TownTalk: Classes Help Seniors Navigate Technology And The Internet

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By all accounts, Edy Thompson says, the class designed for senior adults who want to learn more about how to use technology is a success.

From reading the evaluations from those who attended the first class, everyone thinks it’s an “excellent idea,” Thompson told John C. Rose. “And they’re coming back.”

Completing an evaluation is a small price to pay – the only price, actually. The class is free for senior adults and is the result of a partnership with AARP and Rebuild Communities. Thompson is the executive director of Rebuild Communities.

“I just think it’s an excellent, excellent program,” Thompson said. The facilitators had to get trained to teach the class, which will continue on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 12:30. Up to 10 participants come to learn more about how to use the technology that is all around us, from smartphones, laptops and iPads to Zoom calls and online troubleshooting chat sessions.

Thompson said older adults have to work at not becoming obsolete. “We know it but we don’t want to address it,” she said.

People are reluctant to show that they don’t know something, but this class provides information in a non-threatening way that folks enjoy.

“It’s wonderful to see seniors getting together and having fun and learning something useful,” she said.

Want to join in the fun? 252.915.1663 or send an email to info@rebuildcommunitiesnc.org.

 

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TownTalk: Reflections On Dr. Martin Luther King

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Monday’s TownTalk segment includes reflections from area pastors in observance of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday. Please listen back to hear these reflections in their entirety.

 

The Rev. Joseph Ratliff, pastor of Shiloh Baptist Church, said he views the MLK holiday “not simply about a single man, but…the struggle of Black people for generations. Today, Ratliff said, Black Americans can vote, get elected and sit anywhere they choose on public transportation – “things our grandparents and great-grandparents only dreamt of.”

Because of the continued support from so many, Ratliff said, “we now have a brighter day – there are all kinds of opportunities in front of us.”

He called King the dreamer of the dream that Blacks would no longer be considered second-class citizens, a vision that provided hope to an entire nation.

“Our action – or inaction – determines our future,” Ratliff said. “Dream with me – we can make a difference. Be the somebody that Christ has made you.”

The pastor of Clearview Church, Dr. Abidan Shah, arrived in the U.S. as a teenager and quickly realized that “every citizen had the opportunity to achieve, through hard work, determination and initiative.”

He called King one of the most influential Christians in history, and laid down the challenge to revisit King’s vision of equality for all – that vision that says people should not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the strength of their character.

 

Dr. Ron Cava, senior minister at First Baptist Church, said he is a little too young to have first-hand knowledge about King and his ministry, but said what he has learned about King confirms the idea that he was not only a prophet but a great preacher.

King’s ministry, like the Gospels in the Bible, charge believers to love our neighbors as ourselves, Cava explained, “regardless of race or gender or a multitude of factors that divide us.”

The time is now “to let freedom ring and… justice roll down like a mighty torrent,” Cava said.

 

Elder Gloria Ragland delivers the “Walking in the Word” program on WIZS on Sunday mornings said if King were alive today, she believes he’d look approvingly on accomplishments, “but we still haven’t gone far enough yet – my dream is bigger than this (because) we still have racism, hate and discrimination.”

“I believe he would also say ‘God is love,’” she added.

“We have come a mighty long way,” Ragland said. “It’s time for us to love one another, show respect for one another,” she said.

We are all part of God’s creation, Ragland said. “We should be able to get along, to work together…it shouldn’t be about differences, but we are one with God.”

She said she believes that God wants all of his children to get along and to prosper.
“You can’t make it to heaven with hate” in your heart, she said.

 

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TownTalk: Joe Bonsall Of The Oak Ridge Boys

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The legendary quartet known as the Oak Ridge Boys will take the stage at McGregor Hall later this month for a concert filled with some of their most popular songs, from old-time Gospel favorites to the iconic “oom-pah-pah-mao-mao” hit “Elvira.”

Tickets for the Saturday, Jan. 28 show are available now at www.mcgregorhall.org. The show begins at 7 p.m.

Bill Harris spoke by phone Thursday with Joe Bonsall, who has been with the group close to 50 years. At 74, he’s the “baby” of the group; Duane Allen and Richard Sterban are both 79 and William Lee Golden – “the guy with the beard,” Bonsall said, is 84 years young.

First known as the “Georgia Clodhoppers,” the group was originally formed in 1943 – during World War II, to put it into historical context.

Over the years, the quartet has seen dozens of members come and go, but these four have been together for a good while, enjoying about half a century of producing music and touring as The Oak Ridge Boys.

“We we bring more history to the stage than any other act in the business,” Bonsall told WIZS’s Bill Harris during Thursday’s TownTalk. “We love finding new songs and we love singing the old stuff,” he said. And as long as the four vocalists are able to sing together and create a good sound, he said he hopes they keep right on touring. They may dial back their normal 150-shows-a-year rate back to 120 or so this year, but that’s no big deal.

“Right now, we’re excited about this year,” Bonsall said.

Whether they’re performing at fairs, festivals or smaller venues like the 1,000-seat McGregor Hall, Bonsall said the group just enjoys performing together.

“We love what we do – we love each other,” he explained. “I enjoy putting on a show…I don’t care where it is,” he added. Their attitude is “let’s go sing.”

