Marine technology instructor Joel Clem watches as one of his students pulls the cord on a life raft during an abandon ship exercise last week. Photos by Hilary Snow.
It’s a scenario Joel Clem hopes his marine technology students at Cape Fear Community College will never be faced with at sea.
But should they need to abandon ship, he wants them to be ready.
Last week, Clem’s first-year class got a chance to practice setting up a 25-person raft, the same kind of life-saving equipment aboard the college’s research vessel, Cape Hatteras.
“It’s very rare that students get to see a life raft deployed unless it’s an emergency,” Clem said. “I want to get hands on. I hope they never have to use it but if they do, at least they’ll be familiar with it.”
Students got the chance to climb in the 25-person raft, which in a true emergency would contain food and other supplies.
In a parking lot behind the marine technology building, students lit signaling flares before pulling the 130-foot cord to the raft, which is stored in a large metal barrel and inflates in about 30 seconds. In a true emergency, the raft would also have blankets, food, a desalinization kit and first aid supplies, among other survival tools.
“You’d hate to be in that situation, but you’d have a lot of gear with you,” Clem noted.
Clem’s small boat handling course is part of the two-year marine technology program’s curricula. Students enrolled in the program spend a total of 32 days at sea on training voyages and other trips, traveling north to Baltimore, Maryland and south to Nassau, Bahamas.
“This is invaluable,” Anthony Maher, who graduates the program in December, said of the life raft exercise. “You see those orange containers on the boat all the time but to actually see them inflate and see all the things that come with it, hopefully it would help you not to panic if you ever needed it.”
North Carolina’s own The Avett Brothers will play their third Azalea Fest in April. Courtesy image.
North Carolina darlings The Avett Brothers are returning to the N.C. Azalea Festival.
Organizers announced today that the popular indie folk outfit would be hitting the festival stage for the third time during the 2016 event, set for April 6-10 downtown and across the Port City.
The Avett Brothers will perform on the Belk Main Stage–the site for headlining musical artists at 411 N. Front St.–on Thursday, April 7.
“The Avett Brothers have recently become a tradition for us here in Wilmington. They are Carolina musicians who perform a great show for the whole family,” festival president Robby Collins said. “Wilmington loves The Avett Brothers, and having them join us is another way the festival promotes the celebration of the talent and culture of our region.”
The quartet was a big draw to the 2013 Azalea Festival, becoming the first act to play the outdoor venue at Cape Fear Community College. The Avett Brothers also played during the 2011 festivities on the campus of UNC-Wilmington.
But the band has a long history in Wilmington, going back nearly two decades when it first started playing live gigs in town before achieving national notoriety with their debut release “I and Love and You.” The Avett Brothers have gone on to record eight studio albums, most recently “Magpie and the Dandelion.”
Tickets to the Azalea Fest show are $55 and go on sale at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 5 on the N.C. Azalea Festival website. Tickets can be purchased at the North Azalea Festival ticket office, 5725 Oleander Drive, Suite B-7, beginning at 9 a.m. on Monday, Dec. 7. The ticket office is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Doors to the standing-room only show will open at 5 p.m. and the concert gets underway at 7. This is a rain-or-shine event; no ticket refunds will be granted.
Click here for more information about the concert or the upcoming 69th annual N.C. Azalea Festival.
June Gottlieb Brown of Southport passed gently on Friday, Dec. 4, 2015.
June was born June 21, 1930 in Dunn, the daughter of the late Flora Lee Hannon and Homer Snead. She is preceded in death by her brother, Richard “Dickie” Hannon; and sons-in-law, Tony Alexander and Johnny Lorray.
June was a very talented and accomplished artist, having her art displayed and featured at numerous locations throughout the U.S. and winning numerous awards. She was an instructor of art at Cape Fear Community College in Wilmington and also at Brunswick Community College’s Southport Campus.
June was very active in the Southport community. She was a volunteer with the U.S. Open King Mackerel Tournament for 30 years. She was a founding member of the Southport 4th of July Arts and Crafts Festival, Franklin Square Gallery and The Robert Ruark Festival. She was a member of numerous professional artist organizations.
She is survived by her husband of 39 years, Jim Brown; her children, Teri Gottlieb Deal of Charlotte, Sandi Gottlieb Lorray of Kings Mountain, Jeff Gottlieb of Charlotte, Robin Gottlieb Crosier and husband Roy of Jamestown, Toni Alexander Hudgins and husband ED of Dayton, Tennessee, Mike Brown and wife Georgianne of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, Becky Brown Daniels and husband Jimmy of Albemarle, Happi Gottlieb Moore and husband Bruce of Winnabow; 20 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren; and her special companion, “Doodle”.
A funeral service was held Monday, Dec. 7 at Trinity United Methodist Church in Southport, with the Rev. Garrett Albertson officiating. Burial followed in the Northwood Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be directed to SECU Hospice House of Brunswick, 955 Mercy Lane, Bolivia, NC 28422.
A local industry leader is helping prepare Cape Fear Community College students achieve their educational goals.
GE Hitachi recently donated $30,000 to establish a scholarship for the college’s nuclear technology program. The Wilmington-based company, a worldwide provider of advanced reactors and nuclear services, also plans to give $30,000 each semester to the scholarship fund. The money will benefit up to 20 students every semester.
“This scholarship program builds on our longstanding partnership with Cape Fear Community College,” said Beth Lemmons, vice president of field services at GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy. “By merging college curriculum, practical experience at nuclear power plants and specialized training at GE Hitachi facilities in Wilmington and California, this program will promote career paths for nuclear maintenance technicians.”
Scholarships of up to $3,000 per student per year are available to qualified applicants who are enrolled as full-time students in the nuclear technology program and complete the required prerequisites. The first two scholarship recipients were picked this semester.
“GE Hitachi’s support for CFCC and its students throughout the years has been tremendous,” CFCC president Dr. Amanda Lee said. “This scholarship program will ease the recipients’ financial burden and allow them to focus on their training. We are very fortunate to have such a committed community partner and we look forward to continuing to train today’s students for tomorrow’s jobs.”
