A planned peaceful protest against the Town of Cameron management took place at the Cypress Pointe Fire Department on June 24. Though fire trucks filled the originally planned demonstration area, the crowd moved out of the June heat and into the air conditioning within the building.
The protest was planned to take place at the Town Board meeting following public allegations that the town was actively working against small businesses while not holding town properties to the same standards.
The issues were brought to the public eye following a series of posts made on Facebook by the official page for Old Hardware Vintage Depot & Dewberry Café. The posts alleged that the Town of Cameron had previously communicated what they believed to be verbal threats and were working against the success of small businesses within the historic area.
“We even received a personal threat to our ability to do business,” wrote the page on June 17. “The Town Clerk asked us directly: ‘What are y’all going to do when the church goes under, and the town buys the parking lot? Where are you going to park people?’”
The post from Old Hardware Vintage Depot & Dewberry Café went on to explain, “We currently have a written agreement for shared use of the parking lot owned by the Church, so that comment felt like a direct warning. A signal of what more is coming. Are we wrong to be offended?”
The post also referenced fines imposed by the Town and “arbitrary issues.”
Prior to the meeting, the town addressed these concerns on June 20 in a public post on the town’s official Facebook page.
“Recent social media posts regarding alleged actions by the Town of Cameron and the Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) have implied that the Town of Cameron is anti-business, which is incorrect,” states the Town’s post. “The HPC adopted its current design standards in 2022. The Old Hardware and Vintage Depot was purchased in 2023 by the current owners who knew that the property was in the historic district.”
Regarding the alleged threats made about the Town purchasing the nearby parking lot, the Town of Cameron wrote, “Although the Town of Cameron has inquired about leasing the parking lot beside the church for public parking and special events, the Town has not inquired about purchasing the lot.”
Commenting was turned off for the post, as it is with all of the other Town of Cameron posts.
On the day of the meeting and protest, patrol vehicles and fire engines filled the parking lot in the demonstration area at the Cypress Pointe Fire Department.
“The Fire Department fully supports and respects the First Amendment rights of all individuals, including the right to free speech and peaceful protest,” wrote the Cameron Fire Department. “However, it is essential to understand that the Fire Department’s primary mission is to provide uninterrupted fire protection and emergency medical services to the community. Any actions that obstruct, delay, or interfere with our ability to respond to emergencies pose a risk to public safety and cannot be permitted.”
Of the seven speakers at the meeting, three spoke out against the town management’s control issues and that the town manager went unsupervised.
Elizabeth Nhambure, owner of 1878 Bed & Breakfast, in Cameron, speaks about fairness of historic preservation during the Town of Cameron June 24, 2025, regular meeting. Video/Stephanie M. Sellers/Sandhills Sentinel.
“The system feels like a dictatorship, focusing on issuing fines over minor issues while ignoring the real problems, like buildings falling apart, businesses failing constantly, and no real growth,” Donovan Hamilton, co-owner of the Old Hardware Vintage Depot and Dewberry Café, said about revamping or removing the Historic Preservation Ordinance implemented in 2022.
Carthage had a historic preservation plan and dismissed it in 2025.
“We’ve received multiple notices, stop orders, jumped through hoops, asked to provide samples of clearly identified material, such as shingles with specific color, and waited through unnecessary delays—all while trying to bring life and energy back to this town. And now we’re here, not to attach, but to demand the rules be applied evenly and that our town government be subject to real transparency,” Hamilton said about historic preservation not stopping progress.
Another speaker said Cameron’s historic ordinance increased insurance by $600.
Three speakers said the Town had operated fairly, and one wanted to volunteer.
Mayor Jane Ethridge said the town will be thinking about the comments as it moves forward.
During old business at the meeting, the board agreed to grant Cypress Pointe Fire Department water access to Phillips Memorial Park’s pond.
During new business, the board voted to use park funds to replace old fencing at the park with 675 feet of new 2×4 welded wire fencing on cemented cedar posts.
Feature photo: Town of Cameron Board Meeting on June 24. Photo by Stephanie M. Sellers/Sandhills Sentinel.
~Written by Stephanie M. Sellers and Abegail Murphy/Sandhills Sentinel.
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