TownTalk: County Debates Future Of Vance Co. Fire Dept.

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Chiefs from several of Vance County’s fire departments have voiced opinions and concerns regarding a proposal to restructure the county’s only full-time paid fire department and make it a combination of paid and volunteer staff.

That proposal, discussed in some detail at a meeting Wednesday of the county’s Public Safety Committee, will be presented to the full board of commissioners at a special called meeting on Wednesday, June 14.

If commissioners accept the proposal with its associated budget amendments to begin the restructure process, and then adopt the budget changes, the restructure plan would begin.

If the board does not accept the proposal and the budget draft that is before the commissioners now is adopted, no changes would be taking place – at least in the foreseeable future – for the Golden Belt Fire District.

Commissioner Dan Brummitt laid out the basic points of the plan during the 30-minute meeting, which includes hiring a consultant to help the county implement the restructuring process.

In a follow-up telephone conversation earlier today, Epsom Chief Powell Wilkins called the proposal  “vague” and one that will adversely affect people’s livelihoods. “We need to build off what we currently have,” Wilkins said, adding that “transitioning this department is not going to work.”

Wilkins further stated that business owners within the existing Golden Belt district need to be informed of the proposed restructuring, noting that this district includes areas where the county is seeing economic and industrial development.

Adam “Slug” Pegram, chief at Cokesbury and batallion chief at Vance County/Golden Belt, told WIZS today that his department doesn’t support the restructuring and stated such in a letter of support for the county fire department that was sent to commissioners.

This support is echoed at Bearpond Fire Department, where Billy Jenkins has been chief for two years. Jenkins told WIZS today that he and his team “didn’t want to lose that guaranteed response” that comes from the county/Golden Belt fire department.

“Our stance on redistricting is we want the closest fire truck (to respond) – that person on the 911 call deserves that.”

Doyle Karpunky, who is chief of the Vance County Rescue Squad, president of the Vance County Fire Association, also is president of the Bearpond board said decisions need to be made that are in the best interest of the county, not just one department.

Karpunky told WIZS today that Vance County is the only county among the state’s 100 counties that has this situation. “We are the only county in the state that spends that kind of money on a single department.”

He added that he wants all the departments to be treated equally within the county. Volunteer departments have to raise money to fill the gap that the standard $100,000 annual county allotment doesn’t cover.

“We don’t want to see anyone lose their job,” said Chad Blake, chief at Hicksboro. “At the end of the day, it’s about taking care of citizens.”

Brummitt said the proposal would not gut the Golden Belt Fire Department; rather, the positions would be reduced by attrition over time. According to Brummitt, the state fire marshal’s office has recommended that more volunteers be added to the Golden Belt roster during recent ISO inspections.

“We are not getting rid of the department, we are adding volunteers to support the department,” he reinterated in a phone conversation today with WIZS.

As the county grows, the idea is to have two paid staff at each of the county’s 10 fire departments, with the ultimate goal of having paid personnel in all the departments – a feat that could take years to achieve.

And if the four-call system is implemented, it would mean that four departments would response to a structure fire, Brummitt noted. And since Golden Belt sits in the central part of the county, it is more than likely going to be called on more often to be one of the four units responding.

Several in opposition to the proposal have mentioned increased difficulty in finding volunteers to provide much-needed support to the paid staff in fire department across the county, which seems to be a national trend.

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Community Partners of Hope

TownTalk: Men’s Homeless Shelter Seeks To Expand

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When City Road Methodist Church merged with First United Methodist Church, it didn’t take long for someone to figure out that the now-vacant facility would make a perfect permanent location for the emergency men’s homeless shelter.

Community Partners of Hope, Inc. has overseen the shelter during the winter months out of the basement of First Presbyterian Church for 14 years, but the hope has long been to expand the shelter to operate all year long and to provide additional services for those who need help.

It’s a dream that Delthine Watson has had for some time, and that dream is coming closer and closer to becoming a reality.

