Wayne Week — Feb. 18, 2024

N E W OL D NORT H M E DI A PR E SE N T S A W E E K LY N E WS M AG A Z I N E

F E BU R A RY 18, 2 024

N E WOL DNORT H .C OM

ALSO INSIDE

Wayne

Coram’s lawsuit thrown out / p. 4

WEEK

NEWS Salmon out as City Manager / p. 8

CLIPPED WING? Local leaders say it’s time to fight back after community was “blindsided” by news of cuts coming to 4th Fighter Wing. / by KEN FINE p. 16

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. Wayne WEEK . newoldnorth.com

FEBURARY 18, 2024 Volume 1, Issue 27

CONTENTS 4 Judge tosses Coram’s lawsuit

against County Commissioners

NEWOLDNORTH .CO M

U.S District Court Judge throws out Register of Deeds’ complaint because she failed to state a claim.

EDITORIAL EDITOR Ken Fine EDITOR Renee Carey

4 Goldsboro Police Department finally gets its raise

DESIGN DIRECTOR Shan Stumpf

After months of delays, the Goldsboro City Council approves a pay increase GPD chief says will help him make his depleted force whole again.

PHOTOGRAPHY DIRECTOR Casey Mozingo

ADVERTISING ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Lara Landers ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Hallie Hulse Evans

PUBLISHER

New Old North Media LLC

CONTACTS EDITORS

kfine@newoldnorth.com rcarey@newoldnorth.com

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OFFICE

8

Salmon out as City Manager

The city has agreed to pay him more than $100,000 as part of a “mutual” parting of zways.

10 Primary Election Preview

Two people are vying for the Republican slot on the November ballot for District Court Judge.

16 Cover story

Local leaders say it is time to unite and fight back after they were “blindsided” by news that the 4th Fighter Wing was losing a squadron and changing its mission.

20 Spectator

Senior Night was a success in Pikeville as the Charles B. Aycock girls’ and boys’ varsity basketball teams earned wins against Smithfield-Selma.

219 N. John Street Goldsboro, N.C. 27530 919-648-9905 © 2024 NEW OLD NORTH MEDIA LLC All rights reserved. Material may not be reproduced without permission.

COVER: PHOTO COURTESY OF THE UNITED STATES AIR FORCE

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. Wayne WEEK . 3

NEWS +VIEWS GPD SALARIES INCREASED, AT LAST

After months of delays, the Goldsboro City Council approves pay raises police chief says will help him make depleted force whole again.

Constance Coram

Coram’s lawsuit dismissed U.S. District Court Judge tosses Register of Deeds’ grievance because she ‘failed to state a claim.’

B Y R E N E E C A R E Y / Wayne County

A

federal judge dismissed on Monday a lawsuit filed by Wayne County Register of Deeds Constance Coram alleging she was being discriminated against by the Board of Commissioners because she is a black woman.

Coram, through Civil Rights attorney Alan McSurely, claimed the board committed “tortious acts” against her, and demanded two sets of compensatory damages — each “in excess of $25,000” — and asked the court to order the commissioners to enroll “all managerial employees in appropriate anti-racism courses provided by the U.S. Department of Justice and the UNC School of Government.”

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She also asked that the county provide her with a year of travel pay to work with a veteran Register of Deeds and the UNC School of Government “on an anti-racism curriculum for North Carolina counties who have similar histories of slavery and Jim Crow.”

The following allegations were made by Coram in the filing: • She is the first African American woman elected to this “historic position that was selffunded during Wayne County’s long night of chattel slavery and Jim Crow.”

• The Wayne County government and its agents Continued 0n page 6

Members of the Goldsboro City Council delivered on what was, for many of them, a cornerstone of their 2023 campaigns, by voting to increase the salaries of the men and women serving in the city’s Police Department.

The move officially adopted what has been known, since last summer, as “Plan A” — the raise recommended

by GPD Chief Mike West to ensure he could compete with neighboring departments to make whole what has become a depleted and exhausted force amid a dramatic increase in gun violence across the city.

The previous council declined to approve Plan A in favor of a smaller increase that did not prevent more officers from defecting to other communities — leaving the GPD with fewer than 80 officers and without a fully-staffed gang prevention unit, selective housing unit, or vice squad.

Instead, West’s officers were, primarily, working patrol — unable to complete the preventative measures they said kept guns and drugs off the streets and violent crime at bay.

Many of those running for seats on the council stressed that they were not satisfied with the defeat of Plan A and vowed to pass it if elected.

Then, after gun violence data that reflected a jarring number of shots fired incidents and rounds fired in Goldsboro — each representing a nearly 50-percent increase from 2022 — was published in the Jan. 7 edition of Wayne Week, the men and women elected to the board in November went on the record saying they were working toward the goal of getting the pay

package across the finish line.

The community, however, lost its patience after a series of headlines — a 17-year-old shot to death on Hugh Street; a corpse found on Sunburst Drive; a group of teenagers engaging in a shootout inside Berkeley Mall.

And when the council voted to delay its decision on Plan A until its Feb. 12 meeting, officers sounded off — one telling Wayne Week they were “disgusted” by what they perceived as a lack of urgency and wanted the board to give the GPD a chance to take the fight to those in the city who were making local residents scared to go out in public.

“It kind of feels like a lot of these people got elected because they said they had our backs and it’s been what, six weeks or something since they were sworn in, and nothing,” the officer said. “Every meeting it’s, ‘We’re doing it the next meeting.’ I don’t want to say I’m done, but I’ve definitely lost faith.”

