TownTalk: Around Old Granville: Area Architects, Part 2

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Historical architecture enthusiasts may be able to take a look at a structure and determine quickly who designed or built it. Take Jacob Holt, for example. The homes he built in and around Warren County in the 1840’s echoed Holt’s interest in Greek Revival and Italianate architecture.

Back then, it was common for one person to design, construct and finish interiors of homes, with help from area craftsmen and artisans, said local historian Mark Pace. Pace and WIZS co-host Bill Harris continued a discussion Wednesday about area architects from the pre-Civil War era to the 20th century.

Albert Gamaliel Jones, a contemporary of Holt, was known as a house carpenter, and, like Holt, drew from the classic Greek Revival and Italianate to create the buildings’ style.

He built homes like the Fuller Home in Louisburg, Ivy Hill near Hollister and Lake O’ The Woods in Warren County.

But, Pace said, he was also noted for numerous public buildings, including the 8-columned main building at Chowan College, the main building at Louisburg College and Wesleyan Female College.

“Sometimes it’s a little tricky to see where Holt stops and Jones starts,” Pace noted. Their styles are similar enough that one could be mistaken for the other.

Fast forward to the 20th century and Pace said a Virginia man – trained as a draftsman – became a registered engineer and set up a business in Henderson. The man was Eric G. Flannagan and his business – Eric G. Flannagan and Sons remained in operation until 2001, Pace said.

You don’t have to go far in Henderson to find a Flannagan building.

Pace has referred to the elder Flannagan as “the Jacob Holt of the 20th century.”

Flannagan’s style was a beaux arts style, sort of a post- Art Deco, Pace explained. Take Henderson High School.

What makes it beaux arts are the focus on symmetry and the details – gargoyles on the façade and embossed books under each window – that create that unique style that Pace said is a Flannagan hallmark.

Other area structures include the Methodist Church in downtown Henderson, the original Henderson fire station and the former municipal building beside it, the Orange Street School in Oxford and the main entrance to the Masonic Home for Children in Oxford.

Between Flannagan and his sons Eric Jr. and Stephen, the business has more than 600 homes and other structures to their credit.

When the business closed in 2001, the treasure trove of plans and blueprints were donated to N.C. State University and East Carolina University. And the North Carolina Room at the Richard Thornton Library in Oxford is the recipient of half a dozen boxes from the firm’s archives.

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TownTalk: New Senior Center Planned For Stovall

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Over the course of the next 12 months or so, the town of Stovall is going to be the site of some groundbreaking activity – literally.

A new senior center is going up at the corner of Oxford and Main streets, and local officials agree that the proposed location is perfectly placed to get a lot of use by folks who live in the northern part of the county.

The $3 million project has cleared all the initial pre-construction hurdles, and Granville County’s Senior Services Director Kathy May said work should begin this month, with an estimated completion date of August 2025.

May and Stovall Town Commissioner Jeffrey Stovall were guests on Tuesday’s TownTalk, and both agree that the new senior center will change the landscape of the tiny town located just a few miles north of Oxford on Highway 15.

The 4.5 acre-tract is situated across from the Stovall library and medical center and is nestled between Stovall Baptist Church and Town Hall.

And although the idea has been about seven years in the making, May said the timing is just right.

Did you know that Granville County has the largest percentage of people in the 50-59 age range? “I was shocked when I found that out fairly recently,” May said.

Forty percent of the county’s population is 50+, a demographic May and her staff know quite well. Residents over 50 are eligible to participate in senior center programs and events; services like transportation, congregate meals and meal delivery are for residents 60 years and older.

As residents “age in” to the services that the county’s senior center provides, May said it’s important to have a facility that can accommodate multiple activities at once.

The current senior center has been in service since the mid-1990’s, and while it’s a nice building (with original hardwood floors), May said it’s basically a single 1200-square-foot room, with no functional outdoor space other than a gravel parking lot.

The new center, by contrast, will have multiple spaces, a walking path and plenty of room outside that eventually will be home to a couple of pickle ball courts.