Watson is Community Partners of Hope’s community network specialist and she said on Wednesday’s TownTalk that there will be an open house next weekend at the former church site to share the dream and vision to transform the building from a church sanctuary to a sanctuary of a different sort.

Board members, staff and others will be on hand Saturday, June 17 from 9 a.m. to 12 noon and again on Sunday, June 18, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. to answer questions about the transformation.

They’ve already chosen a name – City Road Center for Hope – Watson said. Now all they need is the money to make the necessary upgrades.

“We need $350,000 now – or soon – because we have to redo the building to make it a shelter,” Watson said. People already have been kind to offer services at low cost or no cost, but there’s still the cost of materials to consider, she said.

She hopes that all the work will be completed over the summer so the shelter will be able to open October 1 in its new location.

“If you’re homeless, come April 1, you’re still homeless,” Watson said, referring to the date that the shelter has closed in years past. She said she wants the shelter to be open 365 days a year, “to give our men some place to go. But while they’re there, we also want to provide them more services,” she said.

Whether it’s job skills or access to mental health services, the City Road Center for Hope is a spot where men experiencing homelessness can come for a range of services, from a meal and a warm bed and a clean change of clothes.

“That is our goal,” she said.

This is the only men’s shelter in the four-county area, Watson said, and they’ve accommodated men from as far away as Durham, Raleigh and southside Virginia.

“The need is very great,” she said. The City of Henderson is supporting the new shelter with $50,000, which is a great start. Watson hopes other community partners will step up and contribute as well.

Watson said the upcoming open house dates are for anyone with a desire to learn more about homelessness in Henderson and how the proposed shelter will serve that population.

“We can talk about it,” she said, “but come see it with your own eyes – come and visit and see.”

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Vance County Logo

TownTalk: Vance County Considers Changes to Fire Service

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The Vance County Commissioners met Monday night but the proposed budget was not adopted. Preparing a budget – whether for a county or any other organization, is sort of like making sausage…nobody wants to see it being made, but they all want to enjoy the end result.

The annual budget adoption process requires having a public hearing before the budget is approved, but not a single person addressed the board specifically about the budget last night.

And no member of the Vance County board of commissioners made a motion to adopt the budget.

Rather, it appears that the budget adoption is being held up by additional discussion that will take place tomorrow, June 7, at 4 p.m. during a meeting of the county’s Public Safety Committee.

Commissioner Dan Brummitt told WIZS News Tuesday that he hoped people interested in this topic will attend tomorrow’s meeting to learn more about plans for the fire tax rates and plans to restructure/redistrict fire departments across the county – this seems to be a sticking point in the passage of the 2023-24 budget.

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The issue of fire departments has long been a topic of discussion within the county – and Brummitt said there’s a “wildfire of misinformation” swirling about with regard to consolidation of departments, as well as getting more paid staff in place to bolster the largely volunteer organizations.

There’s talk of merging the county fire department and dissolving the Golden Belt district, but Brummitt said misinformation within the community is fueling unfounded rumors.

“I’ve talked to people in professional fire services, fire professionals throughout the region, “ Brummitt said in a telephone interview. “There’s merit in what we’re trying to do.” And, Brummitt contends, there are many options to consider.

Just what that is, however, remains to be seen. Brummitt said a written plan is not ready to be released to the public, but he said he hoped to have some details and accompanying budget figures at tomorrow’s meeting.

The commissioners will reconvene at 4 p.m. on June 14 in a special called meeting to consider any additional recommendations that come from the Public Safety Committee and could possibly adopt the budget at that time.

Commissioners have until June 30 to approve the 2023-24 budget, which currently is at $57.5 million.

If the proposed budget is adopted without changes, improvements to the county’s fire tax fund would help provide 24/5 coverage in the north and south of the county – that is, two additional full-time employees at both the Hicksboro and the Bearpond fire departments.