District 2 Councilman Chris Boyette, a former lawman who has banged the drum loudly for the GPD since before he was elected, hopes that now that the vote to adopt Plan A has been recorded, their faith has been restored — and order in the city will soon be, too.

“I’m beyond excited that we’re finally able to get this done, as I’ve been advocating for this from the beginning as Priority One,” he said. “As a former law enforcement officer, I look forward to law and order being restored in our community and making our residents feel safe again as our department is staffed back up.” – Ken Fine

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Continued from page 4

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. Wayne WEEK . newoldnorth.com

have prevented Coram from being assigned “the most experienced professional and experienced Assistant Register of Deeds who, according to applicable N.C. General Statutes are to provide her mentoring.”

• Coram wants to “set up offices at churches of color, where Wayne County citizens of color might feel more comfortable to avail themselves of all the services provided by the Recorder of Deeds.”

• Coram claims she is in the “best position to know when people are discriminating against her” and said the “intolerable conditions” the commissioners have subjected her to were clearly discriminatory.

• Coram has “suffered extreme emotional distress, causing her to seek professional help” and has “lost trust in many people she has known and worked with.”

• Her lawsuit alleges “intentional infliction of emotional distress.”

• Coram said the fact that she ran for elected office three times set an example for “other blacks to get engaged in the electoral system” and that the county government “has punished her for winning this traditional white male position” — that “this cause of action meets the framework of Section 2 of the Enforcement Act of 1871 (Ku Klux Klan Act 42 USC sect 1985(3), which prohibits two or more persons from conspiring to use ‘force, intimidation, or threat’ to deprive a person of equal protection, to hinder state officials in securing equal protection for others, or to prevent voters from engaging in lawful activity related to voting in federal elections.”

Commissioners asked a judge Sept.

28 to throw out the lawsuit — arguing, among other things, that the complaint contains “no factual allegations” against any of them.

“In fact, none of the named Defendants are mentioned at all in the body of Plaintiff’s Complaint,” the brief in support of the motion to dismiss read.

Through their attorney, James R. Morgan Jr., the commissioners broke down the complaint to compel the court to toss the lawsuit.

“To survive a motion to dismiss, a plain-

tiff’s complaint must allege ‘more than an unadorned, the defendant-unlawfullyharmed-me accusation,’” the brief read, before laying out the following arguments that Coram failed to substantiate: • Coram mentions “alleged discriminatory torts,” but “does not actually list any discriminatory torts or give any facts relating to alleged discriminatory torts.”

• Coram alleges, “without factual elaboration,” that “Wayne County government and its [unnamed] agents prevented (her) from being assigned the most experienced professional and experienced Assistant Register of Deeds.”

• Coram, “without factual elaboration or support,” alleges that “she is in the best position to know when people are discriminating against her.”

• Coram alleges, “without factual elaboration or support,” that “unspecified defendants had created unspecified ‘intolerable conditions.’”

• Coram made what the commissioners characterized as “naked assertions,” including that she allegedly “suffered extreme emotional distress, causing her to seek professional help, and has lost trust in many people she has known and worked with.”

• Coram claims that the lawsuit “meets the framework of (U.S. Code) which prohibits two or more persons from conspiring to use ‘force, intimidation, or threat’ to deprive a person of equal protection,” but, according to the commissioners, there “are no factual allegations” in the complaint “stating that any named Defendant” did so.

• Coram asserts that she is “suing for ‘defamation’ and ‘intentional infliction of emotional distress,’” but “does not plead facts showing that any Defendant made any defamatory statement or that any Defendant took any action that caused any emotional distress to Plaintiff.

It seems U.S. District Judge Terrence Boyle agreed.

“Plaintiff’s complaint … contains only conclusory allegations which fail to plausibly allege that any named defendant is liable for any misconduct,” his ruling reads.

“Accordingly, the complaint is appropriately dismissed.”

Coram is currently running for re-election. n

“Plaintiff's complaint contains only conclusory allegations which fail to plausibly allege that any named defendant is liable for any misconduct. ”

newoldnorth.com

. Wayne WEEK . 7

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Goldsboro City Council promotes Assistant City Manager Matthew Livingston to lead City Hall on an interim basis as search for permanent replacement begins.

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. Wayne WEEK . newoldnorth.com

oldsboro parted ways with City Manager Tim Salmon Monday evening in what was characterized by Mayor Charles Gaylor as a “mutual” agreement that was discussed and signed off on during a marathon closed session held at the tail end of the City Council’s first meeting of the month.

And the details of that agreement, which were obtained by Wayne Week in response to a records request, show that Salmon will receive more than $106,000 in severance pay and an additional $21,144.46 in accrued paid vacation to secure his exit. (It is worth noting that Salmon has a week to back out of the agreement, but there is currently no indication that he will do so.)

Assistant City Manager Matthew Livingston has been promoted, on an interim basis, to fill the void while the city begins its search for a new leader.

Salmon’s tenure was plagued by the resignation of department heads — a half-dozen left City Hall within his first two years as their boss — and a series of late audits that culminated in the excoriation of Goldsboro leaders by State Treasurer Dale Folwell, who ordered the Office of the State Auditor to complete a thorough deepdive into the city’s finances.

