YO U R C O A S TA L C O M M U N I T Y N E W S PA P E R S I N C E M AY 2 0 0 2
Nov. 30–Dec. 6, 2017
Volume 16 | Issue 48 | 25¢
luminanews.com
Source: National Weather Service
Flotilla party attendees usher in holiday season
Weekend police report Page 3
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After 25 tries, flotilla winners take top prize
WB police charge three men in rape, kidnapping, drug case
By Terry Lane Staff Writer
The winners of the “Best in Show” prize at the 34th annual North Carolina Holiday Flotilla in Wrightsville Beach set out to honor a friend and former competitor with a theme that harkened back to the historic
By Terry Lane Staff Writer
Wrightsville Beach police charged two men with rape, kidnapping, assault and drug possession on Sunday morning after two women sought treatment at the hospital following an early morning party where police said they found cocaine. Police arrested Genell Stephenson, 33, and Harvey Fred Williams, 35, on Sunday, Nov. 26 at 5:22 a.m. at a party in a house on Causeway Drive after receiving a phone call reporting the alleged crime. Wrightsville Beach Police Chief Dan House said that Stephenson and Williams matched the description given by the caller, who could not be identified to protect the identity of the women. A nurse at New Hanover Regional Medical Center also called to report the alleged crime, and House said that Wrightsville Beach detectives interviewed the two women at n See POLICE Page 2
Staff photo by Terry Lane
Above, the Lumina Pavilion themed boat J&B took the Best in Show prize, which was followed by a 20-minute firework display after the parade.
times of the Lumina Pavilion. In addition to the representation of the classic marquee, the trolley and even the outdoor movie theater, the Wrightsville Beach themed boat also had the name “Paula” spelled out in lights, as long-time competitors Capt. Bob Bleecker and Alan Murray sought to represent a new award category named for Paula Sturdy, a regular flotilla winner who died unexpectedly in January. But instead of winning the new award for the best Wrightsville Beach-themed boat, the tribute to Sturdy and the town she loved earned the two their first-ever Best in Show award after 25 years of competing. “We’ve been chasing that one for a long time. It was very touching. It’s a memory of a lifetime,” Murray said. “She was out there competing with us.” The crew of the J&B didn’t have to look far for inspiration, as Bleecker recounted holding his first-ever job at the historic Lumina Pavilion dance hall, where he worked to collect n See FLOTILLA Page 4
Largest auction yet for 13th Hope from Helen By Terry Lane Staff Writer
When Hope from Helen returns to the Blockade Runner this Friday, attendees at the charity auction will be bidding on the highest value of donated goods in the event’s 13 year history. With $84,000 in retail value for the variety of donated goods and services, Hope from Helen founder Tony Butler said that
those bidding at this year’s event will have more opportunity than ever to get a good deal while also helping a good cause. “Each year we get a variety of different items, and they are all unique in their own way,” Butler said. This year’s selection includes a full bathroom remodel that is sponsored by eight different contractors. A $6,900 value, the bathroom remodel starting bid of
$2,760 offers bidders a unique chance at a bargain, Butler said. Originally started to support his late mother Helen Butler’s battle with cancer, Butler has expanded the surf- and beachthemed auction to support a number of charities. Last year’s event raised $45,000 Butler said, a number that could be exceeded with the quality items available this year. Bidding on the auction items is
open now, though the competition on the bids will intensify on Friday at 6:30 p.m., when hundreds of people will scour the tables of items at the Blockade Runner ballroom for the threehour event. Butler said the unique array of items always draws a big crowd, many to see the unique offerings, which this year range from professional services to sports tickets to original art to scores
of surfboards and skateboards. Some of the donated items, like a live edge burl maple waterfall table that Tradewinds Design salvaged from an ice storm, show the unique abilities of the artists that donate to the auction. “There’s a lot of thought that goes into many of these items,” Butler said. “People take the time and effort to donate to the event. They put in the hard work. It’s
humbling and heartwarming.” In addition to the donated items, bidders can also dine on food donated by Tower 7 restaurant, which this year will include roadside tacos, Baja fish tacos, beer battered cod, Santa Fe grilled mahi and a variety of chips and salsa. Dinners are encouraged to also donate to the organization.
Weekend retreat brings women entrepreneurs to Wrightsville Beach By Jana Mackin Contributing Writer
Photographer Chris Frick poses with the photograph of Wrightsville Beach professional surfer Ben Bourgeois. The $350 item is available at the Hope from Helen auction for a starting bid of $140.
While the holidays can be stressful for many, a pair of retreats this December are designed to not only help participants find mindfulness, but also bring together women This weekend, Soul Sisters Sleepover will feature a two-night ladies retreat at the Blockade Runner Beach Resort’s historic cottage, hosted by the newly-launched White Rabbit Trips, a company that organizes events and retreats. “Our mantra is: ‘The only way out is in,’” said owner Jenny Yarborough. “We use yoga, travel and the arts as tools of meditation to calm the mind and find connection to people, places, and purpose.”
At this weekend’s retreat, 16 area women business owners, entrepreneurs and creatives will lead events such as yoga sessions, meditation, workshops, group discussions, music
“We use yoga, travel and the arts as tools of meditation to calm the mind and find connection to people, places, and purpose.” and various artistic activities aimed at promoting participants’ collaboration, exploration and inspiration. Besides overnight festivities, a party-crashers pass for women unable to spend the night will allow entrance to select
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yoga and discussion events. “It’s a great jump off point for creative or business endeavors,” said Jess Reedy, a seminar teacher and owner of Pineapple Studios yoga, ceramics and wellness in Wilmington. “For people doing the retreat, she said, “it’s good to be around women business owners and creatives. It’s good to be around their energy and passions and channel it into your energy.” Yarborough collaborates with 17 yoga teachers, artists, gardeners, jewelry makers, designers, and free divers to create events, workshops and trips. Because White Rabbit is a networking and collaborative business, it can grow unhindered by such things as physical location, Yarborough said. n See RETREAT Page 2
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