ALSO:
Before county ommissioners approved the 2025-2026 County budget, a back and forth broke out over a $1 million hangar p. 4
The State Bureau of Investigation is still probing a January incident that unfolded inside the Wayne County Jail. And now, agents have another local case. p. 6
Alocalfamilydonatedanearly 50-acre Goldsboropieceoflandtothe FamilyYMCAwith developedtheunderstandingitwouldbe withthecommunity's bechildreninmind.Now,it'sgoingto soldformorethan$2million.
BY KEN FINE /
p. 14
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Before the Wayne County Board of Commissioners approved the county's 2025-26 budget, a back and forth broke out over a proposed $1 million T-hangar.
A fatal overdose and an attempted suicide that unfolded inside the Wayne County Jail are currently being probed by the State Bureau of Investigation.
8
Several members of the Goldsboro City Council said they would like to see issues addressed in City Manager Matthew Livingston's proposed 2025-26 spending plan.
10
It appears the Goldsboro Family YMCA will live to see another day — thanks to a last-minute land deal — but in our view, the organization must ensure the woman who donated the land is not forgotten.
An eleventh-hour land deal has likely saved the Goldsboro Family YMCA from financial ruin — and potential closure. But not everyone is happy about the residential development approved June 2 by the Goldsboro City Council.
The Wayne County Public Schools 2024-25 school year is officially over, as the last high school graduations unfolded Tuesday.
COVER PHOTO BY KAYLA FINE
COVER DESIGN BY SHAN STUMPF
The Wayne County budget that passed June 3 — a spending plan that, among other things, accomplished one of the most significant allocations to Wayne County Public Schools in recent memory — did not gain the blessing of the majority of the Wayne County Board of Commissioners without some last-minute drama.
It started when Commissioner Bevan Foster asked County Manager Chip Crumpler why he had recommended providing $1 million to the Wayne County Executive Jetport — money that was to be used for construction of a T-hangar.
“When we started our budget process, you had a list of things that different departments had asked for and you said that you thought they weren’t needed right now,” Foster said. “I want to know why you thought a $1 million jet hangar is needed right now?”
Crumpler responded that inclusion of funding for the hangar was a result of a recommendation of the jetport’s advisory committee.
Foster was not satisfied.
“I feel like I would rather have sheriff cars than to have a $1 million hangar,” he said, adding that the hangar “doesn’t really serve that many people.”
What he did not know — as evidenced by the fact that he stated he knew “deals have been made” and “this board is gonna vote how it’s gonna vote” — was that Commissioner Chris Gurley felt the same way.
But when Gurley recommended excluding the T-hangar from the budget, and instead using the $1 million to increase the salaries of Wayne County Sheriff’s Office deputies by 2 percent beginning July 1, constructing a communications tower in Dudley, and funding nine new vehicles for the WCSO, Commissioner Joe Daughtery said he was bewildered by what he characterized as an eleventh-hour “bombshell.”
“We all came to somewhat of a gentleman’s agreement,” he said. “And now all of a sudden, it’s, ‘Let’s take away one of those items and fund my item.’”
Daughtery argued that the hangar project had been kicked down the road for far too long — that commissioners had promised the jetport board that it would construct it and needed to live up to its pledge in the name of progress.
“The T-hangars have been a project that has been put off for a decade. We have not built any T-hangars at our airport in over 20 years,” he said. “For an airport or a jetport to grow and provide that service … you constantly have to improve the facilities. This year was the year that the jetport com-
Just before the Wayne County Board of Commissioners passed a budget that will, among other things, see millions of dollars in additional funds go to Wayne County Public Schools, a back and forth between board members broke out — over a jet hangar.
BY KEN FINE
mission was assured this was going to be in the budget.”
Foster wasn’t moved.
“What’s more important? If you can tell me a jet hangar is the most important for the county, I’ll vote for it,” he said. “How does that money best benefit the people of Wayne County? That’s it.”
Commissioner Wayne Aycock agreed.
“I don’t want anybody to think I’m against a T-hangar, but how many planes would that T-hangar hold? Twelve?” he said, adding that at the current rent rate, it would take 16 years to make the $1 million back. “It just doesn’t add up to me to spend $1 million on something that you’re probably never gonna get the money back for from the rent.”
Daughtery, though, wasn’t finished.
He said that by working with the Wayne County Development Alliance, the county got the best-possible price for construction of the hangar — and noted that commissioners balked at the idea of private investors con-
structing a hangar of their own on the grounds.
“On one hand, we want to have the jetport be self-sustaining, but we need to provide the vehicle for it to become self-sustaining,” he said.
And he added that the jetport has brought in nearly $15 million worth of investment.
“They are now asking that the county simply step up and do what was committed to do years ago,” Daughtery said. “I am just bewildered that we are now in this discussion.”
But for Gurley, who said the issue only came to the fore at the last minute because he needed some time to “do my homework,” his constituents persuaded him to be a better steward of tax dollars.
“I’ve talked to several people … and the common denominator was, ‘Why are we spending all that money on a T-hangar?’” he said.
And when Daughtery recommended increasing the property tax rate to fund the hangar and Gurley’s asks — and lamented the fact that he thought it was bad form to not have the hangar debate, instead, during one of the
two budget work sessions held by commissioners last month — Foster said his point about the timing of the discussion was invalid, and his ask for an additional property tax increase was “selfish.”
“Changing things today doesn’t matter. We have up until the time the budget is due to make changes,” Foster said. “And I think that’s the most selfish unfair thing to ask all the citizens of Wayne County to pay taxes on something that’s going to benefit 12 people that might not even be from this county. I think that’s selfish, and I think that’s ridiculous.”
