TownTalk: Shamrocks On Breckenridge Friday, Mar. 15

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With the Shamrocks on Breckenridge just more than three weeks away, Amanda Walker Ellis has a couple of items on her radar: As treasurer of the Downtown Development Commission, Ellis is hopeful to get a few more sponsors; as a member of the Promotions Committee, she’s all about getting the word out for folks to deck themselves out in all shades of green and come enjoy the free event on Friday, Mar. 15 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

“The more sponsors we get, the more food we can provide,” Ellis explained on Wednesday’s TownTalk segment. This is one way “to get families in downtown Henderson,” Ellis said. There will be a couple of food trucks on hand and sufficient sponsors’ fees means that people don’t have to pay for food.

There will be activities for the children, a DJ will be spinning tunes and cloggers from Ballet Arts will perform, Ellis said.

The deadline to become a sponsor has been extended to this Friday, Feb. 23. Sponsorship levels range from Pot of Gold – $1,000, Shamrock – $500 and Leprechaun – $250, Ellis noted. All sponsors will be prominently displayed or included in all publicity about the street fair, now in its third year.

But this year, there’s an extra twist, Ellis said.

Downtown merchants have been invited to join in the festivities, so come early and shop the sidewalk sale before the Shamrocks event begins at 5 p.m.

The fun and shenanigans continue at Southern Charm with green beer and other fun stuff available after the street fair concludes.

You’re invited back to downtown Henderson between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Saturday, Mar. 16 to sample a variety of foods at an International Food Festival – with a spin on health.

Food trucks from the Triangle and Triad are joining local vendors to provide a culinary backdrop for a cadre of health providers who will be on hand to conduct simple diagnostic tests to promote health and wellness as well as to provide other information.

Not to worry if you prefer more customary food offerings, Ellis said – “It’s not all international food – there are normal food trucks as well.”

The DDC, under leadership of board chair Daniel White, is planning Shamrocks on Breckenridge, but she said it pairs nicely with the city’s food festival the next day.

“People want stuff to do in downtown Henderson, and stuff is coming,” Ellis said. “We just need people to come out and support it.”

From Vance County, it’s a short trip to the Raleigh-Durham area, where there are endless opportunities for festivals and other cultural events to enjoy, and Ellis said that’s a good thing. But she is also happy when events like Shamrock on Breckenridge happen locally – making it a much shorter drive.

“It’s all about teamwork,” she said.  “And when your team is working together, it’s amazing what you can get done.”

 

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TownTalk: Vance County Government Vacancies

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Vance County Manager C. Renee Perry has wasted no time in posting job descriptions for several county positions that are either currently vacant or will be vacant in the next few weeks.

Perry is responsible for hiring a new budget and finance director – the previous director was terminated on Feb. 9 – and a new economic development director after outgoing director McKinley Perkinson leaves on Mar. 19.

It puts Perry in an unenviable spot of having to find new people to take important leadership roles, but she maintains a positive outlook.

“The only thing I can do is continue to recruit and look for the best candidate for each position and just hope and pray that when they come in the door they see me as a manager that wants to support them and take Vance County in a different direction,” Perry said in a recent interview with WIZS News.

The salary range for the job of economic development director is $80,076 to $104,099, according to the job posting on https://www.vancecounty.org/.

Benny Finch held that job for 25 years, but since his retirement in 2009, there have been a number of directors, each short-lived in their time with the county.

Perry said before Perkinson, “There were two or three people that didn’t stay long, so I guess my plan is just to try to get someone that wants to come here and make this home.” “It might be a little difficult…the only thing I can do is just take a chance and see how it goes – it’s definitely a revolving door.”

The salary range is a pretty healthy one, but candidates for the job should take a deep breath before taking a peek at the job description posted online: There are 14 bullet points under the heading of “Essential Job Functions” and 18 bullet points under the “Knowledge, Skills and Abilities” heading.

The ideal candidate has a four-year college degree and experience in the area of economic development.

In addition to those nuts-and-bolts skills that an effective employee needs, the economic development director also must possess those “soft skills” – think interpersonal skills, being a liaison among different groups exercising good judgment and meeting deadlines – that are so important when cultivating relationships and attracting new business.