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TownTalk: Local Elections And Voter ID

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Local elections officials are gearing up for the fall municipal elections as they set about to comply with the new state law that requires voters to present a photo ID when they go to the polls to cast their vote.

Henderson residents will vote for a new mayor and four City Council seats in the Oct. 10 nonpartisan elections; Voting in Kittrell and Middleburg will take place on Nov. 7, according to Vance County Board of Elections Deputy Director Shelly Wood. Early voting for the Henderson elections begins Sept. 21 and ends Oct. 7.

Most registered voters can simply show their driver’s license, but non-drivers have a variety of options for acceptable photo IDs that meet the criteria from the State Board of Elections.

The photo ID must be a government-issued ID, such as a passport or DMV identification card, available free of charge. Soon, voters can request free photo ID cards from their local elections offices, but they are not available right now.

The main point for voters to understand is that they will be allowed to cast their vote with or without an acceptable photo ID. Those without an acceptable photo ID will complete provisional ballots and submit additional information to be reviewed and certified by the local board of elections.

School IDs and employee identification cards issued by state and local governments could also be used, as long as they have been approved in advance.

State Board of Elections Executive Director Karen Brinson Bell said educational institutions and and other government employers have until June 28 to provide the necessary information for approval.

“We strongly encourage all eligible educational institutions and government employers to apply for their IDs to be approved for voting. Getting their IDs approved will help ensure their students and employees are best equipped to participate in our state’s elections,” Bell said in a press statement.

Poll workers in the state’s 100 counties will only be looking at the photo to determine that it reasonably resembles the voter; there’s a process in place for when it doesn’t.

In such a case, the voter will complete a provisional ballot, which will be included in the final tally when the ID is verified.

Local elections officials have about a month before the filing window opens for the three municipal elections in Vance County – candidates may file between 12 noon on Friday, July 7 and 12 noon on Friday, July 21.

The State Board of Elections has a survey open until June 23 to collect public comment on the proposed changes. Find it here: Public Comment Portal: Photo ID Rules. You can also send comments via email to rulemaking.sboe@ncsbe.gov or by regular mail: Attn: Rulemaking Coordinator, PO Box 27255, Raleigh, NC 27611-7255.

There also will be a virtual public hearing on June 19 at 11 a.m. Participants can join by phone or computer. The links are below:

  • Online: Webex
    • Access code: 2435 046 5077
    • Passcode: NCSBE (62723 from phones and video systems)
  • By Phone: (415) 655-0003
    • Access code: 2435 046 5077#
    • Passcode: 62723

To learn more, visit https://www.ncsbe.gov/

 

 

City of Henderson Logo

TownTalk: City Requests State To Continue ETJ’s

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The Henderson City Council is expected to adopt the 2023-24 budget at its next regular meeting, a budget that uses federal ARPA dollars and the city’s fund balance to keep tax rates from going up to pay for all the services a municipality provides its residents.

But there’s something brewing in the General Assembly that has the attention of folks here in Henderson and in other cities across the state which also could affect future budgets.

Senate Bill 675 would, among other things, remove a city’s extra-territorial jurisdiction – ETJ, for short.

Council Member Garry Daeke was a guest on Thursday’s TownTalk, and he explained the concept of the ETJ, which is basically a 1.5 mile buffer around Henderson’s city limits.

“It’s a great planning tool,” he said, which allows for some oversight for particular uses of properties as well as for providing city infrastructure.

At its meeting on Monday, the Council unanimously approved a resolution to oppose the bill’s passage and Mayor Eddie Ellington is expected to sign a letter that will be sent to State Sen. Lisa Barnes asking her and her colleagues to oppose passage.

