TownTalk: Thinking Of The Oxford Community
Thoughts about the recent shooting in Oxford.
TownTalk: Huggins To Appear As Ariel At McGregor Hall
As opening night approaches for McGregor Hall’s production of Disney’s “The Little Mermaid,” Victoria Huggins may be the first to say she’s leading a charmed life.
After all, she’s been preparing for the lead role of Ariel in the upcoming stage performance, but that’s not an unfamiliar place for her to be in – she also portrayed Belle in “Beauty and the Beast,” which ran at McGregor Hall in 2018. And she wore a crown in real life just a few years ago, when she was Miss North Carolina.
Huggins spoke with John C. Rose on Monday’s TownTalk and said she is thrilled to be back at McGregor Hall performing in another Disney classic.
Tickets are available at https://www.mcgregorhall.org/ for the six performances Oct. 28-30 and Nov. 4-6. Tickets for a special event for young people, “Under the Sea,” also are available. That event will be held Saturday, Nov. 5 at 6:30 p.m. at McGregor Hall. Tickets are limited, so make your purchase soon!
Schoolchildren from across the state will get first peek at the show with two performances on Thursday – both of which are sold out, Huggins said.
“For some, it will be their first theatrical performance,” she said of the audiences that will be entertained on Thursday.
Ariel will be at Chick-fil-A in Henderson on Tuesday, Nov. 1 for a meet-and-greet of sorts, from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. No purchase is necessary, and children will have a chance to have their pictures taken with the beloved Disney mermaid.
For Huggins, the chance to play a second Disney protagonist has been nothing short of magical.
“I have admired these characters my entire life,” she said. Like so many other young boys and girls, Huggins said she learned wonderful life lessons from watching Ariel and Belle – “they continue to teach us as we become adults,” she said.
Everybody loves Ariel for so many reasons, Huggins explained. “She was courageous to follow her dreams…we all relate to her,” she said.
Huggins was Miss North Carolina in 2017-18 and she said that she recently completed her master’s degree from UNC-Pembroke debt-free because of the scholarships she received.
She now works for the NC Chapter of the Alzheimers Association, her own dream being realized because she is turning a passion into a career. Huggins is keenly interested in the influence of music and the therapeutic effect it has on Alzheimers patients.
Call the McGregor Hall box office at 252.598.0662 to learn more.
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TownTalk: Granville Gears Up For A Spooktacular Halloween And More!
Granville County Tourism Director Angela Allen needs a big calendar, but she may wish she had an even bigger one especially for fall, given all the events that take place across the county between September and the end of the year.
“We are in full swing for (the) fall season,” she told John C. Rose on Thursday’s TownTalk. From pumpkin farms and corn mazes, downtown trick-or-treating to a concert in support of bees, there truly is something for everyone packed in to a short time frame.
Dixon Farms, located just beyond the Granville County Expo Center on Highway 15 South, is open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. A ticket gets you a pumpkin of your choice, not to mention access to all kinds of fun outdoor activities for the youngsters – a petting zoo, corn maze and tractor rides, just to name a few.
Dixon Farms announces their fall festival will take place this Saturday, Oct. 22, beginning at 10 a.m.
A little further down in the southern part of the county, William Lyon opens his pumpkin patch on Saturdays and Sundays (10 a.m. to 6 p.m.) for folks to find the perfect pumpkin, as well as take part in a hay ride and navigate a corn maze. Lyon’s farm is located at 1563 Will Suitt Rd., Creedmoor.
For those who want a little nighttime adventure should drive over to the Granville Haunt Farm, where Grey Blackwell has assembled ghosts and ghouls – benevolent and otherwise – to entertain carloads of folks who drive through.
On Friday and Saturday evenings in October, you can “get a little scare on,” Allen said. This popular destination features scenes from iconic Halloween movies – scary ones and not-so-scary ones, she noted. “It really is a great mixed bag,” she said.
Bonus: The Haunt Farm will be open on Sunday, Oct. 30 and Monday, Oct. 31 to thrill, frighten and entertain.
