South Brunswick Magazine - Summer 2023

A TEAM OF NINE SPINE SPECIALISTS TO HELP YOU EMERGE STRONGER.

EmergeOrtho’s team of board-certifi ed, fellowship-trained spine surgeons and pain management specialists bring decades of experience and expertise to the coastal region. Consult with the experts, o ering surgical and nonsurgical solutions in conditions and injuries of the back, neck and spine.

Introducing Our Newest Team Member

Young Lu, MD Spine Surgery

To request or self-schedule an appointment, visit EMERGEORTHO.COM, call 910.332.3800 or text APPT.

Ruth K. Anderson, MD Anesthesiology Pain Management

Mark D. Foster, MD Spine Surgery

Jeremy J. Ho , DO Interventional Pain Management / PM&R

Lawrence A. Montalto II, DO Anesthesiology Pain Management

Francis S. Pecoraro, MD Interventional Pain Medicine

R. Mark Rodger, MD Spine Surgery

D. Todd Rose, MD Spine Surgery

David W. Zub, MD Anesthesiology Pain Management

WHEN CHEST PAIN STRIKES, WE ACT FAST.

Having chest pain? Fast intervention is the key to survival. At McLeod Health Seacoast, our heart team provides the emergency care you need to stop a heart attack in its tracks. Using the latest in minimally invasive procedures, including angioplasty or stent insertion, our Interventional Cardiologists treat a wide variety of heart conditions and acute heart attacks.

• Heart Attacks

• Coronary Artery Disease

• Congestive Heart Failure

• Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

If you experience chest pain, McLeod Health Seacoast is the right choice.

46 FOR THE LOVE OF MUSIC

The Peggy Hughes Summer Concert Series in Ocean Isle Beach is named for a resident who founded and spearheaded the town’s popular series for nearly 20 years.

43 SPORTS

Men’s Senior Softball is popular in Brunswick County, and they’re always welcoming new players.

53 COMMUNITY

Margie and Don Eisenman both reach 5,000 hours of volunteer time at Novant Health Brunswick Medical Center.

63 A ROUND TOWN

Five citizen volunteers with the Unsolved Case Unit assist the Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office with piecing together the details of unsolved crimes.

58 A WALK ON THE QUIET SIDE

Take a walk on a beautiful, uninhabited barrier island with the Bird Island Reserve Stewards.

67 W HAT’S NEW

Dr. Lauren Gallagher and her team at Coastal Care Mobile Veterinary Services think outside the box when it comes to caring for pets.

79 P EOPLE

The Museum of Coastal Carolina presents Judy Sobota with the first Louise Ingram Coastal Caretaker Award.

83 T EE TIME WITH LARRY

Community owners deliver on their promise of greatly improving The Links at Brick Landing in Ocean Isle Beach.

72 A DR EAM COME TRUE

At Ocean Fired Studio Pottery, Holly Scott makes and displays her whimsical and functional pottery on busy Mineola Avenue in Little River.

PHOTO BY THERESA RAVENCRAFT

PHOTO BY ED BECKLEY

PHOTO BY TARA ROBERTS

PHOTO BY TARA ROBERTS

Our region’s most experienced Urological Robotic Surgeon, Dr. Roc A. McCarthy, and team, are with Advanced Urology in Leland, NC!

From utilizing the latest in urological cancer diagnostics, such as MRI fusion biopsies, to the DaVinci Xi surgical robot, patients are provided the best technology in a very caring and compassionate environment.

Services + Treatments

Minimally-Invasive Robotic Surgery

Cancer Diagnostics

Second Opinions on Cancer Diagnosis

Surgeries of the Kidney, Bladder, and Prostate Vasectomies

South Brunswick Magazine – Summer 2023

Volume 14, Issue 4

OWNER/PUBLISHER: Justin Williams

DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT: Sandi Grigg

COPY EDITOR: Molly Harrison

CONTRIBUTING GRAPHICS:

L aura Glantz Teresa Kramer

S amantha Lowe E liza Dale Niemann

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES: Megan Henry Brian Wilner

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS:

E d Beckley H ayley Burgess

John L. Cardillo Megan Deitz

K urt Epps Brent Gallant

B eth A. Klahre Jo Ann Mathews

M att McGraw Bill Ritenour

Tara Roberts James Stefiuk

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS:

A nna Beth Adcock E d Beckley

John L. Cardillo K urt Epps

S andi Grigg L arry Hershoff

B eth A. Klahre C laire Lynch

Jo Ann Mathews Theresa Ravencraft

PUBLISHED BY:

CAROLINA MARKETING COMPANY, INC. PO Box 1361, Leland, NC 28451 (910) 207-0156 • info@southbrunswickmagazine.com

Reproduction or use of the contents in this magazine is prohibited.

© 2023 Carolina Marketing Company, Inc.

Carolina Marketing Company, Inc. strives to bring correct, accurate information that is published in the magazine. However, Carolina Marketing Company, Inc. cannot be held responsible for any consequences resulting from errors or absences. Carolina Marketing Company, Inc. also cannot be held responsible for the services provided by any and all advertisers in our publications. All material in this magazine is property of Carolina Marketing Company, Inc. and may not be reproduced without authorization from the publisher. South Brunswick Magazine – A Carolina Marketing Company, Inc. publication is published four times per year and is distributed to residents and businesses in South Brunswick County, NC, to subscribers and to select areas of New Hanover County, NC and Horry County, SC.

About the cover:

Photographer James Stefiuk captured this image of a trifle made by our food editor, Sandi Grigg, aka Southern Sandi. Sandi created this delicious recipe with a bounty of summer blueberries, strawberries and blackberries. See her recipe for Summer Berry Trifle on page 38.

Reader/Advertising Services Subscriptions

Want to subscribe to SBM? Subscriptions are $15.99 per year and include 4 issues of SBM. Subscribe safely online using PayPal, credit or debit card at www. SouthBrunswickMagazine.com/subscribe. Call our office at (910) 207-0156 or email us at subscribe@SouthBrunswickMagazine.com to request a subscription.

Back Issues

When available, back issues of SBM can be purchased for $5. Call or email us for information.

Letters

We welcome your letters and comments about SBM. Send your letters to PO Box 1361, Leland, NC 28451 or email them to info@SouthBrunswickMagazine.com. When sending your letters, keep in mind they may or may not be published in a future issue of SBM. The publisher reserves the right to make the final decision.

Writing Opportunities

We are always willing to consider freelance writers and article ideas. Please send suggestions or inquiries to South Brunswick Magazine, Attn: Editor, PO Box 1361, Leland, NC 28451. Or email us at edit@SouthBrunswickMagazine.com.

Change of Address

If you move, please submit your new and old address to South Brunswick Magazine at info@SouthBrunswickMagazine.com.

Advertising

Interested in advertising in SBM? Please contact us to set up a meeting with an Account Executive. Our main office number is (910) 207-0156, or you can email us at advertise@SouthBrunswickMagazine.com.

Marketing Services

Carolina Marketing Company, Inc. provides a wide range of marketing services. This includes advertising design services, custom publications, mailing services and more. Contact our office for additional information or to set up a meeting with a Marketing Consultant.

LifeinBrunswickCounty.com

Visit us online at the above website. With any additional questions, call us at (910) 207-0156.

The Places We Love

SSpeaking for the locals, many of whom are working, raising kids, volunteering and going about their busy lives here in paradise, a lot of us don’t take enough time to appreciate the beauty of the natural environment around us. Sure, we have our moments, but we are not steeped in constant appreciation like the people who are here on vacation.

As this occurred to me the other day, I made a list of some of the places I love here in Brunswick County. Here are a few of them and what I like to do there.

1Walking out to Bird Island and the Kindred Spirit Mailbox at Sunset Beach.

This really is a cool experience. Just park on W. 40th Street and walk about 1.5 miles. Frank Nesmith put this mailbox out on the beach more than 30 years ago for all of us to enjoy. (You can read the story we did on Frank many years ago on our website.)

2Strolling down to the Southport waterfront and catching a sunrise.

The quaint waterfront and downtown area is home to many shops and eateries for daytime exploration, but I like the picturesque early morning when it’s quiet. Take it in at a bench or down on the sand with a towel. It’s a magnificent way to start the day.

Speaking of things in our county that are pretty cool, we have some great stories in this issue. You’ll learn more about Bird Island, meet locals who are beautifying and making a difference in our county, find some tasty recipes to liven up your summer meals and more.

We also have some exciting news. Starting this fall we have a new product for our county — SPTOKI Magazine, covering the Southport Oak Island area.

3

Relaxing at Belville Riverwalk Park.

In addition to being a peaceful setting where you can relax for a few minutes on a park swing, it’s also an excellent fishing and kayaking spot. Spend a morning on the dock overlooking the Brunswick River.

4Going out to the west end of Oak Island for a sunset.

At the tip, where you can actually see Holden Beach, this area is breathtaking. Park, walk out and make an evening of it with a beverage and a picnic. Capture some of the best sunset imagery while letting your worries from the day disappear.

South Brunswick Magazine will now cover the southern region of the county including Ocean Isle Beach, Holden Beach, Sunset Beach, Calabash and Shallotte. We look forward to providing the same quality and content in this area that we have in our other areas for more than 15 years. Please do not hesitate to shoot me a message if you have any questions.

What are some of your favorite places

in our county? Tag us on Instagram (@ southbrunswickmagazine) and we may feature your photos in our Tagged section (see page 98).

Happy reading and happy summer!

Justin Williams Owner/Publisher Publisher@SouthBrunswickMagazine.com

 justinw13

PHOTO BY MATT MCGRAW

Larry Hershoff CONTRIBUTING WRITER

I am an expert bogey-maker who has been suffering through the game of golf since 1987. I got the nerve to write about it starting in 2017, and my work has been published in various periodicals. I grew up in the Northeast and worked in the financial services industry and as a lecturer in finance at Bryant University in Smithfield, Rhode Island. In 2012 I escaped Rhode Island for the Valhalla of Sunset Beach, where I live at Sea Trail with my wife, Eleanor, and cat, Rosie. I am or have been treasurer of the Sea Trail Men’s Golf Association, the First Tee-Coastal Carolinas and other charitable and civic associations. In my spare time, I play bridge, fish and perform as the lead male singer for Chip and the Old Blocks, a classic rock group.

Claire Lynch

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

I was a public relations manager in New York for 22 years. I received my M.A. in English from New York University and have published four ebooks on Amazon and Kindle, including One City Transplant: Growing Up Urban, Suburban. In 2018 I moved to Calabash and enjoy eating in the “Seafood Capital of the World.”

Brian Wilner ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE

Living in the Hickory, North Carolina, area since I was a kid, my parents brought us to the North Carolina coast every summer — usually to the Outer Banks — so the salt life has always been part of me. When my daughter graduated from high school and started college in Raleigh, I immediately began to realize it was the perfect opportunity for me to go coastal. This area fits perfectly with my many hobbies, which include fishing, tennis, pickleball and golf. It’s difficult to describe to others how amazing the lifestyle is in southeastern North Carolina until you experience it for yourself! I have already met a plethora of amazing people in my sales and marketing position at Carolina Marketing Company, and I can’t wait to meet you!

Coastal Carolina’s Leading Furniture and Design Firm For Over 26 years.

Labor Day Sale

Power Walking Ministries’ Wendy Jones Receives Kiwanis Award for Excellence in Community Service

Wendy Jones, the founder of an area ministry that has donated thousands of shoes and socks to Brunswick County children in need since 2007, is the latest recipient of the Kiwanis Award for Excellence in Community Service. Power Walking Ministries is an accredited 501(c)3 charitable organization funded by donations and grants. The ministry’s mission is to provide new shoes and socks to disadvantaged children at 19 local schools in the Brunswick County School system. A physical education instructor at Southport Elementary School for more than 30 years, Jones noticed many Brunswick County families were struggling to pay for some basic needs, including athletic shoes for their kids. She decided to start the ministry as a way of ensuring students had some of the tools they needed to succeed. The award for Excellence in Community Service is given by the Kiwanis Club of Southport-Oak Island, which is dedicated to serving the children of Brunswick County through service, education, guidance and leadership. The club supports numerous programs in the county’s elementary, middle and high schools designed to instill a life-long commitment to service among students of all ages and to develop the skills necessary to become community leaders.

Ribbon Cutting Held for Motto Mortgage

Southport-Oak Island Area Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for Motto Mortgage, the first and only national mortgage brokerage franchise in the United States focused on transparency and compliance. Their new office is at 319 Howe Street in Southport. Motto Mortgage Secure Choice is now open and serving all markets throughout the Tar Heel State.