Following is an excerpt from the draft letter, sent by City Manager Terrell Blackmon:

“The use of extraterritorial planning and zoning serves to protect the property values of communities by regulating the types of uses that can be constructed in areas that transition from rural to urban in nature.  Further, the extraterritorial jurisdiction is vital to protect residents by regulating the establishment of incompatible uses adjacent to their residential neighborhoods.  Residents of extraterritorial areas are represented on the City’s Planning and Zoning Board of Adjustment by members appointed by the Vance County Board of Commissioners, thereby providing a voice in the future development of the extraterritorial areas. Elimination of extraterritorial areas in Vance County will result in residents of these areas having no voice in the development of properties immediately adjacent to their residences.”

“There’s a lot of growth coming our way in general,” Daeke said, and having an ETJ helps cities like Henderson manage growth so that everybody’s happy. That ETJ buffer provides extra real estate for prospective growth – growth that has an economic impact on the city and the county. Blackmon said the requests before the city now all are within the ETJ and not within the city limits.

Without getting too bogged down in the process, Daeke explained that new project proposals are presented to the city to determine how it fits with the city’s comprehensive plan.

Sometimes properties need to be re-zoned, and so the plan goes before a planning board for input and approval before coming back to the Council for a final yes or no.

Zoning boards of adjustment have ETJ representatives appointed by the county, and they have full voting power, not just for ETJ-related issues, but for city-related issues as well.

“The city needs growth,” Daeke said. Without it, residents can almost be assured of an increase in their tax rate to fund city services.

Blackmon told WIZS News that losing the ETJ would mean a developer or property owner could develop under county development standards, which are sometimes less stringent than the city’s standards and then seek annexation into the city.

“We would certainly welcome the opportunity to gain additional property tax revenue, but the concern would be whether or not the development to be annexed is compatible to our existing land use,” Blackmon stated.

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TownTalk: The Future Of Epsom Park Coming To Fruition

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It’s been a long time coming, but the sign announcing the “future home of Epsom Park” will soon be replaced – by Epsom Park.

Franklin County has received $434,625 in state grant funding to begin the process that ultimately will lead to Phase 1 completion of the park, located on Hwy. 39 at the Vance-Franklin county line.

Will Doerfer, Franklin County’s assistant manager, gave WIZS’s Bill Harris a little background on the process of finally getting matching grant funds from PARTF, the state’s Parks and Recreation Trust Fund.

“It has been a long time,” Doerfer said on Wednesday’s TownTalk. The old Epsom school was torn down back in the mid 2000’s and the sign planted, but after that, “for a variety of reasons, the park never developed.”

Now, with the grant funding, the park can move from planning and design to construction and installation. Phase 1 includes a multipurpose field, playground, volleyball court, paved walking trail, restrooms and picnic shelter. They have three years to use the money, but Doerfer said he hopes it won’t take that long to complete.

“The community is certainly excited about a park being developed,” he added. Given the location, residents from both counties will be able to enjoy the park’s amenities.

Franklin County’s grant is part of more than $17 million awarded to counties across the state in 2022 in the form of matching grants to local governments to attain their goals of increasing park and public access in their communities.

Doerfer said the county is planning a groundbreaking ceremony to officially kick off the construction of the park.

Get updates on progress at https://www.franklincountync.gov/

 

 

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TownTalk: HubZone Tech Refurbishes Laptops

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Six words capture the mission and work of Hubzone Technology Initiative and those six words sit right at the top of the HTI webpage for all to see:

You Donate.

We Convert.

They Receive.

Briant Davis is operations manager for Hubzone Tech, located in Garnett Street Station, the former freight station at 208 N. Garnett St.

Henderson is Hubzone Tech’s main location, although it serves the surrounding community and reaches into the Greater Triangle area.

The concept is simple, Davis said on WIZS TownTalk – refurbish donated computers and donate them to organizations to be distributed to people who need them.

It’s a way to properly recycle computers – if they can be reused, great. If they can’t, HubZone makes sure they’re disposed of properly.

By doing this, Davis said HTI can be good stewards. “We take them, we wipe them clean,” he said. After they are converted to Chromebooks, they are given to organizations that give them to those in need.

