Speaker asks city to rename local street
By Kenneth Fine
Published in News on February 21, 2006 1:55 PM
A speaker at a public hearing Monday night urged the Goldsboro City Council to rename a section of Wayne Avenue after J.B. Rhodes Sr., who was a member of the council for 16 years.
Richard Fair of Dudley showed council members a petition signed by nearly 500 people seeking the renaming of the street from John Street to George Street.
"Mr. Rhodes was instrumental in getting this extension open," Fair said. "And so I promised him I would push to get it named in his honor."
He noted Rhodes' contributions to the city and said he deserved to be remembered.
"The city did a lot of changing under Mr. Rhodes," Fair said. "I have set out to see this through. Please consider all the years of service that he has given."
Rhodes' grandson, J.B. Rhodes III, said the change would be appreciated.
"We're just asking for a little," he said. "Not a lot."
John Thompson of Pineview Street took a different view. He said he understands the need to honor Rhodes but said renaming a portion of the avenue is not the best way to do it.
Renaming sections of streets creates confusion, he said.
"There will be problems for the fire department, police and 911," Thompson said, adding that leaving Wayne Avenue as is will "give us consistency and continuity."
Thompson suggested that Rhodes could be honored by naming a portion of the proposed Stoney Creek Park after him.
Council members will hear recommendations on the requested name change from the Planning Commission at their first meeting next month, which is scheduled for March 6.