And sing they will for the audience at McGregor Hall. The set list may change a bit from show to show, but expect some of their standards like “Elvira” and “The Y’all Come Back Saloon.” And for sure they’ll be celebrating the 40th anniversary of the release of “American Made,” he said. They won’t turn their backs on their Gospel roots either and listeners surely will enjoy some cuts from the “Front Porch Singing” album, released in 2021.

 

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TownTalk: Carolina United For Change Works With Communities

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Observances and celebrations to remember the life and legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. will abound across the country this weekend and on Monday, the official national holiday which honors the slain civil rights leader.

Joseph Brodie, co-founder and leader of Carolina United for Change, Inc. wants to take it a step further this year with a service project to collect donations for area homeless shelters.

Brodie spoke Wednesday with John C. Rose on TownTalk to share information about his fledgling organization and its role in the community.

The nonprofit’s goals fall right in line with King’s philosophy – to be a unifying force in the community, end racial discrimination, feed the hungry, reduce poverty and improve education for all.

Brodie encouraged individuals to help Carolina United for Change by donating items that can be used at the various homeless shelters. Volunteers will be collecting items near the traffic circle between Perry Memorial Library and the police department between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Monday, Brodie said.

Some needed items include Clorox, disinfectant spray and other cleaning supplies for use at the shelters, as well as toiletry items for those who are spending nights in the shelters.

“We appreciate any help from anybody,” Brodie said.

The Vance County shelters that will receive donations from the service project include Lifeline Ministries, which currently has 30 women and a dozen children, as well as the ARC men’s shelter and the Community Partners for Hope men’s shelter. A shelter in Granville County is on the list to receive donations.

The organization was only incorporated in June 2022, but already has established a scholarship at Vance-Granville Community College, and Brodie said he hopes to gain a bigger foothold in the community.

“Right now, we’re just trying to get the people to be aware that they do have an organization in the area – we’re out there doing the footwork,” he said.

He said plans are being made to have an awards ceremony in the future to shine the spotlight on individuals who have gone “above and beyond” to make a difference in the community.

This is not a one-man show, and Brodie credits his executive board and others for coalescing and spreading the word about Carolina United for Change.

“It’s all about awareness,” Brodie said, adding that he wants people to “realize we are here and we are here to stay.”

Contact Brodie at 252.762.3364 to learn more or to volunteer to help with Monday’s service project.

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Perry Memorial Library

TownTalk: Perry Library Programs For Youths

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Gone are the days when librarians preferred the quiet, shushing patrons who dared make noise to interrupt the serious readers in their building.

No, today’s librarians embrace activity, breathing life into the more modern concept that has transformed libraries into media centers.

Public libraries are hubs in their communities, providing a variety of programs and services for patrons old and young.

Perry Memorial Library’s Youth Services Director Melody Peters joined the staff over the summer, when kids were out of school. Now that school is back in session, Peters is upping the game for young library patrons, who she says benefit greatly from the social interaction that comes with the programs offered at the library.

“Life is about people-to-people connections,” Peters told John C. Rose on Tuesday’s TownTalk. The networking and interaction that goes along with many of the library offerings, from Mother Goose Story Time for toddlers to Survival Skills and Life Hacks for teens.

“Information is shared in many ways,” Peters said. “There is real power in interpersonal communication-it’s what we need to thrive,” she added. “There is real power in interpersonal communication.”

The Mother Goose Story Time is an established program at the library – Thursdays at 11 a.m. It’s a time for children 0-4 to enjoy a story, but it’s also a time for parents and caregivers to connect, Peters said.

“We’re laying a foundation – it really does matter,” Peters said.

Part of that foundation can come from library programs, and there are plenty to choose from.

Curious about the outdoors? There’s a program for that. Rangers from Kerr Lake State Recreation Area come and read with kids on the third Thursday of the month.

And a family program on Jan.24 will focus on animal tracks in the snow.

Snow?

It’s something we don’t see a lot of here in Vance County.

No problem.

They’re going to make it.

Yep. They’re going to make some snow. Way to blend in STEM with some fun. All it takes is a little shaving cream and baking soda.

To learn more, visit https://www.perrylibrary.org/

 

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Vance County Logo

Town Talk: More On ARPA Funds, Jail and other items of County Interest

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Cities and counties across the country are figuring out just how to spend their part of the unprecedented $1.9 trillion in federal aid coming through the American Rescue Plan Act’s COVID-19 relief effort.

Vance County’s share is just more than $8.5 million, and county leaders are way ahead of the 2024 deadline to decide where those funds will be used: it’s all being allocated as “revenue replacement, which provides flexibility and allows the county to use the funds for general government purposes,” explained County Manager Jordan McMillen.

Of that total amount, about $2 million is earmarked for Phase 1B of the county’s water system, another $350,000 will be used to replace security doors and locks at the detention center and $347,000 was earmarked to pay employees premium pay back in February 2022, McMillen told WIZS News. The health department is set to get $250,000 as well.

