TownTalk: Buzz Into The Bee Jubilee June 26 at Granville Expo Center

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Get up close and personal with bees – without getting stung – at the 5th annual Bee Jubilee Saturday in Oxford.

Christi Henthorn, president of the Granville County Beekeepers Association, and event organizer said there will be something for everyone at the event, which will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Granville County Expo Center, 4185 Hwy 15 South in Oxford.

Henthorn told John C. Rose on Thursday’s Town Talk that, in addition to supporting local vendors and bee enthusiasts, the Bee Jubilee is an opportunity to learn about these mighty pollinators.

“The vast majority of our food is either directly or indirectly related to pollinated plants,” Henthorn said. That funny-looking cucumber in your summer garden or the ill-shaped zucchini is more than likely the result of inadequate pollination, she said.

Bees are not the only pollinators, she noted, adding that bats and birds, butterflies and even annoying wasps are pollinators. And just because it buzzes does not make it a honeybee, she said. Bumblebees and carpenter bees may be pollinators, but they are not honeybees, she added.

The local vendors all have a focus of bee- an agriculture-related items, Henthorn said. There will be a silent auction and a live auction that starts at noon. See photos of the items that will be auctioned on the beekeepers’ Facebook page.

The Oxford Farmers Market will set up at the Expo Center on Saturday as well, she said. So If you go to their normal market spot downtown, they won’t be there. There will be inflatables for the kids to play on and half a dozen or more food vendors, from gourmet coffee to frozen treats.

Bee documentaries will be shown indoors, and vendors will be  outdoors under the covered arena space. The Granville Gardeners will be selling plants as well.

“Make sure when you come you mill around the whole facility,” Henthorn said.

Most counties in North Carolina have a beekeepers organization, she said, and it’s important to call a beekeeper if you find a swarm of bees on your property.

“Granville County beekeepers has a ‘swarm patrol,’ a group of beekeepers who are trained to capture swarms and remove them from wherever they are – in a tree or in a house. These people are comfortable around bees and they are willing to remove them safely. The hotline is 919.892.3670.

For complete details and audio click play.

 

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SportsTalk: Ray Noel and Granville Central Look Forward to New Conference

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Granville Central High School Atletic Director Ray Noel was obviously disappointed at his school’s 3 – 1 loss at the hands of Perquimans County on Wednesday night in the Eastern finals of the state baseball playoffs but is looking forward to a new conference for the upcoming school year.

Perquimans County had won its previous playoff games by scores of 13 – 0, 10 – 0 and 10 – 0 but Granville Central held them to only 3 runs and was leading in the bottom of the 5th inning but came up short in the end as they were unable to put together a rally at the end.  Graduation will certainly have an impact next season. “We’ll lose three seniors and two of our top hitters are seniors,” Noel said. However, Noel feels that next season’s team has an excellent chance of having a good year.

Next year will find Granville Central playing Oxford Webb, South Granville, Vance County, Carrboro, Southern Durham and the Durham School of the Arts in a new conference. While the School of the Arts does not participate in football the other schools will present a challenging schedule. It should be a football season that is closer to normal than last season when the team only played six games in the spring due to the pandemic.

Covid has also pushed spring sports back with programs such as track and wrestling still playing. The track team will finish this weekend in the state championship.

Like so many other schools in the area Granville Central is a small school that shares players among its athletic programs which impacts activities like basketball workouts. There have been no basketball jamborees or camps this spring because so many of the players are involved in other sports.

Noel said that the boy’s soccer team, which won last year’s conference championship is poised to have another strong season and he feels good about the growth that soccer has seen in recent years. He also feels the football team will also be competitive next season and looks forward to seeing big crowds at games this year which began to return with Granville Central’s playoff run in baseball.

For complete details and audio click play.

 

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SportsTalk: Richardson has Crossroads Christian in preparation for next year

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Crossroads Christian Athletic Director Scottie Richardson is deep into the school’s Summer Season, which consists of workouts for the various athletic programs and figuring out how to plan work out and practice times. “We have an internal master Excel-Google spreadsheet,” Richardson joked about how the school’s coaches stay on top of things during the off season. Since Crossroads is a small school the various programs tend to share players and Richardson said one of the challenges is time management and organizing schedules so there is no overlap.

