Skepticism laced with hope

IVANHOE — Knees and elbows. That’s what residents of the Ivanhoe community want to see before they believe that clean county water will flow from their faucets, as they’ve been assured.

While the water is on its way, according to county officials, and crews will begin to start construction on the water lines this month, the residents of Ivanhoe still feel like something could go wrong and worry it might not happen.

In interviews with some residents last week, many remain skeptical, but hopeful, waiting, they said, for the day when they can wash their clothes at home without their whites being stained a rusty shade of orange. Those same folks say they are hopeful for a day when they can cook with the water that flows from their faucets and thank the Lord for his bountiful goodness of clean water.

But before they can do that, they have to see it to believe it. Seeing the knees and elbows of county contract workers digging lines and laying water pipe that has been promised to them will take away that skepticism, they said.

“We have to wait and see,” said Callie Robinson, of Jumping Run Road. “We want this to get a move on. We wish we had it now. Lot of people have had frozen pipes – we have been waiting on this, and here in lower Sampson County we pay our taxes just like everybody else do, but we are always last.

“We have been promised many things,” they all said.

“But we have new leaders (county commissioners) now,” added Robinson. “But if we have to load up the church bus again, we will.”

She was referring to a few years ago, when the Snow Hill Missionary Baptist Church bus would be loaded up with residents of the Ivanhoe community, headed to the county commissioners’ meetings every month to implored leaders for water.

“We went for two years,” said Ed Gillim, “We might have missed one here and there, but we went for two years, every month.”

“Our taxes are paid, and we don’t pay our taxes to a political party, so hopefully they (the commissioners) will do the right thing,” noted Robinson when speaking of the process before the Ivanhoe water project was approved thanks, she said, to state-funded grants.

“Without Eddie, none of this would have happened,” said Devane. “He helped organize all this and made it happen.

“My mom lives here,” Gillim continued. “The people of Ivanhoe worked to make this happen. We found out about the grant money and more grant money and worked with the county to move this forward. They did this themselves by getting it started.”

Robinson interjects. “We had to do this. Many (residents) are senior citizens, and they live alone,” she explained. “They have to spend money to get their pumps replaced; they spend so much money on buying water and that is unbelievable that we go through this, but we have to still pay our tax on time. It’s been three generations for me and we’re still waiting two years. We still haven’t seen anything happen yet. I hope we don’t have to wait another winter. I can’t do one more winter with the problems I have – that we all have with our water pumps, water heaters, and having to get out and go to the laundry mat to wash my clothes.”

Just a few hundred yards from the serene Black River, a group of Ivanhoe residents began to gather to talk about the county water that is expected to flow into their homes by 2026.

“I’m on a fixed income,” said one resident who didn’t want to identify herself. She said she has a broken water pump and has to wait until she gets her Social Security check to get the parts she needs to fix it.

One by one, they all wanted to speak their mind about what has been promised. For most, it’s as if nothing has changed.

“It’s been a long time waiting, and I don’t think it’s fair for us to wait any longer,” said Tillie Brown. “They said it will start in 2025, but we haven’t seen anything yet. We all had a lot of problems when that snowstorm came, and we shouldn’t have to deal with that. We should just be able to turn on our sink and not smell what we smell, not see what we see, and not struggle like we do.”

Rust in water wells has caused a severe problem and many residents have replaced their water heaters several times over the past two decades.

“I’ve had to replace my water heater twice in just the past 10 years,” said resident Gloria Peterson.

“We have hard water,” said Gary Henry, a resident off of Henry Road. “I’ve replaced my well which cost me $4,600.”

Henry stressed that county water can’t come soon enough, especially since his property taxes increased.

“I hope and pray we get this water system soon, but I disagree with the county commissioners raising our property tax this year, because we are paying so much buying bottled water that we can drink. But we have to press on and do what we can do, but once this happens it will be a blessing to the residents of Ivanhoe.”

Residents echoed their neighbors’ comments, talking about the expense of having to buy bottled water, an expense that drains many, they said, from any chance at savings. Some have had to sacrifice other needed items to buy bottled water in bulk every week.

“You can’t put money away,” they all remarked, nearly in unison. “Too much,” was their group answer when asked how much it cost them each week.

“Between freezing well pumps and buying water, this can’t come soon enough,” said Henry about the promise of clean water. “Ivanhoe has been devastated by flooding, freezes, and it’s been hard to recover. They promise us a lot, but they have yet to deliver. We will believe it when we see it. Who can we depend on when we have been ignored for so long?”

“They (elected officials) come down here and say, ‘We’re going to support you, and do this and do that’ and then nothing,” said a skeptical resident who asked not to be identified. It was a remark agreed upon by others in attendance.

Minnie Pearl Devane, of McKoy Loop Road, said the smell is bad, and because of the rust-colored water she can’t use it for anything inside.

“We have bad water, it smells like rotten eggs; we can’t use it to wash our white clothes, and it’s not good for drinking. We have to buy bottled water.”

“On an average for me, going to the laundry 20 minutes away and back, and spending money on bottled water, I’m spending $250 to $300 a month on water or washing clothes and I’m on a Social Security check,” added resident Betty Henry.

They continued to discuss the issue as if nothing had been approved, mostly based on previous experiences and feelings of neglect from decades of what they called empty promises.

Reached last week, Sampson County Commissioner Chairman Allen McLamb assured that everything is moving forward and that the residents of Ivanhoe have nothing to be skeptical about anymore.

“This is going to happen,” he attested. “They are going to get more than most people, and get some benefits that others have not (in the past),” he reassured, noting that with all the rules and regulations sometimes government projects move slow. “It doesn’t move as fast as I wish it would, but once we start putting the water lines in, they’ll see it’s real.”

Despite the skepticism in Ivanhoe, there also seemed to be hope and enthusiasm when residents were asked how they’d feel once their long-sought hopes became a reality with the work done and county water flowing into their pipes.

“It’ll mean more money back into my account not having to buy so much water,” said Peterson.

“Clean clothes and more money in my pocket,” Edna Devane said.

Tillie Brown said, “It’s going to save gas money not driving to go out to do my laundry, and it will mean fresh, clean water to cook with, finally, from my house. I won’t ever have to buy cooking water.”

“I’m new to the area,” said Lionel Morris, who moved from Brunswick County about four years ago. “I don’t have some of the problems others do, but I’ll be happy to know I have county water.”

Betty Henry said, “If and when we get this water, it’s going to mean a whole lot to me, saving money not having to buy water heaters, washing machines, and I’m just hoping and praying we get it, and I’m thanking God because He’s going to see us through this.”

“It would be nice to have a water tower and fire hydrants,” said John Robinson. “That would be big. We should have that.”

Henry noted what a blessing it would be for everyone. “It will benefit us, especially the widows here in Ivanhoe. It’ll be such a good thing. We will all be grateful.”

“I pray to God we get it soon before I have to spend too much more money,” Callie Robinson added. “Hopefully before I have to go out and spend money on another water heater.”

“Clean water is everything,” said Gillim. “Water brings infrastructure, water brings jobs; it puts Ivanhoe on the map in a positive light, and provides a better life for everyone of these residents. I’m glad to see the watering coming, and so many are gone now that had hoped for this, and I wish so many of them were here to witness this like my grandparents, but for the ones still here this will be such a blessing.”

“We are in critical condition right now, and have been for years,” added Minnie Pearl Devane. “It can’t come a minute too soon. I feel like we didn’t have a voice, and now maybe, we do.”