CFCC’s nuclear technology program is located on the college’s North Campus in Castle Hayne. Throughout the six-semester program, students complete traditional classroom work and also train onsite at nuclear power facilities.
The expected entrance of a new campus leader–and the sudden exit of another–topped the list of changes at UNC-Wilmington and Cape Fear Community College, respectively, in 2015.
For UNCW, this year marked the long-awaited arrival of a permanent replacement for Chancellor Gary Miller, who left the university in June 2014 to head up the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. Former Michigan state senator and retired college president Dr. William Sederburg was pegged as interim chancellor.
Since Sederburg had made it clear from the start he did not want the job long-term, UNCW’s Board of Trustees embarked on a search for a chancellor, a search that began in 2014 and ended in April with the announcement the UNC system’s board of governors had picked Dr. Zito Sartarelli–global officer and dean of West Virginia University’s (WVU’s) College of Business and Economics–to take the helm.
He hit the ground running in July, launching into the creation of a strategic plan to guide UNCW’s future, with a focus on job placement and global education.
One of his first actions as chancellor was to reinstate the university’s defunct track and field program. Sederburg decided in January to cut the team, on the recommendation of athletic director Jimmy Bass, as a cost-savings measure.
Sartarelli made the decision, a little over a month into his job, to bring track and field back after supporters successfully met their $250,000 fundraising goal.
“Track and field is an important sport, very important. In fact, if you think of ancient Greece, that was the very beginning…And we have had a good tradition in it. We have very engaged students from all over the state and from outside the state and we felt every effort should be made to keep it,” he said in July.
Sartarelli acknowledged Save UNCW Track’s hard work, and said it would not be fair to honor their efforts with a short-term solution.
“I saw a lot of verve and a lot of commitment. And they came through and met the goals. I think it would be unwise at that point to say, ‘Well, thank you very much and we’ll keep it for another year and it’s discontinued.’ It’d make no sense,” he said. “So, we’re going to be working very hard with our community, and also our sponsors and donors and parents to continue the program and fix the track at the appropriate time.”
While UNCW officials planned for a new head, for CFCC, 2015 began with the sudden resignation of its leader since 2012, Dr. Ted Spring. No reason was given for Spring’s departure.
A month later, District Attorney Ben David came forward to acknowledge his request to broaden an ongoing investigation by state auditors into possible financial irregularities at Cape Fear Community College.
David said his office only became involved in the investigation, which is being handled by the N.C. Office of the Auditor, to request that the scope of the investigation be broadened to “include new allegations that came to light” regarding Spring. He did not disclose the nature of the allegations in his letter to Warner, nor did he comment on them to the media.
Then, in March, Spring rescinded his resignation and demanded reinstatement to his post in a letter to the Cape Fear Community College Board of Trustees, claiming he had been forced to step down. Spring’s attorney, Gary Shipman, alleged trustees told Spring in a closed meeting on Jan. 22 that they did not plan to renew his contract in November, and that if he did not resign, the board would return to open session and vote to fire him.
Dr. Amanda Lee. Photo courtesy CFCC.
When trustees refused to return him to his post, Spring filed suit against the board on March 31, claiming a breach of contract and deprivation of civil rights occurred when he was forced out. It was a lawsuit that mirrored one filed by Spring in 2003 against the president of Shelton State Community College in Alabama. He was awarded $2.5 million in back pay and damages.
While the suit continues in federal court, in July, an investigative audit into spending at CFCC found that the former president misappropriated funds during his tenure. According to the results of the audit–which reviewed personnel documents, employee testimony and Spring’s electronic devices– the former president gave raises and promotions to employees without board approval, used discretionary money for personal expenditures and was reimbursed more for mileage than he actually spent out-of-pocket.
Spring’s attorney fired back, claiming the investigation was flawed and politically biased. The Office of the State Auditor promptly refuted those claims.
In the midst of the turmoil, CFCC had to move forward for students and staff. Trustees named vice president Dr. Amanda Lee as interim president soon after Spring’s resignation. After a nationwide search, Lee was hired on as Spring’s permanent replacement in June. In August, the board approved a three-year contract for Lee, who began her career with CFCC in 2003 as an instructor before moving through the administrative ranks.
The National Junior College Athletic Association released its latest Division II Top 20 poll on Wednesday and the Cape Fear Community College women’s basketball team moved up one spot to No. 15.
They are joined by Bryant & Stratton College (No. 9) and Louisburg College (No. 19) as three Region X programs listed in this week’s national rankings.
With just one game under the belt in 2016, the Sea Devils turn their attention to conference play, with games against Lenoir Community College on Thursday, Jan. 14 and a key matchup at Louisburg on Saturday, Jan. 16.
Jasmine Brown. Photo courtesy- CFCC Athletics
“It’s been a slow start coming back from the holiday break,” said CFCC First-Year Coach Chris Harris. “With one game played and another game canceled, we are in desperate need to play the Lenoir game. After Thursday, this weekend could end up being a big part of where we end up in the final standings.”
Cape Fear takes a 10-game winning streak into this week, having dropped just one game all season, with a 10-1 overall mark and 2-1 record inside league play. The Sea Devils are 3-0 on their home floor, 5-0 at neutral sites and look to improve their 2-1 road mark with games against Louisburg and Catawba Valley this weekend.
“We need to keep our focus on tomorrow’s game at Lenoir,” Harris added. “But, this weekend looks to be our most important and toughest remaining road trip, outside of perhaps the Guilford Tech trip at the end of the month. I think we’ve had a week of good practices since the Wake Tech game and look forward to the next few games this week.”
With a 53.6 shooting percentage, sophomore Jasmine Brown is ranked 31st in the nation in field goal percentage. The Sea Devils are shooting 47.1 percent as a team, which is good for third in the country among Division II members. Brown is the team’s leading scorer, averaging 12.8 points per game.
