Brunswick's patriotic city and new projects in the works

Hello and welcome to the Brunswick Today newsletter brought to you by me, StarNews reporter Jamey Cross.

I've recently developed an affinity for North Carolina festivals, and I love that so many state festivals are held in the Wilmington area. From the North Carolina Blueberry Festival in Burgaw to the North Carolina Azalea Festival in Wilmington, it's so fun to celebrate the unique features of our state.

I love that the state's Fourth of July celebration is held in Southport. The historic charm and water views embody North Carolina and the city feels quintessentially American.

I attended this year's festival for the first time to cover the annual naturalization ceremony. If you were born in America and have never been to a naturalization ceremony, I cannot recommend it enough. Last week's was my first, and it was a truly moving and humbling experience to watch over a hundred people from dozens of different countries celebrate the realization of their dream to become a citizen of this nation.

Here's my coverage of the event. If you missed the festival all together, here are some photos from the parade, arguably the festival's most popular event.

Thanks for starting your week with us. Here's the latest in Brunswick County news.

Here we grow again

An alternative to the (now tabled) baseball stadium project? A grassroots group of just 14 people in Leland are behind a conceptual proposal for Leland Central Park, a multi-purpose park that would serve as an alternative, smaller version of previously proposed entertainment and commercial options for Leland. Here is the latest on the effort.

A development looking to bring a mix of single-family homes, townhomes, apartments, senior apartments and build-to-rent homes was approved near Sunset Beach. Here are the details on the proposal.

The replacement of the Calabash River Bridge is well underway. Here's the latest on the project, plus the new technology the replacement bridge will feature.

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