Vance County, NC

The Local Skinny! Architecture Survey Is Underway In Vance County

Nine Oaks, Hibernia, Blackenhall…these are names of some great, historical Vance County homes. Unfortunately, they no longer exist. Either destroyed by disaster, allowed to slowly deteriorate or, in the case of Hibernia, swallowed by the creation of Kerr Lake. However, Vance County still has many pieces of historic architecture still standing. Some of these are homes. Some are commecial buildings. Just how many is the aim of a survey being conducted the N. C. State Historic Preservation Office.

Vance and Person Counties have been chosen as the subject of a comprehensive survey of historic buildings and landscapes planned from 2021-23. Funding for this architectural survey comes from the Emergency Supplemental Historic Preservation Fund (ESHPF), administered by the National Park Service, for hurricanes Florence and Michael. Because the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) declared a major disaster in Vance County following both storms, the county is an eligible location for planning projects intended to document degree of damage from past storms as well as provide preparedness for future disasters.

As national emergencies arise, Congress may appropriate funding from the Historic Preservation Fund (HPF) to provide relief for historic preservation projects in areas impacted by natural disasters. The HPF uses revenue from federal oil and gas leases on the Outer Continental Shelf to assist a broad range of preservation projects without expending tax dollars. In 2018, hurricanes Florence and Michael, as well as Typhoon Yutu, caused extensive damage to communities in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, the Northern Mariana Islands, South Carolina, and Virginia. Congress subsequently passed Public Law 116-20 to provide ESHPF assistance to these six states and one territory related to damages from these storms.

North Carolina has chosen to allocate funding to support the survey of historic resources to determine the overall degree of damage, as well as provide data for resiliency planning for our state’s treasured cultural resources. Vance County was selected from among other eligible counties because the State Historic Preservation Office (HPO) has not previously conducted a comprehensive architectural survey of the county. The 2021-2023 architectural survey will intensively document historic buildings and landscapes from the early 19th century through the 1970s, including those in Henderson and rural areas. Data gathered during the survey will assist Vance County in planning for the preservation of its historic resources.

The State of North Carolina has hired hmwPreservation, a Durham, N.C.-based cultural resources consulting firm, to complete the project. Heather Slane and Cheri Szcodronski are serving as Principal Investigators. Preliminary fieldwork started in mid-August. A survey of rural Vance County is currently taking place now and continue into early 2022. A survey of the town of Henderson is anticipated to occur in late 2022 and early 2023. The project will conclude no later than September 2023.

An architectural survey entails documentation of buildings and landscapes that are at least 50 years old. Fieldworkers take photographs, draw site plans, and collect oral history from people they meet on site. They conduct a limited amount of archival research to establish countywide patterns of historical development. hmwPreservation will also identify properties that appear to be potentially eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places, either individually or as historic districts. National Register properties are potentially eligible for state and federal tax credits for certified historic rehabilitation. The Vance County Comprehensive Architectural Survey will culminate in a final report that analyzes the history of the county through the lens of its historic architecture.

At the conclusion of the survey, the HPO will share the final report and geospatial data collected during fieldwork with the National Park Service and will retain all materials from the survey as part of the statewide architectural record. Public access to the information will be available through HPOWEB, the HPO’s geographic information system, which is accessible online at http://gis.ncdcr.gov/hpoweb/. The survey material will facilitate the environmental review necessary for state and federal undertakings and will aid in planning for future economic and community development projects. Survey products also will be useful for the continued development of heritage tourism programs in Vance County.

An identical survey was completed in Franklin County in April of 2018. The Franklin County Historical Preservation Committee is currently working toward the publication of a book on the historic properties located in Franklin County. Historic Preservation can entice tourism at a local level which has economic impacts. Vance County would be smart in following the Franklin County Commissioner’s example and form their own Historic Preservation Commission with an eye towards a publication that would promote tourism in Henderson and throughout Vance County.

For more information on the Vance County Comprehensive Architectural Survey, contact Elizabeth C. King, Architectural Survey Coordinator for the North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office, at elizabeth.king@ncdcr.gov or 919-814-6580, or Heather Slane of hmwPreservation, at heather@hmwpreservation.com.

 

Home and Garden Show

On the Home and Garden Show with Vance Co. Cooperative Ext.

