TownTalk: Boys And Girls Club Of North Central NC Plan Granville Club Renovation

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Vision. Mission. Hope. Community.

Those words get tossed around frequently, but it also takes funding – money – to bring those words to life.

The Boys & Girls Club of North Central North Carolina has served thousands of young people in its almost 10 years of existence. BGCNCNC has the vision to help young people, the mission to provide support to those who need it most. The hope for bright futures and a strong community remain priorities in the five counties that it serves.

And now, some community supporters and benefactors have pledged some substantial amounts of money to help renovate club space in Granville and Vance counties. And BGCNCNC leaders hope to reach a goal of $100,000 by Dec. 31 to be able to start the first phase of a four-part, $5 million renovation of its space in Oxford.

Chief Operations Officer Jacqueline Robinson spoke with John C. Rose on Tuesday’s Town Talk about several recent developments in the cash flow department.

The most recent comes from The Goodwill Foundation, longtime BGCNCNC partners. Robinson said it will give $100,000 to the Granville unit and $50,000 to the Vance unit for club upgrades and safety enhancements.

That donation came about because of two other sizable donations – $25,000 from Strong Arm Baking Co. and $500,000 from Richard and Noel Moore. Richard Moore is a native of Oxford and served as state treasurer from 2001 to 2009.

The downtown Oxford bakery and kitchen was nominated for a Rush Limbaugh Great American Business by a loyal patron. Owners Julia and Thomas Blaine took the opportunity to pay forward the cash prize and challenge others in the community to contribute the other $75,000 to help BGCNCNC reach their Phase 1 goal of $100,000.

Robinson said she and the Blaines attended school together in Oxford. “It’s absolutely priceless,” she said, “for them to be so selfless to (want to) provide great opportunities for young people.”

The initial phase of renovation has a price tag of about $1 million; the Moores’ contribution, matched with an additional $500,000 from the community, will create a games room, multipurpose classroom space and technology upgrades, Robinson said, in addition to collaborative learning space and remote learning stations for the Granville Club.

It sounds like a lot of space is needed to complete the renovations, but space is something that the BGCNCNC has. In 2016, Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Co. donated a 27,000 square foot warehouse to the BGCNCNC. Since then, the cavernous buildings have been reworked to provide adequate space for the administrative offices, as well as an activities space and a space for a makeshift cafeteria and homework spot.

When a team from The Goodwill Foundation visited the Granville Club, toured the facilities and then heard about Strong Arm’s and the Moores’ investment, “they wanted to be a part,” Robinson said, adding that the Goodwill team “have been fierce supporters of our programs here in Granville and Vance counties.”

Robinson has been involved with Boys & Girls Clubs for 17 years, but she wasn’t ever a club member. There wasn’t a club in Granville County for her to join. But she volunteered while she was in college and now she has the chance to have a front-row seat to see the Granville unit grow.

“I was one of the young people that needed a Boys & Girls Club,” she said. “I make it my mission to make sure that children have the chance” to be a part of such a strong organization.

The club helps young people make positive decisions and have positive youth development experiences, she said.

The renovations at the Vance club will be to its upstairs space, and it will provide more technology and make it a place “where teenagers want to go and grow and thrive.”

Both Robinson and Chief Executive Officer Donyell “DJ” Jones joined BGCNCNC during the pandemic, so they haven’t had the opportunity to get out into the community as they would have liked to.

But Robinson said she and Jones used that time in a positive way. “It was a wonderful opportunity for us to create the narrative” that is proving so helpful to share with the community as pandemic restrictions relax.

“I think people in the community are really beginning to see what the clubs can offer,” she said. “It’s amazing to hear people talk about what the Boys & Girls Club means to them.”

Now that the children are back, Robinson said she and the club staffs are eager to continue to enhance programming and create positive experiences for a brighter future. Pre-pandemic numbers showed upwards of 3,000 club members across the five-county area, and Robinson said last year’s 719 is definitely an atypical figure. Right now, she said Granville has served 156 club members and Vance has 149 on the membership list. “We are ready to relieve some of our capacity restraints,” Robinson said, and grow in numbers again.

“We want to go from the best-kept secret in the community to really being a community catalyst for youth development,” Robinson said.

Want to help BGNCNC reach the Strong Arm challenge? Visit www.strongarmbaking.com and click the link to donate.

Donate to www.bgcncnc.com or stop by the administrative offices at 105 West St., Oxford. The mailing address is BGCNCNC, P.O. Box 176, Oxford, NC 27565.