Cape Fear is also ranked in the Top 15 in total points (78.0) per game. The Sea Devils have dominated their schedule thus far, with just two results having been decided by three points or less. Those games came during the Brunswick Holiday Classic against Harford Community College (Maryland) and Chattanooga State Community College (Tennessee).
Following Thursday’s home game, Cape Fear faces Louisburg and Catawba Valley in back-to-game matchups this weekend. They return home for their cross-river rivalry game against Brunswick Community College on Friday, Jan. 22.
A group that marched in the 2012 MLK Day Parade. File photo.
A family fun day and battle of the bands are part of a weekend full of events hosted by the Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Committee of Southeastern North Carolina.
The organization’s annual banquet will be held Friday night. This year’s guest speaker is Debra Saunders-White, the current and first female chancellor of North Carolina Central University. Previous to her appointment at NCCU in 2013, she held administrative positions at Hampton University, the University of North Carolina – Wilmington and in the U.S. Department of Education. Before working in higher education, Saunders-White worked at IBM for 15 years.
The banquet starts at 6:30 p.m. and will be held at Cape Fear Community College’s Windell Daniels Hall, located at 502 N. Front St. in downtown Wilmington. Tickets are $75 or $600 per table of eight. Information on tickets can be found here or by calling (910) 763-4138.
Following the banquet, the MLK Jr. Celebration Official After-Party will take place at Wilmington Sportsman’s Club, 1111 Castle St. Admission is $10 and doors open at 9 p.m.
On Saturday, activities kick off at 9 a.m. with the New Hanover County NAACP’s MLK Breakfast. Local radio producer and community activist Harvard Jennings, who was named the 2010 Citizen of the Year by the New Hanover County Human Relations Commission, will be the guest speaker.
The theme for this year’s breakfast is “Pursuing Liberty in the Face of Injustice.” Tickets for the event, which will be at UNCW’s Burney Center, cost $25 and can be purchased at the Wilmington Journal office (412 S. 7th St.), the Greek Boutique (201 N. 2nd St.) and online.
In partnership with the City of Wilmington’s Parks and Recreation Department, the MLK committee is hosting a Family Fun Day Saturday at the William E. Murphy III Sports Complex at 401 S. 8th St. From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., children will be able to enjoy face painting, games and other activities. The event is free and open to the public.
Sunday’s events focus on higher education. “The HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) Experience” will be held at CFCC’s Schwartz Center. From 1 to 3 p.m. there will be a college fair with several schools and vendors represented, including local institutions.
At 4 p.m., a battle of the bands will begin. Winston Salem State University’s “Red Sea of Sound” will go up against Elizabeth City State University’s “Sound of Class,” and the drumlines from North Carolina Central University and North Carolina A&T State University will battle head-to-head.
Advance general admission tickets are $20, and information about where to buy them can be found here.
All the weekend’s events lead to the annual parade held on the MLK Day holiday. Due to construction on 3rd Street, Monday’s parade will run a different route, starting at 4th and Harnett Streets and ending at Brunswick and Front Streets. The event starts at 11 a.m., and several streets will be blocked off for traffic. Access to downtown from the Isabel Holmes Bridge and MLK Parkway will be blocked from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Following the parade, the MLK Celebration committee is offering free tickets to the CFCC basketball game vs. Mount Zion Academy. The game begins at 2:30 p.m. on the downtown campus at the Schwartz Center. Coupons for admission can be downloaded here for printing.
Chase Rice will perform April 9 at the Azalea Festival’s downtown outdoor venue. Courtesy photo.
A North Carolina boy is returning to his home state to perform during this year’s N.C. Azalea Festival.
Festival organizers announced Wednesday that country star Chase Rice will headline a show as part of the 2016 festivities, set for April 6-10 downtown and across the Port City. Fellow country singer Kane Brown will open the show.
Rice will perform on the Belk Main Stage–the site for headlining musical artists on the Cape Fear Community College Campus at 411 N. Front St.–on Saturday, April 9. It’s the same outdoor venue on which The Avett Brothers will perform two days prior.
Born in Florida, Rice was raised on a farm in Asheville and later attended UNC-Chapel Hill, where he was a linebacker on the university’s football team.
After college, he worked for a stint with a NASCAR pit crew before being selected as a cast member on the CBS reality show, “Survivor: Nicaragua.” Rice finished in second place in the competition but his appearance on the show–during which he performed one of his songs–helped fast-track his music career.
He made his major label debut in 2014 with “Ignite the Night,” which hit number one on the country charts. Throughout his career, his Tarheel roots have remained close to his heart, giving nods to his alma mater and even Wrightsville Beach in his hit, “Carolina Can.”
With a new album expected this year, the 29-year-old is getting ready to hit the road this month on a months-long international tour.
Tickets to his show in the Port City are $36.50. They’ll be available for purchase online on Saturday, Jan. 23. Sales at the N.C. Azalea Festival Ticket Office, 5725 Oleander Drive, Suite B-7, will begin on Monday, Jan. 25.
Coming off a 61-59 overtime victory this weekend, the Cape Fear Community College women’s basketball team moved up two spots to No. 12 in the latest National Junior College Athletic Association Top 20 poll released on Wednesday.
Winners of 15 straight, the Sea Devils join No. 7 Bryant & Stratton and No. 19 Louisburg College as three Region 10 conference members were listed in the national rankings. Cape Fear dropped its only game of the year to the Bobcats on November 7 and look to avenge that loss next month.
Cape Fear moved to No. 12 in this week’s NJCAA Top 20 Poll. Photo courtesy- CFCC Athletics
Following Louisburg’s win over Bryant & Stratton earlier Wednesday, the Sea Devils moved into a first-place tie atop league standings, with a 7-1 mark.
“We were very fortunate to come out with a win on Sunday,” said CFCC first-year Coach Chris Harris. “I believe the No. 12 ranking ties the highest ranking by the women’s team. Every day we are trying to stay focused on improving and not so much on rankings.”
