By:
On:
In: New Bern
With: 0 Comments

Beginning July 1, Tryon Palace will be closed to the public on Mondays. This closure will affect all Tryon Palace properties, including the Governor’s Palace and grounds, historic buildings, gardens, and the North Carolina History Center. The Tryon Palace Commission determined that the weekly closure was necessary to ensure that Tryon Palace can continue to offer visitors a top-quality visitation experience, unencumbered by the normal maintenance required to preserve the buildings and grounds. Currently, the Palace is open seven days a week, leaving little staff time dedicated to landscape and building upkeep, which cannot happen in conjunction with tours and visitation. With Mondays being theRead More →

By:
On:
In: New Bern
With: 0 Comments

The City of New Bern announced the hiring of Charles Bauschard as its new Director of Public Utilities. His first day with the City of New Bern was May 29.  His annual salary is $125,000. Bauschard comes from Coldwater, Michigan, where he was employed with the Coldwater Board of Public Utilities as Director of Technical Services and Electric Operations since November 2003.  In this position, he managed the electric distribution, service, generation, telecom and engineering departments. The City reviewed numerous resumes and assessed several qualified candidates for the position.  Bauschard stood out with his leadership and engineering skills, capital improvement and rate planning experience, andRead More →

By:
On:
In: New Bern
With: 0 Comments

Boys & Girls Clubs of the Coastal Plain announced a partnership with the Chad Sittig Agency as a beneficiary of “Quotes for a Cause,” their Community Outreach Program. “Quotes for a Cause” is an initiative developed by Chad Sittig that provides an opportunity to support local non-profit organizations. Simply call or stop by his office for a quote and, in return, the agency will make a donation to one of the two organizations highlighted this quarter. No purchase necessary. Sittig says, “We are so excited about the ‘Quotes for a Cause’ program that the agency started earlier this year. Our team wanted to establish a unique wayRead More →

By:
On:
In: Business, New Bern
With: 0 Comments

Google Street View image The owners of Courts Plus will close their struggling New Bern location on May 31 and focus their resources on the Jacksonville location. Owners Jan and Tim Stelma made the announcement in a letter to club members. “May 31, 2018, will be the last day of operations for Courts Plus of New Bem. As you all know, we were forced into bankruptcy almost two years ago and have been working hard to continue operations. Despite the best efforts of all, New Barn continues to suffer financially. My husband and I will continue full operations in Jacksonville and put our efforts there.”Read More →

By:
On:
In: New Bern
With: 0 Comments

If you are new to the area, find out where to go and NOT to go. When: Saturday, May 19th, 9 a.m. until noon Where: New Bern Convention Center, 203 South Front Street, New Bern Cost: $10 (additional household members FREE); includes information-packed CD As every boater knows, obtaining local knowledge is an important part of a safe and enjoyable boating experience. In this educational seminar, you will receive detailed information about the Neuse River and adjoining waters. While the primary focus is on the Neuse and Trent rivers, you will also learn the locations and features of many popular anchorages, marinas, and boatyards inRead More →

By:
On:
In: Board of Aldermen, New Bern, New Bern Fire Department, Parks and Recreation, Public works
With: 0 Comments

Aldermen meet this evening to hold a public hearing into how the city will spend taxpayer and user fee money during the next fiscal year. This is the first budget for the newly coined Board of Aldermen, which met during budget workshops last week that lasted just over 11 hours. As presented by city staff, the draft budget is fairly status quo and would not result in any additional taxes or fees. However, City Manager Mark Stephens also laid out a number of steps aldermen could take to raise addition revenue to pay for new projects. (Fun fact: “Raise revenue” is boffin-speak for new feesRead More →

By:
On:
In: Public works, Water
With: 0 Comments

New Bern residents may have noticed a change in their city tap water which, as one resident pointed out vividly but probably hyperbolically, suddenly tastes like shit. Beginning on April 16 and continuing until June 18, the city changed the disinfectant used in the water treatment process from chloramines to free chlorine. The city started using chloramines as a secondary disinfectant starting in 2010. This involves adding a small amount of ammonia after water is chlorinated. Compared to free chlorine, chloramines form fewer chemical byproducts, improve taste and odor, and last longer in the water system to prevent bacterial growth. But! “It is customary forRead More →

By:
On:
In: Aldermen, Board of Aldermen, Mayor, New Bern
With: 0 Comments

The Board of Aldermen got their first look at a proposed $125 million spending plan that keeps the wheels rolling at City Hall without costing constituents a penny more — but that could change by the time the budget is approved next month. The board met Tuesday and spent just over an hour hearing an overview of the fiscal year 2019 spending plan draft, which as presented is a1.91 percent increase over this year. Here are areas that may cost citizens more: The board may consider moving sanitation out of general fund. It is running $193,000 in the red, subsidized by general fund. Includes leafRead More →

By:
On:
In: New Bern, New Bern business and commerce, Parks and Recreation
With: 0 Comments

City of New Bern News Release New Bern Parks & Recreation is looking for artists who need studio space.  The Artist in Residence program offers emerging to mid-range local artists the opportunity to work in an open studio with public interaction.  The open studio space is located at 408 Hancock St., formerly the New Bern Firemen’s Museum. The open studio space, located downtown, gives artists an opportunity to be a part of a growing art scene and to bring culture and vibrancy to our community.  Artists can apply for a rented studio space by completing an application. If approved, they’ll have access to 96 squareRead More →

By:
On:
In: Planes Trains and Automobiles, Transportation
With: 0 Comments

Two environmental groups have agreed to drop their opposition to construction of a U.S. 70 bypass around Havelock in exchange for several steps by the N.C. Department of Transportation to protect rare longleaf pine habitat along the highway’s path, the News & Observer of Raleigh reported today. In an agreement announced Monday and reported in the News & Observer, NCDOT will give a conservation easement to protect land it will own along the 10.3-mile bypass, as well as provide $5.3 million to the N.C. Coastal Land Trust to create a fund to protect land in and around the Croatan National Forest. NCDOT also will establish a $2 millionRead More →