All NC beaches are open at this time and no closures are anticipated at this time. However, just to avert any fears the N.C. State officials have launched a new Web page dedicated to providing information and useful links regarding the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

The web site features information about the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and the potential impact on the coast.

North Carolina Department of Crime Control and Public Safety spokesman Ernie Seneca said the website provides daily updates on the spill as well as links to models that predict where the spill could go.

“We just felt like it was good to get it out there. More information is better than less and this is obviously something that concerns a lot of people. The nation’s eyes and the world’s eyes are on the Gulf right now and what’s going to happen,” said Seneca.

The information is available at nccrimecontrol.org. Seneca said visitors can click on the Gulf Oil Spill tab on the web site.

Make sure you bring your dancing shoes…  because the music likely to get your feet moving as you enjoy an evening of great dance music.

Airlie Gardens Concert Series is the perfect place to kick back and enjoy a picnic, a favorite beverage. Bring a comfy chair or blanket and then relax, let the music take you away.

Now you’re ready for an awesome evening with your family and friends at the Airlie Gardens Concert Series. Call 910.798.7700 or email airlieinfo@nhcgov.com for more information.
Airlie Gardens
300 Airlie Rd
Wilmington, NC 28403
www.airliegardens.org

I recently took an afternoon off and revisited this incredible place – I hadn’t been there in years and forgot what I was missing.

First of all the location alone is amazing – wooden walkways wind amongst ruins of the pre-Revolutionary town which lie side by side with the remains of a Civil War era Confederate fortification originally called Fort St. Philip’s (later renamed Fort Anderson).

All of this is located along a virtually undeveloped area along the Cape Fear River offering some of the most beautiful views of the river seen through ancient live Oak trees dripping with Spanish moss. A great place to spend the day and have a picnic on the grounds.

I don’t know if there is anywhere where more history is packed into such a small area!
The town of Brunswick was settled by merchants coming from Barbados by way of Goose Creek SC in 1726 by Maurice Moore (who’s descendants later built Orton Plantation next to the town).

The port became a bustling shipping area for exporting tar, pitch, and turpentine. These products, derived from the resin of the longleaf pine, were known collectively as naval stores. This “sticky gold” was essential for building and maintaining the great wooden sailing ships of the Royal Navy and the merchant fleet that sailed the oceans between Europe, its American colonies, and the islands of the Caribbean.

In 1748 the town was attacked by Spanish invaders who were eventually driven off by 80 brave men many of which were African slaves.

In 1765 (eight years before the Boston Tea Party!) the residents challenged the Crown’s authority to distribute hated tax stamps halting the collection of the tax along the Cape Fear.

Brunswick was the seat of two Royal Governors until Brunswick’s decline which resulted from several factors, including the growth of Wilmington and the relocation of the royal governor to New Bern in 1770.

Few people remained in Brunswick in the spring of 1776 when British redcoats were put ashore from the Royal Navy ship Cruizer. Some reports indicate that much of the town was burned during this raid. By the end of the Revolutionary War families and merchants had moved to other locations, and the ruins and land became part of Orton Plantation in 1842. After being was razed by British troops in 1776 Brunswick was never rebuilt.

Painting Courtesy of Miller Pope from his book: "Tales of the Silver Coast".

Then, during the Civil War, Ft. Anderson was constructed atop the old village site. Colonial foundations dot the present-day tour trail, which crosses the earthworks of the Confederate fort. This serene riverside setting, colonial and Civil War history, and colorful exhibits will be long remembered by visitors.

In 1861 the Confederate States of America decided to build a large fort at the site as part of the river defense of Wilmington. The Cape Fear was an essential route for supplies moving by rail from Wilmington to Petersburg and Richmond for General Lee’s army.

The Confederate army used manual labor to construct the large sand fortification originally called Fort St. Philip’s. There were two batteries, each with five cannons overlooking the shipping channel and providing protection to blockade runners.

In February 1865, following the fall of Fort Fisher at the mouth of the river, Union forces repositioned to attack Fort Anderson. Federals attacked from the land and river. After three days of fighting, the Confederates evacuated the fort at night. Union gunboats started firing at first light, unaware Federal soldiers were breaching the walls of the fort. The infantry frantically waved sheets and blankets to stop the deadly fire from their own forces. There was a one-day fight north of the site at Town Creek before the Federals occupied Wilmington on George Washington’s birthday, February 22, 1865.

The Site Today

In the late 1950s and early 1960s, archaeologists uncovered foundations from Brunswick’s earliest days.

The most visible structure is the hulk of St. Philip’s Anglican Church with its surviving walls dating back to 1754.

