Vance Historical Society Spearheading Fundraiser For Clopton Marker

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Gill Clopton gave his time, talent and energy to shine a positive light on his community. He scanned tens of thousands of photos, documents as a way to preserve those bits of history and memories, file by file.

But friends who remember Clopton, who died Monday at the age of 61, have memories of him dropping by with a single photo of interest, covering high school sports and ringing the bell by the Salvation Army kettle at Christmas.

A visitation for Clopton will be held at Sossamon Funeral Home tonight from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., followed by a funeral service Saturday at 11 a.m. at the Salvation Army on Ross Mill Road.

The Vance County Historical Society is collecting money to help purchase a marker for Clopton, according to Mark Pace, as a small way to show appreciation for all the work Clopton did on behalf of the historical society and for the genealogical society. Send checks or money orders made out to Vance County Historical Society, 11 E. Spring St., Oxford, NC 27565, with

“Memorial Fund for Gill Clopton” in the memo line. Or call 919.603.5182.

Pace said that he and Clopton both were Class of 1979 graduates of Vance Senior High School, and although their paths crossed when they lived and worked in Raleigh years ago, it wasn’t until about 10 years ago that the two discovered their shared enthusiasm for history.

“I’ve talked to him practically every day for the last ten years,” Pace said, recalling moments when they would ask each other obscure questions about local history.

Pace estimated that Clopton probably scanned as many as 60,000 photos, many from the local newspaper, but others from private sources and from other local agencies like the Henderson Police Department.

While talking on Thursday’s TownTalk, Pace and Bill Harris praised Clopton’s efforts and diligence to the ongoing archiving project.

“I feel very confident that the work he’s done…it will be out there and people can have access to it,” Pace said.

“Gill had the inclination to do it, he had the time to do it…and he had the meticulousness to want to sit there and want to do hours of work,” often tedious and monotonous.

“I can’t tell you how much people in the future will benefit from the work that Gill did,” Pace said.

Officials Break Ground For Shell Building At H-V Industrial Park

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Local and state officials were on hand for a groundbreaking ceremony at the Henderson-Vance Industrial Park Thursday to officially begin construction of a shell building on that campus.

“It’s a great day to see some dirt moving,” said Vance County Manager Jordan McMillen to the small group assembled on the chilly, blustery afternoon.

“This project is really about partnerships,” McMillen continued. From the city’s water and sewer extension and the nonprofit industrial park board that oversees the property to the county that is paying the bills and financing the project, McMillen said it would not be possible to build and grow without this multi-agency collaboration.

“This is a day we have anticipated for some time,” said Vance County Board of Commissioners Chair Leo Kelly. Having a shell building ready to be finished out by incoming industry puts Vance County in strong competition with other counties as companies look to locate or relocate their operations.

State legislators Lisa Barnes and Frank Sossamon, each coming off wins in the Nov. 8 midterm elections, were on hand for the ceremony. County Commissioner Tommy Hester credited Barnes for helping Vance County secure the funding for the shell building, but also for her role in getting $5 million for water projects in Henderson.

Hester also is president of the industrial park board. “Lisa stepped up and said ‘What can I do to help Vance County,’” Hester said, adding that whenever anyone asks that question, he is not shy to answer.

He said there could be a building on the site as early as January. “If you build it, they will come,” Hester told the group.

Crossroads Christian School

SportsTalk: Scottie Richardson Previews Winter Sports At Crossroads

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Scottie Richardson wears a couple of hats at Crossroads Christian. He is the men’s basketball coach but also oversees a very successful athletic program for the entire school as athletic director.  “We are coming off of the winningest fall season in the school’s history,” Richardson said on Wednesday’s SportsTalk.  From success on the volleyball court to a final four finish for the boy’s soccer team, things have been going well for Crossroads.

Winter sports are now here and Crossroads is off to a great start as both girl’s and boy’s basketball are undefeated so far this season. The boys are coming off a huge victory against crosstown rival Henderson Collegiate and are now preparing for holiday tournaments.

The Colts will be heading for Wilson for one tournament and then an MLK Event in Greene County is also upcoming.

The key to all of this success, according to Richardson, is developing younger talent and use that to build on.  The Colts certainly excel at that.  “Our middle school girl’s basketball team has not lost since 2019,” Richardson said.  With that kind of talent rising to varsity level athletics, it’s no wonder Crossroads continues to be a team opposing coaches fear when they appear on the schedule.

