According to EUE/Screen Gems vice president Bill Vassar, thirteen new episodes have been ordered.

All Wilmington had been abuzz with speculation for days about whether “One Tree Hill,” would be renewed for another season. On May 18, 2010, The CW renewed the show for an eighth season consisting of 13 episodes minimum.

It has also been confirmed that original cast members James Lafferty, Sophia Bush and Bethany Joy Galeotti will all be returning.However, Lee Norris and Antwon Tanner have been removed as main characters and it is unknown if they will be recurring later or not at all.

The show has also been moved to Tuesday nights as a lead in to Life Unexpected.

The show is set in a fictional town called Tree Hill in NC and originally followed the lives of two half-brothers, Lucas Scott (Chad Michael Murray) and Nathan Scott (James Lafferty). Their relationship evolved from heartless enemies to caring brothers, and the basketball drama, as well as the brothers’ on-again/off-again romances with female characters, have been significant elements within the series.

The show’s interiors are filmed at the EUE/Screen Gems studios in Wilmington, North Carolina and exteriors are filmed in and around Wilmington.

Originally planned as a feature length film with the title Ravens, after the high school basketball team, it was decided to make One Tree Hill as a television series. The title of the show and the name of the fictional town where the series takes place is derived from the song “One Tree Hill”, which is, actually, named after a landmark in New Zealand. Most of the episodes of the show are titles of songs, bands or albums.

Executive Producer Mark Schwahn named the town “Tree Hill” because while he was writing the idea for the show, he had been listening to the album The Joshua Tree by U2. At the start of the show, fans often asked Schwahn why the show was named One Tree Hill when the town was just called Tree Hill. The question is ostensibly answered when Karen tells Lucas in episode 1.22 that “There is only one Tree Hill – and it’s your home.”

According to the Wilmington Regional Film Commission about 125 professional locals are employed on the set and the show pumps about $1 million per episode into the local economy.

Louis Moore Bacon, who now resides in London but was born in Raleigh, has purchased almost the entire 5,000-acre property – including the historic plantation house and its famous gardens – from the Laurence Sprunt family who have owned the Brunswick County landmark since 1884.

The Plantation and Gardens (located just 35 miles from Wilmington, NC)will close indefinitely on May 31st while plans for the future and other renovations are made. Hurry to see this incredible place while this years gardens are still available to you!

Current Orton manager David Sprunt, will retain that position, said the family has kept the land around the plantation’s pond.

He said he’s excited about the plans for the plantation, but it is hard for the property leave his family’s ownership after all of these years.

A press release states that Bacon is directly descended from Roger Moore, who built the original Orton residence in 1725. Bacon’s mother’s family has strong ties to nearby Wilmington.

Many are relieved to hear that Mr. Bacon has a reputation for buying historic properties such as Orton Plantation and keeping them in their natural state. Also the N.C. Coastal Land Trust holds conservation easements covering much of the Orton property. The executive director of the Land Trust states that Bacon is noted as a conservationist and a supporter of numerous environmental organizations.

Forbes magazine notes Bacon, age 53, is a native of North Carolina who manages several hedge funds and now resides in London, and the London Sunday Times notes that that he is the richest hedge fund manager in Britain having a nearly $1.7 billion fortune.

Orton Plantation, which recently opened for the 2010 season, is celebrating the 100th anniversary of the gardens. Extensive renovations were made in the gardens to open up panoramic views to the Cape Fear River, remove competing vegetation, redesign and enhance the flower beds and restore and preserve the colonial rice fields.

Among the predominant species in the garden are live oaks, camellias, azaleas, flowering fruit trees, daphne, hydrangeas, crape myrtles, dogwoods, and colorful spring and summer annuals. Lawns and water gardens lend variety to the lush vegetation.

Plan to come spend a day at Orton Plantation! The gardens are in their glory right now! 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.

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.

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).

Take A Break Romance Special for Two with breakfast!!

Just $99 per night for two people!

Late Summer (9/1/10 – 9/31/10 Sunday through Thursday nights only)

Autumn (10/1/10 – 11/15/10) : Just $74 per night for two people! (Sunday through Thursday nights only) No Minimum Stay!

Call 800.334.3581 for reservations!
The The Winds Resort Beach Club’s Take A Break Special package includes accommodations in an Island View Camellia Guest Room with a wetbar and refrigerator, a full hot Southern breakfast buffet each morning, daily housekeeping, complimentary use of bicycles and discounts to area restaurants and shops.

• Add Dinner For Two for $65.00 (gratuities not included) at choice of 3 nearby restaurants:

Roberto’s Italian Ristorante:
Dinner Includes: Two Entrees (special menu for Winds Guests), Bottle of House Wine, Salad, Dessert, Non-alcoholic Beverages.

