the good old days...

When I was growing up, my granddaddy told me some stories that scared me to death. Now, my daddy tells stories to keep the “good old days” alive. Let’s keep it going...

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our readers respond Here’s a sampling of some of the kind notes we’ve received on our past few issues of SE North Carolina. We’re always happy to hear your comments and criticisms — as long as they’re constructive!

A wonderful job!

I just picked up the summer issue and wanted to tell you how good a job I think you and the staff are doing.

I really enjoyed the story on [Philip] Gerard, and will be looking for Cape Fear Rising and some of his other histories.

Also, I remember Saturday nights in the early ’60s, getting off work at the old Wilson’s IGA Foodliner in Warsaw and striking out with friends for Williams Lake. They weren’t doing live bands at the time, but we didn’t know what we were missing, so who cared?

A wonderful memory, which is SENC’s forté.

Bill Rollins Warsaw

Keep up the good work I just wanted to drop a quick note to say that I truly enjoy this publication and appreciate your mission.

Thanks for sharing it in Jones County.

Keep up the good work.

Joy Cooke Wynne Lenoir Community College Kinston

A first-time honor Thanks for including me as a “contributing writer” in your latest issue of SE North Carolina. First time I’ve ever been given that title.

I was pleased with the way you handled my story (“The legend & the myth of Polly Slocumb,” Winter 2020).

Of course, I can always think of a few minor things to quibble about, and I bet you can, too. In fact, I suspect you scrutinize each issue, looking for ways to make the next issue better.

Thomas Byrd Faison

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An educational tool?

Thanks so much for an interesting magazine. I greatly enjoy reading it and whenever possible I keep a copy in my classroom for students to browse through.

Lee Holder North Lenoir High School LaGrange

EDITOR’S NOTE: Thanks to all of our readers for writing to tell us your thoughts! We love your suggestions, and may even use them for a future feature in SE North Carolina, so always feel free to contact us.

FEEDBACK: Got something to tell us? We want to know.

Send comments or suggestions to: SE North Carolina, Abby Cavenaugh- Editor, P.O. Box 69, Kenansville, NC 28349 acavenaugh@ncweeklies.com

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PLAY DATES Wilson Center Cape Fear Community College Wilmington

The Wilson Center at Cape Fear Community College boasts a grand performance hall designed with three floors that wrap around the stage, meaning there’s truly not a bad seat in the house. “Whether seated in the Orchestra, Grand Tier, or Balcony, guests enjoy an intimate setting, and the feeling of being part of the show,” the website states. Below are a sampling of some of the big-name offerings coming to the venue this spring.

Cats: The Musical, March 24-26, showtimes at 8 p.m., doors open at 7 p.m.; $71-143. The record-breaking musical spectacular by Andrew Lloyd Webber is now on tour throughout North America. Audiences and critics alike are rediscovering this beloved musical with breathtaking music, including one of the most treasured songs in musical theater —“Memory.”

Azalea Festival Pops, March 29, showtime 5 p.m., doors open at 3:45 p.m.; $25-85. An official event of the 73rd annual N.C. Azalea Festival, this Symphony POPS! concert will feature the premiere of a new work commissioned by the festival and composed by Wilmington Symphony Orchestra conductor Dr. Steven Errante, among other famous symphonic works.

RAIN: A Tribute to the Beatles, April 13, showtime at 7:30 p.m., doors open at 6:30 p.m.; $45-110. In celebration of the anniversary of Abbey Road, RAIN will bring the greatest hits of this epic recording to life, in addition to all your early Beatles favorites.

Riverdance: The 25th, Anniversary Show, April 21-22, showtimes at 7:30 p.m. April 21 and 22, additional show at 2:30 p.m. April 22; $41-85. A reinvention of the beloved favorite, celebrated the world over for its Grammy Awardwinning score and the thrilling energy and passion of its Irish and international dance.

Bandstand, May 2; showtimes at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.; $45-103. In 1945, as America’s soldiers come home to tickertape parades and overjoyed families, Donny Novitski, singer and songwriter, struggles to rebuild the life he left behind.

When NBC announces a national competition to find the next great superstars, Donny sees a lifeline for himself and some fellow veterans that gives them the purpose they so desperately need.

The Blue Man Group, May 5-6, showtimes at 7:30 p.m., doors open at 6:30 p.m.; $50-97. This show will feature new and original compositions, acts, and instruments alongside iconic Blue Man Group moments based in joy, art, music, comedy, social commentary, and profound absurdity.

SE PICK

Blue Brew & ‘Que Duplin County Events Center Kenansville 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

MAR

28 SAT

The Blue, Brew, & ‘Que Festival will feature some of the best bluegrass music, beer from North Carolina’s craft breweries and some good ol’ N.C. barbecue. This year’s lineup includes wellknown bluegrass acts Cumberland County Line, Alan Bibey & Grasstowne, Kyle Petty, Lorraine Jordan & Carolina Road, Abby the Spoon Lady, Tim White & Troublesome Hollow, and The Cleverlys. Tickets are $20 in advance, $25 the day of, $15 for military, $5 for ages 6-20, and free for kids under age 5. Each ticket purchase includes a commemorative beer glass for those age 21 and up. For more information or to purchase early bird tickets, visit www.bluebrewandque.com.

May 28, showtimes at 7:30 p.m., doors open at 6:30 p.m.; $22-85. Enjoy some of your favorite John Williams epic scores, including “Jurassic Park,” “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” “Star Wars” and more!

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North Carolina Songwriters Festival Downtown Fayetteville

MAy

21-23 THU-SAT

The North Carolina Songwriter’s Festival will be a destination event, while providing a platform for singer/songwriters in the local area to network with nationally-known songwriters and artists. The Festival will feature simultaneous performances at various venues on and around Hay Street in downtown Fayetteville. The festival is timed to coincide with the Memorial Day holiday.

BMI, the Performing Rights Organization for songwriters and composers, has already agreed to sponsor this festival and will be curating the nationally-known songwriters who will be invited to attend. For more on this event and the artists scheduled to perform, visit .

MAy

9

SAT

An Evening with Alison Krauss

“The Life of the Funeral” APRIL 2 p.m.