Another interesting foundation is Russellborough, an old sea captain’s house that was used by royal governors Tryon and Dobbs.

The visitor center houses several displays that cover the time periods of both the old town and the fort.

In the lobby is a colorful mural created by Claude Howell and Catherine Hendricksen depicting a scene from a Spanish attack on the town in 1748.

Also the original large color painting of the Confederate soldiers shown above by Miller Pope (founder/owner of The Winds Resort Beach Club!). This painting is from his book Tales of the Silver Coast – A Secret History of NC’s Brunswick County.

All of Miller Pope’s books are available at his website http://MillerPope.com

A cannon on display was recovered from the river in 1986 and is believed to be from the Spanish ship Fortuna, which blew up in the river as the townspeople regained control of the port.

The remains of homes, businesses, and other buildings bear witness to the story of Brunswick. Along with artifacts from the Civil War and the imposing mounds of Fort Anderson, this site offers a unique look at two fascinating periods of American history.

“For there are deeds that should not pass away,
And names that must not wither.”
- plaque in St. Philip’s Church

Brunswick Town? 8884 St. Philip’s Rd. SE?, Winnabow, NC 28479? Phone: (910) 371-6613? Email: brunswick@ncdcr.gov
Hours of Operation: Monday – Saturday 9 a.m.- 5 p.m. Closed Sunday.

Plan to come spend a day at Orton Plantation! The gardens will soon be in their glory. The historic landscape designed around the 1735 mansion and colonial rice fields overlooking the Cape Fear River and 20 acres of secluded walking trails surrounded by hundreds of acres of rice fields make Orton Plantation Gardens a wonderful place to visit.

Generations of locals and tourists travel to the historic property with its beautiful antebellum plantation house. Azaleas, dogwoods, camellias and various annuals bring a splash of color to the riverside oaks and pines.

One of the oldest plantations on the Lower Cape Fear and the only one with a manor house still standing, Orton has become a privately owned tourist attraction, celebrated for its elaborate gardens. In recent years, the plantation and its grounds have served as locations on a number of motion pictures.

When a cousin of the Sprunt family was seriously injured in an automobile accident In the late 1930s. Family members decided to open Orton plantation as a public garden for a long weekend to raise money for his medical bills, .

Visitors so enjoyed the gardens and grounds that the family continued to keep them open to the public. These days, the gardens are open each year, March through August and September through November.

The house and grounds are located at 9149 Orton Road S.E., Brunswick County just off N.C. 133, close to the Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson State Historic Site.

Get directions click here!

Hours are 8am to 5pm March – August and 10am – 5pm September – November (except they close for Thanksgiving Day).

Since its inception in 1948, the Festival has blossomed into an extended weekend celebration that attracts more than 300,000 people.

For more than 50 years, the folks of Southeastern North Carolina have been throwing the best party in the South and you’re invited! There’s something for everyone among the area’s rich array of artwork, gardens, history and culture.

This year’s concert headliners are the Goo Goo Dolls with Collective Soul on Thursday, April 8th, at Trask Coliseum, UNCW 8:00 PM

Since forming in 1986 the Goo Goo Dolls have evolved from a punk-inspired trio to the platinum-selling, chart-topping act behind such radio staples as “Name,” “Slide,” and “Here is Gone.”

Their song, “Iris” from the City of Angels soundtrack propelled the group to stardom as the hit stayed on top of the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay charts for a record-breaking 18 weeks, and was nominated for three Grammy’s that year.

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Collective Soul gained a special place in the hearts of music lovers.

They burst onto the scene in 1993 with the rock anthem “Shine” and have been making music for nearly 2 decades since then.

“Tremble for My Beloved” found them on the soundtrack to one of the hottest movies of 2008, Twilight.

A multi-platinum band with a catalog of #1 hit singles, Collective Soul will open the Thursday night concert.
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On Friday April 9th, country megastars Montgomery Gentry will also headline at Trask Coliseum, UNCW at 8:00 PM

Montgomery Gentry’s journey into the front ranks of American music has been one of the most gratifying sagas of the past decade.

Their road to gold and platinum albums, CMA and ACM awards, a Grammy nomination and highly successful tours has been paved with musical integrity and with an abiding respect for the people and the genre they represent.

The Delgado family has returned and they have been busy sculpting the sands of Ocean Isle Beach. Yesterday it was “Wally Gator” and a giant Sand Crab! Who knows what they’re up to today.

This is the 25th year that they have been coming to The Winds to spend their families’ summer vacations. This time there are 17 of them including their grandchild J.R. and their nephew Jacob who came all the way from San Diego, CA. Jacob is on leave from the Marine Corps and he’s enjoying a little R&R at The Winds!

