Community briefs

Friends of the Library to meet Sept. 25
The Southport and Oak Island Friends of the Library annual meeting will be at 2 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 25, at the Southport Community Building, 223 East Bay St. in Southport. Guest speaker will be Wilmington Star News writer and author Ben Steelman.
Admission is free and the public is invited to attend.
Steelman is a co-author of “Wilmington on Film,” which chronicles more than 25 years of TV and film production in the Cape Fear region. He will focus on productions in Brunswick County.
A native eastern North Carolinian, he graduated from UNC Chapel Hill in 1976 and has worked with the Star News since 1977, working as a feature writer and book columnist. He also contributes to MyReporter.com.
Steelman lives in Wilmington and is married to the former Beth Taylor, who sings in the Grace United Methodist Church choir, and tends to four cats and occasionally two grandchildren.

Museum to feature sea turtles on Sept. 22
Sea turtle nesting season is just about finished. How did this year’s nesting activity compare with previous years? Jim Boyce, island coordinator for the Ocean Isle Beach Sea Turtle Protection Organization, will host a program at the Museum of Coastal Carolina beginning at 11 a.m. Sept. 22.
Boyce will discuss Ocean Isle Beach sea turtle nesting activity, the number of hatchlings that made it into the ocean this year, how this year’s activity compares with prior years and what you can do to help protect sea turtles. He will also answer any questions you may have about sea turtles.
This is an opportunity for those who are considering volunteering for next year’s sea turtle patrol to come and learn more about the program.
Visit the Museum of Coastal Carolina 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 children ages 3-4, and free for ages 2 and younger. For more information, call 579-1016 or visit www.MuseumPlanetarium.org.

Solve Medicare puzzle Sept. 24
Brunswick Senior Resources Inc. and Council of Governments, Area of Agency, will sponsor a Solving the Medicare Puzzle event from 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 24, at Oak Island Town Hall’s second floor council chambers, 4601 E. Oak Island Drive on Oak Island.
RSVP at 253-2198 for a free lunch by Sept. 19.
Medicare recipients with limited income and assets may qualify for money-saving programs such as Extra Help and the Medicare Savings Program. Also included will be free blood pressure checks, information about non-emergency transportation, free goody bags and representatives from Medication Management Program-Oceanic Home Health, Project Lifesaver, Oak Island Police Department and Brunswick County EMS Special Needs.
A Walgreen’s pharmacist will be on hand to answer medication questions.

The Messengers set to play at Southport Beat
Southport Beat will transform the evening in Southport to a festive atmosphere from 5-8 p.m. Friday,
Sept. 21, in Keziah and Franklin Square parks.
The goal of Southport Beat is to establish an evening of entertainment in Southport on a regular, on-going basis, providing a broad range of entertainment and music available for visitors and residents to enjoy.
This month’s entertainment in Franklin Square Park will feature The Messengers, a bluegrass band featuring Spider Mike on the guitar; watercolor artist Jim McIntosh; corn toss with Jim and Honey; and the Winding River Car Club.
Keziah Park will feature Ken Rebeck on accordion and violinist Stanley Mandell, in addition to Gracie and Tic Toc, the clowns.
While the entertainment will be in the parks, the action will be citywide, as participating shops and restaurants will be open. Some restaurants and shops will also be in Franklin Square Park.
A sampling of the shops includes free mini-muffins at Port City Java and free wine at Rebecca’s Fabrications, which will also provide crystal glass repair on-site.
Mark your calendars and join in Southport Beat on Sept. 21.
For more information or to showcase your talent, contact Southport-Oak Island Area Chamber of Commerce at (910) 457-6964.

Support group to meet at Rape Crisis Center
A support group for adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse will be meeting from 5:30-6:30 p.m. Mondays from Sept.17-Oct. 22 at the Rape Crisis Center of Coastal Horizons Center, 615 Shipyard Blvd. in Wilmington. There is no cost to attend.
This support group goal is to share and receive support from other survivors of childhood sexual abuse and to learn how to reconstruct a healthy life while working through trauma.
To register, contact Lauren Slusher, LCSW-A, VSP at (910) 392-7460. Space is limited.

