"INSIDE" PAGES IN THIS
WEEK'S EDITION Feature:
Smithfield's Fourth of July celebrations Sports
& Recreation: River
Rat Regatta a week away Observations:
A re-making of the "editorial page"
A NOTE TO OUR REGULAR READERS:
Starting with this week's edition, the Sun
will be posted online at 3 p.m. each
Thursday rather than 11 a.m. This will give
the editor a little more time to "wrap up"
the doings of the week as it draws to a
close.
A
NEIGHBORLY PATRIOTIC PARADE
Youngsters on bikes and scooters
led the 26th annual Fourth of July parade
hosted by Emery and Kim Ashley and Evans and
Patricia Horne around their neighborhood in
South Smithfield this morning. Norman Rockwell
would have loved this iconic portrait of
Americana!
That's a statement that couldn't
be written since municipal electric rates spiked in the
1980s --- till now. The Town of Smithfield's prices for
residential service are today less than what's charged
for comparable service provided by Duke Energy in West
Smithfield and rural Johnston County as well as
municipal systems in Clayton, Selma, and Benson.
What
happened? Smithfield and the other three towns in
Johnston County that operate electric utilities have
been part of the Eastern North Carolina Municipal Power
Agency (NCEMPA) that purchased shares of four Carolina
Power & Light (CP&L) generating plants in the
1970s, including two nuclear-powered plants under
construction. Following the infamous Three Mile Island
accident in 1979, the cost of nuclear plants rose
dramatically, raising the NCEMPA's indebtedness to the
point that retail electric rates charged by the
municipalities spiked.
More than 30 years later, in 2015, Duke Energy agreed to
absorb 70 percent of NCEMPA's remaining debit as a
condition of its acquisition of Progress Energy
(CP&L's successor). That immediately reduced the
municipalities' monthly operating costs. As a result,
Smithfield has been able to cut its retail residential
rates since then by 12%, according to Town Manager Mike
Scott. And, despite a wholesale-rate increase of 1.2% in
April, Smithfield's rates remain unchanged in the fiscal
year that began July 1 (Mr. Scott notes that a
wholesale-rate hike of 3% is anticipated in April 2020.)
Here's how Smithfield's current rates stack up
against the competition:
Price per kilowatt hour --- Smithfield, 9.316
cents; Duke Energy, 10.868 cents; Benson, 10.97
cents; Selma, 11.15 cents; Clayton, 11.967
cents. Monthly bills also include varying base charges
and 7% N.C. sales tax.
Figuring up the monthly bill for residential consumption
of 1,000 kilowatt hours (including base fees and sales
tax), in most of the Town of Smithfield the total is $111.45;
in West Smithfield and most of the rest of Johnston
County served by Duke Energy, it's $131.27
(July-October); in Selma it's $130.21; in
Clayton it's $143.83; and in Benson it's $144.13.(EDITOR'S NOTE: These numbers are based on rate
information currently posted online by the providers.)
Commercial and industrial rates, meanwhile, are
another matter as each provider has numerous pricing
categories depending on the volume of power consumed.
Town Manager Scott admits Smithfield's commercial rates
remain higher than Duke Energy's as things now stand.
"They set the goal for where we want to be," he said.
"We all want to be the cheapest with the best service
record."
7th Street Marketplace & The Chicken
Barn
Market
Street (US 70 Business) at 7th Street, Downtown Smithfield
All but one incumbent Town Council
member say they'll file for re-election
Emery Ashley says he will not
seek re-election to a third four-year term, but
first-term Councilmen John Dunn and Steve
Rabil say they will run again. Meanwhile, Mayor Andy
Moore says he'll seek re-election to a third
two-year term.
The filing period for municipal candidates up for
election in 2019 opens at noon this Friday (July 5) and
continues just two weeks --- till noon Friday, July 19.
Councilmen
Ashley, Dunn, and Rabil presently hold seats that are
elected every four years "at large," meaning all of
Smithfield's voters get to choose. Seats held by
Councilmen David Barbour, Marlon Lee, Travis Scott, and
David Stevens are filled every four years by voters in
separate districts. Those seats aren't up for grabs
again till 2021. The mayor is elected every two years.
