Schools'
lowest-paid workers
plead for raises
Melanie
Autry is president of the
Johnston County
Association of Teacher
Assistants. She spoke to
the County Commissioners
during a budget session
Monday evening in behalf
of TAs and other
"classified employees" of
Johnston County Public
Schools including
cafeteria workers,
custodians, and clerical
staff.
"We need to get a school
budget passed so we can
get a living wage and not
keep losing our qualified
people," she pleaded. (YouTube
screenshot)
Ms. Autry repeated the
plea at Tuesday's monthly
meeting of Johnston's
Board of Education, where
board member Lyn Andrews
pointed out that $5.2
million of the school
system's request for an
additional $8.4 million
from the county in 2022-23
is earmarked to raise pay
for the schools'
classified employees.
(Teachers are categorized
as "certified" staff by
the state and county.)
County funding for
Johnston's public schools
in the new fiscal year
that starts July 1 has not
been discussed by the
commissioners in either of
two meetings dealing with
the budget so far. Their
schedule calls for
adoption of the 2022-23
spending plan when they
meet again at 6
p.m. Monday (June 20) at
the Courthouse.
"We are (paid) below
poverty level," Ms. Autry
told commissioners this
week. Facing a state
mandate that all
classified employees get
at least $15 an hour
starting July 1, Johnston
County Schools raised its
minimum to $13.50 earlier
this year and recently
pushed pay for bus drivers
to $17.50, she noted. But
teacher assistants called
to duty as substitute bus
drivers don't get that
much, she added.
"My TAs are having a
pretty hard time with
that," Ms. Autry said. As
a result of low pay and
extra duty as bus drivers,
"30 percent of our work
force is no longer there,"
she estimated.
Ms. Autry said her
calculations show the
school system's
lowest-paid workers are
making $10,000 a year less
than the county's
lowest-paid employees.
Commissioners were
disturbed by her report,
recalling that county
funding for pay raises was
included in last year's
belated decision to grant
the school board's request
for county appropriations
"in full." Said
Commissioner Patrick
Harris to Ms. Autry: "This
board is not the board
that's withholding funds
from you."
Commissioners
receive more requests
for increased county aid
Johnston
Community College's
interim president, Kenneth
Boham, told commissioners
that $250,000 of JCC's
request for additional
county aid in the year
ahead would cover tuition
expenses for about 300
Johnston County residents
who achieve at least a 2.6
GPA (grade point average).
JCC got $4.8 million from
the county for operating
expenses this past year
and wants that raised to
just over $6 million in
the year ahead.
Terri Lee, vice chair of
trustees of the Public
Library of Johnston County
and Smithfield, said a big
part of a requested
increase in county aid –
from $610,000 this year to
$843,160 in 2022-23 –
would raise employees'
salaries. The library, she
told commissioners, "has
lost many librarians over
the years to Wake County."
Additional funding is also
requested to renovate the
children's area of the
library, she said.
Chris Key, speaking for
Johnston's Partnership for
Children, said the agency
agency seeks an increase
from $50,000 to $100,000
from the county along with
matching funds from
municipalities to expand
its literacy efforts.
Kay Johnson of Harbor
asked for an increase in
county aid from $75,000 to
$325,000 to make up for
temporary reductions in
federal aid and lost
revenue from fund-raisers
canceled by the COVID
pandemic. The agency is
serving a rising number of
victims of domestic
violence and sexual
assault, she said, and is
seeing an uptick in
"homeless calls" including
requests for rental
assistance.
Commissioners' Chairman
Butch Lawter asked Ms.
Johnson if Harbor
qualifies for federal
American Rescue Act funds
received by the county.
"It does," she replied.
Ben Olsen of the
Smithfield Rescue Mission
asked commissioners to
increase county aid from
$21,000 to $28,000,
primarily to increase
security measures at the
non-profit agency's
shelter for women and
children.
Rodney Cabe, board chair
for the Moccasin Creek
Service District, asked
commissioners to raise the
property-tax rate for
maintaining the 22 miles
of the creek above Highway
39 north of Selma to
Holt's Pond below Pine
Level from 1.5 cents to
3.0 cents per $100
valuation. That tax is
paid by property owners
along the course of the
stream.
County's
Solid Waste Director
retiring at the end of
this month
Commissioners
thanked Rick Proctor at
the outset of Monday's
meeting for almost 30
years as a county
employee, the last nine
directing operations of
the county's landfill and
solid-waste disposal
centers.
Mr. Proctor started work
with the county as a
solid-waste compliance
technician in January
1993.
(YouTube screenshot)
These
front-yard signs
are endorsements you
can trust in all
seasons.
CallPernell.com
Smithfield-Selma High School
graduates 247
The
school's 53rd annual
commencement celebration
took place June 3 under
sunny skies at Charles
Tucker Stadium. This
year's graduation class of
247 ranks in size among
Johnston County's high
schools between West
Johnston's 263 and South
Johnston's 231 (according
to numbers reported by
the Four Oaks-Benson
News in Review).
