OCTOBER 12, 2025
Ahead of the Saving Union Station group launching a fundraising campaign in late Judge Charles Gaylor's memory, his son, Goldsboro's mayor, opened up about losing his father — and how the former judge raised him to value protecting the city's past for future generations.
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BY KEN FINE
OCTOBER 12, 202 5 Volume 3, Issue 9 NEWOLDNORTH.COM
EDITOR Ken Fine
EDITOR Renee Carey
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PHOTOGRAPHY DIRECTOR Casey Mozingo
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WAYNE WEEK (ISSN 2993-9666) is published weekly — except the week of Christmas, Easter, and July 4 — for $125 per year by New Old North Media, LLC, 219 N. John Street, Goldsboro, NC, 27530. Periodicals postage paid at at Goldsboro, NC. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to WAYNE WEEK, 219 N. John Street, Goldsboro, NC 27530.
In a letter obtained by Wayne Week that Glenn Holland sent to the North Carolina Office of the State Auditor, Mount Olive's interim town manager told state officials he feels the town has satisfied investigators' recommendations for the operation of the Mount Olive Municipal Airport.
Airmen might not be getting their next paycheck, Seymour Johnson Air Force's Base's social media accounts and website are not publishing, civilian contractors are in limbo, and several offices are either closed or operating in a "partial" capacity as government shutdown comes home to Wayne County.
Starting Thursday, residents of nearly every Wayne County municipality will have the option to take to the ballot box to choose their future leaders.
As members of the Saving Union Station group prepare to launch a fundraising effort in memory of the late Judge Charles Gaylor, his son, Goldsboro's mayor, opens up about losing his father — and what his hero taught him about the importance of preserving the community's past for future generations.
National Night Out saw local children, their parents, and law enforcement officials come together.
20 Public Notices
A letter sent to the State Auditor's office by Interim Mount Olive Town Manager Glenn Holland claims that most of the problems have been recti fied at the Mount Olive Municipal Airport.
BY KEN FINE
Interim Town Manager Glenn Holland admitted that the town will likely never know how much money it lost from 2017 to 2024 — the many years Mount Olive taxpayers were footing Wi-Fi and telephone bills at the Mount Olive Municipal Airport, despite the fact that the airport operator was contractually bound to cover those costs.
“The records could not be verified to determine the amount,” he said.
But Holland, in a letter sent to the North Carolina Office of the State Auditor Oct. 3 that was obtained by Wayne Week, noted that when it comes to the other findings documented in a damning report published by the NCOSA earlier this year, he believes the town has course-corrected sufficiently enough to see the investigation into the airport “closed.”
In August, state officials outlined a myriad of issues at the airport and concluded they had found evidence of mismanagement of town records, inadequate contract and accounting practices, improperly authorized purchases and contracts that were not being followed.
“We found that Town records were unverifiable; contract and accounting practices for Wi-Fi, telephone, and fuel were inadequate; fuel purchases were improperly authorized by someone outside the Town; and both the Town and Airport Operator failed to follow their Contract,” the report stated. “All of this puts the Town at a greater risk of fraud and/or embezzlement and leads to difficulty tracking financial activity.”
As a result, the NCOSA recommended the following:
• Town officials review all Wi-Fi expenses dating back to the beginning of the contract and recoup any amounts that should have been paid by the airport operator.
•Town officials review contracts and payments with the internet service provider to determine what their financial obligation is.
• Town officials review all telephone expenses dating back to the beginning of the contract and recoup any amounts that should have been paid by the airport operator.
•The town determine who authorized automat-
ic withdrawals from one of its bank accounts for the payment of fuel.
• The town ensure banking activity and contracts are only conducted by authorized officials.
• The airport operator immediately cease extending fuel credit on the town’s behalf.
• All future fuel purchases are made by the airport operator.
• The town’s finance director ensure that all parties receive their correct fuel sales commissions.
• The finance director document the town’s financial activity in a timely manner.
• A clear purchase control system be established for both the town and airport.
• The town’s finance director and airport operator have regular monthly meetings to review airport expenses.
• The airport operator provides the town with semi-annual reports on expenses and costs.
According to Holland, with the exception of finding out how much money the town is owed in back Wi-Fi and telephone service bills, town officials have acted on every other recommended fix — and took “such accusations very seriously.”
“The Town feels this matter is now closed,” he wrote. “Should you find our actions regarding your recommendations satisfactory, the Town would like to request a written response from your office stating the Airport investigation has now been closed.”
But it is unclear whether Holland will get what he asked for, as Mayor Jermone Newton has formally asked the NCOSA to come back to town to conduct a “full forensic audit.”
And whether State Auditor Dave Boliek will do so also remains unclear, as he told Wayne Week in August that while his office plans on following up on the Mount Olive case “in a few months” to see, firsthand, what progress — if any — has been made, he also hopes town residents, former employees, and others who might have information regarding potential wrongdoing at Town Hall will call his tipline and point his investigative team in the right direction should he deem it necessary to return to Wayne County for a deeper dive. n
Airmen might not get paid on time and several offices are either closed or operating in a “partial” capacity.
BY KEN FINE
Strike Eagles might be streaking through the skies, but the government shutdown has come home to Wayne County.
And if Congress cannot find a solution before Oct. 13, members of the military — including airmen stationed at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base — will miss at least one paycheck.
But President Donald Trump, during a speech commemorating the U.S. Navy’s 250th birthday Sunday, said service members would eventually receive “every last penny” they are owed because back pay for members of the armed forces is guaranteed by law.
“Don’t worry about it. Don’t worry about it.
Don’t worry about it,” he told a crowd of sailors. “Do not worry about it. It’s all coming.”
Still, the immediate financial uncertainty for those living paycheck to paycheck is real — and their concern is not the only repercussion facing members of Team Seymour.
The base’s social media accounts and its website are not currently operational.
Several SJAFB offices are either closed or providing partial services. (The complete list is included in this package.)