“A senior center is like a home away from home,” May explained. It’s a place where senior adults can reconnect with old friends and meet new ones, learn how to stay healthy and it keeps them from sitting at home being lonely, she said. The center staff can help connect them with vital community resources, another bonus.

They eat meals together, play games, attend workshops and take classes through the Creative Lifelong Learning program.

May said she plans to hold some of the CLL classes at the new center in Stovall.

“It’ll be great for seniors and the community as a whole,” Stovall said. “I really do think it’s going to bring the town together. He was elected to the town board of commissioners in the last election, and he said town leaders are working hard to make Stovall a place where young families want to live.

“We’re trending upward,” Stovall said, adding that the senior center creates a “confidence booster for us to continue to do the right thing.”

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TownTalk: Introducing Cooperative Extension Agriculture Agent Michael Ellington

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When Michael Ellington was getting his plant nursery up and running a few years ago in neighboring Granville County, he turned to a trusted source – his local cooperative extension agent – for guidance as he built his business literally from the ground up.

That agent was Johnny Coley, and Ellington said he provided so much more than technical support. “It opened my eyes to what extension could do for me” beyond those technical aspects.

And now, as the agricultural agent for Vance County, Ellington said he’s using a three-pronged approach to his new role: Support, Strengthen and Sustain.

Ellington and Vance County Cooperative Extension Director Dr. Wykia Macon shared their vision about how the various extension agents can help residents in a variety of ways.

“There’s a lot more to agriculture and I think people are finally starting to wake up to that,” Ellington, a Henderson native, said on Monday’s TownTalk. After he left Vance County, he got a master’s degree at Virginia Tech and then spent some time in Charlottesville before coming back to the area and starting Notta Farm and Nursery, LLC.

He got reacquainted with Vance County when he became a vendor at the regional farmers market; “I really enjoyed reaching out to customers” and engaging with them.

From there, it wasn’t a big stretch to decide that he could engage with others in the community as an extension agent.

He and Macon met at a vendor meeting, and that’s when the seed was, um, planted – pun intended.

Ellington said it’s important the folks know that extension is supportive of their efforts and “is still a great resource for them,” but he wants to strengthen agriculture’s roots and create new producers as they create greater sustainability in the county.

“We want people to know that extension is going to be there for them and will be for the long haul,” he said.

Macon said she and staff have plans to make the regional farmers market a place where people want to be, not just for a few minutes to pick up some fresh produce, but a place that provides other opportunities for young and senior residents alike.

As a vendor for several years at the farmers market, Ellington said he noticed that customers were either seniors or very young. And he wants to change that, “get people cooking again,” he said.

Whether with food trucks or by offering samples of local produce used for meal-making or just for snacks, extension has some plans to get more people to visit the market.

“There are exciting things coming,” Macon said.

In his first four weeks on the job, Ellington said he’s been out in the community he grew up in, shaking hands and getting to know people. He hopes to cultivate associations with other agencies and groups to promote awareness.

“It’s important for us to get out in front of people,” Macon added. Whether it’s a church group, a community center or an apartment, Macon said she and her staff want the community to know that the farmers market accepts senior vouchers and EBT, for example, and that 4-H isn’t just for kids who want to learn about farming – they can learn about STEM, robotics and more.

Visit https://vance.ces.ncsu.edu/ to learn more.

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American Flag

TownTalk: Wise Community To Celebrate 4th Of July

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Everything’s all set for the 23rd edition of the Wise July 4 Independence Day parade and festival. Mary Ann Perkinson, one of the organizers, said participants can enjoy live music, children’s activities and food and craft vendors after the parade passes by, but she’s not spilling the beans about the parade – “You’ll have to come see what they are – we’re not going to tell all of our secrets,” Perkinson said on Thursday’s TownTalk.

Bring a chair so you can sit under the shade of the trees in the church yard or under the pavilion at Wise Baptist Church, she said. Feature Attraction will be performing during the festival, which begins as soon as the last parade entry passes by.