Paramount Theatre, Goldsboro

11 SAT

“The Life of the Funeral” is a comedy about a lady named “Roloquea” who was the “Biggest Bully” in the church until she faced a terrible tragedy. While needing the support of others, she quickly found that many of the people she’d bullied, including family, had retaliated against her in revenge. See how even in the midst of chaos and confusion, God is still a God of Love, Mercy, Grace and Forgiveness.

Tickets and more info at www.cistalueeeze.com.

MAy

SE PICK

8 p.m., Crown Theatre, Fayetteville Tickets: $45-125

Grammy Award-winning artist Alison Krauss and The Windy City Band will perform numerous chart-topping hits in what promises to be an unforgettable night.

22-31 FRI-SUN

Thalian Hall, Wilmington

Bialystock and Bloom! Those names should strike terror and hysteria in anyone familiar with Mel Brooks’ classic cult comedy film. Now a Broadway musical, “The Producers” once again sets the standard for modern, outrageous, in-your-face humor. It is a truly “boffo” hit, winning a record 12 Tony Awards and wowing capacity crowds night after night.

Tickets at thalianhall.org.

Alison Krauss grew up listening to everything from folk to opera to pop and rock music, but quickly fell in love with bluegrass when she began playing fiddle at the age of 5. At the age of 14, she signed her her first record deal and went on to release her debut solo album two years later.

Since 1985, Krauss has released 14 albums including five solo, seven with her longtime band and musical collaborators Union Station, and the Robert Plant collaboration Raising Sand, which was certified platinum and won five Grammys, including Album of the Year and Record of the Year.

She’s sold more than 12 million records to date, and her honors include 27 Grammys, nine Country Music Association awards, 14 International Bluegrass Music Association Awards, two Academy of Country Music Awards and two Gospel Music Association awards.

“Windy City,” her latest solo album, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums and Top Bluegrass Albums charts, and received two Grammy nominations.

Visit www.crowncomplexnc.com/events/detail/alison-krauss-the-windy-city-band for tickets and more information.

SPRINGTIME SHOWS, FESTIVALS & MORE BBQ Fest on the Neuse May 1-2

Home Free: Dive Bar Saints Tour April 19, 7 p.m.

Tickets $16.50-36.50

Winners of NBC’s “The Sing-Off,” Home Free are known for rich, Southern harmonies and quick-witted humor. For tickets, visit crowncomplexnc.com.

For more on the band, visit .

Since 1981, the The KinstonLenoir County Chamber of Commerce has presented the largest barbecue cookoff festival in North Carolina.

The festival features, of course, barbecue, as well as food competitions, shopping, arts and crafts, children’s activities, a wine garden and more.

This year will also feature American Idol contestant and recording artist Lauren Alaina. For more information, visit kinstonbbq.com.

Fayetteville Dogwood Festival April 23-26 Fayetteville

This four-day annual festival kicks off with the Cork & Fork food and wine event, and continues with a concert series starting Thursday night. On Friday, there will be an array of vendors including arts & crafts, commercial products, food, and services. Midway rides and attractions are also part of the festivities. Visit

Egg-cellent easter events

April 24-25, 7:30 p.m. | April 26, 3 p.m.

The musical follows the story of Dolly, a strong-willed matchmaker, as she tries to find a match for a miserly “wellknown unmarried half-a-millionaire.”

Tickets at www.goldsboroparamount.com/hello-dolly/.

The 8th Annual Inclusive Easter Egg Hunt is for people of all ages, with and without special needs, and their families and friends. There will also be a tour of the farm, arts & crafts, temporary tattoos and more. For more information, to register, donate or volunteer, contact Melissa Lewis at 252-349-0220 or melissa.lewis@creeksiderts.org.

April 4, 11 a.m., Hubbs Farm, Clinton Age-appropriate egg hunts will be held, with a grand finale airplane egg drop at 3 p.m. (weather permitting) and photo opportunities with Topper the Bunny. There will be fun activities including giant slides, hayrides, barrel train rides, animal acres, a mini-zipline (up to 100 lbs.), yard games, tire climb and more. A schedule of events may be viewed at www.hubbsfarmnc.com.

April 9, 8-11 a.m., Halyburton Park, Wilmington Event will include an egg hunt and fun programs and activities, including storytime and nature hikes. Egg Hunts will take place at 9:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. for children ages 2-9.

Cost is $5/child. Register online at webreg.wilmingtonnc.gov or call 910-341-0075.

Bring the kids for an Easter Egg Hunt, Easter crafts, pancake breakfast and other fun events.

For more information, call 252-638-2556.

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SE Snapshot

North Carolina

Spring brings fruity festivals to SENC

A

s warmer weather rolls around, more and more towns throughout Southeastern N.C. are hosting annual festivals. Interestingly enough, many of these festivals focus on the fruits of our labor— literally. Following are a few of the upcoming springtime festivals that celebrate our region’s love for the fruits that make this part of the state such a delicious place to live and enjoy.

Carolina Strawberry Festival Few fruits bring about sweet spring memories like the strawberry. Each year, thousands descend upon downtown Wallace for the Carolina Strawberry Festival. This year’s festival will kick off on Friday, May 1, and continue on Saturday, May 2. The festival will feature live musical entertainment, dinosaur shows, amusement rides and plenty of food vendors offering fresh strawberries and strawberry goodies.

For more, visit www.carolinastrawberryfestival. com.

North Carolina Pickle Festival This two-day event brings around 35,000 people to the town of Mount Olive each year. A pickle eating contest, Cuke Patch 5K, Pickle Trail, mascot race, and carnival rides are just a few of the fun things you will find at the 34th annual N.C. Pickle Festival in downtown Mount Olive.

This year is special because it is also the 150th birthday of the town. Chamber of Commerce president and Pickle Festival co-chair Julie Beck said they have some special activities planned for this year to celebrate the anniversary, in addition to the usual festival’s events.

For more, visit the website at www.ncpicklefest. org/.

It won’t technically be summer yet (although it’ll probably feel like it) when the N.C. Blueberry Festival returns to downtown Burgaw. Founded in 2003, the festival draws an estimated 30,000 people.

The Blueberry Festival provides an opportunity for people to enjoy a full day of family entertainment, including live music, a car show, a street fair, recipe contest, a 5K run, kids’ activities, special exhibits, and a variety of other events.

For more, visit www.ncblueberryfestival.com.

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The Buzz on Beekeeping Story & Photos By Lauren Branch Some people are afraid of bees, but one group, the N.C. State Beekeepers Association (NCSBA), loves bees.

