The Local Skinny! COVID Has Not Gone Away

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There aren’t as many people still following the CDC guidelines that call for mask-wearing in public, but there remain some for whom “COVID fatigue” has not affected.

Schools, hospitals, doctors’ offices and other places that once required temperature checks and masks before entering have loosened those protocols.

Dr. Tracei Ball, a spokesperson for NC Department of Health and Human Services, encourages everyone to stay current on COVID vaccinations to reduce the risk of contracting the disease.

As long as it’s around, people are susceptible, so it’s imperative to stay protected, Ball said.

Ball is chief medical officer for OnCall Mobile Medical and Wellness in the Charlotte Metro area, and she told Bill Harris on Wednesday’s segment of The Local Skinny! that even though COVID no longer steals the headlines and news broadcasts as it did over the past couple of years, it still poses a risk.

“We’re still seeing hospitalizations and deaths,” she said. “We need to stay abreast of what’s happening with COVID regardless of what’s happening in the headlines.”

The bivalent vaccine against COVID works, she said. “That’s going to give you the greatest protection against COVID right now,” Ball said.

And by the way, if the last vaccine you received was before September 2022, you’re due for a booster. And anyone 65 or older or who has a medical condition that puts you in a higher risk for infection is eligible for a booster if it’s been more than four months since your last one.

“If we all work together  and do our part, we protect not only ourselves, but our loved ones as well,” Ball said. “We may have to deal with COVID for some time.”

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The Local Skinny! Home And Garden Show 04-26-23

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

  • Protect transplants from cutworms by placing a cardboard collar made from a empty paper towel roll around the stem of the transplant . You can make 4 collars from 1 paper towel roll.
  • Tomato tip: Plant multiple varieties, including cherry and disease resistant hybrids.
  • When planting transplants try to plant them on non windy days.
  • Tomato tip: Provide consistent soil moisture through drip irrigation.
  • When planting seed in conventional rows and we get a hard rain within two days of your planting use a leaf rake to lightly loosen the soil surface to get rid of crusty soil so seedlings can emerge through the top edge of soil.
  • Tomato tip: Look for healthy transplants – stocky, deep green foliage, healthy roots.
  • Don’t over water plants check soil media first if it is moist wait another to water your plants

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TownTalk: VGCC Concert Band To Perform Monday Night

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Join the VGCC Community Band for its spring concert at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, May 1 at McGregor Hall. Director Brian “Doc” Miller says the 40-plus member band will perform in the style of a good, old-fashioned band concert. And if you look closely, you may see an unusual percussion instrument that Miller himself will play for one selection.

The audience will be invited to sing along with a “nice and brisk” rendition of “The Star Spangled Banner, the band will continue with the state song of North Carolina, “The Old North State.”

Other selections include an overture from a movie called “The Cowboys,” Miller said on TownTalk. The movie was a dud, but composer John Williams’s music has endured. “It’s a great piece of music,” Miller said.

More along the tradition of the high school band concerts of yore are “In A Chinese Temple Garden” and a waltz called “Song of Love” from the 1921 musical “Blossom Time.”

Miller also will lead the band in another of what he calls a classic American march – the National Emblem March by E.E. Bagley, who composed the music in 1906.

And stay tuned for the concert finale, a piece originally created for the organ and transcribed for the band by UNC’s band director back in the 1920’s and ‘30’s.

“It’s a real barn burner,” Miller said. “It’s a technical challenge but I think the audience will enjoy it.”

That seems like a lot of music to pack into one hour, but that’s the goal, Miller said, remembering advice given long ago to always leave the audience wanting more, not wishing it were already over.

Will there be Sousa?

As long as Miller has a say, that answer will always be a resounding and emphatic Yes!

“Nothing beats a good old-fashioned Sousa march,” he said.

But what about that unusual percussion instrument?

It’s a typewriter – an Underwood Model 5 typewriter, to be precise –  and it’s from Miller’s personal collection.

Miller will yield the baton to Sam Morgan to perform with the band in its performance of Leroy Anderson’s classic “The Typewriter,” which he composed in the 1920’s.

 

Want to join in the fun and play with the VGCC Community Band? It’s open to all. Call 252.738.3371 to learn more.

 

 

VCS Honors Middleburg United Methodist Church As District Partner Of The Year

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Middleburg United Methodist Church was awarded the 2022-2023 District Partnership of the Year by Vance County Schools for its support of E.O. Young Elementary School.

