WIZS Radio Local News Audio 03-17-23 Noon
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Rosalyn Green: 2022 John Penn Citizen Of The Year
She grew up in Granville County, and like so many other young people, Rosalyn Green flew the coop when she had the chance. But chickens, they say, always come home to roost. And that’s just what Green did. Granville County is better for her return.
Green was surprised last week when she was named the John Penn Citizen of the Year during the annual Granville Chamber of Commerce banquet at The Barn at Vino in Stem.
“I was so shocked,” Green said in an interview with WIZS News. “I had no idea (they) were giving me an award.”
In fact, she was almost a no-show for the awards ceremony. See, one of her sisters had been in hospital and there was just a lot to deal with.
But Chamber Director Lauren Roberson pulled out all the stops. It’s not every day that Rosalyn Green can be surprised. No subterfuge was involved, but suffice it to say that Roberson wanted to make sure the honoree was going to show up.
In hindsight, Green said, it was a little suspicious: Roberson had asked her to represent Leadership Granville at the annual Chamber meeting. Anybody could have done that, Green recounted during an interview with WIZS News. And then another friend had called her, inquiring about her plans. Dubious, as Green would later remark.
But she was still in the dark about being the center of attention until 2021 recipient Mark Pace stood at the podium to introduce the 2022 award winner and said something about “writing grants” for the Shaw Museum in Oxford.
“I don’t think she realizes how much she does and how much of an impact she has on people,” Roberson said in an interview following the event. “It’s very endearing. She is such a genuine and kind person. She truly loves her community and wants to be involved in making it a better place.”
To be honest, Green prefers to work “under the radar,” whether it’s collecting food from local grocery stores to deliver to Area Congregations In Ministry -Granville County’s food bank – or writing grants for the G.C. Shaw Museum in Oxford.
When she returned to Granville County n 2008, following a successful career in Washington, DC as a computer programmer with the U.S. Census Bureau, Green jumped in – feet first – to give back to the community.
At the urging of a fellow Leadership Granville colleague, she began working with the bookstore associated with St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church. When the Rev. Harrison Simons suggested that she be added to the payroll, she reminded him that she was retired. “I get to come in and leave when I want to,” she recalled saying to him, adding: “I had a good time.”
And the bookstore enjoyed increased sales from all of her friends coming in to buy books, she added.
To this day, Green enjoys doing that behind-the-scenes work that serves to propel her community forward. She’d have it no other way.
Granville School Board Terms Reduced From 6 Years To 4, Finally
Granville County residents who may be pondering running for a seat on the Board of Education, take notice: The General Assembly passed a law that changes the terms of school board members from six years to four.
And it only took four years to undo what had been done more than 30 years before as a result of a lawsuit brought by the U.S. Department of Justice.
As a result of House Bill 30, school board elections will be held in even-numbered years at the same time as primaries for county offices.
Districts 3 and 4 will kick off the new process, with elections in 2024; districts 1,2 and 6 follow in 2026 and districts 5 and 7 will come up for election in 2028.
In 1987, the Granville County Public School system was involved in a civil rights lawsuit brought by the U. S. DOJ. On Feb. 17, 1989, U.S.-District Court Judge Terrence W. Boyle signed a consent decree setting up the election of Board of Education members by seven geographical districts within the county, rather than all seats being at- large. At the time, terms were set for six years.
“Almost every other school system in North Carolina already had four-year terms,” Dr. Stan Winborne, GCPS assistant superintendent and public information officer, said in a statement announcing the change earlier this week.
“The thinking of the board was that this change would encourage more citizens to run for office and for board members to complete their terms of service,” he explained.
But it wasn’t quite so simple to un-do what had been done. Back in 2019, the board began discussions about changing term limits back to four years, Winborne said. But first, it needed approval from the Voting Section of the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division in Washington, D.C. and then ask for a modification of the 1989 consent decree from the United States Eastern District Court.
The process further slowed during the pandemic, but finally, on Mar. 29, 2022, Judge Boyle signed a consent decree to change the term limits to four years.