  • Vance County Regional Farmers Market Update.
  • If finished with your garden consider planting a cover crop to protect the soil and add nitrogen to your garden for next year. Example – Crimson clover.
  • Avoid using organic soil amendments when planting trees and shrubs unless you can amend a large area.
  • Start winterizing equipment that you are not going to use until next spring.
  • This is a good time to make herbicide applications to vines and woody brush you want to eliminate. This includes things like english ivy, poison ivy, wisteria, briars, tree saplings, etc. Use a brush killer that will kill the root as well as the top part of the plant.
  • Start assembling your leaf gathering equipment. Have a plan on what to do with your leaves this year.
  • Do you have any mixed spray solution in any of your garden sprayers? Use it up now before you forget what it is, and before we get freezing temperatures.
  • Soil samples need to be taken now to make soil amendments!
  • If you have shrubs with major dieback, consider replacing them this fall. Shrubs with dieback may continue to survive, but they almost never look good and treating them is impractical to impossible.
  • You can plant beets, sweet peas, bulb onions, mustard, lettuce, collards, arugula.

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The Local Skinny! Jobs In Vance

The H-V Chamber of Commerce and WIZS, Your Community Voice, present Jobs in Vance for September 28, 2021. 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 christa@hendersonvance.org to be included.

 

JOB OPENINGS IN VANCE COUNTY – Week of September 28, 2021

 

Name of the Company:  Margier White – State Farm Insurance

Jobs Available:  Office Representative – we are seeking an energetic professional interested in helping the business grow through value based conversations and remarkable customer experience. Excellent income and growth potential available. Sales experience preferred. Must be able to obtain Property and Casualty license within 90 days of hire

Method of Contact: Apply and submit a resume online at www.myagentmargier.com; scroll to the bottom of the page and click the We’re Hiring tab

 

 Name of the Company:  Next Level Kennels

Jobs Available: Kennel Attendant – will be responsible for the day-to-day care of training, boarders and personal animals. This includes Feeding, watering, cleaning, walking, bathing, and monitoring the well being of dogs and cats. Must have sufficient strength, mobility and stamina to lift and/or move heavy pets and objects. You will be responsible for keeping the kennels, office, lobby and grooming room neat, clean, tidy and organized. Shifts consist of days, evenings, weekdays and weekends.

Method of Contact:  Call Scott Tarpley at 252-438-4459 or stop by to apply at 1776 Walter Bowen Road in Henderson

 

Name of the Company:  Roses/ Variety Distribution Center

Jobs Available: General Warehouse Associates, Lift Drivers, Team Leads, Yard Drivers, Housekeeping/ Custodial, Supervisors. Available shifts 1st and 2nd  Monday- Friday, Saturday overtime as needed. Potential to earn up to $20.00 an hour, Sign on bonus of $1500.00 and attendance bonus.

Method of Contact:  Apply in person at NEW Roses Distribution Hiring Center located at 218 S. Garnett Street, Henderson, hours are Monday and Wednesday 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm and Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 8:30am – noon and 1:00pm – 4:oopm.

 

Name of the Company:  Vance County Schools

Jobs Available: IT Security Specialist, Network Engineer and Technology Technician

Method of Contact:  Go to website www.vcs.k12.nc.us  and click on job opportunities. Select Vance County Schools and then the job you wish to apply for.

 

Name of the Company: Hollander Sleep Products

Jobs Available: Sewing Machine Operators, Scrolling Machine Operators, Quality Inspector, Mechanics all for weekend shift. Hours are Friday. Saturday and Sunday – 6am – 6pm. Additionally the following positions are also open: 1st shift Logistics Coordinator and 1st shift Logistics Manager, 2nd shift Warehouse Supervisor and Bilingual Human Resources Admin.

Method of Contact:  for more information contact Jean Murray Recruitment Coordinator at 252-436-2338 or jmurray@hollander.com

 

Name of the Company: Kerr Lake Nursing and Rehabilitation Center

Jobs Available: RN, LPN, CNA and Floor Technician

Method of Contact:  If you are interested please apply in person at 1245 Park Ave. Henderson

 

Name of the Company: Kerr-Tarr Area Agency

Jobs Available: Aging Projects Coordinator – serving older adults and their families in the five county region of Franklin, Granville, Person, Vance and Warren Counties. The two main projects assigned are Vaccine Outreach and Covid related supports.

Method of Contact:  Please submit a cover letter, resume and references to Director, Area Agency on Aging at info@kerrtarcog.org or mail to PO Box 709, Henderson, NC 27536 NO LATER THAN OCTOBER 10TH.

