Until Wednesday, the Freedom Tree had stood in downtown Goldsboro for more than 50 years. But local leaders have vowed to ensure the site remains "hallowed grounds."
BY KEN FINE
SPECIAL REPORT
Members of the Goldsboro City Council passed the 20252026 fiscal year budget — and a water and sewer rate hike.
p.4
ALSO The fight to save Seymour Johnson's F-15Es continues. p.8
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CONTENTS
4 City budget passes — barely
A 4-3 vote gave city leaders a green light to, among other things, increase employee salaries, provide staff with a bonus, fix streets, and demolish blighted homes.
6 Matthews bashes process
City Councilwoman Brandi Matthews said she was upset that no budget work session was held before the council voted to approve City Manager Matthew Livingston's recommended 20252026 fiscal year budget, despite the fact that she stayed silent in May when Mayor Charles Gaylor asked if a special-called meeting was worth exploring.
7 City, county make a deal
Goldsboro agreed to not annex parcels at the ParkEast Industrial Park in exchange for a piece of tax revenue from the property.
8 F-15E efforts continue
Friends of Seymour Johnson Air Force Base President Henry Smith told a crowd at a press conference that he is confident the pause on Strike Eagle divestments would be extended until 2029.
14 Cover story
More than 50 years ago, a tree was planted to honor a missing-inaction fighter pilot. Wednesday, it was taken down.
20 Public Notices
COVER PHOTO BY KEN FINE
Mayor Charles Gaylor called it a “compromise budget” — a spending plan that reduced City Manager Matthew Livingston’s recommended water and sewer rate increase by 2 percent and included previously excluded bonuses for city staff members at the request of Councilman Chris Boyette.
It also reflected a commitment to city employees — providing what had been characterized as a much-needed cost-of-living salary increase and the addition of three new positions recommended by Dr. Russell Campbell, senior advisor with Management Advisory Group International, who said Goldsboro needed to be competitive to attract qualified candidates for open positions.
It addressed other needs, too, including what officials from WithersRavenel told the council were “critical” road improvements that would ultimately cost a staggering $51 million.
And it allocated additional funds for the demolition of blighted homes — a program that has been met by the public with rave reviews since Councilwoman Jamie Taylor fought to restart it during the 2024-2025 budget planning cycle.
But that did not stop three members of the board from voting against it.
Roderick White, Brandi Matthews, and Hiawatha Jones gave the plan a thumbs down, telling their colleagues that because it included the 7.5 percent water and sewer rate hike, they could not support it — despite the fact that the three had, moments earlier, already voted against the rate increases.
Matthews even suggested allowing for a vote on the spending plan without a water rate included, although it is unclear how that would be possible, as without published water and sewer rates, it would be impossible to project revenues and set proposed expenditures to balance the budget.
- Ken Fine
NEWS + VIEWS
THE FOLLOWING ARE THE “KEY” COMPONENTS OF THE CITY’S 2025-2026 SPENDING PLAN
TAX RATE
The city’s property tax raise has been reduced to 69 cents per $100, but the rate still reflects a tax increase. In the 2024-2025 budget, the rate was set at 82.5 cents per $100, but because of the county’s recent revaluation of properties, the revenue-neutral rate for 2025-2026 — the rate that would have brought in the same amount of tax dollars that 82.5 cents brought in last year — was 52.32 cents. The tax increase was necessary, city leaders said, to ensure money was available for the creation of new positions, capital expenses, and long-overdue salary increases for employees.
WATER AND SEWER RATE
The majority of the City Council voted to increase water and sewer rates by 7.5 percent to ensure money was set aside to compel the Local Government Commission to approve loans for expansion of the water treatment plant and construction of a new water plant — projects that will cost hundreds of millions of dollars. City Manager Matthew Livingston told Wayne Week during the budget process that taxpayers should look at the investment as akin to putting money aside for a down payment on a house, but Councilwoman Brandi Matthews characterized the move as “hoarding” money.
RAISES/BONUSES
City employees will receive both a cost-of-living wage increase and a one-time holiday bonus. Full-time employees will receive a $400 bonus, and part-time employees will get $200, a decision that came after Councilman Chris Boyette fought to make those payments permanent, as in his view, that was the intent of the previous council that created the bonus structure.
NEW POSITIONS
Upon the advice of a consultant who said earlier this year Goldsboro was operating, in many ways, like it was still in the 1980s, city staff added funding for three new positions — a second assistant city manager, a deputy police chief, and a stormwater administrator.
EDGEWOOD
The budget also allows for the city to pay rent to Wayne County Public Schools, as Goldsboro’s Parks and Recreation Department prepares to move into the former Edgewood Community Developmental School. City leaders say the move will allow for more programming and ultimately save taxpayers money, as previous plans called for the construction of a more-than-$11 million recreation center to replace what they characterized as an unsuitable facility at Herman Park.
