Topsail Magazine Spring 2024 Edition

Rising Wav erider

Winning the 2023 Easterns Surfing Championship Mens Longboard Division on the Outer Banks, DAKOTA COTTLE adds one more name to the roster of Surf City champion surfers.

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RAIL SERVICE TO RALEIGH BLUE GRACIAS OPENS WITH GRATITUDE ALL ABOUT THE FLOW WITH FIDEL FORDE

FOOD WASTE TO COMPOST

Introducing

Young Lu, MD

Back, Neck & Spine

Board-Certifi ed Orthopedic Surgeon Fellowship Trained in Spine Surgery

Emerge Stronger. Healthier. Better.

As a board-certified orthopedic surgeon and fellowship-trained spine specialist, Dr. Lu provides comprehensive care for patients with various back, neck, and spine conditions and injuries, including, but not limited to: herniated discs, spinal stenosis, degenerative disc disease, and spinal fractures. He employs both non-surgical and surgical approaches to address the specific needs of his patients. Dr. Lu specializes in cervical, lumbar and thoracic spine, minimally invasive spine surgery and robotic spine surgery.

SPECIALTIES

ANTERIOR CERVICAL MICRODISCECTOMY WITH FUSION • CERVICAL DISC REPLACEMENT CERVICAL SPINE

My Intracoastal agent was awesome to work with. She was fully engaged in finding the best home for me. When we did find my perfect new home, she ensured that selling my current house was an easy process. She worked to get it listed as soon as possible with excellent pictures taken by a professional photographer. Once both homes were under contract, she always kept me informed of next steps and served as my liaison throughout the entire process. I can’t express my appreciation enough for how well I was taken care of, even after the closing!!

~ Jan H.

OVER 3600 FIVE-STAR REVIEWS

IntracoastalRealty/Testimonials

910-328-3000

A well curated collection of resort apparel for coastal living.

Serving locally sourced and organic ingredients complimented by our craft cocktail and award winning wine program.

FEATURES

39 W ITH GRATITUDE

At Blue Gracias Open Air Art Market in Topsail Beach, artist Liz Guri channels her creative nature and appreciation for life through art and sustainable goods.

DEPARTMENTS

33 ACROSS THE COUNTY

After a record-breaking crosscountry horseback ride to raise awareness for the veteran safe space and animal sanctuary he plans to build in North Carolina, Matt Perella passed through Surf City.

50 RISING WAVERIDER

Winning the 2023 Easterns Surfing Championship Mens Longboard Division on the Outer Banks, Dakota Cottle adds one more name to the roster of Surf City champion surfers.

45 PEOPLE

Massage therapist, life coach and owner of Surf City Flow yoga studio, Fidel Forde is making a name for himself around Topsail Island.

59 PUB SCOUT

Thanks to Kimberly Rhine, Scotts Hill has its first beer garden and gathering spot, Freya’s Haus.

73 BEHIND THE BUSINESS

Diana Tippett did not set out to sell furniture, but after 16 years of owning Beach Furniture Outfitters, she can’t imagine doing anything else.

79 AROUND TOWN

Eastern Carolina Rail, launched by Steve Unger and Gene Merritt, seeks to restore rail service between Wilmington and Raleigh, with a stop in Burgaw along the way.

67 FULL CIRCLE

Thanks to Wilmington Compost Company, food waste from Ocean Fest in Surf City is now transforming into usable compost at Piney Run Farms near Hampstead.

IN EVERY ISSUE

PHOTO BY DARIA AMATO

67 PHOTO BY WILTON WESCOTT

39 PHOTO BY DARIA AMATO

45

Open seven days

Brunch Saturday and Sunday

SEE WEBSITE FOR CURRENT HOURS, www.lowtidesteakhouse.com

Spring 2024 - Volume 5, Issue 2

CEO/PUBLISHER:

Justin Williams

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER:

Sandi Grigg

COPY EDITOR:

Molly Harrison

CONTRIBUTING GRAPHICS:

Teresa Kramer S amantha Lowe

Elizabeth Dale Niemann

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE:

Brian Wilner

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS:

D aria Amato C ity 2 Sea Media

Pat Fontana A dam Hawley

M att McGraw Bill Ritenour

Josh Schieffer James Stefiuk

Unique Media & Design Wi lton Wescott

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS:

K ate M Carey K urt Epps

Pat Fontana S andi Grigg

A nnesophia Richards Melissa Slaven Warren

Liz Trojan

MARKETING INTERN:

Sophie Lesanek

FOUNDER: B.J. Cothran

PUBLISHED

About the cover:

Photographer Josh Schieffer used a drone to capture our cover photo of Topsail-based surfer Dakota Cottle. Read more about this up-and-coming surfer and UNCW student in Kate M Carey's story, which starts on page 50.

Pat Fontana

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

I am a business writer and communications workshop leader. My business, WordsWorking, and my recently published book, Talk to Me Like I’m a Human , focus on improving workplace communications, concentrating on the fundamentals of human interactions. I developed, write about and train on the concept of REAL Communications, encouraging others to communicate with Respect and Empathy, paying close Attention and Listening with intent. I can be reached at pat@words-working.net.

Sandi Grigg – Southern Sandi CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER / FOOD EDITOR

Growing up in a small town in the foothills of North Carolina and attending the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, I always dreamed of working for a company that valued my contributions, tenacity and loyalty. I earned my degree in marketing/branding and started to build a life with my spouse and son. Together, we enjoy fishing, attending live music events and spending time on the water. At home I love to cook and write recipes, take on DIY home improvement endeavors and gardening. Being a part of the Carolina Marketing Company team has showed me that you really can enjoy your job, and we feel like a family. I am truly grateful to have a career I love.

Matt McGraw

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER

I started out in newspaper world, shooting the NBA, NCAA and MLB in the Midwest. Those were awesome experiences that paved the way for my style of photography today. I started shooting weddings in 2002, and now I average around 50 weddings a year, along with about 150 family photo sessions a year. With McGraw Photo Consulting, I am also a photo consultant, primarily in the dental business. I love traveling, and I love what I do for a living.

Welcome Spring!

WWell, it's officially getting to be that time of year — the season, as opposed to the off-season. For many locals, the coming of the tourist season is bittersweet. Yes, the cold weather is on its way out, but with the warmer weather comes the end of the quiet life on the island. And while the locals will probably gripe about the increase in traffic, it’s a given that everyone around here is definitely welcoming to all the visitors who will be coming to Topsail Island for the next eight months.

I personally enjoy all the seasons here on the Carolina coast. I certainly cannot complain about the winter in this community as there is always something to do to keep our minds off the cold. Quite a bit has taken place over the last few months including the hugely well-attended New Year’s Day Dolphin Dip in Surf City and so many more. A few of us from the Carolina Marketing team attended the Surf City Expo in early March. This is an annual event put together by Surf City Parks, Recreation and Tourism, and we always have a good time meeting people in the community and getting to know the other vendors better. If you have not been, you should check it out next year. You may find something new to love about your local community.

entrepreneur Kimberly Rhine. You’ll learn about an effort to re-establish rail service from Wilmington to Raleigh (with a stop through Pender County) and about an ultra-green company that transforms food waste into usable compost.

Thank you for reading our magazine. We certainly enjoy putting it together for you to read, and we appreciate the support of our advertisers and readers. Here’s to spring!

If you need more reasons to love Topsail Island and its surrounding communities, keep reading. In this spring issue of Topsail Magazine, you are going to read about some really cool people in this community, people like artist Liz Guri, surfer Dakota Cottle, yoga studio owner Fidel Forde and beer garden

Justin Williams Owner/Publisher

Publisher@TopsailMag.com

PHOTOS BY BILL RITENOUR

Publisher Justin Williams at the Surf City Expo, from top, with Carolina Marketing Company

Intern Sophie Lesanek and Senior Account Executive Brian Wilner, and, at bottom, with Surf City Mayor Teresa Batts.

The Hive is the perfect choice for your next city getaway.

CONTRIBUTEDPHOTO

UPSTAIRS HAMPSTEAD

By Mike Johnson

NEIGHBORS FEEDING NEIGHBORS

Greater Topsail Community Garden in Surf City is set to begin growing produce for Share the Table.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Greater Topsail Community Garden was held on November 30. The community garden is an inclusive and accessible community initiative led by the Kiwanis Club of Topsail Island Area and the Surf City Rotary to provide Share the Table clients with healthier food options such as fresh vegetables and fruits. The garden aims to be a powerful force in the community, uniting public and private organizations to combat food insecurity.

Your cool new neighbor upstairs is making room for everyone. Living in a small community can feel limiting. The quaint charm can chafe once you have been to all the restaurants and the “been there, done that” refrain hits your lips. Upstairs Hampstead aims to fill some gaps and satisfy the needs of those who are craving something new.

CONTINUE READING ONLINE

A WORK IN PROGRESS

North Topsail Elementary School is excited to showcase the community-driven success of its Bottle Cap Mural Project.

Since April 2023, North Topsail Elementary School students, families and staff have contributed thousands of bottle caps toward the school mural project, transforming waste into a vibrant work of art.

Kindergarten students sorted caps by color, creating a visually appealing palette, while 3rd graders painted the mural’s background, tying into their Wit and Wisdom Module focused on the sea.

AWARD-WINNING ARTIST

Pender County Schools student Caiya Medlin wins the statewide Keep Our Air Clean Student Art Contest.

Caiya Medlin, a 9th grader at Topsail High School, secured victory in the sixth annual Keep Our Air Clean Student Art Contest. Her winning artwork can be seen on billboards across North Carolina, carrying the vital message of environmental responsibility.

Medlin, who entered the competition as an 8th grader at Surf City Middle School, follows in the footsteps of the 2021 winner, Vivienne Butanis, also from Surf City Middle School.

SAFETY FIRST

Pender County Schools receives a $200,000 School Safety Grant from the N.C. Department of Public Instruction.

Pender County Schools is the recipient of a $200,000 School Safety Grant from the N.C. Department of Public Instruction’s (NCDPI) Center for Safer Schools. This grant, part of the $35 million statewide allocation, aims to enhance safety measures across North Carolina.

Cheers to Rhubarb!

A vegetable-based cocktail might not sound appealing — unless it’s made with refreshingly sweet and tart rhubarb.

BY SANDI GRIGG

BBefore I launch into how to make this rhubarb-based cocktail, you might be wondering: What is rhubarb?