The Sea Devils are ranked sixth nationally in field goal percentage (45.7%), averaging 77.9 points per game. They are listed fifth in points allowed per game (43.2), while holding opponents to 30 percent shooting.
“We played some of our best defense during the game against Brunswick Community College on Friday, but need to keep that intensity going for all four quarters,” Harris added. “This weekend’s game will be another tough test for our team.”
Cape Fear has used a balanced scoring attack to gain a 15-1 overall mark as just two players average double figures. Sophomore Jasmine Brown is the team’s leading scorer and rebounder, averaging 12.9 points and 7.8 boards per game. Freshman Destiny Campbell (11.5ppg) and sophomore Monica Alexander (9.4ppg) have also served as viable scoring threats, while De’najah Porter (9.6ppg/6.5rpg) has begun to make more of an impact moving through her rookie season.
No. 11 Cape Fear gets back on the floor for back-to-back road games against Guilford Tech and Patrick Henry CC on Jan. 30-31.
Blanche Witherell Ambrose, 103, of Wilmington, passed away at Spring Arbor of Wilmington on Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2016.
She was born in Lynn, Massachusetts on May 14, 1912, daughter of the late Leon F. Witherell and Eunice May Peterson Witherell.
Blanche had a long and full life. She was blessed with a strong constitution and a good mind that lasted well into her one hundred and third year.
Graduating from Bridgeport School of Nursing in Connecticut and Boston University School of Nursing in 1936, she engaged in private duty and hospital nursing. Coming to Wilmington, she and her husband Ralph supported and raised their family of three children. She worked as a registered nurse in both Cape Fear and New Hanover Memorial hospitals.
In her early fifties, she undertook the creation of a Practical Nursing Program at Cape Fear Technical Institute, now Cape Fear Community College. Many long hours were spent in preparation and planning to provide her classes of 15 students, not all of them young, with classroom instruction and hands-on practice at Babies Hospital, James Walker Memorial Hospital, Cape Fear Hospital and New Hanover Memorial Hospital.
She inspired them with the confidence to work beside other health professionals and, above all, provide competent care to patients. For 13 years, under her direction, her school’s reputation for high standards and quality of patient care insured that her students could easily find employment after graduation.
Years later, she would receive heartfelt thanks from past students for helping them become self-sufficient citizens in their own right and, in turn, positive role models in their own families. She was loved and respected by all her students. This was her greatest legacy. CFCC will celebrate the 50th year of its nursing program this May.
After retirement, excellent health allowed her beloved husband, Ralph, and herself to travel, visit friends and to immerse herself in religious study and church activities. She was always busy and delighted in meeting new people. Her friends ranged from old school mates to those she met in her church, daily life and many travels. The strength of those friendships was maintained through her faithful correspondence, initially handwritten, then later by telephone and even email.
She loved to write letters and looked forward to hearing back from her family and friends. Her Christmas card list at its peak seemed endless. Each card always included at least a personal line or two. Mrs. Ambrose was a member of Masonboro Baptist Church.
Surviving are two sons, Peter W. Ambrose (Vicki) of Burlington and Wallace W. Ambrose (Jeannie) of Pittsboro; a daughter, Susan A. Turner of Wilmington; a grandson, Steven M. Ambrose of Burlington; a granddaughter, Rebecca Ellen Ambrose of Baltimore, Maryland; and great-grandchildren, Trinity Kathryn Ambrose, Sean Michael Ambrose, and Alyssa Renee Ambrose of Burlington.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Ralph E. Ambrose, and a son-in-law, Tim Turner.
A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 5 at Masonboro Baptist Church, 1501 Beasley Road, Wilmington, NC, with Dr. Gordon Wright and Mr. Larry Knowles officiating. Interment will follow in the church cemetery. The family will receive friends at the church from 10 a.m. until the service hour.
In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made Lower Cape Fear Hospice, 1414 Physicians Drive, Wilmington, NC, or Masonboro Baptist Church Building Fund, 1501 Beasley Road, Wilmington, NC 28409.
Please leave online condolences for the family at Andrews Mortuary.
To view the full list of Port City Daily obituaries, click here.
The Grammy-winning band Gipsy Kings perform in April at CFCC’s Humanities and Fine Arts Center.
Legendary Latin fusion band Gipsy Kings are heading to the Cape Fear this spring.
The Grammy-winning band will take the Cape Fear Community College’s Humanities and Fine Arts Center on Wednesday, April 27, the college announced Friday. Tickets are on sale now for the show.
For more than 25 years, the Gipsy Kings have blended flamenco guitar, rumba, salsa and pop – with booming Spanish vocals – into a notable sound that has helped the band sell 20 million albums.
Uniting the families of Reyes and Baliardo, the band continues push forward the strong tradition of Spanish music into newer generations. Featured in hit films like “The Big Lebowski,” “Toy Story 3” and “Glee,” the band has embraced western classics by Bob Marley, Doobie Brothers and The Eagles with a Brazilian and Caribbean spin.
Tickets to the local show are $36 to $75 and may be purchased online, via Ticket Central at (910) 362-7999 or at the CFCC center’s ticket office, 703 N. Third St.
Keith Roberts and his son, Graham, discovered CFCC’s unmanned research vessel while kayaking in Ireland. The boat has traveled 6,000 miles in eight months. Photo courtesy CFCC.
While Keith Roberts and his son, Graham, were kayaking near Illaunurra Island in Ireland one afternoon late last month, they spotted something quite mysterious resting along the jagged rocks.
Banged up but intact, it appeared to be a pint-size sailboat without a mast. And, like a modern-day message in a bottle, a note—a little damp but legible—inside an airtight compartment instructed the family on who to contact if found.
That’s when Jacqui Degan received the surprising news that Marlin Spikin’ Miller was safe and sound after an incredible 6,000-mile adventure through the Atlantic. Degan, a marine science instructor at Cape Fear Community College, and her students had launched the fiberglass floater eight months earlier from the Outer Banks area.