They’re still taking entries, so anyone with a pretty, shiny car to show off or a wagon pulling grandchildren is welcome to phone Gary Paynter 252.438.0574. (No motorcycles or four-wheelers, she said.)

The parade begins at 10 a.m., so entrants need to be lined up earlier than that just across U.S. 1 from Bruce Parkinson’s home, Perkinson said. The parade route will follow U.S. 1 and will end right at the old school at Wise Baptist Church.

There’s plenty of parking there for people, and Perkinson said she and other organizers figure there will be upwards of 5,000 people who stop in between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.

The parade and festival got its start in 2000, and since then, they’ve only missed one year. Yep, one parade was sidelined because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

There will be different foods for sale, including homemade ice cream in flavors like peach, strawberry, chocolate and vanilla.

“It’s just a fun day for everybody,” Perkinson said. Organizing it is “a lot of work, but we do it because we love our community and we hope people will come.”

For more information about parade entry, vendor space or the car show please contact Gary Paynter at 252.438.0574, Danielle Edgerton at 252.204.2605 or Mike McCray at 919.604.3081.

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TownTalk: Men’s Shelter Closing In On New Home At Former City Road Methodist Church

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The nation celebrates Independence Day next week, and just a few days later on July 8, the emergency men’s shelter is planning an independence day celebration of its own – that’s the day the shelter leaves its current location and clients will call City Road Center of Hope home. Darryl Jones, the shelter’s program manager, said the building is going through the final phases of meeting all the code requirements, and Monday, July 8 should be the day when the shelter will be operating at the new location.

An official ribbon-cutting is planned for August, but until then, the larger shelter can serve more clients. The current shelter is full, Jones said, with 11 men housed there.

This day has been a long time coming, and Jones said this is not the end of a project, but rather, just the beginning.

The 365 Dream Team project seeks to find 365 donors to give $365 a year to help the shelter stay open 365 days a year.

“Without you all, we wouldn’t be doing this – you are our backbone and we still need your support,” Jones said when he was a guest on a recent TownTalk segment.

Area churches, organizations and individuals provide support through financial contributions, providing meals or other supplies the shelter needs.

And area restaurants help provide food for shelter clients, too. “We’re so thankful for them and for the churches,” Jones said. “I’m pleased and overwhelmed with joy and happiness” that all these people are coming together to help the mission of helping men overcome life’s challenges and get back on their feet.

Visit www.cp-hope.org to learn how you can help. Make a financial donation, sign up to provide a meal, or volunteer.

Send tax-deductible contributions to:

Community Partners of Hope, Inc.

P.O. Box 1791

Henderson, NC 27536

Please note in Memo Line 365-2024-05

 

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TownTalk: GPS In County Vehicles

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As of just a few weeks ago, vehicles that are owned by Vance County are now equipped with GPS tracking devices.

County Manager C. Renee Perry said installing the devices is being done “as a matter of safety and for fleet tracking.” The cost is roughly $9,300 a year, but that doesn’t include vehicles used by the Sheriff’s Office. They don’t have the equipment – yet.

There is some debate between Sheriff Curtis Brame and other county officials about whether the county has the authority to place the GPS trackers on vehicles used by the Sheriff’s Office.

Brame has said he is not in favor of putting the devices on his patrol cars, even though they are county-owned vehicles.

There was discussion at a June 13 county budget work session, during which Perry stated that County Attorney Jonathan Care said the sheriff’s vehicles could be included, but Brame read a statement that supported his claim that the county doesn’t have jurisdiction over the vehicles in his fleet.

The county doesn’t have power over the sheriff’s office or of its personnel; Perry said the board of commissioners “is still considering attorney guidance” in the matter.

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Edmonds Tennis Foundation

TownTalk: Edmonds Tennis & Education Foundation Honors Scholarship Winners

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The 2024 recipients of the Edmonds Tennis & Education Foundation scholarships were honored at a weekend ceremony.

Seven recent high school graduates join the previous recipients, bringing the total to 43 the number of young people to benefit from the ETEF scholarship since the nonprofit was established in 2018.

