New Human Services club formed at VGCC

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— courtesy VGCC

The newest club for students at Vance-Granville Community College focuses on the Human Services Technology (HST) field. The college offers three Human Services degrees – a General HST track, a Substance Abuse track, and a Gerontology track – although interested students in any major are welcome to join the new club.

The HST Club held its first organizational meeting in November at VGCC’s South Campus, the home of the HST program. VGCC Human Services instructor Sharon O’Geary conducted the meeting and said she hopes that the new venture will increase the program’s visibility on campus. “Human Services students are passionate about helping people,” O’Geary observed. “We hope that this club can participate in a variety of special service projects that relate to our field and hold fundraisers that help our community. At the same time, we may be able to represent VGCC, attend conferences and help students obtain jobs in this field through networking.”

Seated, from left: Human Services Technology Club faculty advisor Sharon O’Geary, club Vice President Melissa Jackson, Secretary Caitlyn Rudd and President Pamela Campbell; standing, from left: Student Government Association (SGA) representative Feliciana Hernandez and Treasurer Sonya Barnes.

Students at the meeting elected the first officers to lead the HST Club. They included President Pamela Campbell of Littleton, a Gerontology major; Vice President Melissa Jackson of Oxford, a Substance Abuse major; Secretary Caitlyn Rudd of Franklinton, a Gerontology major; Treasurer Sonya Barnes of Henderson, who is completing both the General and Gerontology tracks; and Student Government Association (SGA) representative Feliciana Hernandez of Henderson, a Substance Abuse major.

The HST curriculum program prepares students for entry-level positions in institutions and agencies which provide social, community, and educational services. VGCC’s program is nationally accredited by the Council for Standards in Human Service Education (CSHSE).

For more information on joining the HST Club, contact Sharon O’Geary at 252-738-3529 or ogearys@vgcc.edu.

–VGCC–

(VGCC is an advertising client of WIZS.)

$300,000 Gift Will Help Girl Scouts; Camp Graham

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The gift is about a commitment made a long time ago to make the world a better place, and it’s that same commitment that Girl Scouts instilled in Margaret Pickard Sirvis, according to her daughter Barb Sirvis.

Girl Scouts – North Carolina Coastal Pines (GS-NCCP) recently notified WIZS News that a $300,000 gift from the Margaret Pickard Sirvis Fund will go towards revitalizing Camp Graham, just north of Henderson.  Be sure to click here for Camp Graham details.

A lifelong Girl Scout and advocate for women, Margaret Pickard Sirvis, or “Peggy” as she was known by her Girl Scout friends, passed away on April 8, 2017 at 93 years old.  Peggy’s daughter Barb worked with GS–NCCP staff to create a legacy gift to support improvements to Peggy’s beloved Camp Graham.

Information provided by GS–NCCP indicates the $300,000 gift will go towards much needed facilities renovations that will enable Camp Graham to continue providing valuable outdoor leadership opportunities to girls across North Carolina, just as it had for Peggy 80+ years earlier. Renovations will include things like a new HVAC, a full-enclosed bathhouse, updates to cabin units, and much more.

Barb Sirvis told WIZS News in a phone interview that her mother Peggy was very clear she wanted to make sure the Girl Scouts received a generous gift at her death, so the $300,000 came from Peggy’s estate.  Barb said Girl Scouts had always been very important to her mother Peggy, as she was in scouting some 75 years.

“She loved camp,” Bard said.  “She wanted to make sure her gift would continue to provide camp opportunities for Girl Scouts today and into the future.”

When asked how Camp Graham was chosen, Barb said, “My mother was born and raised in Chapel Hill, and she went to camp as a girl at a camp that no longer exists, but she did go to Girl Scout camp as a girl, and she also watched the power of Girl Scouting to shape my life and the camp experience and the life-long friendships that I made at camp.  Then, when she moved back to North Carolina in 2006, a local Girl Scout friend took us to an event with Girl Scouts of North Carolina Coastal Pines, and there (Peggy) had a chance to talk to some of the staff about her interests, and they were doing a new project at Camp Graham building tree houses.  She said she wanted to see them, and she went to camp, and she fell in love with Camp Graham.”

Peggy told her daughter Barb she wanted to spend some money on this council, that she wanted to leave money to make sure the camp stays here for girls in the future.

It turns out that Peggy was very quiet about her ability to leave a gift like this for Girl Scouts, so by all accounts it had a wow effect, just by the amount alone of $300,000 if nothing else.

It’s the personal side that tells the rest of the story.