Ribbon Cutting Held for Dosher Medical Long Beach Road Clinic

Southport-Oak Island Area Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon-cutting ceremony welcoming Stephen Baxley, FNP-C, MSN, MSc, to the Dosher Medical – Long Beach Road Clinic. Dosher Memorial Hospital is proud to expand its access to primary care in the southeastern Brunswick County area by adding a family medicine clinic to their Dosher Medical Plaza location in Southport. A board-certified family nurse practitioner, Baxley served in the U.S. Navy as a Hospital Corpsman and went on to earn a Bachelor of Science in nursing and a Master’s in business management from Liberty University, a Master of Science as a family nurse practitioner and a Post Master’s in nursing education from Tennessee State University.

Veterans Feted at Brunswick Town NSDAR Meeting

Brunswick Town Chapter of the National Society of Daughters of the American Revolution celebrated veterans everywhere by inviting local veterans to its March meeting and luncheon at Winding River Plantation’s restaurant. Invited veterans were club members and relatives of club members. They represent several branches of the military and many years of service. The event was planned and executed by Vice Regent Mary Sands and a committee that

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

included Caron Myers, Mary Williams, Susan Cunningham, Heather Holbrook, Carol Jutte and Debbie Minett. The celebration opened with a prayer from chapter chaplain Judy Holden, followed by presentation of the colors by the Richard H. Stewart Jr. American Legion Post 543 from St. James. Each celebrated veteran was called up and presented with a gift from the chapter while their service’s anthem was played. Honored and attending were U.S. Army Brigadier General Dan Hickman, who served 35 years including in Vietnam and Iraq; Marine Captain Woody Johnson, who served three years in Vietnam; John Lambert who served the U.S. Army for two years in Washington, D.C.; LCDR Robert Palmer, who served 20 years in the Navy in Vietnam, Hawaii and D.C.; Doug Sands, who served three years in the U.S. Air Force in the Philippines and Vietnam; Dennis St. Andrews, who served three years with the U.S. Army in Vietnam; Col. Robert E. Tripp, who served 28 years with the U.S. Army in Vietnam and Germany; General Joe Kinzer, who served 39 years in the U.S. Army in Vietnam and elsewhere; and Fred Gordon Edwards, Jr., who served four years active duty with the U.S. Navy and four years in the U.S. Navy Reserves. 1st Lt. Joseph Pierce, who served 15 years with the 82nd Airborne in Korea and the U.S., was unable to attend. Also honored but unable to attend were three members of the Brunswick Town NSDAR chapter: Lt. Col. Susan Cunningham for 20 years in the U.S. Air Force around the world; Linda Franklin for 20 years aboard Air Force One; and Fran Carlson for four years in the Women’s Air Corp in Washington, D.C.

Students Prepare for the Chamber’s Youth Business Fair

Southport-Oak Island Chamber of Commerce is preparing the students for the November 2023 Chamber Youth Business Fair in Southport. Jay Schach from SeaGrass Consulting, LLC helped the students brainstorm a Bug List, things that bother them in life, then figure out what target customers are Bugged, develop a prototype to clean up the Bug Problem and come up with added value options for their prototypes. The moms joined in and produced a weekly meal plan game, details withheld, as they are going to take the idea to market! The students had great ideas from headphones, healthy meals, insect catchers, surfer floating devices, family friends’ dolls and turning broccoli into chocolate!

Southport-Oak Island Area Chamber of Commerce’s Announces Winter 2023 Golden Pineapple Awards

Southport-Oak Island Area Chamber of Commerce awarded 41 local businesses a Golden Pineapple Award this winter. Golden Pineapple Awards are given quarterly to those businesses nominated by their customers for providing

consistent and exceptional customer service. The pineapple is the international symbol of hospitality, which is the reason the chamber chose it as the symbol for the award. Winter 2023 Golden Pineapple Award Winners were:

ACCOMMODATIONS: Better Beach Rentals and Sales, Margaret Rudd & Associates, Inc., REALTORS, Oak Island Accommodations and The River Hotel of Southport

ACTIVITIES & ATTRACTIONS: The Adventure Kayak Company, NOWCAT, Throw Baxe Axe House and Board Game Lounge

DINING: Gourmet to Go, A Catered Affair

NONPROFITS: Communities in Schools of Brunswick County Thrift Shops, Hope Harbor Home’s Hope Chest Thrift Shops, Oak Island Senior Center and Gift Shop

PROFESSIONALS: Dr. Michael L. Cahn, Coastline Insurance Associates of NC, Collins Insurance Agency, Corning Credit Union, Cruise Planners, Don Bullard Insurance, Hamilton Realty Group, Hand Crafted Massage, K Starr Coaching, Legal Shield Associate Felicia Sexton, Live Oak Med Spa, Margaret Rudd & Associates, Inc., Realtors, Southern Realty Advantage, Southport Beauty Bar, Southport Jazzercise, The State Port Pilot, US Health Advisors Representative Bob Moreland

RETAIL: Burnishop.com, Dosher Memorial Hospital Flea Market, Dunes Mercantile Gifts & Guitars, Unburied Treasures, Uncorked by the Sea Wine Shop & Gallery

SERVICES: Coastal Painting & Improvements, Cooper Electric, D. Anderson Construction, Intercoastal Roofing, JBG Services, LLC, Oxi Fresh Carpet Cleaning, Patriot Roofing Company, Safe at Home Services.

FOCUS Broadband Awarded Best in Customer Service for the 15th Year

FOCUS Broadband is pleased to announce that the company has been recognized again as providing the Best in Customer Service in the Brunswick Beacon’s 2023 Best of Brunswick Awards. The awards are given by readers, who cast their votes for their favorites in a variety of categories. This is the

15th year that FOCUS Broadband has received this recognition. “The trust our customers have in us is something we work hard every day to keep,” says Keith Holden, FOCUS Broadband CEO. “Our employees understand that our customers have options, and the excellent service we provide is what keeps us ahead of the competition.” As part of the company’s mission to add value to the lives of their customers through the services they provide, FOCUS Broadband is working on a multi-year, $100 million-dollar project to build fiber optic-delivered broadband throughout its entire service area. Recent work on the project has made fiber optic service available in many areas of Seaside, and construction is currently underway in Calabash and Shallotte.

Brunswick County Association of Realtors® Partners with Coastal Carolina Outreach

Calabash Elks Donate to Brunswick Family Assistance

The Calabash Elks Lodge recently donated $1,500 to the Brunswick Family Assistance’s (BFA) Food Pantry. The funds were a portion of the money raised by the lodge during its recent Annual Charity Golf Tournament, which was held this year at the Sandpiper Golf & Country Club. In addition, the Calabash Elks also donated 187 pounds of food to the BFA from member donations.

On March 11 members of the Brunswick County Association of Realtors® (BCAR) teamed up with community volunteers to get their hands dirty during the BCAR Cares Task Force Volunteer Day at Coastal Carolina Outreach (CCO). CCO is a new nonprofit organization in Ash, North Carolina, that seeks to improve the well-being and mental health of local children and teens through nature, art and education. Realtors® and other volunteers put up siding on the facility, painted, built a new porch, planted a garden, built a bridge leading to CCO’s teen activity area, cut firewood, cleaned the yard and more. This event was sponsored by Jim Porch with Floor Coverings International, a BCAR affiliate member.

Ribbon Cutting for Kona Ice

On March 20 members and staff of Brunswick County Chamber of Commerce celebrated its newest member, Kona Ice. Kona Ice started in Northern Kentucky in 2007 and now can be found in 48 out of 50 states. Kona Ice of South Brunswick County will serve Town Creek and Bolivia down to Shallotte and Sunset Beach.

A grand-opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony for Christian Recovery Centers’ brand new CRCI Thrift Store took place March 28. When you support CRCI Thrift Store through donating or shopping, you’re supporting the Rose House. The store is packed with amazing deals and hidden treasures; you will be amazed at what you can find. The store is at 593 Holden Beach Road SW in Shallotte.

FOCUS Broadband Awards Scholarships to High School Seniors

FOCUS Broadband awarded 10 local high school seniors with $2,000 scholarships each. Scholarships are available to high

Christian Recover Centers Opens CRCI Thrift Store

school seniors living in any of FOCUS Broadband’s service areas. This year, FOCUS Broadband added an additional five scholarships to its program to reflect the company’s recent expansion in southeastern North Carolina. Selection was based on academics, involvement in school and community activities, and interview skills.

The 2023 FOCUS Broadband Scholarship Recipients are as follows:

BRIANNA BINES , South Brunswick High School – Bines, daughter of Tunaisha Tooley and Gary Bines of Bolivia, plans to attend the University of North Carolina A&T to study nursing.

COLT BLACKMON , South Columbus High School – Blackmon is the son of Charley Blackmon and the late Rozier Allen Blackmon of Whiteville and will major in music education at Western Carolina University.

ZOEY BOSWELL , West Brunswick High School – Boswell, granddaughter of Irene and Floyd Inman of Ocean Isle Beach, plans to study dental hygiene.

JOHN HARVEY GORE , South Columbus High School – Gore, son of Rifton and Abby Gore of Tabor City, will attend Southeastern Community College before transferring to a four-year university to study biology.

KELLYN JARVIS , West Columbus High School – Jarvis is the daughter of Kelly and Shannon Jarvis of Fair Bluff and plans to major in exercise science and pre-occupational therapy at Campbell University.

MADELINE FISCHER , North Brunswick High School – Fischer is the daughter of Todd and Deb Fischer of Leland and plans to study nursing at a four-year university in the fall.

HAYLEE JOHNSON , Brunswick County Early College High School – Johnson is the daughter of Cammy and Jeff Johnson of Supply. Johnson will attend Cape Fear Community College to study dental hygiene.

TRISHA MARTINEZ-AGUILAR , Columbus Career and Academy –Martinez-Aguilar is the daughter of Albino Martinez of Tabor City. Martinez-Aguilar will attend the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in the fall and will major in marketing.

MARGIE STEVE , Brunswick County Early College High School – Steve is the daughter of Bobbie and John Steve of Shallotte. She is planning to attend the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to study medicine.

LORI WHITE , Brunswick County Early College High School – White is the daughter of James and Sondra White of Ash. She plans to major in psychology at North Carolina State University.

JROTC Cadet Angel Webber Honored

JROTC First Lieutenant Angel Webber of North Brunswick High School was recently honored by the Brunswick Town Chapter of the National Society of Daughters of the American Revolution. The Outstanding JROTC Award is given annually to a cadet at each county high school who exhibits academic excellence, patriotism and leadership. The award was presented on behalf of the chapter by Kathy Johnson, who chairs the JROTC CAP committee as well as the National Defense committee.

U.S. Naval Academy Honors Brunswick Residents

On March 29 Robert Dosher from Southport and Buffy Barton from Carolina Shores were honored by the U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis for representing the U.S. Naval Academy at Congressman David Rouzer’s Academy Day on March 11 at the Cape Fear Community College. Dosher and Barton were presented an appreciation plaque by Blue and Gold Officer Patricia Grecco at a luncheon at the Reserve Club in St. James on March 29. An overflow crowd of high school students and parents attended and got to meet representatives from all five service academies (U.S. Military Academy - West Point, U.S. Air Force Academy, U.S. Coast Guard Academy, U.S. Merchant Marine Academy and U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis).

Calabash Elks Donate to the Lords Food Pantry

Calabash Elks Lodge recently donated $1,500 to the Lords Food Pantry in Shallotte. This is the second consecutive year that donations were given to The Lords Food Pantry as a charitable donation from Elks Lodge Charity Golf Tournament. South Brunswick Interfaith Council was founded in 1981 to help serve the physical and spiritual needs

of neighbors in the South Brunswick County. They are a coalition of churches whose mission is to serve those in need, and their primary services are the Weekly Food Pantry, Thanksgiving and Christmas Food Boxes.

Calabash Elks Donate to First Tee of the Carolinas

The Calabash Elks Lodge recently donated $1,500 to First Tee of the Carolinas. The funds were part of the proceeds from the Elks Lodge charity golf tournament. In all, the Lodge was able to donate $1,500 to eight local charities. First Tee is a youth development organization that enables kids to build the strength of character that empowers them through a lifetime of new challenges. By seamlessly integrating the game of golf with a life skills curriculum, First Tee creates active learning experiences that build inner strength, self-confidence and resilience that kids can carry to everything they do.

Margaret Rudd & Associates, Inc., Realtors®

Receives Small Business Customer Service of the Year Award

Southport-Oak Island Area Chamber of Commerce awarded Margaret Rudd & Associates, Inc., Realtors® with the Small Business Customer Service of the Year Award. Members of Margaret Rudd & Associates’ Executive Board, including Founder and CEO Margaret Rudd Bishop and Vice President Karen Brake were on hand to accept the award from chamber leadership, which included Executive Vice President Karen Sphar, President Jeffrey Stites and Vice President of Business Development Jackie Del Prete. The Small Business Customer Service of the Year Award recognizes businesses within the chamber that have excelled in providing consistent, exceptional customer service. Eligible businesses must have been nominated for a Golden Pineapple Award, a quarterly customer service recognition, for the previous four quarters. In addition, said businesses must submit a packet of information for judging by the Small Business Center of Brunswick Community College.

