
Fighting for Wilmington's Future
From Where the Dogwood Blooms by Cassie Clark
December 17, 2025 · 1h 14m · Episode 50
About this episode
Cassie Clark interviews Dane Scalise about Wilmington's future, discussing local politics, overdevelopment, and environmental issues.
In this episode, I sit down with Dane Scalise—New Hanover County commissioner and a candidate for the North Carolina State House—to talk about what’s really going on in Wilmington. We get into the big, sometimes uncomfortable conversations: the controversy surrounding the Charlie Kirk Memorial at UNCW, how illegal immigration policies are playing out locally, and what the future holds for the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge. We also talk about what so many locals feel every day—overdevelopment squeezing the life out of the city, the ongoing PFAS water crisis, and how local politics are shifting right under our feet. At the heart of it all is Wilmington itself. Dane shares his vision for protecting the area’s culture, realistic ways to preserve green space, and making sure locals aren’t the ones being ignored. Connect with Dane Scalise: X Sponsors: Knights of Pythias Cumberland Lodge No. 5 Support Where the Dogwood Blooms: If you enjoy our content, consider supporting us via: Venmo Cash App Connect with Where the Dogwood Blooms: Website Instagram X TikTok Contact: cassie@wherethedogwoodblooms.com Tags: #DaneScalise #NewHanoverCounty #WilmingtonNC #SENC #ForeverChemicals #PFAS…
People in this episode
Host: Cassie Clark
Guest: Dane Scalise
Topics covered
- local politics
- Wilmington
- overdevelopment
- PFAS water crisis
- immigration policies
- green space preservation
Keywords
- Dane Scalise
- New Hanover County
- Wilmington
- PFAS
- North Carolina Politics
- Charlie Kirk Memorial
- Cape Fear Memorial Bridge
- overdevelopment
Sponsors
Knights of Pythias Cumberland Lodge No. 5
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: New Hanover County, UNCW
Places: Wilmington, North Carolina, Cape Fear Memorial Bridge, SENC, WilmingtonNC
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