Comments by Van Zant | Eastern NC Now

I just got around to watching the May 5th Beaufort County Commission meeting. There was an interesting motion made in that meeting. "Make a motion to ask the school superintendent for the difference in cost or cost savings in closing S.W. Snowden school in Aurora as opposed to the cost or cost savings in keeping the school open."

The vote was Richardson, Dunn, and Deatherage - Yes. Booth, Langley, Waters, and Walker - No.

My question is, why would board members NOT want to know that, in order to make a good decision? The answer is, they have already decided, but based on what? Commissioner Booth highlighted the sentiment when he said, I've done all I'm going to do for Aurora.

All of Beaufort County should be concerned about what is being proposed for the people in the Aurora area of Beaufort County.

Commented: Monday, May 12th, 2025 @ 8:56 pm By: Van Zant

SD: I'm not in disagreement. If we ever get the opportunity for heavy industry, we should take advantage of it. My recollecting about a previous local economy based on mostly locally owned primary sector industries and the locally owned service sector industries supporting them is just something that I consider more-healthy than what we have now.

Seems to me we have much less regular folks having opportunities for their own endeavors in primary sector activities. I suppose we still have secondary sector activities, but it is not what I consider broad based or even what could be considered strong. We continue to have service sector activities. The sector that is way out of whack locally is the quaternary sector, in my humble opinion. It has to be disappointing for you to see so many fellow governmental decision makers tooting their economic development horns and spending the public's hard-earned money while actually doing stupid things that block economic development. I'm often left wondering if it is only stupidity or something more.

Commented: Thursday, May 8th, 2025 @ 8:52 am By: Van Zant

The School Board and the Superintendent could have competed in a positive way and averted this very bad situation we have now. Instead, they operated in a way that created doubt and uncertainty within the community while the actual Snowden staff toiled away bravely working against the odds. Most people in southeastern Beaufort County believe this has all been done on purpose in order to justify abandoning this quadrant of the county and to hasten the school consolidation schemes that have been hatched in crooked backrooms and diabolical ivory towers. The community school in Aurora that serves Richland Township should be a rallying point for all of Beaufort County. This might be our last chance to stop this harmful trend in our part of the world.

Commented: Tuesday, May 6th, 2025 @ 10:22 pm By: Van Zant

It appears the Special Called Board of Education Meeting for Thursday, May 1 at 6:00 PM at S.W. Snowden School in Aurora has been cancelled for now. If and when it is rescheduled it will probably be on short notice. People need to continue paying attention.

Commented: Tuesday, April 29th, 2025 @ 8:32 am By: Van Zant

I wonder why the video of the April 15th School Board meeting is still not up. If it happens to be posted before next week, people better check the audio. Remember the meeting when the Aurora pastors spoke and the audio was erased for their part of it?

Commented: Thursday, April 24th, 2025 @ 8:39 am By: Van Zant

It seems to me that of the 19 or so questions being asked, all except 2 should be seriously considered. Many of us know that even though Dr. Horton drives in from out of town, she is working very hard for the school. Same with board member Hickman who is a resident of the area. He is the only board member that regularly shows up at Snowden School.

Other than that, I guess I'm most aware of question number eight. I do think the community is wondering about the county support of the school when they go long periods of time without a custodian and heating and air conditioning problems in the middle school extending over the course of two school years. In fact, I've heard that Dr. Horton has recently been on her hands and knees scrubbing the hallways of the entire school. I also know that Mr. Hickman has brought some of his own fans for the CTE Lab after these known problems have not been addressed.

With the school staff and local volunteers receiving so little support from the county office, parents must be wondering just how committed Beaufort County is to their community.

"Target of Politically Expedient Closure?" looks like a real serious possibility. If it was not wouldn't the school system be trying to inspire the confidence of parents instead of doing just the opposite? Then read the WDN front page article of late. Clearly, some of Beaufort County's elected officials are not advocates of community schools. A few of our elected officials do support the community schools. We need to support them.

Commented: Sunday, April 13th, 2025 @ 11:45 am By: Van Zant

Tillis, like his master McConnell, can be counted on to take the Red Chinese position over what is best for our own country.

Commented: Wednesday, April 9th, 2025 @ 9:59 am By: Van Zant

As an interested observer, I've made some phone calls to see how all of this is going. By an overwhelming margin, it appears that only certain people are receiving any party notices. Looks like conservatives are screwed again.

Commented: Saturday, April 5th, 2025 @ 9:33 am By: Van Zant

It looks like the county insider elitist are making every effort to undue the results of the latest Beaufort County Republican Convention. These folks view the grassroots as people to follow orders, write checks, and keep quiet. My advice to executive committee members is to bring your own refreshments.

Commented: Friday, April 4th, 2025 @ 9:02 pm By: Van Zant

WS: You bring up some wonderful points. Your reference to Superintendent of Beaufort County Schools in South Carolina brought back memories. I remember when Jeff Moss was Superintendent of Beaufort County Schools in North Carolina. Some of our long-term board members have a real talent for questionable hiring practices.

Commented: Tuesday, April 1st, 2025 @ 7:11 am By: Van Zant

For those of you who do not know, the battle for southeastern Beaufort County is going on at this moment. Who will come to their aid? Save Snowden School.

Commented: Monday, March 31st, 2025 @ 10:17 am By: Van Zant

That explains a lot. Reminds me of something I heard awhile back. Some of the out in the county people that were volunteering for the Washington municipal elections had an interesting encounter with this person that was then an officer of the local Republican Party. She was holding forth about how something had to be done about the three newly elected Republicans on the school board in 2022. Unbeknownst to her some of the listeners lived in Hickman's district. One of them told her they supported the new members. At that point she stormed of in a huff. Evidently, Ms. Forrest has issues with conservatives. I hear she is also close with the superintendent. Looks like the RINOs found a yes man prospect for the superintendent.

Commented: Saturday, March 29th, 2025 @ 9:03 am By: Van Zant

The more I consider that $500,000 four-acre land purchase the more it sticks in my craw. Also, the county paid $10,000,000 to get that "free" education lottery building money. I wonder how many schools we could save with $10,000,000. Jeff makes a great point. It's a very bad look indeed.

Commented: Thursday, March 27th, 2025 @ 9:29 am By: Van Zant

The superintendent and staff are slow walking this issue and the board majority is content with that. The board gives it five ho hums.

Commented: Thursday, March 27th, 2025 @ 7:15 am By: Van Zant

Those paying attention have noticed that the public is held at arms-length from this board. I get the feeling that community members are only welcome as cheerleaders or such.

Commented: Thursday, March 20th, 2025 @ 2:52 pm By: Van Zant

I do not think that this superintendent cares at all about the statutes or the board policies. As long as he has five board votes he believes he doesn't have to and can actually interpret as he pleases. Last year three board members tried to implement a superintendent evaluation. It is my understanding that they accomplished a partial evaluation after resistance from the superintendent and obscuration by the board majority.

As best as I can tell it is only in recent years that some of these things have come to light. This board operated for so long out of sight with long serving board members coasting along in their own world. I can't find anyone that even remembers ANY evaluation being done. The attempt last year just might be the only attempt in history.

Commented: Monday, March 17th, 2025 @ 8:56 pm By: Van Zant

Must a struck a nerve with the matrimonial board members. It seems the appearance of impropriety is of no consequence to the commission husbands. Quite the contrary since the response is to double down.

As screwed up as the BC Commission is, at least you can tell who the board members are and who the staff members are. The lines are so blurred on the BC School Board. It's like alternate reality.

Commented: Tuesday, March 11th, 2025 @ 6:08 am By: Van Zant