Vance County’s Litter Problem is, Ultimately, a ‘Community Pride Issue’
Terri Hedrick, chairperson of the Vance County Appearance Commission, was on Wednesday’s edition of WIZS’ Town Talk program to discuss the widespread issue of trash and litter on Vance County roadways.
Recent social media postings have indicated that local residents are concerned about the amount of litter on their personal property as well as throughout the community.
Hedrick agreed, “The trash is really bad; it may be the worst we have seen in quite some time. It seems there is not a road that is not affected in Vance County.”
According to Hedrick, part of the appearance problem is due to the time of the year – trash is more visible in the winter when plant growth is down.
Roadside litter is also accumulating in record numbers due, in part, to funding ended by the State Legislature approximately two years ago. “One of the issues, without a doubt, is that prison crews are no longer able to go out and clean up roadsides,” explained Hedrick.
Hedrick said Vance County and the State DOT have been able to contract with work crews to clean up some of the major roadsides since funding was cut, but the problem “is too severe for just a few work crews a few times a year.”
The bigger issue, one much harder to solve, is how to instill community pride in people so they will not litter or illegally dump on other people’s property. “It has to begin with people not littering out of their cars. This is really a community pride issue,” said Hedrick.
While Hedrick admits it is very difficult for law enforcement to catch those who litter due to the quickness and frequency of the act, she is hopeful that the Appearance Commission will have success in appealing to the County for the hiring of either a full-time or part-time position to address the issue.
“The Appearance Commission is appealing to the County Manager and the Vance County Board of Commissioners to try again to employ a person whose job it is to investigate illegal dumping and littering issues,” Hedrick said. “We are asking the County to try to get it into the budget for the next [fiscal] year.”
Hedrick further explained that the Vance County Sheriff’s Department previously employed a deputy for such investigations, but the position was never filled upon the deputy’s retirement.
Other steps the commission has taken to address littering include talking to County officials on the possibility of using inmates in the county jail and/or using residents assigned community service for committing misdemeanor crimes to clean up roadways.
Both solutions, according to Hedrick, would require a certain amount of funding and sorting out the logistics of paperwork and supervision.
“There are no easy answers. Every county has this issue and it’s going to take all of us working together to deal with the huge problem that we have here,” Hedrick said.
To hear the Town Talk interview with Terri Hedrick in its entirety, please click here.
Anthony Lamont Henderson Arrested on Multiple Counts of Rape, Sex Offense
-Information courtesy the Henderson Police Department’s Facebook page
On February 14, 2019, 34-year-old Anthony Lamont Henderson was arrested by the Henderson Police Department, with the assistance of The United States Marshal Service, at 127 South Cooper Drive, Apartment 25, Henderson, NC.
Anthony Lamont Henderson was wanted on charges of two counts of 1st Degree Forcible Rape, 1st Degree Forcible Sex Offense, Felonious Restraint, Felony Breaking and Entering, and Assault on a Female from an incident that was reported to have occurred in December 2018.
Anthony Lamont Henderson was also served with warrants from a 2017 case on the offenses of 1st Degree Sex Offense with a Child and Indecent Liberties with a Child.
Anthony Lamont Henderson received a $300,000.00 secured bond on the 2017 charges and was confined to the Vance County Jail without bond on the 2018 offenses because they were domestic in nature.
He was given a $750,000.00 secured bond on those charges when brought before a District Court Judge in Vance County on February 18, 2019.
He is remanded to the Vance County Jail with a combined $1,050,000 secure bond and has a court date of February 27, 2019, in Vance County District Court.
On February 14, 2019, 34-year-old Anthony Lamont Henderson was arrested by the Henderson Police Department, with the assistance of The United States Marshal Service, at 127 South Cooper Drive, Apartment 25, Henderson, NC. Henderson was wanted on charges of two counts of 1st Degree Forcible Rape, 1st Degree Forcible Sex Offense, Felonious Restraint, Felony Breaking and Entering, and Assault on a Female. (Photo courtesy HPD)
West End Community Watch: HPD Provides Tips for Avoiding Break-ins
-Write up courtesy Claire Catherwood, West End Community Watch Group
The West End Community Watch group met on Tuesday, February 19, 2019, in the Fellowship Hall of West End Baptist Church in Henderson.
Sgt. Marti Stewart presented the crime report. There had been the usual home and vehicle break-ins.
Asked what the police do following a home break-in, Stewart said police patrols will be increased in the area. Break-ins occur on homes with and without security systems. Any debris noticed in front of homes should be removed immediately as it had been noticed that bottles and shoes left in yards appear to signal that the house has been “cased” and is a good target for theft.
Thieves take notice of the distance between homes, the presence of dogs, lighting, etc. Break-ins happen at all times of the day.
Vehicles that are break-in targets are usually left unlocked, so lock all vehicles. Generally, locked cars that are broken into had something of value left on a seat where it was visible or there was a jacket or sweater that looked like something may have been left under it. Remove everything from vehicles and lock all doors. Lock up mowers and bikes, too.
It seems car and home break-ins occur in one area of the city, and then the perpetrator moves to another area where they occur, again, for a period of time. Most are believed to be thefts by one person.
Report strangers walking in the neighborhood. Report anything that looks odd, suspicious or just not right. Call 911!
