TownTalk: Scammers Active In Vance County

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Vance County Sheriff Curtis Brame urges the public to be savvy when it comes to answering phone calls from someone claiming to be a representative of his office.

These calls are scams and the best advice he can give anyone who answers such calls is simple: Hang up.

Brame told WIZS News Tuesday that his office has gotten reports about two different scams involving a person’s failure to appear in court or failure to appear for jury duty.

Be assured that anyone who fails to appear in court for any reason, Brame said, would not get a phone call, which usually ends up with the call recipient being told to make some kind of  payment to a third party. Don’t fall for it! Brame said he was informed on New Year’s Day that someone had gotten one of these phone calls. These scammers call random numbers, and often the number that pops up on Caller ID appears to be a local number.

This particular call recipient, however, is a friend of Brame and “the person knew my name and voice” and was not fooled by the call.

The simplest thing to do is ignore the call. If it’s a legitimate call from a legitimate number, the caller will leave a voicemail and you can retrieve the information.

Once again, nobody from the clerk of court’s office is going to make a phone call to an individual who, for whatever reason, has failed to appear in court for jury duty.

That’s not how the process works.

Whether you’re a defendant facing charges or someone who may be asked to serve on a jury, the process is simple: show up in court at the right time or a sheriff’s deputy will show up on your doorstep – with a summons to appear.

 

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Community Partners of Hope

TownTalk: Community Partners Of Hope Mourns Death Of Beloved Men’s Shelter Worker

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William James Avery, a dedicated worker at the local men’s shelter, died last week. He was 80.

Avery completed his shift that began at 9:30 p.m. on Dec. 28 and ended the next morning at 6:30 a.m.

From there, he went to a medical appointment and suffered a medical emergency, according to his co-worker and friend, Shelter Manager Darryl Jones.

In a written statement, Jones said Avery “loved the shelter and the men who came there for help.  He gave selflessly of his time to this ministry and was anxiously awaiting the day when we could move into our new location at City Road Center for Hope.”

A service will be held at 11am, Saturday, Jan. 6, at Shiloh Baptist Church, 635 S. College Street in Henderson. Interment will follow at Elmwood Cemetery. A viewing will be held from 2 p.m. – 5 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 5 at Davis-Royster Funeral Home.
Avery was a Vietnam veteran and worked at General Motors for 30 years. He was a church deacon and sang in the men’s choir there. He began his work with the men’s shelter as a volunteer for nine years; he was a paid employee for six years.

Jones said Avery was someone he could count on – “reliable, faithful, dedicated, committed, trustworthy…he was all these things, but most of all, he was my friend.”

 

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Perry Memorial Library

The Local Skinny! What’s Happening At Perry Memorial Library

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Perry Memorial Library is abuzz with activity during the day, helping patrons with book checkouts and providing a spot for a variety of groups to gather. But have you ever wondered just what goes on after-hours at the library?

If so, Youth Services Director Melody Peters may have just the activity to grab your little ones’ attention. It’s called a Teddy Bear Sleepover and Peters said plans are shaping up for the Saturday, Jan. 20 event.

The library staff continually strives to find host programs and activities that appeal to a variety of folks – from the preschooler through high school-aged students and beyond.

The Teddy Bear Sleepover is one that is geared for the younger kids, Peters said on Tuesday’s segment of The Local Skinny!

The idea is to have the children bring to the library a favorite stuffed animal, doll or other type of “lovey” and then do some activities before they leave them overnight for a sleepover – the stuffed animals stay overnight, not the children, Peters said, chuckling.

The next day, when parents bring their children to pick up their lovey, they’ll get a photo album filled with all the overnight antics that occurred after the library was closed.

This is just one of the new offerings for younger patrons, and Peters said teens are invited to another new program on Tuesday where they’ll create vision boards.

A vision board, she explained, is a type of goal-setting activity, and teens can “come have a good time…and think about where you want to be in a year, in five years.”

Using pictures from magazines, participants will create their unique vision board.

“When you have it visually, you can look at it every day,” she said.

Another new program will kick off on Monday, Jan. 22. It’s called “Community Read Aloud” and it will be held from 5:30 p.m. to about 6:15 p.m.

“It’s definitely geared to kids who are reading,” Peters said, but there will be volunteers on hand to help those who may be struggling readers. She’ll kick things off by reading from a chapter book while people gather, and then participants will choose their own books to read. Then they’ll have a chance to read aloud at their tables when they break off into groups.

The idea, she said, is that everyone will read aloud and to be more comfortable in a small-group setting.

Check out the library’s complete schedule of programs and services at www.perrylibrary.com.

Email Peters at mpeters@perrylibrary.org if you’d like to learn more about the new programs at the library.

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Henderson Vance Recreation & Parks

H-V Rec and Parks Offers Beginner Yoga Class On Thursday Evenings Starting Jan. 5

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Start 2024 off right with a beginner yoga class at Aycock Rec Center.

Classes will be offered on Thursday evenings from 6:15 p.m. to 7 p.m. beginning Jan. 5, 2024.

