WHAT’S HAPPENED
Alive After Five Concerts
members, partners and supporters. Through this committee the chamber has established key relationships with a number of other organizations and people actively involved in southeast North Carolina’s economic development and is working with municipal and county leaders and planners to understand current and future plans that will influence progress. The committee meets regularly with outside expert advisors and is working toward the creation of a regional-wide economic development vision, mission and plan.
Pender County residents and visitors enjoyed getting out and hearing some live music this summer at Pender County Parks and Recreation’s Alive After Five Concert series. Held in June and July, the concerts took place at Hampstead Kiwanis Park, and all COVID restrictions were followed.
The chamber is planning an Economic Development Summit for late 2021; it will feature a panel of experts to facilitate ideas and inspiration for the Topsail region. The details of this event will be made available in the near future. Chamber members are encouraged to reach out to the chamber staff with questions, ideas or an interest to participate in the ongoing efforts of this committee.
Town of Surf City Municipal Complex Ribbon Cutting
PEP Scholarship Recipients 2021 Pender Education Partnership asks the community to join them in congratulating their 2021 scholarship recipients: Pender High School Jamie Wood: $500, Kinley Federonko: $500, Nicholas McGowan: $1,000
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
The Town of Surf City held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for its new municipal complex on May 21. Located beside Publix Super Market at Arboretum Point, the municipal complex houses the town hall and police department. Mayor Doug Medlin addressed the attendees, as did Town Manager Kyle Breuer and Matt Brittain of Monteith Construction. The new complex project began with Allan Sullivan, who donated the property to help get the process started. Several grants and then the hiring of Monteith Construction set the wheels in motion for the beginning of construction in September of 2019. Both the town hall and the police departments are approximately 10,000 square feet each. The council chamber will be converted to an Emergency Operations Center when necessary.
Topsail High School McKayla Obremski: $500, Grayson Frazee: $500, Shelby Parker: $1,000 Heide Trask High School Krystin Gainey: $500, Riley Ramos: $1,000 Pender Early College High School Erin Harvey: $500, Cassidy Baribeault: $500, Marilyn Coombs: $1,000 Amari Walker: Jones-Trawick Scholarship ($5,000 per year for 4 years = $20,000)
PEP SOS Open Mic Night Blue Gracias Open Air Market Ribbon Cutting Blue Gracias Open Air Art Market opened with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on July 22. The new shop at 706 S. Anderson Boulevard in Topsail Beach sells original artwork, vintage art, clothing, jewelry and home decor, and the majority of art is created on or with pieces that had a former life. The goal of the shop is to reduce waste, promote sustainability, recycle and parlay beauty in what was once forgotten.
Greater Topsail Area Chamber of Commerce Economic Development Committee Greater Topsail Area Chamber of Commerce has formed an Economic Development Committee that is aligned with the chamber's mission and dedication of supporting the business and economic health of the Greater Topsail Island regional communities and bringing further value to current and future
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Topsail Magazine
Pender Education Partnership (PEP) held its Support Our Seniors Open Mic Night fundraiser on June 4, and the event was a huge success. Performers, volunteers, attendees and sponsors helped raise more than $12,000, all of which goes directly to scholarship and mini-grant recipients and education recognition in Pender County in 2021. PEP thanks all sponsors and participants for helping make this their best fundraising effort to date. Jeff Rivenbark was the emcee, and Southern Roots and Hawaiian Shaved Ice provided food and a cool treat for the spectators. To get involved with PEP, please visit the website at pendereducationpartnership.org
Sundown in the Ferry Summer nights were a blast at Sundown in the Ferry in Sneads Ferry. Live music, food trucks, a beer garden, local vendors and fun for the kids went down on June 19, July 16, August 20 and September 18 thanks to the Rotary Club of Sneads Ferry.
