Vending Machines Dispense Books For Elementary Students To Enjoy

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A special type of vending machine has been placed at L.B. Yancey Elementary, the contents of which will help students add to their personal stash of books.

The vending machine dispenses chapter books, graphic novels, easy readers and more, and students need only to insert golden tokens to make their selection.

Vance County Schools and the Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon-cutting Wednesday morning to launch the program, which will soon place “Inchy the Bookworm” vending machines in the other nine elementary schools within the Vance County Schools district.

Children receive the golden tokens as a reward for positive behavior, and they can choose from a diverse selection of books for readers on different grade levels, according to information from VCS Communication Coordinator Brielle Barrow.

“We are so grateful to have an opportunity to support students with building their home library”, said L.B. Yancey Principal Dr. Shannon Bullock. “We encourage our students to read at home and having the book vending machine makes it possible for students to read a variety of books that interest them.”

The vending machines and their contents were purchased by VCS as part of its literacy initiative to encourage reading and building student’s personal libraries.

“I’m excited for the book vending machine! This is such an innovative way to instill the love of reading throughout our building,” said Principal Letitia Fields of New Hope Elementary.

Inchy’s Bookworm Vending Machine, developed by Global Vending Group, can hold up to 300 books. The book vending machine will be refilled regularly with graphic novels, chapter books and easy readers to meet the varying needs of individual students.

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Youth Leadership Council Ensures Young People’s Voices Are Heard

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Sixteen Granville County high school students have been selected to serve on the Youth Leadership Council for 2022-23.

The council works with the Granville County Board of Commissioners and the local cooperative extension service to ensure that youth are represented as county leaders make decisions, according to Charissa Puryear, county extension director.

“The purpose of this council is to ensure that youth in the community have a voice, but most importantly, that their voices are heard, recognized and valued, “ Puryear said in a press release. The youth council members will learn leadership skills through service on selected county board, outreach activities, youth-led projects and other initiatives.

The group meets on the second Saturday of the month.

The new term began with a planning retreat and orientation in November at Camp Oak Hill, during which time they learned more about the council’s role in general and their roles as members.

They crafted a mission statement for the council, which reads: “The mission of the Granville County Youth Leadership Council is to provide representation, opportunities and direct connections for Granville County youth by support and amplifying youth voices and focusing on causes that affect our peers and us through education, resources, activities, community outreach, and partnerships.”

To learn more, contact the cooperative extension office at 919.603.1350 or email granvilleylc@gmail.com.

Following is a list of the new council members, the districts they represent and their roles on the council:

Jermaine Puryear, Jr., Chair, Board Liaison, District 3 

Elaina Eley, Vice Chair, Board Liaison, District 6 

Carissa Jackson-Rodriguez, Secretary, Board Liaison, District 3 

Jaden Easow, Treasurer, Board Liaison, District 6 

Cassie Peele, Media and Public Relations Chair, Board Liaison, District 3 

Vashti Pearson, Social Media/Content Creator, Board Liaison, District 5 

Chloe Hernandez, Social Event Chair, Board Liaison, District 1 

Asia Abdul-Haqq, Board Liaison, District 5 

Morocco Abdul-Haqq, Board Liaison, District 5 

Annie Drake, Board Liaison, District 2 

Elijah Griffin, Board Liaison, District 1 

Joydan Johnson, Board Liaison, District 6 

Iesha Landis, Board Liaison, District 6 

Amber Necessary, Board Liaison, District 6 

Cassie Peele, Board Liaison, District 3 

Brodie Winborne, Board Liaison, District 1

Cooperative Extension With Jamon Glover Stress And Parenting

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Listen live at 100.1 FM / 1450 AM / or on the live stream at WIZS.com at 11:50 a.m. Mon, Tues & Thurs.

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City Council OK’s Ordinances To Boost Fire Dept. Rating, Gives Nod For In-Car Video Grant For PD

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The Henderson City Council meeting approved a couple of ordinances that may help the fire department earn credits in its rating process. The ordinances regulate use of outdoor grills in certain locations and the use of fireworks in the city limits.

Council members voted on two ordinances at their Monday meeting.