The star of the Halloween season for many youngsters is trick-or-treating, and families can visit participating downtown retailers in Oxford for their “Spooktacular” between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. Downtown Creedmoor merchants will sponsor their trick-or-treating event from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. and Butner’s Covenant Life Church will be at Butner Athletic Park for a trunk-or-treat from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., where folks can get free kettle corn, cotton candy and hot drinks as they enjoy the various decorated trunks that will fill up the parking lot.
A new event called Bees and Boos will take place at Highrock Farm on Enon Road outside Oxford. The Granville County Beekeepers’ Association is hosting this event, which will be held in two parts – a family fun festival from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and then “a flat-out costume party beginning at 6 p.m. The fun festival is free, and will feature a variety of vendors and a lot of honey-based products, among other activities.
The costume party is a ticketed event and will include a concert by rising Nashville musician Zach Top. Visit https://fb.me/e/2WZSRGiOm to purchase tickets or find the Granville County Beekeepers Association on social media.
Allen said if you’ve always wanted to try mead, honey beer or experience a candy apple bar, this is the event to check all the boxes.
If you have any energy left when October’s events are completed, join the
Granville County Chamber of Commerce for the annual “Cluck ‘N Shuck” seafood extravaganza on Nov. 4 at the Granville County Expo Center. Tickets are $50 and can be purchased by calling the Chamber office at 919.693.6125 or online at https://granville-chamber.com/
The next day, Saturday, Nov. 5 marks the Creedmoor City Golf Championship at South Granville Country Club. This event begins at 8:30 a.m., followed by a 9:30 a.m. shotgun start. The SGCC is partnering with Creedmoor Parks and Recreation and will max out at 80 golfers. Registration is $60 per golfer. Trophies will be awarded for the top players in each division, Allen said.
Bonus: register NOW to play golf and get $10 off the purchase of a Cluck ‘N Shuck ticket.
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Town Talk: The Success Of Show, Shine, Shag And Dine
By all accounts, last weekend’s Show, Shine, Shag & Dine was a success – the perfect fall weather welcomed tens of thousands of people to Vance County and Pam Hester and Norman Dickerson couldn’t be happier.
But they probably are happy that another event is in the rearview mirror, too.
The Vance County Tourism Authority duo spoke Wednesday with John C. Rose on TownTalk to to give a follow-up of all the festivities, which required hours, weeks and months of planning, Hester noted.
Things got underway on Friday with a couple of cruise-ins, one at Satterwhite Point in the afternoon and a second at Charles Bowman’s Southern Classic Cars in downtown Henderson on Friday evening.
Hester estimated more than 200 cars came out to the lake, where lunch was available and a DJ providing music.
“You’d think that it was full,” Hester said, “then a group of cars would leave and another car club would come in.”
Dickerson concurred. “Attendance was excellent – it was one of the largest I can recall seeing in a number of years. Hester said at the height, there were probably 25,000 to 30,000 people on Garnett Street, enjoying food, vendors and, of course, the cars.
“It was packed,” Hester said. “Part of the time it was wall-to-wall people.”
Those who came to downtown Henderson saw a mixture of old, new and new-again events, they said.
One new event was the Jeep Jam, and Hester said 15 Jeeps drove in for the day.
“I think you have to keep the history of the event, but you also have to keep it relevant, and that will make an event stay fresh,” she said.
The Jeep Jam is an example of a new event, and the return of the race cars – more than 16 or so – goes into the “new-again” category.
Comments about the 20th annual event, on social media posts and personal comments into the tourism office, have been overwhelmingly positive, she said.
The 50-some volunteers, along with collaboration from the city and county and the support of the tourism board, all contributed to the festive atmosphere and how smoothly things ran.
And the support from downtown merchants was unsurpassed, Hester said.
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TownTalk: Domestic Violence Awareness Event This Weekend
The statistics are staggering: Every minute in the United States, 20 people are being physically abused by an intimate partner.