 

 

Granville’s Fall “Clean-Out” Diverts 72,000 Pounds Of Materials From Landfill To Recycle, Safe Disposal

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Last month’s fall “clean-out” event in Granville County diverted more than 72,000 pounds of materials from the local landfill.

That is 36 TONS of stuff that went to recycle or otherwise safe disposal, according to Teresa Baker, recycling and sustainability coordinator for the county.

Vendors were on hand in the Granville County Expo and Convention Center parking lot on Saturday, Nov. 20 to unload vehicles that brought in everything from unused paint to propane tanks.

But not everything that was collected was destined for disposal or recycle – people also were able to drop off items for the Granville Humane Society.  Here is a breakdown of vendors and the amount of materials that were collected:

  • Veolia Environmental Services – 39,880 pounds of paint and 15,797 pounds of miscellaneous cleaning materials and other hazardous household waste
  • Department of Agriculture Pesticides Division – 439 pounds of pesticides
  • Shred Ace – 5,960 pounds of shredded paper
  • Blue Rhino – 19 propane tanks
  • Granville County Sheriff’s Office – 175 pounds of medications and medical waste
  • METech Recycling – 6,234 pounds of electronics
  • Interstate Batteries – 568 pounds of various batteries
  • Scrap Metal – 3,660 pounds
  • Granville Humane Society – 150 pounds of kibble, 40 cans of dog and cat food

Residents who participated in Granville County’s bi-annual clean out events leave knowing that these waste materials will either be recycled or properly disposed of instead of harming the local environment.

Granville County Environmental Services would like to thank all vendors, staff, volunteers, and participants who helped the event a success. The next clean-out will take place in spring 2022.

For more information about Granville County Environmental Services, visit the Granville County website: https://www.granvillecounty.org/residents/solidwaste/.

NC Forest Service

Burn ban lifted for all North Carolina counties as conditions improve

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— press release

The N.C. Forest Service has lifted a ban on all open burning effective at noon Monday, Dec. 13, for the following counties in North Carolina: Alamance, Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Caswell, Davidson, Davie, Durham, Forsyth, Granville, Guilford, Henderson, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Orange, Person, Polk, Randolph, Rockingham, Rowan, Stokes, Surry, Transylvania, Vance, Watauga, Wilkes, Yadkin and Yancey.

The ban, which went into effect Nov. 29 due to hazardous forest fire conditions, was lifted for 67 other counties on Dec. 8.

“We saw some much-needed rain during the weekend, and that has thankfully helped bring fire danger down, allowing us to lift burn ban restrictions statewide,” said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. “Still, I’d caution residents to remain vigilant about burning responsibly and safely. Make sure you have a valid burn permit and contact your NCFS county ranger for wildfire prevention and fire safety tips.”

As of noon, burn permits are available statewide. Residents can obtain a burn permit from any authorized permitting agent or online at www.ncforestservice.gov/burnpermit. All burn permits granted before the statewide burn ban were canceled when the ban became effective. A valid permit must be obtained.

Residents with questions regarding their specific county can contact their N.C. Forest Service county ranger or county fire marshal’s office. To find contact information for your local NCFS county ranger, visit www.ncforestservice.gov/contacts.

Booze It and Lose It Holiday Enforcement Campaign Starts Today

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— press release

Christmas lights won’t be the only thing lighting up the night this holiday season.

Starting today, through Jan. 2, law enforcement officers will be stepping up patrols across the state to stop impaired drivers as part of the “Booze It & Lose It” holiday enforcement effort.

“If you’re out celebrating this holiday season, make sure you have a sober ride home,” said Mark Ezzell, program director of the N.C. Governor’s Highway Safety Program, or NCGHSP. “If you drive under the influence, you have a lot to lose. Not only could you kill yourself or someone else, but you could face thousands of dollars in court costs and fines, jail time, or a revoked license.”

The “Booze It & Lose It” holiday enforcement effort is the largest of such campaigns operated each year by NCGHSP. During the 2020 campaign, officers issued more than 1,700 violations for driving while intoxicated.

NCGHSP will be supporting the campaign through a combination of paid media advertising and social media outreach.

To date, 326 people have lost their lives on North Carolina roads in impaired driving crashes in 2021.

NCGHSP reminds all travelers to stay safe on the roads this holiday season by:

• Never driving impaired and always finding a safe ride home;
• Buckling your seatbelt when riding in any seat in the vehicle; and
• Following the speed limit.