Sharky’s Waterfront Restaurant (overlooking the intra-coastal waterway)
Dinner Includes: Two Entrees (any menu item), 4 Glasses of House Wine, Salad, Dessert, Non-alcoholic Beverages.

Cinelli’s Italian Restaurant(overlooking the intra-coastal waterway):
Dinner Includes: Two Entrees (any menu item – except steak), Bottle of House Wine, Salad, Dessert, Non-alcoholic Beverages.

Bourbon Street:
Any two entrees on the menu, two sides per entree, a bottle of wine and choice of dessert at table side. ]]> http://coastalnc-wilmington.com/island-escape-package/feed/ 0 http://coastalnc-wilmington.com/local-authors-books-huge-hit/ http://coastalnc-wilmington.com/local-authors-books-huge-hit/#comments Tue, 05 Jan 2010 00:10:24 +0000 gary http://coastalnc-wilmington.com/?p=410 Local Author and Illustrator Miller Pope has spent a lifetime as an artist meanwhile gathering a encyclopedic knowledge of history on a local as well as global level! Now he has retired and is sharing all his knowledge and talent as an artist in a series of books that are gaining rave reviews. You can read all about Miller Pope and buy his books at his website: http://MillerPope.com!

Confessions of a Madman

A life lived through the years of the greatest change in human history, a tale of the Camelot period among the canyons of Madison Ave. and the publishing world in New York and Boston through the eyes of an illustrator.

A story that spans eighty years beginning in the Appalachian hills of Tennessee and evolving into the fast-paced world of art and advertising on Madison Avenue. Follow along and experience life in the upper strata of New York City society during the days when the Martini lunch ruled.

“From Madison Avenue to Island Sands” is one of those rare, thoroughly entertaining autobiographies that works because, unlike many autobiographies, it isn’t about a celebrity or a politician, but about a regular guy who has lived life to the fullest and then some.

In some respects, it’s a tale of two islands: Manhattan and a little place off the coast of North Carolina called Ocean Isle.” Lynn Jessup – The Wilmington Star News

Tales of the Silver Coast

A Secret History Of Brunswick County – From the earliest days of European exploration to the golf courses and beach resorts in this fascinating and fast-growing region, Brunswick County has attracted settlers, invaders, and visitors of all descriptions.

“Miller has done an exceptional job keeping the tone light while still being informative. Each story is only two to three pages long, with illustrations liberally spread throughout, making it perfect for children. Young and old will love the story of the Barefoot Felon, where a captain uses a simple trick to save his ship from pirates.”

- Brunswick Alive! Magazine

Miller Pope’s Book Of Pirates

From Captain Kidd to Blackbeard to the pirates of the orient . . . From bloody battles to walking the plank- from blunderbusses to cutlasses, With nearly 150 original illustrations, this volume is sure to please and inform pirate fans of all ages.

• Race for Riches: a history of the origins of piracy
• Greed and Gold: a pirate’s life aboard ship and in battle
• Tools of the Trade: weapons, vessels, and pirate culture
• Rogues and Raiders: profiles of pirates through history
• Other Pirates, Other Times: the past and future of piracy
• A Roster of Infamy: a list of pirates and their vessels

“The illustrations are incredible, from the actual pirates to their ships, battles, maps, tools of the trade and treasures. For every generations’ fascination with pirates and the exotic and exciting life they supposedly led, this book will satisfy that hunger for the actual and imagined part of pirate lore.
Miller Pope is as exceptional a writer as he is an illustrator, writing with the visual in mind, always crafting his words from an illustrators’ perspective and then backing that image up with the very picture the words so masterfully created.”

- Island Living Magazine

Drawing BC-Before Computers

This hot off the press book describes and illustrates the techniques of illustration during the mid-century days before the reign of color television and computers when great short story magazines ruled.

In these pages artists may find inspiration and those who remember the simpler times of the decades following the second World War will find nostalgia for a bygone time.

Younger people who were born into the world of color television and computers may discover in these pages a glimpse into the past.

Drawing techniques of Illustration’s Golden Age. Miller Pope relates the techniques and mediums used by some of the finest illustrators before the rise of computers in the world of publishing.

“Before moving to Ocean Isle Beach, Miller Pope (”Tales of the Silver Coast,” “Miller Pope’s Book of Pirates”) was a top illustrator in New York publishing, working for advertising agencies in the “Mad Men” era and creating artwork for The Saturday Evening Post, Reader’s Digest and other publications, as well as a number of textbooks.

