The Local Skinny: The Importance Of Colorectal Screening

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Join a team of health professionals later this month for an educational “lunch and learn” to boost awareness about colorectal cancer.

Maria Parham Health invites the community to a lunchtime event next week to discuss the importance of getting screened for colorectal cancer, held in conjunction with National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month.

MPH Cancer Center Director Kimberly Smith and hospital social worker Hope Breedlove say the Lunch and Learn event on Tuesday, Mar. 28 will provide information in an informal setting.

Register to attend at https://www.mariaparham.com/events and then just show up at 12:30 for the hourlong program, which will be held in the classroom on the lower level of the hospital. Participants can either enter through the main hospital entrance or come through the cancer center entrance on the lower level. Call 252.438.1605 to learn more.

The program is a time “to sit down and talk about colorectal cancer,” Smith said. “What it looks like, how we prevent it, how we treat it if we need to.”

According to The American Cancer Society, colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer diagnosed in both men and women in the United States, excluding skin cancers. The cancer society estimates that in 2023, there will be 106,970 new cases of colon cancer, and 46,050 new cases of rectal cancer.

Breedlove said she is looking forward to sharing information about updated information about colonoscopies. “I’m really excited to be having this lunch and learn to get information out about screening guidelines,” she said. Early detection is key to successful outcomes with colorectal cancer, among so many other types of cancer.

A panel of Maria Parham health care providers will discuss the importance of early detection. The panelists include:

  • Ashley Traversa, MSN, AGPCNP-BC, RN, a Duke Cancer Network nurse practitioner specializing in neuro-oncology;
  • Colleen Truax, MSN, APRN, FNP-C, a family nurse practitioner specializing in gastrointestinal disorders;
  • Crystal Kaplan, MSN, RN, AGACNP is a Duke Cancer Network nurse practitioner specializing in hematology/oncology.

Contact Maria Parham Health at 800.424.DOCS or visit MariaParham.com to schedule your colonoscopy today. For more information about colorectal cancer, visit https://www.cancer.org/cancer/colon.

 

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Henderson-Vance Chamber Accepting Nominations for 2022 Small Business Of The Year Through April 5

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The Henderson-Vance County Chamber of Commerce is accepting nominations for the annual Small Business of the Year award through April 5. Visit www.hendersonvance.org or contact the Chamber at 252.438.8414 to ask for a nomination form.

There are several criteria to keep in mind when considering a local business to nominate, according to information from the Chamber’s Business Growth and Development Committee that oversees the annual awards program.

The business must be a member of the Chamber, be located within Vance County and have 50 or fewer employees, for starters. The business must be at least three years old and experiencing growth or stability during its operation and fills a void in the business community, perhaps providing a critical service or products or simply offering a unique approach to delivery of goods and services.

And finally, the business should be supportive of community growth and sustainability.

Governmental agencies, municipalities, schools and non-profits organizations are not eligible for nomination.

Additionally, there is space on the nomination form to note any extraordinary circumstances that the business may have overcome to remain in business.

Completed nomination forms should be submitted no later than 5 p.m. on Wednesday, April 5 for consideration. Email forms to vanessa@hendersonvance.org or drop the form off at the Chamber office, 414. S. Garnett St., Henderson.

SportsTalk: Henderson Native Kaci Roberson Staying Busy With Softball At Pembroke

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Confidence on the softball field is something that Henderson native Kaci Roberson certainly doesn’t lack.  She is a senior at UNC-Pembroke and has spent most of her life playing softball.  “Softball was my number one sport growing up.  I’ve been playing since I was four years old,” Roberson says.  All of those years on field has certainly been a factor in building that confidence.

Roberson, the daughter of Henderson’s Mike and Tina Roberson, played three sports at Oxford Prep from where she graduated in 2019.  She played basketball and volleyball but softball has always been here favorite she said on Wednesday’s SportsTalk.  One reason she didn’t pursue other sports is due to her short stature.  At 5′ 2″, she is much better suited for softball.