And there is also a question about whether the base’s civilian government employees and contractors would also receive back pay once the shutdown is over — or get paid for work
they would have completed during the legislative impasse.
In a draft legal opinion from the White House, administration officials argued that whatever funding legislation Congress ultimately passes to end the shutdown must include appropriations to provide back pay for furloughed federal employees.
Were it not expressly written in the legislation, furloughed workers, according to the opinion, might not receive any retroactive compensation.
House Speaker Mike Johnson said Tuesday he hopes it doesn’t come to that.
“I hope that the furloughed workers receive back pay, of course,” he said. “I can tell
Editor’s Note: It is possible that by the time you read this story, Congress will have made a deal and ended the government shutdown. That being said, the following is accurate as of press time.
you that the President believes that as well. He doesn’t want people to go without pay.” Johnson also said he was willing to bring members of the House back to Washington to pass emergency legislation that would pay troops until the stalemate is resolved.
His counterpart in the Senate, Sen. John Thune, however, said that was not a viable solution.
“Obviously, there are certain constituencies, many of them are going to be impacted in a very negative way by what’s happened here,” the Senate Majority Leader said. “But the simplest way to end it is not try to exempt this group or that one or that group. It’s to get the government open.”
Early voting begins Thursday at the Wayne County Public Library.
BY RENEE CAREY
In a few days, residents from nearly every Wayne County municipality will have the option to begin voting for the men and women who are vying to lead their communities, as early voting begins Thursday — but they will have to travel to the Wayne County Public Library on Ash Street to do so.
In Mount Olive, Pikeville, Seven Springs, and Eureka, voters will elect both a mayor and members of the municipalities’ respective boards.
And those living in three of those communities will likely head to the polls with significant issues on their minds.
In Pikeville, a scandal involving Mayor Garrett Johnston — he is not officially running for re-election but could, in theory, win the seat should he earn enough write-in votes — boiled over last summer after an audio recording that was leaked to Wayne Week revealed his attack on everything from the town manager to its police force.
In Mount Olive, which has been under a moratorium for a decade, residents have, for the last several months, aired their grievances about the town’s inability to find a solution that would allow for residential and business development.
And at the beginning of the year, members of the Town Board fired Town Manager Jammie Royall and hired a consultant to facilitate a search for his replacement, only to suspend the search and keep an interim leader in place at Town Hall.
Then, a damning report published by the North Carolina Office of the State Auditor made matters worse, after state investigators spelled out a laundry list of problems they identified both in the town’s Water Department and at the Mount Olive Municipal Airport.
Eureka, which nearly lost its charter in 2019, faces challenges, too, after Fremont threatened to cut off the town’s water and sewer services earlier this year because the town was not paying its bills.
Its new administration will be responsible for ensuring inflow and infiltration problems are, at last, resolved, so the town can, if everything goes according to Goldsboro City Manager Matthew Livingston’s plan, bypass Fremont and begin to do business directly with the county seat.
Early voting will end November 1 at 3 p.m. n
EUREKA MAYOR:
• Billy Martin
EUREKA COMMISSSIONER:
• Mary Crowder
• Derrick Seagle
MOUNT OLIVE MAYOR:
• J. Jerome Newton
MOUNT OLIVE COMMISSIONER (AT-LARGE)
• Don Fairman
• Harlie Junior Carmichael
MOUNT OLIVE COMMISSIONER (DISTRICT 1)
• Vicky Darden
• Robert King
• James Carlton
MOUNT OLIVE COMMISSIONER (DISTRICT 2)
• Delreese Simmons
MOUNT OLIVE COMMISSIONER (DISTRICT 3)
• Gena Messer-Knode
• Jessica Simpson Oliver
MOUNT OLIVE COMMISSIONER (DISTRICT 4)
• Camilla Loftin
• C.J. Weaver
PIKEVILLE MAYOR
• McKayla Alves
PIKEVILLE COMMISSIONER
• David Matt Thomas
• Randy Langston
• Tim Wilson
PIKEVILLE COMMISSIONER (UNEXPIRED)
• Raymond Deck
• William (Buddy) King
• Blake Vail
SEVEN SPRINGS MAYOR
• Ronda Hughes
SEVEN SPRINGS COMMISSIONER
• Tony Gordon
• John Lee
WALNUT CREEK COUNCILMAN
• John Seegars
• Mike Daly
WAYNE — BELFAST-PATETOWN
SANITARY DISTRICT BOARD MEMBER
• Everett Jones
• Janeth Marie Cerra
• Drew Hill
• John Gardner
• Arrington Anderson
• Ben Casey
• Crystal Sasser Casey
EASTERN WAYNE SANITARY DISTRICT BOARD MEMBER
• Ervin Watts
• Daryl Anderson
• Allen Jones
• Richard (Ricky) Carraway, Jr.
• James A. Sutton, Jr.
• Brandon Gray
WAYNE — FORK TOWNSHIP
SANITARY DISTRICT BOARD MEMBER
• Reed Lewis
• Andy G. Hartley
• Danny Hope
SOUTHEASTERN WAYNE SANITARY DISTRICT BOARD MEMBER
• Charlie M.B. Holloway
• James A. Taylor
• Bobby Ray Outlaw
• Debony Jones
• Davita C. Lofton
• Phil Shivar
• Joel Swenson
• Mark McCary
• Justin Williams
• Scott Walker
Note: The following is the complete list of candidates whose names will appear on the ballot. Write-in candidates are, however, still eligible and could emerge victorious.
Thursday, October 16
Friday, October 17
8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Saturday, October 18 CLOSED
Sunday, October 19 CLOSED
Monday, October 20
Tuesday, October 21
Wednesday, October22
Thursday, October 23
Friday, October 24
8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Saturday, October 25 CLOSED
Sunday, October 26 CLOSED
Monday, October 27
Tuesday, October 28
Wednesday, October 29
Thursday, October 30
Friday, October 31
Saturday, November 1
8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
8 a.m. to 3 p.m
Note: There is only one early voting location, so those who wish to cast their ballot before Election Day will be required to do so at the Wayne County Public Library at 1001 East Ash Street during one of the following blocks:
For those who have not voted since North Carolina’s new Voter ID rules were signed into law, the following regulations now apply:
Voters will be asked to present a valid photo identification when voting in person, but those who do not have a valid photo ID card may obtain one from the Wayne County Board of Elections prior to the election, through the end of the early voting period.
