Fox Pond Park Shelter, Tennis Courts Named In Honor, Memory Of Local Athletes

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If Henderson were to create a list of notable athletes that got their start locally and went on to become standouts in their selected sport, two names — Eddie Hicks and Mary Lloyd Hodges Barbera — certainly would be included.

The Henderson City Council recently approved naming a shelter and two tennis courts at Fox Pond Park in honor of and in memory of those two local athletes, both of whom played for and were graduated from Vance Senior High School. The proposals were made by Recreation and Parks Director Kendrick Vann.

Fox Pond Shelter #1 will be named for Eddie James Hicks. Hicks grew up in Henderson and graduated in 1975 from Vance Sr. High School. He earned a football scholarship to East Carolina University, where he rushed for more than 2,100 yards during his four years. He was instrumental in the Pirates’ first-ever victory over UNC-Chapel Hill and continues to hold the school record for longest rushing yard play – 95 yards – in ECU history. He was inducted into the ECU Hall of Fame in 2014. Hicks was drafted by the New York Giants in 1979 and has long ties to the recreation and parks department. He often returned home during his professional career for special events and has been a long-time advocate for youth in the community.

His off-field accomplishments are equally impressive. Hicks is a devoted employee for the Recreation and Parks Department. “He takes pleasure in being a part of the team and takes pride in his work,” according to agenda information from the commissioners’ Nov. 8 meeting. “He has been called upon numerous times by the department and community, and he never wavers or disappoints. Even when Mr. Hicks is off work, he ensures that things are being handled and taken care of properly.” Hicks also oversees the adult and youth community service program and makes sure that areas throughout the city and county are clean.

Hicks is a member and trustee of the Kesler Temple AME Zion Church in the Flint Hill community and is an active community leader and advocate for youth. He has been a member of the Beacon Light Masonic Lodge #249 since 1984, and he joined #195 in 1986 and the Imran Temple #168 in 1995.

Tennis courts #1 and #2 will be renamed in memory and honor of teenage tennis standout Mary Lloyd Hodges Barbera. The Henderson native died at the age of 49 in 2015, but many remember her prowess on the tennis courts.

One of her nicknames was “Rabbit,” according to David Hicks, who remembers well Barbera’s dedication to the sport and who had occasion to face her on the tennis courts. “She’s the only tennis player I knew who could get mad at herself on the court and actually play better,” he said in an email to WIZS News. “Most don’t.”

She was considered one of the state’s premier junior tennis players in the 1970’s and 1980’s and was ranked number one in the state in girls’ 12-, 14- and 18-year-old divisions. She won two 4A state singles titles as a junior in 1981 and again in 1982 as a senior. She graduated from Vance Sr. High in 1983 and went on to Peace College, where, in 1984, she was named an All-American athlete by the National Junior College Athletic Association for Flight #1 in singles competition. She transferred to N.C. State University in 1985 and led the Wolfpack women’s tennis team with 16 wins in singles competition.

In addition to a 6-1 record against ACC competition, she contributed to a 16-3 slate in doubles, which included three wins in the ACC tournament. She was inducted into the William Peace University Athletic Hall of Fame in 2012.

4-H Logo

Vance 4-H Agent Discusses Programs For Area Youth

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The 4-H program is designed as a youth development program, but there are definitely some benefits for adults as well. One program that Vance 4-H agent Wykia Macon said is a win-win for club members and older adults alike is called Tech Changemakers, which pairs those young, savvy tech users with others who need a little help understanding how it all works.

Macon spoke with Paul McKenzie on a recent lawn and garden segment of The Local Skinny! and said 4-H still has traditional programming like gardening but has evolved to include other areas like food and nutrition and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) education.

In 4-H, club members have the opportunity to develop public speaking and leadership skills. Participants in district and state competitions vie for ribbons and cash awards.

Macon said some of the programs are short, lasting six weeks. Find new listings on their Facebook page or on the cooperative extension’s webpage. One food and nutrition program modeled after the popular Food Network show “Chopped” included competing for top cooking honors. There also are financial management classes for teens.

