Granville Masons To Honor First Responders, Hold Open House May 8

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Granville area Masonic chapters are hosting a couple of events on Saturday, May 8 at the Masonic Center in Oxford. The first is an appreciation breakfast for the area’s first responders; the second is an open house designed to share information about Masons and their role in the community.

First responders in the area are invited to stop by the Masonic Center in Oxford on Saturday, May 8 to pick up “breakfast on the go” as a show of appreciation for the work they do in the community, said Kevin Otis, director of the Masonic Home for Children in Oxford. Otis said the event is being hosted by Oxford Lodge #122, Grainger Lodge #412, and the local Rainbow Girls Chapter 90. Breakfast will be available from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. at the Masonic Center, located at 105 W. College Street, just down the street from the MHCO campus.

“The Masonic bodies want to thank each of you for your dedicated commitment to keeping us safe, especially in these difficult and perilous times,” Otis said in a statement to WIZS News. “Your commitment to others is an example for all to follow,” Otis said.

The second event, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., is designed to answer questions about Masonry, from York Rite bodies and the difference between Amran and Sudan Shrine to the connection between Shriners and Masons, he said.

Representative from the local lodges, as well as the local Rainbow Girls chapter will be on hand during the open house.

Otis said it’s a great way to find out what each group is doing to help the community and help each other be their best. Visitors can tour the lodge room, see the imagery, and get ask questions. But, Otis added, “No Masonic secrets will be shared – only how joining any of these Masonic bodies will help you shine your light for others and guide you to a better tomorrow.”

NCCare360 Works To Match Clients With Providers, Resources

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It sounds ambitious, but doable: NCCare360 is a public-private partnership designed to provide streamlined support for those who are looking for help with finding resources for everything from health care to housing, access to transportation and other challenges that people are faced with.

Quinny Sanchez Lopez, community engagement manager, spoke to the Vance County Community Collaborative earlier this week and shared information about joining the partnership.

Attending the monthly meeting were representatives from education, governmental and non-profit agencies, according to information from Triangle North Healthcare Foundation.

Executive Director Val Short welcomed the group, which convened to learn more about the public-private partnership between the NC Department of Health and Human Services and the Foundation for Health Leadership and Innovation.

There is no fee to register to join the partnership, Sanchez Lopez said, which reaches all 100 counties in the state.

NCCare360 is “the first statewide network that unites health care and human services organizations with a shared technology that enables a coordinated, community-oriented, person-centered approach for delivering care in North Carolina,” according to the statement.

The idea is to have a group of health and human services providers in one network to connect clients with community resources. Unite Us powers the technology platform, which is used for feedback and follow-up and ensuring accountability of service delivery.

Included in the model is a community engagement team that works with local organizations such as social service agencies to independent providers to get resources to those who need them.

Referrals can be made by providers or by the client himself or herself. A NCCare360 “navigator” connects the client to resources in their area. A resource directory is available at www.nccare360.org.

Agencies that partner with NCCare360 receive training and are responsible for responding to referrals and reporting outcomes.

Granville Vance Public Health is a NCCare360 partner and Director Lisa Harrison said Thursday that it is exciting to see technology evolve in a way that can further the mission of public health.

“We are eager to incorporate NCCare360 technology as our social workers and nurses at the health department continue to connect people in our communities to needed resources,” Harrison said in a statement to WIZS News.

Improving the health of people in the community goes beyond a doctor’s office or making good food choices at the grocery store. “For decades… health department staff have valued working with children and families to navigate opportunities for improved transportation, housing, child care, health care services including mental health services, healthy food resources, small business support, and community outreach,” she said.

But it takes more than a computer network to be successful. It also takes people who know about the local community to be involved and informed as well.

“While this technology is robust and transformative, technology is just technology unless all network partners are trained and empowered to use it to better serve their patients and clients,” Harrison said.

For more information about joining the partnership, contact Sanchez Lopez by email quinny.sanchezlopez@uniteus.com.

Visit www.nccare360.org to learn more.

Kerr Tar Workforce and NCWorks

Employment for Graduating Seniors, Class of 2021 Career Expo

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High school seniors who will graduate in a little over a month have choices to make, whether it’s choosing a college or university to attend or beginning a career. A regional career expo targeting the Class of 2021 will be held next week and it is designed with the Gen Z’er in mind.

The virtual event is scheduled for Wednesday, May 5 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., according to Desiree Brooks, business services manager of the Kerr-Tar Council of Governments workforce development board.

