The
joining of a young family
of refugees from a far-off
war with a recently
widowed Smithfield
resident has turned out to
be a blessing for both
parties.
The Shchurenkos of Ukraine
moved in with Warren
Grimes in early June – 15
months after Russia's
devastating invasion of
their homeland and just
four months after the
unexpected death of
Warren's long-time wife,
Genie.
"I like to cook and I hope
you don't mind if I cook a
few things," Alina told
Warren shortly after their
arrival. He readily
consented, and "and now
the kitchen is hers – like
it used to be before my
wife died."
Alina, who speaks English
while her husband does
not, this week talked
about her flight from
Ukraine that began shortly
after war broke out in
February 2022. She and
infant daughter Milana
spent much of the year
that followed living with
a host family in the
Netherlands before she
connected with an
organization that paved
the way for her
immigration to Smithfield.
"I didn't want to leave"
Ukraine, she said, but her
husband Roman insisted,
for their safety. He
stayed behind serving as a
military policeman in
Ukraine for almost year –
until a medical condition
prompted his release from
service and enabled him to
accompany his wife and
child to American soil.
A taxi driver and
automobile mechanic in the
capital city of Kyiv prior
to the war, Roman started
part-time work this week
with a local auto-repair
business, thanks to
Warren's assistance with
job-hunting and the
paperwork required for
employment as a refugee
under the U.S.
Government's Uniting for
Ukraine program.
Alina, meanwhile, worked
as a nurse prior to the
birth of her daughter and
is pursuing options for
resuming that work here.
The Shchurenkos are
allowed to remain here two
years under the
government's program of
"humanitarian parole," but
that may be extended, said
an optimistic Alina.
She admitted she was "a
bit sad" about moving to
the United States, even
though her father and one
of her brothers were
already residing in
Philadelphia. But, she
added, "we are Christian
people and God was leading
us" elsewhere.
Then why Smithfield? The
answer lies with the MG
Global Support Foundation,
an organization founded by
Miguel Guerra, a refugee
from El Salvador who
resides in nearby Wake
County. His foundation
started out as a project
to seek donations of
airline miles to fly
people like the
Shchurenkos out of harm's
way.
Warren Grimes saw a
feature story about the MG
Foundation on WRAL-TV back
in February and followed
up by connecting with a
Wake County couple who had
accepted Ukrainians into
their home. That led to a
Zoom telephone meeting
introducing Warren and the
Shchurenkos to one another
and the decision to unite
in North Carolina.
The Ukrainian family
appears to be adjusting
very well to our
small-town way of living.
Alina and Roman were able
to get driver's licenses
so they can get around
without Warren's
chauffeuring. They even
made the trip by
themselves to buy work
shoes for Roman the other
day. (Facebook photo
shows Milana with a
stuffed animal she
received upon her
arrival at RDU
International Airport.)
"Everything is nice," said
Alina, who especially
likes the privilege of
taking a shower every day.
Besides that, added
Warren, "my children have
accepted them with open
arms."
How long will they stay
here? And when, if ever,
will they return to their
homeland?
"They're here as long as
they need to be," said
Warren, who added he'd be
open to hosting another
family of refugees if and
when the Shchurenkos move
on.
Alina said she has an aunt
with a "flat" in Kyiv who
has invited the family to
return to Ukraine, but
that doesn't mean they
will go back any time
soon. Alina said the
couple want their child
"to have her own house"
and grow up "to study at a
good university."
Perhaps North Carolina
will provide them a better
chance to realize their
dream.
POSTSCRIPT: Mr. Grimes
provided links for more
information related to
his decision to become a
Ukrainian refugee host:
• WRAL-TV
story that got him
interested>
• MG Global
Support Foundation's
Facebook page>
• Zoom
interview introducing
the Shchurenkos to
Warren>
FOR
SALE:
South
Smithfield
home overlooking
Wilson's Pond
313 West
Wilson Street: new
price $699,000
Link to
MLS#2509894>
Land
for sale in West
Smithfield
2.4-acre
vacant lot at 1558 W. Market
Street (US 70 Business).
