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Alderman Bernard White was in charge of coordinating the opening prayer at the board meeting on Tuesday night. With the clock winding down until he leaves office after serving two terms, he let his wife of 47 years deliver the prayer. Later in the meeting, one-term Alderman Dallas Blackiston asked that the remaining thousand dollars in his discretionary fund go to Parks & Rec, specifically Thalmann Field, the ball field named after the New Bern policeman who was killed in the line of duty in 2014. Quarter-term Alderman E.T. Mitchell asked that the remainder of her funds (she did not specify how much that is) beRead More →

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Action on a proposal for the city to sign a $1.25 million contract with a software company to integrate the city’s various departments’s computer systems was postponed by the Board of Aldermen on Tuesday evening because key city officials were missing from the meeting. Aldermen Victor Taylor and Jeffrey Odham were not at the meeting, nor was City Manager Mark Stephens. The proposal led to a flurry of discussion on Facebook about a reportedly similar system in Elizabeth City. On the Citizens of New Bern Facebook page, there was a lively exchange about the proposed system upgrade between Buddy Bengal (a local businessman and sonRead More →

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Cheri Moyers lives downtown. For her, it can be a scary, dangerous place. Moyers, a professional singer, real estate agent and former publisher of the New Bern franchise of The Coffee News, is also a force to be reckoned with. Her failing eyesight has left her legally blind, and getting around downtown, especially crossing downtown’s busy streets, is a dangerous thing. She, along with other sight-impaired people (and perhaps every other pedestrian in downtown New Bern) have noticed a lack of pedestrian signals. Moyers is leading a project to encourage the city to install pedestrian signals at about 10 downtown intersections, at a cost ofRead More →

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CITY OF NEW BERN BOARD OF ALDERMEN MEETING OCTOBER 24, 2017 – 7:00 P.M. CITY HALL COURTROOM 300 POLLOCK STREET 1.  Meeting opened by Mayor Dana E. Outlaw.  Prayer Coordinated by Alderman White.   Pledge of Allegiance. Randy’s note: Bernard White, who lost his reelection bid, began closing out his term by having his wife of 47 years deliver the opening prayer. Because wives should always have the last word. 2.  Roll Call. Randy’s note: All present, if by all present you mean that aldermen Victor Taylor and Jeffrey Odham were not present. Odham and City Manager Mark Stephens were at a city manager convention. NotRead More →

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The Sun Journal has a new advertising director, but you probably wouldn’t know that from reading the Sun Journal’s own article, here. (Note: The Sun Journal updated the linked article to make it more locally relevant.) The Sun Journal has a new executive editor, but you probably wouldn’t know from the Sun Journal’s own article, here, that his position is interim or why he is replacing me at the job. Newspapers pride themselves in covering local news, but when it comes to covering themselves, it’s hit and miss. Part of it is that journalists don’t like to write about themselves, even if the news isRead More →

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Martin Marietta donates 55 acres to the 888-acre project, gets naming rights The city is moving forward with plans for what will become the city’s largest park. Martin Marietta, the current owner of approximately 55 acres along South Glenburnie Road, presented the city with a proposal in September to donate the land under recommended usage. The land was formerly used as a rock quarry, These 55 acres completes a contiguous stretch of land and lakes totaling approximately 888 acres that will now be owned by the City of New Bern.  With the addition of this property, the City can now look at developing a masterRead More →

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Basketball Hall of Famer and Olympic Gold Medalist was born and raised in New Bern   Walt Bellamy Jr. Park is now open to the public following a dedication ceremony during MumFest weekend. The park is located at the intersection of Pollock, Jones, and Liberty streets, Walt Bellamy, Jr. was born in New Bern on July 24, 1939.  His childhood home is located just up the street from the new park at 222 Jones St.  He was a student at West Street/J.T. Barber High School and became a standout basketball player at a young age. He attended college at Indiana University and was the startingRead More →

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Photo by Rosemary Osterhus / http://www.newbern-nc.org/       Randy’s notes: This article appears on the City of New Bern website. The railroad depot, disused since 1987, was falling into disrepair until money was raised to put a new roof on it to prevent further interior deterioration. New Bern, founded as a seaport city, was losing its way due to declining shipping until the railroad was built here just before the Civil War. The railroad put New Bern back on the map. During its heyday, the train station was the transportation hub for the city and even connected to the city’s trolly service.   North CarolinaRead More →

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In: Aldermen, Board of Aldermen, Craven County Board of Commissioners, Mayor, New Bern, New Bern business and commerce
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Ever hear of Leadership Craven? I’m a Leadership Craven alumni myself. Tuesday was Government and Media Day for Leadership Craven, and Tuesday evening the Class of 2018 attended the New Bern Board of Aldermen meeting. There have been more interesting meetings, but it was theirs. It was mine, too, the first board meeting I covered for New Bern Post and the first city council meeting I’ve covered as a reporter in 23 years. They went easy on me. Notable items Streets and roads Victor Taylor, Ward 2, who chose not to run for reelection, brought up an item off-agenda: the unsafe driving situation where Dr.Read More →

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Each year, the New Bern Appearance Commission recognizes residents and business owners for their beautification efforts throughout the City’ s neighborhoods and communities. During the evaluation period, members of the Appearance Commission received nomination from the community, staff and other committee members and eventually selected one residential and one commercial winner from each of the six wards. Ward 1 Genevieve Moeckel, Residential … Keith and Dina Tholen, Commercial Ward 2 Rexie Allen and Dianne Hawkins, Residential … Kevin and Tracie House, Residential … Woodland Crossing Apartments, Commercial Ward 3 William and Laura Sherratt, Residential … Waterscape Way Carolina Colours Pool, Commercial Ward 4 Debra andRead More →