Bees tend to have a bad reputation, but are really important to our everyday lives. About 90 percent— or 180,000— of our plant species rely on pollination.

Pollination is the process of pollinators helping plants produce by transporting pollen from one flower to another. Honey bees are among one of the largest and most efficient groups of pollinators that supports pollination to plants. The average bee can visit more than 2,000 flowers in one day.

According to plantbee.org, plants produce one-third of our food supply, provide half of the world’s oils, fibers, and raw materials, are used to create medicines, provide food for wildlife, keep waterways clean, prevent soil erosion, produce oxygen that helps us breathe, and absorb CO2, which affects climate 14 | WWW.SENCMAGAZINE.WORDPRESS.COM | SPRING 2020

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change.

So, with all the facts in mind, it’s difficult to imagine a life without bees.

“As most people may or may not know, if it were not for them, of course for their pollination and all, we would not have anything to eat. And not just the club, everybody,” says Marian Jones, program chairman of the Duplin County Chapter of the N.C. Beekeepers Association.

There are approximately 4,000 different bee species in North America, so on any given day you may see a wide variety.

Some are as small as an eighth of an inch and others are as long as one inch.

The color of bees ranges from metallic green or blue to dark brown or black to striped red or orange. They can be found roaming “wild” or in secluded controlled areas, called bee apiaries, which can be managed by an individual or by organizations such as The Beekeepers Association.

The NCSBA partners with the N.C. State University Entomology Extension Apiary Program and the N.C. Department of Agriculture & Consumer Service’s Plant Industry Division Apiary Services. It is the oldest (starting in 1917) and largest beekeeping organization in the country with over 4,000 members statewide. There are 82 chartered associations, and according to the website, the mission of the NCSBA is to: • Encourage better beekeeping methodology; • Promote cooperation among

The Duplin County chapter was started five years ago by Barry and Marian Jones, who were members of another association and were encouraged to start one in Duplin County.

the beekeepers of the state and nation; • Reach a common understanding regarding our problems and their solutions; • Maintain friendly and helpful relations among beekeeping advocates; • Develop markets for beekeeping products; • Foster closer cooperation among members of the NCSBA; • Improve purposes relating to honey bees and beekeeping exclusively for its members and the general public.

The Duplin County chapter was started five years ago by Barry and Marian Jones, who were members of another association and were encouraged

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to start one in Duplin County.

There was another couple, Steve and Melinda Miller, who also helped them out. Barry has been beekeeping for over 50 years and Marian for over 30 years. Barry now serves as Duplin’s association president and Marian as the program chairman. They have now grown to around 40 members.

The Duplin County association has 10 hives that they maintain. They also have two pollination gardens. These flowers are bee-friendly and all members help out with these gardens.

Both gardens are located directly behind the Duplin County Extension Office in Kenansville.

At pollination gardens, there are flowers, bushes and trees that are bee-friendly, which help bees obtain nectar and pollen to take back to the hives to make hone.

The beekeepers have to check the gardens, make sure they have plenty of food, and extract the honey for sale of the product.

Association members try to promote education about bees.

They have a bee school that is open to anyone who wants to learn to keep bees or just wants to be a part of the club. Bee school starts in the middle of January and goes for six weeks.

There are usually eight to 12 students in the class. To do the bee class you must pay an $80 fee, which covers both local and state fees, as well as a classroom book. To join the chapter and not do bee school, you only pay $25 per year.

During bee school you have to keep bees for four months, and you take a practicum which

proves that you can identify the queen, the brood (baby bees), pollen, capped sales, capped honey, that you can keep the smoker lit, and that you are aware of what the bees may need in that particular hive.

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Once you complete these steps you are considered certified. After the certification step, you go to journeyman, where you take a written test and start doing public service projects like speaking at Rotary clubs

and civic groups. Then it is on to the master’s program. After the master’s program, you reach master craftsman, which is the highest level and requires a research project. There are only eight to 10 master craftsmen in

the entire state of North Carolina.

There is one master in Duplin County, Barry Jones.

The beekeepers also help extract the honey that is used to sell at local festivals. Funds

raised help support the county chapter and some funds also go to the Duplin County Veterans Museum in Warsaw in honor of a past member, the late George Leaming, who was both a veteran and a longtime member of the association.

Although bees are very important, there has been a decline in the number of bees by the billions according to recent studies. The decline has been caused by parasites, the use of pesticides that poison bees, and monoculture farming, which prevents bees from having a varied diet.

The bee colonies in the U.S. have declined steadily over the past 60 years, from 6 million colonies to 2.5 million today, according to the Plant Bee Foundation.

Many of the species are endangered and there are even some that have already gone extinct.

Here are a few ways the Honeybee Conservancy says you can help keep bees from extinction: 1. Protect bee habitats 2. Avoid harmful pesticides 3. Plant a bee-friendly garden 4. Save the trees 5. Create a bee bath 6. Build a home for native bees 7. Support local leekeepers 8. Sponsor a hive 9. Become a bee ambassador 10. Do your research.

For more on beekeeping, visit www.ncbeekeepers.org.

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Pomp & Southern Circumstance With a great deal of pomp and a bit of Southern circumstance, the 73rd North Carolina Azalea Festival returns to the city of Wilmington this year from April

1-5. As the largest festival of its kind in the state, this annual springtime celebration continues its tradition of showcasing all the charm, hospitality and natu-

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ral beauty the Cape Fear area has to offer. From the iconic parade and street fair to bigname performers to the coronation of a Festival Queen, the

Azalea Festival reigns supreme with its magnificent displays of community pride and cherished Southern roots.

The first seeds of the Azalea Festival were planted back in 1934 in the mind of Wilmington physician Dr. Houston Moore.

Moore had the vision of beautifying Greenfield Lake into a landscaped park, and for nearly a decade he worked with several local clubs, including the Wilm-

ington Rotary Club, to make his dream a reality. Wanting a way to showcase the beauty of the lake and Wilmington’s other gardens, Moore conceived of the idea of an annual springtime festival inspired by the area’s blossoming azaleas. In 1948, the first North Carolina Azalea Festival drew over 60,000 visitors and welcomed Hollywood starlet Jacqueline White as its first official Queen Azalea.

