Comments for Answer to “Let’s Get it Right!” | Eastern North Carolina Now

John: When I spoke at Snowden in defense of the School Board stopping the doing of incredibly stupid stuff, I warned them competition was coming, and, as a county commissioner, I would aid their competition by keeping S.W. Snowden in the county government's soon-to-now inventory of surplus schools to sell primarily to charter schools and private schools.

It is slowly being realized here in Beaufort County as "School Choice," and it is about to happen here in Beaufort County.

Now, all I need is one more Real Republican on the board of county commissioners to turn education here in Beaufort County toward a far more effective direction.

Commented: Sunday, July 13th, 2025 @ 12:30 pm By: Stan Deatherage

Terry Williams was asked to "put up or shut up" about his claim of public discussion on closing Snowden by the school board over the last ten years. Apparently he cannot put up by telling us any times that can be documented when that happened, so he has chosen to shut up. Looks like his little bluff failed.

Commented: Friday, July 11th, 2025 @ 11:30 am By: Bubba

All these "discussions" over the last ten years must have been in those closed from the public sessions. The public was not let in on any of this during most of the 10-year time period mentioned. I realize that it is comfortable and very convenient for the Superintendent and Board, but it is also an unlawful misuse of closed sessions. They saved the open session work for the cram down at the end. Transparency and disrespect for the public is a very big feature of this school board and this school superintendent.

Many of us on the southside do appreciate Terry Willliams's last ditch NO vote to closing Snowden School. We would have really appreciated him voting against starting the school closing procedure that made any of this possible. Trouble is he voted YES on that one. Donald Shreve made the motion to start the school closing procedure, and he and five other board members voted YES on the final vote also. It's hard to make a case for either one of those guys making any effort to keep Snowden open.

On the other hand, Mr. Hickman and Ms. Davis voted NO to all of this nonsense. A lot of us recognize and respect the difference. Also, Commissioners Richardson, Deatherage and Dunn made efforts to keep Snowden open, but they were outvoted by the other four commissioners. Remember during this time Commissioner Booth said, "I've done all I'm going to do for Aurora."

It is obvious that we do have local board members advocating for transparency. The trouble is the majority of our board members do not work for transparency and do hide their work in secrecy and murkiness. Those representatives disrespecting the people that put them there need to be weeded out.

Commented: Friday, July 11th, 2025 @ 10:38 am By: Van Zant

Obviously you must have missed the WITN news where they interviewed Clif Williams and his exact words were he was glad it was closing and he would get a charter school or apartments...

Commented: Friday, July 11th, 2025 @ 9:05 am By: Rhonda Stallings

Terry Williams: Before you are gone for good: Title Search?

Commented: Thursday, July 10th, 2025 @ 6:44 pm By: Stan Deatherage

Mr. Williams – I recognize, and appreciate, that you did vote against closing Snowden when the final vote was held. I believe you did represent the feelings and desires of the overwhelming majority of people not only south of the Pamlico, but across the county as a whole in doing so. I belatedly realized that I had only named those County Commissioners and School Board members who voted in favor of closing the school in my article discussing the issue published on June 6th and not those who voted against the decision.

Commissioners Richardson, Deatherage and Dunn, in addition to School Board members Hickman and Davis also cast votes for saving the school, which was the correct decision in my opinion. They were all outspoken critics of closing the school and sought ways to prevent the closure during the process. I wish that you had been more outspoken about keeping the school open in public comments during the meetings concerning the issue. As a former Infantry officer, I was taught and believe that there is no substitute for leadership by example as expounded in the Infantry motto: "Follow Me!" I feel that your position as Vice Chair of the School Board and having served multiple terms on that board place you in a position that could have helped convince or sway the votes of other members into making the same choice as you. Regardless, when the time came, you made the correct decision to vote against closing Snowden in my opinion.

Commented: Thursday, July 10th, 2025 @ 2:15 pm By: David Hudson

Since School Board member Terry Williams is speaking here and offering to be transparent, please tell me about the discussions of the Board members when they learned they didnt own the 9 1/2 acres.

Then how did the School Board members' discussion reduce it to a 4 ac purchase for $500,000?

Did no one on the School Board feel robbed and then demand a Title Search????

Thanks in advance,
Befuddled.