The city’s inability to complete its financial reporting duties in a timely manner also resulted in one of the nation’s leading bond credit rating agencies withdrawing its rating on Goldsboro’s General Obligation Bonds and General Obligation Street Improvement Bonds due to “insufficient information,” a deficiency characterized by Folwell as a “serious matter” that he described as “a reflection on the quality of both governing board oversight and management practices of the city.”

Salmon responded to the news by saying he wasn’t concerned about the city’s

inability to borrow money because “we’re not asking for any new debt right now,” and added he interpreted communications from the state as a warning about ensuring future audits were submitted on time — not the fact that the 2018-19 audit was more than a year late.

To date, Goldsboro is still not caught up, as its 2022-23 audit is already several months overdue, leaving the city at risk of incurring financial penalties recently approved by the North Carolina General Assembly.

As for the investigation ordered by Folwell, revelations from auditors’ preliminary findings that were sent to City Hall Jan. 12 have been published in previous editions of Wayne Week, including that Salmon was given what the state characterized as an “undocumented” water Tim Salmon bill credit they said had the potential to “erode” the public’s trust in its local government.

Salmon was supposed to submit the city’s official response to the state’s six findings — which included everything from more than 100 missing vehicles and undocumented water bill credits allegedly given to elected officials and city employees to tens of thousands of dollars in purchases made with government credit cards auditors said were not justified by required supporting documentation or approvals — by Jan. 26, but had to ask for an extension.

None of that was mentioned after the city signed off on its “mutual” parting of ways with Salmon.

Instead, Gaylor released a statement on his Facebook page “personally” thanking the former manager for leading the city “through turbulent times,” being willing to make “difficult, sometimes unpopular, but necessary decisions,” and pushing “his people to be better than they were.” n

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ELECTION

E

arly voting has begun for those who plan to cast a ballot in this year’s Primary Election and, as promised, we will ensure you have met all the local candidates by March 5, the day the final votes are made and tallied.

We will remind you — again — that every single ballot really could determine the outcome of these contests.

Just look at what happened in the Goldsboro and Mount Olive mayoral races in November, where a handful of people who decided to stay home might very well have changed the course of their communities for the next four years.

This time around, the chance to represent one’s party for the opportunity to compete for a seat on the Wayne County Board of Commissioners and Wayne County Board of Education are at stake — posts that will be critical as local leaders rally to find a way to convince military brass that the home of Seymour Johnson Air Force Base is worth investing in.

In other words, these contests might seem “small,” but whom we choose to make the decisions that will shape Wayne County in the coming years could help determine our future in a very big way.

So, we urge you to think carefully as you read the stories shared by those who took the time to answer questions.

This week, you will meet the people running for District Court Judge, and in our Feb. 25 edition, we will wrap our Primary preview up with those vying for spots on the Board of Education.

We hope that after hearing their stories, you will be compelled to take to the polls.

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ELECTION 2024 NORTH CAROLINA 8 th JUDICIAL DISTRICT

A

s a teenager, he wasn’t particularly motivated.

He didn’t get his high school diploma on time.

In fact, John Henry Hunter III describes his younger self as a student who had lost his way.

But while he was working at a pizza shop, something clicked — and the drive he had been missing kicked in.

And from the moment he decided to get his adult high school diploma, his life began to change.

One day, his teacher at Durham Technical Community College, Daryl Kennedy, asked him to stay after class.

“He told me that I was going down the wrong path, and he became a mentor to me,” Hunter said.

And that little extra push was all he needed.

With Kennedy’s encouragement, Hunter got his high school diploma and then his associate degree.

“He introduced me to doctors, lawyers and people of accomplishment,” Hunter said. “It made an impression on me.”

Inspired, he continued his education at North Carolina Central University, getting his bachelor’s degree in 2008 — with a 3.958 grade point average — and then his juris doctorate in 2012.

After graduation, he was working with a data protection company and made a visit to Goldsboro. While walking down the street, he saw someone he recognized from law school, local attorney Tonya Barber, who was preparing to move to the Wayne County District Attorney’s Office.

“She asked me if I wanted her office,” Hunter said.

The rest is history.

Hunter credits his own path as a young man as part of the reason he is particularly suited to sit on the bench as he pursues his party’s nomination for District Court Judge.

As an attorney, he prides himself on seeing all sides of a case — listening intently to the facts and then fighting to argue that the law is applied fairly.

“Lots of these people were doing the same things I was doing,” he said. “I could have been a lot worse off without my mentor. There’s a satisfaction I get now from helping people, especially those who don’t have a voice or who do not know what to say.”

John Henry Hunter III

“I would rather

see you get the help than to see you again.”

A practicing attorney for now more than 20 years, Hunter said he understands the difference a court’s decision can make on someone’s life.

He said over his years in court as a defense attorney, he has been a keen observer of practices in courtrooms across the state.

“I see a lot of things,” he said.

Some counties, he said, have better practices, while others have worse, Hunter said.

And he thinks he can use those observations to be a better jurist.

What most people don’t understand, he said, is that only 20 percent of the cases that come before the District Court are criminal in nature.

“The vast majority are civil,” he said.

He said in many cases, he has observed

people who simply do not present themselves well, who do not have the knowledge or the speaking skills to stand up for themselves in court — and, Hunter said, that affects the results they get in these cases, which often involve family matters like custody, child support, and some juvenile offenses.

“I chose this race because I have seen some inconsistencies,” he said. “Some heavyhandedness when it was not necessary.”