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

CHAV Supports BCC Student Veterans

The Committee to Honor America’s Veterans (CHAV) recently presented a check in the amount of $2,200 to The Foundation of Brunswick Community College (BCC). This gift brings the organization’s total donations to $10,200 since 2016. CHAV’s support funds Partnership for American Veterans Employment (PAVE) scholarships, helping to ensure that veterans have all the resources they need to successfully achieve their academic and career goals. PAVE is a signature program at BCC designed to support institutional work-study positions for qualifying veterans. Student veterans receive financial assistance and valuable work experience through employment opportunities at the college.

Zane Poulin Awarded National Scholarship through Foundation for Rural Service

Brunswick Town NSDAR Recognized at State Conference

More than 30 chapter and individual awards were presented to Brunswick Town Chapter National Society of Daughters of the American Revolution (NSDAR) at the North Carolina DAR conference in Durham in late April. The chapter, which was founded in 1976, has approximately 180 members and several applicants under review at the national headquarters. Awards were given to:

TERESA MCLAMB, PHYLLIS WILSON, CARON MYERS –Outstanding Work on the Computer, 2022

VICKI ELAM, MARTHA MORGAN – Participation in the 7th year of Patriot Records Project

VICKI ELAM, MARTHA MORGAN – Patriot Records Project Challenge, 2022

HARRIETTE BODE, EMMA LOU HANNAN, JUDY HOLDEN, JANE JOHNSON, KEIDRA KOENIG, MARILYN O’BRIAN, MARY SANDS, PAT STEELE, MARSHA STEWART – Member of the Evergreen Readers Book Club

CAROLE JUTTE – 1st Place Submitting 234 GRC pages of Bible Transcription Records

CAROLE JUTTE – Outstanding Page Support at State conference Memorial Service

JUDY HOLDEN – Outstanding Service to NCSDAR State Chaplains Group and District VII

Brunswick County student Zane Poulin was recently awarded a scholarship through the Foundation for Rural Service (FRS), an organization that supports rural telecommunication companies and their members. FOCUS Broadband is a member of the FRS, and each year the organization awards annual scholarships to qualifying students across rural America. Poulin, son of Jason and Cathie Poulin of Ocean Isle Beach, was awarded the $1,000 Roger Alan Cox Scholarship. Poulin plans to study Mechanical Engineering at North Carolina State University in the fall.

Ribbon Cutting for Tropical Smoothie Cafe

Brunswick County Chamber of Commerce is held a grandopening and ribbon-cutting ceremony at Tropical Smoothie Cafe in Shallotte on May 2. The new location is at 123-15 Smith Avenue, Unit 15 in Shallotte. Attendees experienced the laid-back tropical vibes and enjoyed Tropical Smoothie Cafe’s delicious menu that boasts bold flavorful food and smoothies with a healthy appeal.

Education Signs Added to Extension Brunswick County Botanic Garden in Bolivia

The Brunswick County N.C. Cooperative Extension Master GardenersSM invite parents and grandparents to bring the children in their family to visit their beautifully maintained Extension Brunswick County Botanic Garden. Visit and see the Azalea Garden, Celebration Garden, Container Garden, Curb Appeal Garden, Discovery Garden, Edible Landscape Garden, Live Oak Garden, Fragrance Garden, MicroClimate Garden, Pollinator Garden, Rain Garden, Reflection Garden, Rose Garden, Sunny Native Garden and the Welcome Garden. You can sit down on a bench or chair and take in the beauty of flowers and plants. They have added signs for children to better understand pollination, seeds and plant growth. The Extension Brunswick County Botanic Garden is a hidden jewel in Brunswick County that’s located adjacent to the N.C. Extension Office, 25 Referendum Drive, Building N, of the Brunswick County Government Complex, in Bolivia. Special signs are on display designed especially for children to better understand seeds, pollination and plant growth and other gardening concepts. Visit the garden during daylight hours on weekdays or weekends.

EXTRAORDINARY CARE IS ALWAYS CLOSE BY

EXPERT WOMEN’S HEALTH CARE IN SOUTHPORT

Maritza Manrique-Kiniry, MD

Dr. Manrique-Kiniry is a board certified gynecologist and gynecological surgeon with Dosher Medical-Women’s Health. A graduate of New Jersey Medical School, she is highly trained and experienced in a full spectrum of care, from preventative to evaluating and treating a wide range of women’s health conditions.

Dr. Manrique-Kiniry is accepting new patients at Dosher Medical-Women’s Health Call today to schedule an appointment: 910-457-9292

Dr. Strickland is a board certified family medicine physician who served as a medical officer in the US Navy for 8 years. Dr. Strickland was most recently a Staff Physician at Naval Hospital Pensacola in Pensacola, FL and a Senior Medical Officer with Combat Logistics Battalion 3 on Marine Corps Base Hawaii. Dr. Strickland now provides the same extraordinary care to the families of Oak Island.

Dr. Strickland is now accepting new patients at Dosher Medical-Oak Island

Call today to schedule an appointment: 910-278-6414

Stephen is a board certified family nurse practitioner and former US Navy hospital corpsman who worked in many roles in healthcare, before operating a private practice in Whiteville. He is now in Southport, ready to provide the same commitment to extraordinary primary care to our local community.

Stephen Baxley is now accepting new patients at Dosher Medical-Long Beach Rd

Call today to schedule an appointment: 910-457-3996

Laura Strickland, DO

Stephen T. Baxley, Jr., FNP-C

Calabash Summer Concert Series

Tuesdays, June 6 through August 15

Calabash’s 2023 Concert Series will take place on Tuesdays from 6 to 8:30 pm at Calabash Town Park. Bring your lawn chair and enjoy a great night of free entertainment. Live music, Kona Ice, Those Famous Calabash Hot Dogs and Dixieland Kettle Corn will all be onsite.

Information: facebook.com/calabashconcerts

Sunset Beach Summer Market

Thursdays, June 8 through September 28

The 2023 Sunset Beach Summer Market season is scheduled weekly on Thursdays at Sunset Beach Town Park from 9 am to 1 pm. The market vendors consist of jewelry, pottery, local honey, baked goods, soaps, candles, photography, woodcrafts and much more.

Information: sunsetnc.com/sunset-beach-summermarket/

Oak Island Summer Concert Series

Fridays, June 9 through June 30

Saturdays, July 1 through September 2

Oak Island’s Bands by the Beach summer concerts are back. Concerts are held at Middleton Park in Oak Island from 6:30 to 8:30 pm. Admission is free.

Information: oakislandnc.gov/concert

Ocean Isle Beach Summer Concert Series

Fridays, June 9 through September 1

The Peggy Hughes Summer Concert Series takes place every Friday through September 1 at Town Center Park in Ocean Isle Beach from 6:30 to 8 pm. An additional concert is being held on Sunday, July 9 at 6:30 pm. Concerts are free, and everyone is encouraged to bring friends and a chair.

Information: oibgov.com

Market on Mulberry

Saturdays, June 10 through July 29

The Market on Mulberry takes place each Saturday during summer at Mulberry Park in Shallotte. Hours are 9 am to 12:30 pm. Enjoy live music, snacks and open-air shopping with local vendors selling fresh produce, arts and crafts, jewelry, and more.

Information: Facebook: @Shallotte Parks & Rec

Holden Beach Summer Concert Series

Sundays, June 11 through September 3

The Holden Beach Summer Concert Series is a free event that takes place each Sunday evening 6:30 to 8 pm at the Holden Beach Pavilion. Bring a chair and get ready to dance with your friends.

Information: holdenbeachnc.com

Oak Island Farmers and Artisans Market

Mondays, June 12 through September 4

Oak Island Farmers and Artisans’ Market is held on Mondays from 8 am until 1 pm at Middleton Park. There is no market on July 1 due to Beach Day Festival. Vendors offer local fresh produce, homemade jams, cakes, and a variety of homemade goods.

Information: oakisland.recdesk.com

Art in the Park

Tuesdays, through August 15

Let kids explore their creative side at this free craft-making activity at Town Center Park in Ocean Isle Beach every Tuesday from 10 to 11 am. Each week will feature a new craft. There will be no Art in Park on Tuesday, July 4.

Information: (910) 579-2166

Ocean Isle Beach Movies in the Park Wednesdays, June 14 through August 16

Movies will be hosted every Wednesday evening at the Town Center Park and will begin at sunset. Food vendors will be available, and admission is free. Don’t forget a chair or blanket to enjoy this open-air cinema.

Information: oibgov.com

North Carolina 4th of July Festival Southport

June 30 through July 4

For more than 200 years the small maritime community of Southport has celebrated America’s independence with a huge festival. The five-day festival includes a welcoming ceremony, a horseshoe tournament, an art show, corn hole, bocce ball, volleyball, youth activities, a sand sculpture contest, live music, dancing, food concessions, a flotilla, a pancake breakfast, fireworks, military exhibits and parade — and that’s not all!

Information: nc4thofjuly.com/events-calendar

Oak Island Farmers and Artisans Market

PHOTO COURTESY OF OAK ISLAND RECREATION DEPARTMENT

NC 4TH OF JULY FESTIVAL SOUTHPORT

SHIFT TO SAVE!

Benefits of Switching to

1 Time-of-Use rewards members with a lower electric rate for shifting energy-intensive tasks.

2 Time-of-Use rate plan gives our members more control over their energy bill.

3 Time-of-Use members help reduce peak demand, which reduces wholesale power costs.

NORTH BRUNSWICK MAGAZINE

WHAT’S GOING ON IN OUR SISTER PUBLICATION

Pick up NBM at grocery stores in the Northern Brunswick County area. Or view stories online at LifeinBrunswickCounty.com/nbm | E

POACHING PERFECTION

Eggs Benedict with a properly poached egg and a blanket of homemade Hollandaise is breakfast heaven.

By Sandi Grigg

Photography by James Stefiuk

Alongside a strong cup of coffee, breakfast is just what I need to feel alive. It is often called the most important meal of the day, and I would have to agree. The importance of breakfast is right in the name — you break the overnight fasting period and replenish your nutrients, providing energy to get through the day.

FERMENTATION STATION

Panacea Brewing Company, Wilmington’s only kombucha brewery, is celebrating seven years in business

By Johanna Colburn

Photography by Megan Deitz

GIVING IT THEIR BEST SHOT

North Brunswick High School’s Army JROTC air rifle team earns top awards in a national competition.

Story by Jo Ann Mathews

Photography by Matt McGraw

What makes the 11 members of the JROTC rifle team at North Brunswick High School sharpshooters?

“Practice,” says senior Jasmine Lopez.

Panacea Brewing Company, a familyowned business featuring the area’s most loved kombucha, is about to celebrate its seventh anniversary, and the owners are thankful to still be serving the community their probiotic goodness.

SHARP SKILLS

Retired NYC Fireman Gerry Amitrano brings a muchneeded blade-sharpening service to Leland.

By Theresa Ravencraft

Photography by Matt McGraw

Gerry Amitrano retired from the New York City Fire Department after working as a firefighter for 23 years. In 2015 he moved to Compass Pointe in Leland, where he lives with his wife, Jeannie, and operates a small business, CP Knife Sharpening.

NEW (RE)LEASE ON LIFE

by Ed Beckley

Injured sea turtles rehabbed at the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center were released in Sunset Beach in April.

Five green sea turtles that had been cold-stunned or injured by predators in the winter of 2022–23 and hospitalized at the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue & Rehabilitation Center in Surf City, went home with a big welcome on April 27 at Sunset Beach.

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THOSE WHO MADE THE GREAT SACRIFICE

by Ed Beckley

The grandson of U.S. Army Private First-Class John Beckley re-creates a moment from World War I.

The men of the 104th U.S. Field Artillery sat staring at their watches hoping their eight-month World War I nightmare on the French western front was coming to an end. All Allied units received word very early that morning, November 11, 1918, that the Germans had asked for a cessation of firing — a truce. The message said all shooting on both sides should cease by 11 am. The men just kept staring at their watches —waiting. My grandfather was one of them.

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PHOTO BY ED BECKLEY

PHOTO BY ED BECKLEY

BUILDING CONFIDENCE AND MORALE

by Jo Ann Mathews

The Stroke Support Group in Southport helps stroke victims and their families navigate a new reality.

Steve Brocker was collecting pine cones in his yard at St. James Plantation in February 2022 when he realized he was swaying. He attributed it to a dizzy spell, but over the next three days he became fatigued easily and was losing his balance. After an MRI and further tests, Brocker learned he had had a stroke.

OF GOOD FRIENDS, GOLF — AND GATORS

by Kurt Epps, a.k.a. The PubScout

In which The PubScout and friends check out wildlife-rich Oyster Bay Golf Links in Sunset Beach.