If you will be out-of-town for a period of time, inform the police so they can add patrols to the area. The best way to do this is to ask your area police officers for their cell phone numbers and text them. Include dates the house will be vacant and who, if anyone, has a key.
Recycling Bins are New Addition to Granville Athletic Park
-Press Release, Granville County Government
The addition of thirty (30) recycle containers to the Granville Athletic Park (GAP) in Oxford will help keep the area clean and educate the public about the importance of recycling.
The bins were funded through a grant from the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality and are being paired with existing outdoor trash containers. With a clear recycling message on each bin, the goal is to provide collection sites for plastic bottles and aluminum cans for visitor use at the GAP, which is one of the largest public spaces in Granville County.
The GAP is currently used by thousands of walking enthusiasts, high school sports leagues, traveling sports teams, daycares (playground equipment) and families who meet for local gatherings, competitions and for exercise.
“That’s thousands upon thousands of bottles and cans that have gone to one of two places at the GAP – in the trash can or on the ground,” says Granville County Recycling Coordinator Teresa Baker. “We hope that these new containers will prompt park visitors to choose recycling over garbage disposal, and will remind them to keep our park ‘green and clean.’”
Granville County Recycling Coordinator Teresa Baker is pictured with one of the new recycling containers recently installed at Granville Athletic Park. (Photo courtesy Granville Co. Govt)
Before the installation of the new containers, the GAP had only two outdoor athletic bins that housed six 96-gallon recycle carts. Located near the baseball tournament fields, these bins filled up quickly in just one weekend – and even more often during tournament season. It is expected that the addition of thirty more containers throughout the 69-acre site will positively impact waste collection.
Baker notes that a tracking system will be put into place to monitor the waste stream and that an increase in tonnage recovered by Waste Industries is expected, decreasing input in the local landfill, as well as the associated costs that come with solid waste disposal.
Over the last seven years, a renewed effort has been made to address the litter issue in Granville County. According to Baker, progress has been made as there has been a push to increase the county’s recycling yield. Granville County has grown from having one of the lowest collection rates in the state to being among the top 20 counties with high recycling yields in North Carolina.
As the GAP works towards an eleven-acre expansion, recycling efforts will become even more significant as a targeted recycling program will carry over into the newest phase.
“The county must be a leader in recycling to encourage residents to be better environmental stewards,” Baker adds. “We want to remind park visitors to keep their trash off the ground and to put it in an appropriate location.”
These new recycling containers have a life cycle of 8 to 10 years and are placed in high-traffic locations throughout Granville Athletic Park. To learn more about recycling efforts in Granville County, contact Baker at (919) 725-1417.
Residents’ Help Needed in Making 2019 Spring Litter Sweep Week a Success
This year’s Henderson-Vance Spring Litter Sweep Week, held in conjunction with the state-wide litter sweep campaign, will be held Saturday, April 20 through Saturday, April 27, 2019.
Terri Hedrick, chair of the Vance County Appearance Commission, was recently on air to encourage all citizens of Vance County to spend time outdoors improving the community by cleaning up trash and debris.
“We ask all who are able to participate to please clean up around homes, churches, businesses, schools, city streets and county roads,” said Hedrick.
Gloves, reflective vests, recycling bags and trash bags are available for interested participants at the City Operations Center, 900 S. Beckford Drive, and at the Vance County School’s Administrative Office, 1724 Graham Avenue, in Henderson.
The litter sweep will culminate in the Annual Recycling & Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day to be held in the front parking lot of the City Operations Center on Saturday, April 27 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Volunteers and vendors will be accepting a variety of items including old paint, insecticides, pesticides, cleaning products, electronics, televisions, computer hardware, cardboard, metal, aluminum cans, plastic, glass and newspapers/magazines in addition to other recyclables.
The Vance County Sheriff’s Office will also be on site to collect out-of-date medications, including prescription and over-the-counter varieties.
Shredding trucks will be available to securely dispose of participants’ personal documents.
Residents are encouraged to take advantage of this free, legal and environmentally-safe means of recycling older items.
Granville Co. Commissioners to Hold Two-Day Retreat at Expo Center
-Information provided by Debra Weary, Clerk to the Board/Assistant to the County Manager – Granville County
The Granville County Board of Commissioners will hold their annual retreat on Thursday, February 21 and Friday, February 22, 2019, at the Granville Expo & Convention Center in Oxford. Thursday’s meeting begins at 4:30 p.m.; Friday’s session begins at 8:15 a.m.
Board discussion will focus on the following objectives:
Strategic Plan Objective #1: through economic development activities and efforts, increase the county-wide tax base by approximately $80 million annually.
Strategic Plan Objective #2: improve inter-local government relationships through partnerships and shared services.
Strategic Plan Objective #3: educate the community to improve public awareness of local government issues, activities, benefits and opportunities.
Strategic Plan Objective #4: reduce the County’s annual personnel turnover rate due to resignations and terminations to 6% or less by 2020.
Strategic Plan Objective #5: improve employee recognition and boost morale through the implementation of an Awards and Recognition Program (A&R).
Strategic Plan Objective #6: improve and increase the number of volunteer programs, sites and opportunities within the County Government.
Strategic Plan Objective #7: identify public safety requirements and improve communication of services with the public.
To review the complete agenda, please click here.