Mostly level ground with
323-foot road frontage: $498,000
Link to
MLS#2447472>
SUSAN
LASSITER, Broker
Fonville
Morisey Realty
919-669-9235
QuickRide
has funding to continue
for another year
Neal
Davis, who recently
retired as director of
Community and Senior
Services of Johnston
County yet continues to
work with the agency's
JCATS transportation
program, says the
QuickRide "microtransit"
service started in March
has sufficient funding to
operate for another year,
at least.
That was guaranteed with
recent approval of a
$394,000 grant from the
N.C. Department of
Transportation, he said.
Johnston's County
Commissioners this past
year appropriated $158,339
to launch QuickRide, a
Uber-like ride-hailing
service presently
restricted to the
Smithfield-Selma area. The
2023-24 county budget
adopted by commissioners
last week appropriates
$445,669 for JCATS, the
Johnston County Area
Transit System that
includes the QuickRide
component in addition to
its traditional service of
providing scheduled rides
for the elderly and others
without means of reaching
medical care and other
necessities of living.
Mr. Davis
last week gave
commissioners an update on
how QuickRide has been
performing so far. From
March through May, he
reported, 1,608 trips were
provided: 755 to reach
jobs, 175 to get medical
care, 78 to access
schooling, and 600
"general purpose" trips to
grocery stores, banks,
shops, restaurants, and
the like. Riders are
charged a flat rate of $6
per trip, with strict
limits on destinations,
which have to be within a
defined boundary around
Smithfield and Selma.
Presently, QuickRide
operates from 7 a.m. to 6
p.m. Monday-Friday, but
Mr. Davis said riders
would like to see that
extended earlier and later
in the day and also into
weekends. Commissioners
expressed interest in
extending QuickRide to
other sections of the
county, especially the
fast-growing Clayton area.
Mr. Davis said expansion
of service will depend on
funding availability
coupled with financial
performance of the
Smithfield-Selma operation
in the months ahead. Mr.
Davis told commissioners
QuickRide has already been
"recognized nationally for
a system our size."
"A lot of people need
help, and this a great way
to do that," said
Commissioner Patrick
Harris, who represents
Smithfield's district.
To order a ride, telephone
JCATS at 919-202-5030 or
download an Internet "app"
to request service on the
QuickRide website>
Tourism
Authority, Junior
Women's League give
grants
The
Johnston County Tourism
Authority has approved
$150,000 for capital
projects in several towns,
including $30,000 to help
the Town of Smithfield pay
for conversion of two
tennis courts into six
Pickleball courts at
Community Park and a
$10,000 grant to the Ava
Gardner Museum for
updating and cataloging
its collection of
artifacts, textiles,
photographs, and documents
with the help of a
professional archivist.
The Tourism Authority's
grants are made with
proceeds from Johnston
County's 3% tax on lodging
at local hotels. Other
recipients of this year's
grants are Town of Selma
($50,000), Town of Benson
($30,000), Clayton Chamber
of Commerce ($25,000), and
Town of Archer Lodge
($5,000).
Meanwhile, the Junior
Women's League of
Smithfield has awarded a
$2,200 grant to the
Partnership for Children
of Johnston County for its
Safe Kids program. The
money will pay for more
than 20 children's car
seats to have on hand in
case an existing seat is
not suitable for a child's
height and weight. The
Partnership provides
checking stations where
families learn how to
correctly install
child-safety seats.
Leaders
of the future explore
what's what in Johnston
The
Triangle East
Economic Development
Foundation partners each
year with Johnston
Community College,
Johnston County Public
Schools, the Benson Area
Chamber of Commerce, and
the Clayton Chamber of
Commerce to offer Junior
Leadership Johnston, a
program for rising
high-school juniors. They
got a week's worth of
field trips to learn
about education and
financial literacy, health
and human services, economic
development and tourism,
government and public
service along with
instruction in
communication, networking,
problem-solving, and other
"durable skills."
