Stories and photos by WINGATE LASSITER unless credited otherwise
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A view from the roof of the Heritage Center of last Saturday's farmers market.

First test of farmers market: "resounding success"

One of the organizers of last Saturday's revival of a farmers market in Downtown Smithfield called it "a resounding success." Mayor Andy Moore said he was "very pleased with the event." Even a critic who voiced concerns about possible discrimination against LGBTQ persons called it "a huge benefit to this town."

Both Jud Patterson of The Oak City Collection and John Bilott of The Twisted Willow asked the Town Council at Tuesday's monthly meeting to go ahead and approve a permit to extend the market beyond May 27 based on how things went last Saturday. Those shop owners last month got permission to host the market along the 100 block of South Third Street every other Saturday through May. The council wanted to limit its test run to see if the market negatively impacted other downtown businesses, and did not extend the permit Tuesday.

More than 40 vendors participated in last Saturday's opening. "I'd like to see more produce," said Councilman David Barbour at Tuesday's meeting. "I talked to almost every vendor," he added, "and got great comments about how smooth it went."

Allen Hall, without giving specifics, complained about LGBTQ discrimination by the market's organizers. But Mr. Bilott countered that "not one vendor was turned away" and that Mr. Hall's complaint was based on "second-hand information."

Mayor Moore said he had been "concerned about parking" with the closing of South Third to vehicular traffic. "But I think it worked," and "it was great to see people I didn't know" coming to Downtown Smithfield, he added.
 

"Police Officer of Year," other town officials honored

Smithfield's mayor and council gave special recognition to several town employees at Tuesday's meeting:

• Jonathan Boyce was honored as "Police Officer of the Year" after nomination by his peers and his selection by team commanders in the Police Department. Officer Boyce joined the town's police force two years ago. He serves in the Patrol Division.
(Town of Smithfield photo by Brian Eaves)

• Fire Captain Arthur Bentley Powell was honored with a proclamation for his service of more than 20 years with the Fire Department. He retired May 1.

• Town Clerk Shannan Parrish was saluted by the mayor as he proclaimed April 30-May 6 Professional Municipal Clerks Week.

• Fire Chief Michael Brown received a plaque from Councilman Barbour for his participation in a Skills USA training program at Smithfield-Selma High School.

In addition, Mayor Moore administered the oath of office to James Davis, a newly hired police officer who comes from Elizabethtown's department.
 

Severe pruning of business landscape trees outlawed

The council gave unanimous approval to an ordinance amendment "to prohibit severe pruning of required landscaping trees" – a recent occurrence throughout town prompting staff's recommendation of the new rule, explained Planning Director Stephen Wensman.

He showed photos of what he termed "a lot of heavy pruning, especially of crape myrtles" around commercial properties with town-approved landscaping plans that require tree "canopies." He said there are instances where "trees are getting down shorter than adjacent shrubs."

"Crape myrtles should never be topped," declared Lanny Thomas of Swift Creek Nursery during the public hearing on the proposed ordinance amendment. "We call it crape murder."

Mr. Wensman showed pictures of a pruning practice called "pollarding," which trims trees like crape myrtles but avoids severe cutbacks. He said the new pruning rule approved Tuesday would not apply to residential properties.

Councilman Barbour wondered if the new rule would affect the town's maintenance of trees like the Bradford pears lining South Second Street that have been pruned to a shape he called "terrible." Town Manager Mike Scott said pruning of those trees was allowed because of overhead utility lines, but added that the town's Appearance Commission is studying options for improving the looks of that situation.
 

Appointments made to Library and Downtown boards

The council reappointed Rick Childrey to a third term on the Board of Trustees of the Public Library of Johnston County and Smithfield and appointed John Bilott of The Twisted Willow and Michelle Verburgt of J and M Assortment as new members of the Downtown Smithfield Development Corporation's Board of Directors.
 

Special events and Gun Violence Awareness Day OK'd

The council approved permits for three upcoming events:
• Neuse River Amphitheater Grand Opening this Friday.
• Inner Shows, Inc. carnival at Carolina Premium Outlets May 12-29.
• Healthquest member appreciation event at the Medical Mall May 20.

Also approved was a proclamation designating June 2 as National Gun Violence Awareness Day in Smithfield. The proclamation asks citizens to show their support for efforts to reduce gun violence "by wearing orange" on that date.
 