Yard sale proceeds go to the dogs
Paws Place will have its annual yard sale from
8 a.m.-1 p.m. Sept. 29. All proceeds go 100 percent to the dogs.
Sale items will include books, decorations, small appliances, household items, baby items, children’s toys, seasonal items, garden supplies and tools, sports equipment, furniture and more.
Paws Place is about 5 miles east of N.C. 87 on Boiling Spring Road (one mile north of Camp Pretty Pond) in Boiling Spring Lakes.

Veterans health fair set for Sept. 28
The Brunswick County Veterans Service Office invites all veterans to attend the Veterans Health Fair at Belville Town Hall, 497 Old Waterford Way Suite 205 in Belville, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Friday, Sept. 28.
Veterans will be able to enroll in VA healthcare, obtain information and discuss health issues with VA medical personnel and talk with their county veterans service officer. Be sure to bring your DD-214 military discharges along with income and net worth information for 2011 to enroll in VA healthcare.
For additional information, contact the Brunswick County Veterans Service Office at 253-2233.

Teachers may apply for grants until Sept. 24
Time is running out for teachers to apply for grants of up to $2,000 from Brunswick Electric Membership Corporation’s Bright Ideas education grant program.
Educators with creative ideas for hands-on classroom projects must submit their application by Monday, Sept. 24.
Interested teachers can find the application, grant-writing tips and more information on the Bright Ideas grant website at www.ncbrightideas.com.
Those who submitted their applications by the Aug. 17 early-bird deadline were entered in drawings to win a Visa gift card. Winners were selected at random.
The statewide organization awarded a $500 card to Kathy Brown from Wake Elementary. BEMC’s local winner of a $150 Visa gift card is Sheila Lanier of Old Dock Elementary.
“Since 1994, the Bright Ideas education grant program has provided more than $7.9 million for 7,700 projects benefiting more than 1.4 million students in North Carolina,” said Judy Gore, vice president of customer service at BEMC. “We are committed to local communities, and we believe there’s no better way to contribute than by investing in the education of our youth.”
BEMC and North Carolina’s electric cooperatives have allocated more than $620,000 to give to educators across the state during the 2012-2013 school year.
The grants will be awarded in November for projects in all grade levels and all disciplines, including math, science, language, art, English and history. Last year, BEMC awarded more than $44,000 to teachers at 25 schools to fund 31 proposals.
The Bright Ideas grant applications require an outline of the proposed project, a detailed budget and a description of the benefit to students. Applicants are encouraged to highlight the innovative, creative elements of the project and to proofread carefully.
North Carolina’s electric cooperatives serve more than 2.5 million people in 93 of the state’s 100 counties. BEMC is the second largest electric co-op in the state, serving nearly 86,000 locations in Brunswick and Columbus counties and small areas of Bladen and Robeson counties.

Spooky Night at the museum is Oct. 25
The Museum of Coastal Carolina in Ocean Isle Beach invites local businesses and organizations to sponsor booths at its Spooky Night at the Museum from 5:30-8 p.m.
Oct. 25. This event features indoor trick-or-treating for children.
Sponsors should decorate their booths and provide enough treats for the children attending the event. Booth sponsorships are $30 and are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Booths will be judged. First- and second-place prizes will be awarded for Best Booth. For more information or to register for a booth, call Terry Bryant at 579-1016.
Visit the Museum of Coastal Carolina at 21 East Second St. on Ocean Isle Beach. The museum is open from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The museum will be closed on Oct.  25 during the day. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. for Spooky Night at the Museum. Member and non-member admission for this event is $5 per person. On other days, regular all-day museum admission is $8 for adults, $6 for seniors and students, $4 for children ages 3-4, and free for ages 2 and younger. Free admission for museum members.

Hemingway comes to Oak Island
For the fall session of the literature and film series, John Whiting, professor emeritus at SUNY Orange, will present a two-part program, “The Sun Also Rises: Novel and Film” from
10 a.m.-noon Monday and Wednesday, Oct. 15 and Oct. 17, at Barbee Library.
Sponsored by the Friends of the Library Southport/Oak Island, this program is free and open to the public.
Whiting will examine how Hemingway, in his first novel, defines the “lost generation” as it relates to a group of expatriate Americans in Europe and their companions following World War I. He will then address how the film adaptation, featuring Tyrone Power, Ava Gardner and Errol Flynn, translated the novel to the screen. Readers of Paula Mclain’s novel “The Paris Wife” and viewers of Woody Allen’s movie “Midnight in Paris” may find this event of special interest.
Registration will begin at 9 a.m. Monday, Oct. 1, at Barbee Library. All those attending will receive a complimentary copy of the novel. Enrollment is limited to 25 seats.