OTHER INVESTMENTS
The budget includes $1.2 million for street repaving, $3.45 million for vehicles and equipment, and $3.26 million for utility fund capital expenses.
Lack of budget work session draws Matthews’ ire
Councilwoman Brandi Matthews stayed silent when Mayor Charles Gaylor first broached the subject of a budget work session. Now, she is “disappointed” that one did not materialize on short notice.
BY KEN FINE
Back on May 19, Mayor Charles Gaylor asked members of the Goldsboro City Council if they wanted to schedule a budget work session — a common practice that allows staff and elected officials to come together to work through potential changes to the city manager’s recommended spending plan.
“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.
But that evening, nobody on the board said they wanted one.
In fact, Chris Boyette was the only council member who even responded to the question — saying that while he would be comfortable addressing his concerns and priorities with City Manager Matthew Livingston on a one-on-one basis, he would follow the action plan his fellow representatives were comfortable with.
“I’m OK with the individual approach personally,” he said. “But I’m willing to do whatever the majority wants to do.”
Again, the council stayed silent.
But on June 2, Councilwoman Brandi Matthews seemed 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.”
And since that time, she has scrutinized Livingston and her fellow council members for what she characterized as a “disappointing” decision she seemingly had a hand in.
Had Matthews requested, back in May, a work session, City Clerk Laura Gaetz would have had nearly a month to work with as she went back and forth with council members about a date everyone would be available.
But because the councilwoman declined to do so — and waited until June 2 to call for a special called meeting — staff was unable to find a date that worked for the majority of the council.
That did not, however, stop Matthews from expressing her frustration.
In an email she sent to Livingston that was obtained by Wayne Week via a records request, Matthews said her request was “com-
pletely ignored.”
“It is really disheartening to know that the most important thing we do as a council has been diminished to private meetings and emails!” she wrote. “These conversations should be had OUTLOUD so everyone can hear them. I’ve never known this to be in all my years on council and even before my election. I would have hoped you as our city manager would find more value in open dialogue concerning something so major.”
She didn’t stop there.
Monday, before she voted against a 7.5 percent water and sewer rate increase, she said something similar.
“I would have liked for us to have a budget session so we could discuss this out loud as a council to possibly throw out some other numbers,” she said.
And a few minutes later, before she voted against Livingston’s recommended 2025-2026 fiscal year budget, she addressed the issue again.
“I do want to reiterate how disappointed I am in this council for not finding it necessary to have a special allotted time that we could come together as a board to discuss this budget,” Matthews said. “I cannot remember a time where we did not allocate specific time for us to get together to discuss the budget as a whole, and it’s really disappointing because we diminished that opportunity to private meetings with staff and emails and phone calls. That’s not how we should do business.” n
City, county make a deal
In what some leaders are lauding as a significant win for both parties, Wayne County is going to ensure Goldsboro gets a piece of what is expected to be a tax revenue windfall now that the city has agreed not to annex parcels located in ParkEast Industrial Park.
BY RENEE CAREY
Members of the Goldsboro City Council agreed to supply city water and sewer services to four parcels located in the county-owned ParkEast Industrial Park — but not annex the land — to ensure one of the most significant economic development deals in Wayne County history moves forward.
In return, the county has agreed to share equally with the city “ad valorem taxes on the real and personal property” — a move Mayor Charles Gaylor characterized as “really unique.”
“That does not happen very often,” he said. “You know, (the county has) invested in the building and the land acquisition.”
Council members also agreed that the city would forego a split of tax proceeds on property associated with the construction of Pelsan Tekstil’s new facility until the county has recouped more than $2.5 million in property taxes — the amount it invested in the land and the shell buildings that sealed the deal.
Back in May, two historic economic development announcements were made inside the Maxwell Center — one by Gov. Josh Stein, and the other, on his behalf, by State Rep. John Bell.
Pelsan Tekstil, a Turkish company that makes breathable polyethylene films for the medical, hygiene, and insulation sectors, would soon be making an $82 million capital investment in Goldsboro — one that would see the creation of 216 jobs.
And Prolec-GE Waukesha would make a $140 million capital investment, a move that would result in another 330 jobs.
County Manager Chip Crumpler characterized both deals as wins for the community.
“For me, economic development is about more than just numbers and press releases. It’s about people, and especially, our young people. I want my kids and all the young adults growing up here to have a real opportunity at home. I want them to see a future in Wayne County and not feel as if they have to leave to find success,” he said last month. “When companies choose to invest here, they’re not just bringing jobs. They help us build a community that people want to come back to, put roots down in, and be proud of.”
Pelsan’s plan includes purchasing two shell buildings located on the sprawling 32-acre ParkEast site on Gateway Drive.
And while the property is valued at more than $7.7 million, Pelsan will get a deal from the Wayne County Board of Commissioners — roughly $2.5 million off the asking price, the money the county will recoup before Goldsboro starts getting its split of tax revenue.