And some of those inconsistencies, he said, have been in cases involving minorities, the poor, or those who simply do not have the resources of other defendants.

“In the justice system, everybody is supposed to be equal,” he said. “But I do see disparities in sentencing.”

Hunter said as a defense attorney, his ability to change the outcomes for his clients was limited.

Now, he wants to have a bigger impact.

But that doesn’t mean excusing bad behavior, he said. It is about getting real, common-sense justice for as many people as possible, while keeping those who are habitual lawbreakers off the streets.

He is particularly concerned about the rise in gun violence in the community.

“We do not exercise the laws we have on the books,” Hunter said. “Gun crimes are a public health problem.”

But there is also a place for compassion.

He once defended a youth, he said, who was in court for having a BB gun in his car at school.

Knowing that distinction is important — the difference, Hunter said, between justice and injustice.

Fairness in the application of the laws and looking for ways to keep people out of the courts, while making sure there are appropriate penalties for those who deserve them, will be Hunter’s priorities as a judge, he said.

He considers the chance to serve his community as a judge an honor and his chance to pay it forward.

“I am at a point in my life where I owe everything I have to the support of strangers and my parents, who gave me a good start,” he said. “I want to give back. It makes me happy to help other people.”

And he does.

Hunter is a regular volunteer at the veterans’ law clinic, and still works in neighborhoods and with young people — trying to be a mentor like the one who changed his life.

He intends to take the lessons he has learned to the bench if he is chosen to become a district court judge, and he is prepared to continue the learning, observation and self-examination he says have made him an effective attorney and will make him a responsive and fair judge.

“I think there is a real need for discretion in sentencing,” he said. “I would rather see you get the help you need than to see you again. You have to be able to see beyond to the person. I feel I can relate a little more to the people who come before me. At the end of the day, I am judging your action and not the person.”n newoldnorth.com

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ELECTION 2024 NORTH CAROLINA 8 th JUDICIAL DISTRICT

J

udge Annette Turik’s family and friends knew what she should do for a career when she was in the third grade.

“I wanted to be a lawyer,” she said. “I always stood up for what I believed in and argued for it.”

But making that dream a reality wasn’t easy.

Her family couldn’t afford to send her to college, so Turik got to work.

“I figured out a way to make it happen,” she said.

She became a paralegal, working by day and taking college courses at night.

And she earned a degree.

Turik continued working full-time through law school, earning her juris doctorate.

“I was 32 years old when I graduated from law school,” she said.

The hard work did not stop there.

“When I became a lawyer, the law was my passion,” Turik said. “I had this drive. I wanted to help my clients.”

So, she continued her education, in and out of court.

“As a lawyer, I would watch the judges — listening and learning,” she said. “I would be sitting in court and thinking how tough it was to make those decisions.”

As her career progressed, Turik started to think about not only the arguments she was making in court, but also the application of justice.

“I found myself thinking, ‘This is the decision that I would make,’” she said.

Those thoughts led to another career shift.

“I knew as a judge I would have greater ability to find the best solution for both sides,” she said.

That’s when Turik decided to put her hat into the ring for a seat on the District Court.

After 20 years in private practice, and six years as a sitting judge, Turik said she has learned something important about the responsibility of that seat.

“You have to be a good listener. That’s what people want, to be heard,” she said. “I am able to help and to make reasonable decisions.”

Turik said the District Court deals with many “real-life” disputes among family members as well as other civil proceedings — the vast majority of the issues that come before the court.

“It is not easy,” she said. “I appreciate that the decisions I make have a significant effect 12

. Wayne WEEK . newoldnorth.com

Annette Turik

“You have to be a good listener. That is what people want, to be heard.”

on people’s lives.”

And that means knowing as a judge when it is time to look more deeply into the arguments — and the law.

“Sometimes you have to take more time to stop and to research,” she said. “You want to make sure you make the best decision in the case.”

Being a sitting judge carries with it some ethical obligations, Turik added. She doesn’t get involved in political discussions or battles within her own party — even though the race she is running is partisan, and she has a

Republican challenger this time around.

So, she doesn’t share opinions about the state of justice in Washington or make public comments about other controversial national questions.

“I always try to explain to folks that judges cannot get involved in those kind of discussions,” she said.

Turik is primarily concerned, she said, about taking care of the fair and just administration of justice in her courtroom.

“I don’t make the laws, and I don’t change the laws,” she said. “My job is to make sure

that law is applied fairly.”

District Court has a direct impact on the lives of the people who come before her, Turik said, an immense responsibility that she is very aware of every time she hears a case.

“I am in the trenches,” she said. “I am trying to decide whom a child is going to go with and other important issues that affect families. I keep that in mind. People think we do speeding tickets and people who steal from Walmart. But we do a lot more than that.”

And taking her oath seriously is so important that Turik is careful.

She understands the importance of campaigning with those ethical guidelines in mind.

“I can’t promise you anything,” she said. “All I can promise you is that I will be impartial and fair.”

But she asks voters to do their homework.

“I think it is very important to do your research and find out who you are voting for,” she said.

Turik suggested that voters can ask around the courthouse, and among people who work in the judicial system to get a picture of any sitting judge or attorney.

Those evaluations, she said, can help them make an informed decision.

“You may or may not find out you have chosen the best candidate,” she said.

Turik says her experience on the bench and beyond make her the best choice for the District Court seat.

“I have practiced in every area covered by the district court,” she said. “I believe I have the most experience and am very well versed in the law.”