Setting off fireworks should be left to those who have been trained and certified to set off “fireworks that explode or launch into the air,” the ordinance states.

The city fire chief must review plans in advance for any event that involves fireworks within the city limits.

Acting Fire Chief Curtis Tyndall brought the matter to the council, explaining that having certain city ordinances in place can result in credits used to rate fire districts.

The regulations presented to the council includes use of “open-flame cooking devices” such as charcoal grills – specifically, that they not be used “on combustible balconies or within 15 feet of combustible construction.”

There are a few exceptions to this, however, including buildings, balconies and decks that have automatic sprinkler systems.

The City Council also gave the go-ahead for the police department to seek a $29,500 grant from the Governor’s Crime Commission for purchase of in-car video camera systems for five patrol cars. These systems will fully integrate with existing systems as well as the body camera equipment currently being used.

The grant, if it is received, requires no matching funds from local sources.

 

Home And Garden Show

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On the Home and Garden Show with Vance Co. Cooperative Ext.

 

  • Start your garden journal for 2023
  • Study up on Grapevine pruning.
  • Sketch out on paper your garden plan for 2023
  • Check flower beds for cool season weeds and pull them now while they are small.
  • When ordering seeds don’t get caught up in all of the photos in seed catalogs. Order what you need.
  • Take stock of vegetable gardening supplies such as seed starting trays,tomato cages,Irrigation supplies, et cetera
  • If you think you have any shade trees that need pruning, begin making arrangements now.
  • Construct a small greenhouse to be able to grow plants next year.

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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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Henderson Family YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program Begins Jan. 16

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The Henderson Family YMCA is beginning a class to help people reduce their risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.

The Diabetes Prevention Program is a yearlong commitment that starts with weekly meetings and gradually goes to meetings every few weeks.

The one-hour class begins Monday, Jan. 16 at 12:30 p.m. and Christina Miceli said it’s all part of an effort to help people who are not yet diagnosed with diabetes eat healthier, increase their physical activity and lose weight – all of which can help delay or prevent the onset of Type 2 diabetes.

Time is of the essence, however. Miceli said she hopes individuals will register for the class soon. Each class builds upon previous classes, so it’s important to attend all 26 sessions. The deadline to register is extended to Jan. 23, when all information must be submitted.

The Henderson Family Y is among more than 200 across the country offering the program.

Diabetes is a chronic disease that causes blood sugar levels to rise higher than normal. Diabetes affects more than 34 million people in the United States, but 1 in 4 do not know that they have it. A condition called prediabetes occurs when blood sugar levels are higher than normal but not high enough for a type 2 diabetes diagnosis. More than 88 million Americans have prediabetes and are at risk of developing diabetes. Diabetes has no cure, but prediabetes can be reversed.

Submit test results to Member Services Desk or mail to: Henderson Family YMCA, Renee Gorby-YMCA Diabetes Program Coordinator, 380 Ruin Creek Road Henderson, NC 27536.

The Local Skinny! Mayor Ellington Discusses City Council Meeting

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The Henderson City Council approved Monday a request of up to $15.3 million from the Local Government Commission to fill a gap in projected costs for the Kerr Lake Regional Water System expansion.

This request includes an extra cushion of $300,000 that may be needed for administrative costs, according to City Manager Terrell Blackmon, who explained the situation to council members during the regular monthly meeting.

Bob Jessup, an attorney whose firm the city contracted with to help manage this part of the project, told council members that the money could be available by mid-March.

Mayor Eddie Ellington elaborated on Tuesday’s segment of The Local Skinny! and said that he and other city leaders have met with state officials to make sure the $80 million project stays on track.

“We’re always working to reach out at the state and federal level,” Ellington told John C. Rose on Tuesday.

Between the COVID-19 pandemic and the skyrocketing cost of materials, “expenses increased in a short amount of time,” he said. Ellington said he and others have met with state leaders to garner support for the project and have been met with nothing but positive responses.

N.C. House Speaker Tim Moore, Rep. Michael Wray have been supportive, as well as Diane Cox with the N.C. Kerr-Tar Council of Government.

“It’s a big deal,” Ellington said of the expansion project. “We have to have it for the future.”

 

 

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