They conduct periodic donation drives, and folks may have noticed collections bins in various businesses in the area, but there’s always a bin in front of their offices – Suite F – at Garnett Street Station.

Businesses that may be doing a complete overhaul of their computers, however, need only make a phone call to HTI at 252.590.0240 to make arrangements for a courier to pick them up.

“We prefer laptops,” Davis said, “but we have downstream partners willing to take digital technology and recycle it correctly. We have ways of taking any old technology.”

Chromebooks work pretty much like any other laptops, he explained, adding that the software does a good job to ward off malware and viruses.

“As long as a person has an internet connection, a Chromebook performs very well – it’s snappy and fast.”

The HTI technicians that refurbish the computers scrub the hard drives of any data stored. They also offer COD’s – certificates of destruction – to those who want to ensure that there will be no data breaches.

“We’re very good stewards,” Davis said. “We follow government standards to make sure hard drives are completely erased.”

A team of grant writers at HTI is constantly searching for funding sources, but Davis said there are fundraisers to help them become more sustainable.

The organization also has an eBay store where it sells items and equipment that are still perfectly functional, but can’t be converted to Chromebooks.

Visit https://www.hubzonetech.org/ to learn how to make a donation, become a community partner and more. Or send an email to info@hubzonetech.org.

(This story and audio originally appeared on WIZS and WIZS.com May 18, 2023 but is being presented again at this time.)

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TownTalk: Burgess Named Citizen Of The Year By Occoneechee Council

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Michele Burgess, this year’s recipient of the George Watkins Citizen of the Year award, said she was “very, very honored” to be in the company of previous award winners who have given so much to the community.

Watkins received the first award in 2014, and Burgess, newly retired from her role as president of the Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce, said on Tuesday’s TownTalk that the fundraiser dinner on May 18 was a fun evening that involved many from the community, all to benefit Boy Scouts.

Emie Clevenger is vice president of resource development for the Eno River District of the Scouts’ Occoneechee Council, which includes Vance County. This year’s event exceeded its goal and netted close to $80,000.

“It’s something we’re proud of – to be able to give back to the community through Scouting,” Clevenger said.

The funds promote “Scoutreach,” whose mission is to recruit strong adult leaders and bring Scouting to youth in underserved areas.

Burgess recounted the event’s speakers for the evening, including Brandon Lawrence, who grew up in the area and was a Boy Scout. He earned the rank of Eagle Scout and also ended up earning every badge that a Boy Scout can earn – more than 140, Clevenger confirmed.

Lawrence spoke on the importance of scouting, Burgess said.

But she said Lawrence represents so much more for the community – he’s part of the younger generation who will need to step up to provide leadership.

“Scouting is such a great leadership building program,” Burgess said.

Individuals interested in learning more about Scouting programs can visit www.ocscouts.org or contact Clevenger at Emie.clevenger@scouting.org.

 

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TownTalk: Around Old Granville: History Of Brookston, Greystone And Chalk Level

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If you’ve ever wondered about those two small rock buildings that you see when you’re driving out Warrenton Road on the way to Brookston, North Carolina Room Specialist Mark Pace may have some information that will help.

In the late 1800’s when John Wesley Pegram was going gangbusters as a stone mason, the area where those two one-room structures currently sit were situated on the main North-South route – predating even U.S. Hwy 1.

And Pegram constructed those two buildings as advertising for his considerable abilities, Pace said on Thursday’s TownTalk segment of Around Old Granville.

Anyone who wants to see the “crowning achievement” need look no further than the Methodist Church in downtown Henderson.

Pegram lived in the Brookston community and plied his trade in the late 1800’s. In fact, Pace said, he had his own private quarry nearby. But his quarry wasn’t the only one in the area of Brookston, Chalk Level and Greystone.