Brooks told WIZS News Tuesday, April 13 that several area workforce development boards, along with NC Works and the NC Department of Public Schools’ Career Technical Education (CTE) program have collaborated to put on the event.

“We have been coordinating with the CTEs in the five counties and they are working on getting students ready for the event,” Brooks said. “They are targeting students who are ready to enter the workforce upon graduation – we are all very excited about this event.”

The expo – tagged as the “Gen Z Edition” – will allow students and employers to communicate using a platform that young people are comfortable and familiar with, according to a flyer promoting the event. Students who have developed technical skills, have hands-on experience and earned credentials through their high school CTE program can use the expo as a way to showcase those skills for prospective employers. Employers can share job descriptions and other details of their business in interviews using text or video chat.

“One of our goals is to make sure the parents of seniors see the importance of this so they can encourage them to take part in this event,” Brooks noted. “Another goal is to get employers that are willing to hire graduating seniors with little or no prior work experience.”

Sign up for the event at trianglecareerexpo.com.

More First Shots in the Last Month than in the Month Before

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Vance County has 33.4% of its population at least partially vaccinated against covid.  The amount in Granville County is 35.7% partials.  And as of Monday according to information for Granville Vance Public Health, the state is at 48.2 percent of the adult population having received a partial vaccination.

Vance County is lagging about 15% behind the state while Granville County is 12.5% back.

Of fully vaccinated adults, it’s Vance 26.8%, Granville 28.4% and NC 38.1%, which represents slightly smaller gaps.

Lisa Harrison, public health director, wrote in her email update, “We continue to update and shift our approach to vaccination to align with demand and meet people where they are, while working behind the scenes to re-open more of our core public health services and programs in the coming weeks and months. We want to make vaccine super easy for people who are not among the groups we initially vaccinated who were more than willing to come find us wherever we were. Coming up, we will deploy our team in new ways to be available for people at work, at school, and different locations across our communities to reach those without transportation options.”

Looking back at past emails from Harrison, WIZS News can determine 5,280 first shots were given from March 21 to April 26 whereas from February 25 to March 21 there were 3,355 first shots administered in Vance County.  The figures indicate 1,925 MORE people in Vance County received a first shot in the last month than in the month prior.

Looking back at data in emails from Harrison for Granville County reveals 8,660 first shots were given from March 21 to April 26 whereas from February 25 to March 21 there were 3,888 first shots administer in Granville County.  These figures indicate 4,772 MORE people in Granville County received a first shot in the last month than in the month prior.

Vaccine in the health district is about to be easier than ever to get.  Just Tuesday, there was a walk-up vaccination clinic in Townsville.  No appointment was required.

Harrison wrote, “We want to be available to answer questions and make easier the access points for vaccine and are working hard to lead this shift in demand as well as our approach to reach people who want the vaccine. If you have ideas, let us know. Please help us out by sharing our web site information widely where we have lots of good information, frequently asked questions, and ways to schedule a vaccine appointment at GVPH here: https://gvph.org/covidvaccines/.“

Granville Crime Stoppers

Granville Crime Stoppers Golf Tournament Set For May 20 – Sponsors, Players Needed

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The 3rd annual Granville County Crime Stoppers golf tournament is scheduled for May 20, 2021 at South Granville Country Club. The tournament is a major fundraiser for the group, which provides cash rewards for people who provide information that leads to the arrest and indictment of criminals.

The Granville Crime Stoppers, part of the North Carolina Crime Stoppers Association program and a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, needs sponsors for the tournament, according to information from tournament chair Bobby Wheeler.

There are two levels of sponsorship:

  • Corporate Sponsorship – $500 – includes a four-person team, with your name included on a banner displayed on tournament day, with additional recognition in print and social media, as well as the Crime Stoppers banquet in October.
  • Hole Sponsorship – $100 – your name will be posted at one of the 18 holes on tournament day, with additional recognition in print and social media, as well as the Crime Stoppers banquet in October.

Teams also can register for $200 – $50 per player. Registration begins at noon and tee time is at  1 p.m.

South Granville Country Club is located at 2539 Sam Moss Hayes Road, Creedmoor, NC 27522.

Frank Sossamon is the chair of the Granville Crime Stoppers, and David Smith is the vice-chairman.

Contact Wheeler at 919.691.0526 to learn more about becoming a sponsor or how to register for the tournament.

