Community briefs

Lockwood Folly dredging
The Army Corps of Engineers’ dredge boat, the Merritt, is in the Lockwood Folly Inlet. This is the second round of dredging in the area this year. The plan is to have enough material removed from the inlet by the end of this cycle so that the Coast Guard can return the buoys to the inlet. According to the Corps’ schedule, the Merritt should be working in Lockwood Folly through July 8.

Sunset Beach launch area open
The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission has opened the Sunset Beach Boating Access Area in Brunswick County. The new access area, allows boaters to launch into the Intracoastal Waterway.
“We are grateful for our partnership with the town of Sunset Beach, which allowed us to build this boating access area,” said Erik Christofferson, chief of the commission’s Division of Engineering Services. “This site will draw anglers, recreational boaters and wildlife watchers from across the state, as well as locals interested in spending a day on the water.”
Several years ago, the town and Brunswick County used grants to purchase property adjacent to the bridge over the Intracoastal Waterway, where the new boating access area is. The access area includes a 100-foot long floating dock with a single-lane launch ramp. The site also includes a 110-foot fishing pier and 37 parking spaces for vehicles with trailers.
“This is a significant achievement for our area because there aren’t enough boating access areas in the region, and the only one that had been in Sunset Beach was removed during the elevated bridge construction and not replaced,” said Gary Parker, Sunset Beach town administrator. “There are many boaters eagerly awaiting the opening of this one.”
The commission paid for construction costs for the site with motorboat registration receipts.

Is it a dolphin or a porpoise?
“Look!” the lady on Sunset Beach said as she pointed excitedly toward the ocean. “It’s a porpoise!” “Isn’t it a dolphin?” her companion asked. “Same thing,” the lady replied.
It is true both dolphins and porpoises are cetaceans; that is, they are marine mammals that live an aquatic life.
Like whales, dolphins and porpoises must surface periodically to exhale carbon dioxide and inhale oxygen through blowholes. However, although people might have difficulty telling the difference between a porpoise and a dolphin, there are several reasons why the animal seen off of Sunset Beach was most likely a dolphin and not a porpoise.
Dolphins are far more plentiful than porpoises. There are more than 30 dolphin species and only six porpoise species. Dolphins are also much bigger, longer, and leaner than porpoises, which are more portly.
While porpoises range in size from 4-8-feet, dolphins can grow up to 30-feet long. Dolphins have more elongated faces than porpoises and their teeth are cone-shaped. Porpoises have smaller mouths with teeth that are more spade-shaped. The dorsal fin in the middle of a dolphin’s back is curved while the dorsal fin of a porpoise is triangular.
Perhaps the most telling difference between dolphins and porpoises is their distinct personalities. Porpoises are much more shy and wary than dolphins. They are also less acrobatic. In the wild, they rarely jump out of the water.
Dolphins, on the other hand, are acrobatic, playful, social, and extremely curious. Both species are highly intelligent and possess large, complex brains. They are among only a few species in the world that are “self-aware.” Like humans, they can identify themselves in a mirror.
To see a life-size replica of a bottlenose dolphin, visit the Museum of Coastal Carolina’s ocean reef gallery at 21 East Second St. on Ocean Isle Beach. Admission is free for museum members. Non-member all-day admission is $8 for adults, $6 for seniors and students, $4 for ages 3-4, and free for ages 2 and younger. For more information, call 579-1016 or visit www.MuseumPlanetarium.org.