And Turik has continued her education as well, she said, taking advantage of judicial training and other opportunities to help make her a better jurist.

“I am up to date on the law and the changes in the law,” she said. “I work really hard to make sure I have all the information I need to make the right decision.”

That is part, she said, of living up to the oath she took when she became a judge.

“I take that oath and the responsibility that goes along with it very, very seriously,” she said.

And she is grateful to all those who have supported her now and in the past.

“It has been my honor to serve,” Turik said.

“I hope voters will trust me again.”n

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. Wayne WEEK . 13

{ our TAKE }

MISSED SIGNALS

ILLUSTRATION BY SHAN STUMPF

W

e should be using this space to talk about the most important issue facing this community — the recent announcement of major changes at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, how it happened, and what we are going to do about it.

And we will, because that is what an organization that has the best interest of the community at heart does.

But before we do, we have to waste a little time.

And that’s because Goldsboro’s new mayor decided that instead of shutting down what can only be described as a temper tantrum by a City Council member — specifically Mayor Pro Tem Brandi Matthews — he instead reinforced it and used it to scold city employees and his fellow council members, and by proxy, Wayne Week, about the damage caused by the “leaks” that outed the findings of the state’s preliminary audit.

So, he let her self-righteously call out “fake news” about her water bill and infer, once 14

. Wayne WEEK . newoldnorth.com

again, that she faces an uphill battle and undue criticism because of her race and sex.

The problem is, Matthews knows — as does every single council member who was in that room, including the mayor — that what we printed was not only carefully researched and backed up by numerous sources, but was absolutely true.

Matthews’ characterization of what we reported was not accurate and her accusations — and threats online ordering us to stop “speaking, writing, or mentioning” her “in any capacity” — were irresponsible and libellous.

By the way, for the record, Matthews did get a water credit. Two of them, actually.

She admitted it — publicly — at that City Council meeting.

Perhaps she should reread our story. That is literally all we said — that the city finance director named her as an elected official state auditors said received a utility bill adjustment.

And if it was innocent, which we have no reason to think it wasn’t, she could have said so.

We gave her that opportunity.

She could have said that she was stunned her name was even mentioned by Finance Director Catherine Gwynn.

She could have presented the water bills she waved around at Monday’s City Council meeting as “proof” of her claim that she did not get a credit while she was a sitting council member and trusted us — you know, the newspaper that endorsed her a few months ago — to present her side of the story.

And she could also have raised the questions that so many people want to ask: Why was there no policy in place to monitor water credits, and why were there so many?

(The council has since approved a whole new set of rules to prevent such a question from arising again, by the way.)

She could also have asked why there was so much lost revenue while city leaders were claiming that the system might soon need an infusion of money for necessary upgrades.

Matthews, instead, ignored our request for comment for more than three days.

And then, when she found out her name

was published, she threw a fit — a loud one.

We can handle it, of course, and we almost ignored it completely, but we decided that she and County Commissioner Antonio Williams — who also misrepresented our reporting in a public tirade — should not be allowed to get away with yet another distraction just because no one is brave enough to confront them.

Bottom line: We stand by our reporting.

Every single member of the City Council who sat there and allowed Matthews to cry “fake news” heard Gwynn name her and Williams in that closed session.

So, why didn’t they push back?

Well, there are some who seem to be afraid of Matthews, Williams, and other disrupters.

They think that placating them will ensure “the ship runs smoothly” and public embarrassments like the one that unfolded at both the Board of Commissioners and City Council meetings might be avoided if they “play nice.”

We are not among them.

We have sat by long enough watching the city and the county get mired in constant

drama and unprofessional behavior — watching others turn their cheek rather than call the offenders out.

There is no more time for that. And anyone who can’t see that should be removed from office immediately.

As we mentioned before, there is very important stuff to do — right now — that could affect the future of this community.

This is a time for focus and strength from not only the leaders who raised their hands to take on the task of directing the future of this community, but from the residents who have worked so hard to build this county.

This community is strong enough to make the changes that are becoming glaringly necessary, and no one should be allowed to distract from that mission — no matter how much drama they cause.

And in case you’re wondering, we will indeed be reporting on Matthews and anyone else who has taken an oath to serve Goldsboro or Wayne County. We will call out what they do well, and we will not hesitate to point out when they do not live up to the promises they made to voters.

We will cover her — and Williams — just like we would any other politician, any other public official. She has no right to “order” us to do anything.

Matthews’ choice is whether or not she responds to our requests for comment. We will move forward with our work either way.

But rest assured, we will continue to ask the questions — of anyone whose salaries are paid by the hard-working members of this community who can’t use a city credit card to take a trip across the country.

We have to hold our community leaders accountable — otherwise we get more dysfunction and unpleasant surprises.

We take our role as the voice of this community very seriously, and we will not be bullied or threatened — by anyone.

So yes, Matthews and Williams can say whatever they please. They are entitled to their opinions. That is how this works.

But they are not free from the consequences of throwing around defamatory accusations and misrepresentations on Facebook — or on accounts that have ties to public entities like the City Council or County Commissioners.

Not acceptable. Not even close. And no, we won’t tolerate it.

And that means we will do whatever we have to do to protect the reputations built over our team’s collective 50-plus years in this business.

Exhale.

Enough. Really, enough.

We have an important conversation to have, one that is a clarion call for this community and its leaders to get to work.