Those who do not have a valid photo ID on Election Day can still vote and have their vote counted by signing an affidavit of reasonable impediment that explains why they have not presented a valid photo ID. (The Exception Form can also be used if you have a religious objection to being photographed.)
As an alternative, those who do not have an ID when they vote can vote and then bring their valid photo ID to the Wayne County Board of Elections by noon on the third business day after Election Day.
Those who vote by mail are required to include a photocopy of a valid photo ID when returning their ballot.
VALID IDs INCLUDE:
• A North Carolina driver’s license
• A “non-operator ID” issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles
• A driver’s license or non-driver ID from another state, District of Columbia, or U.S. territory, if the voter registered in North Carolina within 90 days of the election
• A U.S. Passport or U.S. Passport card
• A North Carolina voter photo ID card issued by a county Board of Elections
• A college of university student photo ID
• A state, local government, or charter school employee photo ID
FREE PHOTO ID CARDS
All county Board of Elections offices can issue free voter photo IDs to registered voters in their county. To get a free voter photo ID card, the voter must provide their name, date of birth, and the last four digits of their social security number, and have their photo taken.
Note: IDs are only valid if they are unexpired or have been expired for less than one year, but a voter 65 or older may use an expired form of ID if it was unexpired on their 65th birthday.
If you are someone who has been toying with the idea of running for office, someone who has been worried that your hometown of Mount Olive needs a new direction and some experienced and competent leadership, but you weren’t sure if you should get involved in the election, we have some information that might help you make a decision.
We sat through the candidates’ forum this past week — well, as much as we could tolerate — and we are sounding the alarm.
Now is the time to take the leap.
Here’s why:
There are only a couple of candidates we think are up to the job of managing the challenges the town of Mount Olive faces.
The rest might be well-meaning and might think they have the skills necessary to navigate the road ahead, but in our view, they do not.
And that applies to one of the uncontested candidates, too.
You see, Jerome Newton, the mayor, is a good man.
We have seen that he seems to want to do a good job for the citizens of Mount Olive.
He is the one, after all, who has asked the state to do a full forensic audit of the town.
He wants to know exactly where the town stands — and how it got there.
That’s a good sign.
But it does mean he is the right person to be leading Mount Olive.
And frankly, it is not fair to put him in the position without the support and training
necessary, because he cannot possibly succeed.
And just in case someone out there thinks that this is personal — that we simply do not like Newton — let us assure you that this would be a challenge for anyone without some serious experience running a business or managing a staff through a serious challenge.
The hard truth?
Newton is a good man who is in way over his head.
The same, by the way, can be said about Interim Town Manager Glenn Holland.
He is, by all accounts, a great person who really cares about Mount Olive.
But he has had a heaping pile of dysfunction dropped in his lap — not the least of which is the mess that state investigators uncovered at the Mount Olive airport and Water Department.
And we, and many Mount Olive taxpayers we have spoken to, suspect there is a lot more to unpack if the North Carolina Office of the State Auditor indeed comes back to town.
So, while it seems, understandably, that the mayor and the town manager might want to do what is right for their town, they simply do not appear to have the credentials to manage the mess that has been made by others for decades.
That is why we — and many of you — were so baffled that the current Town Board suspended its search for a town manager and chose to leave Holland in the post in an “interim” capacity.
It sure feels like he’s being set up to be the fall guy.
Holland deserves better.
In fact, the League of Municipalities, an organization designed to help towns like Mount Olive get themselves out of such quagmires has told the town that its Finance Department is such a mess that it will not be getting involved in helping get the town’s financial house in order.
Read that again.
The organization whose mission it is to help distressed and struggling communities is not coming near the town of Mount Olive. Do you think the current mayor is really going to be able to turn that around?
Could you?
And there is no question that the town needs a professional in the town manager role — not a really good man who has limited experience running a municipality, let alone in a situation where he has to clean up this big a mess.
And while the mayor’s job is not as dependent on professional experience, there are some gaps that are going to be a real problem moving forward.
One of those hurdles is clearly the eco-
nomic development future of the town.
Need an example?
Well, Mount Olive is still, a decade later, under a moratorium.
It is a complicated issue.
In case you don’t know just how serious a problem that is, think of it this way:
There can be no more development in the town until the issues have been dealt with.
And there are questions now — from state officials themselves — about whether there might have been some loose interpretation or manipulation of the moratorium order to allow some “expansions” that never should have been approved.
Think for a moment about the gravity of that potential violation — and the consequences that the town could face if it is discovered, let alone the businesses that might be put in jeopardy because of the broken rules.
State regulators don’t like it when you don’t abide by their rulings, and their restrictions are ignored.
It makes them very, very leery about trust and approving grants.
So, you can bet the farm that there will be a hill to climb to earn back that support.
And if you want to know what ignoring a serious concern from the state looks like, just look at the mountain the city of Goldsboro has had to climb over the past few years.
It isn’t easy — even with a crew of professionals at the helm and an experienced council.
But the problem is, Newton just doesn’t seem to have a grasp on the problems he will have to overcome.
In fact, during that candidates’ forum, he suggested, in response to a question about the moratorium that the town could simply “find another river” to pump its wastewater into or “locate another field” to spray it on.
Wow.
That, by the way, is not the answer.
Regionalization is.
Just ask State Rep. John Bell. Or Goldsboro City Manager Matthew Livingston — a man who has an abundance of experience with this very issue. Has Newton?
We highly doubt it.
And we will not even get started on the town board candidates.
But don’t take our word for it.