The ETEF is for young people between the ages of 5 and 18 who want to learn about tennis or who want to really get serious about honing their tennis skills..

But Dr. Jerry Edmonds also sees the program as a network of people to call on for guidance and support.

This year’s winners include:

  • Seaniya Rodgers
  • Kenan Roberts
  • Laila Ruffin
  • Jamir Parham
  • Amari Blair
  • Zion Mosley
  • Anaya  Brame

Dr. Ervin Griffin, Sr., president emeritus of Halifax Community College, was the keynote speaker. Griffin offered words of encouragement to the scholarship recipients.

“We believe in you and your ability and willingness to embrace change and not fear the future,” Griffin said. “Whatever you do with your life, don’t quit,” he said.

As part of the 21st century workforce, Griffin said today’s young people must be like entrepreneurs, which means having to be open to change and innovation. Don’t let others with the “we’ve never done it that way before” attitude create barriers to progress.

Past ETEF scholarship winner Emma Hicks returned to the “clubhouse” – the term Dr. Jerry Edmonds, the ETEF staff and participants use to refer to the tennis center ETEF calls home – to offer her encouragement to the new recipients.

Hicks just completed her first year at UNC-Wilmington and said it was “the happiest and hardest year of my life.” She told the soon-to-be-college freshmen to “just get in there, put yourself out there,” when they arrive on campus. Also, find a studying technique that works for you and to make sure to find a good study/have fun balance.

For Edmonds, Saturday’s program offered a chance to recognize the students for their accomplishments and to send them off on the right foot to keep doing good things for themselves and their community.

“It’s an amazing feeling,” Edmonds said. “We really enjoy doing this for the students.” Each student will get a $500 scholarship and a built-in mentor who will be available to the students during their first year of college – and beyond.

“It really is about those mentorship positions,” he said. “It’s always nice to have folks say you can go further.”

For Edmonds, that person is Griffin, the banquet’s keynote speaker.

“He’s the reason I pursued my doctorate degree…to this day, he pushes me to do more and move forward.”

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Vance County Logo

TownTalk: Does Vance County Know Where Its Money Is?

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Vance County Manager C. Renee Perry has confirmed that there is an open investigation into the practices of the county’s former finance director after a recent audit found deficiencies in financial processes that involves $1.1 million in county funds.

The audit presented at the June 3 Board of Commissioners meeting revealed that the former finance director “wired, from the County’s bank account, funds equating to approximately $1.1 million dollars through the end of fiscal year 2023, with subsequent wire transfers occurring into fiscal year 2024.”

Katherine Bigelow had served as the county’s finance director since 2019. She was dismissed in February 2024; on May 10, Perry sent an email to county staff informing them of Bigelow’s “recent passing.”

The county has 60 days from the June 3 audit report presentation to present a plan of action to the Local Government Commission.

In an email to WIZS earlier today, Perry said the audit – a public record – disclosed some of the information, adding that there is little else she can say at this point, per the FBI.

“The County was deprived of its monetary resources, resources which should have gone to covering legitimate expenditures and projects which the County has undertaken,” the audit report stated.

The audit report identified four “significant” audit findings: budget violation, reconciliation of records, internal controls and timeliness. In his presentation to commissioners, Thomas Price said his team at Whiteville-based Thompson, Price, Scott, Adams, and Co., P.A. noted that the county failed to comply with General Statutes by not having a two-signature process in place as it pertains to county funds.

This lack of secondary approval or oversight allowed for the finance director to post entries in the county’s financial software; the audit pointed to lack of sufficient training and cross-training practices to ensure proper handling of financial matters.

Citing timeliness of the numbers and the accuracy of the numbers they were provided, Price said they discovered issues that they couldn’t get satisfactory answers for.

“By November, she (Bigelow) wasn’t giving us information in a timely way,” Price said.

Price conceded that his team could have done a better job briefing Perry – who only came on board in November 2023.

“At that point, we didn’t suspect foul play, but we didn’t know,” Price said.