Ultimately, the board voted 5-2 to adopt the budget with Gurley’s recommendation included.
So, there will, for now, be no $1 million hangar constructed at the jetport.
But Gurley and Aycock said they support the jetport — and hope its board can secure grant funding to make the hangar possible.
Daughtery was not pleased.
“You cannot get grant monies to build T-hangars,” he said. “It’s not available.” n
The most recent incidents involve a fatal drug overdose and an attempted suicide inside the facility.
BY RENEE CAREY
Adrug overdose and an attempted suicide inside the Wayne County Jail in late May will result in a State Bureau of Investigation probe, officials have confirmed — marking yet another incident under investigation at the facility.
The SBI has been looking into an alleged “excessive force” incident said to have taken place in January.
SBI Public Information Officer Chad Flowers told Wayne Week Monday that while he had no comment on the investigation at this time, he could confirm that agents would open another inquiry into happenings inside the jail.
Here is what we know:
On May 22, 44-year-old Christopher Czyzewski overdosed on drugs.
He was transported to UNC Health Wayne for treatment but died a week later.
According to a press release issued by Wayne County Sheriff Larry Pierce, he “immediately” requested support from the SBI.
At that point, SBI agents, with the help of WCSO detectives, identified an inmate, Steven Alton Carlton, as the person suspected of supplying Czyzewski with the lethal drugs.
On June 5, Carlton attempted to commit suicide.
“Staff were alerted to a medical emergency … by other inmates. Staff responded and found Carlton suffering from an attempted suicide,” the release stated. “Detention staff immediately began rendering aid to Carlton.”
He was initially transported to UNC Health
Wayne but ultimately ended up at Vidant Medical Center, where he was placed on life support.
But according to sources at Vidant who spoke to Wayne Week on condition of anonymity, he survived.
“It was a miracle. When he got to us, nobody gave him a chance of ever getting off of the ventilator,” one of the sources said. “And it looked like he had severe brain damage. It was tragic. This man should not be with us anymore.”
Hours after he started breathing on his own, Pierce issued the release that detailed the events of May 22 and May 29 — and the charges Carlton would be facing.
The inmate, he said, would be charged with death by distribution through unlawful delivery of certain controlled substances, possession of a controlled substance on jail premises, and possession with intent to manufacture, sell, or deliver schedule I controlled substances.
Should he be convicted of those crimes, Carlton — sources have also confirmed that he was, at one time, a resident of the Tent City homeless encampment — could spend decades behind bars.
The incidents happened less than four months after the SBI began another probe into the Wayne County Jail after a “detainee” was allegedly assaulted by a person who works at the facility.
And while Flowers said it would still be a few weeks before the results of that probe were turned over to District Attorney Matthew
Delbridge to allow him to, should he deem it necessary, file charges against the employee, he confirmed the following facts:
On Jan. 26, Goldsboro police officers made an arrest and, as is protocol, transported the detainee to the Wayne County Detention Center.
But before they officially relinquished custody, a Wayne County Sheriff’s Office employee allegedly assaulted the individual — raising concern among the arresting officers.
The following day, Pierce contacted the SBI and asked them to assist with a case of “potential use of excessive force.”
Since that time, witnesses have been interviewed — and video footage has been reviewed — by state agents.
Flowers said it would be up to Delbridge to, if necessary, convene a grand jury and potentially indict the member of the WCSO.
And several law enforcement sources have lauded both the GPD officers for “refusing to stand by and stay silent” after they witnessed what unfolded and Pierce for “self-reporting” the incident to state authorities.
Pierce, who was asked for comment about the incident earlier this year — including the
current employment status of the person accused of using excessive force — provided the following account of what transpired:
“On January 26, 2025, Goldsboro Police Department officers brought two suspects before the magistrate for charges. While in the custody of the Goldsboro Police Department, one individual became aggressive with the officers, as well as two detention officers.
A brief altercation ensued between one detention officer and the aggressive suspect.
The suspect was not injured in the altercation, and the booking process continued. It was later discovered that the suspect was in possession of a controlled substance and attempting to conceal the controlled substance before the altercation.
When details of the altercation were presented to Sheriff Larry Pierce, he requested that the NC State Bureau of Investigation conduct a third-party, impartial investigation.
The detention officer was placed on administrative duties pending the outcome of the investigation.”
Pierce added that while he could not provide additional comment regarding an ongoing investigation, he appreciates the SBI for agreeing to facilitate that probe.
“I want to thank the NC SBI for their assistance into this matter,” he said.
As soon as the SBI wraps up the January investigation, Wayne Week will contact Delbridge to see whether he intends to convene a grand jury. n
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Will the City Council hold a budget work session? Will the water and sewer rate increases be adjusted? Will the recommendations of two council members be taken into consideration?
All of those questions must be answered by the end of the month.
BY KEN FINE
Councilman Chris Boyette wants to see holiday bonuses for city employees reinstated.
Councilman Roderick White thinks the Wayne County Board of Commissioners should be contributing funds to the city’s Parks and Recreation Department.
And Councilwoman Brandi Matthews, despite staying silent at the council’s May 19 meeting when Mayor Charles Gaylor asked the council if it would like to schedule a budget work session, said June 2 she believes such a meeting needs to take place.
It is unclear whether the council will, in fact, hold a work session before voting on Goldsboro’s 2025-26 fiscal year budget, but beyond the discussion about the proposed 9 percent water and sewer rate increases reported in the June 8 edition of Wayne Week, it appears there is still work to do before every elected official is comfortable casting a “yes” vote.
For Boyette, bringing back the employee holiday bonus is a significant sign of progress.
