The Local Skinny! Vance Granville Community Band Plans Christmas Concert

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Press “pause” on your holiday decorating and shopping for about an hour on Monday, Dec. 12 and head over to McGregor Hall – Brian Miller says you won’t be disappointed.

Miller conducts the Vance Granville Community band, which will be performing a free community concert beginning at 7:30 p.m.

He understands the importance of timing – he’s been a high school band instructor for 30 years – and he said he always remembers advice his Mom gave him: “Keep it short. Make the audience want more, not wish the thing were over,” he told John C. Rose on Monday’s segment of The Local Skinny!

“We’re not going to keep you long,” Miller said, adding that the performance would be “an evening of nostalgic enjoyment.”

Selections include holiday music, but there are sure to be some toe-tappin’ favorites, including some good ol’ fashioned band marches and an overture based on folk songs from Mexico as well. And who knows? Miller said there just may be a special visitor at the end of the concert.

“We’re a very traditional band playing very traditional music,” Miller said, adding that “bands should play marches and traditional things – things that sound good!”

The band consists of about 30 members, and Miller said they’re always looking for more.

“We’d love to have you join us,” he said. Ages range from students all the way up to “folks in very much their adult years.”

Practice takes place on Monday evenings, from 7 p.m. to about 8:30 p.m. and will resume after the holidays at VGCC’s Main Campus in Henderson.

 

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TownTalk: Aycock School Festival of Lights is This Week

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Aycock Elementary’s 3rd annual Festival of Lights is almost here! The campus transforms into a glittery, shining drive-through experience sure to put folks in the holiday spirit.

Whether you prefer Who-ville or Polar Express, Aycock Principal Kristen H. Boyd said there’s something magical about the lights display. “It’s a lot of work, but it’s a really fun time,” Boyd said in a recent interview. The two-night event kicks off on Wednesday, Dec. 7 and continues on Thursday, Dec. 8, with vehicles driving through from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

This event is free and open to the community; donations will be accepted, with proceeds going to the festival of lights fund, as well as supporting various school clubs for the students.

Boyd said some of the school’s clubs include a garden club, an Imagineering club, as well as clubs for art and engineering.

Some display favorites are back – like Who-ville and Polar Express, but a new display called Santa’s Workshop will make its debut in this year’s event.

Vehicles will enter via the Aycock Rec Center, Sandlin noted, adding that there’s a specific traffic pattern to follow that will weave onlookers through the various light displays.

Boyd said turnout was great the past two years, and she hopes this year’s festival of lights will be bigger and better attended than ever.

The festival of lights is a way to give back to families in the community, and it’s also a time to give folks a chance to experience the result of teachers’ collaboration.

 

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TownTalk: Sheriff Curtis Brame Sworn In; Begins Second Term

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Vance County Sheriff Curtis Brame officially began his second term of office today, after a swearing-in ceremony that took place at the Vance County Courthouse at 11 a.m. Monday.

The oath of office was administered in the presence of retired judge Randolph Baskerville.

Henderson Police Chief Marcus Barrow was one of the speakers during today’s swearing-in ceremony. He said he is proud of their close working relationship when it comes to protecting Vance County and Henderson and keeping residents safe.

In his remarks, Barrow said he picked up on a theme that Baskerville had mentioned in his remarks at the beginning of the ceremony: Character, the judge said, is doing the right thing when nobody is looking.

“I wanted to build off of what the judge had said,” Barrow told WIZS News by telephone Monday. So he added, “Character is doing the right thing when everybody is looking.”

He said that is what Brame does – he makes decisions that the public may not understand, but it’s “still…the right choice, even though it might not be the popular choice.”

“Sometimes we can’t tell the public why we make the decisions we make,” Barrow said.

In previous interviews with WIZS News, Brame has said his office needs more funding to try to fill job openings, and he has been vocal about the need for a new jail. He also has strongly stated to the community that parents need to play a role in the lives of youth in the area, and helping to keep them out of trouble and off the radar of law enforcement.

 

 

Henderson Physician Installed as President of State Association of Family Physicians

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Shauna Guthrie, MD, MPH, FAAFP, a Henderson family physician, is the new president of the North Carolina Academy of Family Physicians.

Guthrie was installed last weekend at the association’s annual meeting in Asheville, which was attended by more than 700 family physicians, family medicine residents and medical students, according to a press statement from NCAFP

She will serve a one-year term, according to information released Friday.

In her inaugural address to NCAFP members, Guthrie stressed the versatility of family physicians. “I just really love being a family physician,” she said. “There are so many roles we can play, scopes we can practice, and places we can go…. We are family physicians. We are smart enough to manage complicated patients but can still explain concepts in a way non-doctors can understand; we try to see the whole picture; and we’re nimble enough to change entire workflows when global pandemics happen so we can still care for our patients. We are unique unicorns, and we get to do the coolest things.”

Before coming to North Carolina, Guthrie was an active member of the New Hampshire Academy of Family Physicians, where she served as the resident representative to the board. She has been on the board of the NCAFP for the past seven years and this year served as the president-elect of the NCAFP Executive Committee. She enjoys giving back to the profession by teaching medical students and residents.

Guthrie completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Kansas and attended medical school at the Drexel University College of Medicine. She completed residency training in family medicine at the New Hampshire Dartmouth Family Medicine Residency. After finishing her family medicine residency, Guthrie stayed in New Hampshire to complete the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Leadership Preventive Medicine Residency, where she also completed her Master’s in Public Health degree with a focus on quality improvement. She recently opened her own private practice, Sunflower Direct Primary Care in downtown Henderson to provide the kind of care she has always dreamed of. She currently serves as the chief medical officer for Maria Parham Health and medical director at Granville-Vance Public Health.

