Henderson Vance Recreation & Parks

The Local Skinny! Recreation And Parks Dept. Gears Up For Spring

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The Henderson-Vance Recreation and Parks Departments has a long list of sports programs that are gearing up for spring and beyond. Jamal Williams spoke with WIZS’s Bill Harris Thursday on The Local Skinny! to run down just a few of the opportunities for children from 4 years all the way through high school.

Basketball tryouts will be held this weekend for two age groups – youngsters in grades 3-6 are invited to come out to the former Eaton-Johnson gymnasium Friday, Feb. 17 at 6 p.m.; youth in grades 7-9 will have their tryouts on Sunday, Feb. 19 starting at 2 p.m.

There is no fee for this program – and Williams said young people simply need “to show up with a great attitude ready to learn.”

For some, especially the younger children, this may be their first taste of playing organized basketball. Williams said he hopes to be able to form several teams according to age to travel outside Vance County for tournaments or games with similar teams.

“It’s more than just rec league,” Williams said, adding that it will give the players a chance to compete and play at a higher level. “We definitely want to prepare them for the next level,” he added, including school teams.

Tutoring sessions also will be offered to those who make the team – keeping up grades is part of being on the team.

If basketball isn’t your child’s favorite, try soccer. Registration is open now for the rec department’s soccer program. Register online at XX or visit the rec center in person by Mar. 26. The in-county registration fee is $40; out-of-county registrants pay $60, but Williams said a fee waiver is available for eligible children. The soccer league is open to children between the ages of 4 and 18.

But it’s not ALL about the children, Williams said. An adult kickball league is forming for the first time this spring – “I think it’s going to be a fun time,” he said. Players must be over 18 and each team needs a minimum of 10 players. Sign up a whole group or join individually and get assigned to a team. Call the rec department for details about fees and schedules. The plan is to have five teams, Williams said.

T-ball is a sport for children ages 4-6, and it’s a good first step to get them ready for baseball and softball, Williams said.

Last year, more than 100 children signed up for t-ball alone, Williams said, and he hopes to have that many again this year. Getting older youth involved in sports is a goal as well.

It’s hard to compete with video games and other demands that children have these days, but participating in sports is so much more than physical activity and playing games.

Williams said participating in sports builds character, teaches leadership, helps young people make connections and meet new friends, just for starters.

To learn more, contact Williams at 252.438.3408 or jamalwilliams@henderson.nc.gov

Visit https://henderson.nc.gov/departments/recreation_and_parks for a complete list of programs.

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TownTalk: Corbitt Preservation Reissues Book In Digital Form

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By all accounts, Richard Johnson Corbitt was an excellent businessman and a person of high character, but he probably wouldn’t have believed that anyone who said that someone in the future would be able to put an entire book inside a piece of plastic smaller than a pack of chewing gum.

Corbitt’s company operated right here in Henderson between 1899 and 1954, manufacturing countless buggies before retooling to make the iconic Army truck that would become the workhorse of World War II.

Dick Callaway and two others wrote “Star of the South,” a book about the Corbitt Truck Company published more than a decade ago.

Ken Stegall and others who work with the Corbitt Preservation Association are making the book available again.

Stegall spoke with John C. Rose on Wednesday’s TownTalk about the project. He said the book sold out relatively quickly – “quicker than we thought” and for the last couple of years, members of the association’s board have been investigating the possibility of reprinting the book.

That proved to be quite costly, so they decided to take a page from old Mr. Corbitt himself and come up with a Plan B: Just like Corbitt pivoted from horseless buggies to go into full-time truck production, Stegall said the board decided to digitize the book and put it on a thumb drive.

“It’s the easiest way to get the story out there again,” he said, adding that the association has a high-definition scanner that was used to recreate the 122-page book in a digital format.

The first three copies were mailed out today, he said.