“I have been a city employee before living from paycheck to paycheck and I know how much that bonus matters to people who are struggling,” he said. “And I know from a conversation that I had with former Mayor Pro Tem Taj Polack that whenever the previous council first implemented that holiday bonus, Mr. Polack indicated to me that it was the intent … for it to be ongoing.”
So, despite the fact that Livingston’s proposal includes cost-of-living increases for employees, Boyette said he feels the bonus would send a message to city workers about their value in the eyes of the men and women who lead them.
“We asked all of our city employees to take one for the team last year so we could straighten out public safety because we were in an extreme situation with pub -
lic safety that we had to do something, and we did,” Boyette said, referencing the salary increases approved for police and fire employees. “So, I would like to see us put that (bonus) in place, if we can figure out a way to do it, and leave it so our employees don’t have to wonder every year, ‘Am I going to have a bonus?’”
White had other concerns — from how Powell Bill money was spent to his belief that it is “unfair” that the county government does not contribute to the upkeep of city parks.
“The county doesn’t have a Parks and Rec Department so we pick up the tab for everyone that lives in Wayne County,” he said. “The parks … are overly loved, so I think we need to adjust our fees for Parks and Rec or go to the county commissioners and ask for some help maintaining the system.”
Gaylor said that request had, in the past, been made — and shot down by the county.
“Well, if it hasn’t come to pass, we need to raise the prices. If it’s $200 for city residents and it’s $250 for non-residents, it should go to … $200 for us and $300 for them,” White said. “It needs to be significant enough so we can maintain our equipment. It is unfair
“It is unfair for our citizens to foot the bill for everyone in Wayne County.”
- Councilman Roderick White
for our citizens to foot the bill for everyone in Wayne County.”
Matthews did not offer specific changes she would like to see in the budget, but did seem confused as to why a work session had not yet been scheduled.
“Are we not going to do a budget session like we normally do?” she said. “I know that time has been allocated for us to speak
with the city manager and the finance director, however, I don’t know why we haven’t planned a session that we specifically talked about the budget only.”
But Gaylor noted that at the council’s May 19 meeting, he broached the subject — and was met with silence.
The mayor is not wrong.
At that meeting, he asked members of
the board to weigh in on how they would like to proceed.
“Would this council be interested in, at this point, trying to schedule one-on-ones with Mr. Livingston and Mrs. Gwynn and letting each person go through and get their questions answered and their recommendations heard, or do we want to try to squeeze in a work session prior to the June 2 public hearing?” he said.
Boyette was the only council member who responded.
“I’m OK with the individual approach personally,” he said. “But I’m willing to do whatever the majority wants to do.”
What happens between now and the council’s end-of-the-month deadline to pass the budget has yet to be determined, but as of press time, no work session had been scheduled.
And it remains unknown whether Livingston will bring an adjusted spending plan to reflect the changes recommended by Boyette and White — or if he will present an option that would alter the 9 percent water and sewer rate hike reported on in the June 2 edition of Wayne Week n
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{ our TAKE }
When you are facing potential disaster, your back is up against the wall, and there does not seem to be any way out and a path opens up, it is easy to heave a sigh of relief and think, “We’re saved.”
You don’t have to think about the next threat, the future, or any other catastrophe lurking around the corner.
You don’t really even have to think too deeply about how close you came to the precipice.
For now, that crisis has been averted.
And in the moment, nothing else matters.
That is precisely the situation that the Goldsboro Family YMCA is facing.
In case you don’t know, let’s review:
The Y currently owes hundreds of thousands of dollars — yes, you read that correctly — to board members who have been propping up the facility for months.
The organization faces huge costs for necessary upgrades to equipment and facilities that are literally on the verge of falling apart.
The Y hit a membership drought because of the pandemic, the opening of new fitness centers in Wayne County and, if we’re being honest, because no one really wants work out on equip-
ment that is beyond obsolete.
Pretty grim, right?
Now, add to that some questionable decisions — opening up the YMCA’s showers to the Tent City population, for example, when your community is facing some serious concerns about the encampment — as well as some head-scratching money management (or lack thereof) and you have an organization that simply wasn’t going to make it if something drastic did not occur.
And then the sunbeams broke through the clouds.
You see, the YMCA has this piece of land — left to the organization in trust that it would be used to provide fields for youth sports.
It was a gentleman’s agreement of sorts with a very kind woman who wanted to make a difference in her community and to leave a legacy as she reached the end of her battle with cancer.
No formal agreement.
No contract signed.
Just a promise — one she felt good about after literally decades of planning.
Well, it turns out that piece of land is worth a good bit of money — just north of $2 million to be exact.
If you’re the failing YMCA, all you have to do is sell it and you have the solution, the reprieve you have been looking for, the last-minute save.
Would you take it?
Well, the YMCA did.
And we see why.
The hard truth is that at this point, if the organization does not sell that land, there will be no YMCA.
And there is no legal contract to prevent the organization from making the sale.
Sure, a promise was made, but it was not etched into a document.
It is a lesson for anyone who donates to an organization and wants to ensure that the asset or the money is used in a very specific way.
Get an attorney and make sure your wishes are clear, and that the promise is legal and unbreakable.
And no, that doesn’t mean the family of the donor doesn’t have a point here — and a real reason to feel betrayed.
But we think there is a way to make this a win-win for everybody involved.
Saving the YMCA and creating a stronger, more enduring place
for the community to gather — for kids to learn how to swim, to play soccer, and to shoot a few hoops and for seniors to get in their exercise routines — would be a very positive move forward, and an undeniable asset for Wayne County.
But here’s the kicker.