Council schedules budget sessions: today and Monday

The Town Council will continue its deliberations on a proposed budget for fiscal 2023-24 during special sessions scheduled for 7 p.m. today (Thursday) at Fire Station No. 1 on South Fourth Street and 6 p.m. next Monday at Town Hall.

New East Smithfield walking trail officially "christened"

Nearby residents joined town officials Saturday morning for a stroll along the new walkway that runs from Smith-Collins Park all the way around the town's large pond across from Johnston Community College (shown in the background here). At a ribbon cutting, Mayor Andy Moore gave credit to Johnston's state representatives, Larry Strickland and Donna White, for securing $536,300 from the N.C. General Assembly for construction of the trail and expansion of the splash pad at Eva Ennis Park. He said the town has contacted the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission about stocking the pond with fish.
 

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Employment in Johnston County continues to rise

Johnstonians holding jobs rose from 105,040 in February to 106,242 in March, according to the latest monthly report from the N.C. Department of Commerce. That's another record high. The number of Johnstonians looking for work also rose slightly in March – from 3,476 to 3,553 – keeping the monthly unemployment rate at 3.2%, the same as a month earlier. The statewide rate for March was 3.5%, same as the national rate – both down from 3.6% in February.
 

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"Selma-Smithfield Station" is Amtrak's designation for four daily passenger-train stops in Selma, which would get busier if Raleigh-Goldsboro-Wilmington service is established as proposed by the N.C. Department of Transportation's Rail Division.

County Commissioners embrace intercity rail plan

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Another JCC nursing instructor "Educator of the Year"

For the second time this spring, a Johnston Community College nursing instructor has been named "Educator of the Year" by a group of peers. Natalie Oliver was awarded the honor by the North Carolina Council of Practical Nurse Educators, which represents the state's community colleges that have such programs.

She was hired in October 2021 to help start JCC’s new Practical Nursing Program. "Mrs. Oliver was able to come in and immediately begin putting together a program – which is a tremendous feat,” said Dr. Jennifer Sugg, the department's chair. "We are so proud of her and the work she has accomplished in such a short period of time.”

The first cohort of the new program that recently graduated achieved a 100% pass rate on the National Council Licensure Examination, a required test for practical and vocational nurses in the United States and Canada.
 

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A much nicer welcome at Smithfield Middle School

The latest project to be completed with funds from the county's 2018 school-bond issue is the dressed-up main entrance to Smithfield Middle School that includes LED lighting beneath the new canopy covering the walkways. (Facebook photo from Johnston County Public Schools)
 

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HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS REPORT

Neuse Charter soccer girls finish 2nd in conference

The Neuse Charter School's girls soccer team beat Union High twice this week – by a score of 2-1 on Monday and 3-0 in Tuesday's opening round of the Carolina 1-A Conference tournament. That lifted the Cougars' record to 8-2 in regular-season conference matches – a 2nd-place finish – and 12-4 overall.

The Cougars' boys baseball team broke out of a six-game losing streak with an 18-4 shellacking of Union High on Wednesday. Jaedyn Teachey and Blane Barefoot led the Neuse Charter onslaught with two hits apiece. Nathan Dunn added a double that drove in two runs. Connor Phillips registered three RBIs and scored three runs. The win puts the Cougars' conference record at 2-8, the season's record at 3-13.

Smithfield-Selma's soccer girls get a conference win

The SSS girls soccer team beat Southern Wayne 2-0 on Tuesday, raising its record to 6-6 in Quad County 3-A Conference matches, 9-9 overall.

The boys baseball team is 0-13 in conference play, 2-17 overall, following losses to West Johnston 13-0 last Thursday and Southern Wayne 10-8 on Tuesday. Luke Woodall led the Spartans with three hits versus Southern Wayne while Chase Nguyen and Vincent Belcher had two hits apiece.

The girls softball team is also 0-13 in conference play, 0-21 overall, following losses to West Johnston 20-4 last Thursday and Southern Wayne 17-0 on Tuesday.

 

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April's rainfall: 6.65 inches, and we're above average

That's the monthly report from Cornell Cox's Backyard Weather Station in South Smithfield, bringing our year-to-date total to 16.49 inches, which is significantly above the year-to-date total of 11.33 inches at this point a year ago and also above the four-month average of 14.55 inches recorded by U.S. Climate Data.
 