Councilman Chris Boyette, who also serves on the Wayne County Development Alliance executive board, said he “proudly” fought to ensure the city board accepted the terms set forth Monday by the county.
“The message this sends is that we are working together, and there is no better message, in my opinion, to send to potential investors,” he said.
“The relationship we are building and nurturing with the county matters because having a united front is certainly more valuable than being at odds. That makes what the council did a significant win. If we keep it up, our future is going to be bright.”
Back in May, NC Global Transpark President Mark Pope said something similar.
“I’ve told people several times before,” he said. “It’s our time.”
Pelsan, a subsidiary to the Hassan group, has more than 70 years of experience in the polyethylene film sector and currently operates in Turkey, Russia, and Switzerland.
Its Goldsboro facility will employ engineers, machine operators, and finance and supply chain specialists with an average salary of nearly $50,000 a year — jobs that should be created within the next six years.
And Prolec-GE, with locations in the U.S., Mexico, and Brazil, is one of North America’s leading manufacturers of power transformers — and will build a “high tech and future ready” 144,000-square-foot facility that, according to its parent company’s CEO, will allow for “promise and possibility” both for Wayne County and a country that is moving toward a cleaner, more sustainable form of energy.
So, while Boyette knows that the city’s piece of tax revenue won’t come for a few years, he said having people with the vision and knowledge to understand the future impact was critical to ensuring more announcements are made down the road.
“Like I said last month, what people need to understand is that what we are going to ultimately collect in taxes, those dollars will allow us to do even more in our community,” he said. “And it’s absolutely worth repeating that the time, our time, is now.” n
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Friends of Seymour eyes two more years before F-15E divestment
The organization’s president, Henry Smith, told a crowd at Congressman Don Davis’ press conference that the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act would likely include an extension on the prohibition of Strike Eagle retirements.
BY KEN FINE
Aday after he, at U.S. House Armed Services Committee hearing, reminded Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine about the role members of the 335th Fighter Squadron played in the defense of Israel in April 2024, Congressman Don Davis was in Goldsboro — again banging the drum for support for Seymour Johnson Air Force Base.
But perhaps the most significant revelation from the Wednesday press conference came from Friends of Seymour President Henry Smith, who told the elected officials and community leaders in the room that he believes language would be inserted into the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act that would pause the divestment of F-15Es until 2029.
The current prohibition on the retirement of Strike Eagles, which Davis and Sen. Ted Budd championed last year, keeps the 4th Fighter Wing’s fleet safe through the end of 2027.
So, when Smith revealed that lawmakers have been receptive to a more extended pause, those in the room cheered.
But that was not the only good news Smith delivered.
He also said Friends of Seymour was fighting for hundreds of millions of dollars for maintenance of the base’s current fleet.
“I think we have asked for an additional $300 million for maintenance,” he said. “The Air Force has been funding maintenance at about 80 percent for the last 20 years. These jets need some maintenance dollars. They need some love so they can continue to do the work this country needs done.”
The first warning sign was delivered during a marathon Senate Armed Services Committee hearing July 11, 2023, when then-Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Charles Brown Jr. was asked, by Budd, about plans spelled out in the Department of Defense’s “Report on Force Structure Changes for the Fiscal Year 2024 Defense Budget” — specifically, the proposed retirement of 119 F-15Es.
The general, who went on to serve as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told the senator that the decision was made to “balance capability and capacity” — that to do so, the Air Force would retire the least-advanced
Strike Eagles in its inventory while adding F-35 Lightning IIs and F-15EXs.
“Prioritizing modernization efforts to keep pace with near-peer competitors requires difficult tradeoffs with existing inventories and programs,” Brown said. “The Air Force determined the best mix for the fighter fleet calls for maintaining an F-15E fleet of 99 aircraft … and shifting resources to maximize procurement of newer fighters and capabilities.”
Air Force leaders, the general added, believed then that backfilling the fleet with more than 100 F-15EXs — a two-seat fighter with a stronger airframe and 28 percent larger payload than the Strike Eagle — was the most prudent path forward.
And while Budd later attempted — by inserting language into the Senate’s version of the 2024 NDAA — to protect Seymour Johnson’s fleet, his effort came up short.
Fewer Strike Eagles would be taken out of the inventory because of him, but there would still be an impact on the 4th Fighter Wing.
The 333rd would be deactivated.
The 335th Fighter Squadron, known as the “Chiefs” and currently one of the 4th’s two operational fighter squadrons, would become a training squadron in 2025.
And the wing itself would shift to a strictly-training mission.
Then, April 13, 2024, happened.
4th Fighter Wing F-15E crews, on short notice, were called on to respond after Iran launched an unprecedented aerial attack on Israel.
The airmen lived up to their reputation — knocking an historic number of drones and missiles out of the sky — and earned the praise of then-President Joe Biden, who called them “the best in the whole damn world.”