He recalls those days in “Drawing B.C.” as in Before Computers (Island Press, $16.95 paperback). Pope demonstrates techniques that he and other commercial artists used in predigital days to get eye catching effects that conveyed the message. (Helpful hint: “Less is More.”).

Younger artists can learn a trick or two; the rest of us will be transported into a color-filled retro-world.”

- Ben Steelman The Wilmington Star News, Wilmington, NC

Buy them at MillerPope.com

Books by local Author, Illustrator – Miller Pope! Buy them at MillerPope.com

The Aquarium offers behind the scenes tours on:

Thursday, April 1 at 11:30 AM and Sunday, April 4 at 11:00 and at 2:00 PM.

Accompany Aquarium staff on a guided tour of animal quarantine, life support, food preparation, and access areas with this unique opportunity. The Aquarist Apprentice program, which includes a behind the scenes tour, gives participants the chance to learn about the Aquarium’s animals and their diets, and assist staff in the preparation of food and feeding of some of the animals.

Participants will also observe the Aquarists accomplish some of their daily care and maintenance tasks. This program will be offered on Saturday, April 10 at 2:00 PM.
With the arrival of warmer temperatures, outdoor activities are an excellent option for a fun-filled day. The Aquarium offers several programs that will help you get back to nature. Salt marsh explorations will be held Sunday, April 4 at 3:30 PM.

The program involves hiking the salt marsh trail and viewing first-hand the activities of marsh-dwelling animals and the variety of plants found in this rich environment.

Popular surf fishing workshops will return starting Saturday, April 10 at 9:00 AM. The program involves a 3-hour workshop, which includes one hour of classroom discussion, then surf fishing on the beach nearby.

PRE-REGISTRATION REQUIRED BY MARCH 31, 2010 FOR APRIL 2 AND 3, 2010 PROGRAMS and can be made by calling 910-458-7468.

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

Because of people’s fascination with these plants, they collected many of them and they became endangered. People in the Brunswick County area are lucky, in 2004, the Boiling Spring Lakes Nature Trail was completed, allowing visitors to walk through the trail and see the delicate plants first hand, while still protecting the Flytraps natural habitat. With over six thousand acres in size, The Boiling Spring Lakes Preserve is located in Brunswick County, NC in the city of Boiling Spring Lakes just off Highway 87. The trail begins at the Community Center. Visit the Nature Conservancy online at www.nature.org or calling the Nature Conservancy’s Wilmington Office at (910) 762-6277.

The leaves of Venus’ Flytrap open wide and on them are short, stiff hairs called trigger or sensitive hairs. When anything touches these hairs enough to bend them, the two lobes of the leaves snap shut trapping whatever is inside. The trap will shut in less than a second. The trap doesn’t close all of the way at first. It is thought that it stays open for a few seconds in order to allow very small insects to escape because they wouldn’t provide enough food. If the object isn’t food, e.g., a stone, or a nut, the trap will reopen in about twelve hours and ’spit’ it out.

When the trap closes over food, the cilia. finger-like projections, keep larger insects inside. Fold your hands together lacing your fingers to see what the trap looks like. In a few minutes the trap will shut tightly and form an air-tight seal in order to keep the digestive fluids inside and bacteria out.

Dionaea muscipula (Venus Flytrap) with the carcass of a partially digested insect. The exoskeleton of the insect can not be digested by the flytrap, so it remains when the leaf reopens.
If an insect is too large it will stick out of the trap. This allows bacteria and molds on the insect to thrive. Eventually the trap turns black, rots and falls off.

The trap constricts tightly around the insect and secretes digestive juices, much like those in your stomach. It dissolves the soft, inner parts of the insect, but not the tough, outer part called the exoskeleton. At the end of the digestive process, which takes from five to twelve days, the trap reabsorbs the digestive fluid and then reopens. The leftover parts of the insect, the exoskeleton, blow away in the wind or are washed away by rain. The time it takes for the trap to reopen depends on the size of the insect, temperature, the age of the trap, and the number of times it has gone through this process.

If you feed a Venus Flytrap something that doesn’t move, e.g., a dead insect, it will not close tightly over it. You need to squeeze the trap and move the food around so it imitates the action of a live insect.

The lobe manufactures digestive juices and an antiseptic juice. This keeps the insect from decaying over the few days it is in the trap and purifies prey that it captures.
carnivorous plants – Drosophyllum-4

People still do not understand fully how the trap closes. The Venus’ Flytrap does not have a nervous system or any muscles or tendons. Scientists theorize that it moves from some type of fluid pressure activated by an actual electrical current that runs through each lobe.