The cost is $20, which includes shipping. Want to place an order? Contact Stegall at 252.432.6476 or via email at gjammer35@aol.com, or visit www.corbitttrucks.com and find the information on the bulletin page.

The interest in Corbitt trucks and other vehicles that were manufactured here is high, Stegall said, and he said it is surprising to find specimens of the trucks in France, tractors in Brazil and even a car right up the road in Greensboro.

A woman called to say she had a Corbitt automobile in her garage, which Stegall said he found almost unbelievable. He said he remembered thinking, “Surely, you don’t…it’s not possible.” But she sent a photo and, “sure enough, there’s a wooden touring car setting on a set of sawhorses, with Corbitt right there on the dash,” Stegall recalled.

Visitors are welcome to the annual “Spring Fling” at the museum, an all-day event planned for Saturday, Apr. 22, Stegall said. There will be plenty of vehicles and other memorabilia on display then, as well as for the truck show and reunion, which will take place during Henderson’s signature weekend festival “Show, Shine, Shag and Dine” on Oct. 21.

 

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Henderson Council Moves Forward With Purchase Of Jointly Owned Properties

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The Henderson City Council approved Monday to purchase more than 100 vacant properties within the city limits that are jointly owned by the city and county, but the vote was one vote shy of being unanimous.

Council Member Garry Daeke cast the dissenting vote, but said Tuesday on TownTalk that it wasn’t because he doesn’t approve of the project – he simply wanted the county to give the roughly 26 acres of property to the city.

“I certainly approve what we’re doing,” Daeke said, adding that the city has demolished hundreds of vacant, derelict houses over the years. The properties will be bundled together and then bid on by builders who will erect affordable housing options within the city.

The city will be responsible for the infrastructure – lights, water, sewer, fire and police protection, for example, Daeke said. If the county had chosen to give the property to the city, it would have gone a long way to “jumpstart” the revitalization project.

“It seems to me that we’re going to be doing a lot up front,” he noted.

Once the houses get built, he added, the county will enjoy a greater return on the investment through higher tax rates than the city of Henderson.

“It would have been a great way to collaborate.”

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N.C. Cooperative Extension Scholarship Open For Those In Business-Related Field Of Study

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The North Carolina Cooperative Extension Administrative Professionals Association is accepting applications for the 2023 Herter-O’Neal Scholarship. This scholarship is open to students pursuing an associate’s and/or bachelor’s degree in a business-related field of study or who are enrolled in a diploma program that results in a degree. The statewide winner will be awarded $1,000 for tuition and/or books. District finalists will receive $250.

The Herter-O’Neal Scholarship is awarded each year to honor the work and dedication of Edith Herter and Frances O’Neal, founding members of the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Administrative Professionals Association.  NCCEAPA membership is comprised of North Carolina Cooperative Extension administrative assistants in 100 counties, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, N.C. State University and N.C.  A&T State University.

The application deadline is Mar. 10, 2023. All questions can be addressed to Granville County Cooperative Extension Administrative Assistant Gwen Rubio at gwen_rubio@ncsu.edu or 919-603-1350. Completed applications can be mailed or dropped off – with ATTN: Gwen Rubio written on the envelope – at the Granville Cooperative Extension and mailed or hand delivered to the Granville County  Cooperative Extension Office located at 125 Oxford Outer Loop, Oxford, NC 27565.

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Kimbrell Appointed To Serve As City Clerk

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The Henderson City Council officially appointed Tracey Kimbrell to the position of clerk to the board at its meeting Monday.

Kimbrell has served as interim clerk to the board since November, after previous clerk Esther McCrackin retired in late October.

John C. Rose and Bill Harris spoke with Kimbrell by phone earlier today and they reported she sounded enthusiastic about her new role.

In addition to her service to the city council, she will report to City Manager Terrell Blackmon for the day-to-day duties, just as other department directors. In a resolution approved by the Council, Kimbrell will serve at the pleasure of the Council for an indefinite term.

