Letter from Southport

A B O U T T H E C O V E R

Cover photo by Aline C. Harrell It’s azalea season again in Brunswick County, as cover photographer Aline Harrell shows. “I have never had a green thumb and discovered many years ago that no ma%er where I moved, azaleas are the only flowering plant that didn't die a(er a year or two. Therefore my yard is full of azalea blooms once a year in Boiling Spring Lakes!” Aline says.

T H E C O A S T A L B U Z Z

EDITOR Shelagh Clancy buzz@bsrinc.org (910) 622-1036 CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Courtney Beldsoe, Melissa Catlett, Casey Freed, Jackie Knott, Joan Leotta, Beth Klahre, Mike McGurn, Jan Morgan-Swegle, Pat Naughton, Sarah Powell, René Tarquinio CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Melissa Catlett, Aline C. Harrell, Beth Klahre, Jan Morgan-Swegle, Mike McGurn ADVERTISING SALES (910) 754-2300 Anita Langin alangin@bsrinc.org Shelagh Clancy buzz@bsrinc.org

© 2022 Brunswick Senior Resources Inc. All rights reserved w w w.bsrinc.org

Craf ts and Laughter

With spring finally here, we feel a renewal of hope. The flowers are blooming, the days grow longer, and baby wildlife is everywhere. Happy sounds, smells, and feelings are all around. In The Brunswick Center at Southport, we also have sadness right now. We have lost a few of our members recently, but one who stands out was an esteemed instructor here at our center: Betsy Tucker.

Betsy taught card making classes at the Southport center for several years. We became fast friends through our love of humor and animals. One of the first times I met Betsy, she was accompanied by the most adorable Schnauzer, Daisy. Daisy’s owner had passed away and Betsy promised her friend that she would take care of Daisy.

This was Betsy’s nature. Always helping others. Always laughing and making others laugh. Always so full of life. Her positive attitude and unwillingness to be kept down were incomparable. She and her daughter, Ashley, joined our craft show each year and their items were always fun and popular.

Melissa Catle , Director The Brunswick Center at Southport

BETSY, con nued on page 6

BETSY, con nued from page 5

I won one of her donated items at a drawing at our craft show. It was a cheese board that said “Sweet dreams are made of cheese. Who am I to dis a Brie?” She also made other fun items, like the wine glass that said “Namaste home and drink.” Also the sign that said “Caution: Dog can’t hold his licker.” All fun things designed to make us laugh, and we did laugh. A lot.

A crafter’s crafter, Betsy could learn any craft and teach others how to do it. She made bucket potties for boats and mirrors with princess crowns on top, so you always looked ready for the red carpet. She could do it all, and she put her personal and entertaining spin on everything.

If you knew Betsy Tucker, then you know what a jewel she was. I am beyond thankful for my relationship with her, even if it was way too short. My life is better because I knew her.

She leaves behind an adoring husband, Robert, daughter Ashley, son in-law Matt, and three granddaughters, Hailey, Chloe, and Madeline. What a beautiful legacy. I miss you so much already, my dear friend. Thank you for the laughs and love. I will carry it with me always. In true Betsy fashion, I will try to make someone laugh today in her honor. Godspeed.

Shop BSRI Thrift Stores!

SHOP our BSRI thrift stores for the best selection! Two locations: 10001 Beach Dr. Calabash 5302 Main Street Shallotte SHOP ONLINE: www.bsrincthrift.org

DONATE your extra items to help senior programs and services in Brunswick County! For free pickup, call (910) 712-6458 VOLUNTEER at our thrift stores— it’s fun! Apply online at www.bsrinc.org/volunteers.html

Calabash Senior Housing Moves Forward

We know that many of you are looking forward to the development of Calabash’s newest 55+ community, so here are a few updates for you. Our developers have all required approvals and permits and are securing final contracts. With consideration for possible supply chain shortages and unforeseen delays, we are hopeful that construction will begin this spring. We are happy to announce some of our planned community amenities, including: • Walking and golf cart trails • A fully furnished clubhouse • An outdoor swimming pool • Pickleball courts • A spacious dog park At this time, we are still collecting names and contact information for anyone interested in receiving community information. We will launch our marketing campaign as soon as we break ground and these individuals will be the first to receive information about floor plans, rental rates, availability, amenities, etc. We will begin pre-leasing units and accepting security deposits soon after we launch our marketing campaign and go live with the community website. Email your contact information to BSRI’s Director of Corporate Strategy, Courtney Bledsoe, at cbledsoe@bsrinc.org, to be added to our mailing list. We are so excited to share more with you in the upcoming months, so stay tuned for more information to come. You don't want to miss out on this opportunity to live in this amazing community!

—Courtney Bledsoe

Director of Corporate Strategy

Calabash senior housing is scheduled to break ground soon. Preliminary drawing

Lend a Hand in Your Community: Volunteer

Lend a hand and have some fun! BSRI is seeking volunteers in the following areas: • Class instructors • Meal prep team in Shallotte and Leland, prepping meals that go out for Meals on

Wheels • Serving lunch in Shallotte and Leland • Meals on Wheels backup for all locations, in preparation for the summer • Photographers and writers for The Coastal Buzz • Outreach volunteers • Fundraising volunteers • Grant writing volunteers • Thrift store volunteers —Sarah Powell, Director of Community Engagement

Amazing Things Come in Small Packages

By Mike McGurn, Thrift Stores Operations Manager

Take a look at this 2-3/4" by 5-1/2" 1921 Pocket Planner published by The Cook & Swan Oil Co. in New York. This little book is packed with more information than you can imagine and provides a unique snapshot of life in America 101 years ago. It’s a treasure for history buffs and collectors of Americana.

Towards the front of the book are the many oils the company sold, that were commonly used back then. The book also includes loads of useful info like postage rates: A 1-oz. firstclass letter was only 2 cents in 1921. The book lists postal distances and times from New York City to dozens of U.S. and foreign cities and the “Shortest Routes and Time in Transit By Fastest Trains.”

There’s a table of weights and measures, a page with weather flag signals from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Weather Bureau, and a couple pages listing legal holidays in the “Various States.”

The middle of the book has over a dozen pages of full color maps of the U.S. and much of the rest of the world, including a map of “Reconstructed Europe” showing Ukraine as a separate country from Russia. The first page of maps is the Republic of Panama, showing the Panama Canal which opened in 1914.

Toward the back of the book are all previous American and National League Pennant winners, along with interest rate and stock yield tables and rules for computing interest. The book lists the population of most of the cities in the U.S. from both the 1910 and the 1920 censuses. Wilmington was just 14 spots above the last, with a population of 33,372 in 1920. Stop by and shop with us in Calabash and Shallotte soon. Both stores have just completed their Spring Changeovers and are packed with lots of great spring and summer fashions.

This small 1921 Pocket Planner published by The Cook & Swan Oil Co. packs a lot of informa on into a small space. A dozen pages of maps show life 100 years ago, including this post-World War I view of Europe.