“What’s really special about the festival is it was started by many different groups within Wilmington coming together during a bad economy to bring people out into the community,” says executive director Alison Baringer English. “We’ve been able to keep it alive for 73 years, and our mission is still the same now as it was then — to promote the economy and encourage volunteerism and a sense of community.”

Drawing over 300,000 people to its concerts, fairs and special events, today’s Azalea Festival staff consists of only three full-time employees and seven college interns. Nearly 1,000 volunteers, some of whom have been involved in helping make the event a success for over 40 years, run the majority of the festival. The six Board of Directors members are all elected volunteers as well, most of them having served as previous committee chairs for decades.

“It’s ingrained from childhood, since parents volunteer and then their children grow up and start volunteering,” says English. “We really have a festi-

val family, because once you get involved, it’s hard to leave it.”

The most iconic element of the Azalea Festival is the Waterfront Street Fair. This three-day event draws over 150,000 visitors and 300 vendors to downtown Wilmington. The street fair showcases three entertainment stages: one for local and regional musicians, another dedicated to multicultural performances, and a third devoted to children’s activities and shows. Adjacent to the street fair, Saturday morning’s family-favorite Festival Parade celebrates the community with marching bands, floats, giant helium balloons, community groups, and clubs.

Another main highlight is the Festival’s Main Stage concerts.

Nationally touring acts perform at the Festival’s open-air venue located along the riverfront.

This year’s performers include Aaron Lewis on Thursday night, Sublime with Rome and Michael Franti & Spearhead Friday evening, and the Avett Brothers on Saturday.

Something the festival prides itself on is its partnerships with various other nonprofit organizations to create associated events. One example is the Cape Fear Garden Club Azalea Garden Tour, one of the longestrunning and most popular garden tours in the South. Since 1969, the Cape Fear Garden Club has appointed a group of young women, named the Cape Fear Garden Club Azalea Belles, to serve as ambassadors for the club and hostesses for the gardens during the tours. The

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A fella with an umbrella walks among cadets who stand at attention during the annual Garden Party, one of the most celebrated events of the yearly festival.

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LEFT - RIGHT: 2019 Azalea Queen Briana Venskus, receives a bouquet and welcome from the Wilmington Boys and Girls Club. The Azalea Festival draws more than 300,000 people every year to downtown Wilmington for the street fair, pictured here, concerts, parade and numerous other events. Airlie Spring Gardens are shown in this vintage 1949 photo, just the second year of the N.C. Azalea Festival.

women are outfitted in colorful Southern gowns fitted by local dressmakers and designed to complement the stunning blooms and surrounding landscapes of Wilmington. In addition to greeting visitors during the garden tours, the Cape Fear Garden Club Azalea Belles participate in other festival-related events throughout the week.

Other associated events during the festival include the Historic Wilmington Foundation’s North Carolina Azalea Festival Home Tour, the Children’s Tea hosted by the Cape Fear Volunteer Center, and the Juried Art Show and Sale hosted by the Wilmington Art Association, among others.

“It’s really important for us to have these types of partnerships,” says English. “The Festival has such a big brand name that we can let smaller nonprofits borrow it and help highlight them and create more events. With the small staff we have, we couldn’t possibly plan all these events on our own.”

The Azalea Belles are present for the Queen’s Coronation, an annual event where the festival’s ultimate hostess is officially crowned the North

Carolina Azalea Festival Queen.

A woman who has accomplished significant things in life and her career, Queen Azalea is the most honored guest throughout all the events and festivities she attends during the week. She is joined by the Queen’s Court made up of eight young women vying for the title of Miss North Carolina, as well as a group of cadets who serve as escorts.

New to this year’s festival is a partnership with the Wilmington Symphony Orchestra. During a special concert on March 29, the orchestra will perform a brand new symphony, Azalea Suite, composed by the Wilmington Symphony Orchestra’s conductor, Dr. Steven Errante.

“We’re very excited about this new partnership and being a part of this historic event,” says English. “It’s the first time that this piece has been unveiled, and the music will be something the festival can then continue to use in the future.”

Another new feature this year is the addition of 2020 Xperiences. In partnership with event sponsor Wilmington Eye, festival guests are given the opportunity to purchase 20 unique VIP experience packages, in-

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cluding riding with the Queen in her limo during her Community Visit Day, a backstage tour of the Wilmington Symphony Orchestra with the conductor, or riding in the front of the Festival Parade with the Grand Parade Marshal.

“Since it’s the 2020 Festival, and thinking about Wilmington Eye and the idea of 20/20 vision, we wanted to find a way to show people a different side of the festival and let them see things from a new perspective,” says English.

As a 501c3 nonprofit, all money raised during the Azalea Festival goes back to supporting the mission of promoting Wilmington’s economy and volunteerism.

One way to accomplish that is through bigger and better events every year. Preparations are already underway for the 75th Azalea Festival coming up in 2022, and English says her team really wants to mark this special milestone year by giving Wilmington the biggest Festival celebration yet.

“I can’t think of a better way to celebrate what we do have in common: our love of our families, love of our friends, and love of our community,” says English. “The Azalea Festival helps bring people together and reminds us all of the good in our community.”

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TOP: Azalea Belles at Airlie Gardens during the 2005 Azalea Festival. MIDDLE LEFT: The first Azalea Queen, Jacqueline White, in 1948. MIDDLE RIGHT: Miss North Carolina 2019 Laura Matrazzo at last year’s N.C. Azalea Festival Garden Party. BOTTOM: Azalea Belles hold the ribbon for Azalea Festival president Jonathan D. Hedge to cut to start the 2019 parade.

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An Avenger fights for water quality Story & Photos By Abby Cavenaugh As part of the highest-grossing film franchise of all time, “The Avengers,” Mark Ruffalo has plenty of influence throughout the world. That’s why it was particularly exciting that the actor and producer visited Wilmington’s Thalian Hall in February to help kick off the #WhyWeFight initiative.

North Carolina Conservation Network, Clean Cape Fear and the Center for Environmental Health partnered for the initiative, which aims “to showcase the stories of communities harmed by exposure to forever chemicals (PFAS).”

PFAS, or pre and polyfluouroaikyl substances, are chemicals that have been used in nonstick pans, dental floss, raincoats, fast food wrappers, microwave popcorn bags, carpets and upholstery. They’re called “forever chemicals” because they are difficult to break down, remove or clean up and can remain in the environment for thousands of years.