 

Name of the Company: RCE Theaters at 907 S. Beckford Drive Henderson

Jobs Available: Looking for someone with an outgoing personality to fill a team leader position.

Method of Contact:  Please stop by the theater to pick up an application form and to receive more information.

 

Name of the Company: Ahner Security in Henderson

Jobs Available: Low Voltage Technician – Experience is preferred, but the company will consider applicants with no experience.

Method of Contact:  Contact Dave Ahner at 252-430-9694.

 

Name of the Company: Carter Bank & Trust

Jobs Available: Financial Services Representative opening at the Henderson Branch at 300 Dabney Drive, Henderson. The hours are Monday – Friday 8:30am – 6:00pm and rotating Saturday’s 8:30am – 12:00pm.

Method of Contact:  To apply go to www.cbtcares.com/career/

 

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! Pearson And Harris To Be Honored By City Of Henderson

The Henderson City Council has approved naming a couple of city-owned properties for two former residents who helped shape the community and make it a better place for their neighbors.

The Operation and Service Center will be renamed in memory and in honor of Dr. Andrea L. Harris, who grew up in Henderson and went on to become a community activist and organizer. She also was instrumental in establishing the N.C. Institute of Minority Economic Development, becoming its president in 1990.

And the public parking lot beside Sadie’s Coffee Corner in downtown Henderson will be named for the late Stephen Pearson, who opened Sadie’s in 2019 and was a vocal proponent of downtown revitalization and development.

Neither Harris nor Pearson was born in Henderson, but both made significant contributions to the place they called home.

City Manager Terrell Blackmon told WIZS that Council in August had asked him to investigate possible locations to consider. “(It) made a lot of sense to consider the parking lot next to Sadie‘s Coffee as an opportunity to honor Dr. Pearson,” Blackmon said Monday.  The Council voted unanimously to approve both recommendations at its Sept. 13 meeting. Making signs for the two locations are next on the to-do list.

Councilwoman Melissa Elliott suggested the Operations Center, he said. Harris was an advocate for contractors and the building industry and she also was a civil rights leader, which made the operations center a very fitting site – the operations center is the largest voting location during city and county elections.

Pearson died in March at the age of 57. He was chair of the Henderson-Vance Downtown Development Commission, and took pride in promoting new business in downtown Henderson.

Harris died in May 2020.

Although Harris was born in South Carolina, she grew up in Henderson and graduated from Henderson Institute in 1966 and then received her undergraduate degree from Bennett College in Greensboro in 1970. She started teaching school in 1971 – the first year of integration – at West End School like her mother had, and then began participating in community activism. She established the first rural transportation program in the state for older adults, among other things, at the local level.

Then, in the early 1980’s Harris began working in Raleigh at the state level. She began at the Department of Commerce’s Minority Business Development Agency. It was during this time that Harris and her colleagues established the minority economic development institute.

She was active locally and participated on a variety of boards, councils and commissions.

She received many accolades and awards over the years, including the Order of the Long Leaf Pine from three governors and an honorary doctorate from her alma mater, Bennett College.

In 2018, she received the Lifetime Achievement Award from Duke University’s Samuel Dubois Cook Society.

She was a member of the Oxford-Henderson Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority and a life member of the NAACP.  Andrea was a trustee and member of Kesler Temple AME Zion Church. She was small in stature but a forced to be reckoned with.  She was always willing to be a “voice” for the underrepresented, breaking down socio-economic, racial, and gender barriers as a broker for change and equality for ALL people.

Pearson, a 20-year veteran of the U.S. Army, is remembered for being the Army’s first Web Master. He earned a doctorate in Global Business Leadership in 2019 and wrote numerous books topics from entrepreneurship to cyber forensics. He taught required and elective classes at the School of Information and Library Science at UNC-Chapel Hill and New York’s Utica College and owned several businesses, including Sadie’s.

The Local Skinny! Vance County Grapples With Employee Discontent

A recent survey of county employees conducted by the UNC School of Government has turned up several areas of discontent, which county officials are hopeful could be eased by providing targeted training opportunities and following recommendations from the surveyor.

Three focus groups totaling 23 county employees were convened during the week of May 24 of 2021, and the Human Resources Committee comprised of Commissioners Carolyn Faines, Archie B. Taylor, Jr.  and Gordon Wilder met in July with UNC School of Government representatives to receive the results.

The three focus groups were titled Department of Social Services, Cross-organizational and Department heads. The results were shared at the August commissioners’ meeting, during which time several distinct themes emerged. The full report can be found at www.vancecounty.org and as part of the August commissioners’ meeting minutes.