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TownTalk: GRACE Ministries Thanksgiving Feast

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Bobby West and others at G.R.A.C.E. Ministries will be humming right along on Saturday as they serve up pre-Thanksgiving meals for the community.

The public is welcome to come to the G.R.A.C.E. Ministries location, 215 Crozier St. beginning at 11 a.m. on Saturday, West said Wednesday on TownTalk.

Volunteers are welcome as well, beginning about 8:30 a.m., when the group will “get prayed up” before beginning the process of fixing about 2,000 plates to feed the community.

“I need about 1,000 plates packed and gone by 10:30,” West told John C. Rose. Several churches are picking up plates that will be distributed all across the county.

Grace Baptist Church, Norlina Baptist, Tungsten Baptist and West End Baptist are helping out in this effort, and New Sandy Creek Baptist is setting up a distribution site at the former Aycock School on Vicksboro Road.

“We have one purpose,” West said, “to serve and show love to our neighbors.”

This is the sixth year that the group has provided a meal before the Thanksgiving holiday.

Individuals who wish to support this ministry can send a check to G.R.A.C.E. Ministries, P.O. Box 316, Henderson, NC 27536.

But stay tuned for other ways to help with upcoming projects like the annual toy drive, he said.

West said G.R.A.C.E. Ministries is partnering with churches in Vance, Warren and Franklin counties this year to conduct its toy drive.

Gently used toys – no plush or stuffed toys, please – will be accepted and the toy distribution will take place on Saturday, Dec. 17. Call West at 252.432.7124 to schedule a donation at his workplace or at G.R.A.C.E. Ministries.

Projects like these are considered a win-win for the community and for the volunteers.

“It’s a humbling experience when you do something good for somebody,” he said.

 

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Meat Conference Dec. 6 In Rocky Mount

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The Northeast District Local Meats Conference will be held in Rocky Mount, NC on Tuesday, Dec. 6. The conference is designed for individuals interesting in creating or expanding a local meat marketing business.

The conference will begin at 9 a.m. at the East Carolina Livestock Arena, located at 1175 Kingsboro Rd. in Rocky Mount.

Some of the topics that will be discussed include N.C. Department of Agriculture meat handlers’ licensing, as well as rules and regulations, labeling claims and laws about meat sales.

In addition, there will be information about carcass evaluation, and planning, marketing and pricing.

Lunch will be included. Pre-register at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/northeast-district-local-meats-conference-tickets-419613434077

 

Farm-City Week 2022

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There’s no debate that agriculture plays an important role in our lives – whether we are the farmers responsible for growing the crops, livestock and commodities that make their way into the food chain or whether we are the consumers of those products.

Producers and consumers gathered at the Vance County Regional Farmers Market Tuesday for a luncheon as part of the annual observance of Farm-City Week, sponsored by NC Farm Bureau and the local N.C. Cooperative Extension.

“We had a great day,” said Paul McKenzie, horticulture agent in Vance and Warren counties. McKenzie recapped Tuesday’s events on WIZS Wednesday during the weekly cooperative extension segment of The Local Skinny!

One local producer was honored for his 25 years as a vendor with the farmers market.

Calvin Adcock has followed the farmers market to its various locations over the years – from humble beginnings on William Street to the YMCA and city operations center to the current location.

Adcock has been bringing fresh produce from his raised garden beds and home canned products to the farmers market, and “quickly developed a reputation for selling quality products,” McKenzie said.

“He is one of the hardest working vendors,” said Wayne Rowland, who also noted that Adcock was honored as Vance County’s Small Farmer of the Year in 2016.

“If you have been to the farmers market, you will see him most every day that the market is open,” Rowland continued. In addition to his devotion to the farmers market, Adcock also has helped the cooperative extension and other producers through his participation on the Small Farms Advisory Council and the Farmers Market Advisory Council.

“He is a wonderful person to work with,” Rowland said.

McKenzie said in written remarks that Adcock “has shown fierce loyalty and dedication to the market, showing up consistently with a warm smile and a good selection of products.”

The guest speaker for the luncheon was Jake Parker, legislative counsel and NC Farm Bureau’s legislative director. Parker discussed the work that Farm Bureau does on behalf of farmers, as well as some of the big issues facing agriculture.

The Farm Bureau provides insurance for farmers, but it does so much more as an advocacy and a community organization, McKenzie said.

“The Vance County Farm Bureau has done an unparalleled job in supporting the community,” he said, from providing equipment to Vance Charter School’s ag program to scholarships at Vance-Granville Community College and more.