Quite startling fact: PFAS are found in the blood of 99 percent of Americans.

According to the Center for Environmental Health, PFAS has been linked to kidney cancer, testicular cancer and breast cancer, and can also cause hormone disruption, damage to the immune system, thyroid disease and decreased growth hormones in children. Some children whose mothers were exposed

to PFAS have been born with deformities and birth defects.

Ruffalo joined local activists as part of a panel prior to a screening of his latest film, “Dark Waters.” He stars as environmental defense attorney Rob Bilott, who went up against DuPont — and won. Eventually.

Although the film is set in West Virginia, and is based on a true story, the story is all too real in many communities across the country, including Wilmington.

“I made this movie because I feel like we’ve lost our connection to each other,” Ruffalo said. “The only way I know how to reinstate that connection is through storytelling.

“The one thing I believe is that water transcends ideology and political boundaries, just like storytelling,” he continued.

“And when I read the story, I couldn’t believe, literally, one of the biggest corporate crimes in history and none of us knew about it. We were all poisoned.

None of us had a choice about it. The fact that it was a supplement to the New York Times, instead of on the cover of every single publication in the world was just absolutely shocking.”

In the film, residents of a small town— both humans and animals— begin getting sick, many of them diagnosed with cancer. It’s revealed throughout the film that the cause of the sickness is that DuPont

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has been dumping these PFAS chemicals into the town’s water supply.

Bilott leads the fight against the chemical giant, which soon becomes an uphill battle.

“I wanted to have a moment like this, where we have all different kinds of people come together that we can talk about this with each other, and hear the hardships and then actually understand that we all have a part in it,” Ruffalo said. “Just like the characters in this movie

had a part in it, and they had a part in the fact that we’re all here today, together. And all of you, your stories, and what you’re experiencing also have a part in this. All of us together, in this awoken moment, we can change the world. But the bad guys want us to believe that we’re weak, that we have no voice and ‘you’re no good, kid, you got no money, you got no power, shut up, we’re gonna do whatever we want.’”

Closer to home, cancer survivor, veteran and community advocate Kara Kenan shared her experience with the audi-

“When I read the story, I couldn’t believe, literally, one of the biggest corporate crimes in history and none of us knew about it. We were all poisoned.”

Amanda Chen, left, led the panel discussion on forever chemicals with actor Mark Ruffalo, New Hanover County Commissioner Jonathan Barfield and Wilmington resident Kara Kenan.

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ence.

“I moved to this area in 2010, met and fell in love with the love of my life. We got married in early October of 2010; two weeks later, I found a very large lump in my left breast. That very quickly led to a diagnosis, which then turned out to be Stage 3 breast cancer. At 35 years old and as a newlywed, just moving in with my husband and raising our daughter, it was absolutely startling and not what you’re supposed to be doing as a newlywed, at all.”

Kenan had several surgeries to install chemotherapy ports on her body, followed by six months of chemotherapy.

After chemotherapy, she had radiation treatments. “I had to have a full hysterectomy to prevent the spread of the cancer any further in my body,” she said.

“I had a bilateral mastectomy, which if you don’t know, basically means I had both breasts removed.”

Kenan healed and said she’s living her life now. However, not long after she completed cancer treatment, her parents, who both are physicians, found out that they also had cancer.

“My dad had leukemia and my mom had a very rare blood disorder,” Kenan explained. “So they started getting treatment, and a very short time after that, my dad was also diagnosed with a very aggressive bladder cancer and had to have his bladder removed and now has an ostomy bag attached to his body.”

So, what does this have to do with PFAS in the water supply?

“Our family in a very short time experienced a whole lot of cancer,” Kenan said. “While we can’t sit here and say with any absolute certainty that it was because of our environment and because of the water, I think we can all agree that it has really been hard to ignore what is going on in our environment and how quickly that has affected all of us.”

New Hanover County Commissioner Jonathan Barfield was also part of the panel, and he talked about the county’s own fight against forever chemicals.

“It’s amazing to me that it’s been three years since we found all this PFAS in our water,” he said. “And from June of 2017, the county has been engaged in the process, has been meeting with the Secretary of the Interior, DEQ, our governor, wanting answers, trying to get answers, trying to get people to do what they should be doing. We’re trying to get someone to fight for us. And it’s been a tough fight.”

The PFAS in the Cape Fear River, and thus the county’s water supply, originated from Chemours, a company based near Fayetteville on the BladenCumberland County line. This particular “forever chemical” is commonly known as “GenX.” “You know, once we learned that we had PFAS in our water, I’m proud to say that we started setting up water stations in different parts of the county to make sure that people could get clean water from some of our underground wells,” Barfield said.

“Water is so important. Water is life. You know, you can go with-

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out food for a few days, but water? You can’t make it that long.”

Barfield promised that New Hanover County plans “to sue the heck out of Chemours,” which earned rousing cheers from the sold-out Thalian Hall audience.

When asked about his impressions of Wilmington, Ruffalo instead talked about the children he’d met earlier that day. Kids that are afraid to drink from the water fountain at their schools.

They all have family members, parents or grandparents that are fighting cancer.

“They’re the ones we have to think about. They’re the ones I implore Chemours, and DuPont and the state legislature to think about, because they’re your kids, too,” Ruffalo said. “We should keep them safe. That’s the number one thing. We should keep the kids safe. If there’s any way to frame this for yourself: is it safe for the kids? That transcends anyone’s politics. And that’s how we change the world.”

To learn more about PFAS, visit CapeFearRiverWatch.org, nccoast.org/genx, ceh.org, and cleancapefear.org.

SE CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Mark Ruffalo recognizes children in the audience at Thalian Hall. Folks took time after the show to send notes to state legislators.

“Dark Waters” was released in November.

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Tide uncovers shipwreck on Topsail — & a tale of murder and mystery of Mimi Farrell One of the many ghosts of the Graveyard of the Atlantic made an appearance earlier this year in Surf City on Topsail Island.

The remains of the William H. Sumner were uncovered by the tides during the last week of January, only to be buried again a week later.

The Sumner was built in 1891, and ran aground off Topsail in 1919. The triple-masted, 165-foot schooner was on its way from San Juan, Puerto Rico to its home port in New York, carrying cargo that included 850 tons of phosphate rock, 58 tons of mahogany and 30 tons of ironwood. It was manned by a crew of eight, including first mate Charles Lacey and skipper Robert Cochrane. The schooner was in Topsail Inlet when it drifted near shore and lodged in

a sand bar.