I hadn’t swung a golf club in 40 years, and I wasn’t about to do so now. I was so bad when I did play, I started out as a lefty and switched to righty — with no change in the end result. My handicap was, well, golf. But since my high school buddies were playing a course close to my home, they asked if I wanted to ride along with them. I assented because I thought it would be fun, and it was.

SCORING THE UNICORN

by Kurt Epps,

a.k.a. The PubScout The PubScout shares a rare beer discovery.

My beer buddies and I are buzzing over an 8% DIPA that rarely sees the sun-splashed coast of southeastern NC. Like a sighting of the mythical unicorn, you have to be lucky to spot it, because while it’s pretty common in its home state of Vermont — and now Massachusetts — finding it in the Tarheel state is purt-near impossible.

PUBLIC SPEAKING STANDOUTS

by Jo Ann Mathews

High school seniors Dallas Russ and Dimitry Williamson win scholarships in the annual Odell and Virginia Williamson Oratorical Scholarship Contest.

Public speaking ability propelled two Brunswick County students to win the 51st annual Odell and Virginia Williamson Oratorical Scholarship Contest on April 18. The award is given to one female and one male student each year. Dallas Russ, graduating from Early College High School (ECHS), chose “Civility in America” as her topic. Dimitry Williamson, a senior at South Brunswick High School (SBHS), chose “The Mental Health Crisis in the U.S.” as the topic of his speech. Each student won $2,500 in scholarship money plus $100 for winning their school’s contest.

Dallas Russ Dimitry Williamson

CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS

PHOTO BY KURT EPPS

PHOTO BY KURT EPPS

PHOTO BY JO ANN MATHEWS

Something to Trifle With

A simple berry trifle is the perfect light summer dessert.

BY SANDI GRIGG | PHOTOGRAPHY BY JAMES STEFIUK

“WOW!” we all said in unison when my Aunt Cyndi set her colorful fruit trifle on the counter.

My family and friends met at our house on Easter Saturday in preparation for my son’s baptism that evening at the Holy Service. We were gathering to eat dinner before we headed to the church. I had fried chicken, my mom made slaw, my mother-in-law made cucumber salad and a friend brought chips. Sitting alongside all that was my aunt’s most beautifully layered fruit trifle.

We ate most of the trifle before we left the house so I just put the leftovers in the refrigerator. When we returned home from church, we all went straight to the refrigerator to finish it off. Even my son had another big helping.

If you want to prepare a light and delicious dessert that will impress your guests, then this is the one. The combination of sweet, tart, crisp and velvet is a pleasant surprise with every bite. The light whipped mixture

adds a creamy yet delicate texture with lemony notes of freshness. The sweet, refreshing berries are not only vibrant, but also pair perfectly with the fluffy filling. The angel food cake creates an airy addition to this trifle. It is one of my favorite cakes because it is not overpowering and absorbs just about any flavor it is paired with.

Although I think this recipe is perfect as is, there is plenty of room for versatility. The typical trifle consists of a thin layer of sponge cake or lady fingers soaked in fruit juice or sherry, a custard or whipped cream and fruit layered in a glass bowl. You can use lady fingers instead of angel food cake if you prefer. This trifle is also great with banana pudding mix instead of lemonade and the incorporation of bananas instead of berries. Peaches and peach preserves would also create a delicious twist.

A trifle bowl is essential so you can see all the pretty layers. If you do not already own a trifle bowl, this recipe is sure to be your inspiration to find one!

Fruit Trifle

You will need a trifle bowl.

INGREDIENTS

1 angel food cake, cut or torn into bitesize pieces

1 pint fresh blueberries

1 pint fresh strawberries, topped and halved

1 pint fresh blackberries

6 oz. frozen lemonade

8 oz. Cool Whip

12 oz. sweetened

condensed milk

1 teaspoon lemon zest

Additional berries for garnish

METHOD

In a bowl mix the lemonade, Cool Whip, sweetened condensed milk and lemon zest.

Layer the cake, fruit and whipped mixture into the trifle bowl. Repeat two or three times for beautiful, colorful layers.

Top with additional berries for a pleasing presentation.

Let the trifle sit in the refrigerator soaking in the juices for 24 to 48 hours before serving.

Enjoy!

NC peak berry season runsJulythrough

Where Farming is a Family Thing.

MAKE

IT FRESH

with Heritage Fresh Market. Did you know we grow our own tomatoes year-round in our greenhouse? Our tomatoes get hand-picked and come directly to the market. It doesn’t get any fresher than that. They taste terrific in a variety of recipes, including soups, salads and sauces.

SWEET CORN AND TOMATO SALSA

INGREDIENTS

• ¼ cup chopped red onion

• 2 cups chopped tomatoes

• 2 cups chopped grilled corn kernels (about two ears of corn)

• ½ cup diced green pepper

• 1 small jalapeño, seeded and chopped (optional)

• ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro (or fresh parsley)

• 1 tablespoon canola

• 1 teaspoon ground cumin

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

• lemon wedges, avocado slices

INSTRUCTIONS

• Husk the ears of corn and place them on a grill heated to mediumhigh heat. Brush each ear with canola oil. Grill corn for 10-12 minutes, turning at least twice during the process. Remove corn from the grill and allow to cool. Using a sharp knife, cut the kernels from the cob.

• Chop the tomatoes into ¼ inch pieces and place them on a towel to drain excess juice. Rub the chopped tomatoes gently with a paper towel to remove most of the seeds.

• Place all ingredients in a medium bowl and gently mix to combine. Add additional salt to taste. Cover and refrigerate salsa until ready to serve. Best served within 24 hours. Serve with crispy tortilla chips, lemon wedges and avocado slices.

Heritage Fresh Market offers canning tomatoes by the box, sweet cherry tomatoes, heirlooms, and our famous beefsteak tomatoes at the market. Whether you want to preserve them or eat them fresh, we’ve got you covered!

SPRING & SUMMER HOURS:

Monday - Friday 9 am - 5:30 pm

Saturday 9 am - 5 pm

Closed Sunday

Tequila Sunrise

Sipping a refreshing, fruity cocktail makes a vacation in paradise that much sweeter.

BY THERESA RAVENCRAFT

While vacationing in the Florida Keys, my husband and I discovered a delicious twist on an old classic. The bartender at one of our favorite spots added some peach simple syrup and fresh peach slices to a classic Tequila Sunrise. It was refreshing and delicious, and I was hooked! Sitting by the water and sipping this tasty, colorful combination made it seem like my vacation had finally begun.

The peach simple syrup for this drink is a mixture of fresh (or frozen) peaches, sugar, lime juice and water. Simmer, strain and refrigerate it to cool before adding it to the glass. I also add some fresh peaches to the top of the glass, making the drink pretty and even more flavorful.

A traditional tequila sunrise uses tequila, of course, and grenadine, which gives the drink some sweetness and its beautiful red swirl at the bottom of the glass. The orange juice blends slightly with the grenadine to provide all the colors of an early morning sunrise, which is how this cocktail got its name.

A Peachy Tequila Sunrise can easily be made into a non-alcoholic mocktail by replacing the tequila with ginger ale or club soda. So very refreshing! Grenadine can still be used since it is a non-alcoholic syrup made from pomegranate juice and is used in a variety of drinks.

Peachy Tequila Sunrise will make you feel like you are on vacation any day of the year. You will want to cherish every last sip — it’s just that good!

WPEACHY TEQUILA SUNRISE

Makes 1 cocktail

INGREDIENTS

2 ounces tequila

2 ounces orange juice

2 ounces peach simple syrup (or juice)

½ ounce grenadine

Fresh or frozen peaches

Lime slices for garnish

METHOD

Add one cup of ice to a tall glass. Pour the tequila, orange juice and peach simple syrup over the ice and stir. Pour the grenadine over the ice. It will settle to the bottom of the glass, giving that pretty ombre appearance. Float a few peach slices on the top of the cocktail and garnish the rim of the glass with a wedge of lime.

PEACH SIMPLE SYRUP

Makes 2 cups

INGREDIENTS

3 medium peaches, washed and sliced

1 cup sugar

3 tablespoons lime juice

1 cup water

METHOD

Add ingredients to a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes. Do not mash the fruit or stir, as this breaks up the fruit and can make the syrup cloudy.

Strain the simple syrup through a fine mesh sieve into a Mason jar and cool completely in the refrigerator, at least two hours, before using in cocktails or nonalcoholic drinks like Peach Iced Tea.

This is what remarkable care looks like.

Let us provide you with expert care centered on you.

Experts who listen. Who know the latest treatments and technologies. And who see the whole you. That’s what you and your family can expect from Novant Health. This is who we are and how we deliver compassionate and convenient care to you.

Expect world-class care. Expect remarkable.

Play Ball!

Men’s Senior Softball is popular in Brunswick County, and they’re always welcoming new players.

BY JO ANN MATHEWS

Danny Kallick enjoys playing softball, and so do about 300 other Brunswick County men who are at least 50 years old. As president of the Brunswick County Men’s Senior Softball League, Kallick is reaching out to new residents, nonresidents and those not familiar with the league, which organizes teams in the spring and fall.

“We are always looking to recruit new players to help strengthen and grow the league,” he says.

From 15 to 20 men comprise a team, and the 2023 Tuesday spring league included 10 teams. The spring league plays 14 weeks, two games a week or a double header, starting the last Tuesday in March and going through June. It ends with playoffs and awards. The fall league begins in September and goes through the third week of November, also with playoffs and awards. Sign-up is year-round.

Rather than being assigned a team, some of the neighborhoods throughout the county developed their own team, such as Sandpiper Bay in Sunset Beach, the Bandits at Ocean Ridge Plantation in Ocean Isle Beach,, Winding River in Bolivia and the Jimmies and the Gators from St. James Plantation in Southport. There are teams with sponsors, including TLC (Total Lawn Care, a business in Sunset Beach), Coastal Tire in Shallotte, the team Kallick is on, and Humana.

Larry Long of Calabash is on the TLC team and says he joined the league “a long time ago.” Since the league started in 1996, he says he could have been on

Brunswick County

League is for men age 50 and older and is all about having fun and making new friends on the field.

Men’s Senior Softball

PHOTO COURTESY OF BRUNSWICK COUNTY MEN’S SENIOR SOFTBALL LEAGUE

the first teams because he moved to the area in 1989. “It’s all about fun,” he says.

Three years ago the league introduced the Thursday draft league. It is made up of four teams of 14 players each.

“We take the first 56 people who pay to play,” Kallick says. “First come, first served. Nobody gets left out because of the way they play. We rank them according to ability.”

These teams follow specific rules that include following a batting order and playing in the field for at least two innings. Teams play 10 weeks and have playoffs and awards.

Ted Symanski of Ocean Isle Beach joined the league seven years ago and plays in both the Tuesday league on the Bandits and the Thursday draft league. “We really do have a lot of fun,” he says. “I really love playing.”

The Senior Softball League

GET IN ON THE ACTION

“I want to take a minimum of 100 swings when I get up there,” Kallick says.

Rodney Gause, first baseman on the Coastal Tire team, says he joined a team in 2017 after he retired as Shallotte’s long-time chief of police.

“I enjoy the fellowship of these players,” he says. “Everybody gets along. We have a good time and get some

has the support of Brunswick County Parks and Recreation, which has reserved parks each morning throughout the week so teams can practice. It designates a home park for teams, usually the one closest to where the majority of the players on that team live. It also provides the umpires and prepares the fields for the games.

“Brunswick County is awesome,” Kallick says.

Players practice hitting a few times a week at their home parks.

exercise. We have fun.”

Tom Kilbridge of Ocean Isle Beach joined the league in 2015 and plays outfield on the Bandits.

“It’s fun because you have a bunch of 50, 60, 70-year-olds that get to play like they are 25,” he says.

Greg Martin of Calabash, who joined the league four years ago and plays outfield with the Bandits, agrees with his fellow players. “I like the camaraderie, the male bonding,” he says. “I’ve played ball most of my life.”

“Everyone is friendly, and getting to know so many men is making retirement life terrific,” Kallick says. He left Burke, Virginia, eight years ago where he was a high school math teacher and baseball coach, but softball was part of his life there, too. He also plays in the Wednesday night draft league in Myrtle Beach. “It’s very competitive,” he says.

The participation form is at the league’s website. The initial yearly fee is $15 for Brunswick County residents and $25 for nonresidents. Each team then pays $150 for the spring league and then again for the fall league. If they wish, each team can have a sponsor. 

Brunswick County Men’s Senior Softball

PHOTO COURTESY OF BRUNSWICK COUNTY MEN’S SENIOR SOFTBALL LEAGUE

LOVE MUSIC of For the

The Peggy Hughes Summer Concert Series in Ocean Isle Beach is named for a resident who founded and spearheaded the town’s popular series for nearly 20 years.

BY THERESA RAVENCRAFT

s I enter the door of Peggy Hughes’ Ocean Isle Beach house, the first thing I notice is music playing, a mix of jazz and big band.

