Franklin County Horse Farm Tour Celebrates 25th Year

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The 25th annual Franklin County Horse Farm Tour is scheduled for Friday, Aug. 6, 2021. This event has something for everyone interested in the local horse industry, whether you are looking for ideas to construct your own facility or you want to see what other types of equine operations are in the area.

The tour is from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. and includes stops at three barns in the area as well as a catered lunch, according to information from organizer Martha Mobley, Franklin County agriculture extension agent. Mobley and the local horse advisory committee work hard each year to showcase all types of horse facilities, from large show barns to backyard horseowners.

This year’s stops include Hidden Pond Farm in Youngsville, Two Grey Farm in Franklinton and LT Stables near Zebulon.

In addition to touring the facilities, each stop will have a featured speaker who will discuss topics ranging from hoof care to county zoning, pasture maintenance to fire ant control.

The tour will begin with check-in at the Franklin County Cooperative Extension Center, 103 S. Bickett Blvd. in Louisburg and will end with lunch at Old Mule Hay & Feed Facility in Zebulon. The tour is free, but registration is required.

To register online, visit https://franklin.ces.ncsu.edu/ or phone the extension office at 919.496.3344.

For complete details and audio click play.

 

Town Talk: Carolina Weight Loss Centers Support Clients As They Make Healthy Lifestyle Changes, Lose Pounds

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There is no secret to weight loss – it’s a simple matter of consuming fewer calories than your body burns. But if the answer is as simple as that, why is it so darned difficult to do?

Diane Varnadore, a nurse practitioner and director of Carolina Weight Loss in Henderson, said her medically assisted weight loss program takes a holistic approach that can help clients achieve their goals, with some added benefits, to boot.

“Most people cannot lose weight unless they have someone to help and guide them,” Varnadore said, adding that her center offers clients access to professionals who are passionate and dedicated to that mission makes a big difference.

Carolina Weight Loss centers offer ways to make lifestyle changes – “this is not a crash diet – it’s not a fad diet,” she said.

There are now 10 Carolina Weight Loss offices – the closest ones are here in Henderson, with centers in Oxford and Warrenton, too, Varnadore told John C. Rose on Monday’s Town Talk program.

The initial consultation fee is $100, and medical professionals create a meal and activity plan based on information about family history, medications and lifestyle. The low-fat, low-calorie meal plan has added benefits of lowering cholesterol, and can also help lower blood pressure and blood sugar, Varnadore said. Clients who join for  $100 a month come in weekly for check-ins and other services that the center provides.

“The biggest thing is to get the patient on board with the diet and then we see them weekly,” she said. “Ideally, everyone wants to see their weight go down,” but increased exercise builds muscle, which weighs more than fat. Carolina Weight Loss uses a method not always used in weight-loss offices that provides feedback to the client about their progress. The feedback helps keep clients motivated. “Also, just seeing a medical professional weekly to encourage them to follow up…is very effective,” she said.

Obesity is a medical diagnosis, and Varnadore reminds that weighing too much can put people at higher risk for other serious illnesses including some types of cancer, heart disease and stroke. Losing weight is “something you have to do for yourself,” she said. “It’s a medical necessity to reduce your co-morbidity with these other diagnoses.”

Carolina Weight Loss offers shots of B-12 and other all-natural products used to suppress appetite and decrease the fat content in the body. Some of those weight-loss medications can also lower blood sugar, she added.

“It’s really been exciting,” Varnadore said of the success of the business and opening additional locations, as far away as Rocky Mount and Goldsboro. “Most of our patients are referred by another patient,” she said. “They already know someone who’s had excellent results – they’ve heard about, they’ve seen it first-hand.”

Other services the centers offer include types of body sculpting procedures – one is called Ultra Shape, which uses ultrasonic wave to permanently destroy fat cells. A second is called Bella Shape, which is a body contouring process. It costs about $500 for three sessions. Both are non-invasive procedures; Varnadore said these are for people who have already lost weight but may want a little help to address particular areas where stubborn fat remains.

The Henderson office is open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays. Thursday visits are by appointment only – that is usually the day for new patient consults, which can take up to an hour to complete. The centers take physican referrals, but do not file insurance. Varnadore said clients can pay with a health savings account card.

To learn more, call 252.430.4375.

(This is not a paid ad. This is not medical advice.)

For complete details and audio click play.