For more driver safety tips and program information, follow N.C. Governor’s Highway Safety Program on Facebook and @NC_GHSP on Twitter and Instagram

Getting the Most Out of Your Health Insurance — End of Year Care

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— Submitted by Dr. Ronald Stahl, Chief Medical Officer, Maria Parham Health

Have you been putting off your annual doctor’s visit? Or perhaps even a needed screening or procedure? If you’ve been putting off care – whether it’s a recommended surgery, screening or simply your annual check-up – now’s the time to do it. Your health means everything. Taking care of it now is a great opportunity to really get the most out of your health insurance. If you’ve already met your deductible for 2021, your out-of-pocket expenses for care could be minimal – or even zero. Even more importantly, giving your health the attention it needs is also a great way to ensure you’re doing all you can to get and stay well – a priority that is more important than ever.

Annual check-ups and recommended health screenings like mammograms and colonoscopies give you and your provider the opportunity to catch any health issues before they become serious and help you stay on top of things like recommended immunizations. And staying on track with any procedures your provider recommends – whether it’s a hip or knee replacement, a hernia repair, wound care or a foot/ankle surgery – can help get you get back to fully enjoying the things you love and aid in avoiding any issues or complications that can arise from delaying care.

Don’t make your health wait. Take care of it now. Many health insurance plans make annual check-ups and age-specific preventive screenings available at little or no cost to you, and out-of-pocket expenses for procedures like the ones mentioned above could be minimal or nothing if you’ve already met your health insurance deductible for the year.

If your safety is a concern, please know that, at Maria Parham Health, your health means everything to us, too. We’re committed to creating a safe place for you to receive care. From enhanced cleaning to required masking in our facilities and more – we’re working hard to create a
place where you choose to come for healthcare.

Call 800.424.DOCS to make an appointment and take care of your health now.

(MPH is an advertising client of WIZS. This is not a paid ad.)

NC Forest Service

Burn Ban Still In Effect For Vance, Granville And 31 Other Counties

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The burn ban issued last month remains in effect for Granville and Vance counties, although more than two-thirds of the state saw the ban lifted Wednesday. That means all burn permits previously issued have been cancelled for the time being, and other types of fires – including campfires and leaf burning – are not permitted. Vance/Granville Ranger Rob Montague reminds all area residents that 67 counties have been removed from the list in light of recent rainfall, but weather conditions in Granville and Vance remain such that the ban is still in effect, Montague said.

For more information, contact Ranger Rob Montague at rob.montague@ncagr.gov or 919.693.3154 or view the original press release at  https://www.ncforestservice.gov/news_pubs/newsdesk_2021.htm#11292021.

 

The Local Skinny! Granville Holiday Events In Full Swing This Weekend

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If you can’t find something to do this weekend in Granville County, you’re not looking very hard. Holiday activities are cranking up this evening with Jingle & Mingle in downtown Oxford.

More than a dozen retailers, merchants and restaurants are keeping their doors open tonight to give shoppers and diners an opportunity to make purchases or just relax over dinner, according to Angela Allen, Granville tourism director.

She told WIZS News Wednesday that some retailers that normally close by 5 p.m. will remain open until 7 tonight to take part in the event. Allen said some small businesses had to get make adjustments during the pandemic to stay afloat, and Jingle & Mingle is just one result – “helping some of these small businesses is important – every little bit helps,” Allen said.

Visit the following merchants during tonight’s event:

  • Oxford ACE Hardware
  • Daniel’s Flea Market
  • Sheffine’s
  • C Squared
  • Huntsboro Hemp Company
  • The Hub on Main NC
  • Nan’s
  • The Painted Ox
  • Home Decorator Shoppe
  • Main Street Fitness
  • The Orpheum at Oxford
  • Strong Arm Baking Company
  • Small Town Toys and Games
  • This ‘n That
  • Tobacco Wood Brewing Co.
  • 9 Forward

Carlee Farms, an event venue near Stem, is hosting a holiday marketplace on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. More than 30 vendors will be set up in the open-air facility to make Christmas shopping enjoyable and safe. Bring your cameras because Santa and his elves will be on hand to pose for photos. Also bring a toy to donate to charity for the Carlee Farms toy drive.

Then, it’s time to put on your fancy duds to attend the gala at the Orpheum in downtown Oxford Saturday evening. This black-tie event is for those 21 years and older and tickets are $75, two for $150. Proceeds benefit the Masonic Home for Children in Oxford. There will be heavy hors d’oeuvres and craft cocktails created by one of the state’s top mixologists. A silent auction will be set up with some great items to bid on.