"I most definitely will be filing for re-election this
cycle," Councilman Rabil told the Sun. "I am
very passionate about Smithfield and would be humbled to
serve another four-year term."
Councilman Dunn stated: "It has been a great
honor to serve on this council and I hope I am allowed
to serve the citizens of Smithfield for another four
years. I have been fortunate to work with a dedicated
and diligent council. While we may not always agree on
everything, I feel that we all have the best interest of
our town and citizens in mind. The town staff and
employees of Smithfield are exceptional and make our
town a great place to live, work, and play. I hope the
future of Smithfield continues to improve as it has over
the last 6-8 years and I hope that I can continue to be
a part of this."
Councilman Ashley said he had intended for some
time to step down after serving two four-year terms. "I
have enjoyed my almost eight years on the council and
hope that I have made a positive contribution," he
stated. "A special thanks to my wife, Kim, who has
always supported me greatly in walking the neighborhoods
during the campaigns, standing at the polls on Election
Day, and giving me encouragement throughout. I look
forward to supporting our Town Council and town staff in
a grateful-citizen capacity. Together we can do great
things. Smithfield has a great future if we all work
together."
Mayor Moore is seeking a third two-year term. He
previously served on the Town Council for 16 years. "I'm honored
to serve the citizens of Smithfield as their mayor," he said in a statement to the Sun. "Smithfield
is where I was born, where I grew up, where my
children attend public schools, where my family
attends church, and where Lydia and I love calling
home! Mayor is a position that I don't take
lightly, and I enjoy seeing our community prosper. I
know what is in store for Smithfield and the many
possibilities that are on the horizon. I'm excited
about where we are and what our future holds, and I
want to continue to be part of a great Town Council
that has a vision, (is)
team oriented, and (has)
the leadership abilities to keep us moving in the
right direction."
Johnston Health photo
12
STUDENTS GET "HEALTHFUL" SCHOLARSHIPS
Johnston
Health Volunteers recently awarded
scholarships of $1,000
apiece to 12 students headed into
health-care careers: (left to right)
kneeling --- Kaelin Sanderford of
Clayton and
Isabelle Eileen Van Camp of Smithfield;
standing --- Morgan
Thigpen of Wilson,
Kamryn Leigh Foy of Smithfield, Evelyn Alonzo of
Clinton, Titus
Anderson of Clayton,
Kymberlee Ray of Four Oaks,
Lillian Anderson of Garner, Alicia Lee of Benson, Jonathan Blake
Holloman of Selma,
and Logan Emily Sutton of Kenly. Absent from the photo was
Joshua Williford of Clayton. (Johnston Health
operates acute-care hospitals at Smithfield and Clayton. Since 2014 it has
been affiliated with UNC Health Care.)
Ahira Sancez, a nutrition educator with Johnston's
Cooperative Extension Service, holds the blender while
Robert Owens provides the power to make a food-healthy
"smoothie" from fruit slices, chopped carrots, honey,
ice cream, and other ingredients.
The demonstration was part of a "Stomp Out Food
Insecurities" food drive and fun day hosted by First
Missionary Baptist Church last Saturday.
This is the 50th anniversary of Extension's "Expanded
Food and Nutrition Education Program," also known as
EFNEP. The smoothie-making stationary bike is often
borrowed from N.C. A&T State University by
Johnston's 4-H Extension folks as they campaign for
healthier lifestyles by young and old alike.
The "Creature" is showing up elsewhere
--- and some folks call it a "whistle pig"
The mammal we've labeled "The
Creature of Spring Branch" is apparently part of a
colony, and now they've been spotted near a second
stream: Meadowbrook Branch in
South Smithfield.
Initially identified as a "groundhog," some observers
are calling it something else.