It is a vegetable that is typically treated and used like fruit. Best harvested and consumed during the spring and summer months (although it is available and grown year-round in greenhouses), rhubarb’s flavor is a perfect combination of sour and sweet — much like a tart apple. The long, stalk-like pieces are similar to celery, and the leaves are a lot like Swiss chard; however, it is actually in the buckwheat family. If you are not a rhubarb fan, you are about to be.

Rhubarb has no cholesterol and is very low in sodium. It is a good source of vitamin C and contains both calcium and fiber. However, the tartness of the vegetable usually means it is best with a sweet component, which can reduce some of the health benefits. Eastern medicine has been known to use rhubarb to reduce inflammation and act as an anti-bacterial.

For this Rhubarb and Rosemary Refresher, we are taking fresh rhubarb cubes and blending them with sugar, citric juices and water and straining the mixture to create a tart juice ideal for mixing. Combined with fresh rosemary syrup and rum, it’s a little bit tart, a little bit sweet and herbaceously refreshing.

RHUBARB AND ROSEMARY REFRESHER

Makes 8 drinks

INGREDIENTS

2½ cups water

½ cup sugar

½ cup fresh rosemary leaves

3 stalks fresh rhubarb, diced small

1½ cups white rum

METHOD

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

In a small saucepan heat 1 cup of water and ¼ cup of sugar over medium until it dissolves.

Remove from heat and add the ½ cup rosemary leaves and let steep for 5 minutes, then strain the syrup into a cup and set aside.

Add diced rhubarb, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of lime juice, 1½ cups water and ¼ cup sugar to a blender. Blend into a puree and strain into a medium cup. Discard the pulp.

Refrigerate the individual cups of rhubarb juice and rosemary syrup for at least 4 hours.

To make the drink, mix the rhubarb juice, rosemary syrup, remaining lemon juice, lime juice and rum and stir to combine.

Serve Rhubarb and Rosemary Refreshers in a glass filled with ice and garnish with rosemary spring and rhubarb stalks.

WITH

Bites of Sunshine

Little bites of lemony no-bake cheesecake make the perfect post-dinner sweet.

BY SANDI GRIGG | PHOTOGRAPHY BY JAMES STEFIUK

WWhat is your favorite dessert? I definitely find it difficult to answer that question, but I will say that lemon trumps chocolate in my book any day.

These No-Bake Lemon Cheesecake Bites are sweet, simple and exploding with tart lemon flavor. The combination of the sweet, smooth cheesecake mixture with the sharp lemon curd flavors inside a tiny delicate, crunchy bite is magnificent. When I pop one in my mouth it is like eating sunshine.

Lemon has always been among one of my favorite citrus fruits. When I was a child, I used to eat lemon slices sprinkled with sugar. At restaurants I would remove the lemon from my glass, sprinkle a pack of sweet-n-low on them and tear into the flesh with my teeth. Later in life my dentist told me it was deteriorating my enamel, so I stopped, but to me the combination of tart and sweet was a perfect balance, much like this dessert.

This dessert is so easy to make with just a few ingredients. You can use the phyllo shells like I have suggested in this recipe, or you can use the sheets of phyllo dough cut into squares and pressed into mini muffin tins to bake and create the same type of shell.

The first time I tried these was at a birthday party for a family member. The ones provided on the food table were bought, not made, but after just one bite, I knew I could create something similar and just as tasty. Originally, I thought there was lemon pudding in them, but while testing it in the kitchen, the cream cheese and lemon juice was a much better option.

Easy peasy lemon squeezy

Need to save some time and arm strength? Use storebought lemon curd — it's yummy!

I tried to make my own lemon curd, and while it came out pretty good, the curd I purchased from the grocery was better. Plus, if I am going to call these “quick and easy” then I would just soon buy the lemon curd and omit standing over the stove whisking the ingredients — especially since it can be finicky to get the texture and flavor accurate. However, feel free to make your own lemon curd.

These individual bites make the perfect portion size and store in the fridge for up to a week. If I’m craving something sweet after a healthy meal, I can open the fridge and pop just one cheesecake bite into my mouth and I don’t feel guilty about it — unlike eating an entire slice of pie or cake.

Whether you decide to make these and store them in the fridge for a quick sweet treat or serve them at a party, I am sure you and your guests will love them as much as I do.

WHAT’S COOKIN’

SOUTHERN SANDI

Q

Southern.Sandi

No-Bake Lemon Cheesecake Bites

INGREDIENTS

2 boxes mini phyllo shells (30 shells)

¼ cup heavy cream

4 ounces cream cheese (room temperature)

1½ teaspoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons sugar

¾ cup lemon curd

Powdered sugar

Zest of 1 lemon

METHOD

Brown the phyllo shells by baking them at 350 degrees F on a baking sheet for 3 to 5 minutes. Remove to cool.

In a bowl whip the heavy cream until it begins to stiffen and form soft peaks.

In a separate bowl, beat together the cream cheese, lemon juice and sugar until smooth and then fold in the whipped cream cheese.

Fill each shell 2/3 full with the cream cheese mixture and top each one with a small scoop of lemon curd.

Two Pender County Schools Achieve Energy Star Certification

Two Pender County elementary schools have achieved Energy Star certification. Rocky Point Elementary and Malpass Corner Elementary have demonstrated noteworthy energy efficiency, securing positions in the top 25% of the most energy-efficient K-5 buildings nationwide. Malpass Corner Elementary (MCE) achieved a commendable score of 81, surpassing the energy efficiency of 81% of other K-5 buildings. Likewise, Rocky Point Elementary (RPE) obtained a noteworthy score of 85, positioning itself as more efficient than 85% of other K-5 buildings. This accomplishment reflects the efforts of teachers, staff, administrators and custodial teams who diligently implemented and championed the energy management program within the schools.

Ribbon Cutting for New Swimming Pool for Snooki

On November 21 Greater Topsail Area Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new sea turtle swimming pool at Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center in Surf City. The pool is the home of a 300 lb. loggerhead sea turtle named Snooki, who now has a window to the world. The celebration included the water-sourcing and plumbing required for a 5,000-gallon tank.

Ribbon Cutting for ModWash

On November 15 Greater Topsail Area Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for ModWash, the area’s newest car wash. ModWash is in Surf City Crossing and features many amenities for making your car look its best.

Ribbon Cutting for Party-Paint-Play

On November 19 Greater Topsail Area Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for Party-Paint-Play at 104 Charlie Medlin Drive in Surf City. Many young artists were in attendance and eager to explore the children’s art studio.

Year of the Trail Hike in Miller's Pond Park

With 2023 being North Carolina Year of the Trail, Pender County held monthly guided hikes around the county. The November Hike was a Turkey Trek in Miller’s Pond Park. Participants received turkey calls for the hike. No turkeys were found, but the hikers did discover one of Pender County's beautiful parks. Special thanks to Pender County Parks and Recreation's Jessica Herring for leading the hike.

Ghost Walk Donates to its Nonprofit Partners

Ghost Walk of Pender’s Past is a family-friendly experience that explores the legends, tales and lore of Pender County. The 2023 event on October 28 raised funds to be distributed to local nonprofits. Stephanie Key, Ghost Walk's artistic director, and the Pender County Tourism Office awarded three nonprofit partners with the earnings from the event’s October 2023 proceeds. All proceeds from the Ghost Walk were divided equally between the Pender County Historical Society, Pender Arts Council and the Historical Society of Topsail Island. Each entity was awarded $1,705 to apply toward the mission of its organization.

Pender County Museum Re-Opens

Housed in the first brick house built in Burgaw (circa 1917), Pender County Museum in downtown Burgaw is open once again at 200 W Bridger Street. The daughters of Kate Buck Noel donated the house to Pender County Historical Society in 1979, and the society resorted the house and dedicated the new museum in 1982. Numerous displays and artifacts share the town’s history. The museum recently underwent repairs and renovations and following an Open House on February 8, has invited visitors back. Two new exhibits, one on the Black

River, Point Caswell and the Steamboat Era and another on the Canetuck Rosenwald School, are on display. The museum is open Thursday and Friday from 1 to 4 pm and Saturday from 10 am to 2 pm.

Ward Realty Receives NC Coast Host Tourism Impact Award

NC Coast Host, a membership organization that markets tourism’s attractions and accommodations east of I-95, presented Ward Realty with the prestigious 2023 Tourism Impact Award. Ward Realty representatives Brandon Ward and Liz Trojan joined Greater Topsail Area Chamber of Commerce Financial Coordinator Kay Phelps and Executive Director Tammy Proctor at the annual awards luncheon. The chamber is a member of NC Coast Host and nominated Ward Realty in celebration of their 77th anniversary and the impact the company made on the development of Topsail Island.

Ribbon Cutting for D&D Construction

On February 15 Greater Topsail Area Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for D&D Construction, a company serving the Greater Topsail Area and beyond. D&D Construction is a home improvement company offering general home repair, remodeling, renovations, decks, patios, fences and more.

Pender County Schools Board of Education Elects Chair and Vice-Chair

During its December 12 board meeting, Pender County Schools Board of Education voted Don Hall as board chair. Hall’s term on the board of education runs through 2024. The board voted Beth Burns as vice-chair; her term serve on the board runs through 2026. Hall and Burns will serve in their current positions through December 2024, when the next election of officers will take place.

Pender County Schools Names Melissa Wilson Director of Human Resources

Pender County Schools has appointed Melissa Wilson as the director of human resources, marking a significant milestone in her 22-year career in education, 18 of which have been dedicated to Pender County Schools. Wilson has served as principal at Topsail Annandale Elementary School for the past seven years, fostering an environment of academic excellence and inclusivity.

Ribbon Cutting for Maven Properties

On December 7 Greater Topsail Area Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for Maven Properties, a property management company offering long-term and shortterm rentals. Owner Kristen Downing, a RE/MAX brokerowner, leads a dedicated staff. Maven Properties is at 1059 Ocean Highway in Holly Ridge.

Master Plan for the Mountains-to-Sea Trail Extension in Holly Shelter Game Land

To increase hiker safety, provide new recreational opportunities for the community and increase awareness and access of Holly Shelter Game Land’s incredible natural resources, the Friends of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail (FMST), with local land managers and parties, are developing a master plan for extending the Mountains-to-Sea Trail (MST) over 4 miles in Holly Shelter Game Land. This MST extension will seek to connect existing sections of the MST in Holly Shelter Game

Land (that utilize Holly Shelter Game Land unpaved roads) to the U.S. Highway 17/N.C. Highway 210 intersection. Unlike the current MST in Holly Shelter, the new section of trail will be separated from the Game Land’s road network and access the Game Land’s newly acquired tracts. There will be a designated trailhead parking facility.