That $2 million is simply not going to be enough.
It is the answer to a prayer, yes, and perhaps a Hail Mary, but it will not save the Goldsboro Family YMCA.
So, sitting back and celebrating that this asset fell into their hands is not enough.
The YMCA needs a plan.
Not this fall after the news of the sale hits, and not when the money hits the YMCA bank account sometime in the future.
Right now.
And we think, and many others think, that what the YMCA needs is a public-private partnership.
The idea, for the uninitiated, is that local governments and other organizations will not only contribute funds to help get the YMCA up to snuff but will also then work to support it by encouraging participation from their respective employees and constituents.
Grants can be sought, and YMCA board members and staff would have a vision and a strategic plan in writing — and an APPROVED budget — to show those who are in the business of funding such endeavors that they are serious about a redo.
And when it works, there will be a showplace for the community, another asset to show to potential investors and developers who might be looking for a new spot for a project, and a clear signal to the Pentagon and Seymour Johnson Air Force Base personnel that this a community with a vision and the “want to” to move forward.
We have seen what happens when the right people get behind the right projects.
And if we want to add another jewel to Wayne County’s crown, we have to think outside of the box.
But here’s what we absolutely cannot do.
Use the windfall from the land deal to pay the immediate bills at the YMCA.
Sit back.
Wipe the nervous sweat off our foreheads and thank God we scraped by one more time. If that happens, the $2 million will be nothing but a short-term fix for a problem that will blow up much bigger sooner than later.
And it would be a disgrace to the memory of the woman who, through an act of kindness, made this happen from the heavens.
Things cannot continue as they always have.
And there are some major concerns that need fixing at the YMCA — some pretty large, glaring black eyes that are a red flag that there is disaster around the corner.
As of a week ago, there was still no approved budget, and there hasn’t been one for several years.
That should shock you.
No organization that operates in this manner would be taken seriously by any funding authority.
Even superhero House Rep. John Bell can’t sell an allocation under those circumstances.
So, the basics must be done.
Now.
There needs to be a real look at finances and a plan for what operating costs really are.
And no more living off the generosity of board members.
That means if there are no operating expenses available, they are not available.
Cold turkey. No exceptions.
And in order to plan for the future, the YMCA needs some people involved who know something about construction, building costs, and acquisition of the equipment necessary to operate a center that not only offers the kind of services community members want, but has the facilities to support them.
And the current YMCA staff will have to step it up as well.
It is a wonderful story that this money is likely going to come in for the save at the eleventh hour.
It sure does look like a God moment.
But it won’t be enough if the hard work is not done to turn those dollars into a sustainable future for the YMCA, and a plan is not in place to make sure it is on track to make that goal a reality.
So, now, we need leadership — local community members and elected officials who have the expertise and the heart to help create a YMCA that will become a real asset to this county.
And those leaders have to be strong enough to let all those involved know that this will be a true partnership.
No infighting.
No agendas.
No bickering.
No sweetheart deals.
This is a call to serve, and we need people who are seriously ready to answer.
We can think of a couple people who would be perfect.
You probably know exactly who they are.
They don’t fool around. And they get the job done — no nonsense.
We know they will read this and hope when they do, they step up.
This community needs them again. And last but not least, we need to say something else.
This project should be named for the woman whose vision and generosity made the sale of this land possible.
Sandra Glasgow wanted to make a difference for kids in her community — and that is why she and her ex-husband, the legendary Dr. Jim Atkins, decided to give the land to the YMCA. She did not require a contract — just a promise.
And the YMCA cannot go forward, morally, without acknowledging that tremendous gift.
So, while we understand why, at this point, the land cannot be used as it was originally intended, we think it is imperative that Glasgow and her family are honored for the contribution they have made to their community.
There are many ways to do it — a children’s center dedicated and named in her honor would be a start, and an afterschool program inspired by her determination to provide athletic opportunities for local children is another idea.
Perhaps, the YMCA should actually communicate with Glasgow's children (they have not)
to hear their thoughts.
And no, Glasgow did not give the land because she wanted praise and notoriety. She gave it because she cared about this community and its children.
It came freely from someone with a very large and caring heart.
So, although it appears her gift will not be used as it was intended, it could lead to something even bigger if this project gets the attention and the respect it deserves — and the right people are in place to guide it.
The YMCA board owes her that.
We intend to keep an eye out to make sure that is never forgotten — and to see if the YMCA fumbles this miracle second chance. n
We have talked a lot recently about how a community sends a message to developers that it is open for business and to residents that a town is a great place to raise a family.
Of course, there are the usual ways — strong infrastructure and a vision for development and growth; demonstrated fiscal responsibility; strong schools; safe streets.
You know, the usual.
But there is an often-overlooked quality that sends up a red flag, especially in places that are making a new name after a less-than-stellar reputation.
Leadership.
It matters whom you pick to represent you — and how they behave in public meetings and how they operate behind the scenes.
If your City Council meetings are a spectacle, like they used to be in Goldsboro, you add a check to the negative column.
If a community cannot pick responsible leaders, then it cannot be trusted with a business, an expensive development, or any of the other infusions of money that come when progress starts.
And if potential investors see warning signs, they move on.
So, while we admit that things are oh-so-much better in the City Council chambers and at our County Commission meetings these days, we were puzzled by the behavior that seems to be bubbling up regarding their respective budgets.
Let’s start with the county.
It seems that Commissioner Antonio Williams is not in favor of the budget in its current form — at least that is what he indicated during the group’s last meet-up when
he actually voted against the spending plan. Why?
Because it does not do enough to help HIS constituents — what he calls the poor, “underserved” community of Dudley. Forgotten, he says.