The announcement was made on April 19 during a partner recognition ceremony to thank all 15 community organizations who have made commitments to schools in the district.

Middleburg United Methodist Church has supported the E.O. Young Elementary School community by supplying their food pantry and clothes closet, installing a washer and dryer for student use, as well as giving laundromat gift cards for students and their families, according to information from VCS Director of Communication and Marketing Aarika Sandlin.

The event was held at the Center for Innovation’s Atrium, and community partners were recognized for the lasting impacts on the students, families and educators in their school communities.

“Our district is grateful for every partnership within our community,” Sandlin stated. “The lasting impact being made goes beyond the present moment. These organizations are making a difference in the lives of our students for years to come and for that, we are truly humbled for the support and love shown to our students, staff and district as a whole.”

The 2022-2023 School Partnerships of the Year are:

  • First Baptist Church of Henderson – Aycock Elementary School
  • New Life Baptist Church – Carver Elementary School
  • First Baptist Church of Henderson – Clarke Elementary School
  • First United Methodist Church – Dabney Elementary School
  • Clearview Church – E.M. Rollins STEAM Academy
  • Middleburg United Methodist Church – E.O. Young Elementary School
  • ACTS of Henderson – L.B. Yancey Elementary School
  • Mt. Zion United Church of Christ – New Hope Elementary School
  • Gang Free, Inc. – Pinkston St. Elementary School
  • Union Chapel United Methodist Church – Zeb Vance Elementary School
  • First United Methodist Church & The Garden Club – STEM Early High School
  • Dickies Grove Missionary Baptist Church – Vance County Middle School
  • SEANC District 21 – Vance County High School
  • 4 Point 0 Mobile Tutoring, Inc. – Vance Virtual Village Academy
  • NC Cooperative Extension 4-H – AdVance Academy

The Local Skinny! Maria Parham Unveils Oasis Room Art

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The staff at Maria Parham Health have enjoyed the amenities of their Oasis room for about a year – the massage chairs, a TV, soothing music, beverages and snacks are just a few of the perks that filled the space.

The blank wall was a perfect candidate for some artwork, and thanks to high school junior and budding artist Abi Short, that wall now is the permanent home for a painting Short calls “Peace.”

Short, 16, is the daughter of MPH Cardiologist Dr. Sydney Short. She joined her parents, hospital staff and community leaders as her painting was unveiled Monday.

The idea for the Oasis room came about as hospital employees and health professionals everywhere were strained because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The hospital came up with the idea for a spot where staff could take a step away from the stress of their jobs for just a few minutes – a quick cup of coffee while listening to some music or a few minutes in a massage chair can do wonders during the work day.

MPH CEO Bert Beard told those assembled at the unveiling that the space is a place to recharge and relax. “We want to continue to do things that are going to enhance our workplace,” Beard said, because we know “that enhances the care we give to our patients.”

Cancer Center Director Kimberly Smith is on the hospital’s Awards and Resilience Committee and she said having a spot like the Oasis room helps reduce staff burnout – it’s a place where people can “come in and take a break and a breather,” she said.

Donna Young, MPH marketing director, said the hospital invited employees’ families to enter an art contest to find the perfect painting for the accent wall inside the Oasis room.

“We knew we wanted something really special,” Young said. “We got some wonderful entries…put it to a vote and Abi’s won.”

The young artist described her work as a reflection of memories of family vacations to the mountains.

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TownTalk: Remote Area Medical Returns To Henderson

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For the second year, Duke Remote Area Medical is bringing a pop-up clinic to Henderson to provide free medical, dental and vision care.

RAM is partnering again with Vance Charter School, which is hosting the two-day clinic on Saturday, May 20 and Sunday, May 21. The school is located at 2090 Ross Mill Rd. The co-organizers for the clinic are Duke students Saajan Patel and  Anvi Charvu, both of whom aspire to be physicians one day.

But that’s years away, and the undergraduates have teamed up with RAM to be able to make a difference now.

Last year’s clinic provided assistance to about 150 individuals, and this year the organizers hope that number doubles because additional optometrists and dentists have joined the team to see patients. The clinic operates on a first come, first served basis, but the services are provided right on the spot.

Charvu said she remembers one woman who was seen in the dental clinic last year. “She was so grateful” for the care she received, Charvu said. And the price is right, too.

