The bad news for Joe Apkarian was $300 in fines from Wilmington for hosting two free outdoor concerts at The Eagle’s Dare, his downtown bar. 

Apkarian, a Marine Raider veteran turned bar and restaurant owner, has long been bullish on the downtown scene. So, when Wilmington Downtown Inc. discontinued its free concert program, Apkarian was happy to carry on the tradition, putting north of $70,000 into a series with traveling tribute acts and local openers. 

But, as reported by StarNews’ John Staton last week, Apkarian ran afoul of a city code limiting businesses to just two temporary outdoor stages a year. 

While Apkarian said he felt “picked on,” he also commended WDI and Councilman Luke Waddell for working to update the ordinance.

Staton’s story prompted a refreshingly unified response across the political spectrum, a chorus of “boos” at the city for shooting itself in the foot on a technicality, or worse, targeting a downtown business vindictively. There were also more than a few side-eyes cast at Live Nation, the entertainment Leviathan that runs the city’s two largest venues and is currently facing an antitrust lawsuit from the government. 

Waddell and Apkarian said they’d seen no evidence of Live Nation’s involvement. “They don’t give a shit about me,” Apkarian said.

Waddell said the city’s actions weren’t “malicious in any way,” but admitted that “some of the delay admittedly falls on me,” for forgetting to bring the item forward prior to this week, when council directed staff to rework the ordinance (and paused, for now, additional fines against Akparian).

There was good news for Apakarian: In addition to an “outpouring of support,” the bar owner said several customers donated a few bucks to help cover the fine.

Even better, especially during a tough year for the hospitality industry, the story has been more publicity than $300 could ever buy.

–Benjamin Schachtman

A Chunk of PR Gold

It’s not every day that I’m so impressed by publicly paid-for PR that I’m compelled to dedicate a section in The Dive to it. This is precious real estate! But at the risk of shilling for the government and creating LinkedIn gobbledygook, this week we’re sharing a recent communications lesson, courtesy of the N.C. Department of Transportation. 

People have plenty of reasons to be annoyed at NCDOT. Plenty. 

For starters, the department wasted $11.5 million studying a planned bridge, Cape Fear Crossing, it should have known it couldn’t ever properly fund. In 2019, an audit found it overspent $742 million due to mismanagement, and in the aftermath, lawmakers made the department release weekly cash watch reports—forced transparency akin to public babysitting.

And lately, the department has told local leaders it can’t replace the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge without adding a toll. While publicly unveiling plans this winter that it would shut down that bridge for weeks at a time for a preservation project, officials lambasted the department for its communications strategy (or lack thereof). 

That track record makes their communications team’s jobs challenging, to put it kindly. 

So, when PR gold came knocking, they were quick to recognize it and spin it to the department’s advantage. When crews were in the midst of the bridge’s recent preservation project, Tamika Jenkins reached out to the department with an odd ask: She wanted a piece of it.

In 1978, Jenkins’ mother gave birth to her on the bridge while en route to the hospital, so she hoped the department might be willing to save something it considered trash that’d be sentimental to her. “I figured all you could do is get a no,” Jenkins said in a video shared by the department last week. 

“As a former TV reporter, creating videos is my go-to,” said Lauren Haviland, the department’s regional communications officer who produced the video along with videographer Al Inman. “Thankfully, Tamika was willing to share her story with us.”

The contractor, ​​Southern Road & Bridge, owned the old material as part of its contract, so transportation staff finagled to get Jenkins her piece. Southern Road & Bridge went a step further, Haviland said, and added a dedication plate to commemorate the chunk of grid deck. 

The department shared its video on social media, which local station WECT saw and turned into its own feel-good segment.

Jenkins’ birth is a 45-year-old story. What makes it news is the department’s role, possibly because of its willingness to step outside the typical confines of government. The fun story doesn’t absolve the department of its propensity for wasteful spending, or overbudget and overdue projects. But it does help humanize the people who work there.

Taxpayer-funded PR can sometimes feel like propaganda (not to be dramatic, it just literally can meet the definition). But the best public communications concisely and truthfully convey what’s happening and why. It can maybe even make you smile. 

The last time I remember feeling as struck by its effectiveness was a few years back when Wilmington’s former communications manager, Jennifer Dandron, introduced a meme-like approach to its social media channels, helping the city routinely go viral (a lot of big brands do this now, but she helped the city take a risk and be early to this approach).

Some detractors could say the government should remain strictly professional, or that it’s weird to see public agencies pander. But I think Dandron’s approach let residents see the city was in on the joke, earning it reach far beyond what it was getting using boring PSAs. 

But anyway, who isn’t a sucker for a good birth story?

–Johanna F. Still

Catch up on an audio conversation on last week’s edition of The Dive here, or contact us with story ideas and feedback at wilmington@theassemblync.com.

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At A Crossroads

We took a road trip along one of the state’s oldest highways to probe what the “Carolina Core” marketing effort might mean for the region’s future.

Matthew Vincent reports for The Assembly.

Around the Region

A Roomba for the Sand: Wrightsville Beach has unleashed a lawnmower-sized sand-cleaning robot named BeBot onto the shore, PBS North Carolina reports.

Oops: Wilmington Councilman Charlie Rivenbark seemingly mocked residents’ letters to council opposing a land-use change that would benefit his employer and forwarded those messages to the developer, Port City Daily reports. 

Tax Roundup: New Hanover County Commissioners approved a new budget Monday 3-2, avoiding a tax increase, WHQR reports. Meanwhile, Wilmington City Council approved a 6 percent increase in a 4-3 vote, according to WWAY.

Around the State

Dads of Death Row

Fathers on North Carolina’s death row are navigating complicated relationships with their children amid uncertainty about their fate.

Nothing to See Here

North Carolina lawmakers gave themselves the ability to sell, destroy, and disclose legislative records as they see fit. Few are choosing to be transparent.

Turning On a Dime

Food festivals have tried to correct for exploitation and elitism, but still struggle financially.

The Assembly is a digital magazine covering power and place in North Carolina. Sent this by a friend? Subscribe to The Wilmington Dive or to our statewide newsletter.

Johanna F. Still is a health care reporter for The Assembly. She previously worked for the Greater Wilmington Business Journal, where she reported on economic development. She is also a photographer, and was the assistant editor of Port City Daily.