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Golden LEAF turns thumbs up for museum,
down for Neuse IIBy Lee Raynor
Posted: Tuesday, November 15, 2005
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file photo
The CSS Neuse II is nearing completion although a fiberglass coating still must be applied and fitting are to be purchased and installed. | The Black Heritage Society will receive another $25,000 from Golden LEAF Foundation for further development of the Black Heritage Museum on Queen Street. The decision to approve the grant for 2005-06 was made in early November.
This is the group’s second award to the museum. Golden LEAF also gave $25,000 to the museum in 2004-05.
But while one state legislator is pleased about the money for Black Heritage Museum, he’s crying foul over the decision not to help finance the final construction stages of the CSS Neuse II. |
State Rep. Stephen LaRoque, who represents Lenoir County, applied for a $65,000 grant to finish construction of the Neuse II. He said foundation President Valeria Lee had told him his application would be viewed favorably, but Lee told him before grants were approved Nov. 3 that his request did not make the group’s agenda.
"In Raleigh, Golden LEAF is known as the governor’s slush fund," LaRoque, a Republican, said.
Golden LEAF’s board of 15 members are political appointees. Gov. Mike Easley, state House Speaker Jim Black and state Senate President Pro Tem Marc Basnight each appoint five members. Easley, Black and Basnight are Democrats. Rick Holder, who lists his employer as Harvey Fertilizer and Gas Co., was appointed by Easley, and is the only member from Lenoir County.
The foundation receives its money from the financial settlement between states and the tobacco companies. The money is earmarked for economic development in tobacco-dependent counties, one of which is Lenoir County.
LaRoque said the foundation had questions about the boat’s ownership, but did not ask for further documentation.
Neuse II originator Ted Sampley said boat ownership was transferred Oct. 3 to a group called Naval Training Ship CSS Neuse, which has applied for non-profit status. Board members are military veterans from North Carolina and Virginia.
Worth Mason, treasurer of the group that owns the boat, is not discouraged by the foundation’s snub.
"We’ll keep plugging at it," Mason, of Beaufort, said. "The boat’s purpose has always been as a dole to the public. That still holds true. A group of people is fighting us tooth and nail, yet they’re using the boat on their tourism literature. They’re angry at Ted because of his politics and his decisions to fight for vets. They’re trying to get back at him."
The Stewfest contest held during Salute weekend raised about $5,000 after all expenses were deducted, Naval Training Ship board member Jeff Stevens said.
"The Sons of Confederate Veterans will raise money for the landscaping," he said. "The construction is mostly finished, but we’ll have to get money for the cannons" and other fittings. The boat is for Kinston and the work to raise the money will be worth the effort, Stevens said.
This round of grants is the second time the Neuse II has failed to benefit from Golden LEAF money. The foundation last year approved $65,000 for the boat as part three historic tourism awards to Kinston.
The boat’s grant went to Pride of Kinston, which was to administer the money for the Neuse II. Historical Preservation Group received $25,000 to help with its work to preserve the city’s Civil War battlefields and the museum received its grant to further education about black history.
One of the award’s stipulations was that leaders of HPG, Black Heritage Society and Neuse II were to coordinate their work to promote heritage tourism in this area.
Pride several months later returned the $65,000 to Golden LEAF saying that Sampley would not cooperate with Pride’s board of directors. Sampley strongly denied the accusation, and accused the board of "playing politics" with the foundation’s money.
Lee said it was the first time in the foundation’s history that a grant had been returned.
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