Kiwanis Club of Topsail Island Presents Educator Extraordinaire Award

Kiwanis Club of Topsail Island recently honored Siobhan Fargo with its first Educator Extraordinaire Award. Fargo is a member of the Career and Technical Education (CTE) staff at Topsail High School. She wears many hats to help the students, including CTE Career Development Counselor, Advisor for both the National Technical Honor Society and the Future Farmers of America (FFA) and member of the Prom Committee. She always goes the extra mile for her students. When field trips were at risk of not taking place due to lack of bus drivers, Fargo got her certification to be able to drive the students herself. She attended the FFA National Convention as advisor and chaperone. Beyond school, Fargo is a leader with the Greater Topsail Area Community Garden, The Spot Festival and the Boy Scouts of America Troop 235.

GAF Roofing Makes Donation to Pender County Schools

On December 12 GAF Roofing donated $5,000 to the Pender Education Partnership (PEP). The check presentation ceremony took place at Pender Early College High School in Burgaw. GAF Roofing, the leading roofing manufacturer in North America, has consistently demonstrated its commitment to supporting educational initiatives in Pender County. The $5,000 donation will contribute to PEP's mission of enhancing innovative educational opportunities for students in Pender County Schools.

WHAT’S HAPPENING

Poplar Grove’s 32nd Annual Herb and Garden Fair

Surf City 75th Anniversary

March 23

At Surf City’s 75th Anniversary Celebration, attendees can take a trip down memory lane with historical exhibits and displays showcasing the town’s rich heritage. The celebration will take place at the Welcome and Event Center at 102 N. Shore Drive between 11 am and 4 pm. There will be live music by Fyrd on the Boat & The Carolina Band, sweet treats, face painting, a caricature artist, an exhibit walk-through and more – all free of charge. Concessions will be available for purchase from delicious food trucks.

Information: surfcitync.gov

Hampstead Farmers Market

Thursdays starting April 4

The Hampstead Farmers Market provides quality, nutrient-dense food from local farmers, makers and producers. It’s held every Thursday from 4 to 7 pm at Shakas Backyard Music Space at Ironclad Golf in Hampstead. The address is 2368 Country Club Drive.

Information: Hampstead Farmers Market on Facebook

Poplar Grove’s 32nd Annual Herb and Garden Fair

April 6 & 7

Alive After Five 2024 Summer Concert Series

Fridays May 17, June 7, June 21, July 19

This two-day event features some of the state’s best herb and plant vendors, garden art creators and farmers as well as local artisans. With 13 acres to explore, the kids will have tons to do. The show runs Saturday, April 6 from 9 am to 5 pm and Sunday, April 7 from 10 am to 4 pm. Proceeds benefit the conservation and preservation of Historic Poplar Grove.

Information: poplargrove.org

Topsail Spring Surf and Pier Fishing Challenge

May 3 to 5

The annual Fisherman’s Post Topsail Spring Surf and Pier Fishing Challenge will take place from May 3 to 5. The entry fee is $75 per angler and must be paid by April 22. Participants can enter either the Surf Division or Pier Division but not both and will compete only against anglers in the same division. Surf Fishing categories include bluefish, trout, black drum and sea mullet. Pier Fishing categories include bluefish, Spanish mackerel, black drum and sea mullet. An awards dinner and ceremony with prizes and payouts for winners will be held on Sunday afternoon.

Information: fishermanspost.com/tournament/ topsail-spring-surf-fishing-challenge/

Bring your lawn chairs and enjoy live music, food trucks and fun on these summer Friday nights. Held from 6:30 to 8:30 pm, the concerts are held at Hampstead Kiwanis Park at 586 Sloop Point Road in Hampstead.

Information: (910) 259-1330, visitpender.com

Topsail Sound Concert Series

Tuesdays May 28, June 25, July 23, August 27

The 2024 Topsail Sounds Concert Series starts on May 28 with JT Parrothead. June 25 will feature Dos Eddies, July 23 will be Bacon Grease and August 27 will bring Jimmy Dreams. Bring your lawn chairs and enjoy live music and fun. Concerts begin at 6:30 pm at the Topsail Beach Town Center.

Information: (910) 328-5841, topsailbeachnc.gov

Topsail Sound Concert Series

Topsail Spring Surf and Pier Fishing Challenge

NORTH CAROLINA

NEED TO KNOW DATES

SURF CITY EXPO

MARCH 2 10AM-2PM

Surf CommunityCityCenter

SURF CITY’S 75TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION

MARCH 23 11AM-4PM

Surf City Welcome & Event Center

ANNUAL EASTER EGG HUNT MARCH 30 9AM

Surf CommunityCityCenter

NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER

MAY 2 9AM

Soundside Park

MEMORIAL DAY OF REMEMBRANCE

MAY 24 9AM

Soundside Park

KIDS FRESHWATER FISHING DAY

JUNE 1 9AM-12PM

Surf CommunityCityCenter

Surf City, your hometown beach.

MOVIE IN THE PARK JUNE 14 7PM

Soundside Park SIP, SHOP, & STROLL

JUNE 21 5PM-9PM

Soundside Park

MOVIE IN THE PARK JUNE 28 7PM

Soundside Park

More Than a Joy Ride

After a record-breaking cross-country horseback ride to raise awareness for the veteran safe space and animal sanctuary he plans to build in North Carolina, Matt Perella passed through Surf City.

BY ANNESOPHIA RICHARDS

TThey say life is all about the journey, but for 42-year-old Marine Corps veteran Matthew Perella, his journey is all about saving lives.

In the fall of 2023 Perella completed a 179-day cross-country horseback ride to raise awareness for both veterans with PTSD and rescue animals. In the process he set a new world record as the fastest person to travel coast to coast on a single horse. He is now hard at work building the Righteous Life Rescue Ranch, a sanctuary in the mountains of Asheville for retired horses, death-row dogs and military men and women searching for hope in tough times.

Matt Perella praying under his horse, Buck, on the sands of Onslow Beach on Camp Lejeune, where they completed their 3,000-mile crosscountry journey.

At the start of 2020 Perella owned a successful, high-end event-planning business in New York City, and life was good. He’d recently adopted his dog, Raffe, an experience he says felt like it was meant to be.

“I saw Raffe’s photo online and read about his aggressive bite history, but I was just drawn to him,” Perella remembers. “I’d never seen anything so vicious before in my life, something so angry at the presence of people, but I wanted the dog and I knew I was his last chance because he was going to be euthanized.”

It wasn’t long after adopting Raffe that COVID hit and everything in Perella’s life began to crumble. Forced to close his business, he went into extreme debt and soon found himself needing to move from the city and into an RV in Massachusetts. Shortly after Christmas in 2020, his depression descended to an all-time low, and he says one

night he decided to take his own life.

“It was in the exact moment I was about to end it all that Raffe jumped on me and wouldn’t let me up,” Perella says. “It was so unlike his behavior that it made me stop and think that I must be here for another reason. What’s crazy is that several months later I contemplated suicide again, and Raffe did the same exact thing, so he saved my life twice that year.”

After those two pivotal moments, Perella knew he needed to make a huge change, and he decided he would take Raffe and his horse, Buck, on a journey across the country. However, he realized he didn’t want to do this for just himself.

“I wouldn’t be here without my animals, and there are so many other animals out there needing to be rescued, dogs like Raffe that need a second chance,” Perella says. “I also had many friends from my time in the military who had

committed suicide, and I used to get so angry before COVID because I never understood how people could get to that level, until there I was about to eat my own bullet.”

Perella says he realized that if animals saved his life, they could also save others, and the idea of the Righteous Life Rescue Ranch began taking shape. He decided to use his plan of traveling across the country on horseback to raise awareness for both animals and veterans in need and then

trio started in May of 2022, but only made it halfway before Perella realized the trek was too much for his dog. Canceling the journey, he packed up his things and animals and drove the rest of the way to California, but soon decided he and Buck weren’t done yet. Perella realized that by altering his strategy, the duo might be capable of setting a new world record.

“I decided to go from the West Coast to the East Coast this time, and I built a camper for my truck and hired drivers for different legs of the journey to follow behind me and Buck,” Perella says. “We left on April 11, 2023, from Delmar Beach on Camp Pendleton. My driver, with Raffe and all our provisions in the truck, would hang back for 30 minutes, then pull up to wherever I was and give Buck water, and we would just continue that way. It was the safest way for Buck, who’s now the fastest horse in history to go across the country because of the strategy I picked.”

“

... this ride across the country turned from being about myself to wanting to help others.

build a sanctuary where he would bring them all together.

“I wanted to take everything that had helped me find myself again and see if it could help others, and that’s dogs, horses and nature,” Perella says. “Being outside with my animals is the only place where I’m not lost in my mind, so this ride across the country turned from being about myself to wanting to help others.”

Perella’s original plan was to travel from the East Coast to the West Coast atop Buck with Raffe walking alongside. The

The group often set up the camper and slept on the side of the road, in parking lots, ballfields or anywhere they could find some grass to tie Buck alongside the truck for the night. Showers were scarce, and with 10 hours in the saddle daily, Perella was so tired he needed every bit of sleep he could get. Perella says he wouldn’t have completed the journey if it wasn’t for the help he and his animals received from others along the way.

“The people we met were amazing, some waiting on the sides of the roads because they’d heard we were coming, bringing us hay and water, food, money and even offering showers and housing on their property,” Perella says. “It was the most humbling experience. My faith in humanity was over in 2020, until I went out on the journey and realized Americans are amazing. I prayed every day, and my faith kept me going because I knew God hadn’t abandoned me, he’d just set me up for something great.”

Originally Perella believed he could beat two previous world records, one set in 2016 when Valerie Ashker traveled coast to coast on one horse in 194 days, and the other by Eustace Conway, the fastest person to cross the country on horseback using four different horses in 103 days. Hoping to surpass this record with one horse alone, Perella and Buck got two-thirds of the way across the country in nine weeks, traveling up to 50 miles a day, before a stone bruise on Buck’s

CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS

Perella and Buck in Downtown Wilmington.

foot stopped the pair completely in Texas.

“We took a six-day break in McKinney but it wasn’t getting better,” Perella says. “At that point I knew Buck wouldn’t be well enough to beat the 103 days record for fastest on horseback, so he was given an extended rest.”

A family offered him four horses so that he could continue on to beat the 103-day record Eustace Conway set on his four horses.

“I rode them an additional 300 miles from McKinney, but they weren’t mentally prepared to be on the highway and were spooking and running into the roads, which was chaos,” Perella says.