And when the commander-in-chief of the nation’s armed forces publicly acknowledged the 335th’s role in defending Israel, some saw it as an opening to celebrate Seymour Johnson — and to fight for its future.
Davis and Budd were among those who began rallying their colleagues around the Strike Eagle.
And Friends of Seymour redoubled its efforts, too.
They succeeded.
By June, Budd was touting his effort to insert a provision into the 2025 NDAA that “fully prohibits” the Air Force from divesting F-15E Strike Eagle aircraft at Seymour Johnson through 2029.
And on the House side of Congress, Davis did the same.
“I refuse to stand idly by as the proposed 520-job cut at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base threatens to damage eastern North Carolina’s economy, already one of the most economically distressed regions in the nation. The Air Force’s plan to eliminate an entire squadron at Seymour Johnson is unacceptable. That is why I authored an amendment in the NDAA requiring transparency and accountability to the people of Wayne County and eastern North Carolina,” he said in a press release last summer. And while, in the end, neither Budd nor Davis got exactly what they wanted, they were able to buy time — until 2027.
“By pushing off the retirement of F-15E aircraft until 2027, we have more time to achieve a long-term solution and continue prioritizing economic stability for Wayne County and eastern North Carolina,” Davis said.
Wednesday, Smith said another two years makes sense — particularly given the millions of dollars that have been spent upgrading the 4th Fighter Wing’s fleet.
“There is not another jet that can be built on a timely basis that can perform the missions that the F-15Es at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base can do,” he said. “It would be a horrible waste of taxpayer money to take these upgraded jets and put them in the boneyard.”
Davis agreed.
But his next step — and the reason for the press conference — is pursuing bipartisan support for a bill that would instruct the Air Force to “prioritize” looking at what the future holds for Seymour Johnson, whether that be housing the F-15EX or a Next Generation Air Dominance aircraft like the F-47, all while using the current conflict between Israel and Iran to remind his colleagues on Capitol Hill who came to Israel’s defense back in April 2024.
“We’re going to do everything we can to fight for Seymour Johnson Air Force Base,” Davis said. n
An F-15E Strike Eagle flys an evening sortie.
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION
{ our TAKE }
TALKING UP A STORM
It is astonishing how often the old adage, “elections have consequences,” is proven right.
And we have experienced a whole lot of the “you get what you vote — or don’t vote — for” frustration in Goldsboro and Wayne County over the years.
The good news is that more and more of us are waking up — and doing something about people who have no business being in any kind of position of authority in this community.
We finally get that it makes a difference whom you have asking the questions and making the decisions that will shape your future.
And yet, there are still some people who hold those seats who are becoming speed bumps in the progress of pushing Wayne County forward.
They come from districts where there traditionally has not been a lot of competition — or they are ensconced dinosaurs who glad-hand their way to re-election every year by trotting out the same, tired talking points but never really accomplish anything.
And while we should thank anyone who donates their time in service to their community, we are no longer able to sit back and work around them to get things done.
You see, for years, some public officials have decided that rather than actually do the homework that is required to be productive members of several of our local governing bodies, they have chosen instead:
• To start public feuds over manufactured outrage.
• To raise questions they really should already know the answers to, and to try to imply that they aren’t being given access or an opportunity to get the information they need to make a reasonable decision.
• To throw around false or misleading claims to push a destructive narrative — usually involving race or an implication that their city, county, board or commission doesn’t care about low-income families and neighborhoods. (That is not the truth, by the way — or even close to it in some cases
— but it is a device to signal to their constituents that they are “on the job protecting their rights.” They aren’t. Because if they were, they would tell the people who voted for them the facts, instead of conjuring up a distraction to cover up for the fact that they really don’t know what they are talking about.)
• To pack the audience with relatives, political allies, friends, or girlfriends when they start one of their pieces of performance art to leave the impression that there are a whole lot of people who agree with them — and to encourage those same people to post disparaging comments about their political enemies online during meetings.
• To try to silence critics by doing business just outside the rules of freedom of information, open public comment, and the true spirit of what it means to serve — representing their constituents and allowing them to see firsthand how the sausage is made when it comes to running a city or county or school district and planning for a strong future for it.
We are sure that likely, you have already put a few names to this list.
We certainly have.
But what we want to talk about today is why you, the reader, the taxpayer, the resident, should be very careful about falling for the grift of some of those same public officials — and why you should get the facts yourself whenever possible.
If you paid attention to Monday’s Goldsboro City Council meeting, you might have noticed that Councilwoman Brandi Matthews started a kerfuffle about the city’s budget — demanding to know why there had been no budget work session to discuss it.
It was “disappointing” and unprecedented, she said.
And you probably also heard a whole bunch of yick yack about “hoarding money” and the proposed water rate hike.
Heck, if you didn’t know the facts, you might actually agree with her.
But this is a perfect example of why you have to take some members of the City Council with a grain of salt — and why you can NEVER let your guard down when it comes to choosing people to represent you on local boards.
