41.4 F
Wrightsville Beach
Friday, March 29, 2024

Wrightsville Beach School students explore local history at fair

Must read

Students at Wrightsville Beach Elementary School presented different views of local history during its local history fair on Friday, April 28. The exhibits included several local and North Carolina locations, including businesses on Wrightsville Beach.

In her presentation, Ella Boyer reported on King Neptune restaurant, the Wrightsville Beach establishment which is the oldest continually operated restaurant in New Hanover County. Her display included a feature on “Mack,” who retired from the restaurant in 1999 after working there 53 years.

Rhodes Gould and Annie Mulligan presented their historical project on Roberts Grocery Store.

“It’s the only grocery store on the beach,” Gould said. “And we got ice cream sandwiches.”

There were several presentations on the U.S.S. North Carolina. Third graders Cruz Turner and Will Agrella reported in their project that the ship took 16 years to build and that it has a “four-foot long bullet” it can fire.

Fourth graders Maggie Dorosko and Ruthie Stratman also did their project on the battleship, but used their project to focus on its arrival in Wilmington. They both interviewed grandparents where they were 1n 1961 when the ship arrived in Wilmington, who told of how the wave generated by the boat knocked over another boat called the “Arc” docked nearby.

Fourth graders Rhea Kaycee and Myers Dumas did their project on the North Carolina Azalea Festival and interviewed 2007 chairman Charlie Rivenbark, a member of the Wilmington City Council. Rivenbark told them how the Hugh Morgan started the festival after seeing the azaleas around Greenfield Lake. Though Kaycee wore an Azalea Belles costumed, she said she didn’t know if she wanted to be one when she got older because “I’m not really the dress up type.”

A fan of the railroads, fifth grader Ward Tam said a visit to the Wilmington Railroad Museum is “definitely worth doing.” Part of his exhibit included his grandfather’s stopwatch that he used on the Atlantic Coast Line and he interviewed the museum’s director to learn more.

“I took a lot of pictures and paid attention to the history,” Tam said. “I always wanted to go just to see the trains but I learned a lot more this time.”

Fifth graders Allana Henderson and Anna Grace Cozeault, traveled to the headquarters of Mt. Olive Pickles company, where they interviewed public relations manager Lynn Williams.

“She said every day at work is fun and different,” Cozeault said. “We learned everything we could about pickles.”

Bailey Anne Milks interviewed several employees of Bitty & Beaus Coffee in Wilmington, which offers working opportunities for those with intellectual developmental disabilities.

“One employee, Jackie, couldn’t find a job until she went there,” Milks said.  “Maddie said she loved working there and Matt said working there made him awesome.”

Email [email protected]

- Advertisement -spot_img

More articles

- Advertisement -spot_img

Latest articles