Senior site menus
Here are lunch menus for Brunswick County’s seven Senior Nutrition Sites for next week.
Monday, July 9
Pork chop/tomatoes and okra, carrot coleslaw, rice, biscuit, milk.
Tuesday, July 10
Baked herb chicken, cabbage and noodles, pears, cornbread, milk.
Wednesday, July 11
Spaghetti/Italian meat sauce, peas, tossed salad/tomatoes and carrots, low-fat salad dressing, mixed fruit, milk.
Thursday, July 12
Scalloped potato casserole, carrots, glazed apples, biscuit, milk.
Friday, July 13
Barbecue beef pattie/lettuce and tomato, hamburger bun, baked beans, fresh orange, milk.
The seven sites and their hours are as follows:
Shallotte Senior Center, Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m.
Leland Senior Center, Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m.
Southport Senior Center, Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m.
Oak Island Senior Site, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Calabash Senior Site, Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Boiling Spring Lakes Senior Site, Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Supply Senior Site, Monday-Friday, 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
All sites serve lunch at noon. Contributions are entirely voluntarily; however, no one is turned away for failure to contribute. Menus are subject to change.

Museum offers summer programs
Rainy day? Too much sun? Need a break from the beach?
The Museum of Coastal Carolina has activities and programs for the summer months ahead.
Afternoon family programs begin at 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday:
Monday: Family Scavenger Hunt.
Tuesday: Ocean Reef Explorer.
Wednesday: Who Are You Swimming With?
Thursday: Megabites–It’s All About Sharks!
Friday: Touch Tank Feeding and Sea Shell Identification.
Evening family programs begin at 7 p.m.:
Monday: Sea Turtles and You!
Wednesday: Pirates Ahoy!
Thursday: Snakes Alive!
A special evening program at 7 p.m. Tuesday, July 24, features Samford University professor Julie Williams talking about how her great-uncle and his family all survived the Titanic disaster.
Visit the Museum of Coastal Carolina at 21 East Second St. on Ocean Isle Beach.
Call 579-1016 or visit www.MuseumPlanetarium.org for programs, admission prices, hours, and directions.

Knee-replacement seminar is July 11
Dosher Memorial Hospital will offer a free informational seminar for individuals considering total knee replacement from noon-1:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 11, in the hospital’s second-floor classroom. This event is free.
Those attending this seminar will learn about current trends in knee replacement using Stryker’s Triathlon Custom Fit Knee with ShapeMatch Technology. There will be a discussion about this new 3-D technological advancement and what to expect during surgery and recovery.
The seminar will be conducted by orthopedic surgeon Eric Lescault, DO. A luncheon will also be served.
Space is limited, and registration is required. Call 371-CARE to register, or register online at www.dosher.org.

Artists’ reception set for July 7 in Calabash
Jewelry by Wendy–Beach House Fine Arts will host an artist’s reception for three featured artists from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. July 7 at 10152 Beach Drive SW in Calabash. This is a free event.
Featured artists will include Nora Mackin of Pawleys Island, Betty Morrell of Myrtle Beach, S.C. and Marko Angelo of Carolina Shores.
Mackin, a member of the Seacoast Artist Guild, paints in watercolor, oil and acrylics. Morrell creates with watercolor and oil in her versatile paintings. Marko Angelo will debut his distinctive photographs of flowers, birds and waterfront scenes.

Camera club to have show-and-tell July 10
The July 10 meeting of the Coastal Carolina Camera Club will feature a show-and-tell session.
Members will present one of their photographs and describe the “wow” factor that makes that photo stand out. They will present the image as originally shot and then describe what alterations or changes were made to the image to improve it. Questions, critiques and suggestions from members will follow.
The club meets monthly every second Tuesday evening at 7 p.m. at Shallotte Presbyterian Church, 5070 Main St. in Shallotte. Membership is open to photographers of all skill levels using both film and digital cameras. Meetings consist of informative programs on photographic techniques and software usage, member photo presentations and critiques, guest speakers and much more. Guests are always welcome.
Visit its website at www.coastalcarolinacameraclub.org or call 287-6311 for more information.