According to information from the Henderson Vance Recreation and Parks Department, instructor Beryle Lewis will focus on basic yoga techniques to inspire physical, mental and spiritual peace from within through balance, stretching and breathing.

Register online at https://hvrpd.recdesk.com/. The cost is $1 for members; $2 for non-members.

Aycock Rec Center is located at 307 Carey Chapel Rd., Henderson.

Call 252.492.9400 for more information.

Local Ophthalmologist Daniel Bernstein Passed Away Dec. 23

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Local ophthalmologist Dr. Daniel Bernstein died Saturday, Dec. 23.

Bernstein, 81, retired in 2022 and relocated to Virginia to be closer to family.

Bernstein was initially appointed to the Maria Parham Health medical staff in 1975, according to a social media post from Maria Parham Health, which included condolences to his family, friends and patients. He retired from Four County Eye Associates, where he practiced with partner Dr. Cynthia Hampton.

A funeral service will be held Sunday Dec. 31 at 11 a.m  at Brown-Wynne Funeral Home, 1701 E. Millbrook Rd., Raleigh, followed by a graveside service at 12 noon at Raleigh Hebrew Cemetery, 450 N. State St., Raleigh.

Known for providing quality eye care to his patients for more than five decades, Bernstein also was quick to share jokes, whether in the office or during other activities in the community.

He had been a long-time member of the Henderson Kiwanis Club, and current Kiwanis Club President Danny Wilkerson said he remembered Bernstein as being “just a genuine guy (who) was so supportive of Henderson.”

Wilkerson said he appreciated Bernstein’s civic-mindedness and his support and advice when he was elected back in the fall to be the club’s new president.

Bernstein attended the club’s Christmas party that was held a couple of weeks ago, Wilkerson reported.

Jan. 6 “I Survived The Battle” Service To Benefit Domestic Violence Victims

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The public is invited to a musical event on Saturday, Jan. 6 to raise money to help victims of domestic violence.

Dorothy Wimbush, one of the event’s organizers, said the “I Survived The Battle” program includes numerous musical performances. Minister Brenda Hunt Moore will be the emcee.

The program will be held at Vance-Granville Community College. Doors open at 3 p.m. and the service begins at 4 p.m. Advance tickets are $15; tickets at the door are $20. Children under 12 get in free.

Wimbush said all proceeds will be used to help women find a place to stay after they have left an abusive relationship.

The service, a production of Helen Gill and TMT Promotions, is scheduled to include the following:

  • New Creation
  • The Gospel Prophets
  • The Senational Friendly Five
  • The Anointed Ones
  • Mary Brown’s Spiritual Singers
  • Legacy
  • Latoya Merrill & Nu Prayze
  • The Anointed Voices
  • The Gospel Disciples

To learn more, contact Helen Gill at 919.538.9179 or Cynthia Turner at 919.798.1432.

NCDOT

Students: Submit Entries To N.C. Aviation Art Contest By Jan. 17

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Break out your art supplies and let your creativity take flight! The N.C. Department of Transportation is now accepting entries for its 2023 North Carolina Aviation Art Contest from students across the state.

This year’s theme is “Air Sports for a Peaceful World.” All North Carolina students born between Jan. 1, 2006, and Dec. 31, 2017, are eligible to submit entries in one of three age groups: junior (ages 6-9), intermediate (ages 10-13) and senior (ages 14-17).

Entries in each age group will have a chance to compete for one of three prizes to be awarded to the student who won and their school. Entries will be accepted through Jan. 17, 2024.

The three North Carolina winners in each group will advance to the national competition, hosted by the National Association of State Aviation Officials in Washington D.C. National winners are submitted to the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale’s headquarters in Switzerland for the international contest.

The contest is funded in part by the North Carolina Airports Association and its member donors. Since the contest began in 2015, 12,437 students from 759 schools and 93 North Carolina counties have submitted entries.

Visit the NCDOT website for eligibility and submission details. Questions? Contact North Carolina’s contest coordinator, Corbi Bulluck, at cbulluck@ncdot.gov or 919.814.0550.

Henderson Residents Can Pile Loose Leaves, Pine Straw Curbside For Collection Through Jan. 26

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Henderson residents have a few more weeks to pile their leaves and pine straw curbside for collection by the Public Works Department.

The designated collection period ends on Jan. 26, however – an important deadline to remember. Any leaves or pine straw piled curbside after the deadline will result in a $78 charge added to the resident’s sanitation bill.

It’s also important to note several key details about where and how to place the loose leaf litter:

  • Behind the curb so it doesn’t interfere with vehiclular or pedestrian traffic;
  • Not in an open ditch, gutter or street area to avoid interference with the storm drainage system;
  • Free of trash and debris – like glass, cans, rocks, limb cuttings – that can damage collection equipment;
  • Not be placed on top of a water meter.

Loose leaves and pinestraw will generally be picked up on a two or three week rotation; however, this is dependent on weather conditions and leaf accumulation. Residents can continue to bag leaves or place them in containers, but it’s not necessary during the loose collection period.

Call the Public Works Department at 252.431.6115 or 252.431.6030 for more information.