Make checks payable to Granville County Crime Stoppers.  Submit payment with application to:

Bobby Wheeler 607 Forrest Lane Creedmoor, NC 27522.

 

 

 

TRLC Adds 83 Acres To Create Horseshoe Road Nature Preserve

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More than 80 acres of land has been donated to Tar River Land Conservancy (TRLC) in recognition of Earth Day, which was April 22, the preservation group announced.

The new tract – 83 acres along Smith Creek in southern Granville County – adjoins a 158-acre tract purchased by TRLC in 2018, according to Derek Halberg, TRLC Executive Director. The property, now 241 acres in size, will be managed by TRLC as the Horseshoe Road Nature Preserve.

“It is very timely,” Halberg said of the donation. “This land plus a significant financial contribution were gifted by Mark and Tara Rein of Raleigh.” The plan is to start building hiking trails on TRLC’s Horseshoe Road property in the fall of 2021.

“This gift will ensure that the land remains permanently undeveloped,” Hallberg said in a press release to WIZS News.  He described the property as a combination of hardwood and pine forest and marshy wetlands, which offers refuge for waterfowl and water birds.

In addition to wildlife benefits, the land donation will protect drinking water for downstream communities.

The property has 0.6 miles of frontage on Smith Creek, one of several large Granville County streams that flows into the Falls Lake Reservoir. Falls Lake supplies drinking water to the City of Raleigh and six nearby communities.

The newly donated tract allows the conservancy to expand the trail network currently planned for public use. Trail construction at the Horseshoe Road Nature Preserve is expected to begin in October 2021 and to be completed in time to open two miles of trails to the public in June 2022.

TRLC will begin publicizing opportunities for the community to get involved with the project this summer. To receive notices about volunteer opportunities, individuals are encouraged to contact TRLC at volunteer@tarriver.org or 919-496-5902.

Tar River Land Conservancy is a nationally-accredited land trust that preserves natural resources across an eight-county region of North Carolina – Edgecombe, Franklin, Granville, Halifax, Nash, Person, Vance, and Warren counties.

Since 2000, TRLC has protected 22,267 acres of land and 190 miles of streams. To learn more, please visit www.tarriver.org.

Gifts from Pruitts Create VGCC Scholarships

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— press release courtesy of VGCC

Before his recent passing, W. Leonard Pruitt and his wife, Dr. Dorothy Pruitt, both of Oxford, established two scholarship funds at Vance-Granville Community College to support students preparing for careers in health care.

First, a gift from the Pruitts will create the Leonard and Dorothy Pruitt Presidential Excellence Award, a full VGCC scholarship, which will cover a student’s tuition, books and fees. In awarding this scholarship, preference will be given to students in Health Sciences programs at the community college, as well as students from Granville County.

Second, a planned bequest will fund the Dr. Dorothy Jean Gooch Pruitt and Mr. William Leonard Pruitt Endowed Scholarship Fund for the ECU Medical and Health Sciences Foundation, a unique scholarship that will take students through the community college and then to East Carolina University.

When fully endowed, this fund will provide scholarships for multiple full-time VGCC students each year, who are planning to transfer to study health sciences at East Carolina University. This scholarship will also target students from Granville County. Future student recipients, to be called “Pruitt Scholars,” will receive funds to cover all their tuition, books and fees at VGCC. After they transfer to ECU, these scholars will have many of their educational expenses covered by a similar scholarship that the Pruitts have established there.

Dorothy Jean Gooch enrolled at East Carolina in 1953 to study Home Economics. After moving back to her native Granville County to teach — first at Oxford High School and later at J.F. Webb High School — she met Leonard Pruitt. Together, the couple has made an indelible impact on their community.

Mr. Pruitt was a tobacco buyer for R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company for 40 years, and raised beef cattle, fruits and vegetables for many years, as well. Along the way, he became well-known in Oxford for helping his neighbors, delivering produce (especially strawberries) to friends, and regularly lending a hand at the school where his wife, Dorothy, worked. He served on the Jury Commission of Granville County and was recognized for community service by the Granville County Chamber of Commerce in 2006. Pruitt was also an active member at Oxford Baptist Church, where he was named “Deacon Emeritus.” He died on March 31, 2021, at the age of 95.