N.C. Rep. Terry Garrison first introduced the legislation in June 2022, but it failed to reach the House floor.
Then, after the November mid-term elections, a resolution for support of this change was unanimously adopted at the Jan. 23, 2023 school board’s work session and forwarded to N.C. Rep. Frank Sossaman, N.C. Rep. Matthew Winslow, and State Senator Mary Wills Bode. House Bill 30 was filed by Representatives Sossamon and Winslow on Jan. 30 and it became law on Mar. 9.
“The Granville County Board of Education is grateful for the diligence and support of Granville County’s legislative delegation in fast-tracking this much needed change in term limits. It was important to the board that this bill be passed before the next election cycle,” said Board Chair Glenda Williams.
SportsTalk: Local High School Programs Struggling With Bad Weather
Talk to Ray Noel, Athletic Director at Vance County High School, or Mike Joyner, Athletic Director at Kerr Vance Academy, and both men will tell you the same thing. Weather has slowed Spring sports to a crawl. “We need games,” said Ray Noel on Thursday’s SportsTalk. “The weather has been unforgiving,” Noel added. Vance County’s softball team is currently 1-4 but failed to get in games with Louisburg High this week because of the wet conditions. The baseball team has only played one game this season, a win against Triangle Science and Math over a week ago.
Rain is not the only problem. Wet conditions that persist long after the rain stops is also an issue for those on the baseball or softball diamond. The cool cloudy conditions have not allowed for much drying of the fields this week. Soccer at Vance County can deal with some wet conditions and the Vipers’ girls soccer team is 0-2 in the conference but are playing hard. The squad has two seniors and are coming off of a split with Louisburg High School in non-conference play.
Noel also looks forward to the beginning of track season. The Vipers’ track team has it’s first meet scheduled for March 29th.
Meanwhile, over at Kerr Vance Academy the boys’ baseball team is 1-2. “We are young but we will be ok,” Joyner said. The school’s first conference game is scheduled for Friday. KVA has already had two baseball games rained out. Soccer has had one game rained out, and the golf team has yet to tee it up this year due to inclement weather.
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Warren County Library Has Blood Pressure Kits For Checkout
They probably won’t be tucked on the bookshelf between Bla- and Blu-, but Warren Memorial Library patrons can now check out blood pressure cuffs, thanks to a partnership with the American Heart Association.
The library has five self-monitoring blood pressure kits – available in English and Spanish, available for checkout for those with library cards, according to Library Director Christy Bondy.
“The blood pressure cuffs are a great addition to the library,” Bondy said in a statement.
“We are thrilled to partner with the American Heart Association in our efforts to build and support a strong and healthy community. Libraries have increasingly added health literacy initiatives to their resources and services. The aim of this project is to create informed individuals who can work with their health care provider to determine the best treatment of better overall health.”
Nearly half of all Americans have high blood pressure, or hypertension, yet don’t even know it. Left undetected or uncontrolled, high blood pressure increases the risk of heart attack and stroke.
Small changes can make a big difference, including taking your blood pressure daily from home. It’s a proven way to monitor and control blood pressure in between regular doctor visits.
Blood pressure kits check out for three weeks with two possible renewals.
Take note, however: the blood pressure kits must NOT be dropped off in the outside receptacles – they must be returned inside the library during library hours of operation.
The Warren County Memorial Library is located at 119 S. Front St. Warrenton.
For more information about the blood pressure cuffs, visit www.wcmlibrary.org.
WIZS Radio Local News Audio 03-16-23 Noon
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The Local Skinny! Pink With A Passion Cancer Walk
The second “Pink With A Passion” cancer walk planned for Saturday, April
15 in Warren County grew out of one woman’s desire to pay it forward. And Amena Wilson wants to see all the colors of cancer represented. This year’s theme, in fact, is “Fight cancer in all colors,” Wilson told John C. Rose during Thursday’s segment of The Local Skinny!.
“We are celebrating all types of cancer survivors,” Wilson said. “It’s going to be a day with great meaning,” she added, filled with music, testimonies and encouragement for anyone whose lives have been touched by cancer.