In the past year, Vance County’s Emergency 911 received 1,107 calls related to a domestic disturbances or disputes, according to Debbie K. Scott, domestic violence coordinator and gang resource specialist for the Vance County Sheriff’s Office.
Of those calls, 336 were assaults, 70 involved a weapon and unfortunately one of those calls involved the death of a male victim.
These cold, hard facts are just part of the story of domestic violence awareness, and Scott said the sheriff’s office is teaming up with Clearview Church for the 4th annual event to shed light on a subject that for too long has remained in the shadows of society.
The “Think Community” event will begin at 3 p.m. at Clearview Church, located at 3485 Hwy 158 Business in Henderson.
This year’s theme is “Break the Silence – Stop the Violence” and Scott told John C. Rose on Tuesday’s TownTalk that there will be several guest speakers and performers on hand, including pastor Roy Burroughs and the Work In Progress Gospel Choir, Sgt. Myron Alexander with the Vance County Sheriff’s Office and Keisha Valentine, a survivor of domestic violence.
“We’re looking forward to having a great program,” Scott said.
Whether you are a victim of domestic violence or you suspect someone else may be, it’s important to speak up and speak out, Scott said.
Valentine’s son witnessed her attack – she was shot multiple times at point-blank range – and it was her son who phoned 911 to report the incident.
“He was strong enough to speak up and make that call,” Scott recounted. Victims of abuse must not give up, she said. “You have to speak up – you can’t be quiet. You have to stand up against it…(and) try to get help.”
Victims can speak to other family members, a co-worker, a best friend – anyone who can provide support.
Valentine will share her story at Saturday’s event, and Scott said she hopes that others find strength as a result of hearing it.
“Come and break the silence,” she said. “We can put a dent in (domestic violence) and we can confront it.”
Domestic violence may begin with something as simple as hurtful words or disrespect, Scott explained. Saying hurtful things and intimidation tactics can escalate to emotional and physical abuse.
The weekend event is a way for the community to show its support, Scott said. “It’s a way to stand with the victims, support the surviviors, (and) help us continue to educate and confront this issue” as well as learning from hearing victims’ stories of survival and grieve collectively for those who have lost their lives to domestic violence.
Scott said support from local organizations helps to promote awareness about domestic violence. Last year, the Henderson Woman’s Club won a regional award for the work it did to donate bags of items to victims of domestic violence.
Participating in meaningful ways shows others that domestic violence “is not invited in our community – it’s unwanted and we will not be quiet any more.”
To learn more, contact Scott at 252.738.2235 or email her at dscott@vancecounty.org.
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Election Coverage: Bailey Targets Drug Sales, More Training As First Steps If Elected Sheriff
-The following is part of WIZS’s continuing coverage of the Nov. 8 election.
Patrick Bailey says his experience in the private sector, coupled with his training and background in law enforcement make him the candidate to vote for in the upcoming race for Vance County Sheriff.
WIZS aired Monday morning a recorded but unedited interview with the Republican candidate for sheriff, during which time he and John C. Rose discussed issues facing the community and how Bailey will address them if he’s elected.
Bailey prioritized combatting the drug issue, increased training for sheriff’s office staff and beefing up administration within the sheriff’s office.
“I see where the problems are, (and) I know what needs to be done,” he said. “I know where the issues are and I have a plan for achieving the goals I’m setting,” he added.
Illegal Drug Activity
“Drugs is my number one focus once I become sheriff,” Bailey reiterated. “It’s a very big problem, not just in this county, but in the state as well.”
He said he would organize a drug unit within the sheriff’s office to try to eliminate drug sales, especially in locations where such illegal activities are known – by the community and by law enforcement personnel – to take place.
“We need a certain aggressive effort to curb the sale of fentanyl and heroin in this county,’ he said, which would help to stop deadly overdoses and reduce the supply of illegal drugs that comes into the county.
Shutting down so-called “drug houses” and making arrests will be first steps toward creating safer communities for residents who have expressed their concerns to Bailey. Getting undercover officers to make drug buys is the first step in making arrests, swearing out search warrants and getting convictions.