So he decided to pull the plug at that point and returned all the horses before one of them, himself or someone driving was seriously injured. Coincidentally, Perella already planned to take two weeks off at that time to fly to Mongolia and participate in the Mongol Derby, the world’s longest and most difficult horse race. On August 2, Perella set out on a nine-day race riding 30 different Mongolian wild horses.

“There were 28 stations with 18 to 22 miles between each, and at every station you change horses,” Perella says. “I rode an additional 700 miles in those nine days and faced challenges I had never experienced on a horse. Two flipped over on me causing me to fracture my collar bone, and another ran me full speed into the head of a horse that was tied up, fracturing two of my ribs.”

When Perella got back to America, he resumed the cross-country journey with Buck and Raffe. On October 6, the trio finally arrived at North Myrtle Beach, officially beating

Valerie’s previous record by completing their journey in 179 days. Not wanting to stop there, however, Perella, Buck and Raffe continued up the coast through Surf City to Camp Lejeune. With this Perella set a second world record as the only Marine veteran to ever ride coast to coast from base to base on one horse, a journey that took 183 days.

Perella says although his trip is over, the real journey begins now as he tries to get the Righteous Life Rescue Ranch up and running. His goal is to raise $10 million to build a 300-acre ranch in Asheville where veterans can come for free to clear their heads and connect with animals. Perella aims to have at least 200 horses at the sanctuary as well as numerous rescued dogs that will be trained as service dogs and donated to veterans in need.

Other plans include an equine therapy program, trail rides, cabins with overnight retreat options, a wild mustang rehabilitation program and offerings for children with autism. Now busy with the marketing and fundraising for his sanctuary, Perella hopes to have the funds needed this spring to purchase the land and start construction.

SADDLE UP

To learn more about Righteous Life Rescue Ranch or to donate to Perella’s cause visit: K therlrr.org

“The ranch needs to be so beautiful that when the veterans get out of their cars, just looking at it takes their soul to a wonderful place,” Perella says. “My ultimate goal is to rescue as many dogs and horses as I can and unite them together with veterans so they can save each other, and do it all amongst the beauty of God’s creation.” 

CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS

From left, In Arizona; on Onslow Beach on Camp Lejeune; on the streets of Sneads Ferry.

Teams make Dreams come true...

Topsail Beach, artist Liz Guri channels her creative nature and appreciation for life through art and sustainable goods.

BY KATE M CAREY | PHOTOGRAPHY BY DARIA AMATO

fter nearly 10 years of visiting Topsail Island with her family, Liz Guri opened Blue Gracias Open Air Art Market in Topsail Beach, where thankfulness for the beach way of life inspires her art and the market.

fter nearly 10 years of visiting Topsail Island with her family, Liz Guri opened Blue Gracias Open Air Art Market in Topsail Beach, where thankfulness for the beach way of life inspires her art and the market.

Blue Gracias occupies the first floor of her mother’s former home on S. Anderson Boulevard, now owned by Guri and her sister, Julie.

The home once housed summer interns from the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Hospital.

Blue Gracias occupies the first floor of her mother’s former home on S. Anderson Boulevard, now owned by Guri and her sister, Julie. The home once housed summer interns from the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Hospital.

“My sister and her husband bought a cottage here in 2014 and we all — my family and my parents — would visit.

After my father died, my mother moved here in 2019,

“My sister and her husband bought a cottage here in 2014 and we all — my family and my parents — would visit. After my father died, my mother moved here in 2019,

but she died unexpectedly in 2020,” Guri says.

but she died unexpectedly in 2020,” Guri says.

A former Savannah, Georgia, resident, Guri lived here part-time after opening her market, but she is now a full-time resident of Topsail Beach.

A former Savannah, Georgia, resident, Guri lived here part-time after opening her market, but she is now a full-time resident of Topsail Beach.

“I’ve always wanted a shop, so I worked with a friend in her Savannah store, One Fish, Two Fish, before opening Blue Gracias,” she says, adding that she took classes at the Cape Fear Community College Small

“I’ve always wanted a shop, so I worked with a friend in her Savannah store, One Fish, Two Fish, before opening Blue Gracias,” she says, adding that she took classes at the Cape Fear Community College Small

Business Center in early 2020 to strengthen her shop skills. She opened the art market in 2021.

Business Center in early 2020 to strengthen her shop skills. She opened the art market in 2021.

The shop name is inspired by her father and reminds her of him and the lessons he shared on being thankful in life.

The shop name is inspired by her father and reminds her of him and the lessons he shared on being thankful in life.

“Dad had a very small, old sailboat that he fixed up and learned to sail, and at the same time was taking Spanish classes,” Guri explains. “So, in gratitude for blue skies and blue water, he created the email handle blue gracias. When we decided on the shop name, Blue Gracias was perfect. Mom’s spirit is here, and this brings Dad in too. The whole concept of the

“Dad had a very small, old sailboat that he fixed up and learned to sail, and at the same time was taking Spanish classes,” Guri explains. “So, in gratitude for blue skies and blue water, he created the email handle blue gracias. When we decided on the shop name, Blue Gracias was perfect. Mom’s spirit is here, and this brings Dad in too. The whole concept of the

Below: Starting in April, Guri will offer two-hour mixedmedia workshops in her studio.

Below: Starting in April, Guri will offer two-hour mixedmedia workshops in her studio.

shop is gratitude. Being grateful for every day, and Mom and Dad were like that.”

A tiki statue beside a wide wooden sign with the word CURIOUS painted in blue compels you to walk to the open door and into the shop. Gratitude bells tinkle at the door to welcome you. Clothing lines one wall, while encaustic art explodes everywhere, joining colorful displays of pottery, jewelry, body products and candles.

Products in the shop are sustainable and earth-friendly, and most are handmade and animalfriendly, including body-care products from River Organics in Wilmington, soaps from Earth and Anchor, pottery from Mays Pottery near Pittsboro and upcycled bags made from recycled plastic bottles and cement and feed bags by a Portland, Oregon, company. Guri carries art supplies, including brushes, papers, pastels, paint sets, watercolor sets and charcoal sets for artists and budding artists. Gift certificates are available.

Small, printed quotes, life reminders by famous and not-sofamous folks, appear throughout the shop: “Be in love with your life. Every minute of it” – Jack Kerouac; “May your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears” – Nelson Mandela.

Products are chosen not only on sustainability, but also their ability to offer a smile. A children’s note tablet is made from recycled elephant dung. Clothing items range from linen dresses and skirts from France and Italy to repurposed Asian Indian saris as robes. Blue ice-dyed cotton shirts, made by Guri, are imprinted with Blue Gracias with stamps she and her daughter hand carved.

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After her daughter left for college, Guri sought her next place in life.

“I had so much time on my hands,” she says. “My daughter had done travel volleyball and that kept me busy. She left, and I had all this time for creative expression.”

At the market, Guri sells her paintings as well as art from many of her family members.

“All the women in my family are artists,” she says “My sister makes leather goods. My niece makes earrings and paints, and my daughter paints.”

“I’ve been an artist since childhood,” Guri says. “I painted while I was in the Air Force and during college, and even as a counselor, I painted and created stained glass. In 2008 I was one of 12 artists in Savannah in a show titled ‘Reincarnated’ in the Savannah City S.P.A.C.E gallery, showcasing art created with reused, repurposed materials.”

When she worked for her friend Ted Dennard, who created the Savannah Bee company, she learned about encaustic painting.

“Some SCAD professors (Savannah Collage of Art and Design) came in to buy beeswax,” Guri says. “I was curious, and they explained the encaustic method. I took a workshop and loved it, like it was meant to be. I still create art for the Savannah Bee shops all over the South.”

STOP BY AND EXPLORE

Blue Gracias Open Air Art Market

706 S. Anderson Boulevard, Topsail Beach

K bluegracias.com

The shop is open most weekends with days and times available on Q bluegracias

Encaustic painting is a technique in which hot beeswax is mixed with pigments and then applied in layers. Each layer is fused by applying heat to soften it enough to fuse with the layer below it. This layering gives a depth and luminous quality to the encaustic paintings.

Guri is often behind the shop working on her own art — encaustics, ice dyes, paintings or something new that has touched her curiosity.

“I’m always creating,” she says, waving a hand toward the jellyfish, ocean waves, mosaics and ice-dyed shirts lining the walls. 

Guri using a gas torch to fuse layers of beeswax in the process of making encaustic art.

CENTURY 21 Action has been helping people with their real estate needs in Topsail Island NC! We are excited to welcome Scott Erickson and his sales associates to the CENTURY 21 Coastal Advantage Family!

CENTURY 21 Coastal Advantage, led by Shirley Morrison, has been a leader in the local real estate arena for over 30 years, becoming the most successful Century 21 Franchise in our area and in North Carolina! Century 21 Coastal’s team of agents and staff have award winning success that ranks them in the Top 21 Century 21 companies in the world!

518

All About the Flow

Massage therapist, life coach and owner of Surf City Flow yoga studio, Fidel Forde is making a name for himself around Topsail Island.

BY KATE M CAREY | PHOTOGRAPHY BY CITY 2 SEA MEDIA

FFidel Forde is ebullient, energetic and almost effervescent.

He’s a military spouse, a dad, a writer, a yoga teacher, a certified life coach, a massage therapist and an entrepreneur, but you may know him as that guy who dances around Surf City on roller skates. He’s also the owner of Surf City Flow, a new yoga studio and empowerment center.

As a first-generation American — his mother is from Jamaica, and his

father from Africa — he was deep into the “be a success” tradition often seen in the sons and daughters of immigrants. He worked hard to become part of the “hustle and grind world chasing something that was more than I had, an image of success.”

Forde’s life shift began when he was in pain, stressed and did not have the words to express his dilemma.

“I landed the job of my dreams,” he says. “I made it, got married, had kids and then what? I’ve always been positive and optimistic, but I wasn’t in touch with my feelings. I didn’t know how to manage my stress or how to respond to life.”

Forde says a massage to deal with stress shifted

Fidel Forde, owner of Surf City Flow

something for him.

“A bounce came into my step,” he says. “My circumstances didn’t change, but I was feeling better. Maybe I could look at life and identify my next step. I got infatuated with this feeling,” he says, and his attitude changed.

“I took some time to get to know my body and my feelings and to be okay with feeling them,” he says. “I learned

“I really like that he talked with me for several minutes before the massage. He asked how I wanted to feel when I left. He wanted to know about me.”

how to feel my way forward. I shifted from ‘mindset is everything’ to ‘maybe my body has something to say.’ Mindset is not everything, but it’s a difference maker.”