UNC-Pembroke is off to a 3-1 conference record so far this year and Roberson thinks they will have a very good season.  The team is coming off an historic comeback against Belmont Abbey.  Pembroke was trailing 13-1 going into the fifth inning but turned the game around and eventually won in eight innings, 15-14.  “We just said to keep it simple and get the ball in play,” Roberson said of the comeback.  “I knew we could do it,” she added.

Roberson started off in the outfield for Pembroke but now plays infield either at third base, second base or at shortstop.

When she’s not on the field playing softball, which she said is a year round commitment, she is busy hitting the books which doesn’t leave much time for family and friends except for holidays. “I push myself in the fall and take the most challenging courses then because we are on the road so much in the spring,” Roberson said of her studies.

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TownTalk: Pickin’ And Grinnin’ At MerleFest

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The musicians who play at MerleFest cut across many genres, but when they take the stage at the annual music festival up in Wilkes County, North Carolina next month, they will all fall into the category that Doc Watson called “traditional ‘plus.’”

This year marks the 35th anniversary of the festival, which grew from a fundraiser for Wilkes Community College to an iconic event that attracts big-time audiences and big-time musicians. Musicians and music-lovers will travel to Wilkesboro for the festival, which takes place April 27-30.

Wes Whitson joined Bill Harris on Wednesday’s TownTalk to talk about the upcoming festival and how things have been going during his first year of directing the event.

“I’m having a ton of fun here behind the scenes,” Whitson said.

“We always like to bring something for everybody at MerleFest,” he said, adding that legendary musician Doc Watson’s idea of “traditional ‘plus’” is always top of mind when making decisions on which musicians to book.

The event’s website describes the music that MerleFest is known for as “a unique mix of music based on the traditional, roots-oriented sounds of the Appalachian region, including bluegrass and old-time music, and expanded to include Americana, country, blues, rock and many other styles.”

So whether you like Tanya Tucker or Nickel Creek, Little Feat or the Avett Brothers, you’re in for a treat this year. These are just a few of the performers scheduled for the 2023 edition of MerleFest.

“Doc (Watson) would have been 100 this year,” Whitson noted, and predicts that there will be several renditions of Doc’s tunes filling the air on one of the dozen stages at Wilkes Community College in Wilkesboro.

Visit merlefest.org or call 800.343.7857 for details on tickets, day passes and to see the complete lineup of more than 90 artists who are scheduled to perform.

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Perry Memorial Library

The Local Skinny! Programs For Youth At Perry Memorial Library

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If Perry Memorial Library looks more like an artist’s studio than a library this afternoon, you have Melody Peters and Alice Sallins to thank. Peters, the library’s youth services director and Sallins with the local arts council, are teaming up for the March Kids Connect program.

Kids Connect is geared toward elementary-age students, Peters said it’s fine to bring older or younger siblings. Peters has a word of warning: Kids should come dressed in “paint friendly” clothing, because there will be painting!

Today’s project involves art, and Sallins will talk to the children about art and how they can express themselves through art.

“Learning happens through play, the arts, and discovery,” Peters said on Tuesday’s bi-weekly library segment of The Local Skinny!

April’s Teen Life Hacks involves a different kind of art – poetry. But it’s poetry with a twist, Peters said. Bull City Slam Team is coming to the library on Tuesday, April 11 at 4:30 p.m. to entertain, inform and enlighten youngsters about spoken word.

“They are amazing!” Peters said. “It’s poetry, but it’s performed, it’s personal, it’s original work. It is just powerful.”

So many young people may think that poetry is boring, but Peters said the April 11 program will change their minds. “It can be lively and reflect you in a whole different way of expressing yourself,” she said. This program is geared toward tweens and teens, 6th grade and up.

And then on Thursday, April 13, students off for spring break can gather at the library from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. to get some first-hand experience with cooking and some STEM activities. Register for this activity online, Peters said. She hopes to have at least 20 participants come to the library to get some tips on cooking and proper nutrition from community partners at the N.C. Cooperative Extension.

Register for this activity here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSer-QeW_IAgx8E4Vozpx9YRYArvW-YjXxpDiDmC7blRB_oTZw/viewform?vc=0&c=0&w=1&flr=0

Visit https://www.perrylibrary.org/ to find out about all its programs and services.