But Bailey said he would advocate for a community clean-up program “to eliminate these houses altogether.”
He also would support collaboration with mental health professionals to help those with substance abuse problems get the help they need to get them off the drugs, “rather than just sending them to prison.”
Bailey said he would focus first on drug activity within the county before he branches out to include the interstates and highways with a drug interdiction team, but that is something he would implement as sheriff.
Administration
Bailey said the county needs a change in law enforcement structure, both to improve recruitment and retention of qualified personnel for the sheriff’s office and to deal with other ongoing challenges.
A certified law enforcement instructor, Bailey said training is key to having deputies perform their duties at the highest possible level.
He has a degree in criminal justice, and he said he would make sure that his staff got more than
The minimum mandatory in-service training requirements to keep them “up to speed” with what is happening within the county.
“I certainly feel like I am capable,” Bailey said of running the sheriff’s office. He said he would work to get recruitment and retention programs in place so the Vance County Sheriff’s Office would be an agency where employees want to come to work every day.
“I want morale to be very high,” he said.
He left the field of law enforcement for a career in private business, and he said he gained valuable experience in areas of management and finance that will serve him well as sheriff.
“I know how to balance a budget, and to see that it’s utilized in the best possible way it can be,” Bailey said.
Bailey was critical of the way that the current administration has dealt with a situation involving three members of the sheriff’s office who have been suspended with pay for almost two years following their indictment on felony charges.
“It’s costing our taxpayers roughly a little over $300,000,” he said.
They should have been put on unpaid suspension until the situation was resolved, he said.
“You have to have a plan with how you’re going to deal with any and all situations, and you follow that scenario regardless of what the charge is.”
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TownTalk: Edmonds Discusses Fire Prevention Week
As part of the observance of the 100th annual Fire Prevention Week, Henderson Fire Department Battalion Chief Lee Edmonds stressed the importance of families having an escape plan that everyone in the household is aware of, in the event that of fire.
The theme for this year’s FPW is “Fire Won’t Wait – Plan Your Escape,” and Edmonds told John C. Rose on Thursday’s TownTalk that, on average, occupants have about two minutes to get out of a burning house.
That’s 120 seconds, folks. It’s not long.
“Have a drawn-out plan – write it out,” Edmonds said, “so that everybody in the house knows which ways are the best ways to get out of each room.”
Fire officials have traditionally responded to residents’ requests to replace their home’s smoke detectors, but the COVID-19 pandemic hindered their ability somewhat, Edmonds said. “We’re still doing our home inspection program,” he said, and now they are installing devices with a 20-year life span – no batteries to replace. When they reach the end of their life span, residents simply toss and replace.
Edmonds said it’s important to keep doors unblocked from the inside. “People think ‘I don’t need this door because I’ve got this other door,’” he said. But there should be multiple ways to escape in case of a fire.
“Always make sure that every exit in your home is accessible to get to,” he added.
Fire trucks respond to calls that often don’t involve a burning structure, whether it’s a car accident or a health emergency.
“When a citizen calls, we’re going to be there,” Edmonds said. “No matter what they call for, we’re going to be there.”
City of Henderson Fire Department wants to share these key home fire escape planning tips:
- Make sure your plan meets the needs of all your family members, including those with sensory or physical disabilities.
- Smoke alarms should be installed inside every sleeping room, outside each separate sleeping area, and on every levelof your home. Smoke alarms should be interconnected so when one sounds, they all sound.
- Know at least two ways out of every room, if possible. Make sure all doors and windows open easily.
- Have an outside meeting place a safe distance from your home where everyone should meet.
- Practice your home fire drill at least twice a year with everyone in the household, including guests. Practice at least once during the day and at night.
To find out more about Fire Prevention Week programs and activities in Henderson, contact the City of Henderson Fire Department at 252-430-1877 or thomasedmonds@henderson.nc.gov.
For more general information about Fire Prevention Week and fire prevention in general, visit fpw.org and sparky.org.