The survey results captured employee sentiment, which ranged from feelings of disrespect to intimidation from supervisors. But the survey also reported that employees find their jobs interesting, they enjoy serving their community and have caring co-workers.

The recommendations, designed for the entire organization and not a specific department, include investing in supervisor training that emphasizes on effective communication, the role of supervisors as stewards and as a player in conflict resolution. Another recommendation is development of a set of values that govern and guide workplace behavior – to be developed at the employee level and involving the whole organization in the process.

Among the survey results were comments that ranged from employees enduring disrespect and intimidation from supervisors to feeling expendable or having their ideas not valued or taken seriously.

During the August meeting, county staff explained that efforts already are underway to provide additional training opportunities for supervisors, but those efforts have been hampered by the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. The HR committee discussed the importance of group trainings and felt that on-site workshops would be especially valuable for supervisors.

As for the suggestions for the board of commissioners, the survey results showed that employees value greatly the opinion of the commissioners, and they would like to see more commissioners attend employee events to show their interest in the county’s employees; the employees work hard to bring ideas for discussion – don’t dismiss them outright.

One idea the commissioners considered, but decided against pursuing, is taking over the responsibilities of the local Social Services board. A handful of counties in the state have made this switch, but Vance County commissioners decided not to join that group.

Commissioner Faines said the DSS board had not addressed several concerns from DSS employees, but Commissioner Taylor – who also sits on the DSS board – disputed that notion. It was reflected in the minutes that Taylor said the DSS board is focused on employee morale, employee treatment and the best operation of the department.

“When issues come up, they are addressed,” the minutes read. Taylor also said that the current structure is working properly and there is not need to change it.

Chairman Dan Brummitt said he would like to hold a work session to further discuss the matter.

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Home and Garden Show

On the Home and Garden Show with Vance Co. Cooperative Ext.

  • Prevent weeds from going to seed. Easier to control now than controlling weed seedlings in the spring.
  • We are past the preferred planting window for tall fescue.
  • Put netting over your goldfish pond before leaves start actively falling.
  • Check NC State Extension resources before planting fruit crops of any kind to find out recommended cultivars for this area.
  • Start assembling your leaf gathering equipment. Have a plan on what to do with your leaves this year.
  • Strategic limb removal from large shade trees can allow more sunlight into your yard. Take note now of key limbs, but wait until December at the earliest to do the work.
  • Monkey Grass / Liriope maintenance – February.
  • Soil samples need to be taken now to make soil amendments!
  • Don’t waste time trying to pull bermudagrass or wiregrass out of flower beds. It’s a futile effort. Call us for more effective strategies. 438-8188.

The Local Skinny! Jobs In Vance

The H-V Chamber of Commerce and WIZS, Your Community Voice, present Jobs in Vance for September 21, 2021. 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 christa@hendersonvance.org to be included.

JOB OPENINGS IN VANCE COUNTY – Week of September 21, 2021

 

Name of the Company:  Henderson Belk

Jobs Available: Immediately hiring for full and part time employees.

Method of Contact: Visit belkcareers.com for more information or text JOBS to belk4u 235-548

 

Name of the Company: Henderson Collegiate

Jobs Available:  Middle and High School Apprentice Teachers and a Middle School Teacher.

Method of Contact:   Contact NC Works Career Center, located at 857 South Beckford Drive, Suite G in Henderson or call 252-438-6129

 

Name of the Company:  Granville-Vance Public Health Department

Jobs Available: Nutritionist

Method of Contact:  For more information you can call NC Works at 252-438-6129 or apply in person at 857 South Beckford Drive, Suite G or visit the Health Department website at https://gvph.org and click Job Opportunities under the About Tab

 

Name of the Company: Vance County Government

Jobs Available: They currently have numerous open positions

Method of Contact:  For a complete listing and more information go to the county website at www.vancecounty.org and click the tab marked JOB POSTINGS

 

Name of the Company: Penn Pallett

Jobs Available: Looking for a hardworking, reliable 1st shift employee. Starting rate is $14.00 an hr with weekly production incentive pay. Must have a valid driver’s license, experience in wood industry is helpful bur not needed and forklift experience is helpful

Method of Contact:  If interested please call or email Meloney Francis at 814-512-6109 or meloney.francisco@pennpallet.com

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.