Forde researched massage therapy, watched massage videos and dreamt about massages. He hired therapists and opened a studio. He used the business profits to put himself through massage training. He turned out to be great at it.

Lori Fisher, owner of Quarter Moon Books & Gifts in Topsail Beach, says a massage from Forde is transformational.

“It’s the best I ever had, and I’ve gotten massages all my life,” she says.

A client once told Forde that he was a yogi but just did not know it yet, which inspired him to jump into yoga teacher training, a nearly year-long endeavor, without ever having even taken a yoga class. Midway through the training, his wife, an active-duty Naval officer, got stationed in North Carolina, so he drove back and forth to Virginia every week to complete the 200 hours of training. Forde offered a free yoga class on the beach in 2013 to meet his necessary practice hours to become a certified teacher.

“That class was the start of beach yoga,” he says. “This thing I enjoyed doing made me feel great, and that was it, the start for yoga.”

Before opening his yoga studio, Forde focused on establishing a location-independent business model to navigate the constant transitions of a military family. This model allowed

him to work retreats, lead workshops, create coaching programs, continue to massage, teach yoga and stay flexible to life’s twists and turns no matter where he lived.

Starting before you are ready and saying yes and jumping in has become Forde’s way of being. He says he was not ready to open a yoga studio when the opportunity arose. He looked at the space with friends and colleagues and thought about all the work necessary, and then jumped in anyway.

“I just said yes and took the next step, even though I didn’t know where it would lead,” he says. “We got the lease in February 2023, and then it was working, working, working. I’ve touched every wall in this place, every panel in the ceiling, every inch of the floor. Early mornings and late nights. The excitement of the community saying ‘we can’t wait!’ was the fuel to

keep me going. I just knew this was what we were supposed to do and with community, friendship and support, we opened on September 9.”

The studio has a polished and painted concrete floor and calming, ancient colors — grey, umber and ochre. Plants line the reception area. Cubbies are in

the back. A massage table, curtained off from the studio, awaits the next client. Yoga props line one wall, tidy rows of mats and blocks. T-shirts and merchandise line another. The lighting is low and warm with an All About the Flow neon sign above the couch in the seating area.

“We can use this space however we decide,” Forde says, the we meaning community.

Conversations with Forde reveal his love of community and his belief in the deep connection between mind and body. Allowing grace is a learned behavior for many of us. Forde seems to have mastered the ability to give oneself grace, and he believes he can help you learn it, too. His forthcoming book addresses those issues.

“I believe in personal growth and development,” he says. “Learning to grow has helped me prepare for situations and how I want to feel coming out of them — the constant moving, my wife being gone overseas, learning to adapt to being a military

spouse, redefining what it means to dad, figuring out who I get to be — what are the blessings, opportunities. Your framework and the mindset can change everything.”

Forde says he worked with a coach at one point.

“It helped to consider other perspectives and what else was possible,” he says. “Doors began to open for speaking and workshops, and I realized there was more to the goal, the dream. I became a life coach.”

Forde was certified in 2016 as a BodyMind Life Coach and will soon be accredited by the International Coaching Federation. His future is bright.

The family has been in Surf City for four years, the longest they have lived in one place in a decade. Since being here he has taught more than 80 beach yoga classes. Forde and his wife, Jessica, a Navy neuropsychologist at Camp Lejeune’s Intrepid Spirit Center, have four children — Adeline, 15, Leola, 13, Magnolia, 12, and Remington, 10.

Next year Forde’s book, a combination of philosophy and suggestions for direct action, should appear and then he’ll be onto the next project.

“The future is possibility … inspiration,” he says. “What will the community want and how can I help provide that?”

Future offerings at the yoga studio may include a series of thematic courses and self-care programs, some offered in the hybrid style with in-person and online components. 

Surf City & Topsail Island are unique and magical places, so where better to have a fun gift shop full of casual, coastal cleverness?

Home Goods | Clothing | Gifts | Soaps Lotions | Art | Photography | Jewelry

910-650-2891

ShopCoralCottage.com

becky@coralcottageboutiques.com

14061 NC Highway 50 E Surf City, NC @coralcottageboutiques

Coral Cottage is the shore thing when it comes to home décor, furniture, original art, books, women’s accessories and more! Stop in and shop our bevy of beach-inspired items from house wares to hostess gifts and hilarious whatnots. We promise you that shopping at Coral Cottage will make you giggle, blush, laugh out loud and pray that your stay could last just a bit longer.

Rising Waverider

Winning the 2023 Easterns Surfing Championship Mens Longboard Division on the Outer Banks, Dakota Cottle adds one more name to the roster of Surf City champion surfers.

Winning the 2023 Easterns Surfing Championship Mens Longboard Division on the Outer Banks, Dakota Cottle adds one more name to the roster of Surf City champion surfers.

BY KATE M CAREY

BY KATE M CAREY

DDakota Cottle began surfing at age 3 off old Paradise Pier in North Topsail Beach when his family had a camper at Roger’s Bay Campground. Although he has surfed up and down the N.C. coast ever since, his favorite place to surf remains those enticing waves near the Surf City Pier.

“Growing up on an island, I had a 30-second walk from my house to the waves,” Cottle says. “Living here is amazing. I would not trade that for anything.”

Cottle, age 20, has been competing in surf contests since 2013. Around 2015 he got serious with the longboard and became the Eastern Surfing Association’s Central North Carolina district Menehune (under 14 years old) longboard season champion.

“That really started the fire burning for wanting to win,” he says.

Surfing competitions are organized by age and by area. The Eastern Surfing Association has 22 districts that are part of three regions. Cottle surfs as part of the Central North Carolina District, which runs from Surf City north to Atlantic Beach. That district is part of the Mid-Atlantic region, which extends from South Carolina to Virginia.

Several more championships followed those early wins, including Open Longboard and Menehune Longboard district championships

PHOTO BY JOSH SCHIEFFER

PHOTO BY WILTON WESCOTT

as well as three Mid-Atlantic Regional Longboard championships as a Menehune. Cottle graduated to Junior Mens Longboard in 2019.

“That was a learning experience for sure,” he says. “The talent at that level is incredible.”

In 2020 Cottle scored his first East Coast title by winning the Junior Mens Longboard division at the ESA Easterns.

“I was on top of the world,” he says. “To follow that up with a second title this year in the Mens division is just unbelievable.”

Cottle had a great 2023 season. In April he won the Mens Longboard division of the ESA’s Mid-Atlantic Regionals, which earned him a slot to compete in the Easterns, against the top male longboard surfers in the Southeast and Northeast regions as well as a few top Mid-Atlantic surfers who earn their way into this competition.

“What also made this summer special was winning the Beater division of the Colonel Classic,” Cottle says.

“That was a learning experience for sure. The talent at that level is incredible.”

The Colonel Classic is a local contest put on by the Christian Surfers of Surf City in memory of Gary Cavenaugh. “I love that contest. Mr. Gary was a special person,” Cottle says.

Cottle also did well in other contests with pro divisions against some stiff competition. “I love the pro-style events when there is money on the line,” he says. “It brings out a different caliber of surfing.”

Even with all the training for competition, Cottle still finds time for fun.

“I surfed more last summer just for fun than any other summer in the past,” says the graduate of Topsail High School. He ran track in high school, and his favorite track event was the triple jump because it “improved my leg strength, which helped immensely with my surfing.”

Surfing contests and the equipment needed to surf gets expensive, Cottle says, so he calls his

Top, Cottle in the "cheater 5" position; middle left, talking with sponsors from On Shore Surf Shop; middle right, one of the struggles of winter surfing; bottom, Cottle can't pass up a good wave, even on the way to dinner.

PHOTO BY JOSH SCHIEFFER PHOTO BY JOSH SCHIEFFER

PHOTO BY JOSH SCHIEFFER

PHOTO BY WILTON WESCOTT

NOW ACCEPTING NEW PROPERTIES FOR 2024!

Dakota's van, middle left, is outfitted with surfboard racks, bean bag chairs, a bed and other necessities so he can overnight on a budget no matter where he's surfing.

sponsors his lifelines. His current sponsors include Action Surfboards, Hyperflex Wetsuits, Dragon Sunglasses, Waterman’s Warehouse and On Shore Surf Shop.

“George Howard at On Shore has had my back since I was 10,” Cottle says. “Anything I needed for a contest he has provided from his shop. He gave me a job when I was in high school, so I’d have spending money. I can’t thank him enough.”

Cottle also credits Bobby Webb, who shapes his boards. “Bobby has been amazing to work with,” he says. “As I’ve grown in experience and skill, he made boards that have grown with me. My contest results got dramatically better once I started putting Action boards under my feet. And Hyperflex cold-water gear keeps me in the water year-round.

Their wetsuits are topnotch. Waterman’s is a local nonprofit that teaches kids to swim who otherwise couldn’t afford swim lessons. I think that is awesome since so many people flock to the ocean in the summers. Between their clothing and Dragon sunglasses, I’ve got some of the coolest gear around. If I didn’t have these sponsors, I simply couldn’t compete at the level I am now.”

Cottle is an environmental sciences major at the University of North Carolina Wilmington and often completes homework during downtime at contests.

“I can usually take care of any schoolwork by working on it during the competitions when I’m not surfing,” he says. “Being at these surf contests is great for my social life as well because I have opportunities to meet and connect with lots of new people. My friends and I

PHOTOS BY JOSH SCHIEFFER

know so many people up and down the coast now that we could probably do any contest on the East Coast and someone would offer us a place to stay. Surfers on the competition circuit are really a tight-knit community.”

Tight-knit also describes the Surf City surfing community and its many champions. Surf City boasts three national championship surfers: Cody Leutgens, a first-place champion, and

Kyle Sumer and Brycen Jernigan, both second-place champions. Several other local surfers have won the Eastern Surfing Association Championship including Jim Berger, Josh Bradley, Daniel Hill, Slater Powell and Noah Ferrell, many of whom George Howard supported.

‘I’ve known Dakota since he was about nine years old,” Howard says. “He’s a real clean-cut guy, and the

other kids look up to him. He really came into his own when he started longboard. Dakota loves to compete and hates losing. Dakota eats, sleeps and breathes surfing. He’s really going to go far.”

From young to old, local surfers respect Cottle. Russ Lindsey, a former competitive surfer now living in Surf City, says Cottle is one of the most talented local surfers among the several that won Central and Southern NC regional titles as well as dozens of local contests.