Go to Facebook and find the live feed of the event and if you think we are wrong — you won’t — write us a letter to the editor and we will publish it before Election Day. Here, though, are our two cents, for what they are worth.
There were only four candidates in contested races that answered a question coherently or intelligently.
That just isn’t enough — not when
there is going to be so much at stake over the next few years.
And while we understand that this might seem like too little too late, because we care about Mount Olive residents and their future, we have a crazy idea.
But before we go there, it’s worth noting that perhaps, the only solution is to wait for the state to step in.
And believe us, if the many problems plaguing the town are not addressed, the Local Government Commission will absolutely take over Town Hall.
They did it to Pikeville
They threatened to do it to Goldsboro.
Still, there might be time for a Hail Mary.
Because believe it or not, there is still time to fix the problem.
In a town like Mount Olive, write-in candidates have a real chance.
Yes, the odds are stacked against them, but with a dedicated write-in campaign with someone who is up to the challenge of leading this community forward, it might just work.
But we must emphasize that there is no time to waste because we think there might be someone or a few someones out there who have sat back, waiting for a moment just like this.
So, we are sending out the siren call.
Your town needs you.
Please step up.
If you need to know why, just watch the candidates’ forum.
And if no one does, and the next Town Board is made up of a combination of the slate of candidates as it stands, buckle up.
Keep a close eye on the decisions that are being made for your town — and demand accountability, and to know whose ox is being gored.
This is no time for see no evil, hear no evil.
This is the time to ask the questions, to demand answers and explanations, and to get involved.
On our end, we will be reaching out to every candidate in the coming days to give them the opportunity to answer the real questions.
Those answers will appear in the Oct. 19 edition of Wayne Week
And don’t worry. We are prepared to push back.
Now is not the time for a softball Q&A — or to normalize candidates who are absolutely out of their league.
But in the end, the fate of Mount Olive is up to you.
And we are more convinced than ever that its future is one well worth protecting. n
There are times when it is important to step back and to think.
Because in this fast-paced world of instant information and constant shifting of perspective, it is so easy to lose sight of what is important — what we could lose if we let the unrelenting tide of change for change’s sake take over.
When that happens, we need a sentinel, a truth-teller, who can remind us of not only who we are, but how we got here.
We need someone who knows our stories and our main characters and who makes it his or her mission to share them and to keep them alive.
Judge Charles Gaylor, whom we lost this summer, knew why keeping that touchstone to the past mattered.
It is why he took his young son by historic homes and buildings in the city and talked with him about the people who built them and the legacy of the families who lived there.
It is why he knew the incredible cost of tearing down, and giving up on, landmarks that told the story of Goldsboro, and why he made sure that the lives of the men and women who built this city did not become long-forgotten passages in dusty history books.
To move forward, you have to know how you got here.
Charlie Gaylor knew that.
We have already told you what a blow to this community it was to lose someone like Judge Gaylor.
But we thought it was worth reminding all of us in this generation of full days and endless social media scrolling why the lessons he lived should be part of our plans for the city’s future.
You see, it is much easier to tear something down rather than to build it back better.
We could raze the entire city and give up on every historic property in downtown Goldsboro.
They could be replaced with new, shiny buildings without
any renovation needed — buildings that are functional and modern without the character or the stories.
But then, we would not be able to see the steps our ancestors took as they navigated the centuries.
We would not be able to marvel at the dedication and the effort it took to create a magnificent mansion or a warm and expansive farmhouse.
We would not be able to walk up and down the same streets that were once pathways for horses and buggies, when downtown was a gathering place for servicemen and a thriving first step in creating the Goldsboro we know today.
It would be easier to just start over.
There would be clear lots for developing and more than a few eyesores that would be erased.
But Judge Gaylor knew what would be lost when those historic homes and landmarks were gone.
There would be no Weil House, with all its stories and character. There would be no former storefronts built by those who
once made sure families had the supplies they needed or the cornerstone of a restaurant where Goldsboro residents gathered to discuss the news of the day.
And those places mattered, not only to understand where we came from and what it took to build this community, but also what values our town was built upon.
You can see that every time you look into the windows of one of this community’s beautiful churches.
Without those places, we would forget who we are.
So, there might be some people who think that the revitalization efforts downtown and the current plan to stabilize Union Station might be a waste of time and money when there are other more pressing needs in the city.
But Judge Gaylor, and others like him who have been students of history, thought otherwise, and so do we.
Union Station is not going to be an overnight turnaround.
There will be a lot of work necessary before that structure finds its new purpose and the work gets done to make that dream a reality.
And that money that is being raised in Gaylor’s memory for the depot’s revitalization is not the last step.
It is the first, a chance to move forward and to ensure we never forget.
It is making sure that we really did listen and understand when Judge Gaylor told us how important our community’s history is, and that we are prepared to make sure his legacy of making sure the generations to come know more than just what is summarized in their history books remains intact.
He wanted them to be proud and interested — and be willing to pass along that love.
That is how you keep a community centered and legacies alive.
Judge Gaylor did not expect to take a magic wand and create a revitalized train station in downtown Goldsboro.
But by making sure the structure kept its integrity, and shoring up its framework, he was among those who fought to ensure that what might seem like a dream now could very well be a possibility later, when someone younger got the notion to restore it to its former glory.
And then there would be a place for more stories — perhaps about a little boy who remembers walking through the hallways or hearing the whistle of the trains as they passed through town. Do you see?
It is about passing on memories.
And Judge Gaylor knew something else, too — that even if he was not able to live to see a revitalized train station in downtown Goldsboro that he could make sure a future generation, perhaps his son’s or grandson’s, might be able to rally the resources to make it happen.
It is a lesson about dreams, perspective, and priorities.
He knew that the importance of history is not just the landmarks, the buildings and the books. It is about instilling the need to pass along the stories and lessons learned, good and bad, that helped build this city, and respecting the courage and the hard work of those who got us here.
It is about being able to imagine how a family navigated life during the Civil War, during the world wars, or the Civil Rights Movement as well as how we have overcome challenges in the decades since.