Brunswick Plantation arts, crafts fair is Oct. 27
A variety of artisans and crafters will join together at the annual Brunswick Plantation Arts and Crafts Fair from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 27, at the Brunswick House, 382 Brunswick Drive in Calabash, in Brunswick Plantation on U.S. 17.
Admission and parking are free. All are welcome.
Shoppers will find handmade jewelry, pottery, fashion-sewn apparel, baskets, quilted items, knitted scarves, shawls, sweaters, wreaths, wine bags, ornaments, wood-turned bowls and vases, crocheted blankets and apparel, photographs, note cards, stained glass, dog and cat beds, paintings, ribbon necklaces, and much more.
Looking for a new gift idea? These North Carolina-made items can be themed “from our home to yours” this year.
For more information, contact the facilitator’s office at 287-4604.

New books at Hickmans Crossroads Library
The following new books are now available at Hickmans Crossroads Library:
Fiction
“The Time Keeper” by Mitch Album. After being punished for trying to measure God’s greatest gift, Father Time returns to Earth along with a magical hourglass and a mission: a chance to redeem himself by teaching two earthly people the true meaning of time.
“Trust Your Eyes” by Linwood Barclay. A schizophrenic, map-obsessed, shut-in who tours the world using a computer program witnesses what he believes to be a murder in downtown New York City and enlists his caretaker brother in an effort to investigate.
“Zoo” by James Patterson. As coordinated attacks by animals against humans increase and escalate, young biologist Jackson Oz and ecologist Chloe Tousignant warn world leaders that soon there will be nowhere left for humans. Throughout the world, brutal attacks are crippling entire cities. Oz watches the escalating events with an increasing sense of dread. When he witnesses a coordinated lion ambush in Africa, the enormity of the violence to come becomes terrifyingly clear.
“The Tombs” by Clive Cussler. Husband-and-wife team Sam and Remi Fargo are intrigued when an archaeologist friend requests their help excavating a top secret historical site. What they find will set them on a hunt for a prize greater than they could ever imagine. The clues point to the hidden tomb of Attila the Hun, the High King who was reportedly buried with a vast fortune of gold and jewels and plunder…a bounty that has never been found.
“Gone” by Randy Wayne White. Hannah Smith, a tall, strong, formidable Florida woman, the descendant of generations of strong Florida women. She makes her living as a fishing guide, but her friends, neighbors and clients also know her as an uncommonly resourceful woman with a keen sense of justice, someone who can’t be bullied and they have taken to coming to her with their problems. When a girl goes missing, Hannah is asked to find her, and that is exactly what happens.
“Tiger’s Claw” by Dale Brown. After he and his team refurbish America’s aging weapon systems, Patrick McLanahan heads to Guam to oversee strategy, which causes the Chinese to take the offensive, launching a pre-emptive strike on a small American fleet that ignites a battle for the Pacific.
“Last to Die” by Tess Gerritsen. Visiting 16-year-old “Rat” Perkins at isolated Evensong Boarding School, Maura Isles is astonished to learn that all of his classmates are survivors of violence and are being instructed in scientific detective skills, a discovery that coincides with Jane Rizzoli’s investigation into the murder of a boy’s foster family.
“The Beautiful Mystery” by Louise Penny. When a peaceful monastery in Québec is shattered by the murder of their renowned choir director, Chief Inspector Armand Gamache and Jean-Guy Beauvoir of the Sureté du Québec are challenged to find the killer in a cloistered community that has taken avow of silence.
“Return to Willow Lake” by Susan Wiggs. When her mother, who is unexpectedly pregnant, receives a devastating diagnosis, Sonnet Romano must decide what really matters in life and, putting her career on hold, stays in Avalon and takes a job that forces her to work alongside her biggest mistake…award-winning filmmaker Zach Alger.
“Bones are Forever” by Kathy Reichs. Forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan examines the bodies of three babies while Detective Ryan investigates their mother in a case with ties to the high-stakes world of diamond mining.
“A Sunless Sea” by Ann Perry. Monk discovers a shocking truth while investigating the murder of a high-end prostitute with ties to an opium-dispensing doctor’s widow.
