Terry Garrison

TownTalk: Garrison Seeks 4th Term, Discusses Water, Sewer Projects In District 32

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Several towns in the area have recently received state and federal funding to make improvements to water and wastewater services, and N.C. Rep. Terry Garrison said it was important to him to make sure projects in his district were on the state’s “radar” to get that much-needed money.

Garrison is seeking his fourth term as a legislator representing District 32, which includes Vance, Warren and most of Granville counties. He faces challenger Frank Sossamon in the November midterm elections.

Although the General Assembly is in recess right now, Garrison told John C. Rose Tuesday that it’s less of a vacation and more of a quasi-adjournment. Legislators regularly are called back into session, not necessarily to take votes, but to hear information and discuss issues. In fact, they were called back last week. “We can pretty much expect to go back each month through December to address matters,” Garrison said.

When legislators are called back into session, you need to be ready, he said. “You never know what may occur in your absence.”

Garrison, along with colleagues, was able to secure millions of dollars in funding to help several municipalities in the district with water and water treatment projects. The city of Henderson has gotten more than $10 million from a couple of different funding streams, the legislator explained.

One $5 million allotment is for the Kerr Lake Regional Water System and a second $5.4 million comes from the American Rescue Plan and was awarded through the state’s Department of Environmental Quality.

The ARP appropriation was dedicated to address drinking water and wastewater projects, he said. “Our situation was severe enough to qualify us to receive the money,” Garrison noted.

“I yelled as loud as I could to make sure persons were aware of our critical needs,” he continued.

During the most recent long session, as it’s called, legislators made history, Garrison said. “The last session was the longest in the history” of the General Assembly. It convened in January 2021 and didn’t adjourn until March 2022. “It was extensive and it was intense,” Garrison recalled.

Then the “short session” began in May. Although the bulk of the work of the state House and Senate has been done, there are matters that are lingering, he said. “We’ll just have to see how it goes – we’re on standby.”

He said he’s hopeful about the possibility of Medicaid expansion, which had been a sticking point in getting the most recent state budget passed. “It does appear that we’re back on track to get something on Medicaid expansion,” he said, adding that the fate of the issue most likely will be determined by the November elections.

Garrison said he voted for the budget, despite its shortcomings. “We absolutely needed to have a budget,” he said.

Before heading off to Raleigh to represent House District 32, Garrison had been dean of workforce development at Vance-Granville Community College. His realty firm, Tegarris Associates has been in business for more than 40 years. Much of that time, Garrison served as a Vance County commissioner.

“I stand for democratic principles and values, and I stand for you,” he said. In addition to being a proponent of Medicaid expansion, Garrison said education, jobs that pay a liveable wage, the expansion of rural broadband internet access are other top-of-mind issues for him.

Adequate and appropriate funding for schools, teachers and for community colleges are vital to the state’s education system. And although he acknowledges that charter schools and private schools both have a place in the education system, he does not favor using public funds to pay for families to send their children to private schools.

He is an advocate for affordable housing, as well as services for veterans the elderly. In addition, he supports community development – and redevelopment efforts.

“I will always play the game fair,” he said.

Subscribe to Garrison’s monthly newsletter to stay on top of legislative updates. Email terry.garrison@ncleg.gov to learn more. And he said constituents are always welcome to phone his office at 919.733.5824.

 

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Vance Sheriff’s Office, Kerr-Tar COG Host Bike Rodeo Aug. 13

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The Vance County Sheriff’s Office is teaming up with the Kerr-Tar COG to host a bike safety rodeo on Saturday, Aug. 13 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The rodeo is designed to test bike-handling skills of children ages 4 to 15 and will be held in the parking lot of the Vance County Courthouse, 156 Church St. in Henderson.

Participants may bring their own bikes, but there also will be bicycles available to borrow for the rodeo.

There will be a free helmet giveaway, as well as goodie bags, Pelican’s snoballs and more!

For more information, contact the sheriff’s office at 252.425.0933.

The Local Skinny! Jobs In Vance 08-02-22

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The H-V Chamber of Commerce and WIZS, Your Community Voice, present Jobs in Vance for August 2, 2022. 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 Michele@hendersonvance.org to be included.

Business Name – Henderson Collegiate School

Job Opening –  Work at a high performing NC K-12 public charter school serving over 1300 students in Henderson.  Offering a $2000 teacher signing bonus.  Immediate openings for the following positions:  Elementary Lead Teacher, Elementary Teacher Assistant, High School ACT Prep Teacher, High School English Teacher, High School Spanish Teacher, College Counselor, Middle School Art Teacher, Middle School Science Teacher, ESL Teacher, Special Education Teacher, and many other positions.