The Tech Changemakers program has teens teaching adults a variety of digital literacy skills to be able to create PowerPoint presentations, learn how to use the Zoom platform, and how to use Google Calendar.

The “Just Grow It” program is a self-paced project that supplies youth with all the materials necessary to grow microgreens and create container gardens. “They get a chance to see things grow,” Macon said, and also “gives them an idea of where their food comes from.”

There is always a need for adult volunteers to help with 4-H, Macon said. The more adults that offer their time, the more children in the community 4-H can reach, she added.

To learn more, contact Macon at wsmacon@ncsu.edu or 252.438.8188.

Free Christmas Concert SATURDAY At McGregor Hall, Courtesy Of Vance Arts Council And Community Sponsors

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(This post has been edited to correct the day of the show.)

The Vance County Arts Council will present a holiday program SATURDAY afternoon, November 27, at McGregor Hall. Admission is free and the public is invited to come out and enjoy Tidings of Comfort and Joy, featuring Christmas music to soothe the soul.

Alice Sallins, executive director of the local arts council, said the program lineup includes sacred and secular music, as well as dance performances and the Holiday Royal Pageant at intermission.

The doors open at 3:30 p.m. and the program begins at 4 p.m. McGregor Hall is located at 205 Breckenridge St. in Henderson.

Sallins said the first half of the show will showcase sacred music and the second half will have secular music. Some of the individuals and groups scheduled to perform include:

  • Lynn Cooper, recording artist
  • Clearview Baptist Praise Team
  • I Praise Dance Academy
  • Jimmy Barrier Band
  • Brotherhood, a group of local male vocalists
  • The Queen of Diamonds
  • Tyrel Clark as Lil Santa
  • Work in Progress
  • The Chavis Family

Sallins said the show should last a good two hours and there just may be a surprise group that will make an appearance. It’s something that the local arts council does each year for the community, but it doesn’t happen without a lot of support and good ol’ hard work and attention to details.

Local sponsors are vital to the success of programs like this one, she said. In addition to the North Carolina Arts Council and the Vance County Board of Commissioners, she said she is especially grateful to Vance Family Medicine for sponsoring the back cover of the program booklet for this performance.

In addition to Sallins’ role as executive director of the arts council, she also is chair of the promotions committee of the downtown development corporation. And she said there’s still time to enter the Christmas parade, scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 4 at 4 p.m.

She said she’s gotten more than 50 entrants so far, and she expects to get more through the weekend. She’ll take forms until Monday, Nov. 29. She needs time to get all the groups and floats and other entries in an official lining-up order. “We already have a lot of floats, both homemade and professional,” Sallins said.

“Vance County Schools will have a great presence this year,” Sallins said, noting that most of the schools will be represented in one way or another.”

The parade route will begin at the Raleigh Road Extension and Dabney Drive near Walgreens, which will mean some streets will be closed as early as 2:30 p.m. The parade ends near the intersection of Garnett Street and Andrews Avenue.

For more information, contact Sallins at 252.767.4579.

The Local Skinny! Jobs In Vance

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The H-V Chamber of Commerce and WIZS, Your Community Voice, present Jobs in Vance for November 23, 2021. The Chamber compiles the information, and it is presented here and on the radio. Contact the Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce at 438-8414 or email christa@hendersonvance.org to be included.

JOB OPENINGS IN VANCE COUNTY – Week of November 23, 2021

 

Name of the Company:  NCOL

Jobs Available: Front Desk/ Office Assistant – Receives payment, answer telephones, check in customer equipment, invoice customers. Hours Monday-Thursday 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM, Friday 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM

Method of Contact:   email resumes at hostmaster@ncol.net or drop off at office at 410 Dabney Drive, Henderson

 

Name of the Company:  Henderson Collegiate

Jobs Available: Middle and High School Teachers. A bachelor’s degree is required, a teaching license is NOT required to start. Offering competitive salary and benefits to full time employees