Barb Sirvis said, “She and my dad met in 1944 and were married in 1945.  They each had a dream.  His dream was to be an entrepreneur, and her dream was to make the world a better place.  They brought those two dreams together.  He eventually started his own business, and she was the home and corporate treasurer.  They managed wisely and lived modestly their whole life.”

As far as how the money will be used, GS–NCCP went to Barb with a proposal with several options in it.  Barb said the renovations and improvements mentioned “were the ones that spoke to me.”  She said these priorities were on the top of their list, and “I thought they would be on the top of my mom’s list.”

Chick-fil-A Henderson

Chick-fil-A Cops on Top Raises Over $3,500 for Special Olympics NC

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On a cold, windy, December, Tuesday afternoon, Chick-fil-A of Henderson, the Henderson Police Department, the Oxford Police Department and the Vance County Sheriff’s office banded together and raised a grand total of $3,522.70 for Special Olympics of North Carolina.

Cops on Top was a 12-hour event held at Chic-fil-A on Dabney Drive from 6 a.m. until 6 p.m. Tuesday.  It was the 11th annual event.

Local Chick-fil-A Marketing Director Susan Rogers said the goal was $3,500 and that not only was the goal met but the event surpassed last year as well.  One behalf of all of the organizers, Rogers gave thanks saying, “Thank you to the citizens of Vance County for supporting Special Olympics of North Carolina.”

T-shirts and hats were available for a monetary donation, and the event included K-9 demonstrations, free face painting, visits from Smokey the Bear, Sparky the Firehouse Dog, the Chick-fil-A Cows and a bounce house courtesy of Character Antics.

 

Oxford Prep Helps ACIM

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— Information from Oxford Preparatory School, oxfordprep.org

Oxford Preparatory School received $500 from the United Health Care Sidelines Hunger Event, awarded at the State 2AA Football Championship on Saturday, December 9.  Receiving the award were Oxford Prep Athletic Director Rick Kenner and Senior Student-Athletes Trey Reese and Christian Furr.

The OPS Athletics Department will share half of the proceeds with the Area Congregations In Ministry Oxford food bank. A check will be presented to the ACIM Oxford representative at the December 20th varsity basketball games against Granville Central High School. Additionally, that evening we will be collecting for the ACIM and encourage fans to bring in non-perishable food items. Admission will be half price with a food donation.

(Photo by Kelli Kenner)

VGCC enrolling students for spring semester

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— courtesy VGCC

Area residents have until Jan. 4, 2018, to complete the process of registering for the spring 2018 semester at Vance-Granville Community College, but college officials urge prospective students to register before the holidays.

The semester begins on Jan. 8, with classes offered on schedules of 16, 12 and 8 weeks. Course schedules are available online at schedules.vgcc.edu.

For new students, the process of enrollment begins with completing an application for admission at www.vgcc.edu/application along with the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at fafsa.gov. Then, students will request their official high school transcripts, and in some cases, their transcripts from other colleges they have attended. Next, they should meet with an academic/career coach and schedule a placement test, unless it is waived. Finally, students complete an orientation session, either online or in the traditional face-to-face format.

One relatively new resource for students residing in Vance, Granville, Franklin and Warren counties is the VanGuarantee scholarship program. The VanGuarantee is designed to cover tuition, student fees and/or textbooks for eligible students whose financial needs are unmet by federal financial aid and other means of support. For more information on all the various types of financial aid, contact the VGCC Financial Aid Office at fao@vgcc.edu or (252) 738-3280.

The college offers classes at four campuses and online, including six degree programs that are offered completely online: Associate in Arts, Associate in Science, Business Administration, Criminal Justice, Medical Office Administration – Coding Specialist and Supply Chain Management.

VGCC’s Main Campus is located on Poplar Creek Road in Vance County (about midway between Henderson and Oxford) at the intersection with Interstate 85 (Exit 209).

The Franklin County Campus is located just west of Louisburg on N.C. 56.

South Campus is on N.C. 56 between Creedmoor and Butner.

The Warren County Campus is located at 210 West Ridgeway Street (U.S. 158 Business) in Warrenton.

For more information on enrolling, call (252) 738-3234 or visit any campus.

–VGCC–

(VGCC is an advertising client of WIZS.)

A Journey Back to Bethlehem at Delrayno Baptist Church

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— information from Delrayno Baptist Church

WHAT: “A Journey Back to Bethlehem”

WHEN: December 9th through December 11th

WHERE: Delrayno Baptist Church, 1315 College St., Oxford, NC 27565

TIME: 6:00pm – 8:30pm

THIS IS A FREE EVENT

JOIN DELRAYNO BAPTIST CHURCH FOR A DRIVE BACK IN TIME SATURDAY, DECEMBER 9th THROUGH MONDAY, DECEMBER 11th FROM 6:00PM till 8:30PM EACH NIGHT.

