New citizens welcomed in Southport

The 37th Annual North Carolina Fourth of July Festival is well underway in Southport, and there was plenty of activity there Friday afternoon. The Brunswick Concert Band performed and there was a booming cannon salute, but the Annual Fourth of July Naturalization Ceremony was the highlight of the day as 143 people became U.S. citizens, including one man who calls Brunswick County home. Stanley Darrell is a proud American. He's a permanent resident of the United States. He's lived in America for nearly 50 years after growing up in Bermuda, but he did not become a U.S. citizen until he took the Oath of Citizenship Friday afternoon in Southport. "This is a real big day. It's been a long time coming,” Stanley Darrell said. His daughter and granddaughter made a thousand mile trip just to attend. "It's not something he talked about a lot. I'm just happy that he made the decision and that he passed the test," said Jacquelene Jackson, Darrell’s daughter. The new citizens represent 53 countries. Many of the new citizens, 30, are from India while 14 are originally from Mexico. Only one is a native of Bermuda, and that's Brunswick County's Stanley Darrell. Darrell is retired now. He's 70 years old, but he's an active singer. In fact, he's a member of the Brunswick County Community Choir. On Friday, he was fortunate enough to sing at his own citizenship ceremony.