All Things Leland

Was pleased to re-connect with Mike Kozlosky the Executive Director of the Wilmington Urban Area Planning Organization to catch up on a number of subject matters.

We spent a good deal of time talking about the replacement of the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge and the challenge of obtaining federal and state funding for transportation projects in the region.

It was my pleasure to reconnect with Deb Mansir, the President of the North Brunswick Newcomers Club, to talk about their plans for the Fall into the Spring months ahead. The Club takes off for the months of July and August.

The Club’s first meeting of the new season will be held on Friday, September 4 at the Leland Cultural Arts Center.

The North Brunswick Newcomers Club (NBNC) is a social club for adults living in Brunswick County. Meetings typically are the second Friday of each month from September through May. There is a special event that is held in June with no meeting in July or August.

They meet at the Leland Cultural Arts Center (LCAC) located at 1212 Magnolia Village Way in Leland. Meetings typically feature 2 speakers who focus on familiarizing members with area culture, history, lifestyle, volunteer opportunities, special local programs, and topics of general interest.

Annual dues are $40 per household for up to two persons. Membership eligibility is indefinite (with paid dues); rejoining after a lapse is allowed.

Many of us know Bill McHugh as a husband, dad, community advocate and former member of the Town Council, but we can now add author to his list of accomplishments.

Bill has written an ABC book that introduces kids (and maybe a few adults!) to local government in a fun, approachable way.

As of July 31, it is the #1 Best Selling Children’s Citizenship Book on Amazon!

As a four-year member of the Leland Town Council he realized it was a topic not frequently discussed at a young age. As such he as created something that helps children understand the people and processes that keep their communities running and plant the seed for a potential important and rewarding career path.

Pleased to share my conversation with George Willoughby who is a reporter for the North Brunswick News. You can reach George at the following email address: [email protected] pleased to talk about a number of local items including:- Cape Fear Memorial Bridge- Opening of Founders Park- E-Bike Rules- Leland Annexation Authority- Ask North Brunswick News TopicsYou can subscribe to this podcast/blog at https://www.allthingsleland.com/#lelandnc #leland #brunswickcountync

Pleased to share a conversation we had with Leland Council Member Veronica Carter and Brayton Willis (retired after 40+ years of service with the Army Corps of Engineers) regarding the replacement of the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge and the debate as to how to fund it. Council Member Carter serves as an Alternate Member on the Wilmington Metropolitan Planning Organization and was the sponsor of the resolution unanimously adopted by the Town Council OPPOSING proposed tolls to finance the replacement of the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge.Please consider subscribing to this podcast/blog:

https://www.allthingsleland.com/

#capefear #capefearmemorialbridge #notolls #lelandnc #brunswickcountync #NewHanoverCounty #PenderCounty #wilmingtonnc

Atrium Health has submitted a proposal to the State of North Carolina to construct 42 new acute care beds in New Hanover County to serve the region. I am pleased to share their press release on the proposal.

We were pleased to interview Steve Smoot, EVP and president of the North Carolina and Georgia division at Advocate Health about the application. Advocate Health works in partnership with Atrium Health.

#Healthcare #AtriumHealth #CapeFearRegion

Pleased to share our conversation with Laurie Whalin, President of Novant Health Coastal Region, regarding their application for 225-new hospital beds in New Hanover County to serve the region. You can read their press release on the application here: https://www.novanthealth.org/newsroom/releases-20260615

The public comment period for this and other applications to bring more hospital beds and services to the region is now open. Comments must be received by 5PM on July 31 and can be email to [email protected].

There will be a public hearing scheduled in August.

#lelandnc #novanthealth #brunswickcountync #healthcare #capefear

As someone who has had family members successfully participate in future teacher programs in another locality, I was pleased to have a conversation with Ms. Jennie Bryan who leads the Brunswick County Schools’ Teacher Scholar Academy to increase the number of homegrown teachers. The four High Schools in the County send students to the Academy. In addition to the Academy, there is a locally funded scholarship program: for every $2,500 in support, the recipient commits to teaching in Brunswick County for one year. Current applications are closed. The new window opens in January 2027.The program has also recently launched an Early Childhood Education I course. Students who successfully complete 120 internship hours in a local childcare or PreK program qualify for the NC Early Childhood Credential, which is required for all lead teachers in childcare centers.By way of background, Ms. Bryan started her career as a High School social studies teacher. She was named Brunswick County Teacher of the Year in 2020, Southeastern Regional Teacher of the Year in 2021 and COAST Teacher of the Year in 2026. We are happy to share our conversation with Jennie about this innovative program. You can learn more about the program here: https://sites.google.com/bcswan.net/teacherscholars#brunswickcountync #Brunswickcountyschools #Leland #education #teachers

The mission of the Brunswick County Literacy Council is to advance social and economic opportunities for underserved adults 16 and older by identifying, developing, promoting, and delivering literacy and other academic programming.A study released in 2020 by the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy and Gallup examined the impact of adult literacy on the U.S. economy, finding that the nation could be losing up to $2.2 trillion annually due to low adult literacy rates. 17% of adults living in Brunswick County lack basic literacy skills.We were pleased to interview Melissa Warren, Executive Director, regarding the wide range of programs offered the Council including:- Basic Adult Literacy- GED Assistance- English for Speakers of Other Languages- Work Skills- Financial Literacy- CitizenshipYou can learn more about the Council here: https://bcliteracy.org/

It's been a long time since I delivered the Long Island Press as a kid, and the delivery of news has changed dramatically since then—24-hour news cycles, social media, the decline of long-standing newspaper outlets, and the rise of digital media.

I am pleased to be able to have a conversation with George Willoughby a reporter for the North Brunswick News. North Brunswick News is a local reporting initiative from the team behind The News Reporter, a family-owned community newspaper that has served Columbus County since 1896. You can reach George at the following email address: [email protected].

It is my hope to make this a weekly or bi-weekly feature to talk about the issues he is reporting on in the northern portion of the County. You can sign up for updates either by email or by text message.

You can learn more and sign up for the newsletter on their website: https://www.nrcolumbus.com/northbrunswicknews/

#NorthBrunswickCountyNews #lelandnc #media