The job description states that the economic development director works under the “general direction” of the county manager and economic development board.

Perry said as she seeks to fill the vacancies, she’ll be building a strong team to move the county forward.

“I’m hopeful that, with my leadership, things will be different…I just know that I’m looking at the end goal with making Vance County great. It’s already good – we’re just going to make it better.”

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Perry Memorial Library

Events At Perry Library; Mayor To Read To Youngsters

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Henderson Mayor Melissa Elliott will take a break from her duties with the city for a bit next week when she visits Perry Memorial Library to read a storybook to youngsters and then hang around to answer questions about what it’s like to be mayor.

Youth Services Director Melody Peters said the Tuesday, Feb. 27 gathering is for all ages, and everyone’s invited. Peters said on Tuesday’s The Local Skinny! that the program will last 30-45 minutes. “We have a craft planned, so it’ll be fun!” she exclaimed.

Ongoing programs are gearing up after a holiday pause, and Peters said the Monday Community Read program is gathering a bit of steam.

“One of my dreams for this program,” Peters said, “is to have all ages reading.” Whether it’s younger children reading to teens, teens reading with other teens or classes for adults who struggle with literacy, Peters said the library wants to meet people “where they’re at” with literacy.

The Community Read program is on Monday afternoons from 5:30 p.m. to 6:15 p.m.

Visit www.perrymemorial.org to find out about all the events and programs the library offers.

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N.C. Rep. Sossamon Plans Forums In Vance, Granville To Raise Awareness About Human Trafficking

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Human trafficking continues to be a concern in North Carolina, with the state consistently ranking within the top 10 for the highest number of trafficking cases. To address this pressing concern, N.C. Rep. Frank Sossamon is scheduling a couple of forums for his District 32 constituents to raise awareness and foster community engagement.

Sossamon said, “The more we know about human trafficking, the lower the number of trafficking cases.” With this in mind, he emphasizes the importance of community involvement in recognizing and reporting suspected instances of trafficking. “When it comes to human trafficking, vocalizing suspicions is essential to saving lives,” he said.

The forums will be held Tuesday, Mar. 12 at Perry Memorial Library and Thuersday, Mar. 14 at the Granville County Expo Center. Members of the North Carolina Human Trafficking Commission will facilitate the meeting, which will feature local highway patrol, victim advocates and community leaders, who will provide insights into the prevalence of human trafficking, its impact on communities and ways individuals can help prevent and address it. Both sessions will feature a 4 p.m. session tailored for law enforcement professionals and a 6 p.m. session open to the general public.

Vance County Manager Sees Growing Vacancies As “An Opportunity”

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According to the Vance County website, there are 22 departments within county government, from administration to tax administration. Of those 22, County Manager C. Renee Perry reports that four departments face vacancies in the director role after one director was fired and three more turned in resignations.

That’s a lot of vacancies, but Perry, now in her fourth month as county manager, remains positive: “It gives me the opportunity to build my team and move forward…I’m looking at it as an opportunity.”

Perry said Vance County Economic Development Director McKinley Perkinson’s last day is Mar. 19; she was named to the job in November 2021. Perkinson told WIZS that she is leaving for another opportunity, but wasn’t ready to divulge what that opportunity is.

Vance County Board of Elections Director Jennifer Cocklin has resigned her post. Cocklin said she’d see the county through the Mar. 5 primary elections and will leave on Mar. 29.

Cocklin said her resignation has nothing to do with the job, but she cited personal reasons for deciding to step down. “The board has been very good to me, as well as the poll workers,” she said.

The county elections board is responsible for naming her successor, Perry noted.The Department of Social Services has an interim director Tilda Marshall, who stepped in when Denita DeVega resigned. Perry said DeVega is the new DSS director in Nash County. The DSS director reports to the DSS board, which is charged with finding a replacement.

All that on top of the Feb. 9 firing of County Deputy Manager/Chief Finance Officer Katherine Bigelow, and Vance County is facing some big holes in its administrative leadership.