Marlin is a five-foot unmanned research vessel, one of two the college’s marine technology program sent to sea last year. Armed with a transmitter that pings along its journey, the boat sends back data CFCC students use to monitor ocean and wind currents.
The first boat had long been lost, and Degan believed Marlin had met a similar fate.
“They’re drifters. They drift with the current and wind,” she said. “[Marlin] is a sailboat, so it moves more with the wind than the currents. But the sail broke off and we could tell it broke off…because for the first couple months I could see that it was going pretty fast and all the sudden it slowed down.”
Then, it stopped. Degan wasn’t sure what had happened to Marlin since it landed. And she certainly didn’t know what condition it might be in. So, she was excited to see the message from Keith’s wife, Saoirse, that the sturdy little sailor had weathered the elements.
“It was quite amazing it was not smashed to pieces after seeing all the rocks it weaved its way through. There are some scuffs and chips to the fiberglass but nothing major,” Saoirse said. “Not sure what repairs will be needed, if any–maybe some touching up to the fiberglass. Not sure if the mast needs replacing or if [that is] necessary.”
The vessel’s survival, Degan said, is a testament to the craftsmanship of CFCC’s boat building students. While the research boats have been used at the college since 2009, they didn’t fare well for more than a couple of months. So, last year Degan approached boat building instructor John Olsen about building something a little more long-lasting.
“The whole point of that was to have this collaborative relationship between the programs,” Degan said.
Olsen and his classes constructed Marlin with the same techniques used to build larger boats, with some heavy-duty fiberglass reinforcement.
“They built a vessel that withstood the North Atlantic,” Degan said. “I’m amazed at how these students built a boat that was so strong and durable.”
For now, Marlin will stay with the Roberts family in Galway, Ireland, where the tiny wonder is already a hit among the parish’s children. The family also plans to bring the boat around to Galway’s local elementary schools, whose students will load up Marlin with letters and other goodies before it sets sail again. When the Robertses found the boat, it contained CFCC T-shirts and stickers.
“I just love that it is planting the seed for the next generation all the way over in Ireland,” Degan said. “It’s such a cool way to meet new people, to bring in that global communication piece.”
Degan is in communication with the Robertses and researchers at the Marine Institute in Galway in hopes of getting Marlin back out on its next adventure into the great unknown in mid-March.
A gas leak at the North Third Street bridge construction site has forced CFCC to close its performing arts center for the remainder of the day. File photo.
Update 3:23 p.m. –The Wilmington Fire Department has fined a construction equipment operator $4,000 for causing the gas leak at the North Third Street bridge Monday morning.
According to David Hines, public information officer for the fire department, crews had to bust through a portion of the sidewalk and asphalt in order to clamp the leak. The fire department was on the scene at approximately 9:50 a.m. and repair work was completed at just after 2 p.m.
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Update 2:15 p.m. –The gas leak near the Third Street bridge construction site has been repaired, according to a Cape Fear Community College spokesperson. The Hanover deck and the CFCC Humanities and Fine Arts Center have reopened. All classes in the performing arts center will now resume as scheduled.
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Cape Fear Community College’s downtown campus remains temporarily closed off following a nearby gas leak Monday morning.
Piedmont Natural Gas reported the leak at Third and Hanover streets at approximately 10 a.m. today, according to CFCC spokeswoman Rachel Nadeau.
It’s the site of a project, underway since April, to replace the structurally deficient North Third Street bridge. N.C. Department of Transportation crews have been working on the yearlong project to build a new bridge with four lanes and a center turn lane.
As Piedmont works to repair the leak, Nadeau said the CFCC Humanities and Fine Arts Center has been evacuated and will remain closed to students for the remainder of the day. The adjacent Hanover parking deck has also been shut down. Students are asked instead to use Lot 2 or the L lot at the corner of Walnut and Second streets.
Classes in CFCC’s other buildings are operating on a normal schedule.
Check Port City Daily for any updates as they become available.
A map showing the proposed career and technical education high school (light gray) next to to Wilmington Early College (dark gray) on the CFCC North Campus.
Concept plans for a new regional career and technical education (CTE) high school were praised and unanimously supported by the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners Monday morning.
Though no action was required, the board voted to formally record their endorsement of the school, which would provide vocational training for high school students looking to go into trades such as auto mechanics, welding and construction. It will also provide opportunities for internships, apprenticeships and job shadowing. It differs from early college high schools in that it will focus on preparing students for the workforce, rather than to get a four-year college degree.
“To make this happen will require a very creative curriculum with a lot of blended courses,” said New Hanover County Schools Superintendent Tim Markley, who noted not every student wants to go to a four-year college. “It helps to address the employment needs in this community … It provides a missing component to our current curriculum.”
The school will be run in partnership with Cape Fear Community College and Pender County Schools, whose students will also be able to attend the new school.
It will be located on CFCC’s north campus, which is already home to Wilmington Early College. The program space will be a total of 43,826 square feet, and the high school will make use of CFCC’s labs. According to Markley, once the school is fully up and running, it will serve 400 to 500 students.
“We’re looking at best practices not just in North Carolina, but across the country,” said CFCC President Amanda Lee. “We need to know that conceptually you feel that a CTE high school is necessary to our community.”
While there was broad support from all the commissioners, there were some questions about money. As it will be a public school run by a joint oversight board with representatives from two county school districts, the money allotted to each student to attend their home school will follow them to the CTE high school to help fund programs.
“Most of the cost of operations will flow through normal state dollars,” Markley said, adding that the only additional cost to CFCC would be for janitorial and general maintenance services.
The cost of building the classrooms (which will be used by CFCC for night classes and other times when the high school isn’t in session), however, would fall to the county. Commissioner Woody White said the school districts and other parties involved should work to find every means available to help fund the project.