EXPERIENCE A REENACTMENT OF THE FIRST CHRISTMAS, FOLLOW THE STAR AS YOU DRIVE THROUGH A LIVING NATIVITY THAT BRINGS CHRISTMAS TO LIFE PRESENTED WITH LIVE ANIMALS THAT INCLUDE A CAMEL, ACTORS, AND SINGING ANGELS THAT TELL THE STORY OF JESUS CHRIST BIRTH. GATHER YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY FOR THIS SPECIAL MESSAGE FOR ALL TO SEE AND HEAR.

DELRAYNO BAPTIST CHURCH LOCATED 1315 COLLEGE STREET NEAR THE HOSPITAL (GRANVILLE HEALTH SYSTEM) IN OXFORD, NC.

FOLLOW THE STAR AND FOLLOW THE SIGNS FOR THE ENTRANCE BACK TO BETHLEHEM.

National Weather Service

Winter Weather Advisory Dec. 9-10

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The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Weather Advisory for our area from 10 p.m. Saturday until 10 a.m. Sunday.  Areas include Vance, Granville, Warren and Franklin Counties plus much of the remainder of the area like Person, Durham, Orange, Wake Counties and beyond.

The concern is about refreezing of residual snow, slush, and water as skies clear late in the evening. Areas bridges, overpasses, parking lots, and side walks will be most prone for icing.

Original winter storm warnings and advisories have been cancelled.

For the full forecast, click here.

Additional Information: https://forecast.weather.gov/wwamap/wwatxtget.php?cwa=rah&wwa=winter+weather+advisory

See the latest briefing by clicking here.

 

H-V Emergency Operations

Snow Friday?

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The National Weather Service says a little light snow is possible Friday night.

Click here for the latest briefing.

Light accumulations less than an inch, mainly on grassy and elevated surfaces, should have minimal impact. Greatest amounts in the I-85 corridor from Burlington northeast.

Travel is not likely to be impacted, however some slick spots on bridges and elevated roadways are possible.

Light accumulations of less than an inch are possible, mainly on grassy and elevated surfaces west of U.S. Route 1. The greatest
amounts will be in the I-85 corridor from Burlington northeast.

As always, Vance County Emergency Management Director Brian Short will keep us up to date.  He said, “They are continuing to forecast some light snow for our area tomorrow evening. No significant accumulations or impacts are expected.”

City of Oxford 2018 Meeting Schedule

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City of Oxford 2018 Meeting Schedule

Terry Garrison

Jobs and Not Guns Forum

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Representative Terry E. Garrison, House District 32 which covers Vance and Warren Counties and portions of northern Granville County for the North Carolina General Assembly, is sponsoring a public forum here in Henderson along with State Senator Angela Bryant.

WIZS TownTalk will interview Garrison about the forum on Wednesday at 11:00 a.m. on 1450 AM and online live at wizs.com.

The following information comes from the office of Terry Garrison:

Jobs and Not Guns

A Public Forum on Gun Violence and Alternatives December 7, 2017

6:00 PM – 8:00 PM

Shiloh Baptist Church Multi-Purpose Building

635 S. College Street — Henderson, NC

Have you or someone you know been affected by gun violence?

Join us in an open discussion with law enforcement, state legislators, job developers and community members to discuss alternatives to gun violence. Refreshments will be served.

A Public Forum on Gun Violence and Alternatives

Greetings and Introductions……………………….Dr. Doris Terry Williams

Greetings and Purpose of Gathering…….Representative Terry Garrison

Greetings and Perspectives…………………………….Senator Angela Bryant

Panel 1

Focus: What We Know About Drugs, Guns, and Violence in Vance County

Panelists:

Peter White, Vance County Sheriff — What We See in Law Enforcement

Marcus Barrow, Henderson Police Chief – What We Believe to Be the Root Causes

Abdul Rasheed, Vance County Citizen — A Personal Perspective on the Impact of Drugs, Guns, and Violence on Families and Community

Q&A

Panel 2

Focus: What We Can Do: Models That Work

Panelists:

Jesse Battle, Director of Men’s Programs, TROSA of Durham — TROSA ‘s Model and Successful Outcomes

Dr. Stelphanie Williams, President of Vance-Granville Community College — Community College Options for Workforce Development

J. Philip Betts, President, Second Chance of Oxford — Re-entry for Formerly Incarcerated Citizens

Vincent Gilreath, Region K Workforce Development — Workforce Development Opportunities

Q&A

Closing remarks by Representative Garrison