“You really do love music, don’t you?” I ask.

“Oh yes, I like jazz, classical, every kind of music there is. I love it all,” she replies.

As we settle in for the interview about her involvement with the concert series, Hughes says it all began when she visited Ocean Isle Beach in 1981 and fell in love with the area. That was the first of many visits she and her family made to the island over the next five years before deciding to buy a home here..

“We rented on a Labor Day weekend, and two of our children were with us,” Hughes says. “It rained so hard that the bottom step of our rental was underwater. It was up to our knees. So, we drove around and found a beach house to buy.”

The Hughes family and their family members and friends used the beach house often for vacations and summer retreats.

Hughes and her husband, Wendall, are originally from South Carolina. She taught English and social studies in her hometown of Woodruff, South Carolina,

I LIKE JAZZ, CLASSICAL, EVERY KIND OF MUSIC THERE IS. I love it all.

Peggy Hughes at home in Ocean Isle Beach.

for 23 years until she retired in 1994. She and Wendall made a permanent move to Ocean Isle Beach in 1998. That same year, Hughes became a board member of the Ocean Isle Property Owners Association (OIPOA).

“I was a new member of the board, and someone at the meeting asked if there were any new projects to be discussed. I raised my hand and asked if we had ever considered sponsoring

concerts,” she says.

The room was quiet at first, almost as if everyone was a bit surprised.

“And then Stuart Ingram, another board member, said, ‘I propose that we give Peggy money for one concert.’ And then it was my turn to be stunned,” Hughes says.

Ingram (the founder of Ingram Planetarium and Museum at Coastal Carolina) and the rest of the board

voted to give Hughes $300 dollars for that first concert. She began organizing the event, which included finding a band, renting a portable stage and planning all the things that needed to happen to host a concert. She quickly realized that $300 dollars was not going to cover all the costs involved. So, the OIPOA formed committees to raise funds and help with planning.

“The POA was the workhorse, they gave me the support I needed to make it all happen,” Hughes says.

With financial support from local Realtors, the first concert took place in the summer of 1999 and featured the Andrew Thielen Big Band.

Hughes was involved with planning the annual concert series for nearly 20 years. The Town of Ocean Isle Beach took over the Summer Concert Series in 2021. That year, Hughes was honored by the town for her years of service to the concert series. Ocean Isle Beach Mayor Debbie Smith made the presentation.

“We named the summer series after her because she was the driving force behind the concerts,” Smith says. “Mrs. Peggy is the type of person that makes OIB one of the unique small communities to live in with so many engaged, happy residents.”

The concerts are held at Town Center Park on the island. The Town of Ocean Isle Beach has played a significant role in upgrading the location, which was originally a parking lot on Second Street next to the Museum of Coastal Carolina. It is now a beautiful park with an amphitheater, restrooms, a large grassy area, a splash pad and a playground for children. The park is set for another expansion later this year.

“We were able to purchase the rest of the block,” Smith says. “We now own all the way to Causeway Drive. We are expanding to add two ziplines for the kids, a basketball half-court that can be converted to a pickleball court, covered

picnic shelters and fitness equipment for adults. There will also be a 9/11 Memorial. It should all be completed in 2024.”

The free concerts are presented every Friday evening from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Some of the bands performing this year during the Peggy Hughes Summer Concert Series include The Entertainers, Gary Lowder and Smokin’ Hot, Continental

MUSIC TO YOUR EARS

2023 Peggy Hughes Summer Concert Series at Ocean Isle Beach

Fridays, May 26 to

September 1 6:30 to 8 pm

Town Center Park, Ocean Isle Beach k oibgov.com (910) 579-2166

THE 2023 SUMMER LINEUP

June 2 – Uptown Easy Band

June 9 – The Magnificents

June 16 – Special Occasion Band

June 23 – Band of Oz

June 30 – Blackwater Band

July 7 – The Main Event Band

July 9 – The Tonez

July 14 – The Entertainers

July 21 – Chocolate Chip & Company

July 28 – Too Much Sylvia

Divide, the Blackwater Band and The Extraordinaires.

As I conclude my interview with Hughes and we wrap up our time together on that sunny afternoon, I ask one last question: “How do you plan to celebrate your birthday?” She laughs and says, “It’ll be something special, it’s a big one!” Hughes will be 90 years old in September. 

August 4 – North Tower Band

August 11 – Gary Lowder & Smokin’ Hot

August 18 – Continental Divide

August 25 – Cat 5 Band

September 1 – The Extraordinaires

The Extraordinaires (top) and Band of Oz (below) return this year for the 2023 Peggy Hughes Summer Concert Series.

Giving Spirit

Margie and Don Eisenman both reach 5,000 hours of volunteer time at Novant Health Brunswick Medical Center.

STORY & PHOTOS BY JO ANN MATHEWS

Marjorie ‘Margie’ Eisenman draws laughs when she says, “They feed us at lunchtime,” as the reason she and her husband, Don, have volunteered 5,000 hours each over 23 years at what is now Novant Health Brunswick Medical Center in Bolivia.

“We often said, ‘When it gets to be like work, we’ll

Mquit,’” says Mr. Don, as he is known at the hospital. “Well, that hasn’t happened.”

Margie explains that when the couple moved to Shallotte in 2000, a neighbor was a volunteer at Brunswick Community Hospital in Supply and told them to see for themselves what the volunteers do.

Margie told the volunteer coordinator she wanted to move around, not sit at a desk. Don, on the other hand, said he would take the desk job at patient registration.

“I don’t want to work with a man,” said Dorothy “Dottie” Hoffman, the other volunteer at patient registration. It didn’t take long for her to adjust and enjoy the repartee with Don. “By the time Dottie left [about 2011],” Don was her boyfriend,” Margie says.

Delivering newspapers and other items to patients’ rooms and various departments was perfect for Margie. As she became acquainted with the hospital, she noticed volunteers taking paper used only on one side and cutting it into

intact until I’m done with it.”

“Emergency loves them because they need something to put notes on,” Margie says. She has been in charge of cutting paper and assembling scratch pads for the last 12 years. Now she brings paper from home to supplement the hospital’s supply. “They are short on paper here because everything is on computer now,” Don says.

four equal squares to give to staff members for notes. The hospital had all this paper and didn’t know what to do with it, so eventually the cut pages were glued at the top to make scratch pads.

“These are valuable to everyone,” says Jamie Vogler, manager of patient services, as she waves a pad in the air. “I like it because it stays

Margie also noticed that radiology had big pieces of cardboard they discarded. She acquired permission to take the cardboard and contacted Shallotte Middle School and Union Elementary School. “I figured a school could have the kids draw and paint on them,” she says. Teachers agreed.

Don says his own role has decreased because of computers. Now he greets patients and escorts them to the appropriate area of the hospital. He says one

They have volunteered through good and bad times helping us grow from one hospital to another. They truly have service to others in the core of their hearts.

Above: Don Eisenman with Novant staff Trish Salisbury and Brittany Hutchinson and volunteer Pam Duncan. Left: Marjorie Eisenman admires the art work students at Shallotte Middle School created on the cardboard pieces she brings to the school.

thing he would like changed is to remove the plastic shields at outpatient registration. “You can’t hear the people or understand what they are saying,” he says.

“They stick their head between the shields anyway.”

Christie Delbridge, supervisor of volunteer services,

writes in an email, “Marjorie and Don have demonstrated a commitment to our hospital and people in our community, which is strong and unique. They have volunteered through good and bad times helping us grow from one hospital to another. They truly have service to others in the core of their hearts.”

“We’re just plain ordinary people,” Margie says.

“Ordinary people making an extraordinary difference,” Vogler adds.

Before the couple married in February 2000, Don had retired as an electrician from Mack Trucks, Inc. in Allentown, Pennsylvania, after “33.8 years,” he says. Margie was an attendant at the halfway house on the golf course at Brookside Country Club in Macungie, Pennsylvania. As an avid bowler, Margie wanted to enter a bowling tournament. She says she used a 16-pound ball, and her average is 160. “I won the Allentown city tournament one year,” she adds. “I always enjoyed bowling.”

A friend who knew Don told Margie to ask him to bowl with her in the tournament. He consented, and with their spouses deceased, the couple started to date. They bowled after they moved to Shallotte, but a fall injured Margie’s shoulder and ended her bowling career. “I do miss it,” she says.

Don says he used to golf twice a week, bowl once a week and volunteer another day. Now health issues have limited his participation in activities, although he rides his bike and swims in their in-ground pool. Margie continues to exercise at home.

The Eisenmans volunteer five hours a week, but when they began, their commitment was six hours a week. Don chose Tuesdays, and Margie chose Thursdays, even going in on Thanksgiving Day. “We live together, but we don’t work together,” Margie says, although now they both volunteer on Thursdays.

“It’s amazing what volunteers do,” Vogler says. “Our volunteers get fresh flowers each week and make arrangements for them to be sold in the gift shop. They write cards for vets and escort patients. Our volunteers add so much to our patients, our team and to each other.”

“Everybody works together,” Don says.

“It’s always been fun,” Margie says. 

Marjorie and Don Eisenman at their work stations.

A WALK ON THE SideQuiet A

Take a walk on a beautiful, uninhabited barrier island with the Bird Island Reserve Stewards.

STORY & PHOTOGRAPHY BY ED BECKLEY

Abutting Sunset Beach’s opulent abodes and many peopled places lies an Eden lush in beauty and seclusion. Sandwiched majestically between the Atlantic Ocean and rambling maritime thickets and salt marsh, Bird Island is “a place for poets, painters, lovers and loners,” wrote the Raleigh News & Observer more than 30 years ago.

That’s when a band of Sunset Beach preservationists joined forces to save the place from planned development. They succeeded, with the State of North Carolina putting it under its wing as a dedicated nature preserve around the turn of this century. Today it continues to be a state-protected land for visitors to enjoy and study. It is kept pristine by a couple of dozen local volunteers, who lead educational nature walks on its beautiful grounds. They’re known as the Bird Island Stewards.

The boundary between the Carolinas lies on the west end of Bird Island near the Little River jetty. Until 2001 the island had

been privately owned many times. It remained virtually untouched for hundreds of years, except for a fish camp on the South Carolina side from the 1920s until 1954, when Hurricane Hazel wiped the entire island clean of mostly all things made by man and God.

Time and nature rebuilt the island, populating it with rich flora and fauna. When the owner, Janie Price, planned a 15-lot development in the 1990s, several Sunset Beach residents objected. They included Bill Ducker, who became a co-founder of the protesting Bird Island Preservation Society (BIPS), and chairman of its steering committee.

Left, Bird Island Preservation Society Co-Founder Bill Ducker points the way to the Kindred Spirit Mailbox; right, visitors gather for a tour on a Wednesday morning in summer.

BIRD ISLAND FACTS

 Bird Island had various names until an 1873 map became one of the first documents to refer to it that way. The island has many avian occupants, so that is why the name stuck.

 Starting with royal land grants then real estate sales, private owners kept it before our nation even existed, from 1771 until 2001.

 The North Carolina Bill of Rights declared it the state boundary with South Carolina in 1776.

 During the Civil War, the Union Navy and Confederate blockade runners battled in its waters.

 The war-sunk blockade runner Vespa under the Sunset Beach pier still deposits anthracite coal onto the strand now and then.

 It is a haven for federally protected sea turtles, eagles, rare sea beach amaranth and the only reptile adapted to survive in fresh or salt waters – the diamondback terrapin.

 Dennis F. Daniels, a research historian with the North Carolina Office of Archives and History, worked for more than five months in 2002 on a comprehensive history of the island and the people who saved it. Go to: https:// www.deq.nc.gov/coastalmanagement/coastalreserve/sites/bird-island/ bi-daniels-2002-historicalreport/download

Ducker still lives on Sunset Beach and says the neighbors back then put into place a plan to engage visitors in tours of the island and a related letter-writing campaign to federal and state agencies. Their goal was simple. Bring public outcry to government officials and stop the owner’s plans. Their objection was based on ecological considerations.

Resident Frank Nesmith (co-founder of the Kindred Spirit Mailbox and now deceased) volunteered to lead the tours, thus becoming the original Bird Island

Steward.

“Being in the public limelight was not up his alley,” Ducker says, “but he loved the place so much he was willing to sacrifice his privacy.” By only the third tour, Ducker says Nesmith was leading as many as 85 visitors and gaining their support.

Today, Bird Island is formally known as the Bird Island Reserve and is a component of the N.C. Coastal Reserve and National Estuarine Research Reserve, overseen by a regional site manager. The Bird Island Stewards is an offshoot of the BIPS and Nesmith’s efforts, says Katie Hovermale. She and her husband, Bruce, are the current co-coordinators of the organization. They organize the work of 26

A sign on the beach leads the way to the nature trail that’s maintained by the stewards.

stewards, who support the reserve manager, and provide the public with information about the island’s history, flora, fauna, birds, sea shells and the nearby Kindred Spirit Mailbox. Ducker touts the Stewards as the most integral part of the preservation of Bird Island.