Left behind, he alleges.
Funny thing though.
The current calculation includes a major spending project in Dudley — a communications tower — as well as an historic and significant infusion of money for schools, school buildings, and teachers’ stipends.
It also injects significant money into the public safety sector.
If we could, we would put the “puzzled” emoji right here.
How do those things not benefit the citizens of Williams’ district?
There are two ways to look at this.
First, no one wants a commissioner who sits back and rubber stamps every decision and every budget put forward by the county manager.
Asking questions is their responsibility.
And challenging spending allotments to push for specific projects — well, that is understandable and expected.
But when a commissioner makes a statement like that — a blanket “throw it out there and see if it sticks” kind of comment, we see it as more than just a reasonable question about how resources are being used.
We call it posturing, filibustering, grandstanding, and irresponsible.
Too many people in positions of authority these days are too worried about rallying votes and getting attention. They do not speak the truth to power or to the constituents they serve.
Their comments are for attention and clout, not reasonable discussions of the facts.
It is about ruffling up the voters, not working together to move the county, city, or school district forward.
And it is not what we need for the future of this community.
But there is another possibility, and we have seen this one play out on the City Council as it continues its budget process.
And that is just plain unpreparedness — speaking without real knowledge of the facts because the public official has not read the material, doesn’t understand the material, or simply is choosing to ignore it.
There is no excuse for pretending you haven’t seen a budget plan when you have sat through days of council retreat sessions — or that you can’t understand why the city needs to increase water rates when you know, and have known, how critical repairs to the city’s water/sewer system are.
Telling your residents what they want to hear — and posturing for the cameras — is how you get a city or a county that cannot move forward.
We cannot continue to be mired in the muck of identity politics, racial division, and backdoor deals when it comes to contracts, budget propositions, or anything else that involves the use of taxpayer dollars.
And if we have representatives on any board who do not understand how crucial the decisions that are being made now are to the future of this county and who are not willing to do the work or to set aside “the way it has always been done,” it is time to get them out.
They will be speed bumps in our quest
to allow Wayne County to catch on to the development potential that will secure a prosperous future for our community and help us create a place our children and grandchildren will want to come home to.
Yes, voters, whom you pick to represent you is important.
Keep that in mind the next time a seat on your commission, your city or town council, or your school board comes open. And by the way, if you want to see how to question an expenditure properly, look at the exchange between Commissioners Bevan Foster and Joe Daughtery over the $1 million budgeted for a T hangar in the county’s jetport.
Foster had a point — as did Commissioner Chris Gurley, who sided with him.
The immediate need Foster pointed out was for that money to be used in the county sheriff’s department — for salary increases that were long overdue.
First Foster, then Gurley, challenged the budget item respectfully and with cogent arguments and legitimate concerns.
No drama. No charged statements. Just an honest question about priorities. Daughtery fought for the project — even suggesting a possible tax increase to fund it.
And even though he lost the debate, he is right that perhaps, we should look for another way to fund such a plan soon in the name of economic development.
Either way, that is how you have a productive discussion about a budget plan that works and puts the needs of the community first.
And in our view, it goes down way better than a soundbite and a quick jab from Williams or Councilman Roderick White. n
A local family donated a nearly 50-acre piece of land to the Goldsboro Family YMCA with the understanding it would be developed with the community's children in mind. Now, it's going to be sold for more than $ 2 million.
BY KEN FINE
On June 2, the Goldsboro City Council approved a conditional zoning request that will allow for the construction of Heritage Downs — a sprawling, nearly 50acre residential development that will see roughly 150 homes constructed on land located off South Harding Drive.
For members of the board, the project will address housing needs and increase the city’s tax base — a win for a growing community rife with economic development.
But for a handful of people sitting in the back of the council chambers that evening, the affirmative vote meant much more.
It was, in their view, the Hail Mary the flailing Goldsboro Family YMCA had been hoping for — a pathway to avoid financial ruin and the very real threat of having to shutter the decades-old institution for good.
It's not sustainable under the old model anymore.
Sitting in his office inside the YMCA, CEO Mark Pritchett confirmed a number of facts provided to Wayne Week over the last year by current and former staff, current and former members, and current and former board members.
The YMCA had, indeed, been operating at a loss for several years.
The organization had not had a formal budget during much of that time.
Members of the organization’s executive board had, in fact, floated the YMCA more than $300,000 for payroll and other expenses.
And, perhaps most importantly, had the City Council not approved the zoning request, the outlook for the near future of what has been a Wayne County institution for more than 40 years would have been dire.
But would it have folded?
“On paper, yes,” Pritchett told Wayne Week “I don’t think it’s overdramatizing to say that.”
Still, when he woke up the morning of the meeting, he had “faith” that even had the council voted against the measure, a miracle would have happened and saved the facility.
“I don’t mean to be philosophical, but I went, ‘You know what God, we’re here for a reason and a purpose. And even if they do not do this, I believe you brought me here for a reason, and I believe this YMCA is going to survive. Somehow. I don’t know how it’s going to happen, but it’s gonna happen,’” Pritchett said.
But how did the Goldsboro Family YMCA get to this point?
it’s just waiting to fail because all of these things have a life cycle. And when you’ve got 20-year-old HVAC units on the roof, you’ve got a flat roof that’s leaking, you’ve got all of the issues and problems with the facility, it’s just a matter of time before it’s gone. It’s not sustainable under the old model anymore.”
A May 18 Wayne Week editorial discussed a plan that sources from across the community were concocting to save the Y.
A public-private partnership, they said, was the only real solution — even if a $2 million-plus land deal gave the organization some breathing room.