According to Lacey, the ship had veered off-course and Cochrane had planned to take the ship back out to sea the next morning, but instead, the winds died down and the ship was stuck. It eventually broke in half

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on the shoals.

As a result of this, according to Lacey, anyway, Cochrane shot himself.

Once local authorities investigated the scene, however, they began to doubt Lacey and the rest of the crew members’ ver-

sion of events.

For starters, Cochrane’s body was found to have two separate gunshot wounds — one on his right ear lobe, which had been blown off by the blast, and another between his temples.

There was also no sign of gun-

powder residue on his face or hands.

The ship’s log contained no mention of the ship veering off course, nor did it mention the captain’s death.

The crew members provided conflicting stories, and not all

of them spoke English. Some reported that they had witnessed Lacey threatening to kill Cochrane more than once, and contended that Lacey had been angry with the way Cochrane had handled the ship. Others insisted that Lacey and Cochrane

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had been friends, and felt Cochrane had committed suicide because he couldn’t bear what had happened to the schooner under his command.

No matter the theorizing and conflicting testimonies, after one hung jury and another “not guilty” verdict, Lacey and the rest of the crew were released from prison and went on to live the rest of their lives as free men.

What really happened on board the Sumner will likely remain a mystery for the ages.

Shortly after the ship ran aground, it was eventually blown up by the U.S. Coast Guard, as it posed a threat to other vessels navigating the area.

According to Wikipedia, more than 5,000 vessels have sunk off the North Carolina coast since records began being kept in the 1500s. The shoals of the Outer

Banks make it easy for ships to run aground, earning the coast the moniker, “Graveyard of the Atlantic.”

The remains of the William H. Sumner are usually visible once or twice a year. In 2019, the wreck appeared in April. In 2017, it could be seen in October.

So, its appearance is as much a mystery as the events that led to its demise.

Though shipwrecks are fascinating, it’s important to keep in mind that they should be looked at and admired, not touched.

When the wreck appeared last April, the town of Surf City posted on its Facebook page, “Please remember, shipwrecks

The Williiam H. Sumner was a three-masted, 165-foot schooner that ran aground in 1919, near what is today the town of Surf City. The cargo ship reportedly sailed off course and eventually got stuck on a sand bar, where the elements broke it into several pieces. Today, only pieces of the ship remain, and they are visible only once or twice a year.

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are protected by the state, so removing or damaging the remains is a violation of state law.”

The Sumner is the only known shipwreck that’s visible on Topsail Island, so it’s easily recognizable. When it’s uncovered, it’s about 150 yards from the pilings left by Barnacle Bill’s Pier.

And while it may at first glance appear to be just a pile of wood, the William H. Sumner is so much more. It’s a piece of history that emerges from the sand once in a while, before it’s subsequently taken back by the elements to its final resting place.

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The remains of the William H. Sumner on Surf City in January 2020. The tides left the wreckage visible for about a week, before the sand reclaimed the ship.

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Moonshine: a misunderstood art form?

Story By L.E. Brown, Jr.

Photo Courtesy of Cowan Museum of History and Science

Making illicit whiskey is one of the most misunderstood art forms in America, including by many folks living in the southeastern part of North Carolina.

Many myths surround the practice of making unlawful spirits, too many to dispel or prove all.

It’s important to point out that for many, the making of illegal whiskey in Southeastern N.C., beginning during the American Revolution, continuing through the 19th century and even into the 1960s, was an honorable profession.

For many poor families it was a necessity, another source of income, to supplement low factory wages or farm income.

Moonshining can be said to have a language all its own. In the South, domestic manufacturing of hard liquor is most often called moonshining; in the Midwest it is better known as bootlegging.

Other important terms one should know:

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Distillery: Mechanical device that turns a grain, such as corn, wheat or rye, into a drinkable alcoholic beverage.

Still: Short for distillery.

Moonshiner: A gentleman (or gentlewoman) who tends his (or her) still by the light of the moon.

White lightnin’: A clear white drink, said to be like the real weather-related white lightning, about which was said could not be extinguished by any means. A healthy swallow of white light-

nin’ is said to start a raging fire in the belly that— for a while at least— cannot be extinguished.

White mule, stump whiskey, mountain dew, corn squeezin’: other names for moonshine whiskey.

Revenooers: Slang for revenue agents; employed to arrest moonshiners and destroy stills.

It is generally accepted that whiskey-making in the United States spread into various regions of the South partially because of geological facts, often overlooked, one of which was

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the desirability of good, cool limestone water.

The SENC region had plenty of the above. Also conducive to making whiskey in the region was the growing of the base product of distilling: rye, wheat grain and corn. Gristmills were numerous.

Manufacturing whiskey (perhaps called liquor by refined foks) without federal government sanction in the counties of Duplin, Pender, Onslow, Lenoir, Jones, Wayne and New Hanover

is just as illegal as it was during several notable eras of United States history. That includes the Revolutionary War, Prohibition and notable stretches of peacetime.

It is unnecessary to name alleged moonshiners when composing a brief story on moonshining and, if done, could offend some readers to have the names of offending moonshiner ancestors, deceased or even living, made public — again. Al-

though, there is no need for embarrassment, since moonshining is considered by most honorable work, and money earned from the activity helped finance food, shelter and schooling for the progeny of many a moonshiner.

As related to birth rates, during peak years of illicit whiskey production, there is no evidence to suggest that night work of still-tending interfered noticeably with baby production. Perhaps daylight drew the husband to

the homestead in time for a few minutes of bed-tending before breakfast?

Nor is there anything to be gained by pointing out that the wealth of the family of one of our most popular presidents resulted in large part through bootlegging.

The name bootlegging is said to come from the practice of American frontiersmen who carried bottles of illicit liquor in the tops of their boots.

SPRING 2020 | WWW.SENCMAGAZINE.WORDPRESS.COM | 43

There is little doubt that the name moonshining comes from the fact that working at an illicit whiskey distillery occurred mostly at night, ergo, by the “light of the moon.”

The two primary reasons that tending “stills” occurred at night were that detection by lawmen was less likely and that most moonshiners were farmers and were busy with crops during daylight.