Richardson said that basketball camps have seen excellent participation over the last couple of weeks and that all sports are currently engaged in preparations. “Hopefully, it will pay off end-season,” Richardson said of all the work that coaches and students are currently putting in. “We try to make it a year round program,” Richardson added.  The boy’s basketball team has been especially busy travelling to UNC-Charlotte and UNC-Pembroke to participate in basketball camps playing nine games in three days and then following that up with a home and away Summer exhibition versus Oxford Prep. Richardson said it was a great experience for his team.  Last Covid prevented the team from engaging in any type of off season workouts and camps.

Not only did Covid take a toll on schedules but there was also a financial impact on the school. Richardson said that $15,000 was lost in concession sales last year. Volleyball and basketball are the big revenue sports for the school and Richardson hopes this year will be a return to normal.

Richardson said that this year teams are also engaging in activities together off the court and fields as well helping them to develop a unity that will transfer to games during the upcoming school year.

Richardson added he is looking forward to fans and students returning to stands and bringing a renewed school spirit to the games.

For complete details and audio click play.

 

Sheriff’s Office Lieutenants Receive Advance Training Certificates – From Each Other

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It’s a pretty big deal when law enforcement officers receive their certificates of advanced law enforcement training in front of the Sheriff’s Education and Training Standards Commission. Two lieutenants in the Vance County Sheriff’s Office recently achieved that distinction, but with a twist – they presented the award to each other.

Lt. Ray Shearin and Lt. Billy Gooch drove to Wilmington for the June 11 ceremony. Shearin said recipients have the option to have the certificate mailed to them, but “it was just an honor to get it in front of the commission,” to be told ‘job well done’ in front of  former and current sheriffs.

Normally, Gooch said, the sheriff or a senior deputy would be called in to present the certificate. But when Sheriff Curtis Brame said he had a conflict, Gooch said he told Brame they’d just present it to each other.

“It was great going down there with him,” Shearin said. “Lt. Gooch has been a friend of mine for a long time – we’re good friends off the job as well.” He said it felt good for his friend to present him with the award and to say the kinds words he did in front of the commission.

Likewise, when it was Shearin’s turn to present Gooch with his certificate, he said “it was my honor. I told the commission that Lt. Gooch had been with the sheriff’s department for a good number of years.”

Since 2002, to be exact.

Gooch started out in the patrol division and spent 12 years with K-9. “The dog is your first backup. I knew I had somebody in the back of my car that would back me up 100 percent,” he said.

Law enforcement officers must have at least 12 years on the job and accrue at least 69 points, half of which must be law enforcement training points, to earn the advanced certificate.

And one point is equal to 20 classroom hours of instruction. That’s a minimum of 1,380 hours of instruction.

“It’s an honor to get, no matter how long you’ve been in law enforcement,” Shearin said, who has served for 26 years. “Having that piece of paper saying I accomplished my advance certificate…is a great keepsake.”

Both officers said they encourage all law enforcement officers to look into earning their advanced certificate.

Law enforcement has changed dramatically since he began his career, Gooch said. In today’s society, “somebody’s always recording something,” he said. “You get the training and then do what you’re supposed to do – you won’t have a problem.”

Shearin said he was humbled by the experience. “We all try to treat people like we want to be treated,” he said. “I think that’s the bottom line…we are no better than anybody else – we just have to enforce the law.”

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Simmons: Casket, Monument Business A Continuation Of His Mother’s Idea

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Allen Simmons is building upon an idea his mother had some years ago to help families during a time when they may feel most vulnerable – when they are making decisions about funeral expenses.

Simmons has started a business in Henderson called Alight Caskets and Monuments and he said he wants to give families affordable options when it comes to choosing caskets and monuments. His mother, the late Fearldine Allen Simmons, had an idea to provide affordable caskets some years ago when her niece died. She wanted to help the family provide an appropriate funeral while keeping an eye on the expenses.

Simmons told John C. Rose Wednesday on Town Talk that he is not trying to compete with funeral homes and the services they provide, rather, he said, he simply wants to be a help to the people in the community. “I grew to love where I live,” Simmons said of Henderson. “It’s a joy (to) help people wherever I go.”

The business, located on Norlina Road near the I-85 ramp, includes services from consultation with families to creating specially designed caskets. One woman asked him to create a U.S. Army design for her military veteran husband’s casket, he said. It takes up to 48 hours to complete a design on a casket.