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TownTalk: Julee Flood, NC Appelate Court Judge Candidate
-This article is part of WIZS’s continuing coverage of the Nov. 8 election.
Julee Tate Flood currently works as attorney at the N.C. Court of Appeals, but she’s drawing on her broad experience in the field of law and her institutional knowledge of the state’s appellate court system in her race for Seat 8 on the N.C. Court of Appeals.
Flood, the Republican nominee for the seat on the 15-judge court, spoke with John C. Rose on Wednesday’s TownTalk. She currently works with Judge Jeffery Carpenter, one of the 15 judges that sit on the N.C. Court of Appeals.
“Diverse cases come before the court,” she said, adding that she and her team are challenged daily with pressing legal questions, but she is motivated to solve issues by applying the knowledge that she has gained during her career as an attorney.
Flood’s legal career spans more than two decades, and during that time, she said she’s worked with four Democratic judges and five Republican judges.
“My role has been to research, analyze the law deeply and write judicial opinions,” she said. It’s her “working history and demonstrated ability to apply the law and write for the judges,” no matter their political affiliation, that makes her the best candidate for the job.
The N.C. Court of Appeals is “an error-correcting court for the trial courts,” Flood explained, adding that on average, the court’s five 3-judge panels preside over as many as 1,200 each year. Of that number, only a very small percentage goes to the N.C. Supreme Court – that means that the appeals court is the final stop for rulings to be upheld or overturned.
Flood said she “uniquely qualified” to serve on the court because of her direct experience at the appellate court level. As a judge, she would look to the text of the law as it applies to each individual case before her.
“The law says what it means and means what it says,” she noted, adding that as a judge, she will apply the law as it is. “There is stability in the law…(and) if I’ve followed the law, the fairness component is there,” Flood said.
She said that, as a judge, she will “treat each person with dignity and respect and will stand firm against judicial activism.
She has been a law professor and also serves as in-house counsel for a private sector business, and she earned a PhD specializing in the law and policy of higher education. It’s this broad-based set of experiences that adds to her skillset that she will bring to the table if elected.
The N.C. Court of Appeals hears all types of cases from the lower courts, including family court, criminal and civil cases and others, and Flood says those cases could be anything from issues with custody issues, neighbor-to-neighbor issues and “just about anything you can think of that happens at the trial court,” she said.
In her current role, Flood said she supervises and works with a team of attorneys – and interns preparing to enter the profession. “Every single day I consider it an honor and joy to be working with (those) whom I’m working with,” she said.
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TownTalk: Veterans Justice Outreach Resources
As a clinical social worker, Jeremy Brogden has experience in helping to connect clients with various resources in the community that can help provide useful support. For the past eight years or so, as the justice outreach specialist working out of the Veterans Administration facility in Durham, Brogden’s aim has been laser-focused on a specific type of clientele – veterans who find themselves having to maneuver the criminal justice system.
Brogden’s district covers 27 counties – that’s more than a quarter of the entire state of North Carolina. Our local four-county area falls into that district, and Brogden told Phyllis Maynard and John C. Rose on Tuesday a little bit about how the program works.
Frankly, there are usually more resources available to his clients in urban areas than there are in rural areas, but Brogden said he is always looking for ways to connect with veterans who may need the services he provides.
“A large part of what I do is jail outreach…and one that I prioritize,” Brogden said during the recurring TownTalk segment called “Former Active Duty: Still Boots on the Ground.” When veterans find themselves on the wrong side of the law, Brogden said, sometimes they need help connecting with available resources for assistance with issues ranging from housing, mental health or substance abuse treatment.
“This is a service that has a profound impact on veterans who are justice involved,” he said, adding that he may be the only person to meet with a jailed veteran, especially since the onset of the COVID pandemic when visits were restricted. The term “justice involved” refers to those who have not been sentenced for their alleged offense, those recently arrested and those on probation, Brogden explained.