When the going gets tough, this community gets going.

Well, it is time.

What should have been the focus of Monday’s council meeting was the announcement that there are major changes coming to Seymour Johnson Air Force Base.

Who knew what, when, is a topic for later.

Right now, there are a bunch of questions that need to be asked. Here are a few: • How come the lobbying group that the city and county have been paying tens of thousands of dollars every year to make sure someone was in Washington, D.C., creating relationships and advocating for this community was not able to stem this or at least let the local leaders know it was imminent?

• How come the concerns that have been expressed about the conditions that were a direct influence on the base’s continued presence in Wayne County were not taken more seriously or addressed sooner?

• What do we do now?

Some of the county and city’s leaders have attempted to answer some of those questions in this week’s edition. They are not sitting back and waiting — or dodging calls for comment.

They are speaking up.

We have some thoughts, too.

And yes, we can make some important moves. And no, we do not have to wait for our “contingent” to get back from their trip to D.C. to start getting the best minds at work to develop a plan of action, although we and every public body who represents us do need to listen to what those representatives have to say when they return.

The more information we have, the better our plan.

But there are some facts we have to talk about, some history and some statements some might not like to hear.

We have told you before what makes a difference in decisions about the future of military installations — schools, quality of life, safety and crime, etc., factors that have been challenges in Wayne County for years.

But when it comes to Seymour Johnson, there has been an “it” factor that kept our base on the right side of the road.

There were Wayne County residents who fought to keep it here, and who convinced the brass to spare it from cutbacks and closures.

They understood that advocacy was not just about rubbing elbows with generals, once-a-year barbecues, or having VIP access at air shows.

They knew it was always about the people behind the uniforms.

One of the most notable was Troy Pate Jr. He understood that the relationships he made with young airmen and their bosses — the kindness he and his wife, Joyce, showed them when they were just starting out — would pay dividends later.

And their acts of kindness — which are legendary, by the way — were not

disingenuous. They loved those men and women, and still do, like family.

Those who met the Pates, who enjoyed their hospitality and who felt like they had a home away from home, did not stay young pilots forever.

They became leaders in the Air Force, sometimes all the way up to the Pentagon.

And when it came time for decisions about who was going to get — or lose — what, they remembered.

It was not about a lobbying group. Because the reality is, everybody has a lobbyist these days.

It was about a connection and a relationship.

There are many, many people who remember Pate and his wife to this day, as they do one of the county’s other Air Force base champions, the late Hal Tanner Jr. and his wife, Linda. They were among a select group, like Wes Seegars, John Peacock, and others, who did more than their share of strengthening the county’s relationship with the base — behind the scenes, without fanfare, and without any sort of compensation.

And they made a difference for this base over and over again.

This community is full of people who have made sure the airmen and the brass knew they were welcomed and appreciated whether it was through a handshake and a thank you or a check picked up anonymously at a restaurant.

That’s why so many veterans have chosen to come back home to Goldsboro and Wayne County.

So, we need to remember those lessons as we move forward.

And even though Pate is now in his 90s, he could absolutely still offer some wisdom that might just help us flip the script now that the 4th Fighter Wing is losing at least one squadron and a yet-to-be-determined number of airmen and aircraft.

So, other than reaching out to people like Pate, what else can we do?

First, our leaders can answer the same challenge we offered to the school district last week.

Take a good hard look at what is not working and led to this community and its leaders being blindsided by this news.

And for goodness’ sake, be honest with the people who live, work, and own businesses here.

There are former leaders right now in this county who could make a real impact on changing the trajectory of this announcement — not necessarily getting it rescinded, but fighting for Seymour Johnson to continue to have a major role in the future of the Air Force, and perhaps even being a player in some of that “mission evolution.”

They understand relationships. They understand business. They understand politics. They are smart and they could be excellent representatives for this community.

We need them to step back into the fray.

The bat signal is up in the sky right now.

And they know who they are.

And some of the new leaders need to listen to the wisdom people like Pate and others like him have to share.

We need to start conversations and make plans to shore up the county’s weak points.

We need to ensure the egos and partisanship are left at the door.

The task ahead is too important.

And by the way, we have a pretty powerful state representative who could broker that gathering.

N.C. House Majority Leader John Bell has been a strong and important advocate for making this community heard in Raleigh.

He knows who should be on that list and might just be the only person who could pull off bringing them together.

And there are others, too — some working behind the scenes, who have pushed hard for accountability in this community — often enduring threats against their livelihoods for speaking out or supporting efforts like Wayne Week.

They are the warriors who are fighting to make this community a stronger, better place, not for themselves, but for their children and grandchildren.

And there are others who should speak out — who should get involved because they know how important it is for the future of this community — but who are still hesitating because they are afraid of “pushback.”

We challenge them to step up. Now. There is no business in this county, no public entity, and no resident, who will benefit from the status quo. That’s how we got here.

Eventually, the contracts and “the connections” will dry up. That’s what happens when no one is minding the store.

The next step will take leadership — bold and brassy — and the courage to stop the blather and the behind-the-scenes sweetheart deals and massive egos that slow down the process.

It is a lot to ask. We know. And the path is not easy.

But a community that has endured as much as this one, that has built so much and that has spawned generations of men and women who understood that hard work gets you somewhere and that honesty and integrity matter, is up to the task.

So, we expect to hear some pretty important discussions in meeting rooms, in council chambers, and in board rooms about Seymour Johnson’s future soon.