There was, they said — and Pritchett confirmed — between $5 million and $7 million in capital expenses necessary to shore up the building.
And without an increase in membership or a decrease in services, the organization would continue to operate at a loss and chip away at the money that would be left after the land sale once the board members who floated the Y were made whole.
Pritchett is on board with the idea of a partnership.
How could it have ever reached the financial brink?
“There’s no way to operate with half the revenue from 2018 when you went from 12,000 members to 6,000 members,” Pritchett said, citing the COVID-19 pandemic and the opening of new gyms in Wayne County as reasons for the dramatic membership decline. “Well, we continued to operate with those expenses — with half the revenue, and again, with no fundraising. If fundraising is a third leg of a three-legged stool that the YMCA stands on, and you don’t do fundraising for 8 to 10 years, it’s not going to take long before you realize you’re in trouble.”
Add to that the fact that the Y was “paying for financial assistance” — everything from memberships for those who could not afford them to its mobile market — out of its operations account.
And all the while, Pritchett said, “very little” strategic work had been done.
In other words, nobody was thinking about the future of an aging facility.
“The first time I toured this facility, I went, ‘That’s a nice building. That’s 110,000 square feet of facility. They don’t build Ys this big anymore. It’s crazy. And to look at it and the design of it, and that pool, and the other pool, and the gym, and all of the stuff this facility had at one time, I would say that they had a facility that they could certainly say, ‘Man, look at this crown jewel right here,’” Pritchett said. “But if the infrastructure’s not put in place, if the preventive maintenance is not put in place to sustain that right there,
“It gives everybody skin in the game. Right now, the Air Force base uses this facility to train in; the school system uses it for swim meets; the county uses it for training for the dive team. Everybody uses this facility,” he said. “But nobody pays for any of that. And I don’t want to say, ‘Hey, you know what? No pay, no play.’ That’s crazy, because our community, this is an asset for our community. … So, let’s think about it like Wilson’s public-private partnership with the hospital, with the school system, with the YMCA, with any other entities that are part of that right there. Everybody pays. Imagine.”
If not, he can imagine the end result.
“I do want to have a meeting with city and county leaders to say, ‘Can you include this aquatic center, or this facility as a part of the budget?” he said. “Because no one’s paying for this right here, and the YMCA’s membership cannot sustain this right here. It’s not possible.”
Pritchett hopes that now that the City Council has opened the door for construction of Heritage Downs — on the nearly 50-acre lot off South Harding Drive currently owned by the Y — the $2 million-plus land deal will be closed by October. And with the time that windfall will buy the organization, he intends to welcome any and everyone to the table should local government bodies embrace the public-private partnership many of their members have advocated for behind the scenes.
But not everyone is happy about the prospect of a sprawling residential development being constructed on that land.
Continued on page 16
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For Dr. Jim Atkins, a Wayne County icon who founded the Southeastern Medical Oncology Center, it’s a “slap in the face.”
To understand why, it is necessary to turn back the clock 30 years to 1995 — when, according to the Goldsboro Family YMCA’s own website, the organization was “given a promissory note” for the land that will soon house Heritage Downs.
Atkins told Wayne Week the idea for the donation was a collective one — that he and his ex-wife, Sandra Glasgow, offered to, in the future, give the parcel to the Y for use as a sports complex.
“My wife and I had bought that property with the intent being that it would go to the Y so that they could build a sports complex to allow soccer and baseball. And when we sat down and talked with them, that was the plan,” Atkins said. “The whole goal was to allow the children of Wayne County to have more opportunities for sports, as my son had played soccer. And also, the goal was to allow more children in Wayne County and Goldsboro to have access to something that could keep them off the streets and live a healthy lifestyle.”
It would also, he added, benefit the community as a whole.
from financial ruin, they never, Atkins said, would have agreed to donate it.
“A donation would never have been made if we knew that their plan was to simply sell it and bail themselves out,” he said. “And when my ex-wife died, my son said, ‘All they’re going to do is they’re going to sell it. Why are we doing this?’ And so, we sat down with (our children) and talked to them about the importance of philanthropy and we talked about the value for the community and for the kids and talked them out of trying to sell the property because we wanted to do something for Wayne County — not build 150 houses or however many they’re going to build.”
To make matters worse, nobody from the YMCA notified the family that the existing “Sandra E. Glasgow Memorial YMCA Sports Complex” would soon be demolished.
“And it is just appalling to both of us,” Atkins wife, Sherry, said. “Were it not for (a former YMCA executive board member) we would not have heard this.”
“It's not right. They should be ashamed of themselves.”
“If they had the tournaments, if they had a nice complex, then that would help the hotel industry in Wayne County. It would help the restaurants in Wayne County,” Atkins said. “It would be a financial benefit for Wayne County, not only obviously for the kids, but for the county and for the city in general.”
On its website, the Y wrote that when Glasgow passed away — she lost a battle with breast cancer in 2003 — the land “became the Y’s property and our Sports Complex began to be developed.”
Atkins, though, said it never lived up to what he and Glasgow had agreed to with Y leaders.
“Well, when we initially presented the information to them, they had drawn up plans of two different baseball fields and several soccer fields and a concession stand, and they had all sorts of things drawn up that I saw back 30 years ago when we initially presented it to them and talked about it,” he said. “So, they knew very well what the intention was and what the plan was. Well, what they did, obviously, is they made, what, two soccer fields? Big deal.”
And had he or his ex-wife known that the land would ultimately be sold to save the Y
Her husband characterized it as “a slap in the face.”
“So, you know, it was very disturbing. I was very — well, my wife and I were both — very upset that this was going on and that we had never heard the first word about it until probably about two weeks ago,” Atkins said. “Somebody needs to be aware.”