“I wholeheartedly support this concept and think we should move forward with it today, but we should exhaust every [way to support it],” said White. “It is incumbent upon us, at least in the short term, to get this started without worrying about [building a new building].”
There was also a question about transportation. Markley said they would make use of buses that already service the area, such as those that bring students to Wilmington Early College. As for those wanting to play sports, Markley said opportunities would be provided at the four traditional high schools in the county.
“We can accommodate them by allowing them to return in the afternoon to their districted school,” said Markley, noting that Laney High School was not that far away, and another option would be for students to be sent there.
The concept has already gone before the boards of education in both New Hanover and Pender counties and been approved. It has yet to go before the Pender County Board of Commissioners.
Cape Fear Police Chief Dan Wilcox stands with fellow officer Maggie Bekier in front of police headquarters on CFCC’s downtown campus. Photo by Christina Haley.
Following in the footsteps of her two Polish uncles, Malgorzata “Maggie” Bekier decided to become a law enforcement officer and landed her first job within Cape Fear Community College’s Police Department. But her role as an officer there is not her first experience at the college. She is one of two members in the police force who graduated from the college’s Basic Law Enforcement Training program.
Bekier, originally from Mieliec, Poland, moved to the United States when she was 15. She and her mother came to the country to be with her father and for “better opportunities,” she said. After becoming a U.S. citizen in 2013 and moving to North Carolina from Connecticut, Bekier earned her associate’s degree in criminal justice from CFCC while taking night classes through the college’s BLET program.
The program is not her first experience with college. While living in Connecticut, she began to study science in college but decided to start a different career path after moving to North Carolina.
“I was looking though the majors, what I wanted to do, and both of my uncles back in Poland, they were police officers, so I was always interested in that field and helping others. When I started my associate’s in criminal justice, I just fell in love with it. I met so many great deputies…I helped out with the sheriff’s office and went through the citizen academy,” Bekier said.
After an internship at the New Hanover County Jail, Bekier graduated and is now one of two 2015 graduates of the BLET program on the college’s police force. The 2014-2015 academic year saw 75 graduates of the program, and has a current enrollment 45 students.
“That was an amazing time. I had a blast. And I had…great instructors. I’ve been here three years and I saw some of the deputies working contracts on the North Campus making an impact on some of the students. And one of the deputies had a huge impact on me too,” Bekier said of the BLET program. “I just wanted to do the same for the kids and also give back to the community college. It’s like my second home.”
Since its inception, the police chief said the agency has worked to improve the security on campus. Safety measures implemented by the police force include improvements to the campus environment such as new LED lighting and taking down brush and trees that impeded visibility on the grounds. They have also worked to increase foot patrols on campus sidewalks, parking areas and inside campus buildings.
“We have been able to improve our uniform presence,” Wilcox said. “We always have an officer-uniform presence on campus.”
Officers become even more visible during major class changes, which has helped the officers’ interaction with staff and students, and has put a face to the police force, Wilcox said.
Bekier said she has enjoyed helping to build the safety of the campus, working with the students and building relationships with everyone there.
“I think we have a really good working relationship with our students. We have a pretty diversified group age-wise and [the officers] get out there and have conversations with our students and the employees all the time,” Wilcox said. “And I really think that opens up a better customer service relationship because we are doing that community policing where we are actually trying to engage with the [college] community.”
Officers attend events with students and lectures given by other instructors, a role that has now become familiar within the agency’s protocol to provide service and build strong relationships, he added.
“When you’re out there, your more approachable [and] you get told a lot of things,” Wilcox said.
As part of their role, officers on campus provide an escort for staff and students when needed, which Wilcox said has been used increasingly at the college. Notices about the service are sent out to everyone on campus, encouraging its use though student and staff emails, and information is provided at student orientation.
The police chief said the service adds to the feeling of security for the people they have sworn to protect.
“We hit them numerous times that it’s out there. How it actually gets utilized is that a student will either request it through the instructor, maybe go directly to security or just call us and just say that they want to have an escort,” Wilcox said.
When asked, police officers will also check up on a student throughout the day and monitor hallways, keeping an eye on a student’s schedule if their safety requires it, Wilcox said. All efforts are just part of the police department’s mission to help to provide a safe learning and work environment for college students and employees.
“That’s what our goal is. And if that means being out in the hallway for an hour while a student is in class to make them feel better or a little bit more secure, it helps them in their learning environment, which is what we are here for,” Wilcox said.
CFCC officers are sworn under the same North Carolina laws as other local law enforcement agencies. Last month, the police department held its first swearing-in ceremony for all officers.
Though the police department has grown, Wilcox said some larger crimes still have to be turned over to other local agencies, due to the limited resources of the college’s force.
“Due to our limited manpower and resources, we turn over the major crimes to the local police agency so they can investigate it. They have the man power [and] resources…for forensic evidence, things like that,” Wilcox said. “We have a really good working relationship with the Wilmington Police Department and New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office.”
While major crimes are limited on campus, the police department works to investigate property crimes, vandalism and wrecks on campus. They are also first responders to medical, fire and other emergency-related calls.
The police department at a recent swearing-in ceremony. From back, left, stands Lt. Timothy Pollock, John Buszko, Mason Canady, Paul Lee. From front, left, area Dr. Amanda Lee, Mary Anne Mincher, Maggie Bekier, Justin Barnes, Sgt. Robert Caggiano, Chief Daniel J. Wilcox. Photo courtesy of CFCC.
“I think that with our uniform presence downtown, I think that it keeps a lot of [crime] outside of our jurisdiction. And again, with cooperation with WPD and New Hanover County Sheriff’s office, their downtown taskforce, I think they have done a really good job of keeping a lot of crimes…away from our campus and the downtown area,” Wilcox said.
In the future, the police department, who sometimes contracts law enforcement to provide extra security on campus, aims to have be the primary uniform presence on the campus at all times. Wilcox said that while the partnership with contract law enforcement has been a necessity for the police department to become established on campus, he hopes to have more of his officers patrolling campus so the police department can continue growing coverage, providing safety to the campus and for their own officers, while building stronger relationships at the college.