Corinth Holders, Clayton,
and Cleveland graduate
larger numbers; North
Johnston and Princeton are
smaller.
VIEW the
list of SSS graduates as
listed in the event's
program (as a PDF)>
LuLong Ogburn Medlin in Athletic Hall of Fame
Best known
as winner of the 1951 Miss
North Carolina Pageant and
runner-up in the Miss
America Pageant, LuLong
Ogburn Medlin was also a
star basketball player for
the Smithfield High School
Red Devils. Now she's one
of six new members of
Johnston County Public
Schools' Athletic Hall of
Fame.
Joining her in this year's
class: sportswriter D.
Clay Best, Major League
baseball player Al Evans
of Kenly, West Johnston
High School swimming champ
Sarah Henry, Corinth
Holders High basketball
and baseball star Glen M.
Hinnant, and Princeton
High three-sport standout
Rodney Odney.
The schools' announcement had this to say about Mrs. Medlin: Her high school basketball career began as a freshman in 1947. The coach, Luby Royal, decided to start her first game and over the next four years Medlin became a standout for North Carolina. That year she scored approximately 250 points. As a sophomore, Medlin scored 400 points. In her junior year she bagged 486 points, and she ended her high-school career by scoring 718 points during her senior year. LuLong became the all-time scoring leader of Johnston County with nearly 2,000 points.
More about the
other inductees in a story
posted on the schools'
website>
The Johnston County Athletic
Hall of Fame display is
located in the former
Smithfield High School
building on South Third
Street that serves today as
the school system's West
Campus administrative
building. The display may be
viewed during normal
business hours. From now
through August 11 those
hours are 7 a.m. to 5:30
p.m. Monday-Wednesday, 7
a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday,
closed Friday.
Food-truck vendor
opens a dine-in grill
at Pine Needle Square
Daniel
Covington, operator of a
food-truck and catering
business the past five
years, has opened 815
Gourmet Grill in the Pine
Needle Square shopping
center at 721 North Bright
Leaf Boulevard. The
Triangle East Chamber of
Commerce staged a virtual
ribbon-cutting there
last week. Known as "Chef
Dash," Mr. Covington said
he started out as "a
mac-and-cheese grill" and
has expanded to where "we
have a food choice for
every food pallet." (Triangle
East Chamber screenshot)
For
operating hours and more
information, visit the
grill's website>
HOME
FOR SALE
4-bedroom
brick ranch on half-acre
landscaped lot at 707
Crescent Dr. in South
Smithfield with an
office, all appliances,
stair lifts, wired
workshop, 2-car carport,
greenhouse. 2,936 square
feet: UNDER
CONTRACT (MLS#244987)
LAND
FOR SALE
2.4-acre vacant lot at
1558 W. Market Street
(US 70 Business) in West
Smithfield. Mostly level
with 323-foot road
frontage. Less than 3
miles from Johnston
Regional Airport, about
5 miles from I-95: $525,000
(MLS#2447472)
SUSAN
LASSITER, Broker •
FONVILLE MORISEY
REALTY • 919-669-9235
WHAT'S
COMING UP?
Juneteenth
celebrations begin at
JCC Friday evening
Sunday,
June 19 is the official
day designated in
Smithfield as Juneteenth,
yet celebrations begin
with the weekend's
arrival:
• Johnston Community
College's Black Music
Appreciation Month and
Juneteenth Celebration
starts at 6 p.m. Friday on
the lawn of the Learning
Resource Center with
musical acts JusOnce and
Mack Band plus food trucks
and games.
• The Town of Smithfield's
Juneteenth Freedom Day
celebration will be held
Saturday at Smith Collins
Park, with a parade
beginning at 10:30 at the
Alumni Center on Massey
Street followed by an
afternoon of free food,
vendors, spoken word,
singing, games, live
entertainment, and a
cookout.
301
Endless Yard Sale
returns this Friday and
Saturday
Started
in Selma a decade ago,
this roadside series of
yard sales by individuals,
organizations, and
businesses now stretches
along 100-plus miles of US
301 from Weldon to Dunn.
The Johnston County
Visitors Bureau expects
more than 15,000 shoppers
and more than 2,500
vendors to take part in
this year's event.
VIEW a map
of Johnston County's
scheduled vendors>
Downtown's
Third StrEATery event is
back this Friday
The
June installment of
Downtown Smithfield's
Third StrEATery
outdoor-dining series
continues from 6 to 9 p.m.
this Friday featuring
entertainment by The
Radio, described as a
"soundtrack to the great
American road trip" with a
variety of tunes from the
1930s to the present day.
These performances are
supported by funding from
the North Carolina Arts
Council, a state agency.