In the late 18th century, the growing availability of good grain whiskey may have been a key to the success of the American Revolution. One source notes that the veterans of the Revolution fought with more fierceness when they whetted their fighting spirit with an issue of corn or rye whiskey instead of rum.

A moonshiner may also have been a tenant crop farmer, working for only a portion of dollars his product took in. That tenancy practice could have carried over to making whiskey. The landlord supplied material, the moonshiner provided the labor.

It must also be remembered that these whiskey-makers weren’t being hounded by the law because the law thought the makers were sinning, but because they weren’t paying taxes on their product.

Indeed, some point out that the founding fathers founded liquor taxes not long after founding the country.

In North Carolina, the mountains and foothills are sources of many action-packed stories about the art of making illegal

It is believed by some that pioneer moonshiners were first attracted to eastern North Carolina because of its numerous streams and inlets, which not only provided water for their stills but offered many coves as hiding places from lawmen.

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whiskey. There is the story of legendary stock car racer Junior Johnson, who honed his driving skills driving carloads of illicit whiskey while being chased by Internal Revenue Service agents.

Stories about revenooers and sheriff’s deputies chasing bootleggers in Southeastern North Carolina aren’t nearly as numerous or glamorous. Besides, most moonshiners in these areas were too poor to own a fast car.

The pride seemingly felt by Southeastern N.C. domestic manufacturers of illegal whiskey may have been responsible for the unfounded belief that, to avoid lawmen, they had to be smarter than their domestic western producers. And, as a result, may have made better whiskey, too. (Also unprovable.)

It is believed by some that pioneer moonshiners were first attracted to eastern North Carolina because of its numerous streams and inlets, which not only provided water for their stills but offered many coves as hiding places from lawmen.

History says that hostility to the federal tax on the manufacture of domestic whiskey began as soon as the tax was imposed.

Proposed March 3, 1791 by Alexander Hamilton, then Secretary of the Treasury, it was enacted to help pay Revolution expenses.

Like their colleagues in northern states, strong feeling against the tax was felt in Southeastern North Carolina. Not surprisingly, part of the hostility stemmed from the manufacturers’ belief that the tax infringed on their right of free enterprise. Some felt

that the tax amounted to government interference into their personal habits and methods of livelihood.

Besides, the tax amounted to a personal insult, some thought.

The already widespread anger increased after a law was passed to give teeth to the tax law’s enforcement. It peaked when a force of about 500 armed distillers attacked the home of General John Neville, regional inspector of the excise in Pennsylvania, and burned it.

As the 18th century neared its end, President George Washington ordered a sizable army into Pennsylvania to crush the so-called Whiskey Rebellion.

The dreaded tax was repealed in 1802, but revived in 1814, to help reduce the debt created by the War of 1812.

Various taxes were enacted and repealed through the rest of the 19th Century and the 20th century Prohibition years, and afterward.

Also, over the years responsibility of apprehending moonshiners — and smashing stills — morphed from the federal Internal Revenue Service to the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF).

Two items in The Wallace Enterprise (Duplin County) newspaper in the spring of 1953 show that the mostly drudgery of moonshining was still popular in Duplin County, and could co-exist with the fun of school sports.

(The same could likely be said of the rest of the seven-county region.)

In the same month that the

newspaper reported that the Rose Hill-Magnolia girls basketball team came within one point of winning the state championship (or by another account lost in the semi-finals by one point, a win would have taken the team to the state championship game) the newspaper reported that five moonshine manufacturing operations were “brought to a close during the past week.”

Ironically, six years before the girls played and the men made whiskey, the man whose name and image equaled an image of crime, died in Chicago. Alphonse “Al” Capone went to prison in 1939, and served over seven years, after being convicted of income tax corruption. Before he went to prison his base of operation centered around bootlegging whiskey. Along the way, men connected to bootlegging died young.

Although there were a few instances of shootings and an occasional near-murder, nothing in Southeastern North Carolina came close to the criminal activities that surrounded the activities of Capone’s Chicago-based operation.

In short, all things considered, making and selling illegal whiskey was more fun in Southeastern North Carolina than in Chicago and its environs.

Bootlegging blossomed during the Prohibition era in the USA (1920–33), and helped create powerful gang bosses. Likewise, moonshining in this area likely peaked during prohibition, but never gave rise to what could be described as powerful gangs.

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One does not have to be ancient to remember feuds between “wets” and “drys.”

Wets favored liquor stores, drys did not. Under N.C. liquor laws, counties and incorporated towns decided by popular vote whether to be dry or wet.

The sale of liquor was overseen by the Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) board. Some counties hired an ABC officer, whose job was to act to reduce ABC store competition as much as possible.

So, if a story told of a moonshiner (notorious fast runners) being chased on foot by a “Revenooer,” it could have been a federal Internal Revenue agent or a local lawman, such as an ABC officer, or a sheriff’s deputy.

L. E. Brown, Jr. can be contacted at lebrownjr9@gmail.com. SE

EDWARDS ALIGNMENT CENTER Alignment Services for Passenger Light Truck & Heavy Duty,Brakes on ALL Vehicles, King Pins

Michael Edwards, Owner Monday-Friday - 8am-5pm 517 Warsaw Road Clinton, NC 28328 Email: Edwardsalignment@gmail.com Phone: 910-490-1292

We have been locally owned for over 40 years and family owned for the last 12 years.

We are a certified tire dealer of Nexen, Michelin, Nitto, and Firestone, and we stock tires for cars, trucks, SUV’s, vans, tractors, and all your other farm equipment. We are a friendly tire shop that is a Bridgestone Firestone dealer in Clinton, NC. WE SPECIALIZE IN FARM AND AGRICULTURAL TIRES, CONSTRUCTION TIRES, PASSENGER CAR, SUV AND LIGHT TRUCK TIRES.

Michael Edwards, Owner 46 | WWW.SENCMAGAZINE.WORDPRESS.COM | SPRING 2020

Beulaville Kenansville Pink Hill Wallace

910 298 6040 SPRING 2020 | WWW.SENCMAGAZINE.WORDPRESS.COM | 47

SE

North Carolina 910-862-4368 chamber@elizabethtownnc.org

www.whitelakewaterfestival.com

Our corner of North Carolina offers much more than just scenic beauty...

Here are some great places you can appreciate for the good food, good times, history, and old-fashioned SENC hospitality!

FOLLOW SE NORTH CAROLINA MAGAZINE

Want your photo featured in thenext edition?