“Dakota is a great example of sportsmanship and good character, both in and out of the water,” Lindsey says. “With his recent victory as ESA champion, it’s likely we may see Dakota in more pro contests.”

Cottle’s family has stood behind him at every beach — rain and shine.

“I’m sure at times they would rather do something else when they are on the beach with buckets of rain coming down and the ocean is a washing machine,” Cottle says. “I’d like to thank my family. My mom, dad and sisters have spent countless days and weekends driving, in hotels or on the beach to support me at contests.”

He also credits other local surfers for supporting him.

“They all have, in one way or another, supported me on my surfing journey and helped shape me into the surfer and the person I am,” he says. “If it were not for the locals at the pier pushing me, supporting me and giving me an earful when I deserve it, I know that I would not have had the results that I do. Thank you all for being there.”

Cottle plans to “bring my surfing to the next level” for the World

Qualifying Series, a string of surfing events that use points to qualify a surfer to compete in the World Surf League. “That’s the surfing equivalent of Football’s NFL.” 

You gotta love the Vikings. Their culture has given us many things: most of our weekday names, mead, the toast Skøl! and even the concept of a honeymoon.

Skøl! in Scotts Hill

Thanks to Kimberly Rhine, Scotts Hill has its first beer garden and gathering spot, Freya’s Haus.

BY KURT EPPS, THE PUBSCOUT | PHOTOGRAPHY BY MATT MCGRAW

YYou know the days of the week, and you’ve likely heard of mead (a fermented honey wine). Skøl was a toast when those lusty Vikings drank out of an actual enemy skull, but you probably never heard the honeymoon connection (see the note at the end of this article if you are curious ...)

So why am I going on about the Vikings?

Easy. I met a Viking Goddess.

And I met her in Freya’s Haus, Scotts Hill first craft beer garden and bottle shop, a few days after she held a most successful grand opening.

Of course, her name is not Freya (from whence we get Friday) — it’s Kimberly Rhine. But she shares enough of the goddess Freya’s characteristics that the comparison is most apt.

In Old Norse, Freya means “lady,” and there’s this Wikipedia entry: In Norse mythology, Freyja is a goddess associated with love, beauty, fertility, sex, war, gold and seiðr (magic for seeing and influencing the future). Freyja is the owner of the necklace

Freya’s Haus owner Kimberly Rhine

Brísingamen, rides a chariot pulled by two cats, is accompanied by the boar Hildisvíni, and possesses a (magic) cloak of falcon feathers. By her husband Óðr, she is the mother of two daughters, Hnoss and Gersemi.

Rhine, also a mom of two, has led quite an interesting life. She has experienced both the very high highs and the very low lows of it at various times. She has been a successful international model and has worked in the service industry at many places in Wilmington, including a gig where she traveled with the PGA. It is, therefore, no surprise that her new venture is named Freya’s Haus. Rhine got the idea to open Freya’s Haus after visiting the world-famous

Oktoberfest celebrations in Munich, where she was impressed by the conviviality of the community.

Freya’s Haus occupies the space that was the old Crab Shack next to Poplar Grove, and Rhine is the driving force of its success — and she opened this new venture as mom to a three-month old. And because she, like Freya, can divine the future, she has even greater plans for the acre on which Freya’s Haus sits.

The purpose of my visit to the place on Veterans Day was twofold: chat with and get to know Rhine and witness the Veterans Day Beer Pong Event that she concocted along with Jeff Washington from ILM’s Mission

PHOTO BY KURT EPPS

Fit gym.

The father of Freya’s two daughters was supposedly Odin, a renowned warrior God (and from whose name we get Odins Day, or Wednesday). A Marine with MARSOC is the dad of Rhine’s two girls, and if you need to learn what MARSOC is, Google it and be impressed. Suffice it to say that Odin would be proud.

Rhine decided that all the proceeds from the Beer Pong event would be donated to the Marine Raiders. That there is a place in Wilmington called Eagles Dare owned by a former Marine Raider named Joe Apkarian is no coincidence. Apkarian has been a great friend to Rhine, and in fact she used to work at the Pour House in ILM, which Apkarian now owns. But her experience is much wider than that.

Rhine has tended bar at many places in the Port City, but she reserves a special place for the Goat and Compass and its owner Scott Wagner. In her five years behind the bar there, she learned how to make exciting, creative craft cocktails — for just five bucks. She was “big into presentation,” adding that, “The aesthetic was just as important as what was in the drink.”

And Wagner also encouraged her to broaden her beer horizons. Rhine says, “Scott Wagner had a beautiful beer selection, and he was really cool about letting us try the beers and just kind of seeing how they can have a different taste.”

The drafts and bottle offerings at Freya’s Haus do the same. During Freya’s Haus open house, Sierra Nevada did a tap takeover to great reviews. The beer coolers and takeout products are wide-ranging, as the packed house took advantage of many of them during the

Veterans Day event.

Freya’s Haus, a 2,500-square-foot space that is at once both cavernous and cozy, is both pet-friendly and childfriendly, and there is plenty of outdoor seating.

“It’s like a communal center,” Rhine says. “Come drink or don’t drink. Bring your kids and your dogs. Play disc putt or corn hole. I want everyone a place

where everyone is encouraged to be themselves.”

Rhine has secured a standing contract with Tackle Box Kitchen Mobile Food Truck to be on site seven days a week. Tackle Box is the food truck project from James Beard Award finalist and owner of Catch, Chef Keith Rhodes. The menu features local seafood sandwiches, bowls, tacos,

Rhine, top left, offers a communal center for socializing and games, whether you're a drinker or not.

PHOTOS BY KURT EPPS

gumbo and more. Rhine previously worked for Chef Rhodes and is a huge fan of his food, which is a blend of seafood, Southern and Gullah culture.

Look for Freya’s Haus to offer even more food, drink and offerings once Rhine gets settled, including coffee, live music events, mercantile and charity events.

The Goddess Freya, as you read earlier, is associated with gold. I learned that the winners of the $500 first prize at the Veterans Day event donated their winnings back to the Marine Raider Foundation, adding to whatever the overall take was.

*Ever the pedagogue, I offer this tidbit: The origin of honeymoon can be traced back to the ancient Norse term “hjunottsmanathr,” which translates to “honey month.”

I’ll drink to that — Skøl! And to Kimberley Rhine’s future success!

And because she’s Freya’s daughter, that’s something she can probably see already. 

During this month of seclusion, the newlywed couple would often indulge in mead, a sweet wine crafted from fermented honey, believed to bring good fortune.

Originally developed by monks for medicinal purposes, it was quickly recognized for its aphrodisiac qualities, enhancing marital bliss. Friends and family would often

THIRSTY?

Freya’s Haus

55 Scotts Hill Loop Road, Wilmington

m (704) 577-2949

Q freyashaus

gift the bride and groom with a month’s supply of this special honey-based elixir, accompanied by exquisite goblets. – from E&M Gold Beekeepers

BY KATE M CAREY PHOTOGRAPHY BY DARIA AMATO

Thanks to Wilmington Compost Company, food waste from Ocean Fest in Surf City is now transforming into usable compost at Piney Run Farms near Hampstead.

t the 2023 Ocean Fest, the awardwinning celebration of Mother Ocean in Surf City, things got down — and dirty.

More than 8,000 people celebrated with great music, sharp surfing and lots of delicious eats at the October event. At the end of the day, Wilmington Compost Company collected all the food waste from the festival — chips, half-eaten French fries, last bites of chili dogs and more — and took it to their farm, Piney Run Farms, near Hampstead. There, it is slowly curing, becoming a quarter ton of compost for local gardens and farms.

Wilmington Compost Company co-owner Trey Alber moves freshly offloaded food waste from local grocery stores.

Riley Alber and Trey Alber of the family-owned Wilmington Compost Company worked with two volunteer leaders of Ocean Fest, Sustainability and EcoZone Coordinator Jan Famer and Waste Management and Education Manager Ryan Doehrmann, to make sure all the compostable and recyclable items made it into the correct bins spread throughout the music, food, vendor and EcoZone areas. This made it easy for festivalgoers to dispose of waste properly. And they did — almost twice the 2022 amount.

Wilmington Compost Company collected nearly 800 pounds of compostable waste from Ocean Fest. In four to six months that food waste will become two cubic yards of finished, cured compost — enough to fill a pickup truck bed.

The annual Ocean Fest celebration teaches attendees about cleaning, protecting and restoring the ocean and sustainable living on the earth.

“We want everyone not just talk about it and do it, but to personify it, to embody it,” Famer says. “We look for ways to operate the festival cleaner and greener, and we’re constantly looking at how to address sustainability. Composting food waste and other waste is just one way of walking the ecological talk.”

Ocean Fest would love to be a zero-

waste festival. Each year that comes closer as attendees fill bins and accolades follow behaviors. At the Southeast Festival and Events Association, Ocean Fest won the top prize for an eco festival, the Green Initiative Award, says Ocean Fest founder Mark Anders. In recent years, the festival also helped vendors find more sustainable products and processes. The site is not closed, though, so organizers cannot control other waste that is brought in.

Doehrmann enjoyed volunteering security the previous year so much that he agreed to organize nearly 50 “waste warriors” as those volunteers were called. Previously Farmer had done both jobs.

“I like how passionate all the volunteers are about sustainability, keeping the ocean clean, giving back to the community,” Doehrmann says. “We were educated on what is compostable, strategies to help people recycle and how to educate them. All our waste warriors were trained and had cheat sheets to remind folks what was compostable, recyclable and trash.”

“I like that the funds raised are donated; that the money has a positive impact on Mother Ocean,” Doehrmann adds. “It’s about future generations. I want my kid to be able to swim and surf and enjoy the ocean.”

Funds raised at Ocean Fest fund

Above, Jason Carothers and Trey Alber swap out full compost receptacles during weekly service at Fiore Fine Flowers and SeaLevel City. Right, Trey Alber, right, with Michael Torbett of Terra Vita Farm in Castle Hayne. Torbett uses Wilmington Compost Company in his farm's soil management plan.

Above, Jason Carothers and Trey Alber swap out full compost receptacles during weekly service at Fiore Fine and SeaLevel City. Right, Trey Alber, right, with Michael Torbett of Terra Vita Farm in Castle Hayne. Torbett uses Wilmington Compost Company in his farm's soil management plan.

like-minded nonprofit organizations working to protect the environment. Since 2019 Ocean Fest has granted more than $115,000 to local, regional and national nonprofit organizations supporting the ocean and clean environments, including N.C. Coastal Federation, Plastic Ocean Project/ UNCW, Surfrider Foundation, N.C. Aquariums, Coastal Carolina Riverwatch, Sustainable Surf/Sea Trees, Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue, Audubon N.C., Ocean City Beach Citizens Council, Coastal Conservation Association of N.C. ECO Topsail and Oceana.