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Love the Space You're In!

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<Call Pernell today.

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WHAT'S COMING UP?

Ham & Yam Festival is back this Saturday

The 37th Ham & Yam Festival presented by Stevens Sausage and Agri Supply continues from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. with more than 130 vendors, entertainment on two stages, inflatables for the kids, and lots of food items, of course. The Neuse River Amphitheater will feature performances by The WEJ, Crucial Fiya, 2Digh4, and All My Rowdy Friends (a Hank Williams Jr. tribute show). A stage on Third Street will include performances by the JoCo Community Choir, Artistry in Motion Performing Arts Center, local school bands, The Soul Rhythm & Groove, DNR, and Gypsy Railroad. The festival is organized by the non-profit Downtown Smithfield Development Corporation. For more information visit the festival website>

Preliminary festival concert at new amphitheater Friday

A ribbon-cutting ceremony at 7 p.m. Friday will mark the opening of the newly reconstructed amphitheater on the Town Commons below South Front Street beside the Neuse River. That will be followed by a free concert – by a local band named Bad Decisions – scheduled to continue till 9:30 p.m.

Ribbon cutting, open house today at enlarged water plant

A ribbon-cutting ceremony at 1 p.m. today (Thursday) followed by an open house and tours continuing till 3 p.m. marks the completion of a $17.6-million expansion of the Town of Smithfield's Water Treatment Plant, located at the north end of Second Street beside Talton Park.

Johnston Board of Education's monthly meeting Tuesday

The meeting starts at 4 p.m. at the Evander S. Simpson Building on US 70 Business east of Smithfield. The open business session usually begins around 5 p.m. after a closed session at the meeting's outset. VIEW the agenda once it's posted online>
 

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DEATHS & FUNERALS

Click on the name to read an obituary, usually posted by the funeral home

RICHARD ALLEN PURDY SR., 76 – died May 3

RICHARD GODWIN PROCTOR, 85 – died May 2

BENJAMIN ALEXANDRIA JOHNSON, 97 – died April 27

BARBARA JEAN ADAMS OVERBY, 76 – died April 27

ANNIE RUTH PEARCE HILL, 87 – died April 26

WILLIAM (BILL) EDMON THORNTON, 86 – died April 25

GEORGE THOMAS CASEY, 64 – died April 23
 

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Here's a drone's-eye view that shows expanded facilities at the Town of Smithfield's water plant. The largest addition is the white in-ground storage tank on the right. The expansion required the permanent closing to vehicular traffic of Second Street and Hospital Road through the site. (Town of Smithfield photo)

A WORD (OR TWO) FROM THE EDITOR

Water, water everywhere? Yes, with some planning

Clean water – actually, it's cleansed water – is vital for human existence. Thank goodness Smithfield, and the rest of Johnston County, appears to have ample supplies of it for our daily consumption for now. But what about the future?

This afternoon the Town of Smithfield is celebrating completion of a $17.6-million project to expand the capabilities of its Water Treatment Plant, increasing capacity by 34% to 8.3-million gallons per day. Not only does that prepare the town for what looks like substantial residential development headed our way, especially in West Smithfield, but it comes online as a construction project that stayed within budget – a remarkable achievement in this time of soaring building costs.

In his monthly report to the Town Council earlier this week, Town Manager Mike Scott said the cost of the water plant's expansion would have been twice as much if it were going out for bids from contractors in today's construction environment.

Meanwhile, the County of Johnston recently completed a long-term water plan that calls for a second treatment plant drawing water from the Neuse River at Richardson's Bridge near the Wayne County line and transporting it by pipeline to a facility next to an abandoned rock quarry near Princeton. That would come in addition to a current project to expand the capacity of the county's existing water plant on the Neuse at Wilson's Mills.

Beyond that, the county has looked at options to import water from neighboring counties, drawing from the Cape Fear River in Harnett and perhaps the Buckhorn Reservoir in Wilson County.

The big question for the county is how much water can the Neuse River deliver if the region's growth continues unchecked well into the future?

Keeping clean, or cleansed, water flowing into our pipes is about as basic as it can get when it comes to what government is asked to provide for us.

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