“Of course, we are going to grow according to what our budget will allow us to grow,” Wilcox said, who has ongoing conversations with CFCC Board of Trustees about making improvements to the police department.
“It’s not just about the visual presence for our stake holders, but it’s also about the safety of our own officers,” Wilcox said. “We do have the support of the other police agencies, if we need to call them in for assistance…I just would like to increase personnel so we can be a little more sustaining in that area.”
Other future improvements to the police department include growing the police department’s technological capabilities and equipment, including improvements to camera systems on campus, Wilcox said. The police department is also in the process of designing and developing its website, which will include an anonymous tip line. The website could be running by the fall semester.
For more information about Cape Fear Community College and its programs, including Basic Law Enforcement Training, click here.
‘Because I was a Painter,’ a somber documentary about art made in Nazi war camps, is among the selections offered in this year’s three-day Tournées French Film Festival at CFCC. Courtesy photo.
Break out your berets–French art house cinema is returning to campus of Cape Fear Community College this weekend.
The college presents the Tournées French Film Festival, a collection of seven films, tonight through Saturday in the Union Station auditorium, 411 N. Front St. All films are free and open to the public.
This is the second consecutive year CFCC has been able to stage the screenings, courtesy of funding from FACE (French American Cultural Exchange) Foundation, a college spokeswoman said. This year, the CFCC Foundation has also provided some financial backing to show one of the seven films.
In partnership with the Cultural Services of the French Embassy, FACE aims to bring French films to more than 450 colleges and universities–and approximately 500,000 people–nationwide through nearly $200,000 in Tournées Film Festival grants.
As with last year, CFCC was one of two community college in the country selected for the grant. Of the 50 recipients for the 2016 festival, six are in North Carolina, according to FACE’s website. In addition to CFCC, UNC-Chapel Hill, N.C. State University, UNC-Charlotte, UNC-Greensboro and Guilford College in Greensboro received money for Tournées.
“We are thrilled to bring to Wilmington some of France’s most critically acclaimed feature films as examples of the rich cinematographic tradition in France,” CFCC French instructor Caroline Hudson said.
This year’s offerings include documentaries–“Because I was a Painter,” about art made in Nazi war camps and Werner Herzog’s 3D visual stunner, “The Cave of Forgotten Dreams”–as well as coming-of-age drama “Girlhood” and “Mood Indigo,” a whimsical love story from the mind of Michel Gondry, the creative force behind Academy Award-winning “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.”
The Tournées Film Festival schedule is as follows:
Thursday, 2 p.m. –“The Cave of Forgotten Dreams” (G)
Thursday, 6 p.m. –“Because I was a Painter” (unrated)
Friday, 2 p.m. –“Daybreak” (unrated; contains some violence)
Friday, 6 p.m. –“Girlhood” (unrated)
Saturday, 2 p.m. –“Augustine” (unrated; contains some violence and adult content)
Saturday, 5 p.m. –“Mood Indigo” (unrated)
Saturday, 8 p.m. –“The Connection” (R)
All films are in French with English subtitles. Click here for more information.
From left, guitar greats Tobin Abasi, Zakk Wylde, Steve Vai, Yngwie Malmsteen and Nuno Bettencourt will share the CFCC performing arts center stage in April as part of the ‘Generation Axe’ tour. Courtesy image.
A superstar lineup of legendary guitarists is taking the stage at Cape Fear Community College’s Humanities and Fine Arts Center this spring.
Tickets go on sale at 2 p.m. Friday for “Generation Axe: A Night of Guitars,” featuring Steve Vai, Zakk Wylde, Yngwie Malmsteen, Nuno Bettencourt and Tosin Abasi.
The center announced the heavy-hitting concert, set for Saturday, April 23, earlier this week.
“The Generation Axe show is a unique performance of five fiercely talented guitar players coming together to create a six-string extravaganza that is sure to amaze and delight,” Vai said.
The guitarists are hitting the Port City as part of a 26-city tour through North America that kicks off in early April. CFCC’s performing arts center is Generation Axe’s only North Carolina stop.
More than just a jam session between greats, the performance will include a variety of collaborations, including all five performing together as a cohesive band, with a rhythm section that include Pete Griffin (Dweezil Zappa, Stanley Clarke, Edgar Winter) on bass and Nick Marinovich (Malmsteen) on keys. Vai, Wylde, Malmsteen, Bettencourt and Abasi will perform songs from their various catalogs and join forces on some well-known songs, as well a few “unexpected, unearthed gems,” according to a release.
Grammy-winning virtuoso Vai is also an accomplished producer and composer. He has sold over 15 million albums and toured the world as a solo artist, a member of G3 and with Frank Zappa, Alcatrazz, David Lee Roth and Whitesnake.
Fellow Grammy alum Wylde, whose handprints grace the Hollywood Rock Walk of Fame, played a lengthy stint with Ozzy Osbourne. He also co-wrote and recorded several of Osbourne’s albums, including the multi-platinum “No More Tears” and the classic hit single, “Mama, I’m Coming Home.” Wylde is also a member of the hard rock quartet Black Label Society.
They’ll be joined by the neoclassical innovator Malmsteem. Drawing inspiration from his love for Baroque and Romantic classical music, Malmsteen employs classical violin techniques in his guitar playing. In addition to having written and produced more than 35 albums, Malmsteen has composed concertos and performed with esteemed symphonys across the globe.
The similarly prolific Bettencourt – best known as a member of the Grammy-nominated band, Extreme – has released multiple solo albums, as well as with bands he founded, including Mourning Widows Population 1, Dramagods and Satellite Party. He has also written, produced and performed with the likes of Rihanna, Steven Tyler, Paul McCartney and Janet Jackson.
And Nigerian-American guitarist Abasi, founder of the instrumental progressive metal band, Animals as Leaders, rounds out the all-star mix. In just a few years, Abasi has risen to the top of his game as part of a select breed of contemporary players focused on advanced techniques and harmony.
