Tag Archives: North Carolina

Ingram Planetarium invites FIRST team members in all divisions from Brunswick, New Hanover, and Horry Counties to participate in a celebration of space to coincide with this year’s FIRST theme. This free event takes place at 6 PM on November 9, 2018 and preregistration is required.

Visiting team members will be treated to a full-dome feature movie called Astronaut. Astronaut takes an immersive look at what it is like to live and work in space on the International Space Station. There will also be a traditional planetarium star show that focuses on the role planetariums have had on the space program.

Admission to this event is free. Since seating is limited, preregistration is required. To register your child for this event, please visit our Facebook page under EVENTS or call Ingram Planetarium directly at 910-575-0033.

Ingram Planetarium is located at 7625 High Market Street in Sunset Beach, NC. For more information, call 910-575-0033, visit www.museumplanetarium.org, or like us on Facebook.com/IngramPlanetarium.

The Museum of Coastal Carolina is pleased to welcome Ronnie Bryant to the Sandbar Lecture Series as he presents “Fontana Dam: Power to win!” on Tuesday July 31 in the Hayden O’Neal Learning Center at the Museum of Coastal Carolina.

Fontana Dam is a hydroelectric dam on the Little Tennessee River in Swain and Graham Counties in North Carolina.  The dam was signed into existence by the Tennessee Valley Authority in 1941 primarily due to the need for electrical power in the production of aluminum for the war effort (WWII).

The building of Fontana Dam and its reservoir required the purchase of 68,292 acres of land, 5,125 acres of forest that had to be cleared. Four towns, 1,311 families, 1,047 graves, and over 60 miles of roads had to be relocated. The village of Welch Cove (later renamed Fontana Village) was constructed just south of the dam to house the project’s workers, whose numbers had reached 5,000 by 1943, in spite of nationwide manpower shortages.

Come walk through history with Ronnie as we looks at the many facets of completion of such a massive project and some of the strange stories that accompanied this accomplishment!

Ronnie Bryant is a Clinton, NC, native where he attended and graduated from Clinton High School. He pursued an Associate’s Degree in Computer Technologies with Sampson Community College where he graduated in 1996 and worked as System Administrator. From there he attended and graduated from Mount Olive College with a Bachelor’s degree in Organizational Development followed by a Master of Arts degree in Educational Media: Instructional Computers Technology from Appalachian State University.  Ronnie is currently the Chief Information Officer at Brunswick Community College.

Ronnie and his wife, Terry, have 4 children and 8 grand-children. Their most treasured moments are when they spend time with family.  He also enjoys Civil War reenacting with the Charlotte Artillery, and educating the public about the history associated with this era.

Museum of Coastal Carolina is located at 21 East Second Street, Ocean Isle Beach, NC. Admission to the museum is free for members. Non-member all-day admission is $9.50 for adults, $8.50 for seniors, $7.50 for children (3-12), and free for age 2 and under. A 7-day summer vacation pass is just $75 for two adults and up to four children. Admission is free for active duty military and disabled veterans plus one guest; must include military ID cardholder. For more information about the Museum of Coastal Carolina, call 910-579-1016 or visit www.MuseumPlanetarium.org.

The Museum of Coastal Carolina is proud to host Adventures & Challenges: Reflections on a Marine Corps Career presented by retired Lt.Col. D. Leigh Sumner of the United States Marine Corp. as part of the summer Sandbar Lecture Series.  Her lecture will be on July 24^th at 6 pm.

Sumner will be discussing the long and winding path she took from her enlistment and boot camp at Paris Island, South Carolina, through her variety of assignments, adventures, and personal challenges that culminated in a 23-year career.  Included in the discussion, will be patriotism and community service both in and out of the uniform, as well as, her accomplishments and regrets.

Sumner will also discuss the changing nature of war and its impact of society, evolving national security and women in the modern military; as well as, life after military service.  This lecture will be articulated through personal accounts and stories with audience participation strongly encouraged to create a fun and exciting event.

Sumner enlisted in 1983 and was recruited into the Defense Language Institute where she learned Russian and later in Quantico, Virginia, where she completed officer candidate school.  She was commissioned as second lieutenant in 1985.  From there, she served in a series of posts in command assignments and as an intelligence officer.

In 1996, while cleaning up hurricane damage in North Carolina, Leigh sustained a spinal cord injury leaving her partially paralyzed from the waist down.  With aggressive therapy and fitness rehabilitation, she was able to pass her fitness standards and remained on the active duty list for the remainder of her career.

While serving in Latvia as a defense representative and US Defense attaché, Leigh adopted four children and retired back to North Carolina in 2006.  She has since begun Sumner Fitness & Rehabilitation where she works with a variety of patients, ranging from the fully disabled to the fully well-bodied.

Leigh is a committed athlete and proud member of Paralyzed Veterans Racing.  She has placed in several races including the 2015 Army Ten Miler, the 2015 Marine Corp Marathon, the 2016 Paracycling Nationals and the 2016 National Veterans Wheelchair Games.

Museum of Coastal Carolina is located at 21 East Second Street, Ocean Isle Beach, NC. Admission to the museum is free for members. Non-member all-day admission is $9.50 for adults, $8.50 for seniors, $7.50 for children (3-12), and free for age 2 and under. A 7-day summer vacation pass is just $75 for two adults and up to four children. Admission is free for active duty military and disabled veterans plus one guest; must include military ID cardholder. For more information about the Museum of Coastal Carolina, call 910-579-1016 or visit www.MuseumPlanetarium.org.