If you count new Planning Director Sherry Moss and Animal Services Director William Coker, both of whom assumed their duties in the last month or so – and County Manager Perry, who came on board in November 2023, that’s seven of the 22 departments -close to one-third of the county’s departments.

Perry, sounding undeterred, said Vance County “is not unique in the amount of vacancies…other counties are experiencing the same.” She said she would continue to recruit and look for the best candidates for the open positions, adding that she hopes that prospective employees will see her as “a manager who wants to support them and lead Vance County in a different direction.”

TownTalk: County Commissioner Candidate Archie Taylor

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Vance County Commissioner Archie B. Taylor, Jr. is seeking re-election to his District 2 seat and said he’s interested in helping the county continue to attract economic development, work on public transportation, reduce crime, support education and get a new jail built.

An interview with Taylor aired on Monday’s TownTalk segment as part of WIZS’s ongoing coverage of local contests in the Mar. 5 primary elections. Taylor faces challenger Valencia Perry. Early voting continues through Saturday, Mar. 2.

Taylor, a highly decorated and retired Colonel in the U.S. Army, has been a commissioner for more than a decade and said that he wants to continue to help attract businesses to the county that will provide jobs for high school graduates as well as for college graduates so people who grow up here don’t “run off to Raleigh or Charlotte” for higher paying jobs.

It’s economic development that will bring jobs to the community, he said.

“I’m interested in helping the sheriff build a new jail,” Taylor said, adding that commissioners are looking for “north of $30 million” to make that a reality.

Public transportation is an issue that Taylor also supports. As a member of the KARTS board, he said he hopes to continue to increase public transportation throughout the county.

He, along with others, are awaiting the release of the county fire study. “I certainly am interested in seeing what the fire study will say about our fire station,” he said. “We are blessed in this county to have something that many in this state envy – we have a county-owned, fully paid fire department,” he said. “It’s extremely important for us to maintain a fully paid station that is reporting to the county and is on the county payroll. I think our study is going to support that.”

He applauded the efforts of McGregor Hall and its contributions of not only culture, but revenue to the city and county. He said he would like to see the city and county return the favor by providing some form of financial support to the entertainment venue.

The current project to create a men’s shelter in the former City Road Methodist Church building is something that Taylor is watching with interest, too. He thanked N.C. Sen. Lisa Barnes and N.C. Rep. Frank Sossamon for their help in getting $150,000 toward the transformation.

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TownTalk: County Commissioner Candidate Valencia Perry

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Valencia Perry grew up in Vance County and said she is running for county commissioner so she can be a part of a “powerful team” that uses money wisely to help people.

“Spending money takes research and takes knowledge,” Perry said during a recorded interview on Monday’s TownTalk. “I want to be a part of that team.”

Perry is challenging incumbent Archie Taylor, Jr. for the District 2 seat on the Vance County Board of Commissioners.

She’s gained perspective over the years and said she will be an asset as a commissioner. “I will be a fresh set of eyes,” she said, to help make “long-needed change in Vance County.”

Perry has a background in accounting and she also is an ordained minister. She is a mother and a grandmother who said her personal and professional experiences have shaped her ideas and sharpened her focus.

She said her focus is on education, funding for schools, pursuing services for those with mental health issues and the county jail situation. “My goodness, that’s a sticking point,” she said, adding that it’s important to have a detention center that keeps inmates – and staff – safe.

For Perry, education is the key issue. Without a proper education, she said, people have a tendency to get off track, or make bad decisions that fuel the crime rate, those in detention and in mental health crisis.

Her three-word mantra is “resilience, transparency and reliability” and she said she would work hard for the people of Vance County.

Her work on the Vance County Housing Authority Board helped her realize just how critical financial responsibility is. “I had a chance to help people move forward and not stay stuck,” she said. “We’ve done a lot of great things and I feel good about it,” she said of her work with the housing authority.

Another need she sees in the county is a diversion center for those in crisis because of mental health or substance abuse issues. “It is so important,” Perry said, that people have “somewhere they can be safely cared for by professionals who know what to do.”

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