Comments by Van Zant | Eastern NC Now

I agree with a lot of what is being said here about the local party. More times than not it seems like many of the local Republican Party leaders are more interested in going after conservatives and especially native conservatives than they are interested in taking on leftists and crooks. We've got some very real local issues that need to be dealt with, and they are consumed with their self-interest and personal soap opera drama. These very loud people do not speak for me.

Also, like Jeff I have found that a few of the School Board members call me back. Most do not.

Commented: Sunday, September 21st, 2025 @ 11:14 am By: Van Zant

RH: I'm wondering the same things. The instant release of the tape does suggest political motivation. I'm hearing the superintendent did it unilaterally. I think the School Board needs to make an official statement regarding this. So far, they look as pathetic as the BC Republican Party Executive Committee.

Commented: Saturday, September 20th, 2025 @ 1:41 pm By: Van Zant

This issue has opened a huge can of worms. There are a LOT of things that need to be addressed. In my view the first thing to be dealt with is the fact that Carolyn Garris and Keith Kidwell are, so far, being allowed to speak for the Beaufort County Republican Party. I've called several BC Executive Committee members, and they have not met about this matter. Garris and Kidwell have no authority to make public pronouncements with the authority of the Beaufort County Republican Party. They should be reprimanded for their inappropriate public actions.

The pompous hypocrisy of many of the people in these types of positions is breathtaking. The efforts by people trying to restore some integrity to the local Republican party have been set back light years by this episode alone.

On all things, this seems to be the way things are done in Beaufort County these days. It is depressing seeing what we are becoming.

Commented: Saturday, September 20th, 2025 @ 12:54 pm By: Van Zant

This bus situation is one bizarre event even for Beaufort County. I'm not surprised at the actions of the school board member. She is a parent looking out for her child and their property. It started getting weird when the school superintendent unilaterally sent the tape to the media. I had heard long ago that this superintendent was consumed with being in control. He seems to like board members that follow his directives rather than the other way around. I've even heard that he meets with prospective opponents of board members he does not like.

It got even more weirder when the Beaufort County Republican Party Chairman waded into this, demanding the school board member resign. Is this person speaking for the party? What does the county executive committee think of this unilateral action? Plus, why is the local state house member making public demands of the fellow Republican office holder concerning this matter?

It's the actions since getting the property back that are opening the door to the really serious questions.

Commented: Friday, September 19th, 2025 @ 9:18 pm By: Van Zant

Those hypocrites running the NC GOPe are not getting better. They are getting worse.

Commented: Wednesday, September 10th, 2025 @ 8:31 am By: Van Zant

Anyone that had anything to do with the attempt to shut down the shrimping industry should not only be shunned but also be run out of politics on a rail.

Commented: Wednesday, September 3rd, 2025 @ 9:27 am By: Van Zant

Unfortunately, there seem to be too many Michaels in the general population. They just don't know what they don't know. It kind of makes me want to rethink the poll test route.

Commented: Friday, August 29th, 2025 @ 8:45 am By: Van Zant

I'm waiting for Waters to publish his political contribution list. But we've already got a representative sample of it.

Commented: Saturday, August 16th, 2025 @ 7:20 am By: Van Zant

I wonder how many Beaufort County students are enrolled at BGCS? The out of county charter schools are a more and more popular option for families on both sides of the Pamlico River.

Commented: Friday, August 8th, 2025 @ 10:41 am By: Van Zant

We hope to elect school board members and county commissioners to oversee the school system and the school system money. Unfortunately, only a few of them do, and they are constantly outvoted by the fast-track cram down crowd.

Commented: Tuesday, August 5th, 2025 @ 6:56 am By: Van Zant

On this board situations like this seem to arise quite often for a variety of reasons. This instance seems to be a combination of
1. An out-of-date board policy which is a reflection on the Board and the Board Attorney.
2. Incompetent or scheming school staff leadership (not sure which)
3. Conniving Republican School Board members.
This is a recipe for one disaster after another. Stay tuned. More to come I suspect.