Likewise, Dr. Pruitt has been active in her community, serving Granville County and the state of North Carolina for a total of 46 years as a teacher, principal, Department of Public Instruction consultant and Granville County Board of Education member. She was the first woman elected to that board, which she eventually chaired. Among her many honors, Dr. Pruitt accepted a national model school award from President George H.W. Bush while she served as principal at C.G. Credle Elementary School, received the Governor’s Award for Outstanding Volunteer Service, and was inducted into the ECU College of Education Educators Hall of Fame. Recognized as an “Incredible ECU Woman” in 2010, she is a member of the ECU College of Health and Human Performance Cornerstone Society.

The Pruitts have already established several scholarships at VGCC in honor of Mr. Pruitt’s late sister: the Myrtle Jane Pruitt Presidential Scholar Award and five Myrtle Jane Pruitt Academic Achievement scholarships.

“A true team in every sense of the word, Dr. Dorothy Pruitt and Mr. W. Leonard Pruitt were partners for 58 years, and we join Dr. Pruitt in mourning the loss of her husband,” said Eddie Ferguson, executive director of the Vance-Granville Community College Foundation. “They shared a belief in education and together, they have established innovative scholarship funds that will provide life-changing educational opportunities for deserving students, particularly those with a desire to transfer to Dr. Pruitt’s beloved alma mater.”

“We are grateful to the Pruitts for their incredible generosity and their passionate support for education, which will help our students prepare for their own careers of service,” said Dr. Rachel Desmarais, the president of VGCC. “The success of future ‘Pruitt Scholars’ will serve as a lasting tribute to Dr. Pruitt and Mr. Pruitt’s love for their community, for our college and for our partners at ECU.”

The VGCC Foundation (formerly known as the Endowment Fund) has enabled more than 9,700 scholarships to be awarded to students since 1982. Scholarships have been endowed by numerous individuals, industries, businesses, civic groups, churches and the college’s faculty and staff. Tax-deductible donations to the VGCC Foundation have often been used to honor or remember a person, group, business or industry with a lasting gift to education. For more information, call (252) 738-3409.

–VGCC–

Granville Gardeners’ Herb and Plant Sale – Order Soon!

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Whether you’re interested in improving the pollinator habitat in your backyard or growing some tomatoes, peppers and culinary herbs, the Granville Gardeners Herb and Plant Sale has something for everyone who likes to dig in the soil and add beauty to the landscape.

Online orders are still being taken, according to club president Brenda La Fayette, but place your orders soon, she said.  Find the link at www.thegranvillegardeners.org or on the club’s Facebook page. There is a complete list online of plant offerings, as well as suggestions for how to use the culinary herbs.

The organic herbs, the majority of which are in 4.5-inch pots, are locally sourced from J & B Herb and Plant Farm in Person County and are $4.50 each.

Tomato and pepper plants, also organic-certified, are $2.50 each and there are additional miscellaneous gallon-sized pots of popular perennials for $9.

Drive-thru pickup is 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, May 8 at the Granville County Expo Center, 4185 Hwy. 15 South, Oxford.

The plant sale is the club’s fundraiser which supports scholarships at N.C. State University and Vance-Granville Community College.

 

City of Oxford

Register Now For Oxford 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament April 24

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The Isaiah Hicks Basketball Court in Oxford will be the site of a free 3 on 3 basketball tournament next Saturday, April 24. Participants can register by calling 919.603.1135 or online at https://oxfordnc.recdesk.com/Community/Home.

Teams should consist of players 16 years and older; participation will be limited to the first 20 teams that register. Teams can have four players.

Hicks Basketball Court is 313 E. Spring. St. The tournament tips off at 11 a.m. and is scheduled to end at 2 p.m.

Bodyworx and Northern Point Realty are sponsoring the event, which is hosted by the City of Oxford, Oxford NC, Historic Downtown and Oxford Parks and Recreation.

The Local Skinny! April 19; Lisa Harrison, Granville Vance Public Health

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JCR:  Can people just show up for vaccine now?

LMH:   Sometimes we are able to host walk—up clinics like we did on Friday last week at VGCC but not every day yet.  We will advertise walk-up clinics when we have those.  As for daily clinics in Oxford and Henderson,  we are aiming to offer walk-up options each day in each health department location, but not yet this week.  It’s still important for us to be able to plan how to use all 10 doses of vaccine in each vile, so we need to ensure we can see people in groups of 10 in order to use all our vaccine well.  For now, the hotline is still the best way to register, get an appointment, and ensure your spot to get your shot, but we are moving as quickly as we can to easy-access walk-up clinic options.   As our staff adjusts to getting back to daily clinics we are working on how to do this and not waste a single dose of vaccine.