Beach Plan forum planned for July 5
Holden Beach Property Owners Association (HBPOA) is sponsoring an owners focus forum at 7 p.m. Thursday, July 5, at the Holden Beach Town Hall, 110 Rothschild St. on Holden Beach. The session is open to the public.
This is the second session of a two-part series on “North Carolina Beach Plan–Wind and Hail Insurance Pool.”
HBPOA members who cannot attend the meeting can also participate via a webcast. Just email a request to hbpoa@hotmail.com to receive the webcast information.
Guest speakers will be Gina Schwitzgebel, general manager for the North Carolina Insurance Underwriting Association and the North Carolina Joint Underwriting Association, and Bob Eades, director of claims for the associations.
They will present an overview of the Coastal Property Insurance Pool and the FAIR Plan and will discuss the role of the associations in the insurance marketplace in North Carolina, operations of the associations, and frequently asked coverage issues. There will also be a Q&A session.

Sunset Beach sponsors summer concerts
Join friends and family each Wednesday evening this summer for music, food and fun, while supporting local Brunswick County charities. Bring your beach chair or blanket and relax to some of the areas top beach music, country, alternative and classic rock artists.
The free Wednesday concerts are part of the Sunset Beach Concert Series at Village Park on Queen Anne Street. Concert times are from 6:30-8:30p.m. For more information, call 575-7605 or visit www.SeasideVillageSunsetBeach.com.
Summer Concert Schedule
July 11: Jaded Mayberry
July 18: The Holiday Band
July 25: Mark Roberts Band
Aug. 1: Running with Scissors
Aug. 8: Ocean Drive Party Band
Aug. 15: Craig Woolard Band
Aug. 22: Allie McDowell
Aug. 29: Jaded Mayberry

Cheatham elected to state association
Allan Cheatham, owner/operator of Shallotte Dry Cleaners, was elected to a two-year term as vice president of membership of the North Carolina Association of Launderers and Cleaners (NCALC) Inc. at its 106th annual convention in Wrightsville Beach.

Arts Council reception featured students
The Brunswick Arts Council hosted a reception for its watercolor summer camp students, parents and friends on Saturday, June 23, at the Oak Island Recreation Center.
Watercolors finished in the camp were displayed (matting furnished by Richard Staat) and certificates, memberships and paint kits were awarded to the summer camp participants, including: Maureen Walsh of Ocean Isle Beach; Sarah Keenan of Southport; Molly Walsh of Ocean Isle Beach; Alexis and Allison Rathbone of Boiling Spring Lakes; Kayla Ray of Oak Island; and Susan “Katie” Lee of Oak Island.
Roger Tatum, a well known watercolorist in Brunswick County, was the class instructor, assisted by Phyllis Riley, Joyce Grazetti, JoAnn Staat and Sue Ernest. The camp was funded by a grant from ATMC.

Funds will expand foreclosure help
Cape Fear Regional Community Development Corporation in Wilmington has received a $10,000 fellowship from the North Carolina Association of Realtors (NCAR) to expand its outreach to homeowners in danger of foreclosure. Cape Fear Regional CDC was among five HUD-approved counseling agencies in the state to receive the fellowships.
“We are grateful to the N.C. Association of Realtors for this recognition and the opportunity to make it easier for families that need our services,” said Stan Turner, the CDC’s executive director. “We will use the fellowship funds to redesign our website to make it a more effective information source for people who need our foreclosure prevention and other services.”
In the past year, Cape Fear Regional CDC provided free foreclosure mitigation and housing counseling services to 225 families in Bladen, Brunswick, Columbus, New Hanover, Onslow, Sampson, Columbus, Robeson and Pender counties.
By participating in the N.C. Foreclosure Prevention Fund, it has helped 97 unemployed homeowners obtain interest-free loans to pay their mortgages while they look for a new job or retrain in a new field. The fund is operated by the N.C. Housing Finance Agency with money from the U.S. Department of the Treasury.
In announcing the award this month, NCAR President Lou Baldwin said, “Every day, Realtors help people to achieve the American dream of homeownership. When times are tough, as they have been during this economic downturn in our state and nation, realtors want to help people to hold onto that American dream.”
NCAR funded the fellowships through a grant from the National Association of Realtors. They were presented at the legislative building in Raleigh before an audience of 200 realtors.