David
Stevens sent me the accompanying picture of a "nutria"
(also called a "nutria rat" or "swamp beaver"). He has
seen them in the past on his family's land off Brogden
Road and recently at Meadowbrook Branch below his
residence. His neighbors, Mary Reece and Anthony and
Amanda Hopkins, also report sightings near the creek and
in their yards.
Rosa Andrews said her daughter and husband have spotted
the creature recently at Fifth Street Community Park,
where I also saw one.
Tom Stevens of North Third Street suggests another name
for these animals. Growing up in central Virginia he
knew them as "whistle pigs" because "the call of the
groundhog is very much like a whistle."
Johnston County
Board of Commissioners
10:00 a.m. & 6:00 p.m. Monday, July 8
Johnston County Courthouse, 207 E. Market Street,
Smithfield
• At the morning session, the
board will get an update from Moseley Architects on the
county's new detention center to be built on US
70 Business east of Smithfield. • The board will
consider a request from the Johnston County Visitors
Bureau to seek designation of Johnston as a "Retire
NC" county to market us "as a desirable location
for retirees."
• The board is expected to award a contract for
expanding capacity of the county's water-treatment
plant at Wilson's Mills by 2-million gallons per
day.
• At the evening session the board will discuss options
for changing the county's vehicle-decal system for
solid-waste disposal.
• A lone public hearing will be held on a request for
special-use business zoning to allow outdoor storage of
RVs, other vehicles, and boats as well as "mini-storage"
units on 12 acres at 757 Creech Road in O'Neals
Township.
View the full agendas for both
sessions> Smithfield Town Council 7:00 p.m. Tuesday, July
9
Town Hall, 350 E. Market Street, Smithfield
Among items on the agenda:
• Public hearing on Frank Lee's request for a
B-3 (Business) special-use permit to allow a greenhouse
for plant cultivation on the east side of South Bright
Leaf Boulevard at Holding Street.
• Public hearing on Bonnie Godwin's request for
a special-use permit to allow a two-family residence in
a B-2 (Business) zone at the southwest corner of East
Market and Ninth streets.
• Consideration
of Reid Smith's request for annexation of the
68-acre East River residential development under
construction beside Buffalo Road just north of the
Booker Dairy Road intersection. A public hearing on the
request would come later.
• Adoption of new rules for the operation of "food
trucks" in Smithfield. Among the proposed
requirements is a 50-foot buffer from a place of worship
if alcoholic beverages are sold --- in line with a
similar rule for restaurants.
Governor Benjamin Williams historical
marker unveiling moved to Masonic Lodge
Because
of uncertain weather, the next in a series of
historical-marker unveilings by the Johnston County
Heritage Center is being moved from the actual site in
the Brogden community to Fellowship Masonic Lodge at 913
South Bright Leaf Boulevard in Smithfield. It's
scheduled for 10 a.m. this Saturday (July 6). The marker
will locate the home of Benjamin Williams, the only
Johnstonian to serve as North Carolina's Governor
(1799-1802, 1807-08). Saturday's event will feature
Revolutionary War music and "living history" by the Camp
Flintlock folks and a presentation by Roy Timbs,
interpreter from the House-in-the-Horeshoe State
Historic Site in Moore County where Governor Williams
resided in his later years. The Smith-Bryan Chapter of
the DAR will offer refreshments.
WHAT ELSE
IS COMING UP? A rundown of upcoming civic
and cultural opportunities in our community
that we've been told about or seen publicized in
other media:
MY KID'S CLUB SUMMER CAMP July
8-19 at South Smithfield Elementary School. It's
open to the first 50 kids ages 6-12 who submit an
application from a child's teacher, the office at
South Smithfield School, or by contacting Mamie
Moore, director of operations for My Kid's Club:
e-mail mamie.moore@mykidsclub.org or
telephone 919-351-1559.
MUSIC
FOR THE LUNCH BUNCH SERIES resumes
Wednesday, July 10 at 12:15 p.m. at
Smithfield's First Presbyterian Church with a
performance by Jim Grant and Isaac Bruton,
vocals and piano. View the full series
schedule>
DOWNTOWN SMITHFIELD "RHYTHM
& BREWS" monthly
outdoor concert series continues
on Friday, July 19 from 7:00 till
9:30 p.m. on South Third Street
with "beach music" by Jim Quick
& Coastline.