Method of Contact: Apply online at www.hendersoncollegiate.org/careers or email a copy of their resume to recruitment@hendersoncollegate.org

 

 Name of the Company: Vance County Social Services

Jobs Available: Multiple positions open

Method of Contact:  Please go to county website at www.vancecounty.org for more information

 

Name of the Company: Vance County Sheriff’s Department is urgently hiring

Jobs Available:  Deputies,  Investigator,  School Resource Officers,  Office Administrative Assistant and Detention Officers

Method of Contact:  For more information please contact the Sheriff’s office at 252-738-2200 or go by the office in person at 156 Church Street Suite 004, Henderson

 

Name of the Company: Kerr-Tarr Regional Council of Government

Jobs Available: Aging Specialist

Method of Contact: For Interested applicants call or go by one of your area NC Works Centers 

 

Name of the Company:  Hollander Sleep Products

Jobs Available:   Packer 1 and Truck Lift Operator

Method of Contact:  If interested please contact NC Works Job Center

 

Name of the Company: Select Products Holdings

Jobs Available: Mechanic

Method of Contact:  If interested please contact NC Works Job Center

 

Some of these businesses are present or past advertisers of WIZS.  Being an ad client is not a condition of being listed or broadcast.  This is not a paid ad.

 

TownTalk: Bishop Works To Help The Next Generation Of Law Enforcement Officers

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Brandon Bishop wants to make sure that the cadets in the basic law enforcement training classes he oversees understand some key concepts about what it means to be a police officer.

Bishop wants the officers-in-training to have the communication tools they need in order to avoid having to use a weapon or other means of force when they’re on duty.

As director of Basic Law Enforcement Training and Law Enforcement Training at Vance-Granville Community College, he brings the experience of almost two decades in uniform with the Henderson Police Department. He was a lieutenant for six years and he holds a degree in social work.

Bishop is implementing some of those “soft” skills into the BLET classes, including courses like “Duty to Intercede,” “Surviving Verbal Conflict,” and “Facilitating Mental Health Training.”

He described the program on Tuesday’s Town Talk with John C. Rose and said tomorrow’s law enforcement officers must be able to interact with citizens – it’s important to be able to talk to people, get to know them and understand them. Basic communication skills are a must-have to achieve the goal, he said.

Most folks who pursue law enforcement as a career are service-oriented people, he said. Helping people and helping to make a difference in their communities are just part of a profession that provides “the integrity and status they’re looking for,” Bishop said.

Obviously, police officers are charged with enforcing the law, but through effective communication, law enforcement officers also can help people make good choices.

(VGCC PHOTO) – VGCC Basic Law Enforcement Training Class 112 graduates included, in front (from left), Jose Angel Deleon and Jennifer Quick; and in back (from left), Reed Danehy, Kameron Gregory, Regina Andranowska and LeDrevion Richardson; not pictured: Kaleb Evans

“We try to get them to understand that we all need to get along,” Bishop said. “The best way to do that is to help each other through our problems. I try to teach our cadets that we’re more there to help people solve their problems than to solve them for them.”

It’s not all theory and lecture in the program, Bishop said. The cadets use a firearms simulator, which he describes as a giant, 3-D video game, that trains cadets and agency officers in the use of force options. It’s a way to reinforce what they’ve learned in the classroom about communication, which can de-escalate a situation before it gets out of hand. The goal is “to alleviate our use of force incidents and injury to officers and others they are dealing with,” Bishop said. It gives cadets a chance to see exactly what they may face on the street.

Similarly, a driver training simulator allows for cadets and experienced officers as well the chance to get initial training or a refresher on driving vehicles to avoid obstacles all the way to driving in pursuit or other emergency situations. “It’s as close to real-life situations as possible, without the inherent dangers,” Bishop said.

During his time with the Henderson department, he was primarily assigned to the patrol division. He also was a supervisor for the Street Crime unit and the interdiction team and spent 15 years on the department’s tactical team – a team he helped to create and on which he worked all positions, including team commander.

And now, he’s helping guide cadets and prepare the next generation of law enforcement officers to deal effectively with the communities they will serve and protect.