Tickets to the show range from $42 to $99 (for pit seating) and can be purchased online, by calling the ticket office, (910) 362-7999 or in person at the CFCC Humanities and Fine Arts Center, 703 N. Third St. Opera boxes, which seat four to six people, with butler service are available for $175 per person and must be purchased in person or by phone.
Generation Axe is offering various VIP and meet-and-greet packages to give fans access to the guitar masters and exclusive one-of-a-kind memorabilia. Visit the tour website for pricing.
With one game to go in the regular season, the Cape Fear Community College women’s basketball team moved up one spot to No. 10 in this week’s National Junior College Athletic Association Top 20 poll released on Thursday.
Following back-to-back wins in South Carolina this weekend, the Sea Devils secured a top seed in the upcoming Region 10 Tournament, with a three-game road trip to close out its 2015-2016 slate.
Destiny Campbell. Photo courtesy- CFCC Athletics
“Being ranked is a testament to how hard we have worked this season and how responsive our players have been to a new coach coming in and doing a few things differently than what was done in the past,” said CFCC First-Year Coach Chris Harris. “I’m really proud of how far we have come to at this point. In all reality though, the ranking only matters if we make it to the national tournament.”
Cape Fear is currently ranked third in the nation with a 46.2 field goal percentage, averaging 78.3 points per game.
Led by leading scorer Jasmine Brown (12.7 ppg), the Sea Devils have four players averaging double figures. Destiny Campbell (11.3ppg) and Desaree Green (10.3ppg) have added a pair of scoring options at the forward position, while sophomore guard Monica Alexander chips in 10.7 points per game on average.
“The other thing that potentially is affected by our ranking is in recruiting,” Harris added. “Recruits like to see programs that are ranked in the Top 10 nationally.”
Cape Fear is 22-1 overall under the direction of Harris. The Sea Devils have cruised through their regular season schedule heading into the season finale at Brunswick Community College on Thursday, Feb. 25.
“Regardless of our ranking, we have two tough games on the road this weekend,” said Harris. “Playing back-to-back games on the road is never easy.”
Designers will showcase their talents for turning thrift store finds into upcycled treasures during the two-day resale event. Photo courtesy Habitat for Humanity.
Savvy shoppers and DIY-ers rejoice – Habitat for Humanity’s third-annual Upscale Resale Designer Challenge is returning to downtown Wilmington next month.
Tickets are on sale now for the event, which features an array of unique reimagined, reupholstered and repurposed thrift shop finds. It’s set this year for 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, March 12, at Cape Fear Community College’s Schwartz Center, 601 N. Front St. A VIP preview party is set for 6 to 9 p.m. on Friday, March 11.
More than 20 local interior design teams will each showcase a room decorated entirely with upcycled furniture, lighting, accessories and artwork purchased from Wilmington’s Habitat ReStores. Attendees can browse and buy showroom items.
During Friday’s party judge Meg Caswell, former HGTV Design Star winner and owner of Fifth and Castle Design Shop in Wilmington, will help decide the winning designer vignettes.
The Upscale Resale is also an opportunity to shop around for a stylist or get some new ideas for home-improvement projects.
All proceeds from the challenge and sale will go directly toward the overhead and salaries for Habitat Restores. That’s important to note, Ogden Restore manager Amanda Rodriguez said in an earlier interview, because that means all other donations made to the nonprofit affordable housing organization can go directly to building homes for those in need.
Habitat for Humanity helps people realize their dream of becoming homeowners through zero-interest loans and affordable mortgage payments. Volunteers, along with Habitat beneficiaries, build the homes.
Habitat is also seeking volunteers to help with event set-up, registration and clean-up, as well as to serve as bartenders, waiters and cashiers. Volunteers are needed beginning with set-up on Wednesday, March 9 through the close of the event on Saturday, March 12. Click here for a list of opportunities to help out.
Admission to the general public sale is $5. The preview event, which includes hors d’oeuvres, wine and beer, is $40 in advance ($45 at the door), and includes admission on Saturday. Tickets are available online or at the Habitat ReStore in Ogden, 7330 Market St.
No. 10 Cape Fear CC 72 Brunswick Community College 54
The Cape Fear Community College women’s basketball team closed a dominating regular season with a 72-54 victory at Brunswick Community College on Thursday night.
Cape Fear Community College went 13-0 in conference this season. Photos courtesy- CFCC Athletics
Jasmine Brown had a team-high 21 points as the Sea Devils picked up their intensity after the break to grab the result.
“I wasn’t happy with our defensive mindset in the first half,” said CFCC Coach Chris Harris. “Shaniya [McLaughlin] did a great job on the defensive end of the floor against Brianna Baham in the second half. She earned every point of the 20 she had.”
Baham was ranked in the top 10 in scoring average among NJCAA Division II players heading into the week.
No. 10 Cape Fear earned a season sweep of their cross-river rivals after an 86-50 victory on their home floor earlier this season. The Sea Devils finished 12-0 in conference and 23-1 overall. They open the Region 10 Tournament as regular season champions on Friday, March 4.
Men’s basketball
Cape Fear CC 103 Brunswick Community College 86
Following a pair of forgettable outings late in the season, the Cape Fear Community College men’s basketball got back to its winning ways on Thursday night after a 103-86 result at Brunswick Community College.
Cape Fear snapped a brief two-game skid on Thursday.
The Sea Devils earned a top seed in the upcoming Region 10 Tournament as regular season champions, improving to 8-2 in the division and 23-7 overall.
“I loved the way we battled tonight,” said CFCC Coach Ryan Mantlo. “It gives us some good momentum heading into next weekend’s tournament.”
Cape Fear is 8-2 over their last 10 games. Michael Chambers led all scorers with 25 points. Alonzo Tyson and Tyrek Coger chipped in with 16 points apiece.
The Sea Devils open tournament play at BCC on Friday, March 4.