“RAM does a great job of having great providers who make you comfortable while you’re there,” she added.

The patient parking lot will open around midnight on Friday, May 19. Clinic doors open at 6 a.m.

Once in the parking lot, additional information about the clinic will be provided. Neither insurance nor ID is required.

Because there is a high demand for dental and vision care, Charvu said, patients will elect to go to either the dental clinic or the vision clinic on a given day. But a client could get dental care on Saturday and then return on Sunday for vision care, she noted.

Those who need glasses can be fitted for them and actually get their glasses on the same day from the on-site lab. If bifocals are prescribed, they’ll need a little extra time and clients will get them in the mail.

Clients will get information about local providers who are willing to provide follow-up care, at no cost or at a reduced fee.

 

Local businesses, civic groups and other community partners are teaming up to provide food for the medical professionals who work in the clinic over the course of the weekend. Patel and Charvu said they appreciate the support the community continues to offer to allow the clinic to take place.

“All of these community partners have been such a help this year,” Charvu said. Local Rotary clubs, the Salvation Army and the Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce all have contributed in one way or another to make sure the clinic is successful.

Services available at a RAM free clinic include dental cleanings, dental fillings, dental extractions, dental X-rays, eye exams, eye health screenings, eyeglass prescriptions, eyeglasses made on-site, women’s health exams and general medical exams.

In addition to the medical professionals who donate their time during the clinic, there are about 20 Duke students and 120 general support volunteers who work behind the scenes to make sure things run smoothly.

But other local volunteers are needed as well, Charva and Patel noted. If you’d like to help set up on Friday, May 19 and take down on Sunday, May 21, please call 865.579.1530 or visit www.ramusa.org. In addition, overnight parking staff to greet patients is also needed, and interpreters can volunteer to aid patients through the process, either in the parking lot or during clinic operations. Individuals do not need to work in the medical field to volunteer as general support.

 

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Cooperative Extension With Paul McKenzie: What Works in the Garden

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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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The Local Skinny! Leadership Positions Open In the City of Henderson

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Vance County and the City of Henderson face several key leadership positions – the openings are the result of different circumstances, and local governments are coping with the vacancies as they continue to look for qualified applicants to fill the jobs.

It was announced last week that Jordan McMillen would be leaving his post as county manager to become manager of the town of Butner.

And Curtis Tyndall has been acting fire chief, but Terrell Blackmon said now the city has begun a search for a permanent chief, following the death of Steve Cordell.

Blackmon said the city continues to operate without a city engineer, a job that has been vacant for a couple of years. The water and street staffs depend on “on-call” engineers, and Blackmon stated that the city has a “very competent engineering staff that handles all of the day-to-day activities.” Public Works Director Andy Perkinson retired in January and the Human Resources Director, Elgin Ward, is set to retire in August.

Blackmon spoke at the recent West End Community Watch meeting and discussed the openings and the effect they have on city operations.

“We are getting ready to advertise for a fire chief, as well as a human resources director. The HR Director will be retiring in August, but we intend to begin recruiting for that position at the same time that we advertise for a fire chief. We have several engineers that we use on-call and for projects that have been handling the professional engineering work for the city,” Blackmon stated in an email to WIZS Monday.

He added that although the position hasn’t been filled, there are several potential candidates whom city staff have spoken with about the job.

henderson.nc.gov/departments/human_resources/jobs.php

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TownTalk: Seussical Jr. And Other Productions Coming To McGregor Hall

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Got a budding actor living under your roof who may be looking to hone some skills this summer? McGregor Hall Executive Director Mark Hopper said this season’s Henderson Rec Players productions may be just the place to start.

Young people ages 8-16 are invited to a May 9 meeting, at 7 p.m., to learn more about Seussical, Jr., the culmination of a two-week-long children’s theater camp set for June 12-25.

This year marks the third year for the children’s camp, which Hopper said had been a long time coming. “That was a dream for a long time,” he said on Monday’s TownTalk.

Whether it’s acting, singing or helping behind the scenes, youngsters will get an immersive experience in what goes on to bring a production to the stage.

And the price – $50 for the two weeks – is right, Hopper said, to allow more children to come and take part.

Learn more about Seussical, Jr. and the other shows that the Rec Players will perform during the 51st season at www.mcgregorhall.org.

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