As rural areas face increased development, farmers also can face complaints from new neighbors who feel their lives are being disrupted by the dust, sounds and smells that sometimes are created on farms as farmers plant, cultivate and harvest crops.

Parker, in his work with Farm Bureau, strives to protect farmers against nuisance lawsuits to create reasonable policies “to help farmers continue to make a living and continue to produce the food supply that we need,” McKenzie said.

Finding and maintaining positive relationships between farmers and nearby neighbors is critical, he added.

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TownTalk: Oxendine Is A New Face On School Board

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The Vance County Board of Education will feature two new faces following last week’s midterm elections – Omega T. Perry and Randy Oxendine.

Perry is the pastor at Cook’s Chapel AME Zion Church and has a Sunday morning program on WIZS.

Perry ran unopposed for the school board seat, and Oxendine won the District 2 seat over his opponent Charlie Baskerville, Jr.  When Oxendine’s wife, Darlynn, decided not to seek another term on the school board, her husband decided to take a crack at it.

When he spoke with WIZS News during last Tuesday evening’s election coverage, Oxendine, himself a longtime educator with Vance County Schools, said he felt like he already has established a relationship with existing board members and looks forward to his new role as board member.

“I believe I’m just stepping in and rolling with it,” he told John C. Rose about his election victory.

Of particular concern to him is the diminishing enrollment in three elementary schools in District 2 – New Hope, E.O. Young and Carver. Lower enrollments mean that teachers like the physical education teachers, for example, must travel among the three schools for their instruction.

“I would love to see more students (at these schools so) we could get more money to provide full time people at those schools,” Oxendine said.

Over their years in education, Oxendine said he and his wife have seen many high school students head off to college, where some play sports and get recognized for their efforts. One former student invited the couple recently to attend her induction into the N.C. A&T State Hall of Fame.

He said he would like to institute some type of hall of fame for Vance County, where students and athletes could be recognized for their outstanding talent and effort, “so younger people would have someone to look up to.”

 

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TownTalk: Gill Clopton Remembered

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Gill Clopton had a variety of interests – he loved to write and take photographs – but he also was a self-proclaimed archivist who had taken it upon himself to try to preserve local history, one photograph at the time. In doing so, Clopton developed a following of almost 10,000 followers on social media.

Oh, and cats. He loved cats.

News of Clopton’s death was reported today.

Clopton, a 1979 graduate of Vance Senior High School, was not trained as a journalist, but he loved to write. About a year ago, he started an e-paper called “Piedmont Online” to promote positive news, sports and feature stories from Vance County and the surrounding area.

John C. Rose remembered Clopton during Tuesday’s TownTalk as someone whose efforts will be remembered.

“Even if it only exists on a Facebook thread, it’s been preserved,” Rose said, referring to the “Remember when…(reminiscing about Henderson, NC) posts that Clopton used to show long-forgotten photos that he had dug up, many from the former office space of The Daily Dispatch.

“It really underscores what he has done for the community,” Rose said in his discussion with Dr. Bill Dennis, known familiarly as “Little Bill,” whose grandfather started the local paper in the World War I era.

Dennis said, thanks in large part to his father’s and his grandfather’s “pack rat” tendencies, there was a lot of stuff for Clopton to go through.

After the paper was sold and the Chestnut Street building was being emptied, Clopton and several others carted out stacks and stacks of archived newspapers, clippings, photographs and more.

“He went down to the newspaper and talked to the people who were running the place,” Dennis said, and he was able to take possession of all that, well, history.

Clopton “single-handedly” saved so much that would otherwise been discarded

“Gill was tireless,” Dennis said, of his work on digitizing photos from The Dispatch.

As a college student, Dennis spent a couple of summers trying to help get things organized a bit at the paper. Whether Clopton saw the result of that effort is unclear.

And although Clopton never worked at the paper himself, he befriended “Big Bill” Dennis and spent many a happy time talking at the old Eckerd’s lunch counter – a fact that “Little Bill” hadn’t known at the time.

“He was an aspiring newspaper person for a long time,” Dennis said of Clopton. “It was always fascinating to talk to him,” He took photographs and wrote a column for the Henderson Dispatch for a time.

“Some of his columns were great,” Dennis said.

The online publication was a real labor of love, he added. “You just can’t ever do enough when you’re doing something like that.” Dennis said he read each weekly installment. “I thought he did a really good job with it…especially women’s sports because they didn’t get as much publicity as the boys’ (sports).”

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