Graduates from this year's
class: (pictured, left
to right) front row –
Isabel J. Evans of
Smithfield-Selma High
School, Emma C. Pearce of
South Johnston High, Alyssa
A. Newton of South Johnston
High, Jenna B. Starling of
Cleveland High, Kenleigh D.
Raynor
of Cleveland High, Kira E.
Earnest of Clayton High;
back row – Nathan C.
Murphy of Clayton High,
Samuel A. Nagel of
Cleveland High, Edward E.
Ball of North Johnston
High, Isaac D. Johnson of
South Johnston High,
Melaina J. Gantt of Neuse
Charter School. (Photo
from Triangle East
Chamber of Commerce)
May's
report had 106,840
Johnstonians employed
And
that's another record high,
slightly above April's
previous record of 106,408.
According to the latest
monthly report from the N.C.
Department of Commerce, the
number of Johnstonians
looking for work rose from
3,167 in April to 3,522 in
May, which raised the
county's unemployment rate
from 2.9% to 3.2%. The
statewide rate for May was
3.4% while the rate
nationwide was 3.7%.
Retail sales up 3.8% in latest quarterly
report
Retail
sales in Johnston County
showed a modest quarterly
gain of 3.8% during
January, February, and
March of this year when
compared to sales during
the same three months a
year earlier. According to
the latest report from the
N.C. Department of
Commerce, quarterly sales
totaled $726,014,693 – up
from $699,162,295 a year
earlier when the gain
amounted to a 13.9%
increase above the first
quarter of 2021 as the
state's economy was
beginning to recover from
the COVID pandemic.
NATURE'S OWN FIREWORKS IN A
SMITHFIELD SUNSET
This undated scene, borrowed from the town's
website, is a view
looking westward beyond
the Market Street river
bridge. It's one of the
vantage points for this
Sunday night's Fourth of
July fireworks show that
will burst forth above
the trees on the left.
HERE'S
WHAT'S COMING UP (in
the month ahead)
Downtown's Fourth celebration a
Sunday double-header
"Red,
White & Brews," a
food-truck rodeo and
craft-beer vendor event,
continues from 1 to 6 p.m.
this Sunday (July 2) on
the 100 block of South
Third Street. Then, the
day's Independence
Celebration moves to the
Neuse River Amphitheater
where live music, food
trucks, and other
activities will continue
from 6 p.m. until the
concluding fireworks show
at approximately 9:15.
Admission is free of
charge for both events
hosted by the Downtown
Smithfield Development
Corporation.
MORE DETAILS
including vendor lists
are in this week's
Downtown newsletter>
South Smithfield neighborhood's
Fourth parade Tuesday
Continuing
a Fourth of July tradition
started 30 years ago, a
South Smithfield
neighborhood will host an
impromptu parade starting
on the 1200 block of
Crescent Drive at 10 a.m.
Tuesday (July 4).
Participants of all ages
are invited to wear
patriotic colors and
decorate bicycles, wagons,
and strollers for the
procession to be followed
by servings of cake,
cookies, lemonade, and
water for all comers.
Here's a
flyer with a map of the
parade route>
School
board to hold a
year-ending session this
Friday
The
Johnston County Board of
Education will meet at 4
p.m. this Friday (June 30)
at the school system's
headquarters on US 70
Business east of
Smithfield. The agenda
includes the final budget
amendment for the current
fiscal year that ends
Friday. The board will not
hold its regular monthly
session in July.
Filing
for candidates seeking
town offices opens July
7
The
Smithfield mayor's seat
now held by Andy Moore and
three at-large seats on
the Town Council now held
by John Dunn, Steve Rabil,
and Roger Wood will be on
the ballot for this
November's Municipal
Election. The filing
period for candidates
opens at noon Friday, July
7 and closes at noon
Friday, July 21.