T he Bird Island Stewards lead tours at 8:30 am on Wednesdays in the summer. They will cover safety expectations before getting underway. Then they will stop along four stops to share a bit about the history of Bird Island, visit a sea turtle hatchling nest (if there are any along route), discover the many species of seabirds (the namesake of the island) and talk about the flora, fauna and four eco-systems present there. Children particularly enjoy the display of shells that wash up on the beach, and the tour ends at the Kindred Spirit Mailbox in the dunes, about 1.5 miles west of the start.

“There are special activities for children along the way, and the children ask the best questions,” Hovermale says. “It’s particularly enjoyable to watch how wide their eyes get when spotting a turtle nesting site, or one of the beautiful birds which fly in strings and flocks and swoop down over their heads.”

For the physically fit, visitors can continue on their own to a 1.25-mile nature trail etched into the north side of the dunes or cross the state boundary into South Carolina on foot near the jetty at Little River Inlet.

On the day of this reporter’s tour, the wind picked up and it began to rain. We had a great time anyway, and I am grateful I learned a lot that I could share with you here. Many thanks to the Hovermales, Bill Ducker, Ed Gutknecht (ecology), Richard Layton (birds), Leslie Woodin (shells) and Ann Bokelman (history) for taking me on such a nice walk.

Our “story tour” ends now with a thought from one of the original preservationists back in the 1990s. It was Sue Weddell who stated: “Progress is preserving something that can’t be created again.”

What a wonderful gift of progress to us all in the preservation of Bird Island, and the ongoing commitment of the Bird Island Stewards. 

Summer Wednesdays, 8:30 am

40th Street Boardwalk, Sunset Beach

The Bird Island Stewards invite everyone interested and able to walk three sandy miles to meet them on the beach strand off the 40th Street boardwalk on Sunset Beach for a leisurely walking tour of Bird Island. Just show up by 8:30 am on any summer Wednesday, through the Wednesday after Labor Day. No sign-up is required. Note that the tour may be canceled or shortened due to inclement weather.

For more details on Bird Island go to deq.nc.gov.

Bird Island Guided Tours

Bird Island Stewards, left to right, Richard Layton, Katie Hovermale, Ann Bokelman, Ed Gutknecht, Leslie Woodin and Bruce Hovermale, are joined by original preservationist Bill Ducker (far right) before a recent tour.

Calling in Reinforcements

Five citizen volunteers with the Unsolved Case Unit assist the Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office with piecing together the details of unsolved crimes.

STORY & PHOTOGRAPHY BY BETH A. KLAHRE

Citizen volunteers make a huge difference at the Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office. More than 200 active volunteers fulfill many needs including working with animal protective services, accompanying deputies during involuntary commitment transportation and assisting with traffic control and neighborhood watches, to name a few.

In 2016 the sheriff’s office established the Unsolved Case Unit with volunteers of very specific backgrounds in civilian life to work on unsolved crime cases across Brunswick County. Today, the Unsolved Case Unit is staffed with five local civilian volunteers.

“These volunteers are a dedicated team with unmatched tenacity,” says Major Israel West of the Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office. He is right.

JIM WESTBROOK of Southport was one of the first volunteers to be sworn in as a civilian investigative specialist with the Intelligence Unit.

“I agreed to join the team six years ago because I saw the unit’s purpose,” Westbrook says. “The team was forming not just to solve old crimes, but to tell victims’ families that everything possible was being done to solve the crime. I found this to be a very worthwhile initiative.”

Westbrook spent 38 years in the U.S. Air Force and the Defense Intelligence Agency. During his last 10 years, he provided analytical support to the Drug Enforcement Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigation

(FBI) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Southport resident WOODY CLOOKIE is the Unsolved Case Unit supervisor working under Lieutenant April Cherry, who is responsible for the unit. When asked to join the unit, Clookie said, “Work on cold cases? Count me in!” That

Forensic artist Gina Barry recreates faces of individuals whose identity is often not known from skeletal remains.

was 12 years ago. Clookie brings 25 years of experience with the Coast Guard to this role, including 13 years as a special agent with Coast Guard Intelligence doing criminal investigations, drug interdictions, port security, arson, sabotage, counterterrorism, foreign counter intelligence and crime on the high seas.

“I volunteered for the Unsolved Case Unit because I saw it as a way to utilize my prior experience to give back to the community,” Clookie says. “I believe the victim, missing person or unidentified remains deserve justice.”

The Unsolved Case Unit work begins when Brunswick County Sheriff Brian Chism hands the group a case file.

“The case file becomes our crime scene,” Clookie says. “It contains everything that happened with the incident in perpetuity as well as lab tests and witness statements.”

Clookie recalls his first case, the murder of a young woman in the Leland area from 1987. This case, which received national coverage, is still unsolved.

“This is a most complex case,” Clookie says. “There are 23,000 pages in the case file. We leave cases like this open. People pop up at different times with what they think is a viable lead. And off we go. The most challenging part of what we do is the age of potential witnesses, information and evidence.”

MARY DONCOURT from Southport is the resident DNA expert on the team.

“Changes in DNA technology occur quickly,” Doncourt says. “When I started with the unit, DNA was in the early stages. In the beginning, DNA testing required a hair follicle. Now, DNA can be extracted from just a hair shaft. State-of-the-art labs can do things that no one has ever dreamed of, like forensic genealogy of unidentified victims and replication of samples. Some of our cases are so old that DNA was not even a thought then, but we look for viable DNA in every case no matter how old. I rely on other experts in the field to help determine if evidence was maintained and if it’s viable.”

Clookie adds, “DNA is fabulous to identify someone. And it’s also good to exclude people.”

“But there are limitations,” Doncourt quickly interjects. “Some tests use up an entire sample. We have to consider if we are willing to take that risk. And DNA testing is expensive.”

In many situations, the risk is worth it, as it was when the Unsolved Case Unit sent a sample to a lab from an unidentified female victim from a 1979 Brunswick County case.

“The case is not solved yet, but we think we found a family tree line and may know who she is,” Doncourt says. “After all these years, Jane Doe may finally have a name. The opportunity to find answers for a family and to give the

Members of the Unsolved Case Unit with the Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office, left to right, Lieutenant April Cherry, Jim Westbrook, Mary Doncourt, Peach O’Gorman, Gina Barry and Woodie Clookie.

unidentified a name so they may rest in peace is important to me. No one should spend eternity in a box at the medical examiner’s office.”

GINA BARRY from Oak Island is a forensic artist on the team. Joining in 2019, Barry provides composite sketches, ageprogression drawings of children and fugitives, and postmortem drawings. She spent 31 years in the prosecutor’s office in New York issuing search warrants and subpoenas. She is also trained in facial imaging from the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia.

“Composites are most widely used by the police as a tool to identify someone,” Barry says. “When I do a composite, I am only interested in the face. I describe the process to the victim like the Mr. Potato Head game. Pick eyes. Pick a face shape. I sketch, move it around, shade it in. Together, the victim and I get the memory on paper.”

Barry also does facial reconstruction, recreating faces of individuals whose identity is often not known from skeletal remains.

PEACH O’GORMAN, originally from the United Kingdom, landed in Southport after living in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Hong Kong. She came on board with the Unsolved Case Unit in 2013 at Clookie’s request for her expert computer skills. O’Gorman’s first task was to digitize all of the paper files into a database.

“I read each and every page to decide how to electronically file it,” O’Gorman says. “I categorized and sorted by incident, witness and suspect. Much evidence had been preserved on old technology like tiny tapes and VHS recordings. I had to find ways to digitize everything. Challenging, but fun, it was a long process.”

When that project was complete, O’Gorman transferred the entire database into a new records management system in 2020. She transferred a dozen unsolved cases into the new system.

“I always want justice for the victims who have become real to me after reading their cases,” says O’Gorman, who in addition to her tech savvy makes the best cookies according to the team. “I’m a dog with a bone, well more like a chew toy. Until I sort something out. I tear it up.”

All five volunteers agree that some of their best work happens in brainstorming sessions when they are bouncing

ideas off each other.

“We have five sets of eyes, five different backgrounds and lots of varied training,” Doncourt says. “We pull together and focus. Because we are very different people, we view the cases from very different perspectives. Sometimes we come up with the most off-the-wall approaches to a case.”

They approach the work like a big ball of string: Grab one end and pull. If that doesn’t get an answer, pull another. In all cases, the team is extremely aware of the feelings of the family impacted.

“When we get a brainstorming session going, we all throw in thoughts. It works really well. We are not at all alike, but we are a team. That sums us up best,” Westbrook says.

The Unsolved Case Unit is actively investigating 10 cases in Brunswick County. They are on the cusp of solving several of them.

“It’s not like TV where a case is solved in an hour,” Doncourt says.

“We are dealing with cases that are more than 30 years old,” Westbrook adds. “Witnesses are often deceased or unable to remember events from so long ago with any consistency.”

The team may uncover sufficient information that points to a suspect, but they may not have ample information for the case to be prosecutable. Many times testimony is unreliable and witnesses are incapable of testifying and no arrest can be made.

The five volunteers accumulated nearly 1,800 hours of volunteer time last year.

“In addition to unsolved cases, we sometimes assist other agencies,” explains Cherry, who makes the decisions on what is turned over to local authorities like Southport and Wilmington police. Lieutenant Cherry transferred to the Unsolved Case Unit in June 2022 and ever since has admired the knowledge, skills and compassion each team player brings to the table.

“The only ones who know everything about a case are the victim, the culprit and God,” West says. “We call our cases unsolved, not cold, because we are always working. Everything done right and wrong, everything gathered and not gathered, is forever locked into that day. It’s a badge of honor to be part of this team.”

“We are just one part of the larger cog,” Westbrook humbly concludes. 

After all these years, Jane Doe may finally have a name. The opportunity to find answers for a family and to give the unidentified a name so they may rest in peace is important to me.

Roving for Rover

Dr. Lauren Gallagher and her team at Coastal Care Mobile Veterinary Services think outside the box when it comes to caring for pets.

STORY & PHOTOGRAPHY

BY JOHN L. CARDILLO

SWhen veterinarian Dr. Lauren Gallagher decided to start her own practice, her intent was to have a traditional office with a street address. Instead, her office moves daily and can be found all along the streets of southern Brunswick County.

“My vision was not this,” Dr. Gallagher says with a smile, gesturing at her Coastal Care Mobile Veterinary Services (CCMVS) office – a 26-foot mobile unit she calls The Rig. “My intent was to have a fixed-location practice. I even had a building!”

Dr. Gallagher performs a pre-surgical exam on a feline patient.

Then COVID hit. Pet owners taking their pets to the vet had to wait in their cars while a technician transported animals in and out of the building. Updates on patient conditions were made via cell phone.

“Something told me to wait before setting up shop,” says Gallagher, an Albany, New York, native who knew from age 6 that she wanted to be a vet when her aunt introduced her to the profession.

While waiting to decide how to proceed, she reached out to another veterinarian she had met, Dr. Lindy Marshall of Huntersville, North Carolina, who happened to have a mobile clinic of her own. Clarity came to Gallagher as a result of those discussions.

“One of the things that always bothered me about a stand-still practice was the pressure to see as many clients as possible each day,” she says. “I was frustrated that I didn’t get to have the facetime with each client and patient that I would have liked.”

Statistically, most veterinarian offices schedule appointments every 15 minutes. In an eight-hour day, they see between 30 and 60 patients.

“I decided I wanted better control of the situation, and I realized that by going mobile, I would have the time to sit down and spend time with clients,” Gallagher says. “I think it’s important to build relationships. I love the pets I treat as my own, but I love my clients just as much.”

So CCMVS, a full-service veterinary clinic on wheels, was born, allowing Gallagher and her team, veterinary

technicians Toni Bederka and Nate Moyer, the freedom to treat their patients (lovingly referred to as “fur babies” by the good doctor) in their own homes. Appointments are scheduled to ensure the team can spend quality time with their clients without feeling rushed.

Thanks to Facebook posts, word-of-mouth marketing and the relationships Gallagher built in her eight years as a vet in southern Brunswick County (the four previous at Southport Animal Hospital), CCMVS opened for business January 17, 2022, with a full slate of appointments. That doesn’t mean, however, that the road was smooth from day one. The team quickly learned that having a fully mobile business poses some unique challenges.

“Logistics was definitely the hardest part of the transition,” says Bederka, who has been a licensed veterinary technician since earning her associate’s degree in the field in 2006. “We were driving all over the place at first. It took us awhile to learn how to efficiently group appointments.”

They also opened for business without The Rig, which wasn’t in operation until January 2023. Instead, they worked out of Gallagher’s Chevrolet Tahoe, with staff carting needed supplies and equipment into homes. Examination rooms were whatever room the pet was most comfortable, and the exam table was that room’s floor.