The truth is that members of the City Council were offered the opportunity to meet to discuss their concerns about the budget — IN MAY — and Mayor Charles Gaylor even asked them in a public meeting what their preference was regarding budget discussion. Crickets.
No one said anything other than Chris Boyette, who told Gaylor he would be fine with one-on-one conversations with city leaders regarding the budget, but also was more than willing to go along with whatever his fellow council members decided.
Crickets again.
But Monday, Matthews, one of the council members who checks several of the boxes listed above, couldn’t seem to understand why no one arranged a budget work session.
Perhaps she should rewatch the May 19 council meeting.
Matthews, though, wants you to believe that nobody did enough to ensure a work session happened — failing to mention that her silence in May resulted in the board having several fewer weeks to find the time to come together for a special-called meeting.
And that, friends, is how you manufacture a “scandal.”
Gaylor did not deserve her tirade — and neither did the city manager, whom she tried to ding again for another issue, water and sewer rates.
On that issue, it seems that Matthews and her fellow council member, Roderick White, did not fully understand the at least three explanations of what the money raised from the
rate increase would be funding — not during the council retreat when they heard it from an expert on water/sewer systems; not when they heard it again during a council meeting; and not when it was discussed yet another time when White threw out that he wanted a “full accounting” of where the money would be going.
It was even explained AGAIN Monday before the two voted against the rate hike, with Matthews characterizing setting aside money to prove to the Local Government Commission that Goldsboro was worthy of hundreds of millions of dollars in loans as “hoarding.”
But just in case you have other things to do in your life, we will share the “why” with you: The city is on the verge of the state shutting down development and placing Goldsboro under a water and sewer moratorium because of the capacity of its water treatment plant.
And without a plan to move forward, recent announcements like the hundreds of millions in capital investment heading our way in the coming months would not be possible.
By the way, because of the city’s past financial concerns — and because entities that fund public service projects like this are prickly that way — anyone willing to loan the money for such a mammoth expenditure will want to see that the city has some cash in the bank.
Just like a down payment on a house. Only in this case, that house is going to cost several hundred million dollars.
That is what a responsible and informed City Council member would communicate to his/her constituents.
That is how you explain why everyone needs to pitch in a little more.
But instead, these “representatives of the people” suggested that the city was “hoarding” money and that those who supported the increase did not care about their community or the families who are struggling to make ends meet.
Good grief.
On the contrary, those city leaders and their city manager, they are looking ahead and finding the best ways to make the city even stronger.
Without planning and development of infrastructure, there will be no future for the city of Goldsboro or the county of Wayne.
If we are not ready for progress, and we don’t address the issues we have that could impede it, we will not benefit from the potential business and residential investment that will come our way. And, by the way, we will not keep Seymour Johnson Air Force Base.
So, despite what some of their cohorts have said in the past, that installation is critical to a strong and thriving region — and city.
If you fell for the histrionics at the council meeting, and listened to the “rah rahs” from the “audience” — many of whom
FUTURE FALCONS
AGES
were plants — you won’t get how important this budget and this rate increase are to the future of the city.
And you probably even missed that the city manager and his staff worked especially hard to reduce the amount of that increase Goldsboro would need — knocking 2 percentage points off the total.
But luckily, you, dear readers, are informed.
And you know better than to fall for the sound bites and attention ploys.
Now, perhaps, you could explain all of that to Matthews, White and Hiawatha Jones.
And while you’re at it, maybe unwrap for them that after they voted against a very-nec-
essary water and sewer rate hike — it was a separate vote — they still could have voted “yes” on a budget that will invest in fixing roads, knocking down blighted homes, strengthening public safety, and giving employees a much-needed raise and bonus. Instead, they opted, again, to pander. None of them seem to get it.
And word on the street is that at least one of them is eyeing a 2027 run for mayor.
So, remember, your votes matter.
Make sure you are paying close attention. Your future — and the community we will leave to our children and grandchildren — depends on it. n
A tree falls. The mission lives on.
Atree fell Wednesday in downtown Goldsboro.
And it did not do so silently.
The willow oak that has stood for more than 50 years in the city’s core was a tribute to the memory of a man who gave his life in service to his country.
But it was also a promise made by former Mayor Tommy Gibson and his family and those who rallied to make sure it got there. The vow they made was simple, but heavy with responsibility and meaning: That this community would never, ever forget that freedom is never free, and that we stand on the shoulders of the men and women who put on a uniform and risk their lives to protect it.
The Freedom Tree came down this week not because it had served its purpose or because this community no longer acknowledges the commitments made at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base or at military installations all around the world.
It does not mean that the men and women who serve at SJAFB and the service members who have lost their lives for that service are forgotten.
The willow oak was, quite simply, diseased and had reached its natural end.
But that doesn’t mean that Gibson could sit there and watch as it came down without a tear or two falling from his eyes.
