7 minute read
Letter from Supply
A B O U T T H E C O V E R
Cover photo by Kermit Cox Carolina jessamine is one of our first spring flowers, vining its way over fences and into tall trees at its earliest convenience. Cover photographer Kermit Cox, former photography instructor at the Brunswick Center at Southport, caught this spring beauty climbing a fence.
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 Jillian Hardin, Beth Klahre, Mike McGurn, Donna Ruth Morgan, Jan Morgan-Swegle, Melissa Starr, Pat Naughton, René Tarquinio CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Melissa Catlett, Jillian Hardin, Beth Klahre, Jan Morgan-Swegle, Veronica Lett-McGee, Mike McGurn, Holley Norris, Amy Segen ADVERTISING SALES (910) 754-2300 Anita Langin alangin@bsrinc.org Shelagh Clancy buzz@bsrinc.org
© 2022 Brunswick Senior Resources Inc. All rights reserved www.bsrinc.org
The Greening of Spring
“Spring is the time of plans and projects.” –Leo Tolstoy
I’m excited and grateful for the coming of March. It has always meant that spring and all of its beauty is on its way.
Oh, yes, of course there is still the yellow-green coating of pine pollen to sneeze our way through but I absolutely love seeing what I call the “greening of spring.” You may or may not have noticed it happening, but it’s the small grouping of days where warm weather creates nature’s decision to throw off winter’s cloak and push those green buds out of the tree branches, giving them a bright green aura. From there, spring is coming, and we flock like lemmings to the local garden centers and nurseries for our spring plantings.
Raised Bed Beauty
If you have the urge to put your hands in the dirt or see things grow and thrive in soil, come check out the raised bed gardens that are waiting for your touch at several of the Coastal Living centers. Our gardens have been designed to make it easier to plant, grow, and harvest. They were built with the support of community partners like the Brunswick Wellness Coalition, N.C. Cooperative Extension, and local master gardeners, along with input from participants and center staff.
These gardens are part of our ongoing commitment to healthy eating and living as we age. We plan to offer gardening classes where you can learn about vegetables and flowering plants, square foot or small space gardens, and herbs, as well as methods of preserving and cooking your harvest. Your partnership with us in this venture will inspire the topics that we will explore together.
Melissa Starr, Director The Brunswick Center at Supply
Meet the Master Gardener
At Supply, our first 2022 Garden Club meeting features local master gardener Pam Duncan discussing “Ready, Set, Grow” at 10 a.m. Tuesday, March 15. Pam has logged countless hours in our garden over the past two years committing herself to its success. She has planted, weeded, watered, and harvested vegetables for our center participants throughout this past year. We are grateful for her help and support each season.
Now, we are looking for you
GREENING, con nued from page 5 and others to join in planning and caring for the garden. We need to decide the garden’s future. Will it be individually divided or shared garden beds? Will it be for those who love to garden, growing for themselves or others, to enjoy the fruits of their labor, like a community garden and farmers market?
We have much to discuss and decide and want you to be a part of that process. The growing season is upon us.
Audrey Hepburn said it best: “To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow.” We want to be a part of those tomorrows. I hope to see you soon in the center and our garden.
Shop BSRI Thrift Stores!
Photo by Jillian Hardin Master Gardener Volunteer Pam Duncan has logged countless hours in the Supply center’s garden during the past two years. She will speak at Supply’s first 2022 Garden Club mee ng , on “Ready, Set, Grow,” at 10 a.m. Tuesday, March 15. 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
Diabetes Education and Medication Assistance
Want to learn how to obtain your Apidra, Humalog, Novolog, Lantus, Levemir, Toujeo and metformin low cost to FREE? Want to learn how to have more energy and better sense of well-being? Please join Marilou Smith with Brunswick Senior Resources, Inc. and Leigh Lane with the Brunswick Wellness Coalition, on the dates listed below at your local Senior Center:
Calabash 03/10/22 at 12:15 p.m. Leland 03/03/22 at 12:00 p.m. Shallotte 03/11/22 at 12:00 p.m. Supply 03/14/22 at 12:00 p.m. Southport 03/17/22 at 12:00 p.m.
GET YOUR TAXES DONE FOR FREE
Tax-Aide will be available this year at locations throughout Brunswick County with IRS-certified volunteers available to make sure you understand the latest changes and additions to the tax code. Covid-19 precautions require that all appointments be scheduled in advance. Walk-in appointments cannot be taken so please reserve an appointment by calling the location of your choice. Appointments cannot be made
through BSRI senior centers.
Calabash
Leland
Shallotte/ Supply Southport
Southwest Brunswick Branch Library 9400 Ocean Hwy W., Carolina Shores (910)575-0173 Appointments must be made in person Mon-Fri 9a.m.-6p.m. Service available Feb 2- April 15
New Hanover County Main Library New Hanover County Senior Resource Center 201 Chestnut St., Wilmington (910)796-7341 Call for an appointment. Service available Feb 1 – April 14
2222 S. College Rd., Wilmington (910)796-6416 Call for an appointment or schedule online at https:// src.nhcgov.com/vita-taxinformation/ Service Available Jan 31 – April 15
Rourk Library 5068 Main St., Shallotte (910)754-6578 Call for an appointment. Service available Feb 1- April 15
The Brunswick Center at Southport 1513 N. Howe St., Ste 1, Southport (910)477-3131 Call for an appointment. Service available Feb1 – April 15
BSRI Thrift Store Employee Weds Childhood Friend
By Mike McGurn Thrift Store Operations Manager
Get ready for a wonderful story of love, fate, reconnection—and maybe even a little divine intervention.
Last year, two Shallotte High School Class of ’57 alums met and reconnected at Jennies Branch Baptist Church in Shallotte after many years far apart, growing their own separate families, leading successful careers, retiring, and eventually being widowed.
Loretta Todd (née Hewett) and Gene Edwards have known each other since attending the first and second grade together at the Waccamaw School in Ash. But then Gene moved to Shallotte and they didn’t attend class together until 8th grade, when the school district rezoned and sent Loretta to school in Shallotte. They went on to attend Shallotte High School and graduated together before going their separate ways. While in school, they never dated, although Gene admits to having a crush on Loretta back then.
Gene served 23 year in the U.S. Air Force, managed a Bonanza restaurant as well as his own business in the Fayetteville area, and had five boys. Enough for his own basketball team!
Loretta stayed in the Shallotte area, married, and had a beautiful family of her own. She worked at the BB&T Bank in Shallotte for 10 years and later at the Calabash EMS Thrift Store which became the BSRI Thrift Store in 2015. She worked in Calabash for four years before transferring to our Shallotte store when it opened in 2019. She retired a year later, but still helps us out with jewelry repair and upholstery repair.
After not having seen each other since high school, they met and got reacquainted last year while attending church at Jennies Branch Baptist, perhaps due in part to a little divine intervention. Their affection grew: Apparently Gene still had a crush on Loretta. They fell in love and were married on Jan. 16 at Jennies Branch Baptist Church.
The wedding took place on a cold and rainy day, but was well attended by friends and family. Also in attendance were Loretta’s BSRI Thrift Store colleagues Lois Little, Judy McCarthy, Jack and Charlotte Csernecky, along with Mike and Dorrie McGurn. It was a beautiful wedding worthy of the long journey that they took through life to end up back together in each other’s arms.
Two childhood friends a ended the Waccamaw School together, as shown in their 2nd grade class photo. Lore a Hewe Todd is the first one on the le# in the front row and Gene Edwards is the first one on the le# in the second row. Right behind her! Close back then and even closer now! Congratula ons and all the best to Lore a and Gene!