Above, Inside The Rig: the blood machines are on the left; the exam/dental table is on the right; and the surgical suite is straight ahead. Below, Nate Moyer, Dr. Lauren Gallagher and Toni Bederka

The pet patients likely enjoyed the experience. A 2015 study published in the Journal of American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) showed that veterinary visits performed in the home resulted in lower blood pressure readings, body temperature readings, respiratory rates and pulse rates for pets.

“There is evidence that in-home care can lessen stress and provide other physiological benefits for your pet,” says Dr. Dana Koch, VMD MLAS, of HousePaws Mobile Veterinary Service in Pennsylvania. “There are several factors that constitute the demand for mobile, in-home veterinary care. These include reducing stress, providing convenience and lessening the risk of disease transmission.”

According to AVMA’s 2023 Veterinary Practice Owners Survey, 19.1% of veterinary practice owners reported owning a 100% mobile practice, and an additional 18.4% said they owned a combination brick-andmortar/mobile practice. (This is not to say 19% of all veterinarians are mobile. A typical veterinary clinic, for example, has several veterinarians on staff.)

There is not much, if anything, the CCMVS team can’t do in the 26-foot traveling clinic. Surgeries, radiography (x-rays), dental care and simple lab work are among the tasks they can perform. On the day of this writer’s visit, a feline was spayed in the mobile unit.

“We really are pretty much full service,” says Moyer, who earned his associate’s degree in veterinary medical technology from Cape Fear Community College in 2019. “We can perform surgeries, do a full dental prophylaxis, x-ray all body parts and so much more.”

The Rig doesn’t currently make house calls, however. It’s parked two days a week in Shallotte at CJR Truck Accessories,

where clients bring their fur babies to the mobile clinic. (CJR is owned by Gallagher’s husband, Clay.) All surgeries are performed on Wednesdays at this location.

The CCMVS team continues to make house calls the other three days of the work week using Gallagher’s Chevrolet Suburban. (“We needed something bigger than the Tahoe,” she says.) They can perform exams, administer vaccines, draw blood, dispense medications and perform other routine tasks that don’t necessitate the use of advanced technology.

“The mobile model has really allowed clients more direct access to the answers they need or to address concerns about their pets, either with an educated technician in Toni or Nate or with myself,” Gallagher says.

Gallagher and her team, who currently see about 15 patients per day, are exploring the possibility of adding a day to park the mobile unit in the Southport-Oak Island area, but no final decisions have been made. Among the challenges are finding a suitable location and a landlord willing to let them set up shop there for the day.

Adding a location would simply be done as a convenience for clients, not to generate new clients. CCMVS already has a roster of more than 2,000 patients; the national average is less than 1,600 patients per veterinarian.

If Gallagher loves her patients and clients, she clearly cares just as deeply about her staff. She treats them as family, as evidenced by the personal errands they often run while they are out and about. She also actively solicits their opinions, ideas and feedback on how to run the practice.

“One of the things I take the most pride in when it comes to CCMVS is not only the family feel with clients, but also with my staff,” Gallagher says. “This business wouldn’t be what it is without Toni and Nate. Vet techs are the most underutilized,

underappreciated, underpaid people in the workforce. A lot of the protocols we use are tech developed!”

Vet techs are much more than assistants, Gallagher says. They are nurse anesthetists, dental hygienists, surgery technicians, phlebotomists, radiology technicians, laboratory technicians, nursing aids, client counselors, educators and, at CCMVS, reception staff.

People also may not realize the emotional toll associated with the profession. Healthcare workers, whether they treat humans or animals, are highly susceptible to compassion fatigue, which is emotional strain related to working with those who suffer. As a result, the turnover rate for veterinary technicians is 26%, one of the highest in the whole healthcare profession, according to AVMA.

Gallagher is well aware of these statistics, as well as the fact that her practice sees more patients than the average veterinarian. That’s why she tries her best to compensate her staff well and to make CCMVS a place where one would want to work.

“I want my practice to be a joyful one, and ultimately it is because of Toni and Nate,” she says. “They are my colleagues, my staff, but also my family. I am so lucky to have them.”

The feeling, it seems, is mutual.

“We’re a great team, with a great doctor and a great vet tech,” says Moyer, who joined the team in 2022 after doing a ride along with Gallagher and Bederka and loving it. “It’s a terrific situation to be in.” 

BY CLAIRE LYNCH

olly Scott’s lifelong desire to run her own business was a long time coming, but it has finally come to fruition in Ocean Fired Studio Pottery LLC in Little River.

“Raising our family, becoming empty nesters and then wondering what the next chapter of my life would be — that’s when I decided to fulfill a lifetime dream of running my own business,” Scott says. “People say it’s a dream come true, and there is no better way to say it.”

A ceramic artist, Scott has spent the last 13 years of her life making pottery. Before opening her studio, she had set up her equipment in her garage and was making pottery there. She sold her work at various festivals and markets in the area and around the Carolinas.

“Then things all came together — the building on Mineola Avenue became available, and I said to my husband, ‘Now is the time for me to do this.’”

Scott was born in Connecticut, and her family moved all over the country and lived in Japan because her father was a captain in the U.S. Navy.

“Being part of a military family meant we moved often,

Scenes from the studio: clockwise from top left, Scott hand-glazing a platter; a whimsical hand-built creation; a hand-painted fish platter and wheel-thrown container set; and the hand-painted crab collection.

PHOTOS BY TARA ROBERTS

and it gave my siblings and me a chance to live in different cities and learn about different cultures,” Scott says.

Graduating from high school in northern Virginia, Scott attended the University of Maryland, receiving a bachelor’s degree in fine arts and applied design in 1985. She met her future husband, Irvin Scott, there, and two years later they were married.

Moving to south central Pennsylvania to start their family, Scott pursued creative projects and focused primarily on being a homemaker. While raising their two sons, Joshua and Matthew, Holly Scott worked at Stauffers of Kissel Hill, a home and garden store. “I created arrangements and seasonal displays, which was great experience,” she says. A doodler even in elementary school, Scott knew that her flair for artwork would be useful. She shared her joy for art with her sons growing up especially on snowy days in Pennsylvania when school was

closed but they could still do fun, creative projects.

When vacationing each summer, the Scott family would drive from Pennsylvania to the Outer Banks — Buxton was a favorite destination — and when their kids were grown and on their own, the Scotts decided to move to North Carolina.

“We relocated in 2014, and settling in Brunswick County has been ideal in so many ways,” Scott says. “Not only do we like the friendly people and the nice climate but finding a community of fellow artists and potters has been inspiring. Creative people often speak the same language, so it has been great to know other artists.”

Scott opened Ocean Fired Studio

Above, Wood floors and ceilings TOP: PHOTO BY TARA ROBERTS. CUTOUT PHOTO: CONTRIBUTED

Pottery in November 2020.

While COVID-19 was an initial obstacle, the Scotts talked it over and decided they could still proceed with the plans and open the store. “With face masks, hand sanitizer and social distancing it was doable,” Scott says.

Opening during the pandemic was not ideal, but they set up tables and shelves and displayed the pottery.

“Irv is a woodworker on the side so he was enormously helpful in creating the space I wanted for Ocean Fired Studio Pottery,” Scott says “The building already had wood floors and a wooden ceiling that created a certain ambiance so it took a little more finessing to make the shop perfect.”

Although she is a sole owner, Scott says it

FIRED UP AND WANT TO GO?

Ocean Fired Studio Pottery LLC

4309 Mineola Avenue, Little River m (717) 887-6048

K oceanfired studiopottery.com

E Q Ocean Fired Studio Pottery

Tuesday to Saturday from 10 am to 4 pm

Hours change with the season so text or call ahead

was a team effort that helped get her business off the ground. Before opening her shop, she took a few online classes at Brunswick Community College in how to start a small business.

“Small Business Center Director April Scott (no relation) steered me in the right direction and was enormously helpful,” Scott says. “I wanted to learn what things would be instrumental in starting Ocean Fired Studio Pottery before opening the doors to my new shop — not afterwards. I got suggestions for an excellent website designer and other tips on how to promote my business using Facebook and Instagram.”

In her studio, Scott spends many early morning hours designing and making pottery. Once the doors open at 10 am, her shop is a bustling place.

PHOTOS BY TARA ROBERTS

“We’re located on Mineola Avenue right off Highway 17 in Little River, and as people drive north, they can see the sign to the shop,” Scott says.

She explains that Little River is a destination spot in many ways, and it’s easy to find. There are several restaurants farther east on Mineola Avenue and so is the Big ‘M’ Casino ship. When it’s vacation time in Horry and Brunswick counties, Little River is hopping with visitors.

Scott also has been a vendor with Sunset Artisan Market in Sunset Beach on Thursdays from their start. At that festival and those in other communities on weekends, she meets customers plus fellow artists who have set up shop for the day. Many of the people she has met at the markets become her customers at the studio.

“I’d say the best way to explain the numbers is roughly 50 percent of the customers at Ocean Fired Studio Pottery are local residents and the other 50 percent are visitors to the area,” she says. “Maybe 25 percent of those people I meet at the markets make a point of driving to my shop to come in and see additional pottery pieces or to place special orders.”

With 1,300 square feet of space, Scott dedicates one-half of that to being a showroom for customers to see the plates, mugs, serving dishes, trays, vases and whimsical pottery pieces she has created. Her Grin Fish, whimsical fish with toothy smiles, are especially popular.

The other 650 square feet of space holds her workrooms. One area holds the two wheels she uses almost daily to throw the clay and hand fashion specific pieces of pottery. Another room holds the two kilns she uses to fire the pottery to her specifications.

“After the time is up, I open the lid to the kiln and I have to say, pulling out the finished piece is like opening presents on Christmas morning,” Scott says. “Each finished piece is a surprise and a delight!”

One of her favorite aspects of pottery making is doing functional whimsical pottery that is all hand painted and unique. A sculpture titled,

“Frank and Eddie Don’t Share Fries” has two seagulls fighting over a box of French fries. Another favorite is “Fish Fishing.”

Guest artists feature their products at Ocean Fired Studio Pottery, including photography, baskets, wood utensils, fabric art, shell art and more. There’s even a rack of tie-dyed t-shirts that her son, Matthew, makes, and on the walls are oil paintings her son, Joshua, creates.

At Ocean Fired Studio Pottery, Scott says, “If you are fortunate enough to love what you do, the hard work is only a means to meet wonderful people and realize your dreams.” 

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Dedication in Action

The Museum of Coastal Carolina presents Judy Sobota with the first Louise Ingram Coastal Caretaker Award.

STORY & PHOTOGRAPHY

BY JO ANN MATHEWS

JJudy Sobota watches the fish swim in the Touch Tank at the Museum of Coastal Carolina in Ocean Isle Beach, her demeanor serious. After several seconds, she picks up a sea star and explains to the visitors that the sea star doesn’t have a backbone and its mouth is on the underside. She then places it in the outstretched hand of Lito Herrera, 5, before encouraging his brother Emmitt, 8, to experience the sensation on his palm. The children, their sister, Rowen, 11, and their mother, Elise, who are visiting from Evanston, Wyoming, marvel at the wonders of the exhibit. Sobota’s dedication as a volunteer spans 21 years, and to

Judy Sobota (left) shows a sea star to children at the Museum of Coastal Carolina.

show its appreciation, the Ocean Isle Museum Foundation, Inc. awarded Sobota the first ever Louise Ingram Coastal Caretaker award at the museum’s inaugural Beach Ball on March 30, 2023. The award recognizes a person who does notable work to preserve our coastal environment, heritage and culture through education, conservation and/or preservation.

“It was an easy selection,” says Jim Hoffman, executive director of the Ocean Isle Museum Foundation. “I’m not sure any single person has done so much for the museum since Stuart and Louise Ingram.”

Stuart and Louise Ingram are the late founders of the museum, which opened through their determined efforts in 1991. The museum has increased its capacity three times since then. The couple’s dedication to the area extended to the skies, and in 2002 Ingram Planetarium in Sunset Beach opened.

Sobota says she and her husband bought a home on the island in 1993, but they didn’t move here from Kernersville, North Carolina, until they retired in 2002. That’s when she decided to take a walk to the museum out of curiosity.

“I had never been here,” she says. She was pleased with what she saw and asked, “Do you need volunteers?”

She started in the gift shop, became familiar with all the museum’s exhibits and then held the post of volunteer coordinator.

“Now I basically take care of the fish,” she says. “Everything we have here frequents our shores, so everything you see is what is swimming in the ocean.”

Her interest in the museum has become a family affair. Her

five grandchildren were interns at the museum when they were in high school. Her sons — Matt, who lives with his family in Pawleys Island, and Robb, who lives with his family in Wilmington, and her grandson Parker, 21 — recently caught the tiny sargassum fish that are in seaweed and brought them to the museum.