This all started back in 1984 when Bill Delgado, a printing and graphics teacher from Twinsburg, Ohio, and his family began building a large sand sculpture on the beach.

Look for them on the beach and if you want to – grab a shovel and join in! Or just grab a shovel and act busy like the girls in the video.

One day last year Bill Delgado created Snoopy, a Sea Turtle and a Fish with sunglasses and a ball cap with help from Mary, Katherine, Hunter and others that joined in. Every day they created something different.

Send us your funny or interesting videos from your stay at The Winds – maybe we’ll put it on the Beach Club site! Just upload it to YouTube.com and send us the link in an email to: garypope@thewinds.com

Participants will also observe their Aquarists accomplish some of their daily care and maintenance tasks. This limited opportunity is only open to 10 participants. Participants should wear close-toed shoes and be prepared to smell fishy.

For ages 10 and up. Ages 14 and under must be accompanied by an adult. Fee: $20.00 per participant. Aquarium admission included.

Dates:

• Saturday, May 16, 2009 at 2:00 PM
• Saturday, May 23, 2009 at 2:00 PM
• Saturday, June 6, 2009 at 2:00 PM
• Saturday, June 13, 2009 at 2:00 PM
• Saturday, June 20, 2009 at 2:00 PM
• Saturday, June 27, 2009 at 2:00 PM

The North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher is located on US 421 approximately 15 miles south of Wilmington,NC just beyond Kure Beach, NC. From Southport, NC take the Southport-Fort Fisher Ferry. For ferry schedule, call 910-457-6942 or toll free at 1-800-BYFERRY. http://www.ncaquariums.com/fort-fisher

FORT FISHER -With an average weight of nearly 500 pounds & deadly jaws capable of snapping bones in half, it makes sense that the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher keeps there alligators under lock and key.

There’s a new teaching program at the Fort Fisher Aquarium, but this program isn’t for the public.

Instead, the program teaches some of the scariest residents how to behave.

Julie Johnson and Kari Ysland are responsible for keeping the alligator display clean, cared for, and running, which wasn’t too difficult to do when the gators were small.

“As you can see they’re getting to a fairly large size, so they’re not scared of us any more,” said Johnson. “We use to get in, and basically have a barrier between us and them, and if the gator got to close we’d nudge them away.”

Now, for the past six months, the crew has used a candy striped section of PVC pipe as a target to get the gators to go where they want.

“Instead of using intimidation to get them to move away from us we can get them to willingly move by going over to someone that gives them a reward by doing so,” said Johnson.

As a reward the gators are given a pellet which is a supplement to the alligator’s diet of chicken, beef, and fish.

While the prospect of hand feeding alligators may seem frightening for some, for Kari and Julie it’s just another day in the office.

“I just have a passion for animals,” said Johnson. “I enjoy them. The behavior training is great to kind of play off an animals natural instinct, aid what it’s already doing, and it’s a lot of fun coming to work every day.”

There have been no injuries or incidents for the employees or alligators since the program began.

You can watch the alligators be fed at the aquarium on Sundays.

Watch the video here

Story from (WECT TV Wilmington NC

Reported by Colin Hackman -
Posted by Debra Worley

On Tuesday morning researchers from the University of North Carolina Wilmington taking an aerial survey spied the two whales heading South about 10 miles east of Masonboro Inlet.

They were able to identify Calvin by unique features on the whale’s face. She was named Calvin four years ago when they were not able to determine her sex but that now seems obvious.

It is not certain where Calvin gave birth but it is believed it was somewhere near where she was sighted Tuesday.

Calvin and her calf are “Right Whales” so named because they were considered the “right” whale for whalers to hunt in the 1800’s due to their slow movement. There was a time when right whales were once a fairly common sight along the U.S. coastline.

The researchers see the presence of the whales as proof that right whales are giving birth off North Carolina.

This could lead researchers to reconsider where one of the most endangered mammals on the face of the earth breeds.

“This just reinforces that the waters off North Carolina are very, very important to this species,” Pabst said.

As of Tuesday afternoon, Calvin and her new baby were cruising toward South Carolina.

The Coast Guard had issued warnings to mariners to watch out for the pair and to slow down and keep clear if the whales are sighted.

It is against the law for ships and boaters to avoid coming close to right whales especially as a mother with a newborn calf is very vulnerable.

Right whales have suffered from being hit by ships, entangled in fishing lines and due to their tendency to breed slowly recovery has been difficult so the federal government has recently passed laws to force ships to slow down as they enter and depart some major ports along the East Coast during some seasons.