The Local Skinny: National Opioid Settlement to Have Impacts Locally

The proposed $26 billion settlement with drugmaker Purdue Pharma for its involvement in the national opioid crisis could have a ripple effect that would help fund future opioid crisis intervention programs locally.

In 2020, it is estimated that 70 percent of drug overdoses involved opioids. Twenty-eight states in the U.S. saw at least a 30 percent increase last year, with North Carolina coming in higher at 40.5 percent.

Some state leaders have estimated that North Carolina’s share of the settlement could be as much as $750 million over a 17-year period. Counties and municipalities, including Vance County, are adding their names to the list to receive a share of that money.

The Vance County Board of Commissioners approved a Memorandum of Agreement at their Sept. 7 meeting, and County Manager Jordan McMillen told John C. Rose today that this positions Vance County to be a recipient of this funding stream. To date, nearly 60 of the state’s 100 counties have signed the memorandum of agreement.

“The NC MOA provides us guidance as to how funds will be distributed in North Carolina, how they can be spent, as well as audit and reporting requirements, McMillen said in a statement to WIZS News Monday. “The NC MOA is important as it provides local governments with 80-85% of the funds that come into North Carolina versus a lower standard percentage within the national settlement,” he added.

Not only does the MOA govern distribution of funds, but it gives some assurance of the local governments that would participate in the settlement, McMillen noted. It’s not final yet, but if the settlement process continues smoothly, money could start flowing in the next year or so, he estimated.

If Vance County’s share were $3 million over the next 17 years, that means more than $176,000 could be available each year. The memorandum of agreement spells out how each county and municipality must account for, report and audit the funds it receives.

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Upcoming Listening Sessions Give Residents A Chance To Give Input On Redrawing District Boundaries

Vance County residents have the opportunity to attend several public listening sessions in the next month as the county begins the business of redrawing district boundaries for commissioner and school board seats.

The first meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 28 at 6 p.m. at the Vance County Administration building. The second meeting will take place at the Townsville Volunteer Fire Department on Monday, Oct. 11 and the third meeting will be Monday, Oct. 18 at Kittrell Volunteer Fire Department. All meetings begin at 6 p.m., according to information from Kelly Grissom, clerk to the board of commissioners.

Every 10 years, counties use updated Census data to ensure that voting districts have essentially the same number of constituents. Changes are required after every Census to ensure the “one person, one vote” standard. To do so, an ideal population is established for each district by dividing the population by the number of elected officials to be elected from those districts.

Information on the county’s website notes the population by district, based on 2020 Census data. The ideal population for each district has been calculated at 6,083. Districts 1, 2 and 7 stand to lose some constituents and districts 3,4,5 and 6 could gain some constituents as the boundaries are redrawn.

Although there is some room for flexibility, districts must still meet federal and state guidelines. The state’s guidelines are stricter, allowing for a 5 percent deviation.

For Vance County to meet that 5 percent or better threshold, lines must be drawn so that there are no more than 304 people in any one district versus another. District 7 will get the most attention as it is 13.1% over at the present time in population. No other district is more than 2.7% worse than ideal.  Since three of the four districts that surround district 7 are in pretty good shape, minor adjustments should correct all issues related to population and district lines.

District 7 is largely what could be described as north and west Henderson, extending west between the I-85 and U.S. 158 Business corridors and including areas like the Dabney community and west as well as south of Oxford Road to Old County Home Road.

As a result of the Census data, Henderson’s fall election was rescheduled for spring 2022; municipal elections in Kittrell and Middleburg are not affected.

Home and Garden Show

On the Home and Garden Show with Vance Co. Cooperative Ext.

  • Farmers Market
  • Getting to Know Your Land
  • Before tilling up an area of your garden, take a picture of what was growing there and record it in your garden journal so you can rotate vegetables in that area next year.
  • Sow your tall fescue seed now though mid-September. Get soil seed contact and water frequently.
  • Consider planting cover crops such as crimson clover to provide nitrogen for next year’s garden.
  • Don’t put grass clippings in the compost pile.
  • Consider constructing a greenhouse or cold frame to extend your growing season.
  • When planting trees and shrubs this fall, consider choosing native plants that produce berries to help birds get through the winter.
  • Take your soil samples now to avoid the rush !!!!!!!
  • Don’t apply lime to your lawn unless indicated by soil analysis.
  • You can plant beets, sweet peas, bulb onions, mustard, lettuce, collards, arugula.
  • Visit the Memorial Garden at the Vance County Regional Farmers Market to see what’s blooming late in the season.

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