“They’re baby fish, and we build them up,” Sobota says and adds that her family has caught most of the fish in the Touch Tank.

“She makes sure the water chemistry is perfect for the fish,” Hoffman says. “She is here every single day and manages this operation herself.”

Sobota explains the museum follows a protocol for keeping the fish healthy and the water safe. An aquarium professional checks the fish once a week, and chemists check the water twice a week. They have taught her what is normal for the fish and the tanks and what is unusual, so she can make adjustments. The volunteers who feed the fish every morning leave her a report and consult her about any issues they detect. She, however, is

Sobota, pictured with Debbie Smith, Jim Hoffman and Bob Forrester, holds the Louise Ingram Coastal Caretaker Award at the Beach Ball on March 30.

It was an easy selection. I’m not sure any single person has done so much for the museum since Stuart and Louise Ingram.

the person who orders the food and fills bags with it so the fish get the amount and kind of food they need.

Through all those years, Sobota says she enjoys seeing the children’s enthusiasm when they come to the museum. “It’s such an educational experience coming here,” she says. “So much is hands-on.”

A recent hands-on exhibit is Save the Ocean. Visitors stand in the “ocean” where pictures of plastic bottles and other items float. They stomp on the harmful items that appear in the water, and a display shows how many they have eliminated.

“People say, ‘You have a lot of good things for children, but I liked it, too,’” Hoffman says. “It’s an experience multiple generations can enjoy.”

Hoffman explains further that the Beach Ball, which will be an annual affair, celebrates all the things that are good about living in southeastern Brunswick County.

“We’ve taken strides here to conserve our coast,” he says. “The purpose of the award is to make a statement about the importance of museums in people’s lives. We want them to be involved in conversations about preservation, conservation and environmental education.”

The Ball raised $10,000, which will fund a new exhibit, now in its infancy stage. It will tell the story of the future of our oceans, beach dynamics and actionable things people can do to preserve the ocean, Hoffman says.

“We all need to contribute to its preservation, to reduce single-use plastic and reduce carbon emissions,” he adds. “We want to generate positive messages about what we can do about critical issues that affect us.”

Sobota is modest about receiving the award.

“I do what I do because I love the museum and because of Louise’s influence,” she says and adds that when Louise Ingram was in Hospice care in 2012 she told Sobota to take

care of the museum.

“I said, ‘All right, of course, I will, but that’s not really why I do it. I would have done it anyway if she hadn’t said that. All people, especially seniors, need purpose in their lives, and this gives me purpose. I will continue to do it.”

Now Sobota is busy with her summer duties, including conducting a program at the museum called “All Hands on Deck.” 

Upping Their Game

Community owners deliver on their promise of greatly improving The Links at Brick Landing in Ocean Isle Beach.

BY LARRY HERSHOFF | PHOTOGRAPHY BY TARA ROBERTS

WWhen we last visited The Links at Brick Landing nearly a year and half ago, President Ken McGill urged golfers to play The Links to see the improvements for themselves — and he and his partners have delivered!

On a blustery February morning, I met with McGill, one of the six original investors in Community Golf Partners LLC, and his fellow board member Kevin Finnerty, to review the progress they have made, and frankly, it is quite impressive.

The first thing on every golfer’s mind is greens quality, and it’s clear that their Sunday Ultradwarf Bermuda has provided consistent and slick putting surfaces. They have also re-sodded and leveled the tees on this challenging Ocean Isle Beach par 71 layout and

Golf Operations Manager Allen Reising

made major improvements on the bridges and bulkheads that serve this course.

Some of the other changes aren’t immediately obvious, such as the repair and restructuring of infrastructure like irrigation and drainage to provide a more resilient course that plays well even after it rains. Work continues on the cart paths too.

For background, remember that this course closed in early 2020 just as COVID was rearing its ugly head. Nonetheless, six residents of the Brick Landing community formed Community Golf Partners LLC (CGP) to acquire and improve a course that had been frequently neglected over its 35-year history. CGP knew that they couldn’t revamp the course all at once, but with the help of community volunteers who embraced (and continue to support) their efforts, they opened the re-branded Links later that year. Respecting the importance of excellent greens, they closed it again in the spring of 2021 for the greens project and other work that would have impeded play.

The course reopened in late summer 2021 and keeps getting better all the time. A key player in all of this is Dana Anderson, who returned as golf course superintendent after having been superintendent here from 1989 to 2004.

“This is my 46th year as a superintendent, and I am striving to make playing conditions here as enjoyable as possible,” Anderson says.

I also met with Golf Operations Manager Allen Reising, who is justifiably proud of how far they have all come and sanguine about where this course is headed. Reising reminds golfers that “beauty lies everywhere you look, including two of the more picturesque golfing holes on the Grand Strand.”

Finnerty and McGill note that the response to The Links has been very favorable, both from the residents and outsiders who play this 6030-yard (from the white tees) gem. They restructured memberships to allow four levels of member

Improvements at The Links at Brick Landing span from the greens and fairways to the pro shop to the food and beverage options.

play and continue to experience increasing volume, including outside daily fee play.

The course still boasts four sets of tee boxes, from the 4704-yard forward tees, up to the 6586-yard tips, that registers a challenging 72.0/135 rating.

The opening and closing holes are exhilarating, with unobstructed views of the Intracoastal Waterway. Number 1 is only 271 yards from the golds, but requires a precise tee shot up the relatively narrow fairway and a carefully placed second shot, given the pond on the left, and trouble long and right, if you want to make birdie. Even if you do, the short 75-yard uphill par 3 second can’t be taken for granted and will yield bogeys for the careless.

HIT THE LINKS

drain well. And by the way, the bunkers do, too!

My personal favorite is number 12, where you have a bomb-it or calm-it decision around and then over Sauce Pan Creek. Coming home, number 18 offers a challenging tee shot over or around a pond and then a small green guarded by a fronting pond and trouble left or right — a fitting finishing hole where you can make 3 or 8, or anything in between.

Once you continue inland on number 3, and beyond, you are faced with distance and direction decisions to avoid the water that could come into play on holes 3 through 7. Even green number 8 is guarded by a small pond downslope left. There is a water hazard on every remaining hole to test your grit and remind you that the fairways are designed to

Another benefit of this course is the excellent food and beverage options once you finish your round — a libation on the veranda overlooking the ICW, relaxing inside near the bar or a visit to the Seabreeze restaurant for lunch above the clubhouse. Any of these choices will be a perfect ending to a great golf day. 

Recently CGP embarked on another greens improvement project, evoking the spirit of revered local golfer Gene Bonstein. So you may find a few temporary greens when you visit, but remember — as the DOT says, the inconvenience is temporary, but the benefits are long-lasting!

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$7.2 million dollars in accommodations tax is paid by visitors to the Southport-Oak Island area, and is used to fund infrastructure improvements, supplement funds for beach nourishment and beautification, finance governmental departments and staffing, facilitate local events, and support area parks and recreational activities.

Visit

to learn more.

Sienna’s Business Profile

BY ANNA BETH ADCOCK

From the stylish imagination of Southport resident and Wilmington native Heather Newsom comes Sienna’s, a women’s clothing and gift boutique new to the waterfront streets of Downtown Southport. Located next to Trolly Stop, the shop opened its doors on June 3, 2023, offering coastal boho styles with a dash of glam, fit for women of all shapes and sizes.

Newsom attended UNCW and certainly has the chops to open her own shop. With an extensive background in the fashion world dating back to her first job in high school working with Lilly Pulitzer and professional positions ranging from creative director to fashion buyer, Newsom is bringing her considerable fashion perspective to Southport. She wants the shop’s styles to cater to women of all ages, and her goal is for the store to be a place where every customer can find a piece they can look and feel good in.

“I want everybody who comes in my store to find something they love, no matter their size or their age,” Newsom says. “We’re going to have something for everyone.”

Growing up, Newsom spent the summers in Ocean Isle Beach, and the breezy, sophisticated coastal fashions she saw inspired the idea for the shop and its wares. Beyond offering a substantial array of clothing size selections, the boutique features shoes, accessories and chic gift items.

In a world where online shopping is trending, Sienna’s offers a more personable experience. The shell pink walls and luxe gold

shelving invite shoppers to come in, touch and try on pieces to find that perfect fit. With the community in mind, Newsom is aiming for the shop to become a ladies’- night-out destination, and shoppers can reserve a night of private shopping with their girlfriends, complete with Champagne.

“I want my store to be a fun place for people to bring their daughters and their families to come in and shop,” Newsom says.

Married to Dr. Alex Newsom of Dosher Memorial Hospital, Newsom named her boutique after the couple’s daughter, Sienna. The family pup, Maggie, can be found greeting patrons at the store. Every day is bring your dog to work day, and patrons are welcome to bring their own furry companions on their shopping trip.

When Newsom is not providing fashionable looks for the local community or spending time with her family, she can be found out on the water, doing yoga or playing tennis.

“I love the community here in Southport,” she says. “It’s a wonderful place to raise a family. I love the small-town feel!”

Speaking of love, if you’re ready to fall in love with fashion, you can shop Sienna’s styles Monday through Saturday from 10 am to 5 pm and Sundays from 12 to 4 pm.

Sienna’s

111 S. Howe Street, Unit B, Southport, (843) 337-7990

Q @siennasofsouthport

PHOTOS BY MEGAN DEITZ

2023 Coastal Consumer Showcase

February 9 at St. James Community Center

Southport-Oak Island Area Chamber of Commerce’s 2023 Coastal Consumer Showcase drew a crowd of more than 400 people on a winter afternoon. Representatives from 56 local businesses were available to answer questions about the products and services they provide to the residents of the Southport-Oak Island area. Residents and visitors who attended the show were encouraged to register for a chance to win $200 in cash and numerous prizes in the Pick-A-Prize Auction. Barbara Nichols of Southport was the lucky winner of the $200 prize, and many more won a Pick A Prize. Coastal Consumer Showcase is an event of the Southport-Oak Island Area Chamber of Commerce and is sponsored by Dosher Memorial Hospital, Fulford Heating & Cooling, The State Port Pilot , Southport Magazine , WHQR Public Media and South Brunswick Magazine.

2023 NC Oyster Festival

Coming up on October 21 and 22 at Ocean Isle Beach Town Center Park

PHOTOGRAPHY BY GALLANT PHOTOGRAPHY

 Celebrate everything oyster on Saturday, October 21 from 9 am to 6 pm and Sunday, October 22 from 10 am to 5 pm. the Ocean Isle Beach Town Center Park will be transformed into a walking district offering a variety of foods, crafts, contests and musical performances. With the support of a dedicated committee of volunteers, the Town of Ocean Isle Beach, local businesses and Brunswick County Chamber of Commerce, the NC Oyster Festival is a destination for fall fun. Festival admission is $5 per adult (cash only) and children younger than 12 get in free. ATMs will be available outside the festival grounds. A free shuttle service will offer rides from two designated lots near the festival. Lot Locations & Bus Route: Free parking at Lowes Foods (7278 Beach Drive) and Odell Williamson Municipal Airport (6080 Beach Drive). Ocean Isle Pier (1 W. 1st Street) offers parking for a fee.

Brunswick County Chamber of Commerce Chairman’s Award Gala

April 20 at The Isles Restaurant

PHOTOGRAPHY BY GALLANT PHOTOGRAPHY

Every year Brunswick County Chamber of Commerce recognizes chamber member businesses that have put forth outstanding efforts in their work and in their community and honors recipients of the Future 10 awards. This year’s gala was one for the books.

THIS YEAR’S AWARD WINNERS ARE:

Ambassador of the Year: Glenda Uebel

First Responder of the Year: Deputy Willie McRae

Ozzy Award (Volunteer of the Year): Brunswick Christian Recovery Team

Community Impact (Nonprofit): Brunswick Senior Resources, Inc

Community Outreach (For Profit): Arbor Landing at Ocean Isle

Rising Star: Saltwater Med Spa

Excellence in Small Business: Blondiez Donuts

Excellence in Business: Callahan’s Dining and Retail

Outstanding Customer Service: Computer Gurus

Leadership in Diversity: Habitat for Humanity

Lifetime Achievement Award: Clarice Holden

Sunset Beach 60th Anniversary Celebration

March 25 at Sunset Beach Town Park

PHOTOGRAPHY BY TARA ROBERTS

 The Town of Sunset Beach celebrated its 60th anniversary on March 25 with an all-day event at Sunset Beach Town Park. Attendees enjoyed free hotdogs, door prizes, a kids’ play zone, a photo booth, a beer and wine garden sponsored by Silver Coast Winery and Makai Brewing Company, and live music by DJ Jim Bruno, the Sea & Sand Band and The Entertainers. Tri-Beach Cruisers Car Club hosted a car show, and the Sunset Beach Police and Fire departments hosted a Touch a Truck event for the kids. A cornhole tournament was also part of the celebrations.

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