He remembers why it was put there in the first place, and he knows the importance of what it symbolizes.
The tree was planted to honor a member of the SJAFB community who never made it home.
And even now, the sacrifice made by Maj. Peter Cleary rests heavy.
The decades that have passed have not erased the memory or eased the feeling of responsibility Gibson and his family have felt and still feel.
That tree was their way of saying thank you.
So, we understand why seeing it come down was not easy.
That tree has weathered many a hurricane, bad weather, and the wrath of the sun and environmental challenges.
It grew strong and reached its branches to the sky and sent the message that this community’s heart will always be missing a piece because of those who have sacrificed all for their community, their unit, their comrades in arms, and their country.
And it has been a symbol for decades of service members who came after.
But there is good news.
Goldsboro will not really be saying goodbye.
City and downtown leaders have promised that there always will be a tree in downtown Goldsboro — a pledge of a continued commitment to the men and women who serve, not just at SJAFB, but in all branches of service.
This is a community, they say, that will never, ever forget,
And it seems fitting that there will be a new tree in that spot — perhaps one grown from an acorn that, once upon a time, fell off that willow oak.
But something else happened Wednesday, too.
There was a press conference at which Congressman Don Davis discussed the road to keep Seymour Johnson right here in Wayne County — thriving and growing.
The fight would not be easy, he said, but
he and Sen. Ted Budd, and many others at the state and federal level, are pushing to make sure those in Washington know just what that base means to this community.
And when the previous administration came for the F-15E Strike Eagle, those men saved it.
We got our second chance.
But that was not the good news we got at that presser.
Friends of Seymour President Henry Smith announced that talks with the Pentagon have resulted in what he believes could be another reprieve for the Strike Eagle fleet and the potential for continued investment in the military installation that has been home to thousands of pilots, maintainers, and others.
We hope he is right.
Because we and our friends at SJAFB are family — always have been and always will be.
Now, all we have to do is get the work done to make sure it stays that way.
So, we will plant another Freedom Tree and we will keep doing what we have been doing for decades — making Seymour Johnson service members and their families feel like they are in their home away from home.
But we also have to do the work — making the changes and doing the improvements that are necessary to prove a vision and a commitment to the future.
That means getting those who want to impede it out of the way.
Renewing our commitment to the base is not just about glad-handing and parties and flag flying.
It is about making sure we have created
an environment that will allow the base to grow and to continue its mission of caring for the freedom so many others take for granted — and remembering that everyone who wears the uniform is someone’s beloved father, mother, son or daughter.
And as silly as it might sound to some, that new Freedom Tree will be a reinforcement of this community’s love for those who serve.
But a phone call to the offices of those who are charged with ensuring the base’s future — and that it will remain right where it is with a new mission and, down the road, a new fleet — is not going to happen without all of you.
You know how to make your voices heard.
So, make sure those in Washington who are charged with making these momentous decisions know how much this community treasures and respects the base and those who serve there.
We believe you will be shocked at the difference you can make if you do.
Because in this case, the squeaky wheel will absolutely get the grease.
And later this summer or fall, when the time comes for yet another planting ceremony, come on down to Center Street.
It is our turn to stand with the next generation of the Gibson family as we rededicate ourselves to a promise made decades ago.
Because, you see, it was never just a tree. It was a “little thing” that sent a massive message to those who will soon determine the future of the Air Force.
Let’s make sure, more than 50 years after this community first delivered that message, that they hear us again. n
A shot from the FreedomTree dedication in 1973.
July 26th from 9am-1pm
GOD IS GATHERING KINGDOM AMBASSADORS ACROSS EDUCATION TO RECLAIM TERRITORY THROUGH WORSHIP, PROPHETIC TEACHING, AND COMMISSIONING BY REALIGNING IDENTITY, RESTORING VISION, AND RELEASING BOLDNESS TO INFLUENCE EDUCATION FROM THE INSIDE OUT.
- FOR ALL FACULTY & STAFF - HIGHSCHOOL AND COLLEGE STUDENTS ARE WELCOMED
- BREAKOUT SESSIONS, KEYNOTE SPEAKER, VENDORS, & MORE
- LOCATION: 900 WEST NEW HOPE RD. GOLDSBORO NC 27534
THE GIVING TREE
The willow oak that was planted to honor a missing-in-action fighter pilot might be gone, but city leaders said the land it grew on for more than 50 years will forever be a memorial.
BY KEN FINE
Tommy Gibson had tears in his eyes as the sound of a chainsaw buzzing through a tree branch took him back more than 50 years.
“I was the one who planted it,” he said, his voice breaking as he looked across Center Street at what was, only a few moments earlier, a sprawling willow oak. “Now, I’m gonna be here to watch them bring it down.”
In some ways, the former Goldsboro mayor is surprised the tree lasted as long as it did.
But as passersby stopped next to his lawn chair over the several hours it took a crew to accomplish what hurricanes, severe weather events, and construction projects could not, Gibson, on several occasions, got emotional.