Simply post photos of what you love about Southeastern North Carolina on Instagram and use the hashtags below! #southeasternnorthcarolina #southeasternnc See page 5 for this issues featured photos!

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travel LENOIR COUNTY

The CSS Neuse Civil War Interpretive Center offers state of the art exhibits that invite visitors to larn about the ironclad gunboat. The Confederate Navy launched the Neuse in al ill-fated attempt to gain control of the lower Neuse River and the occupied city of New Bern.

SEE OUR AD ON PAGE 3

www.nchistoricsites.org/neuse

P lanner LENOIR COUNTY

BEULAVILLE

Kinston-Lenoir County

No matter how you slice it...

Visitor & Information Center

PIZZA VILLAGE

OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK

“Make us your first stop in Lenoir County”

Is Still Beulaville’s Favorite Restaurant!

101 East New Bern Rd., Kinston, NC 252-522-0004

Kinston-Lenoir County See the world’s only full-size replica of a Confederate Ironclad.

SEE OUR AD ON PAGE 338 www.cssneuseii.org

Parks & Recreation Department

Daily Lunch Buffet, Monday ~ Saturday

2602 W. Vernon Ave., Kinston, NC

811 W. Main Street 910-298-3346

252-939-3332

ELIZABETHTOWN

SENCMAGAZNE. WORDPRESS.COM Never miss an issue of SE North Carolina Magazine!

Visit our website above to view every edition of SENC Magazine.

910-862-4368 chamber@elizabethtownnc.org

www.whitelakewaterfestival.com SPRING 2020 | WWW.SENCMAGAZINE.WORDPRESS.COM | 49

SE Folk

North Carolina

Grandpa, tell me ‘bout the good old days...

T

Story by Abby Cavenaugh

raumatizing.

That’s one word to describe the stories my granddaddy, R.C. Cavenaugh, used to tell my twin sister and me when we were little.

The one story that sticks out in my mind more than any other is the one about “The Big Black Things.” The way Granddaddy told it, in my mind, these were two huge black shadow men that were going to come get me if I didn’t behave.

A few years ago, my daddy learned how to use the internet, and he found the origins of this story. It’s actually from a poem called “Little Orphan Annie.”

I’m not sure who wrote this or when, but clearly, their motive was to terrify and traumatize children into behaving.

The part that scared me the most goes like this: “Once there was a little girl who liked to laugh and grin, And make fun of everyone, her family and kin, Whenever there was company, and guests were sitting there, She mocked them and she shocked them, and said she didn’t care!

Suddenly she kicked her heels, and turned to run and hide, There were two great big Black Things standing by her side.

They snatched her through the ceiling before she knew they were about!

And the Goblins will get you, if you don’t watch out.”

I mean, my God, Granddaddy! Why would you tell 5-year-olds something like this? My granddaddy also had the added advantage (if you can call it that) of telling us this story for the first time at our great-grandparents’ house, where

there happened to have been a leak in the ceiling at some point. He told us that the dark stain on the ceiling was where the Big Black Things snatched the little girl. “That’s all that’s left of her now,” he said.

It’s funny to me now, but Lord knows, it wasn’t then!

Granddaddy was a great storyteller though. I can still hear his voice in my mind when I read that poem today. But it wasn’t all traumatic stories, of course.

He also liked to bounce us on each knee (like he’s doing in the photo above) and sing this song called “Goody Gum Drops.” I’m not sure if that was an original or something he took from a classic, like the poem, but maybe I don’t want to know. I’d like to think it was a song he made up just for us.

Granddaddy’s the only one I’d allow to call me “Abigail,” even though my name is “Abby” not “Abigail,” because he said it as “Abrigail” and that made it better somehow.

He’d always say “well, that’s an ugly doll baby” when he came over to see what we’d gotten for Christmas. Just so we’d argue and say, “No, she’s not!”

I wish I’d written down his stories and recorded them on video.

My daddy has taken up the storytelling tradition, although his stories usually begin with “when I was a boy...”

One of these days, I should just let him tell these anecdotes nonstop and write them all down. He talks about picking huckleberries in the woods and going to get oysters from the beach and how they took baths in a tub in the middle of the kitchen before electricity and indoor

50 | WWW.SENCMAGAZINE.WORDPRESS.COM | SPRING 2020

plumbing were common.

And then, there was Hurricane Hazel, when “the water was coming through the walls” of their woodframe house.

One of Daddy’s more memorable stories includes Granddaddy. Although Daddy wasn’t there, my uncle and cousin witnessed The infamous Kipper Snacks Incident first-hand.

It goes something like this... there was a can of kipper snacks, which are like sardines, only more disgusting. They were in a mustard sauce. Gag. My uncle, Andy, tasted them and he didn’t like them (to say the least). My cousin Troy then said, “I can take it,” but he couldn’t take it, so Daddy says. Granddaddy insisted on eating them so they wouldn’t go to waste.

However, he took one bite, gagged and promptly went out the door, where he reportedly threw up repeatedly over the side of the porch. Granddaddy decided to give the offending fish to his dog, Buck.

“The last time I saw him, he was licking his [butt] to get the taste out of his mouth,” Granddaddy would say.

(Although he didn’t say “butt.”)

Good ol’ days, indeed.

SE

June 20, 2020 Held in Historic Downtown Burgaw, exit 398 off I-40

www.ncblueberryfestival.com Organized to advance the general education of and the promotion of blueberries and tourism.

• Farm Fresh Local Blueberries • 5K Run & 1 Mile Walk • Arts & Craft Vendors • Car Show • Kids Activities & Rides • Tour De Blueberry Bike Race • BMX Stunt Show • Main Stage Entertainment • Craft Beer & Wine Vendors • Food Vendors

Please check out our website for pre-festival events and concert held on June 19th

www.ncblueberryfestival.com

visitsampsonnc.com

Thursdays this summer at Clinton City Market, Courthouse Square, Downtown Clinton, Clinton, NC 28328

Thurs., May 21 6pm-8:45pm

Thurs., June 18 6pm-8:45pm

Thurs., August 20 6pm-8:45pm

APRIL 25, 2020

Thurs., Sept. 17 6pm-8:45pm

Thurs., Oct. 9 6pm-8:45pm SPRING 2020 | WWW.SENCMAGAZINE.WORDPRESS.COM | 51