And too many children today don’t have that perspective.
They don’t know their history because the world is too focused on the future.
Well, Judge Gaylor did not want us to forget. He did not want his son and grandson to forget. He wanted us — and them — to put a face on history.
So, we can think of no better tribute than teaching the next generation the value of preserving the stuff that really matters — and how to pass along the memories of what made us who we are.
No legacy ever dies if someone brings it along.
Union Station is a good first step, but making sure our children and grandchildren understand the value of the olden days and respect the need to preserve those steppingstones in our history, well that is a goal worth making a priority.
It is not always easy to see potential, but when you do — and you have the courage to plan and dream — great things can happen.
There would be no Paramount Theatre, or downtown Goldsboro, had someone not seen the potential amongst the rubble.
So, we need to strive to be the people who look at our community that way, and to teach our children to think like that, too.
And while we do, we know Judge Gaylor will be looking down — proud that this is the vision we have for our community, now and for the future; proud that his city’s mayor, a man who not to long ago was a little boy falling asleep to the sounds of a train’s whistle, is committed to leading Goldsboro with a nod to his late father’s life’s work. n
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Ahead of the Saving Union Station group launching a fundraising campaign in late Judge Charles Gaylor's memory, his son, Goldsboro's mayor, opened up about losing his father — and how the former judge raised him to value protecting the city's past for future generations.
BY KEN FINE
Editor’s Note: On Tuesday, Oct. 7, Wayne Week Editor Ken Fine jumped into a pickup truck and rode around Goldsboro as Mayor Charles Gaylor took him on a tour of some of the places that meant a great deal to his late father. During the ride, Fine learned a great deal about the relationship between father and son — and why, after several weeks of consideration, Gaylor and his mother, Rhonda, reluctantly decided to allow the Saving Union Station group to raise money for stabilization of the historic depot in the late judge’s memory.
Charles Gaylor IV turns onto Virginia Street and the memories start playing.
There is the yard that he and other children from the neighborhood chased each other around in “all the time.”
There is one of the houses his father and a group of friends bought, restored, and sold.
There is the train station that provided the soundtrack as he fell asleep during his childhood.
But with the exception of the sprawling yard, the landmarks have changed since the first time he traveled this particular route.
And back then, he was not the driver. He was a little boy — a first-grader — whose father was navigating an indirect track to his son’s school.
“We would have to leave the house early because he had the keys to, like, the Weil houses, for example. He would take me to go unlock the doors and get the contractors going to do restoration jobs, and then he would go and drop me off at school,” Gaylor said. “I couldn’t even tell you how many times that was the case.”
But for the late Charles Gaylor III, a former judge, philanthropist, and local historian, ensuring his son — his namesake — saw firsthand what it took to be a part of preserving the city that raised him was not about boasting about all he was doing for his community.
He was, in his mind, laying a foundation so that one day, he could pass the torch to the next generation.
For the elder Gaylor, every home he rehabilitated sent a message to his son — one he hoped he would then pass on to his own children.
Those who live in the present are keepers not of the structures, but of the memories made inside them.
So, it was not surprising when his son stopped his truck in front of one of the many houses located inside the Goldsboro Historic District that would, in all likelihood, soon be razed.
“He would see something like this right here, and he would go, ‘OK. What is the history of this house? Look at that front door with those three emblems,’” the younger Gaylor said. “He would point out, ‘That right there tells you that whoever built it was intending for it to be ornate — intending for it to be a piece of history that was going to be there longer than them. They’d never built it thinking that it would basically become a pile of abandoned wood.’ Things like that would drive him nuts.”
Watching his son come of age, Judge Gaylor never imagined that he would, one day, be elected Goldsboro’s mayor.
Sure, the family’s history of service — and success at the polls — were well-documented.
Yes, he believed that Charles could be an effective leader and continue the tradition of working to leave the city a better place than it was the day he was born.
But for him, the reason it brought him joy had nothing to do with adding another Gaylor to the city’s history books.
He saw it as a chance for Charles to continue his work — to “give future generations the opportunity” to bring Goldsboro back to its glory days.
So, when it came time to vote to fight to save Goldsboro Union Station, Charles heard his father’s voice.
“A lot of what he would say was you take on a preservation project not to see it through, but so that you’re leaving the option for someone else to fix it. Because if you’re tearing it down, you know good and well that another one’s never going to get
built,” the mayor said. “You’re not allowing the next generation that might be able to find a way to get it across the line that opportunity. And I have no doubt in my mind that the approach of stabilizing Union Station — just to at least ensure that that option stays on the table for whoever comes next — I know he’d stand by that, because we don’t know what the future holds unless we make a really, really firm decision to rob ourselves of the potential for a future.”
And that is why, after the judge passed earlier this year, Charles and his mother, Rhonda, reluctantly agreed to allow members of the Saving Union Station group the ability to fundraise for stabilization and restoration of the depot in the elder Gaylor’s memory.
He had been at the site leading guided tours last summer — a June day when there was not a cloud in the sky to provide relief from a 100-degree afternoon for attendees who showed up to consider making a donation to the “Save Union Station” effort.
“Wearing a suit,” Charles said, a smile creeping across his face. “And loving it.”
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He and Rhonda had purchased a home before their son was born that those standing in front of the depot could see at the top of the hill.
“I fell asleep hearing trains,” Charles said. “Maybe that was part of it.”
But the mayor does not believe his father’s passion about Union Station was really about the train station, itself — at least, not entirely.
“I think a bigger part of it was seeing something that is currently underutilized that needs to go back to being a community asset. And it was, and it is, on the brink, and you cannot replace something like that,” Charles said. “Dad really, really, really believed that you don’t need to have things that are wasted. He also really, really believed that when you’re dealing with things like that train station, like City Hall, like the house that he grew up in and the house that I grew up in, you’re merely a steward of that property for some period of time. And if you look at something and go, ‘Oh, we don’t need it anymore,’ and tear it down, you lose something you can never get back.”