How To Apply – Contact Kate Liddle, Director of Talent Acquisition by phone 252-820-2070.  Email resume to kliddle@hendersoncollegiate.org .  Apply online at Careers Page, https://hendersoncollegiate.org

 

Business Name – Accounts Receivable Clerk

Job Opening –  An Accounts Receivable Clerk is needed to research and process unapplied payments, credits, and past due balances following new ERP system implementation.  Provide support to the Accounting Department in collecting payments and working with past due accounts.  Excellent data entry skills required.  Applicants need to have strong written and verbal communication skills, telephone and customer service skills.  Acumatica experience preferred.  High School Diploma or equivalent required.  Associates Degree preferred.  Full-Time. Salary is $14-$16 per hour.

How To Apply – Contact Michele Walker at Huff Consulting LLC – Email your resume to michele.walker@huff-consulting.com.  Or apply online at their website  https://huffgrp.com .

 

Business Name – Vance-Granville Community College

Job Opening –  Senior Accountant Position.  The position requires supervisory oversight and responsibility for the financial accounting of accounts payable, payroll, and Foundation operations and activities of the college.  Duties are focused on performing detail-orientated accounting work.  This position supervises a staff of three employees and reports to the Associate Vice President of Finance.

How To Apply –  Apply online at https://www.vgcc.edu, click on top tab jobs@vgcc.  Or contact Kevin Tompkins, VGCC Human Resources Department at 252-492-2061 or email resume to tompkinsk@vgcc.edu.

 

Business Name – Vance County Government

Job Opening –  Multiple positions are open with the Vance County Government.  These include, but not limited to:  Senior Center Program Assistant IV and Social Worker II; Social Services Accounting Specialists I, Social Work Program Administrator II, Processing Assistants; Fire Department part-time firefighters/engineers; and EMS full and part time Paramedics.

How To Apply – Apply online at www.vancecounty.org, or email resume to Argretta Johen, Director of Human Resources at  ajohen@vancecounty.org.

 

 

Business Name – Maria Parham Health

Job Opening –  Lab Phlebotomist Position Open.  $500 Sign on bonus for qualified candidates.  Various shifts available.  Experience is preferred.

How To Apply – Apply online at www.mariaparham.com/careers.

 

Business Name – NC Works in Vance, Granville, Franklin, Warren, and Person Counties – Job Fair

Job Opening – Multiple job openings will be available from 25+ employers on site at Hix Complex, 313 East Spring Street, Oxford, NC on Wednesday, August 10th from 10 am – 2 pm.  This is an excellent opportunity to bring multiple copies of your resume and talk one-on-one with area business and industry who have many job openings.  There will be drawings for gift cards and prizes for those attending and registering.

How To Apply – For additional information, contact NC Works at 252-438-6129.

 

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.

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The Local Skinny! Turning Point CDC Sponsors Community Day

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The 12th annual Community Day, sponsored by Oasis of Hope Ministries and Turning Point CDC, is shaping up to provide fun, food and free stuff for families across the four-county area.

The free, outdoor event will take place Saturday, Aug. 6 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at their location on Old Norlina Road, just across from Skipper’s Forsyth’s, said Kate Delahanty, director of community engagement for Turning Point CDC.

Thanks to a recent school supply drive, there will be more than 120 backpacks loaded and ready for distribution on a first come, first served basis, Delahanty said on Monday’s segment of The Local Skinny!

In addition to children’s activities, there will be numerous vendors and agencies present to share educational resources and provide information to families.

“Each year, it’s just gotten bigger and bigger,” Delahanty said of the Community Day. COVID-19 cancelled the 2020 event, and Delahanty said the group was excited to return in 2021 to bring communities together and have a day of celebration. The Community Day is “a way to engage the communities we serve,” she said.

Attendees who come hungry have their choice of several different food trucks, including Chewly Delicious Jamaican, Soul bachi – a fusion of Soul Food and Hibachi-style Japanese food and Dessert Lewis Express ice cream.

Comedian Annie Perry will perform standup at 10:30 a.m. and then Michelle Ragland Wright will get folks moving with a Zumba class at 12:30 p.m. DJ Reese will provide music throughout the day, Delahanty said, as children and adults alike enjoy lawn games and a fun new scavenger hunt. Guests will visit various vendors to get answers to questions on the scavenger hunt card and then turn in the cards for prizes.

“We’re always thinking of new ideas for the next event,” Delahanty said. She offered special thanks to the 2022 sponsors, PNC and WellCare.

Visit https://www.turningpointcdc.org/ to learn more or follow the group on Facebook.

 

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Perry Memorial Library

TownTalk: Perry Library Plans Community Read Program

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The idea of a “community read” is pretty basic: Invite the community to read the same book and then come together to discuss it.

That’s exactly what is happening now at Perry Memorial Library, and Assistant Director Christy Bondy said the library has the chosen book – “The Best of Enemies” – in a variety of formats to accommodate readers’ preferences.