At Ocean Fest as much waste as possible was diverted from landfills — cardboard, aluminum cans, and plastics — through recycling. Neighbors helped. Cardboard boxes were flattened and taken to the IGA for recycling. Plastic bags were taken to UNCW for films recycling. A few trash bins were filled, keeping non-compostable or recyclable items out of the ocean, or littering the streets.

Many festival attendees were curious about the EcoZone, sponsored by A New Earth Project, an initiative of Wilmington-based Atlantic Packaging that focuses on reducing plastic pollution in packaging (anewearthproject.com). Employees and volunteers from many environmental organizations shared knowledge and helped individuals understand ways in which each person can contribute to a clean and healthy coastal environment. Eco Topsail and the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation were among this year’s participants.

At Wilmington Compost Company’s Piney Run Farms, the Ocean Fest collections were added to other compostable materials from households, businesses and events across a twocounty area. Compost in various stages of cooking is carefully turned and its temperature monitored, according to the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality regulations. Large piles of tree and vegetative waste

resemble giant Hershey’s Kisses.

Riley Alber, a graduate of the UNCW environmental sciences program, points out several areas where natural pollinator gardens are interspersed with three ponds and hills of compost. The Alber brothers also have 48 beehives in an apiary on the back near the property line.

“We have a good drainage ditch system here and a perfect location for pollinator spots,” he says. “The ponds are well stocked. My girlfriend caught the largest fish – a 10.5-pound largemouth bass,” he says, surveying the natural land.

Alber says his love of the land arose from his childhood in New Jersey, where he and his brother could roam freely among meadows and

woods owned by his grandparents.

On the back side of Piney Run Farms, the quiet side, without active compost piles, there are trails used by a neighbor’s horse-riding tours. Two barns sit near garden vegetable space used to research soils by varying growing methods and monitoring yields. These areas help educate people about the benefits of a closed-loop system, recycling organic matter and its nutrients back into the soil, eventually growing healthy food, Alber says.

Schoolkids love visiting the farm, and it is clear Alber enjoys sharing his knowledge about soil health and his hopes for a cleaner world. Wilmington Compost Company provides homeowners, businesses and event sponsors with composting services. 

Surf City and Hampstead homeowners interested in returning food waste to the soil through composting and gardening can check out the weekly service details at wilmingtoncompostcompany.com/composting

Top, from left, Riley Alber and Rob Rehder dumping receptacles and introducing food waste into the compost process within the windrow; Riley monitoring the windrow temperature.

Below, Torbett and Trey Alber at Terra Vita Farm.

Top, from left, Riley Alber and Rob Rehder dumping receptacles and introducing food waste into the compost process within the windrow; Riley monitoring the windrow temperature.

Below, Torbett and Trey Alber at Terra Vita Farm.

Where Life Leads You

Diana Tippett did not set out to sell furniture, but after 16 years of owning Beach Furniture Outfitters, she can’t imagine doing anything else.

BY MELISSA SLAVEN WARREN PHOTOGRAPHY BY MATT MCGRAW

IIn college, Diana Tippett majored in horticulture and figured that was where her career would be. And it was for a while. She worked in greenhouses and garden centers in her hometown of Fayetteville, where her dad was in the Army at Fort Bragg, now Fort Liberty. Like everybody else, she enjoyed vacationing at the beach,

especially Topsail Beach. And that’s when her plans of staying in Fayetteville changed.

“I met my husband, Larry, at Topsail. He wouldn’t leave the beach, so I had to move there,” Tippett says.

That was 30 years ago, and she has never looked back.

Diana in the store in 1998.

Diana in her store today. her store today.

When Tippett first moved to Topsail, she learned that a job in horticulture was not an option. There were two types of opportunities: real estate and restaurants. She chose real estate and started working for a local company doing office work. One day she stumbled into Beach Furniture Outfitters in Surf City to buy some furniture for their new house and met Sam Morrow, the original owner of the store.

“I went in to buy some furniture and came out with a job,” Tippett says.

She worked for Morrow at the furniture store for 12 years until he passed

away. That is when she and Larry decided to purchase the remaining inventory from his wife and became business owners. That was 16 years ago. Ater working with homeowners on and off the island for such a long time, the furniture store has become a part of her DNA and her clients have become family.

“My favorite part of this job is meeting people and seeing them come down here year after year,” Tippett says. “You get to see their kids grow up, and then come here with their kids. It’s not just about selling furniture; to me it’s building lifetime friendships.”

When Morrow opened Beach Furniture

“

You get to see their kids grow up, and then come here with their kids. It’s not just about selling furniture; to me it’s building lifetime friendships.

Larry and Diana Tippett at their store in Surf City.

Diana Tippett at their store in Surf City.

Outfitters, he set himself apart by specializing in whole beach house rentals with a turnkey operation. His store supplied everything from furniture to pots and pans. Though the Tippetts are outfitting yearround homes as well, most of their business still comes from refreshing and updating vacation rental homes.

“Spring is when this place booms,” Tippett says. “This time of year, the homeowners are fixing everything up for summer rentals, and that keeps us very busy.”

Tippett says it is their service that sets Beach Furniture Outfitters apart from other furniture stores. Year after year, homeowners and Realtors have come to depend on Tippett for everything they need to get through the vacation season. In fact, she still has paper files that date back 30 years to when the store first opened. So, if a homeowner needs to replace something or match something up, she knows exactly what they bought and how to get a new one if needed.

Delivery, assembly and set up are all part of their service.

“And if something is too big or small, they can bring it back,” Tippett says. “We want it to look good and be something people are proud to have in their homes.

When it comes to furniture, Tippett is a stickler for quality products that are locally made when possible. Much of the furniture she sells is made in Hickory and Thomasville, North Carolina.

“We also buy upholstered furniture from Florida,” she says. “Much of it is American made. But

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I do carry a new line that people like that is made from reclaimed mango wood from India. It’s absolutely beautiful!”

Tippett says furniture must be durable if it is going to be placed in rental homes. “Our clients don’t want something that’s going to get torn up quickly,” she says. “That’s why we don’t sell anything that’s cheaply made. It’s good quality, at a good price.”

Open year-round, Beach Furniture

Outfitters is much more than a furniture store. They sell home accessories, jewelry, sheets, quilts and pillow shams and even mattresses from a family-owned and operated company in Thomasville, North Carolina. You can even find local art, books by local authors, puzzles and wind chimes in the store.

“People don’t realize we aren’t just for furniture,” Tippett says. “We offer one-stop shopping for everybody and every budget.” 

Riding the Rails to Raleigh Once Again

Eastern Carolina Rail, launched by Steve Unger and Gene Merritt, seeks to restore rail service between Wilmington and Raleigh, with a stop in Burgaw along the way.

BY PAT FONTANA | PHOTOGRAPHY BY STEVE UNGER

“Do you know what the three most exciting sounds in the world are? Anchor chains, plane motors and train whistles.”

– George Bailey, It’s a Wonderful Life

TThe sound of train whistles may be returning to the greater Topsail area, to join those exciting sounds of anchor chains and plane motors that are so prevalent here. Steve Unger and Gene Merritt have launched the nonprofit organization Eastern Carolina Rail and are gathering support from the community and local officials to make the dream of a Wilmington to Raleigh passenger line a reality.

Arist rendering of a potential train station in Wilmington between 3rd and 4th streets.

Their efforts received a significant boost in recently approved funding that includes $500,000 “to begin the process of returning passenger rail to Wilmington.” The grant awarded by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) is part of the Corridor Identification and Development Program.

Unger says this is the first step toward restoring rail service that last ran in 1968. Today, the closest passenger train station is in Wilson, accessible from Wilmington and Jacksonville on the Amtrak Thruway Bus Service.

The railroad was once an integral part of the Topsail area. In 1840 the Wilmington & Raleigh Railroad carried passengers along what is essentially U.S. Highway 17 now. By the mid-1850s, the name was changed to the Wilmington & Weldon Railroad as, Unger says, Raleigh was “not a big enough town at the time.” The trains ran from Wilmington to Goldsboro, Rocky Mount and Weldon on what was then the “longest straight line track in the world.”

Towns in the area, including Hampstead, did not exist until the railroad was built. In fact, Unger explains, “almost all towns in Pender were established by the railroad.” Many of the whistle stops on the rail line were named by the railroad workers after towns in England, including Hampstead (which is a suburb of London) and Folkstone.

Unger further explains that the line in the Hampstead area was torn up in the 1980s and cannot be restored because the right of way is gone. The Annandale station building still exists and the Holly Ridge station was repurposed. The station in Jacksonville still exists.

Around the turn of the 20th century, the Wilmington & Weldon Railroad became part of the Atlantic Coast Line system, continuing to serve many stops in eastern North Carolina. In 1967 Atlantic Coast Line merged with the Seaboard Air Line Railroad, and the system became part of the Seaboard Coast Line.

Routes changed and stops were added

Top left, Raleigh Union Station, a future hub for Amtrak trains; right, Old Atlantic Coastline caboose, now moored at a spur at the Wallace station

The current c. 1913 swing rail bridge over the NE Cape Fear River in Castle Hayne. Plans are to replace it with a high-span structure.

along the way, including towns such as Faison and Wallace. One of those stops was Burgaw, which has the oldest documented depot in the state. That depot has been restored and still stands today. The right of way is also still there, including the DOT-owned portion from Wallace to Castle Hayne. By the time passenger rail service stopped in this area in 1968, the train went to Rocky Mount and then to Raleigh.

Unger is excited about the possibilities involved in restoring passenger rail service between Wilmington and Raleigh. He is not alone. The Eastern Carolina Rail organization has garnered the support of many community leaders as well as local and state officials. They have held symposiums in Wallace, Burgaw and Warsaw, with another planned for Greensboro. The organization is planning to hold similar meetings in other towns that will become part of the new Wilmington to Raleigh line.

At these meetings Unger and Merritt present about what is going on with passenger rail and ask for support.

“Citizen participation and interest is a major factor in (NCDOT) deciding what to fund,” Unger says.

A representative from the NCDOT Rail Division has attended both meetings, in addition to members of the local community, business leaders and elected officials.

Unger emphasizes that restoring passenger rail service has been a bipartisan effort. He cites the support of U.S. Representative David Rouzer, U.S. Senator Ted Budd and U.S. Senator Thom Tillis in addition to Wilmington Mayor Bill Saffo. He also cites the bipartisan support for the infrastructure bill that funded the FRA grants.