And when local leaders rise to meet this moment, we will be there to make sure you are no longer left out of the conversations that could very well determine the future of the Air Force base that, in many ways, sets the course for Wayne County’s next act.

This is a battle we will be in together. n newoldnorth.com

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CLIPPED WING? Local leaders say it’s time to fight back after community was “blindsided” by news of cuts coming to 4th Fighter Wing. / by KEN FINE

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T

hey have known it was possible since then-Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Charles Brown Jr. delivered a two-hour testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee July 11, 2023 — when he talked about “modernization efforts” outlined in the Department of Defense’s “Report on Force Structure Changes for the Fiscal Year 2024 Defense Budget” and outlined his desire to retire F-15Es while adding additional F-35 Lightning IIs and F-15EXs to the Air Force’s fleet.

They knew “the math” did not look good for Seymour Johnson Air Force Base when North Carolina Sen. Ted Budd’s last-ditch attempt to derail the divestment of Strike Eagles resulted not in his perfect-world prohibition of F-15E cuts, but a compromise that would see more than 31 percent of the nation’s dual-role fighters sent to The Boneyard.

But local leaders — including N.C. House Majority Leader John Bell, Wayne County Board of Commissioners Chairman Chris Gurley, and Goldsboro Mayor Charles Gaylor — were shocked when 4th Fighter Wing Commander Col. Lucas Teel confirmed Feb. 8, in a statement provided to Wayne Week that was subsequently picked up by other media outlets, that Seymour Johnson would be losing the 333rd Fighter Squadron as part of what military sources have since confirmed is a future that will see one of the Air Force’s largest tactical fighter units shifting its mission to simply training the next generation of air crews.

A

nd now, they are among those trying to get to the bottom of both how, despite employing lobbyists and having a rich tradition of military advocacy from local organizations including Friends of Seymour and the Military Affairs Committee, they were “blindsided” by the news — and, more importantly, what, if anything, can be done to ensure the Goldsboro installation is postured for future success.

“I heard the news just like everyone else and I was surprised. It’s clear, in my opinion, that somebody was asleep at the wheel. That’s what I assumed happened,” Bell said. “So, I want to go through and find out what, when, how, and why. That way, I’ll know how to use the resources — the contacts I have in Washington — to see if we can stop this from happening. And if we can’t stop this from happening, can we go on

offense to pick up more missions to support Seymour Johnson? We can never fall asleep on protecting our base.”

Gaylor shared Bell’s shock and frustration.

“We’re going to have to reassess who some of those downstream relationships are with. There’s no doubt about it,” he said. “We can’t be caught off guard on something this big. We knew the overall math (as it relates to future F-15E divestments). That has been out there. But the timing of when the tails are actually going to be leaving our base … that is stuff that we should have known. And we’re spending a fair amount of money to make sure we do know. So yeah, those are things we have to be pretty blunt about.”

One of those relationships — one that costs Goldsboro and Wayne County tens of thousands of dollars a year — is with

the Roosevelt Group which, according to its website, provides “legislative drafting, federal advocacy, and campaign and issues management to help our clients achieve their goals while providing continual awareness of issues that matter most to their success.”

But Gaylor said the consultants didn’t know about the changes coming to Seymour Johnson either — and that he is “not happy” about it.

“Their response was, ‘I haven’t heard that yet. Let me follow up,’” the mayor said. “So yeah, that is incredibly frustrating when you are putting your assets in place to be able to get information that you need in order to be able to plan and support your community, and those assets are not able to deliver. I don’t know the reasons why they were not.”

Continued on page 18

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Continued from page 17

B

ell understands that a shift to a training-only mission for the 4th Fighter Wing could have serious implications for the community — that there is a big difference between having high-ranking officers plant roots in Wayne County because they know they could be bouncing back and forth between the base’s two tactical fighter squadrons, the 335th and 336th, for years and years and a “two years and you’re gone” scenario that is the reality for those who would come here to learn to fly before leaving Seymour Johnson for more permanent duty stations.

In other words, they would be less likely to, for instance, buy homes and invest in the community if they knew their time in Goldsboro was fleeting.

So, he is preparing for a fight.

“I do believe that once we know how it happened and why it happened, we can attack it with a full front,” Bell said. “We have the political clout and the strength to really advocate hard for our base.”

And giving up? Not an option.

“Shoot no,” Bell said. “I’ve been there waiting on pins and needles watching BRAC play out and wondering what was going to happen and things like that, but you fight

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until the very end. You don’t surrender.”

Gaylor and Gurley had similar messages.

For Gurley, it starts with getting answers.

Now. “This is what I told (the delegation that traveled to Washington this week) when we met. I said, ‘This is what I’m tasking you with. I want you to go up there and find out what our options are. Talk to the people … to tell us if we can win it. Who do we need to be in front of?’” he said. “The fact of the matter is, the F-15E is not going to be around forever because of the engines. They’re an aging force. So, I told them, ‘We don’t need to be sitting still. We need to be figuring out what the next mission is for Seymour Johnson Air Force Base.’”

Gaylor has an idea.

“I have made the comment now in multiple meetings that if we land a squadron of F-15EXs … you have secured the future of Seymour Johnson to some degree into my child’s adulthood,” he said.

But to get there, Wayne County needs to shift the optics on everything from the state of local public schools to crime.

“The things that I can turn the levers on directly are crime and housing. The things that I ultimately think will help our schools the most are crime, housing, and

economic development,” the mayor said.