Commented: Thursday, July 10th, 2025 @ 12:30 pm By: Befuddled

Lets make it a little easier for Terry. Was THIS move to close Snowden ever on the school board's public agenda prior to the motion to start the process to close it? No, I didn't think so. Has it ever been on the school board's public agenda since the 2022 school board election? I didn't think so there either. IF I am wrong, please cite the meeting dates so that can be confirmed by the meeting minutes.

Commented: Thursday, July 10th, 2025 @ 12:34 pm By: Concerned Taxpayer

Rino Hunter - this probably is my last comment here because apparently no one on here is interested in the truth. Where did I say the Snowden discussion was behind closed doors? No where did I say that. Besides if you want to have a transparent conversation then sign your name and stop hiding behind the ridiculous Rino Hunter. So easy to make unsubstantiated claims when you hide.

Commented: Thursday, July 10th, 2025 @ 9:21 am By: Terry Williams

Hood Richardson - You can remind me so let me remind you. Once the Snowden issue was brought up for discussion, which has been a discussion for more than 10 years, I voted for transparency and to allow the voice of the people to be heard. Something you preach all the time until it doesn't fit your narrative. My vote had nothing to do with anyone else's decision or vote. Ask your trusted board member you refer to all the time did I not tell them more than a week ahead of the vote I would be a NO vote. You just can't accept the truth that sometimes people actually do what they feel is right. I'm indebted to no one but those good people of Chocowinity who continue to support me and I will always support them 100%.

Commented: Thursday, July 10th, 2025 @ 7:46 am By: Terry Williams

Washingtonian: Proven politicians (serving at least two years), who have served with some notable and conservative distinction, outside of your mentioning of Commissioners Richardson and Deatherage as good servants of the public, are as follows:

Adam O'Neal, Belhaven's mayor, as long as he wished to be it, comes to mind.

I speak Adam's name first because he was exemplary in his committed duty to the People of Belhaven, and served as a fine example of how one must govern to be the ultimate public servant.

County Commissioner and Washington City Council Member Carol Cochran - Carol was the real deal, and like Adam O'Neal, was not only my peer but a good friend.

Speaking of friends, current School Board Member Charles Hickman serving as the Richland Township Representative is a smart and steady addition to this dysfunctional school board. Like Adam, Hood, Carol and myself and others, we all fully realize that none of this is "rocket science;" however, it does seem to be that way for so many other elected Beaufort County politicians.

Also, I would be remiss to not mention Belhaven's commissioner Steve Carawan, who was wise enough to become and remain Adam O'Neal's sidekick in how to properly govern.

Mayor Clif Williams of Aurora has always been an outstanding advocate for the betterment of his small town, and I have often found myself voting yes to help that beleaguered community because of Clif, and, moreover, his town has long played host to Beaufort County's largest single taxpayer - Nutrien, formerly PCS, formerly Texas Gulf.

Additionally, City of Washington Councilman Bobby Roberson kept a keen eye on spending for the City of Washington, and even though Councilman Roberson lost votes just like Hood and I do lose them, it is truly a hard slog to out-govern a majority of Democratic Socialists, and their associative counterparts - the RINOs - those who the Democratic Socialists always find a way to control.

I may have missed some of those, who have served with distinction in some of the smaller town governments, as I actually do not know all that much about the smaller governments, as I serve the entire county, every citizen; where if one lives in a city or town, the majority of their services come from the county government; concurrently, if citizens live outside of city /town limits, all of their services come from Beaufort County's government.

Since I serve at the behest of my constituents from all over the county, I am absolutely and intrinsically concerned with the largest government within Beaufort County, and I govern accordingly by dedicating my time appropriately to that duty; additionally, the Beaufort County School Board, who could not exist without the county government of Beaufort County ... Ergo, I watch them closely, more now than ever as this Republican led governing body cannot find the mental acuity to govern in any credible manner.

Washingtonian, I hope I have answered your question to your proper satisfaction.

Commented: Wednesday, July 9th, 2025 @ 8:59 pm By: Stan Deatherage

Cheeseman is building his Washington mega-school with excess capacity. One wonders what his game plan is, and Bath elementary may well be on his target list. I wish we had fewer useful idiots on our school board. Blindly following the bureaucracy makes a really poor excuse for an elected official.

Commented: Wednesday, July 9th, 2025 @ 6:05 pm By: Concerned Taxpayer