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TownTalk: Henderson Rotary Scholarships For High School Seniors In Vance County

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The Henderson Rotary Club invites high school seniors in Vance County to apply for one of three $2,500 scholarships that will be awarded in mid-May.

Seniors, take note: spend a few minutes filling out a little background information and then focus on the all-important essay. The application package is due no later than 12 noon on Friday, May 5 and can be dropped off or emailed to D. Rix Edwards, who is overseeing the scholarship process for the local club.

High school seniors interested in taking part should contact their guidance counselors or other school administrators to get details; home schoolers also are welcome to submit applications, Edwards said.

Rotary Clubs across the world adhere to the motto “Service Above Self” and that is the focus of the essay, said Edwards, who joined John C. Rose on Tuesday’s TownTalk.

Specifically, the question reads: “How is the motto of the Rotary Club, ‘Service above Self,’ evident in your life, and how will you continue to uphold this motto through college and beyond?”

The essay should include the applicant’s interpretation of the motto, as well as specific examples that demonstrate how he or she already has put service before self and how they plan to continue do so in the future.

There is no minimum or maximum length for the essay, but Edwards said clarity of writing, good spelling and punctuation are critical components.

A panel of Rotary Club members will review the essays and will select the three winners, Edwards said.

“I gather all the applications and redact names, school names – anything that could be used as a personal identifier,” Edwards explained, “to ensure there is no preference or appearance of preference given to anyone” and to have all applicants on a level playing field.

The Henderson Rotary Club celebrated its 100th anniversary last year, and it prides itself in being a good community partner. The club sponsors a raffle during the annual Show, Shine, Shag and Dine festival each year, which serves as a major fundraiser for programs, including the scholarships.

Edwards invites anyone interested in learning more about Rotary to contact him at 252.438.4134. The group meets each Tuesday at 6 p.m. for dinner at the Henderson Country Club. The current president is Greg Etheridge of Gupton Services.

The scholarship applications can be emailed to redwards@sszlaw.net,mailed or delivered to Edwards’s law office, Stainback, Satterwhite & Zollicoffer, PLLC, 115 N. Garnett St., Henderson, NC 27536.

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West End Baptist

West End Baptist Collection Point For Baptist Children’s Homes Food Roundup Through Mar. 27

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The North Carolina Baptist Children’s Homes Annual Food Roundup is officially underway, and organizers invite churches and individuals to participate again this year by purchasing food and gift cards to support the drive.

West End Baptist Church, 619 Dabney Dr., is again identified as a collection point for Vance, Granville and Warren counties, according to information from Jerry Parrish.

Volunteers will be on hand at the church between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. to accept donations.

A letter containing details of the food drive, as well as a list of needed items, has been sent to local churches, Parrish said. The food list also will be posted on the group’s Facebook site and on the website for the Baptist Children’s Home. Visit www.bchfamily.org/events and scroll down to Food Roundup.

The list is below as well, or copies also are available for pickup at West End Baptist.

The drive concludes on Monday, Mar. 27, so there’s still plenty of time to drop off donations.

“When children go into the Baptist Children’s Homes, it is obvious they have gone without food, without love and without hope,” Parrish said. “One of the first ways (the) children learn that they are loved is when their cottage parents serve them the regular meals they could not count on before arriving. By filling their plates, you fill their hearts,” he said.

Local Man Charged In Connection With Breaking And Entering Involving Motor Vehicle

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A Henderson man faces charges in connection with a breaking and entering, according to information from Vance County Sheriff Curtis Brame.

Dylan Grissom, 31, was arrested by members of the Criminal Investigation Division and charged with one count of larceny of a motor vehicle and one count of obtaining property by false pretense, Brame said in a press statement issued Mar. 17.

On Feb. 23, members of the sheriff’s office responded to a breaking and entering call to 1125 North Lynn Bank Road.

Grissom appeared before a magistrate and received a $7,000 secured bond. His next court appearance will be April 4, 2023.

Anyone with information about this case is asked to contact the Vance County Sheriff’s Office at  252.738.2200.