All that doesn’t add up to the total slice of the trillion-dollar pie that’s promised to the county, but the infusion of ARPA funds into the county’s general fund should mean that next month’s scheduled audit presentation will show a fairly large surplus, he said.

McMillen said he expects that those surplus funds will be moved into the capital expense funds, which will allow the county to hold onto that money for future capital expenditures like a new EMS station, future needs at the county jail and more.

 

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TownTalk: Update On ARPA Funds

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The American Rescue Plan is infusing money – lots of money – into communities across the nation, one of the federal government’s responses to the COVID-19 pandemic and the waves of economic havoc it has created over the past several years.

Marley Spencer, a regional project manager who works with Kerr-Tar COG, is someone who can help figure out how to best use the money allocated to various municipalities across the five-county region.

According to Spencer, Vance County is getting roughly $8.5 million in ARPA money; Granville County is set to receive $11.7 million and Franklin County is getting about $13.5 million of the $1.9 trillion – with a T – in ARPA funds.

She discussed with John C. Rose on Wednesday’s TownTalk some of the short-range and long-range planning that is involved in putting the money to use.

Spencer lends her expertise and training to help local governments to assess their needs, identify assets and infrastructure and then help them execute their plans for the ARPA funds, helping them “connect the dots and stretch those resources,” Spencer said.

The four main categories that municipalities can choose from are revenue replacement, negative COVID impact, premium pay for essential workers and infrastructure project – defined as water and sewer and broadband.

With those categories in mind, she said, municipalities have until December 2024 to designate where they want their share of ARPA funds to go; they have two years to spend the money – it all has to be spent by December 2026.

Simply put, ARPA funds can help municipalities “free up funds that they can use on other things to enhance the community,” Spencer explained.

Down the road, money from the ARPA-funded  Rural Transformation Grant also will be available to “enhance communities, revitalize downtowns and strengthen neighborhoods.”

 

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County Commissioners May Decide To Sell City Its Share Of 114 Vacant Properties For City To Redevelop

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The city’s land planning committee and the county’s properties committee held a meeting Thursday afternoon to discuss the disposition of 114 jointly owned properties within the city limits.

The group decided to allow the plan to sell the land to the city to move forward, and that is the recommendation that will go before the full board of county commissioners at its Jan. 9 meeting.

If the board approves the recommendation, the city would buy out the county’s interest in the properties – all are vacant tracts and all are tax foreclosures dating back to 2007, said County Manager Jordan McMillen. The city has a 43 percent interest in the properties and the county holds a 57 percent interest.

The meeting lasted about 90 minutes, with both groups asking questions and sharing opinions about possible future redevelopment of the properties, which McMillen said totals about 26 acres when added all together.

“If it all went back on the tax books today,” McMillen told WIZS News after the meeting’s conclusion, it would add about $4,800 tax dollars to the city and county coffers.

County commissioners Dan Brummitt, Yolanda Feimster, Leo Kelly and Archie Taylor were present for the joint meeting representing the county’s properties committee; Melissa Elliott and  Jason Spriggs represented the city of Henderson’s land planning committee.

“I don’t mind transparency or accountability because I feel confident with what I’m doing,” said

Henderson City Manager Terrell Blackmon, who explained the general plan to the group.

Blackmon said the city is ready to ramp up the redevelopment efforts as other projects to piggyback on progress being made with the West End Urban Redevelopment Area and a similar effort getting underway in the Flint Hill community.

In outlining the overall efforts taking shape within the city, he said there are developers knocking on the door to begin projects. When planning for the West End URA, the UNC School of Government reported that the city was 3,000 housing units short of where it needed to be. The city needs housing that is diverse, safe and affordable, Blackmon said. And as the city ramped up code enforcements over the past few years, the result was more torn down houses than houses that were preserved.

By all accounts, both groups supported the idea of having the city move forward with purchase of the properties, but Commissioner Brummitt said it’s time to “pick a project and move – make it happen.”

In comments to the joint group, Brummitt and Taylor both expressed concern that there has been much talk over the years about redevelopment, but little action.

We “continue to talk and talk about it, but we’re not taking any steps,” Brummitt said.

“We have developers on deck that are ready to move,” said Council member Elliott.

Blackmon said the redevelopment would most certainly need to be a mixture of single-family and multi-family structures, as well as a combination of renters and homeowners.

In response to some discussion about neighborhood safety, Brummitt said home ownership would be beneficial. “If you own that property, you’re more committed to it,” he said. Blackmon also commented that home ownership is one way to stabilize neighborhoods.

Elliott said a key component to the redevelopment efforts is educating the community about home ownership.

“If you can pay $1,200 to rent a house, you can pay $1,200 to buy a house,” she said, noting numerous programs available for first-time homebuyers.

Blackmon reminded the group that municipalities don’t build homes, but they can help plan for the types of housing that get built.

“When the municipality owns the dirt, we have some flexibility” in the type of housing we’d like to see in the community.

He used the term “workforce housing” to describe affordable housing options, including those for city employees and others who may choose to live in the same community where they work.

Whether it’s single-family or multi-family housing, the city must be aware of what the community can afford to spend. And developers that build in existing neighborhoods have the opportunity to improve the quality of life for residents who already live there – or who may choose to move there.

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