Monthly
Town Council meeting
moved to Tuesday, July
11
The
Smithfield Town Council,
which normally meets at 7
p.m. on the first Tuesday
of the month, has
scheduled its July meeting
a week later since the
month's first Tuesday
falls on the Fourth of
July holiday. The agenda
for the July 11 session
should be posted by July 7
on the
town's website>
County
board's hearing on new
land-use plan set July
17
Johnston's
County Commissioners will
conduct a public hearing
on what may be the final
version of a revised
Comprehensive Land Use
Plan during a regularly
scheduled board meeting at
6 p.m. Monday, July 17 –
to be held in the
auditorium of the Johnston
County Agricultural Center
on NC 210 west of
Smithfield to accommodate
a sizeable gathering of
citizens. Details of
the plan, entitled
"Envision Johnston
2040," are posted on the
county Planning
Department's website>
Chemical
change coming to
Smithfield South Water
District
Beginning
July 17 the County of
Johnston will change the
disinfectant in the
distribution system that
serves the Smithfield
South Water District from
chlorine to chloramines (a
combination of chlorine
and ammonia) to reduce
levels of disinfection
byproducts in the system
while still providing
protection from
water-borne disease. Most
customers will not notice
a difference in their
water, but some may detect
slight taste and odor
changes. Customers who
experience any issues that
cannot be cleared by
flushing the lines inside
your home should contact
the Smithfield Public
Utilities Department at
919-934- 2798. Here's a map
of the affected
district>
Free
"Movies in the Park" at
amphitheater begins July
22
Scheduled
are films on two dates at
the Neuse River
Amphitheater: "Top Gun
Maverick" on Saturday,
July 22 and Disney's
"Jungle Cruise" on
September 16. Hosted by
the Smithfield Parks &
Recreation Department, the
showings will be free of
admission charge.
DEATHS
& FUNERALS
Click
on the name to read an
obituary, usually posted
by the funeral home
DANIEL
ROJAS, 8 – died June
27
WILMA JEAN
THOMPSON, 82 – died
June 27
SHERWOOD
HOOKS WOOD, 94 –
died June 25
ELTON YOUNG
EVANS, 84 – died
June 23
THOMAS
ROBERT HARDER, 80 –
died June 22
JAMES EDWARD
CARTER, 77 – died
June 21
ARTHUR
ANDREW SELLERS JR., 64
– died June 21
VANESSA A.
JONES-KOEHLI, 65 –
died June 20
ROBERT (BOB)
LESTER WORSHAM, 67 –
died April 13
A
WORD (OR TWO) FROM THE
EDITOR
Weekly
Sun will be a Monthly
Sun this summer
Time
for a break to "re-charge
batteries," enjoy some
vacation, and assess how the
Smithfield Weekly Sun
as a one-man operation can
improve its coverage of
local news going forward
into a new year (defined
by the re-opening of
public schools).
For instance, the other
day a reader requested
more news about businesses
opening here. I agreed
that's a shortcoming of my
present operation and
explained that I'm
dependent on various
organizations and the
business operators
themselves to let me know
what's coming. Facebook is
a useful tool for keeping
up with things like that
but the information
gleaned from that source
is frequently incomplete,
and certainly not as
comprehensive as I'd like
to see.
Other shortcomings include
coverage of local school
sports and a closer
monitoring of activities
within the local judicial
system. Neither of those
fields is being covered as
they once were by local
media outlets.
I'm not sure at this point
how to address those
issues in a thorough and
consistent manner. It
takes a staff of
well-trained reporters to
do that work as it should
be done – something I lack
with my voluntary,
part-time effort to cover
local news.
Meanwhile, I'll continue
monitoring what's going on
around here through the
summer, especially the
doings of local
government. But instead of
publishing every Thursday
I'll be sending out
editions once in July – on
the 27th – and once in
August – on the 24th.
Of course, if there's
really important news that
takes place during the
weeks without the Sun,
I'll put out an "Extra"
edition whenever the
situation warrants it.
In the meantime, I welcome
your suggestions on what the
Smithfield Weekly Sun
should be doing beyond
what you've seen over the
past four and a half
years. My e-mail address
is shown as a link at the
top of this page and also
just below.
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