There’s been a quarry in operation at Greystone for close to 200 years, and although it’s changed ownership over the years, Greystone may be one of the oldest businesses in the area.

It makes sense that the Greystone quarry has been around since the 1830’s, Pace noted, because that’s about the same time that the Raleigh & Gaston Railroad was being constructed. And just think of all the gravel that goes into making up a rail bed.

There’s a string of quarries along the “Ridge Way,” the flat area that wends its way along the general route of U.S. 1 where railroad planners laid tracks. There’s a quarry in Wake Forest, another in Kittrell, then there’s Greystone and also one at Wise, Pace noted.

Folks in the Greystone, Brookston and Chalk Level communities had high hopes that their sleepy little area would prosper once the railroad came through.

And it almost happened.

Until a wealthy landowner named Lewis Reavis, who owned property near where the old courthouse and former library sit downtown, lured the railroad to Henderson in the mid-1830’s by offering rights-of-way and property on which to build a depot.

It made all the difference. Henderson became incorporated just a few years later, in 1841, and Chalk Level died off.

But the Chalk Level area of what is now Vance County has one of the highest elevations in the area – some 500 feet above sea level – and that’s why a fire tower is located there, as well as a signal tower for the former WHNC radio station.

Just down the road from Chalk Level is Brookston Baptist Church, which Pace said is the oldest African American church around. Founded by the Hayes, Hawkins and Bing families, it could have been established as early as 1858, he said. “But I know it was there by the 1870’s.”

Also nearby is Carver Elementary School, was built in 1954 – the same year as the U.S. Supreme Court ended racial segregation with its ruling in Brown v. Board of Education.

The main speaker at the dedication of the school was Shiloh Church’s pastor, the Rev. John R. Dungee, who is an ancestor of Tony Dungee, the former pro football coach-turned analyst.

First Lady Barbara Bush visited Carver in 1990, when the school hosted a program that offered teen mothers a chance to earn their high school equivalency diplomas while their children attended school.

 

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South Henderson Pentecostal Holiness Church

TownTalk: Celebrating 100 Years Of South Henderson Pentecostal Holiness Church

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South Henderson Pentecostal Holiness Church is preparing to celebrate its centennial anniversary and Pastor Mark Richardson extends an open invitation to the community to the June 4 service for a special look back at the first 100 years of the church.

Richardson was a guest on TownTalk Wednesday and said the celebration kicks off that first Sunday in June and will continue all month long.

Back in 1923, Henderson was the site of a five-month long tent revival, a very successful way to “plant” churches for the Pentecostal Holiness Church back then, Richardson said.

The revival took place mostly on what is now Southerland Street in Henderson, although it did travel to other spots in the town. And at the end of that five months, the seeds for a new church were planted.

Richardson was himself a member of the church beginning in 1996. He had various roles and was on the Pastor Frank Sossamon’s staff from 2003-2007. He spent 14 years at a church in Siler City before returning to Henderson. He’s been back as pastor for almost two years.

The present church building was constructed in 1980, and Richardson said the sanctuary has been undergoing a pretty big facelift in preparation for the 100th anniversary celebration.

There’s been lots of painting going on, new carpet installed and the newly covered pews should be installed soon. There’s a new sound system and a new LED projection screen that Richardson referred to as a wall.

“We’ve updated our sanctuary to bring it more of an up-to-date and modern look,” he said.

“We saw the new screen come to life for the first time” recently, he said, which is nothing short of amazing.

And church leaders may just roll out that new projection screen at 9 a.m. on Sunday, June 4 when they show pictures of the first 100 years of the church – from then until now.

There will be coffee and donuts to enjoy as the slide show rolls on and viewers can remember and celebrate the people of the church during its first century.

“We’re celebrating our past and preparing for the future,” Richardson said. “We’re not finished writing the story of what South Henderson Pentecostal is trying to accomplish.”

Visit https://www.shphc.org/ to learn more about the church and its programs and services.

 

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