Save a few words of thanks at the City Council meeting immediately following his father’s death to those who had wrapped their arms around the family after his sudden passing, Charles has not spoken publicly about the loss.
And during that Tuesday ride, it became clear just how much he still misses a man he considered a hero.
Tears formed in his eyes, and he looked out the window into the distance when he talked about how every Saturday, the two went to breakfast together — sometimes, at the Lantern Inn, and others, all the way in Mount Olive or Fremont.
“Some mornings we would talk about, you know, State versus Carolina. Other mornings, we would talk about something else. But it was every Saturday,” Charles said. “And I was too young to fully appreciate it.”
Those same eyes beamed with pride when he talked about ensuring that he and his son, Charles V, had their own special traditions.
“I love being a dad,” he said. “I will sit there and we will go into practice mode on Madden and we’ll do two controllers and … play for
1906 Construction of Union Station begins.
1909 Union Station is opened to the public.
1914 Goldsboro wins a U.S. Supreme Court decision that enables the city to enforce its rights in the regulation of trains, shifting the rail line from Center Street.
1968 Passenger rail service ends. Union Station is decommissioned.
1972 Arthur Perry buys Union Station and its property.
1977 Union Station is placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
1999 N.C. Department of Transportation conducts Eastern Rail Passenger Study (ERPS) to explore options for passenger rail service connecting Raleigh to Wilmington.
2005 ERPS is redone, resulting in support for a Goldsboro route.
2007 NCDOT acquires Union Station and utilizes grant money to conduct an environmental study, a conditions assessment, and initial stabilization work at the station.
2009 NCDOT conveys Union Station and its property to Goldsboro.
2023 Eastern Carolina Rail announces renewed interest in developing a passenger rail line that would connect Raleigh to Wilmington.
• NCDOT Passenger Rail employees visit Union Station.
• Federal Rail Division announces $36 billion in funding to study North Carolina’s preferred passenger rail routes.
• Appraisal places current value of Union Station at roughly negative $800,000.
• Saving Union Station (SUS), a local advocacy group, forms to support saving the station from being lost.
• The Goldsboro City Council and Wayne County Board of Commissioners agree to split $750,000 of the $1.5 million bill for stabilization of Union Station should the SUS group raise the other $750,000.
2024 The Southeastern North Carolina Passenger Rail Feasibility Study identifies Goldsboro, not Fayetteville, as the preferred connector between Raleigh and Wilmington.
• Dozens of Wayne County residents converge on Union Station for “Saving Union Station Day” — an event geared toward telling the train station’s story and launching a private fundraising campaign that, should enough be raised, would trigger a $375,000 match for the project from the Wayne County Board of Commissioners.
EARLY 2025 Former Downtown Goldsboro Development Corp. Executive Director Julie Metz — one of the people who helped form the Saving Union Station group — confirms that she has written and submitted grant applications in the hopes of netting hundreds of thousands of dollars for the would-be rebirth of the train station.
• Goldsboro publishes a notice calling for bids for stabilization work at Union Station, and leaders inside City Hall confirm that the city will activate the $375,000 City Council members voted to allocate toward the effort to begin that effort.
FEBRUARY 2025 Goldsboro officials are notified that a $612,500 Rural Downtown Economic Development Grant has been awarded to the city for the stabilization of Union Station.
OCTOBER 2025 The Goldsboro City Council agrees to approve a contract with T.A. Loving Company for the stabilization of the station as part of the board’s consent agenda that will be presented at its next meeting.
hours. ... And you know, I love coaching Charlie’s soccer team and baseball team.”
But perhaps, most of all, he treasures the fact that his son is old enough to see the sacrifices his father is making to be a part of Goldsboro’s future — that in a different way, he is passing on the judge’s lessons to the next generation and being a part of preserving the city’s history so Charlie, someday, could make the next round of decisions about places like Union Station should he choose to.
“What Dad baked into me was that ... you have to be able to see things for what they can be. Right? Not just what they currently are,” Charles said. “So, I want to be a part of making this city the best it can be, not because it’s the town that’s raising Charlie, but because it’s the town that’s raising 10,000 other kids. So, I want there to be more opportunities for families, for those kids — whether it’s trains or more amenities or more parks and recreation amenities or something as simple as better streets to travel on. That’s what Dad was all about, building an infrastructure, literally and figuratively, that promotes community.”
The day before that car ride, the City Council voted to ensure a contract for the first phase of the Union Station stabilization effort — one that will be
funded thanks to a $600,000 grant, private donations, and contributions from the city and county governments — will be approved at the board’s next meeting as part of its consent agenda.
But former Downtown Goldsboro Development Corporation Executive Director Julie Metz, the woman who secured the grant and
has done much of the legwork to ensure the Saving Union Station group has been successful, would tell you there is still plenty of work to be done to see the judge’s dream of a revitalized Union Station come to fruition.
And because the late Gaylor was a man she counted among her most trusted friends — because she has heard him tell hundreds
of stories and watched him, on countless occasions, pass on the city’s history in hopes it would secure its future, she felt strongly that future donors to the effort he helped champion could contribute in his memory.
So, after getting his family’s blessing, she drafted a letter that will soon be delivered to members of the many organizations the judge gave his time and energy to throughout the years.
“Let’s do this together, for Charlie,” it reads. “A person who always had his heart and eyes on the past and the future.”
His son believes his father, even in death, would have wanted to be a part of what he always dreamed would be one of Goldsboro’s greatest success stories.
And even though in body, he is gone, Charles believes the judge will be smiling down when his son — his namesake — signs the stabilization contract with T.A. Loving Company later this month.
“I hate that he’s not going to be here to see it. I hate that part. But I know he’s left his mark, and he will continue to,” Charles said. “You know, obviously I wish that he was going to be there. I wish that things could have played out any number of other ways. But above all, I’m glad that it’s happening. It’s gonna be, that’s gonna be, a special, special moment.”n
The city's annual National Night Out event saw children, their families, and local law enforcement join hands at Herman Park.