“The Survivor” by Gregg Hurwitz. Diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s disease nine months earlier, Nate is about to leap off an 11th-floor ledge of a bank building in Santa Monica, Ca., when he notices a robbery in progress through the window next to where he is standing. He climbs back in the window undetected, grabs a handgun a masked man has conveniently set down, and, thanks to his ROTC firearms training, succeeds in shooting dead five of the six robbers. In revenge, the thwarted theft’s mastermind, a notorious Ukrainian mobster, vows to brutally kill Nate and his teenage daughter unless Nate can retrieve the robbery’s objective.
“Hostage” by Elie Wiesel. It’s 1975, and Shaltiel Feigenberg, a professional storyteller and writer, has been taken hostage. He has been abducted from his home in Brooklyn, N.Y., blindfolded and tied to a chair in a dark basement. His captors, an Arab and an Italian, don’t explain why Shaltiel has been chosen, just that his life will be bartered for the freedom of three Palestinian prisoners. As his days of waiting commence, Shaltiel resorts to what he does best, telling stories to himself and to the men who hold his fate in their hands.
“Bring Up the Bodies” by Hilary Mantel. The sequel to “Wolf Hall” delves into the heart of Tudor history with the downfall of Anne Boleyn. Though he battled for seven years to marry her, Henry is disenchanted with Anne Boleyn. She has failed to give him a son and her sharp intelligence and audacious will alienate his old friends and the noble families of England.
“Stirred” by J.A. Konrath. Lt. Jacqueline “Jack” Daniels has seen humanity at its most depraved and terrifying. Luther Kite is humanity at its most depraved and terrifying. He’s committed unthinkable acts. Taken human life for the sheer pleasure of it. Each is the best at what they do. Luther wants a challenge, and sets his depraved sights on Jack. But with a baby on the way, Jack is at her most vulnerable.
“By Starlight” by Dorothy Garlock. In early 1930s Montana in the small town of Colton, Maddy Aldridge struggles to make ends meet during the Great Depression. With her mother long dead, her stubborn younger sister fighting her at every turn, and her father’s arthritis deteriorating so badly that she has to run the family store alone, her desperation grows by the day. Enter Jeffers Grimm with a proposition too great for her to turn down: open an illegal speakeasy in the mercantile’s basement, defy Prohibition, and make enough money to make her worries disappear.
“On Folly Beach” by Karen White. Folly Beach, S.C., has survived despite hurricanes and war. But it’s the personal battles of Folly Beach’s residents that have left the most scars, and why a young widow has been beckoned there to heal her own. As details of a possible murder and a mysterious disappearance during World War II are revealed, the two women discover that circumstances beyond their control, 60 years apart, have brought them together on Folly Beach. And it is here that their war-ravaged hearts can find hope for a second chance.
“A Different Kind of Normal” by Cathy Lamb. Through a series of unexpected events and revelations, hospice nurse Jaden Bruxelle learns how to let go of her fears and anger, and loosen her control on her special-needs son, Tate.
“Yankee Doodle Dixie” by Lisa Patton. Returning to her home in the South, Leelee Satterfield opens another restaurant but finds returning to her former life challenged by memories of the Vermont man who stole her heart and the daiquiri-laced advice of her three best friends.
“The White Bear” by local author Tal Leverett. This is a story of lifelong friendships and the life and death struggle of a majestic rare creature, the white bear.
Non-Fiction
“Cornbread Mafia: A Homegrown Syndicate’s Code of Silence and the Biggest Marijuana Bust in American History” by James Higdon.
“The Great Destroyer: Barack Obama’s War on the Republic” by David Limbaugh.
“The Beauty Detox Solution: Eat Your Way to Radiant Skin, Renewed Energy and the Body You’ve Always Wanted” by Kimberly Snyder, MD.
“Of Thee I Zing: America’s Cultural Decline from Muffin Tops to Body Shots” by Laura Ingraham.
“The Healthy Heart Miracle Diet: Lose weight, look fabulous, and live longer with delicious, filling food!” by John Hastings.
“Dealings: A Political and Financial Life” by Felix Rohatyn.
“Fast and Furious: Barack Obama’s Bloodiest Scandal and Its Shameless Cover-up” by Katie Pavlich.