Rourk Library has new books
The following books are now available at Rourk Branch Library in Shallotte. Reviews are courtesy of Friends of the Library.
Nonfiction
“Escape from Camp 14” by Blaine Harden. A beautifully written account of a horrible place, this is a shocking exposé of North Korea’s political prison camps, as well as a testament to the human spirit’s ability to dream and hope.
 Fiction
“A Place in the Country” by Elizabeth Adler. An emotionally powerful novel about mothers and daughters, the secrets they share, and those they keep to themselves.
“Gone Missing” by Linda Castillo. A deeply chilling novel about murder in Amish country, and about a rite of passage gone horribly wrong.
“The House at Sea’s End” by Elly Griffiths. An exciting new Ruth Galloway mystery.
“Mortal” by Ted Dekker and Tosca Lee. The second book in the “Books of Mortals” series.
“Burning Midnight” by Loren D. Estleman. This excellent series keeps getting better as Amos Walker takes on another case.
“Into The Dreaming” by Karen Marie Moning. A tale of Highland fantasy, star-crossed lovers, and the timeless manipulation of the ancient, immortal Unsedie King.
“Just Down The Road” by Jodi Thomas. Since Tinch Turner lost his wife, he’s spent most of his nights brooding. When one of his escapades lands him in the emergency room, he finds himself staring up at Addison Spencer, the beautiful new doctor in town.
Gala for Children set for Oct. 18 at airport
Communities in Schools of Brunswick County Inc., and Progress Energy have announce the 11th annual Benefit Gala for Children will be Oct. 18 at the Cape Fear Regional Jetport in Oak Island.
In keeping with the location, this year’s theme is “Education: Passport to the World” and will transport guests to the four corners of the globe. The evening will include A Taste of Brunswick County provided by the area’s finest chefs, live and silent auctions, 50/50 raffles and entertainment by the Andrew Thielen Big Band.
Tickets to this black-tie-optional event are $100 per person. For more information, call 457-3494 or visit www.cisbrunswick.org.

Planetarium offers new summer shows
Ingram Planetarium is debuting two spectacular new shows this summer in its Sky Theater. Dynamic Earth, showing at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. takes you on a ride along swirling ocean currents, down into the depths of a volcano, into the center of a monster hurricane, and down to the ocean floor.
Tales of the Maya Skies, showing at 2 p.m., introduces you to the amazing astrological achievements of the ancient Maya people. The 4 p.m. show, Oasis in Space, takes you on an exploration of distant planets and galaxies in a search for water and life.
At 11 a.m., see Legends of the Night Sky, a humorous look at the mythology behind the constellations Orion and Perseus, for half-price admission: $4 for adults, $3 for seniors and students, $2 for ages 3-4, and free for ages 2 and younger.
Weekdays at noon, the planetarium features free family programs in its Paul Dennis Science Hall: Tuesday, Navigating the Seas; Wednesday, Sea Turtle Talk; Thursday, Fun in the Sun; and Friday, What’s Up?
For pure entertainment, come to a laser music show:
Thursday: Beatles at 5 p.m.; Laser Spirit at 6 p.m.; Arena Rock at 7 p.m.
Friday: Metallica at 5 p.m.; Led Zeppelin at 6 p.m.; Pink Floyd: “The Wall” at 7 p.m.
Saturday: Beatles at 5 p.m.; Pink Floyd: “Dark Side of the Moon” at 6 p.m.; Pink Floyd: “The Wall” at 7 p.m.
Metallica and Pink Floyd: “The Wall” are not recommended for young children. Playlists for each show are available on the website.
Visit Ingram Planetarium at 7625 High Market St. in Sunset Beach. Call 575-0033 or visit www.MuseumPlanetarium.org for programs, admission prices, laser music show playlists, hours, and directions.