NOTICE OF ADMINISTRATION
All persons, firms, and corporations having claims against Jamie Royall, deceased of Wayne County, are notified to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 21st day of December, 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 21st day of September, 2025.
Khary Royal Administrator of the Estate of Jamie Royall
226 Jeff Outlaw Road
Mount Olive, NC 28365
Published September 21, 2025, September 28, 2025, October 5, 2025, and October 12, 2025
NOTICE OF ADMINISTRATION
Having qualified as Administrator of the Estate of Nathaniel Tyner, late of Wayne County, North Carolina, the undersigned does hereby notify all persons, firms and corporations having claims against the estate of said decedent to exhibit them to the undersigned at the address below on or before December 21, 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons, firms and corporations indebted to the said estate are asked to make immediate payment to the undersigned.
This the 21st day of September, 2025.
Ann H. Tyner, Administrator of the Estate of Nathaniel Tyner 2307 Labrador Court Greensboro, NC 27406
Published September 21, 2025, September 28, 2025, October 5, 2025, and October 12, 2025
Having qualified as Executors of the Estate of Dale O’Brien Bizzell, late of Wayne County, North Carolina, the undersigned does hereby notify all persons, firms and corporations having claims against the estate of said decedent to exhibit them to the undersigned at the address below on or before December 21, 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons, firms and corporations indebted to the said estate are asked to make immediate payment to the undersigned.
This 21st day of September, 2025
Danya Bizzell and Dwight Bizzell Co-Executors of the Estate of Dale O’Brien Bizzell 2221 Rainy Lake Street Wake Forest, NC 27587
Published September 21, 2025, September 28, 2025, October 5, 2025, and October 12, 2025
All persons, firms, and corporations having claims against Virginia Lee Dowers, deceased, of Wayne County, are notified to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 29th day of December, 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 28th day of September, 2025.
Mark J. Hale, Jr., Administrator of the Estate of Virginia Lee Dowers c/o Mark J. Hale, Jr. Baddour, Parker, Hine & Hale, P.C. Attorneys for Estate P.O. Box 916 Goldsboro, NC 27533-0916 (919) 735-7275
Published September 28, 2025, October 5, 2025, October 12, 2025, and October 19, 2025
Having qualified as Administrator of the Estate of Kay Jefferson Dudley, late of Wayne County, North Carolina, the undersigned does hereby notify all persons, firms and corporations having claims against the estate of said decedent to exhibit them to the undersigned at the address below on or before December 29, 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons, firms and corporations indebted to the said estate are asked to make immediate payment to the undersigned. This 28th day of September, 2025.
Shirley D. Deans, Administrator of the Estate of Kay Jefferson Dudley 314 Crown Point Road
Greenville, NC 27838
Published September 28, 2025, October 5, 2025, October 12, 2025, and October 19, 2025
NOTICE OF ADMINISTRATION
Having qualified as Administrator of the Estate of Jessie Lee Williams, Sr., late of Wayne County, North Carolina, the undersigned does hereby notify all persons, firms and corporations having claims against the estate of said decedent to exhibit them to the undersigned at the address below on or before January 5, 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons, firms and corporations indebted to the said estate are asked to make immediate payment to the undersigned.
This 5th day of October, 2025.
Valorie Denise Brown, Administrator of the Estate of Jessie Lee Williams, Sr. 875 Dollard Town Road
Goldsboro, NC 27534
Published October 5, 2025, October 12, 2025, October 19, 2025, October 26, 2025
Having qualified as Administrator of the Estate of James Ernest Dove, late of Wayne County, North Carolina, the undersigned does hereby notify all persons, firms and corporations having claims against the estate of said decedent to exhibit them to the undersigned at the address below on or before January 5, 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons, firms and corporations indebted to the said estate are asked to make immediate payment to the undersigned.
This 5th day of October, 2025.
Allison B. Dove-Jones, Administrator of the Estate of James Ernest Dove 2423 Pa Will Trail Burlington, NC 27217
Published October 5, 2025, October 12, 2025, October 19, 2025, October 26, 2025
TO
Having qualified as Administrator of the Estate of George Alan Aycock, late of Wayne County, North Carolina, the undersigned does hereby notify all persons, firms and corporations having claims against the estate of said decedent to exhibit them to the undersigned at the address below on or before January 5, 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons, firms and corporations indebted to the said estate are asked to make immediate payment to the undersigned.
This the 26th day of September, 2025.
Melynda Sullivan Snead, Administrator of the Estate of George Alan Aycock c/o Caroline Taylor Phillips, Attorney at Law Warren, Kerr, Walston, Taylor & Smith, L.L.P. P. O. Box 1616, Goldsboro, NC 27533-1616
Published October 5, 2025, October 12, 2025, October 19, 2025, October 26, 2025
All persons, firms, and corporations having claims against John M. Lewis, deceased, of Wayne County, are notified to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 5th day of January, 2026, 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 5th day of October, 2025.
Teresa E. Lewis, Executor of the Estate of John M. Lewis c/o Mark J. Hale, Jr. Baddour, Parker, Hine & Hale, P.C. Attorneys for Estate P.O. Box 916
Goldsboro, NC 27533-0916 (919) 735-7275
Published October 5, 2025, October 12, 2025, October 19, 2025, October 26, 2025
The undersigned, having qualified as Executor of the Estate of Jimmie Lee Edmundson, Deceased, of Wayne County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons having claims against said estate to present them to the undersigned on or before January 5, 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. All persons indebted to the decedent or estate shall please make immediate payment to the undersigned.
This 5th day of October, 2025
Donna Edmundson, Executor c/o Henry C. Smith, Attorney Warren, Kerr, Walston, Taylor & Smith, LLP P.O. Box 1616
Goldsboro, NC 27533-1616 919-734-1841
Published October 5, 2025, October 12, 2025, October 19, 2025, October 26, 2025
The undersigned, having qualified as Executor of the Estate of Linwood Earl Grady, Deceased, of Wayne County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons having claims against said estate to present them to the undersigned on or before January 5, 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. All persons indebted to the decedent or estate shall please make immediate payment to the undersigned.