 

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Henderson City Council to Meet Monday

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The Henderson City Council will hold its regular meeting Monday night at 6pm. Items on the agenda include: Amending city code, Chapter 26 Zoning ordinance/subdivision ordinance to comply with North Carolina general Statutes; Authorizing demolition and removal of structures at 832 Champion St., 1022 Maple St. and 553 Spring St., for failure to comply with minimum housing code; Ratifying the submission of a grant application to the bureau of justice assistance for a body-worn camera system; Submission of an application to the U.S. Dept. of Justice, Justice assistance bureau 2020 Justice Assistance Grant to fund Three Watch Guard In Car Video Camera Systems. The City Council meets at the Municipal Building in the Council Chambers, 134 Rose Ave.

Vance Co. Architectural Survey is getting underway

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In March Elizabeth King, Architectural Survey Coordinator at the State Historic Preservation Office, appeared on TownTalk to announce that a comprehensive survey of historic Vance County properties was getting underway. According to an email from King received today by WIZS News, Heather Slane of HMW Preservation in Durham and Cheri Szcodronski (Zoe-Co-Dron-Ski) have been hired to conduct the actual survey of Vance and Person Counties. According to King, both have a great deal of experience not only in historic preservation but in North Carolina history and culture.

Early fieldwork will begin in Henderson and Roxboro in August and September and is tentatively scheduled to be completed by late 2022 or early 2023. Slane and Szcodronski will wait until later in the fall before heading out to rural areas of Vance County as leaves will have fallen allowing for more visibility when surveying properties. The first task will be to review all existing survey files, many of which are 45 years old or older and update these files with what is observed during field work. In early 2022 surveying additional properties in rural Vance and Person Counties will begin. A recent survey of this type was done in Franklin County and has resulted in a book which is currently in the planning stages which will highlight the historic architecture located in that county.

For more information on the survey or to alert them to an historic property contact Elizabeth King at the State Historic Preservation Office at 919-814-6580 or email elizabeth.king@ncdcr.gov.

Literacy Tutors To Help K-3 Students Overcome Loss Of Instructional Time During Pandemic

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The plea from N.C. Education Corps is as simple as A-B-C: school children in grades K-3 need literacy tutors to help overcome lost instructional time during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Applications for paid, part-time tutors are being taken now, but the deadline is July 20, 2021 to be considered for the next wave of tutors that will work in specific counties across the state, including Vance and Granville.

Tutors will commit to work for nine months, according to information received from the non-profit organization, which is “committed to helping all NC students have the support they need to thrive.”

Vance County Schools has openings for 16 literacy tutors; Granville County Public Schools has 6 slots open. The organization hopes to send 250 literacy tutors to more than 20 N.C. counties to work directly with K-3 students during the school day. There also are 3 positions open at Henderson Collegiate; applicants should have a high school diploma and some college experience. The pay rate is $13.15/hour.

The pay in Vance for the tutor position is in the $13.15 – $25 per hour range, depending on experience. Applicants must have at least a high school diploma. In Granville, the pay range is $15-$25 per hour, depending on experience. Applicants must have a minimum of 48 hours of college credit.

The group recruits community college and university students, recent college graduates, retirees, and adults who are actively engaged in their community, with a “special focus on recruiting students from universities and community colleges with teacher prep programs,” according to the statement, with the hope that “young corps members consider a career in public education and public service after working with NCEC and our school partners.”

Visit www.nceducationcorps.org to learn more.

 

 

 

 

 

Granville Chamber Announces Roberson As New Executive Director

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Vance County native Lauren Bennett Roberson has been named the new executive director of the Granville County Chamber of Commerce. Roberson will begin her job on Monday, July 12, according to a press release.

The Chamber’s board of directors made the announcement on Thursday. Roberson is a 2012 graduate of NC State University and has experience in working in a family business, as well as with marketing and social media, the press release stated.

In accepting the position, Roberson told the board she looks forward to working in the community.  “The chamber has and will continue to be a vital part of the county by advocating for our members and shining a spotlight on this thriving community,” Roberson said. “I love Granville County and cannot wait to meet with and show our members and potential members what the Chamber has to offer them.”

The statement from the chamber board said “she brings tremendous energy and enthusiasm to the position as well as an innovative spirit that will serve as a basis for growing and supporting out membership.”

Roberson and husband Colin are members of Island Creek Baptist Church in Vance County. They have one daughter, Everly.

Longtime director Ginnie Currin retired in late 2020, after serving as director since 1997. The chamber board statement said it looks forward to Roberson continuing the work begun under Currin’s leadership.

City, County Animal Ordinances Spell Out Owners’ Responsibilities To Keep Pets Safe

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Pet owners often regard their dogs and cats as members of the family and give their furry companion enough food to eat, proper veterinary care and a roof over their heads. However, recent news stories about the venomous zebra cobra that escaped in Raleigh leave some animal lovers shaking their heads about how to make sure animals – and the neighbors who live near them – stay safe.