"BIRDS, BEES, BUTTERFILES," a symposium
on "Growing a Pollinator Garden," will be
hosted by Johnston County Extension's Master
Gardener volunteers on Saturday, September 14
from 8:30 a.m. till 4:00 p.m. at the Johnston
County Agricultural Center. For more
information, e-mail jocomastergardeners@gmail.com;
to register, visit jocomgbbb.com.
Each week we'll post links to obituaries about persons
who have died during the past week. We'll monitor the
websites of local funeral homes to compile our list, and
we welcome links provided by readers to obituaries of
persons with Smithfield connections who have died
outside our immediate area.
The Little
Brown Jug --- a popular tavern beside the river
on Smithfield's Market Street --- started out as a
Pure Oil service station, operated in the 1940s and
1950s by Rainey Norton (pictured here with his two
young sons). Mr. Norton sold the business to Jack
Gardner in 1958, and the "gas station" gave way to a
full-fledged tavern in the 1970s (after beer sales
became legal once again in Smithfield). It has
remained in operation under several owners since then.
(Photo copied
from Norton family collection by Warren Grimes)
"INSIDE"
PAGES IN THIS WEEK'S EDITION Feature:
Smithfield's Fourth of July celebrations Sports
& Recreation: River Rat
Regatta a week away Observations:
A re-making of the "editorial
page"
WANT TO VIEW PREVIOUS EDITIONS? Visit our archives
For more
information about our community, check out
our online "newspaper parent" via the link shown
below. This website is a handy "portal" to
important sources of current information about
Smithfield and Johnston County. Here's what you'll find there:
• Local weather data, current
& past
• Monthly jobs reports
• Quarterly retail-sales reports
• Official population estimates
• Agricultural statistics
• Local government links
• Things to see and do
Here's what you'll find there:
What
happened? Smithfield and the other three towns in
Johnston County that operate electric utilities have
been part of the Eastern North Carolina Municipal Power
Agency (NCEMPA) that purchased shares of four Carolina
Power & Light (CP&L) generating plants in the
1970s, including two nuclear-powered plants under
construction. Following the infamous Three Mile Island
accident in 1979, the cost of nuclear plants rose
dramatically, raising the NCEMPA's indebtedness to the
point that retail electric rates charged by the
municipalities spiked.
Councilmen
Ashley, Dunn, and Rabil presently hold seats that are
elected every four years "at large," meaning all of
Smithfield's voters get to choose. Seats held by
Councilmen David Barbour, Marlon Lee, Travis Scott, and
David Stevens are filled every four years by voters in
separate districts. Those seats aren't up for grabs
again till 2021. The mayor is elected every two years.
David
Stevens sent me the accompanying picture of a "nutria"
(also called a "nutria rat" or "swamp beaver"). He has
seen them in the past on his family's land off Brogden
Road and recently at Meadowbrook Branch below his
residence. His neighbors, Mary Reece and Anthony and
Amanda Hopkins, also report sightings near the creek and
in their yards.
Johnston Community College news
Because
of uncertain weather, the next in a series of
historical-marker unveilings by the Johnston County
Heritage Center is being moved from the actual site in
the Brogden community to Fellowship Masonic Lodge at 913
South Bright Leaf Boulevard in Smithfield. It's
scheduled for 10 a.m. this Saturday (July 6). The marker
will locate the home of Benjamin Williams, the only
Johnstonian to serve as North Carolina's Governor
(1799-1802, 1807-08). Saturday's event will feature
Revolutionary War music and "living history" by the Camp
Flintlock folks and a presentation by Roy Timbs,
interpreter from the House-in-the-Horeshoe State
Historic Site in Moore County where Governor Williams
resided in his later years. The Smith-Bryan Chapter of
the DAR will offer refreshments.