Casket prices can range from $995 to more than $5,000, depending on the type and material used, Simmons said. “We try to give a family something nice, regardless of what they purchase,” he said, “something in your budget but also can help you to bury your loved one in an elegant way.”

He is delivering caskets throughout North Carolina, and into South Carolina, Virginia and Tennessee and plans to soon be delivering across the country.

Simmons said his business is the only one in Henderson that makes monuments since Hight’s Monuments closed. “Monuments are a really big thing for us right now…you can buy a very nice monument for $250,” he said, and prices can go up into the thousands. His team also can assess an existing monument and determine whether it can be repaired, removed or replaced.

The goal of Alight Casket and Monument is to help people, Simmons said.

“We want to educate people on the funeral process – they don’t know what to do, how to handle this process,” he explained. “We educate them on how to handle the funeral of their loved one, learn as much as they possibly can, so when they do go into the funeral home, they’re well aware of the situation they’re facing.”

Most of all, he wants families to be able to bury their loved one in an “elegant way, an affordable way.”

To learn more, contact Simmons at 252.915.0675 or 252.204.5120.

For complete details and audio click play.

Granville County Chamber of Commerce

2021-22 Leadership Granville Application Period Opens

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The 2021-22 class of Leadership Granville is forming now! Applications are being taken until Aug. 6 for the program, sponsored by the Granville County Chamber of Commerce, Granville County Public Schools and Vance-Granville Community College.

Leadership Granville is an educational program designed to offer leadership training and a broader knowledge of the county to its residents. Participants learn about the community and dive deep into the county’s structure, culture and lifestyle, all while developing leadership skills and increasing networking opportunities.

Sessions are scheduled to begin on Sept. 14 and include leadership assessment and development; personal and group dynamics; county history; city-county-state governments; education; agriculture; industry and small business; health services; community support; recreation; the judicial system and law enforcement. Visits to local manufacturers, farms, small businesses, museums, schools, medical facilities, volunteer organizations, recreational facilities and other day trips are planned, as well as evening meetings of local government. To conclude the program, a graduation ceremony will be held in April 2022.

Those interested in assuming leadership positions with their organization and/or community are encouraged to apply. Enrollment is limited. A limited number of scholarships are available.

Applications are being taken until Aug. 6 and are available through the Granville County Chamber of Commerce Office, 124 Hillsboro Street in Oxford, or online at https://granville-chamber.com/member-services/leadership-granville.

To learn more, contact the Chamber office at 919.693.6125.

 

The Local Skinny! Home And Garden Show

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WIZS, Your Community Voice.  Thank you for listening! 

The Local Skinny! each Wednesday on WIZS is the Vance County Cooperative Extension Service Home and Garden Show.

 

Volunteers Recognized For Service To Others, Community

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Three Granville County residents were recognized at the Granville commissioners’ meeting Monday evening for their outstanding volunteer efforts in the community.

Jerry Broyal, Mary Elliott and Roxanne Blackburn received the Governor’s Volunteer Service award from Deborah Ferrell, county coordinator for the annual award. Commission Chair Sue Hinman presented each recipient with a signed proclamation and a commemorative coin marking 2021 as the county’s 275th anniversary.

Broyal was nominated for his work with the residents of Royall Cottage at Murdoch Developmental Center. He organized a group from his church, St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, to visit with the men who live at the facility. He provides “a breath of fresh air” with those visits, the nomination form read. Broyal collects craft items and appropriate snacks for the residents and he and his fellow parishioners spend quality time with the residents.

Elliott was nominated for her steadfast commitment to Area Congregations in Ministry, Oxford’s food pantry. Hinman, who also is ACIM’s executive director, read excerpts of the nomination form. “When you ask Mary if she works at ACIM every day, she says ‘No, just Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays,” Hinman said. “But that IS every day that ACIM is open!” she exclaimed.

Blackburn was recognized with the Governor’s Medallion Award for her work with Granville Animal Shelter. She was nominated by Shelter Director Matt Katz for her tireless work to find new homes for the shelter’s dogs and cats, be it adoptive families or in foster homes or with rescue groups. Blackburn manages the shelter’s Facebook page, takes the photos and writes the bios of all the shelter animals. The success rate the shelter enjoys is because of the “passion, professionalism and work ethic” that Blackburn demonstrates.