“It’s a challenging career, but it’s a rewarding career,” he said.

The next class is scheduled to begin Jan. 18, 2022 and will wrap up in mid-May. Interested in learning more? Contact Bishop at bishopb@vgcc.edu or phone 919.738.3263. Visit www.vgcc.edu to see more about the BLET program.

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Optimist Club: No Christmas Tree Sale This Year

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The Henderson Optimist Club Christmas tree lot has been a fixture on Dabney Drive for many years. But this year, the community will have one less spot to shop for their annual holiday evergreen – the Optimists won’t be in operation.

Club President Tommy Farmer sent a brief statement to WIZS News, citing “logistical ordering issues” as the reason for not having the tree sale.

“It saddens us to know that many of our loyal customers will be looking for their trees elsewhere,” he stated. “We know that the community looks forward to our traditional tree lot and we apologize for any inconvenience.”

Christmas Tree Selection and Care

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Listen live at 100.1 FM / 1450 AM / or on the live stream at WIZS.com at 11:50 a.m. Mon, Tues & Thurs.

Choosing a Christmas tree can be a fun activity for the whole family to enjoy, whether perusing a lot full of cut firs and pines or whether venturing out to a tree farm where the perfect seasonal addition to your home décor awaits.

Wayne Rowland, Vance County Cooperative Extension’s  natural resources technician, has some suggestions to make sure consumers get the best bang for the buck. Tree prices, like so many other items, are higher this year.

Live, cut trees are completely recyclable. But they also are perishable. To make sure trees hold their needles through the Christmas season, they should get water regularly and stay in a cool spot.

Trees, of course, come in all heights, but they also receive a grade, depending on their shape and fullness. If your tree is going to be visible from all sides, you may want to purchase a #1, or premium grade tree; if you’re putting it in a corner with only a couple of sides visible, perhaps a #2 grade will suffice. Foliage density, color and fragrance are additional factors to consider.

A ball-and-burlap tree is another option for those in search of a Christmas tree – the tree’s roots are literally wrapped in burlap for planting in the landscape after being enjoyed over Christmas in your home. Rowland reminds consumers to make sure that the tree you select will survive in this climate.

The Local Skinny! Click It or Ticket Is Underway

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The Click It or Ticket campaign is now underway for the extended Thanksgiving holiday period and will be in effect through Sunday, Nov. 28.

During Click It or Ticket enforcement and education campaigns, law enforcement agencies increase the number of patrols and officers in an area, set up checking stations, and use local media to reach out to drivers.

The campaign, which runs from Monday, Nov. 22-Sunday, Nov. 28, aims to encourage motorists to buckle up through innovative and extensive enforcement and education, including seatbelt checks in all North Carolina counties.

Lack of seatbelt use is a primary contributor to fatalities and injuries in vehicle crashes. In 2021 in North Carolina, 450 people have died and 926 have been seriously injured in unbuckled crashes, according to information from the Governor’s Highway Safety Program.

Of course, wearing seatbelts is the law. Violators of North Carolina’s seat belt law​ are fined $180​​ (or $266 if a passenger under age 16​ is not properly restrained). That doesn’t include the potential cost of a lost life.

“The simple act of buckling your seatbelt in the front and back seats can drastically improve your chances of surviving a car crash without injury or death,” said Governor’s Highway Safety Program Director Mark Ezzell. “With many more motorists traveling for the holidays, it’s imperative that we all do our parts to keep ourselves, our passengers and others safe on the roads.”

North Carolina’s Click It or Ticket campaign was the first in the nation and is now used as the model by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Even with its success, more than 11,900 people have lost their lives since 1993 because they did not take a couple of seconds to buckle up.

Some other ways motorists can drive safely this holiday season include:

  • Buckling up – every seat, every time.
  • Obey all speed limits.
  • Never drive impaired, tired or distracted.

For more safety tips, follow @NCGHSP on Facebook and @NC_GHSP on Twitter and Instagram. For more information, visit www.ncghsp.org​.