“I told one girl that when I got here this morning, I was crying like a baby,” he said. “I understand why they have to do it, but I’m sad to see it go.”
More than five decades ago, it was just a sapling — a skinny willow oak that stood no more than six feet tall.
But for those who nestled it in a swath of broken ground along Center Street — and imagined what it would, one day, become — it was never really about the tree itself.
It was a symbol of sacrifice, the ultimate sacrifice.
The story of Gibson, the man who led the charge to plant it on that sunny day in 1973, has been well documented, and not just in the Feb. 23, 2025, edition of Wayne Week.
He has talked about the “wave of emotion” that hit him when he looked out at family members of the missing-in-action fighter pilot in whose memory the tree was dedicated.
Downtown Goldsboro Development Corporation Executive Director Erin Fonseca said the Gibsons — and the Cleary family — will have nothing to worry about.
At least not on her watch.
The Freedom Tree site, she said, will remain a place where people from all walks of life can come together “to remember” — even if it remains, for now, unclear just what the future memorial will look like beyond the Blue Star and Gold Star plaques that will grace the plot come September.
“We intend for that site to remain a place that honors the memory of Maj. Cleary,” she said. “That place will always be special.”
The existence of what was, until Wednesday, a sprawling willow oak, started with a phone call — when Cleary’s family members asked Goldsboro leaders to consider honoring their loved one.
The Freedom Tree concept, they told Gibson, was originated by Voices in Vital America, the organization that created POW/MIA bracelets that were worn across the country — and world — during the Vietnam War.
The mayor didn’t need much convincing. Not long after, there was a ceremony and the tree was planted.
A plaque was handed to the fighter pilot’s wife. And from that moment on, that willow oak remained — still standing when Vietnam POWs touched down at Seymour Johnson and when Cleary was declared killed in action by the Department of Defense, his remains were identified in 2002, and he was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
But in recent decades, the tree began to decline. And as disease had already begun to ravage it, Mark Metzler, owner of Landscape Design of Goldsboro, said the Center Street streetscape project was “the final nail in the coffin.”
“You can only expect so much out of a tree when it’s surrounded by asphalt and concrete,” he said.
Like the Gibsons, though, he would rather think about the future than what led to the Freedom Tree’s demise.
He has reminisced about watching that willow oak survive hurricanes and construction projects.
He has explained, in the best way he knows how, why he believes the “Freedom Tree” endured long after Maj. Peter Cleary’s remains were identified and returned to the United States for burial.
And he and his son, Ben, have compelled current city leaders to ensure that when the time came to cut what had become a beyond-salvageable diseased tree down, the
place where it has stood for the last five decades remains “hallowed ground.”
“To me, it would be a crying shame to see that corner turn into something else. It would almost be a slap in the face to do anything but put another tree in that spot,” Ben told Wayne Week earlier this year. “What I don’t want to see happen down there is for that to just turn into another location for another piece of modern art. We have enough of that down there.”
But Tuesday, the day before crews began removing the willow oak from Center Street,
“All the powers that be need to look at the bigger picture. The reason that tree is so important … is because those people were there when it was planted and they lived through that war and they saw that tree and watched it grow,” Metzler told Wayne Week. “So, the best thing the city could do is replace the tree, make a big deal about it, and get a bunch of kids out there to educate them on why it matters so that symbol endures for the next 50 years.”
Fonseca vowed to ensure the downtown community never forgets Cleary — or the sacrifices made by so many Seymour Johnson airmen and sons of Wayne County. Continued on page 16
Former Goldsboro Mayor Tommy Gibson sat downtown for hours Wednesday to watch the Freedom Tree he planted more than 50 years ago come down.
Keen Plumbing Co.
WHO WAS MAJ. PETER M. CLEARY?
An F-4 Phantom II pilot assigned to the 523rd Tactical Fighter Squadron, 432nd Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, 7th Air Force, based at Udorn Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand, Capt. U.S. Air Force Capt. Peter M. Cleary and his WSO, Capt. Leonardo “Lenny” Leonor, took off On Oct. 10, 1972, on their final mission over North Vietnam.
Cleary, a decorated pilot who trained on the F-4 at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base as a young aviator, was due to be rotated home after the flight, but during their final mission — after completing their objective — their Phantom dropped off the radar.
After an extensive search failed to locate any evidence of what happened to them, the two airmen were officially listed as Missing in Action. Seven years later, they would be officially designated as Killed in Action by the Department of Defense.
It was later determined that the men crashed after successfully completing their mission, dying instantly. And while, in 1994, the United States located the wreckage of the airmen’s F-4 — it had crashed into a remote mountainside in Quang Binh Province, North Vietnam — and the remains of two individuals, those remains were not positively identified as Cleary and Leonor until 2002.
Once they were positively IDed, the airmen were brought home to the United States and buried with full military honors in Arlington National Cemetery.