The book is based on a true story that took place in Durham, Bondy told Bill Harris Monday on Town Talk. The title refers to a friendship between a Black woman and a Ku Klux Klan member who found common ground against the backdrop of the Civil Rights Movement.

Published in 2007, the Osha Gray Davidson book was made into a movie that came out in 2019. Bondy said all are invited to read the book now and then come to the library on Aug. 23 at 5 p.m. for a discussion and then settle in to watch the movie, which stars Taraji P. Henson and Sam Rockwell.

Bondy has read the book and seen the movie, and said although she gives the movie a “thumbs up,” she will usually prefer reading a book to watching the movie. But that’s just her bias showing – she’s been around books since she was 5 or 6 years old, helping her mother behind the circulation desk of her hometown public library. She parlayed her lifelong passion for books into a career, joining the Perry Memorial Library staff in November 2020.

The role of libraries continues to evolve, Bondy said, but she predicts that the traditional book checkout will never go out of fashion.

She said the library has a great digital collection available for patrons. The community read book, for example, is available in ebook and audio formats – in addition to the 25 physical copies at the library. She said 7 or 8 have been checked out so far, and she can access other copies from a consortium of libraries that loan books to one another.

“Most people see libraries as a warehouse for books,” she said. While patrons can certainly still come in and choose a physical book from a physical shelf, there’s access to a digital collection of materials, too.

“We will continue to have the traditional format and the digital format” for book checkouts, but there’s so much more to consider than just books.

Bondy said patrons can check out board games, sensory kits and other hands-on interactive materials – even ukuleles.

“Libraries are really transforming,” she said, adding that staff has been doing some strategic planning to be able to provide even more services, such as a podcast studio and a learning garden.

There’s a lot of grant funding to support libraries, and Bondy said grant money was used for the the community read project. Look for more community read projects in the future; Bondy said she hopes to gather feedback and information to develop a series for mid-winter to spring, including intergenerational programming that takes a common theme and chooses titles for different ages of readers.

Learn more at https://www.perrylibrary.org/ or phone 252.438.3316.

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Terry Garrison

Henderson Gets $5.4 Million For Water, Wastewater Projects

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An additional $5.4 million is set to flow into the City of Henderson to target drinking water and wastewater projects, most of which will go to fund the Sandy Creek Basin Sewer Rehab project.

The money comes from the American Rescue Plan Act and the state Water Infrastructure Authority approved funding for the local projects, according to information from the office of Rep. Terry Garrison, who serves District 32 – Vance, Granville and Warren counties.

In addition to $5 million designated for the Sandy Creek project, two allotments of $200,000 each were awarded to the city to conduct asset inventories and assessment planning for both water and wastewater.

“I am happy to see this critical funding come from the Department of Environmental Quality to Henderson,” Rep. Terry Garrison said. “Clean water is essential for every North Carolinian. This money is going to help Henderson ensure that everyone has access to clean, safe water.”

City Manager Terrell Blackmon told WIZS News Friday that this money will be used to address excess water that flows into sewer pipes from groundwater and stormwater, known as “infiltration and overflow.”

The $5 million is added to $2.5 million, zero interest loan the city got last year from the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality, Blackmon said.

“The other $400,000 will be used to perform a water study centered around inspecting our water lines…(to) help us better map our system,” he added.

Granville and Warren counties also received chunks of money for improvements to their water systems, Garrison’s office noted.

The City of Oxford got more than $9.5 million to fund sewer system improvements and the South Granville Water and Sewer Authority was awarded $150,000.

Warren County got money for three projects totaling $745,000. The breakdown includes two planning grants: a $189,500 planning grant for a regional elevated storage tank and a $400,000 pre-construction planning grant for the Eatons Ferry sewer extension and $155,500 for the Pleasant Hill pump station replacement.

Community Partners of Hope

Men’s Shelter Opening One Month Early On Path To 12-Month Operation

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The local men’s shelter has gotten the green light to open its doors for an extra month, putting the group a step closer to realizing its dream of being open year-round for those in need.

The shelter, based at the First Presbyterian Church in downtown Henderson, is an outreach of Community Partners of Hope.

In previous years, the shelter was open from November through March, with the hope of being able to expand services and there is a campaign underway now to raise the $133,225 needed to make the dream a reality. To date, more than $15,000  has been raised.

Visit the Dream Team Fundraiser Link Here.  

Information in the recent CPOH newsletter stated that Darryl Jones will continue as shelter manager and Josh Stokes will manage weekend duties, but the shelter continues to need volunteers to partner with paid staff to keep things running smoothly. The group is looking at the possibility of adding another paid overnight supervisor.

Community Network Specialist Delthine Watson is pursuing grant opportunities, as well as possible collaboration with other agencies and partners. Watson is available to speak to church and civic groups to share the mission and vision of CPOH. Contact her at specialist.cpoh@gmail.com or 919.339.1462 to learn more.