According to the agenda information, the city conducted a search for qualified candidates to fill the position and determined that Kimbrell was the most qualified.

Although it wasn’t something that she necessarily planned for, she said this was an opportunity she didn’t want to pass up.

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TownTalk: Vance County Receives Positive Audit Of Finances

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Vance County Manager Jordan McMillen said the county’s audit for FY 21-22 was a good one, overall.

And while the results of the audit may not have been a surprise, it’s always a relief to get the official word from those outside auditors that things are going along smoothly.

“In terms of financials, we had a year where operating revenues exceeded expenditures and we were able to maintain our fund balance with transferring out $4.5 million from the general fund to the capital fund in the spring of 2022,” McMillen explained in a written statement to WIZS News, as a follow-up to the February commissioners’ meeting.

That $4.5 million transfer was made to help with future capital needs such as physical improvements to the jail and a potential EMS station, he said.

But county leaders can’t spend what they don’t have.

“On the revenue side, we saw a second year in a row of sales tax and property taxes coming in more than budgeted,” McMillen said. Those higher-than-budgeted figures, along with continued efforts to keep other expenditures below budget teamed up to make for a positive financial report.

He added that although the previous tax collection rate was quite high at 97.6 percent, it ticked up to its highest level last year at 97.73 percent.

One bright spot comes with the increased revenues from the water system. “We are continuing to see improvement,” McMillen said, adding that the county “brought in $43,399 more in revenue than expenditures even though there was a net loss of $155,136.” That net loss is figured in when accounting for depreciation for system components which are approaching 10 years of use.

There were no transfers from the general fund to the water fund in the 21-22 budget, which shows that it continues to be “self-sufficient” in terms of generating enough cash to support itself.

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The Local Skinny! Vance County Schools Receives Awards

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For the third year in a row, Vance County Schools has brought home top honors for excellence in school communications, presented to school districts by the N.C. School Public Relations Association.

VCS earned a total of 16 Blue Ribbon awards for outstanding and effective

school public relations, according to information from Aarika Sandlin, VCS director of communication and marketing. The local school district was one of 38 to receive honors at the ceremony held Friday, Feb. 10 in High Point.

“Vance County Schools was recognized in every Blue Ribbon Award category for exemplary work,” Sandlin said in a press statement. “This recognition is an honor for our entire district, as well as a testament to the hard work of our team and the collaboration between departments on a daily basis.”

One of its five gold awards came in the Marketing category and the entry “Center for Innovation: The Hub of Our Community” received a perfect score.

The other four gold award categories and their winning entries were:

  • Photography – Superintendent Bennett Reads Across the District
  • Electronic Media – Moving Forward in our Strategic Plan
  • Special Events and Programs – Business After Hours
  • Digital Media Engagement – Alumni Roll Call: Homecoming 2022

VCS received five silver awards in the following categories:

  • Special Events and Programs – Arts Alive 2022
  • Special Events and Programs – Honoring our Community Partnerships
  • Digital Media and Engagement – New Principal Announcements for the 2022-2023 School Year
  • Photography – Play hard. Laugh louder. Love bigger.
  • Publications- Visual Identity Across the District

VCS received six bronze awards in the following categories:

  • Excellence in Writing – Growing through Accountability
  • Image and Graphic Design – Vance County Schools: A Quick Glimpse
  • Image and Graphic Design – In the Know on the Road
  • Electronic Media: Polly C – A Unique Look at Policies
  • Special Events and Programs – Honoring Wayne Adcock: Auditorium Dedication

Representing Vance County Schools for NCSPRA, in addition to Sandlin, are Brielle Barrow, communications coordinator; Dr. Destiney Ross-Putney, executive director of the Center for Innovation; and Kristen Jeffreys, digital learning and innovation specialist. NCSPRA is a statewide professional organization serving more than 175 members. Its mission is to build support for public education through well-planned and responsible public relations. For more information, visit www.ncspra.org.

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