Tamra Church delivers a presentation at the Maysville Town Hall meeting Thursday. Photo by Junious Smith III / Neuse News

By Junious Smith III

MAYSVILLE — Hurricane Dorian delayed the Maysville Town Hall meeting, but it was a smooth transition.

There was a pipe problem to take care of last week before Hurricane Dorian as a pair on Main St. had serious leaks, but new pipes were installed as the storm approached.  

“We went to work on it as soon as we found out there was a problem,” Maysville Commissioner Janet Baker said. “We were able to get it handled before the storm and hopefully we can change out some of the other pipes down the road.”

Maysville Town Manager Schumata Brown said it was a quick mission, but one the town was able to correct in time.

“Unfortunately, this happened the day before the hurricane so we were in a rush to get it fixed,” Brown said. “More than likely, it was due to the old infrastructure — the pipe was probably put in the ground in 1964.”

Conversations were also made about a skate park proposal as Pollocksville resident Tamra Church delivered a presentation about the importance of one in Maysville, along with numerous benefits.

“Maysville’s skate park would get our youth out in front of the TV, (and get them) physically active where they can build healthy friendships and relationships,” Church said. “It’s one of the few places that adults and our youth can congregate together, which can be good for both parties. It will also brign people from all over the state if we build a quality skateboard park — that would help the community at large in terms of generating revenue, as well as put Maysville on the map.”

“(Maysville) is one of the hubs of Jones County — a lot of people come through here, so I believe a lot of teenagers will sway their parents in stopping. I believe Maysville has a lot of youth who would enjoy this type of facility.”

No action was taken on the matter, but Brown said the idea is certainly intriguing.

“I like the concept of ‘if you build it, people will come,’” Brown said. “We’re always looking for things to attract people to Maysville — we’re no longer a ‘drive-through’ town, but a ‘drive-to’ town and I believe recreation is a big part of that.  Looking at Rocky Mount and their approach to economic development, they put a focus toward recreation. They’re one of the fastest-growing rural cities in North Carolina now.”

The next Maysville Town Hall meeting is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 3.