Wilson is president of the nonprofit group, which she founded after a 2017 breast cancer diagnosis – thus, the color in the organization’s name.
Wilson said she hopes there will be all colors associated with particular cancers present for the event, which will be held at the Warren County Rec Complex from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
It’s going to be “a day of celebration for patients, survivors, caregivers,” Wilson said. There will be food trucks and vendors, as well as music and other entertainment throughout the day.
Walkers are encouraged to wear whatever color represents the cancer that has affected them or loved ones they’ve cared for. “It’s going to be a day with great meaning,” she said.
This event is NOT a fundraiser, Wilson emphasized; rather, it’s just a small way to show support and encouragement to cancer patients and to survivors.
And it’s not just for Warren County residents – “we welcome anybody, near and far…we would love to have you,” Wilson said.
Wilson can be contacted at 252.213.5735 to learn more.
Here are some common cancers and their colors:
Lung cancer: white
Brain cancer: grey
Breast cancer: pink
Liver cancer: emerald green
Lymphoma: lime green
Prostate cancer: light blue
Stomach cancer: periwinkle blue
Bone cancer: yellow
Leukemia: orange
Skin: black
Colon: dark blue
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TownTalk: Addressing Food Insecurities
A planning session will be held Tuesday, Mar. 21 in the fellowship hall of First United Methodist Church to discuss the upcoming Community Day of Service. Brian Daniel invites anyone interested in participating in the April 22 event to come to the planning meeting.
The meeting will begin at 6 p.m. in the fellowship hall of First United Methodist Church, and the actual Day of Service will be held at South Henderson Pentecostal Holiness Church on Americal Road in April.
As it did back in January 2020, the 2023 Community Day of Giving will focus on food insecurity. Teams of volunteers will package a non-perishable mix of highly nutritious foods for Rise Against Hunger, an organization that sends across the world to help those in need.
Among the topics for discussion on Tuesday are volunteer shifts, numbers of volunteers needed and team fundraising, according to Daniel.
In 2020, more than 600 volunteers from 14 churches and various businesses and organizations in the community were responsible for making 63,000 meals that were then boxed up and sent to countries all over the world. Because of the strong turnout, the teams exceeded the day’s goal of 50,000 meals.
But the event also collected a large trailer load of food for ACTS of Henderson, which helped to feed hungry people right here in the community.
Teams will work between now and April 22 to raise money to defray food costs for Rise Against Hunger, as well as collect food and money for ACTS.
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TownTalk: Enjoy St. Patrick’s Day And Stay Safe
St. Patrick’s Day has evolved from a religious holiday to a day of festivities and everything Irish. Revelers need not have ancestors from County Cork to enjoy all the fun and merriment that surrounds this holiday, and it’s a time when leprechauns, green beer and corned beef and cabbage take center stage.
Whether you choose to celebrate in family-friendly activities like Friday afternoon’s Shamrocks on Breckenridge event or in other ways, the State Highway Patrol wants to remind drivers to never drink and drive.
Law enforcement agencies statewide are increasing patrols to keep impaired drivers off the roads during the St. Patrick’s Day and through the weekend during a “Booze It & Lose It” enforcement campaign.
“St. Patrick’s Day is well established as a time for celebration, but people should do so responsibly,” said Mark Ezzell, director of the N.C. Governor’s Highway Safety Program. “Never get behind the wheel if you’ve been drinking alcohol. Drinking and driving can be deadly. Have a plan to get home safely so you don’t risk seriously injuring or killing yourself or someone else.”
During last year’s weeklong observation of St. Patrick’s Day, 225 alcohol-related crashes resulting in 11 deaths occurred on North Carolina roads.
“The most tragic thing about these deaths is that all of them could have been prevented and their impacts avoided, if people would just do their parts by planning ahead and ensuring they celebrate this St. Patrick’s Day responsibly,” said Col. Freddy Johnson, Jr., commander of the North Carolina State Highway Patrol.
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Cooperative Extension With Jamon Glover: Thank You
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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