Commented: Wednesday, July 23rd, 2025 @ 10:44 am By: Van Zant

Victoria: Thank you for your succinct and precise dose of truth.

Commented: Friday, July 18th, 2025 @ 8:04 am By: Van Zant

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

Befuddled: You're asking some great questions. I'm having a hard time putting this together also. The Superintendent started the grant process in 2023. By November 2023 it was on the agenda to move forward, and the board voted to present the proposal to the County Commission. That proposal breezed through 8 to 1 with Mr. Hickman voting against it. The County Commission knocked it through with a familiar 5 to 2 cram. At that time, it was assumed that BCS owned all the land.

By the December 18, 2024 School Board Emergency Closed Session meeting, the Board came back into open session whereupon chairman Allen made a motion seconded by Mr. Shreve to authorize the attorney to enter negotiations with the City of Washington for a Temporary Construction Easement including provisions about the 4 acres owned by the City of Washington. This included the proposals for trading Kugler Field, or trading P.S. Jones Park for the 4 acres. So, the shakedown was begun sometime before this.

There was another School Board Emergency Closed Session on January 10, 2025. Coming back into open session Chairman Allen made a motion seconded by Mr. Shreve to offer the City of Washington two options. Option 1. Purchase the 4 acres for $500,000. Option 2. Offer P.S. Jones Memorial Park to the City of Washington as a land swap. The Board offer provided for letting the County Commissioners choose.

From my conversations with a Board member, there seemed to be several meetings during this time with certain members of each board that were supposedly reporting back to the other members. From the School Board end, I seriously doubt if anyone really knows other than the Chairman and the Superintendent. It's probably a similar situation on the other boards too. It's all kind of murky with no clear trail. During this end of proceedings, the major players seem to be the Superintendent, the School Board Chairman, the Chairman of the Board of Commissioners, the County Manager and I'm really not clear about who was leading the shakedown from the City of Washington.

I've put all this together by referring to my own notes, checking the minutes, and conversations I've had with a School Board member (one I can trust). If anyone has it more clear than I do, I welcome the input. There really should be more light on all of this. They owe it to the public. But I suppose that would be too embarrassing.

Commented: Saturday, July 5th, 2025 @ 9:43 pm By: Van Zant

I'm curious to know if protecting local community schools has anything to do with party politics or if it is a much broader issue. A lot of people are expressing surprise and disappointment in the Booth's role in these consolidations - especially concerning the closing of the community school in Aurora.

The truth is, every Democrat on both boards refused to stand up for Aurora. It's also true that the Republicans on these boards had the numbers to stop the closing and they did not. On the County Commission three Republicans stood up for Aurora and two did not. On the School Board two Republicans stood up for Aurora and six did not. (That would be three Repubs for and five against depending on how you count the Williams show vote at the end.)

For now, it seems the Democrats have decided on the community school issue; they are against community schools. The Republicans have not decided. They are divided. Although it appears the vast majority of the school board Republicans are strong advocates of school consolidations.

Commented: Friday, July 4th, 2025 @ 7:11 pm By: Van Zant

I wonder if Mr. Shreve would have taken the same stance if it had been Bath Elementary in the crosshairs.

Commented: Thursday, July 3rd, 2025 @ 8:48 am By: Van Zant

LOL. "Independent" as in seven Cheeseman cheerleaders. Looks to me like we've got a school board made up of seven deckchairs and two independent thinkers.

Are we supposed to believe that Snowden School was supported by the BCS Central Office? Snowden didn't even have a custodian for much of the year. He was transferred to Chocowinity.

Hum. How to proceed. Gag on this campaign year tripe or sign the petition to Save Snowden. That's a pretty easy choice for a southside resident.

Commented: Monday, June 30th, 2025 @ 6:47 am By: Van Zant