This 5th day of October, 2025
Sheila Grady Morales and Pamela Grady Street, Co-Administrators c/o Henry C. Smith, Attorney Warren, Kerr, Walston, Taylor & Smith, LLP P.O. Box 1616
Goldsboro, NC 27533-1616
919-734-1841
Published October 5, 2025, October 12, 2025, October 19, 2025, October 26, 2025
The undersigned, having qualified as Executor of the Estate of Lillian Overman Bridgers, Deceased, of Wayne County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons having claims against said estate to present them to the undersigned on or before January 5, 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. All persons indebted to the decedent or estate shall please make immediate payment to the undersigned.
This 5th day of October, 2025
John W. Bridgers, Executor c/o Henry C. Smith, Attorney Warren, Kerr, Walston, Taylor & Smith, LLP P.O. Box 1616
Goldsboro, NC 27533-1616 919-734-1841
Published October 5, 2025, October 12, 2025, October 19, 2025, October 26, 2025
An offer of $2,000 has been submitted to purchase timber located on Lots 6 and 7 in the ParkEast Industrial Park which is owned by Wayne County. The timber is located on the property containing parcel identification number 3529211787.
Anyone wishing to upset the offer that has been received shall submit a sealed bid with their offer to the Wayne County Finance Office located at 224 East Walnut Street, Goldsboro, NC by 5:00 P.M., no later than Tuesday, October 22, 2025. At that time the County shall open the bids, if any, and the highest qualifying bid will become the new offer. If there is more than one bid in the highest amount, the first such bid received will become the new offer.
A qualifying upset bid is one that raises the existing offer at least 10% of the first $1,000 and 5% of the remainder. All upset bids must be accompanied by a deposit in the amount of 5% of the bid. The County will return the deposit on any bid not accepted. All fees paid must be paid with either cash, cashier’s check or certified check.
The Wayne County Board of Commissioners must approve the final high offer before the sale is finalized. The County reserves the right to withdraw the timber from sale at any time before the final high bid is accepted and the right to reject at any time all bids. The original offer of $2,000 will be accepted if no upset bids are received. Further information can be obtained at the Finance Office located at 224 East Walnut Street Goldsboro, NC or by phone at 919-731-1417 during normal business hours.
Published October 12, 2025
All persons, firms, and corporations having claims against the Estate Kelsie Edward Imes, deceased of Wayne County, are notified to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before January 12, 2026, 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 12th day of October, 2025.
Katheryn Imes Administrator of the Estate of Kelsie Edward Imes 809 South Andrews Avenue Goldsboro, NC 27530
Published October 12, 2025, October 19, 2025, October 26, 2025, and November 2, 2025
All persons, firms, and corporations having claims against Jackie Kearney Taylor, deceased of Wayne County, are notified to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 12th day of January, 2026, 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 12th day of October, 2025.
Hillarie Taylor Williams, Administrator of the Estate of Jackie Kearney Taylor 205 North Woodridge Drive Pikeville, NC 27863
Published October 12, 2025, October 19, 2025, October 26, 2025, and November 2, 2025
PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE REGARDING PROPOSED SUBTANTIAL AMENDMENTS TO THE 2021-2022, 2022-2023, 2023-2024, AND 2024-2025 ANNUAL ACTION PLANS
Please be advised that the City Council of Goldsboro will hold a Public Hearing on Monday, November 3, 2025 @ 5:30 PM during the regular City Council Meeting in the Council Chambers located City Hall, 214 N. Center Street, Goldsboro, NC 27530.
The purpose of the Public Hearing is to obtain public feedback and comments concerning Substantial Amendments to the 2021-2022, 2022-2023, 2023-2024, and 2024-2025 Annual Action Plans.
These plans outline the use of entitlement funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) through the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), HOME Investment Partnership Fund.
The City Council of Goldsboro will consider a Substantial Amendment to the 20212022, 2022-2023, 2023-2024, and 2024-2025 Annual Actions to move prior years' unused CDBG funds to the 2025-2026 Annual Action Plan creating a new CDBG funded Public Infrastructure activity with a proposed budget of $1,495,155.
A copy of the substantial amendment summary has been made available for public review and written comment from October7, 2025, through November 5, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. Copies are placed at public access sites such as the desk of the City Receptionist and the office of the City Clerk, both at the City Hall Addition, 200 North Center Street, the Wayne County Public Library, 1001 East Ash Street, the Goldsboro Housing Authority, 1729 Edgerton Street, and on the City’s website at www. goldsboronc.gov.
This notice is pursuant to Department of the Housing and Urban Development (HUD) regulations, the City’s Citizen Participation Plan, and the current HUD program requirements. All comments received during the public hearing will be accepted according to the City’s Citizen Participation Plan.
Notice under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the City’s Limited English
Proficiency (LEP) Policy: Accommodations for disabled, non-English speaking, or individuals needing interpreter services will be made available upon request. Individuals who are deaf and hearing-impaired may call 711 to access telecommunications relay services at no cost. For additional information, please contact the City Manager’s Office, City Hall Annex, by calling (919) 580-4330 between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, at least four (4) business days in advance.
Krystal Fuller Community Development Specialist
John "Bradley" Wilson Community Development Manager
Published October 12, 2025
The undersigned, having qualified as Executor of the Estate of Samuel Frederick Korschun, Deceased, of Wayne County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons having claims against said estate to present them to the undersigned on or before January 12, 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. All persons indebted to the decedent or estate shall please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This 12th day of October, 2025
Stuart Blair Korschun, Executor c/o Anna H. Winger, Attorney Heritage Law 200 First Avenue NW, Suite 304 Hickory, NC 28601 828-855-1889
October 12, 2025, October 19, 2025, October 26, 2025, and November 2, 2025