JCR: How many vaccines do you expect to do per week?

LMH: We are seeing demand for a few hundred first doses per week now, and we have access to that easily. We have access to enough (Moderna) vaccine each week to meet demand for both first and second doses so nobody needs to worry that we will not be able to get more vaccine.  That’s great news.

JCR:  When everyone is fully vaccinated who has received a 1st shot as of today, what percentage of fully vaccinated adults will we have?

LMH:  I estimate approximately 45% of ADULTS in the two-county district will be vaccinated in the next four weeks.

  Granville Vance District
% Partially Vaccinated 34.2% 32.1% 33.3%
% Fully Vaccinated 25.1% 23.7% 24.5%
% ADULTS partially vaccinated 43% 41.9% 42.6%
% ADULTS fully vaccinated 31.6% 30.9% 31.3%

JCR: Will the GVPH reach herd immunity?  How long will it take at present rates?

LMH:  This is a good question and a tricky one to answer given the pause in demand we seem to be seeing right now and the research that’s still needed.  Herd immunity occurs when enough people become immune to a disease to make its spread unlikely. As a result, the entire community is protected, even those who are not themselves immune. Herd immunity protects the most vulnerable members of our population.  Herd immunity is usually achieved through vaccination, but it can also occur through natural infection.  The percentage of people who need to be immune in order to achieve herd immunity varies with each disease. For example, since it’s so transmissible, herd immunity against measles requires about 95% of a population to be vaccinated. The remaining 5% will be protected by the fact that measles will not spread among those who are vaccinated.  For polio, the threshold is about 80%. The proportion of the population that must be vaccinated against COVID-19 to begin inducing herd immunity is not yet known.  In Epidemiology, which is the study of diseases in populations, ‘Ro’ (pronounced “R-naught), is a way to measure transmissibility of a disease.  The R0 tells you the average number of people that a single person with the virus can infect if those people aren’t already immune.  The higher the R0, the more people need to be resistant to reach herd immunity.  For COVID-19 it is between 2 and 3. This means that one person can infect two to three other people who aren’t already protected. It also means 50% to 67% of the population would need to be resistant before herd immunity kicks in and the infection rates start to go down.  Therefore, we hear often from doctors in the media this notion that 70% of the population should be vaccinated before we reach a level of herd immunity that we seek for COVID-19, but that data won’t be proven for some time – for now, it seems a logical goal for us to aim for.

JCR:  When can we vaccinate children?

LMH: Pfizer applied and began the process for Emergency Use Authorization for the 12-15 year old age group on Friday, April 9th, 2021.  Pfizer is already approved for those 16 and older.  The EUA process takes a number of weeks, so my hope is that by May we should have new opportunities to vaccinate those 12 and older with this vaccine.   The New York Times reported the following:  https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/09/world/pfizer-covid-vaccine-young-teens.html

  • “Pfizer and BioNTech requested on Friday (April 9)  that the Food and Drug Administration expand the emergency use authorization for their coronavirus vaccine to permit its use in children ages 12 to 15. If broadened, young adolescents could start getting vaccinated before going back to school in the fall. The companies plan to request similar authorizations from health agencies around the world in the coming days, they said in a joint statement. “These submissions represent a critical step in Pfizer’s and BioNTech’s ongoing efforts to support governments in broadening global vaccination efforts,” the statement said. Clinical trial results found the vaccine highly effective in that age group, the companies said last month. The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is approved for use via emergency authorization in people 16 and older. Granting approval for its use in the younger age group would also speed the country’s efforts to reach herd immunity, which will depend on vaccinating children.  More than 2,000 young adolescents participated in the vaccine trial’s third phase. Among those who received it, none developed symptomatic coronavirus infections or exhibited serious side effects, the companies said last month. The vaccinated 12- to 15-year-olds also produced higher levels of antibodies, on average, than older adolescents and young adults did. The trial results have not yet been published in a scientific journal. The Covid-19 vaccine trials for children got off to a slow start, in part because it took time to find participants. Vaccine makers initially focused on adults, partially because children were proving far less likely to die from Covid-19. A child’s biology differs from that of an adult, which can affect the way vaccines work. Moderna is also testing its vaccine in children. Results from its study of 12- to 17-year olds, which began in December, are expected soon. A separate trial consisting of children under 12 began last month. In March, Pfizer began testing its vaccine in children under 12, with results expected during the second half of the year.”