Both earned three Distinguished Flying Crosses during their year in combat for heroism and extraordinary achievement in aerial combat and were posthumously promoted to major.
“That place will always be a meaningful gathering place for families of members of the armed forces to remember their loved ones — to honor their loved ones. That will never change,” she said. “The goal of the city of Goldsboro at this point is to find the best way forward to tell the story of Maj. Cleary, to tell the story of Mayor Gibson, and to provide a place for all of the military families who find solace in that space. We want to do justice to all of them.”
And should enough of the wood from the willow oak be salvageable, officials are even discussing creating benches for the site and keepsakes for Cleary’s family.
But whatever happens, one thing, she said, is clear.
“We want to make sure that everyone who comes through Wayne County because of Seymour Johnson — whether
they’re here for one year or, you know, they retire here and stay and raise a family — that they know they have a home here,” Fonseca said. “We want them to know they can put down roots.”
Just like the roots that expanded, for more than 50 years, along Center Street.
And former Mayor Gibson said exactly what the future of the site looks like is not what is important — just as the tree, itself, was not what inspired him to act back in 1973. What matters, to him, is that the swath of land remains “a gift from God.”
That is why, as the branches started coming down and the glow of the sun enveloped the site, he looked toward the heavens — his eyes, again, welling up.
“This might have been the only (Freedom Tree) left,” he said. “I sure hope this community never forgets. I never will.” n Continued
the SPECTATOR
Jam on
Another Center Street Jam is in the books, but there are still more chances for you to get your groove on downtown.
PHOTOS by AUSTIN RYE
NOTICES
NOTICE
TO
CREDITORS
OF WENDELL C. GRIFFITH
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
NOTICE TO
CREDITORS
OF ELNORA E. GRIFFITH
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
NOTICE OF ADMINISTRATION
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
NOTICE TO CREDITORS OF JO CARRAWAY GURLEY
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
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING — 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
NOTICE OF SERVICE BY PUBLICATION
STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF WAYNE
IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE DISTRICT COURT DIVISION
FILE NO: 23CVD001218-950
WAYNE COUNTY and the CITY OF GOLDSBORO, Plaintiffs vs. THE UNKNOWN HEIRS OF RUDOLPH SUGGS and all assignees, heirs at law and devisees, together with all of their creditors and lienholders, regardless of how or through whom they claim, and any and all persons claiming any interest in, by, under or through the Estate of Rudolph Suggs; CASSANDRA SUGGS and SPOUSE, if any; NANCY FOWLKES and SPOUSE, if any; Defendants.
TO: THE UNKNOWN HEIRS OF RUDOLPH SUGGS
TAKE NOTICE THAT:
A pleading seeking relief has been filed in the above-entitled action and notice of service of process by publication will begin on June 22, 2025.
The nature of the relief being sought is as follows: Foreclosure on real property located in Wayne County, North Carolina and described as 308 Creech Street, Goldsboro, NC (PIN:3509330677), which is more completely described in the complaint; to collect delinquent ad valorem taxes. Plaintiffs seek to extinguish any and all claim or interest that you or others may have in said property.
You are required to make defense to such pleading not later than (40) days after the date of the first publication of notice, June 22, 2025, and upon your failure to do so, the party seeking service against you will apply to the Court for the relief sought. This the 12th day of June, 2025.
Published June 22, 2025, June 29, 2025, and July 6, 2025
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING NORTH CAROLINA
WAYNE COUNTY
Notice is hereby given the Wayne County Board of Commissioners will hold a public hearing on Tuesday, July 15, 2025 at 9:30 a.m. in the Commissioners Meeting Room in the Wayne County Courthouse Annex, 224 E. Walnut St., Goldsboro, NC. The purpose of the public hearing is to receive public comments regarding an Amendment to an existing Economic Development Agreement between the City of Goldsboro and the County of Wayne regarding ParkEast Industrial Park Lots 7, 9, 18 and Wayne County PIN 3519915801.
All interested parties are invited to attend this public hearing and be heard. Written comments may be made in advance to the following:
Carol Bowden, Clerk to the Board Wayne County Board of Commissioners P.O. Box 227 Goldsboro, NC 27533-0227 919-731-1445 carol.bowden@waynegov.com
This the 17th day of June, 2025.
Carol Bowden Wayne County Clerk to the Board
Published June 22, 2025, June 29, 2025
NOTICE OF ADMINISTRATION
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
NOTICE TO CREDITORS OF RICHARD GERALD ADAMS,
SR.
All persons, firms and corporations having claims against Richard Gerald Adams, Sr., deceased, of Wayne County, are notified to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 22nd 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 22nd day of June, 2025.
Jennifer Harrell, Executor of the Estate of Richard Gerald Adams Sr. 278 Aycock Dairy Farm Road Fremont, NC 27830
Published June 22, 2025, June 29, 2025, July 6, 2025, and July 13, 2025