Bring the whole family up to the northern end of Granville County on Sunday afternoon for the Grassy Creek Christmas Parade. It begins at 2 p.m. but get there early because the roadside gets crowded. The parade starts on Charlie Winston Road, and it’s a first-come, first-served parade line up. The best parking is at Grassy Creek Baptist Church, but the best viewing is right along the shoulder of the road, between the church and Charlie Winston Road along Grassy Creek-Virgilina Road.

“It’s definitely one of our most unique parades,” Allen said. “It’s not one of those traditional parades – there’s a little bit of everything in that parade.” There’s no downtown parade route because, well, there is no downtown in Grassy Creek. This parade is one you need to experience for yourself.

And speaking of experiences, Back to Bethlehem, the live nativity at Delrayno Baptist Church in Oxford, offers participants a glimpse at what that first Christmas may have looked like. The drive-through event begins at 6 p.m. and runs through 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sunday and Monday evenings Dec. 11-13.

People come from all around to participate, and Allen said it’s very realistic – it’s like you are driving through Bethlehem,” she said. A team of folks painstakingly map out that whole parking lot and re-create Bethlehem, complete with camels and other livestock of the day.

Check out details for these and other events at https://visitgranvillenc.com/whats-happening.

Granville Chamber Banquet Set For Jan. 24, 2022

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The Granville County Chamber of Commerce will hold its annual membership meeting a nd banquet on Monday, Jan. 24, 2022 at the Vance-Granville Community College civic center. The organization is celebrating its 80th anniversary this year, and has as its guest speaker North Carolina native and basketball legend Phil Ford, according to Chamber Executive Director Lauren Roberson.

Ford played for UNC-Chapel Hill and was named National Player of the Year, First-Team All-America, and ACC Player of the Year. He also helped the US team bring home the gold in the 1976 Olympics under coach Dean Smith.

The John Penn Citizen of the Year award winner also will be announced at the banquet. Nominations are due to the Chamber office by Jan. 4, 2022. Contact the Chamber at 919.693.6125 for more information or to get a nomination form.

The dinner will begin at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $50 each; seating is limited at the VGCC civic center to observe COVID-19 social distancing protocols. An RSVP is requested by Jan. 12, 2022.

Sponsors for the banquet include:
Presenting Sponsor: Spectrum Medical Solutions
Gold Sponsors:
Certainteed
Duke Energy
Granville Health System
Hicks & Koinis, PLLC
Silver Sponsor:
Oxford Preparatory school
Bronze Sponsors:
Rogers Property Group
Union Bank-Oxford
Wake Electric Membership Corporation

Dr. Shauna Guthrie

Guthrie Installed as President-Elect NCAFP

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A local doctor — Dr. Shauna Guthrie, a Henderson family physician — was installed as President-Elect of the North Carolina Academy of Family Physicians (NCAFP) for a one-year term during the organization’s annual meeting in Asheville this weekend.

Guthrie presently is the medical director at Granville Vance Public Health, the local district health department where she also provides full scope outpatient primary care services. She is also owner of Sunflower Direct Primary Care in Henderson.

She has been on the board of the NCAFP for the past six years and this year served as the Secretary-Treasurer of the NCAFP Executive Committee.

More than 500 family physicians, family medicine residents and medical students attended the NCAFP’s Annual Meeting.

This information was provided to WIZS from Henderson resident Greg Griggs, Executive Vice President of NCAFP.

Granville School Board Meeting Set For 6 P.M. Today

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The Granville County Board of Education will meet for a regular board meeting tonight (Monday) at the Mary Potter Center of Education, 200 Taylor Street, Oxford, NC 27565. The meeting will begin at 6 p.m. The meeting will be livestreamed at https://live.myvrspot.com/st?cid=MDhkZj.

There are three ways to make comments for this meeting, according to Dr. Stan Winborne, public information officer and associate superintendent: in person at the board meeting, placing a written comment in the box located outside the board room between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. or by using the link: https://tinyurl.com/y37evl6z. Comments made using the link must be submitted between the hours of 12 noon and 4 p.m. today. A copy will be distributed to the board members.  A maximum of 30 minutes in total will be allotted for public comment.

Anyone who attends the meeting in person must wear a face covering and comply with social distance requirements. Winborne said that residents without access to WiFi who would like to view the meeting via livestream may visit the Richard Thornton Library, 210 Main Street, Oxford, NC 27565, or the South Branch Library, 1550 South Campus Drive, Creedmoor, NC 27522, and use the libraries’ WiFi services.