Particularly when, according to Sherry, the values of the institutions she and her husband donate money to are of the utmost importance. Their commitment, she said, is to giving to support causes that align with their values.
And they are careful with where they send those philanthropic funds.
“Jim and I believe in giving when we’re alive so as far as a will, our whole estate, we’re donating. But we are moving our socalled gifts to Wake Forest and (other universities) due to this antisemitism on campuses,” she said.
So, her family, she said, remains committed to the same values they discussed with their children when the land donation was discussed after Glasgow’s death.
It is their duty to give back to help make the world — or their little piece of it — a better place, Sherry said.
And it is not about acclaim or notoriety, she added. It is about doing what is right — honorably and respectfully.
That is why what the YMCA is doing hurts so much.
“It’s not right,” Sherry said. “They should be ashamed of themselves.” n
The Wayne County Public Schools 2024-25 school year is officially over, as the last high school graduations unfolded Tuesday.
NOTICE OF ADMINISTRATION
The undersigned, having qualified as Administrator of the estate Eleanor Goller Clark, deceased, late of Wayne County, this is to notify all persons having claims against said estate to present them to the undersigned on or before the 25th day of August, 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This the 25th day of May, 2025.
Steven J. Clark, Administrator for the Estate of Eleanor Goller Clark, 510 Panorama Park Place, Cary, NC 27519
Published May 25, 2025, June 1, 2025, June 8, 2005, and June 15, 2025
NOTICE OF ADMINISTRATION
The undersigned, having qualified as Administrator of the estate of Helen Byrd Jackson, deceased, late of Wayne County, this is to notify all persons having claims against said estate to present them to the undersigned on or before the 25th day of August, 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This the 25th day of May, 2025.
Robin Pate-Edwards, Administrator for the Estate of Helen Byrd Jackson, 600 Kentucky Drive, Goldsboro, NC 27530
Published May 25, 2025, June 1, 2025, June 8, 2005, and June 15, 2025
AMENDED GENERAL NOTICE OF TAX FORECLOSURE SALE
STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF WAYNE
IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE DISTRICT COURT DIVISION
FILE NO: 21 CVD001609-950
WAYNE COUNTY, Plaintiff vs. REAL ESTATE RESCUE, LLC, Defendant
Under and by virtue of an Order of the Clerk of Superior Court of Wayne County, North Carolina, made and entered in the action
. Wayne
entitled “WAYNE COUNTY vs. REAL ESTATE RESCUE, LLC, the undersigned Commissioner will on the 19th day of June, 2025, offer for sale and sell for cash, to the last and highest bidder at public auction, at the courthouse door in Wayne County, North Carolina, in Goldsboro at 10:00 a.m. the following described real property, lying and being in State and County aforesaid and more particularly described as follows:
TRACT ONE – 218 Hack Drive Dudley, NC (PIN: 2586150319)
BEGINNING at in iron stake located in the southern boundary of Hack Drive, said stake being located N. 75° 3’ W. 6110 feet from the intersection of the southern boundary of Hack Drive and the western boundary of NCSR No. 1130; thence along the southern boundary of Hack Drive, N. 75° 3’ W. 100 feet to a stake; thence S. 14° 57’ W. 239.62 feet to a stake; thence S. 76° 23’ E. 100.03 feet to a stake; thence N. 14° 57’ E. 237.29 feet to the point of beginning, and being Lot No. 31 as shown on a map of plat of Lewis Subdivision (Section 2), said map being recorded in Map Book 9 at Page 33 of the Wayne County Registry.
TRACT TWO –117 Dell Drive, Dudley, NC (PIN: 2586910855)
All that piece, parcel or lot of land situate, lying and being in Wayne County, NC and known and designated as Lot 9 of Carter Plains as shown on a plat by Claude L. Whitfield, Engineer and Surveyor, dated December 8, 1977 recorded in Plat Book H, at Slide 69 of the Wayne County, NC Public Land Records, reference to which is hereby made for a more particular description.
The sale will be made subject to all outstanding city and county taxes and all local improvements assessments against the above-described property not included in the judgment in the above-entitled cause. A deposit of 5 percent (5%) of the successful bid will be required or $750.00, whichever is greater, in the form of cash, certified check or money order. This the 30th day of May, 2025.
Andrew J. Neal
Attorney for Plaintiff P.O. Box 227 Goldsboro, NC 27533 (919) 705-1713
Published June 8, 2025, and June 15, 2025
All persons, firms and corporations having claims against Ella Hamer, deceased, of Wayne County, are notified to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 25th day of August, 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to the estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This 25th day of May, 2025.
Lisa Hampton, Executor of the Estate of Ella Hamer 1008 Edgerton Street Goldsboro, NC, 27530
Published May 25, 2025, June 1, 2025, June 8, 2025, and June 15, 2025
All persons, firms and corporations having claims against Wendell C. Griffith, deceased, of Wayne County, are notified to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 15th day of September, 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to the estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This 15th day of June, 2025.
Lorri D. Griffith, Executor of the Estate of Wendell C. Griffith 401 South Claiborne Street Goldsboro, NC 27530
Published June 15, 2025, June 22, 2025, June 29, 2025, July 6, 2025
All persons, firms and corporations having claims against Elnora E. Griffith, deceased, of Wayne County, are notified to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 15th day of September, 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to the estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This 15th day of June, 2025.