The grant money will be used for identification and planning. Twelve

potential rail projects were on the list for FRA funding, but only seven were chosen for the grants. In addition to the Wilmington to Raleigh line, the total funding of $3.5 million will also support the identification and development of corridors between Charlotte and Atlanta, Charlotte and Kings Mountain, Charlotte

and Washington, D.C., Fayetteville and Raleigh, Winston-Salem and Raleigh, and Salisbury and Asheville.

Raleigh will become the focal point of many of these new passenger rail corridors. In fact, the design is structured so that Raleigh would become a hub, connecting many of the local corridors to

major northeast cities and to Charlotte and beyond. Unger notes that the new passenger train service from Wilmington to Raleigh would be considered high speed, at between 70 and 80 mph. Connecting service to Richmond and other major points along the line would be “really high speed,” at close to 200 mph.

The logistics behind the restoration of passenger rail between Wilmington and Raleigh include restoring tracks and building a new bridge. Tracks would have to be restored from Castle Hayne to Wallace, which, Unger says, “would provide another connection to the state port.” He

adds that there is “only one rail route of the state port right now and it is a convoluted route.” He also notes that “rebuilding the track is really not that big of a thing.”

A new bridge over the Northeast Cape Fear River would be necessary to accommodate regular passenger rail service and that would be “the biggest thing” that would need to happen. The bridge would be need to be high enough for river traffic to go underneath it. Building a bridge is a necessary step as Unger says Amtrak has no intention of using the existing structure.

Amtrak has been adding service in the past few years. NCDOT cites the ridership on the Piedmont and Carolinian routes as being at its highest in its 32-year history in 2022. For the first two quarters of 2023, the latest information available, ridership had increased over the 2022 figures by 28%. Unger says that “Amtrak is totally for this Wilmington to Raleigh route.” They are in expansion mode and have been upgrading their routes and their trains in anticipation of increased ridership, “especially where

they are connecting smaller cities.”

A longtime resident of the Topsail area, Unger remembers the days when people used to be able to fly from Wilmington to Raleigh on Piedmont Airlines. “Now there is no air connection,” he says. “A rail connection makes a lot of sense.”

The proposed Wilmington to Raleigh line crosses airport property and Unger says that one of the possibilities is for rail to connect to the Wilmington airport.

The new passenger rail line would be a boon to towns throughout Pender and Brunswick counties, Unger says. The proposal is to have three passenger trains a day coming in, which he adds, is “going to be a big economic plus” for the entire area.

Unger and Merritt both have backgrounds in transportation projects. Merritt was instrumental in garnering support for the completion of I-40 from I-95 to Wilmington. Unger proposed building a bypass around Hampstead in 1993, a project that is just now getting underway.

The two met for lunch one day when Merritt said he would “like to do one more project to benefit the area,” Unger says. They decided to work on passenger rail and from there formed the Eastern Carolina Rail organization.

Potential stops for the new passenger rail line include Burgaw, Wallace, Goldsboro, Selma, Clayton and Raleigh. Actual stops will eventually be determined by the USDOT and NCDOT. Unger enthusiastically adds, “Getting rail traffic back here would be amazing, wouldn’t it? It works. Rail works.” 

Left, Community members learn about the project at a Rail Symposium in Wallace; right, Historic Burgaw Depot, the oldest passenger depot surviving in North Carolina.

PHOTO BY PEGGY ROSOFF, EASTERN CAROLINA RAIL

4

4

Ward Realty Business Profile

BY LIZ TROJAN

When A. H. Ward opened Standard Realty & Construction in 1947, he established himself as a pioneer in the development of Topsail Island. In those early days, it was necessary to obtain a military pass to get onto Topsail Island because the federal government was leasing the entire island for Operation Bumblebee.

Ward changed the name of his business to Ward Realty Corporation in 1951 and was responsible for a large amount of the early success of Topsail. He was one of the people who laid out the original subdivision of Surf City and he served as mayor of Surf City in 1954, when Hurricane Hazel hit. Since then, Ward Realty has developed 19 subdivisions on Topsail Island including Del Mar Beach, Grady-Moore Beach, White Hills Beach, Buccaneer Beach, Pirates Cove and Channelbend.

While real estate sales were the primary focus of the company in the late 1940s and early 1950s, construction was also an integral part of the sales program. Ward constructed the first

four Topsail Island beach cottages built after World War II, and they are still standing.

Today, Ward Realty is a fullservice real estate company specializing in sales, property management and construction. The construction division has built more than 100 cottages, including both speculative and custom homes. Property management became a part of the company in the early 1950s and continues today with more than 300 rental properties, most of which are short-term vacation rentals.

The Ward family still works together at Ward Realty, with Brandon Ward as the president, and they continue to move the business forward as Topsail Island grows and changes. The culture they have built internally is to treat their employees, homeowners and guests like family. This welcoming atmosphere has earned Ward Realty exceptional loyalty and retention over their 77 years.

The company has put down deep roots in the Topsail-area communities.

The Wards involve themselves in community organizations and events through sponsorships and volunteer opportunities throughout the year.

“We pride ourselves on being the original locals of Topsail Island,” says President Brandon Ward. “Our staff has unmatched knowledge of the area and are always ready to help make your vacation perfect or your dreams of living here come true. As the original developers of Topsail Island, we have helped make this island what it is today and we will continue to be here as it grows.”

Ward Realty

202 S. Topsail Drive, Surf City (910) 328-3221, wardrealty.com

PHOTO BY MATT MCGRAW

Surf City Expo 2024

March 4 at the Surf City Community Center Gym

PHOTOGRAPHY BY BILL RITENOUR

Stephanie & Ava Hickman, Keri Brown

Ruby Eaches & Kaleigh Spoon

Christina Howard & Jennifer White

Laura Smith & Sadie Logozio

Logan McLamb, Veronica Arliz, Maggie King, Kathia Purcell & Dawn Nelson

Gretchen S. Rivas, JJ Johnson & Avery Maher

Hailee Martin, Savannah Glenn, Sharon Blair & Devin Ellis

Kim Pattishall

Shilo, Su & Devon Holshausen

360 Painting

Cathy McInville

Layne Price

Marian Chuda, Pixie Healey & Darrynn Smith

Amanda Knauff & Ben Knauff

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17th Annual Jingle Bell Ball

December 2 at the Assembly Building to benefit the Historical Society of Topsail Island

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Monday-Saturday 10:00-4:00

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VALUATIONS

USMC Veteran Owned

USMC Veteran Owned

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Ed and Cecile Broadhurst, Carrie & John Newitt Sheridan & Lori Conklin

Bill Horstmann, Marcia Jenkins, Joyce & Michael Nelson

Jeff & Lindsay Wenzel

Joshua & Erin Turk, Justin & Katy Shore

Bethany & Dr. Max Benenati

Trevor & Brianne Nazzaro

Kristyn & Hudson Hollingsworth

Janice & Rick Stidley

A&B Saltwater Adventures LLC

East Coast Sports

My Time Rentals

Shoreline Party Supplies & Rentals

DoodyCalls

Petco

All Pets Animal Hospital of Sneads Ferry

Harmony Pet Spa

Holly Ridge Veterinary Hospital

Surf City Pet Hospital

Johnson Drug & Home Medical Co.

TH Photographic Studio

Outer Sky Imaging LLC

Tootsie Wootsies, LLC

Topsail Dreamscapes, LLC

Clarity Communications & Consulting

Security Technology Group

Beach Side Realty of Topsail Island

BlueStar Real Estate

Century 21 Action

Coastal Carolina Real Estate

Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Advantage

Intracoastal Realty Corp.

Lewis Realty Associates, Inc.

Oceanaire Realty The

Re/Max Essential

Sea to Shining Sea USA Properties

Summerhouse on Everett Bay

Taron Realty Group powered by Fathom Realy

Teresa Batts Real Estate, LLC

The Carolina Experience

Bella + James Children's Boutique

Blue Ridge Boutique

Linen & Leather Interiors

Salt Marsh Market

South End Outfitters

Isla Advanced Skincare & Hair

Cape Fear Community College

Arbor Landing at Hampstead

Woodbury Wellness & Stonebridge

Coastal Estates

Beach Furniture Outfitters, Inc.

Bettini Farm Incorporated

Bumblebee Market, Inc.

Fred's Beds

Friendly Mart

Gift Basket, The

Have to Have it! Thrift Shop

Idle Nomad Gift Shop

Lewis Seafood Market

Porch & Nest, LLC

Quarter Moon Books & Gifts

Southern Emporium

Surfside Sportswear & Gifts, Inc.

Topsail Island Trading Company

Wicked Stitch The

Coastal Mini Storage

Topsail Self Storage

Albert J Ellis Airport

Excel Limousine Service, LLC

Holtzman Propane

Parker Gas Company

Sneads Ferry LP Gas

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NC Wedding Officiant Rev. Angela Kelley

Focus Broadband

Corning Credit Union

Truist Bank

Holland's Shelter Creek II, Inc. Publix

Walmart Neighborhood Market Vacasa

Beach Shop and Grill

Saltwater Suites

Treasure Realty, Inc

Novant Health

Farm Bureau Insurance

SFI Group, Inc. - Surf City

Surf City Line

Pluris, LLC

Coral Cottage Boutiques

Jones-Onslow EMC

22nd Annual Dolphin Dip

PHOTOGRAPHY BY BILL RITENOUR

 On New Year's Day, dinosaurs, flamingos, fish, bellydancers and people from all over the area enjoyed plunging into the Atlantic Ocean at the Dolphin Dip in Surf City. The lively and energizing annual event at Roland Avenue Beach Access benefits Share the Table in its efforts to feed hungry people in Pender and Onslow counties. Learn more at sharethetablenc.com.

TOP

Mom Prom®

PHOTOGRAPHY BY DARIA AMATO

 Mom Prom, a charity event where women wear old prom dresses or formal attire to dance and raise money for a good cause, took place on January 19 at Hampstead Women’s Club. Started in 2006 in Canton, Michigan, it features activities like a Tackiest Dress Contest and an Aqua Net Contest for best hair. All women are welcome, not just moms, and the event aims to spread across the country to support various charities.

April May June

ME

Photo Credit: Kam Goodrich Photography

STARTING IN THE $270S 2.7 MILES TO THE BEACH COMMUNITY POOL, CLUBHOUSE, SHOPPES, DOG RUN, BOAT/RV PARKING, GARAGES AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE