OurTown

NEWSLETTER
Our T own
Published weekly by the Town of Burgaw | February 10-14, 2025
One (1) Tourism Development Authority Member
One (1) Beautification Committee Member
One (1) Extraterritorial Jurisdiction (ETJ) Planning
Board Member
Must reside within the town’s ETJ. Call the Planning
Department at 910-663-3451 for additional information.
Please visit the town website at burgawnc.gov for more
information and to download an application. Applications may
also be picked up at Town Hall, 109 N. Walker Street.
Completed applications should be submitted to the Town Clerk
at 109 N. Walker Street, Burgaw.
Now Accepting Applications
The Town of Burgaw is excited to announce the Hometown Hero
Banner Program. The mission of this program is to honor and
recognize service personnel who are serving, have served, or given
their lives to our country in the United States Armed Forces. To be
considered for a banner, the nominee must by
affiliated with Burgaw or Pender County/
currently serving, honorably discharged, or
deceased in the line of duty in one of the
following branches: Air Force, Army, Coast
Guard, Marine Corps, Navy, or Space Force -
whether in Active Duty, Reserve, or National
Guard status.
For more information and to purchase a
banner, visit burgawnc.gov. Please note the
2025 application deadline is March 7, 2025.
Banners will be displayed within the corporate
limits of Burgaw between Memorial Day and
Veterans Day each year.
Honor local service personnel with a
Hometown Hero Banner
February 16, 2025 | 2-4 PM
Courthouse Square
As part of the festivities, Pender County is
collecting items for a time capsule that
will be sealed and opened in 50 years at
the Bicentennial Celebration. There will
also be an unveiling of a new clock and
historical marker.
Pender County’s
150TH ANNIVERSAR Y
NOTICE OF SPECIAL MEETING
The Town of Burgaw Board of Commissioners
will be holding a special meeting on Tuesday,
February 18, 2025, and Wednesday, February
19, 2025 beginning at 9:00 AM each day to
hold a Strategic Thinking Retreat in
preparation of the FY 2025-2026 budget. This
meeting will be held at the Burgaw Town
Center, 108 E. Wilmington Street, Burgaw. All
interested parties are invited to attend.

February 18 & 19 | 9:00 AM
Board of Commissioners Special Meeting:
Strategic Planning Budget Retreat
Burgaw Town Center
February 20 | 5:30 PM
Planning Board Regular Meeting
Burgaw Town Center
February 26 | 12:00 PM
Senior Lunch & Learn
Advance registration required.
Burgaw Town Center
March 6 | 8:30 AM
Tourism Development Authority Regular
Meeting
Burgaw Town Center
March 7 | 8:30 AM
Beautification Committee Regular Meeting
Burgaw Town Center
March 11 | 4:30 PM
Board of Commissioners Regular Meeting
Burgaw Town Center
March 13-14 | 3:30 PM - 5:30 PM
After School Stem Mini Camp
Advance registration required.
Burgaw Town Center
March 20 | 5:30 PM
Planning Board Regular Meeting
Burgaw Town Center
March 25 | 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Chat with the Chiefs
Location to be determined
March 29 | 7:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Mayor’s Gala
Hosted by the Parks Foundation of Burgaw
Advance registration required.
Historic Train Depot
Our Town | Page 2
UPCOMING
PLANNING BOARD
NOTICE OF PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD
The following items will be heard for consideration at the
Town of Burgaw Planning Board Meeting on February 20,
2025 beginning at 5:30 PM at the Burgaw Town Center, 108
E. Wilmington Street, Burgaw. All interested parties are
invited to attend. Written and oral comments welcome.
Item 1: Consideration of a Wellhead Protection Overlay to the
proposed new Unified Development Ordinance (UDO), by
Planning Staff to review as part of the UDO rewrite process.
Assigned staff: Ron Meredith, rmeredith@burgawnc.gov,
910.663.3451.
GOLF CART
REGISTRATION PROGRAM
Registration Requirements
To legally operate a golf cart on public
streets within town limits, owners
must register their golf cart annually with the
Town of Burgaw, unless the cart is registered
with a license tag from the NCDMV. The
registration process includes:
• Inspection by the Burgaw Police Department to ensure the
cart meets all safety requirements.
• Proof of ownership and current liability insurance with
coverage meeting or exceeding North Carolina motor
vehicle insurance requirements.
• Completion of a waiver of liability releasing the Town of
Burgaw from any claims arising from golf cart operation.
• Payment of an annual registration fee of $25.00 (subject to
change per the annual fee schedule).
• Display of a valid permit/sticker on the driver ’s side
windshield of the cart.
The Town of Burgaw now offers an annual Golf Cart Registration
Program that allows registered golf carts to operate on streets
with a posted speed limit of 35 mph or lower. This program is
designed to promote safety and compliance with local
regulations while providing a convenient transportation option
for residents.
For more information and to register your golf cart online,
please visit burgawnc.gov/golfcart. You may also come by the
Burgaw Police Department, located at 109 N. Walker Street,
Burgaw, Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM, to begin the
registration process.

Our Town | Page 3
B U R G A W F I R E D E P A R T M E N T N E W S
Hey there, Lovebirds!
A Fiery Valentine’s Day Reminder: Let’s Keep the Spark, not the Smoke!
This Valentine’s Day, we’re all about *keeping the sparks flying*—but let’s make sure those sparks stay in
your heart, not in your kitchen or candles! Here’s a little reminder from your favorite fire safety experts, just
to keep things hot and safe this year.
1. Love Your Candles, But Don’t Let Them Play with Fire
Candles are a must-have for setting the mood, but we’re not looking for a *real* fire in your love story.
 Keep them away from anything that can catch on fire—because nothing says “I love you” quite like a candlelit
dinner that doesn’t end with a fire truck!
 Blow out your candles before you head to bed. We promise, your partner will still love you even without that
romantic glow!
2. Cooking Up Love (and Not Flames)
We know the way to someone’s heart is through their stomach, but let’s keep the only thing cooking as
delicious food, not potential disasters!
 Don’t leave the stove or oven unattended. That’s the quickest way to go from “I love you” to “Uh-oh, the
smoke alarm's singing to us.”
 Have a lid nearby to put on pots if anything gets a little too *fiery.* And maybe set a timer too—because the
only thing that should be setting off alarms on Valentine’s Day is your *charm*.
3. Smoke Alarms Are Your Silent Sweethearts
If your smoke alarm starts serenading you, it’s not a romantic surprise—it’s a warning! So, be sure your alarms are
working, because we all know the quickest way to ruin the mood is a blaring siren.
Remember, fire safety is the secret ingredient to a perfect Valentine’s
Day—keep it hot, keep it safe, and keep it full of love (not flames)!
Stay safe and sizzle on,
Your Friends at Burgaw Fire Department
PS: Let’s keep the *only* thing burning this year… your love!

Daddy-Daughter Dance &
Mother-Son Dance was a
sweet, fun time!
Senior
Lunch & Learn
FOR AGES 55+
February 26 | 12:00 PM
Burgaw Town Center
108 E. Wilmington Street
Guest Speaker:
Police Chief Jim Hock
Burgaw Police Department
Lunch provided.
Registration required.
Call 910-661-3100
Burgaw Parks, Recreation & Tourism Activities and Events
KIDS
SUMMER
CAMP
July 7
-
25
Save the date!
See page 5 for more info
Registration
opens March 3!
Our Town | Page 4

8:00 am
@ 3:00 pm
EACH WEEK INCLUDES ~~
* TIME AT LOCAL PARKS
*#eAT LEAST 3 FIELD TRIPS
* A TRIP TO THE WATERPARK
* GRAFTSAND.GAMES
* ONE DAY OF LUNGH/PROY,
+ REGISTRATION OPENS MARCH 3 AT 8:00 AM
REGISTER AT BURGAWNC.GOV/REGISTER 7
HOSTED BY THETOWN OF BURGAW
Our Town | Page 5

Our Town | Page 6
Over the years, rumors of ghosts in the old Pender
County Jail have spread and stuck. While people continue to
tell the story of its alleged haunting, the stories of the people
who did inhabit the building have faded. To remedy this, on
the afternoon of November 6, 2008, Vallie Meadows, former
matron of the old jail, spoke with Burgaw Mayor Pete Cowan
about the time from 1962 to 1973 when she and her family
lived at the jailhouse. As for a possible haunting, she scoffed:
“I used to say that if there were any ghosts in the old jail,
Linwood [her son] is the one who put them there. ” As a boy,
he would go upstairs and, with a particularly superstitious
prisoner his captive, would spin stories of the ghosts who
roamed the rooms and cells of the jail. On his way downstairs
afterwards, he would turn off the lights, leaving the prisoner in the dark. The family could hear the man yelling from
downstairs until the light was turned on again.
Mrs. Meadows moved into the jail with her family on December 29, 1962 when Sheriff K.S. Powers assumed office.
Her husband Raymond, a sheriff ’s deputy, was to serve as jail keeper, and Mrs. Meadows would act as cook, matron, and
dispatcher. Theirs would be 24 -hour a day jobs as they were the only two employees posted at the jail. At the time, the
Meadows’ two oldest children, Deanna and Kelly, had moved away, while Brenda and Linwood remained at home. Mrs.
Meadows admits that the decision to move her family into the jail was difficult, but she was grateful for the opportunity. T he
Meadows had been living in Maple Hill but were only in their home ten months before a rapid succession of summer storms
flooded the house.
During their time at the jail, the family ’s living quarters were on the first floor of the two -story building. The living
area included three bedrooms, the kitchen, and a living room which also served as an office for booking prisoners, posting
bonds, and radio dispatch operations. The room contained a television for, according to Mrs. Meadows, there was not much
happening, but someone had to be available at all times.
Mrs. Meadows used the kitchen to cook the prisoners ’ meals. They would eat whatever the family ate, including a
full breakfast of grits, eggs, and sausage. The Highway Patrol would bring by big coolers of fish whenever they went fishing .
Mrs. Meadows never had to buy any, but she would spend all day dressing their catch. A garden was planted behind the jail
and provided fresh vegetables for the family and prisoners. Surprisingly, the prisoners even complained at times of having
too many fresh butterbeans to eat—something Mrs. Meadows didn’t think was possible.
While the garden supplied the jail with vegetables, it also provided opportunities for training. One time, the State
Bureau of Investigation brought by the first marijuana seed many had seen and planted it in the garden to show law
enforcement officers what a marijuana plant would look like. The plant eventually grew taller than the bean stalks planted i n
the garden. When it was finally cut down, the Meadows’ son Linwood took the stalk and made it into a walking stick.
The second story of the jailhouse provided beds and holding cells for twenty -one prisoners. The large barred cell at
the front of the building contained four beds on each side, with sixteen beds total. There was also a room with two beds and
a room with one bed. The ladies ’ cell was at the back of the building, to the left of the stairs; it contained two beds and was
separated from the men’s quarters so male and female prisoners could not see each other.
While days at the jail were primarily routine, some events do stick out in Mrs. Meadow ’s mind. For instance, during
the Wilmington 10 trials at the Pender County Courthouse in 1971, the prisoners would stay at the jail during the day.
However, at night, they were taken back to Wilmington where more security was available.
On two occasions, inmates unsuccessfully attempted to break out of the jail. Once, Mrs. Meadows was downstairs in
the kitchen when she heard the sound of a bucket being pushed around upstairs. She walked to the stairway to see what was
happening when two inmates bounded down the stairs with her husband in pursuit. The two were long -term prisoners in the
state prison in Raleigh who had been brought to Burgaw to serve as witnesses in a trial. They had been housed in the large,
open cell at the front of the jail and had splashed water all over the floor. The men told Mr. Meadows that if he pushed the
mop bucket into the cell they would clean up the mess, but when he opened the cell and began to slide the bucket inside,
they pushed open the door, choked him down, and stole his wallet.
The Old Pender County Jail
Story told by Vallie Meadows
Continued on Page 7
Fun Fact: The Old Jail turned 100 years old in 2024!

Seeing the two men running down the stairs, Mrs. Meadows grew fearful for her family. The two men, however,
proceeded to run out the door and into nearby woods. Mrs. Meadows called “Jail break!” over the radio, and the courthouse
across the street cleared as everyone came to their aid. Law enforcement officers followed them into the woods with search
dogs. Before long, the two men were found and imprisoned again.
It did not take officers long to find the next prisoner to attempt a jail break either. Because the only phone was
downstairs in the office, he was brought down for a phone call. Seeing a chance for escape, he ran out the door and into the
woods. He was not far before he was caught and taken back into custody.
Other prisoners chose to escape the confines of the jail by a different approach. Two inmates committed suicide
during the time the Meadows lived at the jail house. Once, a minister came into the jail in order to speak to the sole priso ner
being held upstairs. Mrs. Meadows directed him upstairs, but the minister came back down because he was unable to find the
prisoner. Her husband went upstairs to locate the man and found the prisoner had hung himself inside of one of the cells.
Mrs. Meadows is not sure, but she seems to remember that he was imprisoned for drinking too much and beating his wife.
She does not know why the other prisoner who hung himself was in the jail. As for the suicide, she “guess[es] he just didn ’t
want to live any longer.”
Living in close proximity to the prisoners, the family was able to form relationships with some of them. Mrs.
Meadows remembers that many Marines went through the jail throughout the years and recalls one in particular. He
happened to be in the jail on his birthday, and when Mrs. Meadows asked him, “Don’t you want to call home? ” He replied
that he didn’t really see a reason why as his family made no attempt to contact him. Upon learning that he had never had a
birthday cake before, Mrs. Meadows provided dessert for the prisoners this once, baking the Marine his first birthday cake.
One relatively long-term prisoner, he stayed six months, grew especially close to the family. Philip had been arrested
and sentenced for stealing the car of a local man. He regretted his crime, especially when he learned that the man he had
stolen from was disabled. Mrs. Meadows said nothing when her son Linwood would carry Philip dessert. During strawberry
season, she kept a pound cake baked at all times. Linwood would take a piece of cake and add fresh strawberries and Cool
Whip to make a special treat for the prisoner. During Philip ’s stay, his grandmother would write to Mrs. Meadows and even
made her a white shawl to show appreciation for her care.
In fact, Mrs. Meadows ’ presence at the jail comforted the families of
prisoners throughout the years. One time, two girls stayed at the jail for
several months. When their parents came to visit, they expressed
feeling better about the situation after meeting Mrs. Meadows. Her
ability to care for and about the prisoners and their families helped
some through the toughest of times.
Once, a boy about twelve years old was brought into the jail. He had
shot and killed both his father and the family ’s maid, piled the bodies
into a tobacco drag, and towed them into the woods. The boy ’s mother
had been at work at the time of the crime and was brought into the
jailhouse later to see her son. She was distraught, and Mrs. Meadows,
though she knew it may be frowned upon, gave her a nerve pill and
some strong coffee to soothe her nerves. The whole situation was “the
saddest thing. ” A few years ago, however, Mrs. Meadows ran into the mother again. The woman told her that she would
never forget what Mrs. Meadows had done for her.
For all of her caring for the prisoners, Mrs. Meadows never forgot that she was at the jail to do a job, and she feels
that she and her husband did do a good job. At one point, she was deputized, but when the office found out that they would
have to pay her more, they undeputized her. Her entire time at the jail, she never did carry a gun.
Working and living around the Sheriff and his deputies, Mrs. Meadows grew close to the officers. She found herself in
some unlikely positions for a mother a four. She tells of the time, for instance, when someone drove a new Corvette
convertible up to the jail. James Kelly, a young law enforcement officer, convinced her to go for a drive with him around to wn.
He took her out and began driving alongside the railroad bed. For a while, they were running 100 miles per hour.
In all, Mrs. Meadows and her family lived in the jail for over ten years, and she worked for the Sheriff ’s office for
several more years, at first at the old jail and then at the new jail building. She and her husband bought a house in 1973, but
they were on duty at the jail most of the time. Equipment was modernized and more employees, including a dispatcher who
worked from 11-7, were brought in to make up for their absence.
Overall, Mrs. Meadows views her family ’s time in the jail as special. Her daughter Deanna even had her wedding and
reception there. One of the aspects of the job she feels was the most important is that she got to spend almost all of her ti me
with her husband. She says, “Some of the happiest times were there and some of the saddest times …it was our home.”
Our Town | Page 7
The Old Pender County Jail—continued

Mayor
Olivia Dawson
Mayor Pro Tem
James Malloy
Commissioners
Jan Dawson
Bill George
William Rivenbark
Michael Pearsall
Town Manager
James H. Gantt
Town Clerk
Kristin J. Wells
Town Attorney
Zachary Rivenbark
Town Hall
109 N. Walker St.
Burgaw, NC 28425
910-259-2151
mail@burgawnc.gov
www.burgawnc.gov
Office Hours
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday-Friday
PUBLIC WORKS
EMERGENCY RESPONSE
NUMBER
PHONE # 910-470-0457
This phone is only answered after
hours, between 4:30 PM - 7:30 AM,
and is for water and sewer
emergencies only . Unless Public
Works has been given prior notice
from Town Hall, Public Works
cannot turn your water on due to
non-payment shut off.
Utilities
663-3445
Parks & Town Events
300-6401
Human Resources
663-3444
Permitting & Inspections
663-3452
Public Works Department
259-2901
Police Department
Non-Emergency
259-4924
Fire Department
Non-Emergency
259-7494
Elected & Appointed
Officials
Board of Commissioners Meetings
Second Tuesday of every month at 4:30 PM
Public Forum/Public Hearings at 5:30 PM
Planning & Zoning Board Meetings
Third Thursday of every month at 5:30 PM
Tourism Development Authority Meetings
First Thursday of every month at 8:30 AM
Parks & Recreation Advisory Committee
Meetings
Second Monday of February, May, August,
November at 5:30 PM
Beautification Committee Meetings
First Friday of every month at 8:30 AM
All meetings listed above are open to
the public; oral and written
comments always welcome. The
meetings are held at the Burgaw
Town Center, located at 108 E.
Wilmington Street, Burgaw, unless
otherwise posted.
Meeting agendas can be found on the
town’s website at BurgawNC.gov.
Notices for cancelations and special
called meetings will be posted on the
town’s website and weekly
newsletter when necessary.
For questions or assistance, please
contact the Town Clerk at 910-663-
3441 or kwells@burgawnc.gov.
CURRENT MEETI NG
SCHED ULE
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