“This is an opportunity to engage with veterans in places where they may be understandably distraught, they may have hit a low point…this is the time to plant seeds (that) lead to treatment and a positive outcome down the road.”
Brogden can recommend treatments or other options for clients, but ultimately the decisions are made by the court. “What we can do it advocate for treatment, and in many instances, we do find success – but not in all cases.”
One program that the Durham VA implemented in 2016 is called “Strength At Home,” a 12-week group therapy program that helps participants find ways to improve relationships and curb instances of domestic violence.
“It’s been a real beneficial program for the veterans I work with,” Brogden said. By learning effective coping and communication skills, participants can address interpersonal violence that may occur in the home – physical, emotional or verbal abuse. A component of the program looks particularly at the impact of trauma and the negative impact that military service can have, leading to conflict.
Harnett County has the state’s first veteran treatment court, Brogden said. This court is staffed with judges who are very familiar with the veteran culture and population, as well as resources and benefits that may be available to those who have served in the military.
“It’s been a very fruitful collaboration,” Brogden said, “and a wonderful resource for veterans I’ve worked with.”
What Is A Veterans Treatment Court? – Justice for Vets
To learn more about the VA’s veterans’ justice outreach program, contact Brogden at 919.452.6612 or Jeremy.brogden@va.gov.
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TownTalk: Excitement Builds For Show Shine Shag And Dine!
Ten blocks in downtown Henderson are going to be transformed into a gigantic combination parking lot and entertainment zone for car enthusiasts this weekend when the Show, Shine, Shag & Dine festival gets the green light for all to come and enjoy.
This is the 20th annual event, and Vance County Tourism Director Pam Hester and a host of others spoke with John C. Rose on Monday’s TownTalk to provide details.
For starters, race cars are coming back to downtown Henderson, and volunteer Danny Stanton said he is very pleased to be able to help with this aspect of the car show.
“I’ve been a drag racer, a car guy, pretty much my whole life,” Stanton said. “We want to get the drag cars back involved,” he said. Drag car owners don’t have to pay a registration fee, he said, since they will not be judged. Just show up Saturday morning at the corner of Rose and Chestnut streets and Stanton and others will help get the cars off their trailers and parked for viewing at Montgomery and Garnett streets.
But the event actually kicks off on Friday morning at 11 a.m. with a cruise-in at Satterwhite Point. Frankie Nobles is catering a barbecue and chicken lunch, with all the trimmings. A second cruise-in will be from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Charles Bowman’s Southern Classic Cars on Horner Street.
There will be a DJ providing music at each cruise-in, Hester said, adding that there have been up to 150 cars at the lake for the lunchtime event.
Bowman said he’s helped with previous car shows, and he enjoys having folks come in and admire his cars. There are cars for sale there, but that’s not the main reason Bowman participates; rather, he said he wants “to entice people to come to the car show.”
No matter what type of car you prefer, there surely will be something for everyone at this year’s Show, Shine, Shag & Dine. The event is free to the public, and folks can stroll along Garnett Street and beyond to see everything from classic cars to drag racers to Corbitt trucks.
Tom Burleson said the Corbitt Preservation Association will have vehicles on display conveniently located near the Corbitt Museum, which will be open on Saturday for visitors. The winner of the raffle prizes also will be announced during the car show awards, he said.
“We appreciate the exposure that will give us,” he said.
Downtown retailer Gear & Beer is having a Jeep Jam for all those Jeep enthusiasts who want to drive their Jeeps in to the parking lot at the United Way office on South Garnett Street. Jeeps of any type are welcome. And though it’s not a part of the car contest, there will be fun awards given during the Jeep Jam.
McKinley Perkinson is Vance County’s Economic Development Directo and she called this weekend’s event “a huge economic stimulator and driver,” no pun intended.
“An event like this is just amazing for Henderson, especially for our downtown businesses,” Perkinson said.
Registration begins at 7:30 a.m.
Contact Danny Stanton at 252.432.5544 for all race car information and Carol Terwilliger of Gear & Beer for Jeep signup information at gearandbeernc.com
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