Vance County has two animal control ordinances that describe and define adequate, proper treatment and housing of animals, from companion animals to exotic animals like that zebra cobra that had everyone’s attention when it was on the loose.

Vance County Animal Services Director Frankie Nobles told WIZS News Thursday that in his 11 years on the job, his department has had only one dealing with a citizen concerning exotic animals.

Vance County Ordinance #16 is a 9-page document that outlines owner responsibilities for animal care, from rabies vaccinations and adequate shelter to what constitutes a public nuisance and fees associated with violations.

Section 19 of the ordinance describes minimum standards for care of equines, and states that owners must provide adequate shelter, fresh clean water at all times and be fed appropriately. Horses may not be tied or tethered as a means of confinement, the ordinance states.

County Ordinance #28 describes what is required to own a “wild, vicious or exotic” animal in Vance County. There’s a $50 permit fee included in the application and 13 other pieces of detailed information that must be provided to Animal Control before a resident takes possession of an exotic animal. In addition, owners of exotic animals are required to maintain a minimum of $1 million liability insurance in case of injury or property damage, the ordinance states.

Corey Williams, Henderson’s development services director, said the police department typically handles issues with dogs, with assistance from Animal Control. Although there is no leash law in the city limits, there are certain breeds of dogs that, according to city ordinance, must be muzzled when at large. Additionally, the city has a two-dog limit per household.

Visit vancecounty.org to find the complete ordinances. In the Residents tab, click Code of Ordinances and choose IX. General Regulations.

(The text throughout this story includes clickable links to the referenced ordinances.)

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Sons Of American Revolution: Descendants Often Play Detective To Find Lost Graves Of Patriot Heroes

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The Sons of the American Revolution is, first and foremost, a fraternal and civic organization. But its members also are part detective who spend time tracking down clues and uncovering details about individuals who fought for this country’s independence from England.

Bill Riggan, a member of the Halifax Resolves chapter of the SAR, spoke with Bill Harris and Mark Pace on Thursday’s Town Talk tri-weekly history program.

The four-county area is steeped in history, and Riggan said his SAR chapter covers Vance, Granville, Franklin and Warren counties, in addition to several other counties to the north and east.

“It’s a place where we should have a lot of revolutionary era soldiers,” Riggan said. He said the National Society of SAR has 140,000 names and locations of patriots’ gravesites, and a total of 732,000 names of patriots that are available for people to attach themselves to.

Being able to prove that you are a descendant of someone who supported the revolution against the Crown may prove difficult, or at least time-consuming. There are several criteria that must be satisfied for membership to the SAR: any male lineal descendant of someone who wintered at Valley Forge or a signer of the Declaration of Independence may become a member, as well as male descendants of members of the Continental Congress or those who fought in battle during the Revolution.

But civil servants during that era are also considered patriots. “There were a lot of people who helped with the war but didn’t put on a uniform and fight,” he said. Another criterion for membership is being a descendant of a signer of the Oath of Allegiance, a petition that was circulated throughout communities that disavowed the King and supported the revolution.

Although its membership is aging, Riggan said he hopes interest in preserving history will encourage younger men to consider joining.

Several grave-marking ceremonies are scheduled for October in Franklin County, and will include the state SAR color guard, as well as local Boy Scouts and the DAR – Daughters of the American Revolution. The color guard will be in period dress – “it will be very ceremonial, very traditional,” Riggan said. The dates are Saturday, Oct. 16 and Saturday, Oct. 23.

Although the SAR doesn’t maintain gravesites – it relies on families for that –  Riggan said the group strives to identify as many as they can. He encourages anyone with information about possible gravesites  – whether found while combing through family archives or stumbling across a random grave while hunting – to contact him and he can help with verification.

“We want to honor them,” Riggan said of those long-ago patriots, whose final resting places deserve to be cared for and remembered.

Take Harrison Macon, for example. Macon fought in the Revolutionary War and he is buried in Franklin County. The now-defunct Franklin SAR chapter bore his name, thanks to founding member Dr. D.T. Smithwick, a historian from the 1930’s.

Riggan said efforts to reconstruct the records of the former Franklin chapter have turned up details that show Smithwick ordered a headstone from the VA for Macon’s grave. ”We have evidence he did that. He put that on the grave – we know that to be a fact,” Riggan said.

But where?

To learn more about the October grave-marking ceremonies or SAR membership, contact Riggan at 919.495.0706.
For complete details and audio click play.