Lorri D. Griffith, Executor of the Estate of Elnora E. Griffith 401 South Claiborne Street Goldsboro, NC 27530
Published June 15, 2025, June 22, 2025, June 29, 2025, July 6, 2025
The undersigned, having qualified as Administrator of the estate Betty Creech Price, deceased, late of Wayne County, this is to notify all persons having claims against said estate to present them to the undersigned on or before the 15th day of September, 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This 15th day of June, 2025.
Gregory B. Price, Administrator for the Estate of Betty Creech Price, 404 Connie Circle Goldsboro, NC 27530
Published June 15, 2025, June 22, 2025, June 29, 2025, July 6, 2025
NOTICE TO CREDITORS OF RAYMOND TERRY WARD
All persons, firms and corporations having claims against Raymond Terry Ward, deceased, of Wayne County, are notified to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 15th day of September, 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to the estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned.
This 15th day of June, 2025.
Sylvia Jackson Ward, Executor of the Estate of Raymond Terry Ward 1014 N.C. Highway 55 West Mount Olive, NC 28365
Published June 15, 2025, June 22, 2025, June 29, 2025, July 6, 2025
All persons, firms and corporations having claims against Jo Carraway Gurley, deceased, of Wayne County, are notified to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 15th day of September, 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to the estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This 15th day of June, 2025.
Shannon G. Walker, Executor of the Estate of Jo Carraway Gurley 3324 Grove Point Drive Winterville, NC 28590
Published June 15, 2025, June 22, 2025, June 29, 2025, July 6, 2025
2-INCH GALVANIZED WATER PROJECT FOR THE CITY OF GOLDSBORO, N. C.
Sealed bids will be received by the City of Goldsboro, North Carolina until 2:00 pm on Tuesday, June 24, 2025, at which time the bids will be publicly opened and read aloud. Bids shall be enclosed in a sealed envelope and clearly marked on the outside with the Bidder’s name, address, license number and “Bid Documents: #FB 2024002-R, “PROPOSAL FOR THE
2-INCH GALVANIZED WATER PROJECT.” All proposals must be made on the blank forms provided for that purpose. Bids may be delivered by parcel service, U.S. Mail Service or presented in person to the City Hall Addition at 200 North Center Street, Goldsboro, or PO Drawer A, Goldsboro, NC 27533. It is fully the Bidders’ responsibility to ensure their package arrives before the bid deadline.
This project is funded through ARRA and all applicable Federal requirements apply.
The work shall consist principally of abandonment and replacement of 2-inch water lines on various streets as shown on the schedule of drawings. Contractors must be licensed under the prevailing State Laws governing their trade.
Each proposal must be accompanied by a certified check, drawn on a bank or trust company authorized to do business in North Carolina, payable to the City of Goldsboro, in an amount to at least equal five percent (5%) of the total amount of the bid, as a guarantee that a contract will be entered into and that a satisfactory performance bond will be executed. In lieu of a certified check, the bidder may submit a bid bond in the form prescribed by G. S. 143-129 as amended by Chapter 1104 of the Public Laws of 1951. Contractors are notified that Legislative Acts relating to licensing of contractors will be observed in receiving bids and awarding the contract. Plans and specifications are on file and may be examined in the office of the City Engineer, Goldsboro, North Carolina; and may be downloaded in Adobe PDF format at the City of Goldsboro website www.goldsboronc. gov under the Bid Listings link. The right is reserved to reject any or all bids, to add or delete work, to waive informalities, and to award contracts which, in the opinion of the City, appear to be in its best interest. The right is reserved to hold any or all proposals for a period of sixty (60) days from the opening thereof. This 14th day of June 2025.
THE CITY OF GOLDSBORO, NC
CATHERINE GWYNN Finance Director
Published June 15, 2025
NOTICE OF SALE OF REAL PROPERTY
STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF WAYNE
PURSUANT to North Carolina
General Statutes Sec. 160A-269 and Sec. 153A-176, the Board of Commissioners of Wayne County and the Board of Commissioners of the Town of Mount Olive have received the following offer for the sale of real property listed below:
ITEM: Vacant lot 106 South Johnson Street Mount Olive, NC
PN: 2572965459
TAKE NOTICE that anyone may raise said bid or offer within ten (10) days by not less than ten (10) percent of the first one thousand dollars ($1,000.00) and five (5) percent of the remainder by depositing with the City Clerk or Town Attorney of the Town of Mount Olive five (5) percent of the increased bid. This procedure will be repeated until no further qualifying upset bids are received, at which time the Boards of Commissioners may accept the offer and sell the property to the highest bidder. The Boards of Commissioners reserve the right to reject any and all offers. Deadline for raised bid is Tuesday, June 24, 2025 at 5:00 PM. This the 14th day of June, 2025.
SHERRY DAVIS
City Clerk
W. CARROLL TURNER
City Attorney
Published June 15, 2025
TOWN OF PIKEVILLE
Notice is hereby given for the Town of Pikeville Board of Commissioners will hold a public hearing for the purpose of considering a property rezoning request for the yet to be developed property at the end of South Mill Street. Surrounding property owners have been notified but anyone is welcome to speak. The public hearing will be held at Pikeville Town Hall on Thursday, June 26th beginning at 6:00pm.
Tim Biggerstaff Town Manager Town of Pikeville
Published June 15, 2025, and June 22, 2025
The undersigned, having qualified as Administrator of the estate of George “Buddy” Goodwin, deceased, late of Wayne County, this is to notify all persons having claims against said estate to present them to the undersigned on or before the 15th day of September, 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This the 15th day of June, 2025.
Ashley Casey, Administrator for the Estate of George “Buddy” Ray Goodwin, 132 Blueberry Road Goldsboro, NC 27530
Published June 15, 2025, June 22, 2025, June 29, 2025, July 6, 2025
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