“While I will never be able in this particular role to go to a School Board meeting and say, ‘Hey guys. I need you to redistrict this or that,’ or, ‘Hey guys. I need you to move this principal here,’ there are things that we can take responsibility for and things we can try to move the needle on that have historically everywhere been shown to raise the outcomes of individual schools.”

G

urley wants the community to know that he and his peers have “not been sitting on our hands” and are “fighting as hard as we can.”

And Gaylor said panicking is not an option — that “we need to have a strategy” and build a coalition to ensure the best possible outcome for Seymour Johnson and the communities it supports.

“What is the strategy other than Doom’s Day panic? Again, this is all stuff that has been kind of a slow ball rolling dating all the way back to late ’22 and early ’23,” he said. “So I think it’s pretty unacceptable that we found out about it through any means other than either from the lobbyists that are helping us so that we don’t get surprised or our congressional delegation who, themselves, were surprised. I am very

disappointed on that front. But I don’t want to compound something by then taking to the airwaves and giving off an air of panic. I just don’t think that helps anybody.”

But what will help is for Wayne County to do what it has always done on its darkest days, Bell said — to, as a united front, dig deep and do the hard work that has paid off repeatedly for a community that understands all good things come from sacrifice, passion, and pride.

“Wayne County has shown time and time again throughout history that if we come together as a united front, we’re unstoppable,” he said. “That’s how we prevented bad things from happening to Seymour Johnson before. That’s how we prevented wind turbines from shutting down our low-level flying routes. That’s how we got projects like the Maxwell Center and Center Street. When we come together, we’re an unstoppable force.”

Editor’s Note: A call for comment made Feb. 7 to Friends of Seymour Johnson Air Force Base President Henry Smith has not yet been returned. n

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the SPECTATOR

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Senior Night Success

The Charles B. Aycock girls’ and boys’ varsity basketball teams secured easy victories over Smithfield-Selma Tuesday evening in Pikeville to send the many seniors who were honored during the games out on a high note.

Photos by Ken Fine

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MARCH 9 7 p.m.

Join Goldsboro Ballet as they present the “whimsical story of Rapunzel” in a way you and your family have never seen before. A tower, magical projections and artwork created by students at Rosewood High School are all part of what promises to be a great show.

The Paramount Theatre

LOLA’S TURNS TWO

MARCH 2 12 p.m. — 7 p.m.

Come and grab a slice of cake and some light refreshments as one of downtown Goldsboro’s most unique businesses celebrates the vendors and local residents who have kept them operating for two years and allowed them to move to the city’s core.

Lola’s Vintiques

I AM A LIFE-LONG REPUBLICAN, AND HAVE BEEN HEAVILY INVOLVED IN THE WAYNE COUNTY REPUBLICAN PARTY WHERE I SERVED AS CHAIRMAN.

RE-ELEC T

FREEMAN HARDISON JR. County Commissioner District 4

PRIOR TO BECOMING A COMMISSIONER, I HAVE SERVED THE COMMUNITY AND WAYNE COUNTY IN THE FOLLOWING POSITIONS: l Wayne County Planning Board - former Board Member l Goldsboro-Wayne Transportation Authority (GWTA) – former Chairman l Wayne UNC Healthcare Hospital - Board of Directors

Executive Committer Board Member - Building and Grounds Committee - Chairman - Quality Committee - Member - Wayne Action Teams for Community

l Health (WATCH) - Board Member

WHILE SERVING AS A COUNTY COMMISSIONER FOR THE PAST THREE AND A HALF YEARS, MY FELLOW BOARD MEMBERS AND I HAVE BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN ACCOMPLISHING THE FOLLOWINGZZ l The purchase of Grantham’s EMS station from the Grantham’s VFD. l Finding funding for the town of Mt. Olive. l Construction of a new Department of Social Service

and Health Department.

l Construction of a new jail to support our law enforcement; providing

a safe environment for the officers as well as those confined.

l Purchase of a mobile command unit for the Sheriff’s department. l Construction of a new elementary school in Fremont and plans

for a new Rosewood Middle School.

l Renovation of the Fremont Library.

EVEN THOUGH WE HAVE MADE GREAT STRIDES, WE MUST CONTINUE TO FOCUS ON THE FUTURE. MY GOALS AS COMMISSIONER DISTRICT 4 ARE:

l Continued development of shell buildings for new businesses

1. Continue to support our farmers and the Wayne County

l Continued support to Wayne Community College (a leader in

2. Continue to Improve School Facilities: I will continue to advocate for

coming to Wayne County.

affordable education for North Carolina) for their new Center for Industrial Technology Education (CITE) building.

l Supported competitive salaries and compensations for our county

employees, sheriff department and emergency department.

l Updated equipment and training to emergency stations and community

volunteer fire departments in areas so that they can provide timely coverage for our communities.

l Grants to provide internet service in areas who do not have service,

and improve services in other areas.

agricultural industry.

funding and initiatives that improve school facilities. This includes building a new Rosewood Middle School.

3. Improving Economic Development: we must attract new businesses and

industries to our county, creating job opportunities for our residents, and promoting sustainable economic growth.

4. Developing a Regional Sewer: Access to proper sanitation

is crucial for the well-being of our communities and economic growth.

5. Continue to support mental health initiatives throughout the County.

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L D AN

SCAPE ESIGN

OF GOLDSBORO, INC.

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