Guthrie lives in Henderson, where she enjoys music, reading, cooking and caring for her dog and chickens.

“American Pickers” Returning To NC, Looking For Local Collectors

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The TV show “American Pickers” is planning a return trip to North Carolina early next year and producers are already putting out feelers in hopes of turning up some unique finds to feature on the show.

Crews are planning to film episodes of the show in February 2023, according to information from Meredith Ball, one of the show’s producers. The show, which airs on The History Channel, is a documentary series that explores the world of antiques “picking.” Crews film “pickers” as they hunt for valuable antiques across the country.

“The way we find people and collections for our show is through spreading the word far and wide so that people know we’re coming to town,” Ball stated.

“…the Pickers are on a mission to recycle and rescue forgotten relics,” she continued. “Along the way, they want to meet characters with remarkable and exceptional items (with the) hope to give historically significant objects a new lease on life while learning a thing or two about America’s past along the way.”
One important note to consider is that the show only chooses individual collectors and do not consider stores, flea markets, museums, auctions or other retail outlets open to the public.

Private collectors or others with an “accumulation of antiques” should contact show representatives at americanpickers@cineflix.com and make sure to include your full name, city/state, contact information and a brief description of items in your collection.

Phone 646.493.2184 or click here to find them on Facebook.

Choosing The Right Christmas Tree For You

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With those Thanksgiving leftovers slowly clearing out of refrigerators, thoughts turn from one holiday season to the next. And for many, that means choosing and decorating a Christmas tree.

Some households choose to blend the two seasons, trimming the tree as soon as the Thanksgiving table has been cleared. Others, however, prefer to wait until the calendar turns to December to begin decorating their homes for Christmas.

Choosing a Christmas tree can be a lot of fun for families – whether you go to a choose-and-cut farm or wander among the plentiful firs and pines that wait to be chosen in lots that pop up at this time of year.

Vance County Cooperative Extension’s Wayne Rowland has a few tips to keep in mind when selecting a live tree:

  • Decide where the tree will be placed – if it will be in a corner, you don’t necessarily need a tree that looks good from all sides. You may need to look for a #1 premium grade tree if all sides of the tree will be visible.
  • If you choose a balled and burlap tree to plant in your landscape after the holidays, remember to choose a type that will live in this climate. Pines, cedars and cypress may fit the bill.

Keep the trees well watered while they are being displayed in the home – it will help them stay fresher longer. Remember, however, that cut trees will dry out in heated homes, so look for the freshest ones. Close floor vents that may be near the tree and consider putting up the tree in a cooler part of the house to extend the tree’s freshness.

Almost all counties in North Carolina can grow Christmas trees, but the popular Fraser firs can only grow in the mountains and are shipped nationwide.

In addition to the Fraser fir, other native grown trees include white pine, Virginia pine, red cedar and Leyland Cypress. The different species of trees have different characteristics, so be prepared to consider what’s important to you in the tree you choose: is it foliage density, color or fragrance that you most desire?

Plenty of growers have their own retail lots during the holiday season, and there are many charitable organizations and civic groups that use Christmas tree sales as fundraisers.

But choose-and-cut farms offer families an“experience” that could include activities for everyone to enjoy.

Learn About TROSA’s Recovery Program At Dec. 13 Event

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Jesse Battle is senior director of community partnerships for TROSA, a multi-year recovery program for individuals with substance use disorders.

Battle will be in Henderson on Dec. 13 at Baskerville’s Funeral Home Chapel to speak about TROSA, which stands for Triangle Residential Options for Substance Abusers.

The program begins at 6 p.m. and will be held at the funeral home, located at 104 S. Chestnut St., according to information from Charlie Baskerville, Jr.

TROSA, a cost-free option for all North Carolinians, serves as a national model for recovery programs. Founded in 1994, TROSA is an award-winning and licensed multi-year residential program providing care for men and women with substance use disorders for more than 25 years.

TROSA is a free treatment program and participants do not need insurance.

Designed to take two years to complete, the TROSA program gives residents the time, tools and services to learn and practice living in recovery, according to written information provided by TROSA.

Participants receive housing, meals, clothing and essential daily-care items during the program, and also get vocational and life skills training opportunities, medical care – including dental and vision care – as well as counseling and daily therapeutic activities and mentorship opportunities.

To learn more about TROSA, call 833.408.7672 or visit www.trosa.org.

 

 

NCWorks

TownTalk: NCWorks Job Fair

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The NC Works Career Center is having an end-of-year career fair on Friday, Dec. 9 at its new location, 826 S. Garnett St. More than a dozen representatives from numerous employers will be on hand to share information with individuals looking for employment.

“This will be a fun and exciting event and the perfect way to start a new career before the holidays,” said Desiree Brooks, business services manager for KTCOG workforce development board.

The job fair will be held in the parking lot of the agency’s new facility, and will include employers from manufacturing, health care, IT and more.

The event will be held from 12 noon to 4 p.m. and features employment opportunities across the five-county region served by Kerr-Tar: Vance, Granville, Warren, Franklin and Person, Brooks said in an email to WIZS News.

 “There will be opportunities for everyone,” Brooks said. “If anyone needs additional assistance, they can easily access the new NCWorks Career Center and learn about additional services while they are there.” She said employers are eager to meet qualified candidates and discuss what they do and the positions they have available.

Brooks said RJ’s Grill will be on hand with food to purchase

For more information about NCWorks, visit www.facebook.com/NCWorksKT

or www.kerrtarworks.com or phone the NCWorks Career Center at 252.598.5200.

 

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