3
Little Pigs Triathlon
will close roads
Saturday morning
The
12th annual Chick-fil-A 3
Little Pigs Triathlon,
presented by Sysco, will
be held this Saturday at
the Recreation and
Aquatics Center. As a
result, from 7 a.m. to
10:30 a.m. motor vehicles
will be barred on Durwood
Stephenson Parkway from
Buffalo Road to Kellie
Drive, and the entire
length of Kellie Drive
will be restricted to
bicycles only. The
Smithfield Police
Department will be on-site
to assist drivers.
Event
to mark Solstice next
Tuesday at St. Paul's
Church
Earth's
Solstice, when the Sun
reaches its northernmost
point above the Equator,
will take place at 5:14
a.m. EDT next Tuesday,
June 21. To commemorate
the astronomical changing
of the seasons from Spring
to Summer, the Daughters
of the King, Mary Magdalen
Chapter at St. Paul's
Episcopal Church has
scheduled a Solstice
Labyrinth Walk and Mandala
Rock Painting from 10 a.m.
till noon both inside and
ouside the church, located
at the corner of South
Second and Church streets
in Smithfield. "All ages
and visitors welcome!" the
invitation reads.
DEATHS
& FUNERALS
Click
on the name to read an
obituary, usually posted
by the funeral home
CLYDE
HOUSTON WEEMS, 73 –
died June 13
LINDA
PAULETTE CALDWELL, 73
– died June 11
MARY YVONNE
CREECH MOORE, 86 –
died June 11
BARBARA
WHITLEY WOODARD, 75
– died June 11
LAWRENCE
NOEL GIBSON, 88 –
died June 9
JAMES STEVEN
LANE, 74 – died June
9
JOHN ROBERT
WILLIAMS, 95 – died
June 9
VICTOR EDSEL
PENNY, 94 – died
June 8
CALVIN (CAL)
JOSEPH ROBOL, 82 –
died May 31
Neuse
bacteria at alarming
levels here? Town says
not
Sound
Rivers, an organization of
volunteer "riverkeepers"
who monitor water quality
in the Neuse and Pamlico
basins, says a sample
taken at the Smithfield
Town Commons last week
exceeded "the EPA standard
for recreational water
quality." Two other sites
on the Neuse in Wake
County below Raleigh also
produced bacteria readings
above the standard, yet
two sites near Clayton had
readings within acceptable
levels. VIEW details
on the Sound Rivers
website>
Asked about the report,
Smithfield's Town Manager
Mike Scott provided this
response: "At no time has
the river water been
considered
harmful/dangerous. If it
were, the NCDEQ (N.C.
Department of
Environmental Quality)
would issue an alert – and
none have been issued. I
will surmise, however,
that the river is very low
due to lack of rainfall in
our area. When there is
less water, any
contaminants will appear
to be higher in volume
than when the river is
(at) normal levels."
The Town of Smithfield
draws its water supply
just upstream from the
Town Commons and regularly
monitors water quality
there. The Neuse River's
depth at Smithfield is
presently running below 5
feet, which is typical
this time of year.
The photo above was taken
on Wednesday, looking
upstream from the boat
ramp toward the abandoned
intake structure used for
many years as part of the
Front Street treatment
plant that has been
demolished. The small sand
bar as well as the rocks
visible along the bank
indicate how shallow the
river is running just now.
A
WORD (OR TWO) FROM THE
EDITOR
Silencing
citizens is no way to
run a democracy
The
Johnston County Board of
Education has found itself
in the crosshairs of
public frustration
surrounding numerous
issues facing our nation's
public schools these days.
For the most part, board
members have exhibited
remarkable patience,
especially this past year
in dealing with everything
from mandating masks
during a pandemic to
teaching the role of
racism in American
history.
But there remains one
glaring deficiency in the
school board's procedures
that continues to
undermine the public's
trust and fuel the fires
of frustration among
parents and employees. And
that's the board's
three-minute limit on
"Public Comment" at its
once-a-month regular
session.
What a contrast with the
public forum provided not
once, but three times
every month by the
Johnston County Board of
Commissioners – at both
the morning and evening
sessions on the first
Monday of the month and
the evening session on the
third Monday.
Furthermore, the
commissioners – while
requesting speakers to be
considerate to others in
time taken for their
remarks – do not place an
arbitrary time limit on
citizens desiring to
address the board.
This week's appearance
before both boards by the
president of Johnston's
Association of Teacher
Assistants is the best (or
worst) example yet of how
it should and should not
be done:
Melanie Autry was allowed
to speak for almost 20
minutes Monday evening to
the County Commissioners
about low pay for many
school employees. She
repeated her plea for
better treatment at
Tuesday evening's Board of
Education session, but the
YouTube audio feed was cut
off after her allotted
three minutes even though
she continued speaking for
two more minutes without
knowing that.
Oh well. Cutting the audio
wasn't as bad as what's
usually heard when one's
time is up: an annoying
loud alarm bell fitting
for a fire drill but
certainly not appropriate
for silencing a citizen.
Board of Education
meetings tend to go on for
hours, but surely there
are better ways to cut
down on the length of
those sessions than a
strictly enforced time
limit on public speaking.
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