Over the past three or four months, county staff and the audit team have communicated weekly – sometimes daily, and Perry said, “We’ve had conversations…moving forward, things will be different.”

Commission Chair Dan Brummitt said he would like to see an agreement “defined in writing. There appears to have been some miscommunication along the way,” he said. Brummitt said he would go so far as to create an Audit Committee, made up of commissioners and others with accounting experience.

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TownTalk: Juneteenth and July 4th, Vance Tourism

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July 4 falls on a Thursday this year, which makes for a long weekend just right for vacationers and campers to enjoy a few extra days in and around Kerr Lake. We’ll turn our attention to the skies around Satterwhite Point on Saturday, July 6 for the annual fireworks show, but come early and enjoy all the festivities that await, local tourism officials said.

Norman Dickerson and Pam Hester said this year’s activities include music by DJ Jay, as well as a variety of area vendors selling everything from wings and cheesesteaks to shaved ice treats.

The festivities begin around 4 p.m., and vendors will be set up and ready by 2:30 p.m. Dickerson said.

There’s a $7 state park gate fee – that’s per car, not per person. And a reminder: No alcohol is allowed in state parks. The community is invited to come out to enjoy the afternoon and stay for the fireworks display, which will begin sometime between 9:15 and 9:30, Dickerson said.

As in years past, the show should last 30 minutes or a little bit longer.

Once the last oohs and aahs have drifted into the night sky, Satterwhite Point Road will be transformed into a two-lane exit. The State Highway Patrol will close Satterwhite Point Road at Anderson Creek about the time the fireworks start to make sure festival goers can depart efficiently and safely.

RJ’s Grill, Bun on the Run and Warehouse Barbecue of Youngsville will provide burgers, dogs and more, while other vendors will have everything from corn dogs to pretzels and ice cream.

There also will be novelty items – think all things glow-in-the-dark – and the kids will be happy.

Dickerson and Hester appreciate the considerable support that more than a dozen area agencies provide to get what Hester called a “massive undertaking” like the holiday festival up and running.

From fire departments and the Highway Patrol, Sheriff’s Office, Coast Guard Auxiliary, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and, of course, the N.C. State Parks system, Vance County’s tourism officials give a solid pat on the back.

If it were left to the two of them to pull off,  the celebration would look less like fireworks and more like sparklers, they said.

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Vance County Hitting All The Right Notes For ‘Make Music Day’ On June 21

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What are you doing this Friday?

The Vance County Arts Council invites you to join in “Make Music Day” – performances are popping up all over Henderson and Vance County in celebration of the global event that involves more than 1,000 cities all over the world.

The performances are free, and Dr. Alice Clark Sallins hopes people come out to hear and appreciate all the different types of music that will be created.

“By establishing one specific day each year, June 21, to celebrate music, Vance County Arts Council encourages both amateur and professional music-making, and empowers individuals to seek out ways to help celebrate music in their community,” stated Sallins.

Over the course of 12 hours – 9:45 a.m. to 9:45 p.m. – music of all types will be heard throughout the county.

“Vance is one of the most musically talented counties in the state of North Carolina and we want to give our citizens a music-making opportunity to display such talents on June 21,” Sallins said.

In case someone needs a reason to enjoy creating or listening to music, the local Arts Council hopes to give community members “of all ages, creed, and musical persuasions the chance to experience the joy of making music together,” Sallins said. “The Vance County Arts Council is committed to hosting quality art experiences and performances, as well as creating opportunities for learning and participation. There are several benefits in having the arts, mostly helping to shape create and critical thinking minds.”

Feel like strumming your guitar in the backyard? Great! Got a harmonica that needs a little exercise? Super! Wherever people feel like playing – and listening – is fine with Sallins. Maybe you’d just like to park downtown near the Baptist Church about 10:30 a.m. and listen to the melodious sounds coming from the church’s pipe organ – gotcha covered.

Henderson Mayor Melissa Elliott is scheduled to kick off the festivities when she issues a proclamation at City Hall at 9:45 a.m.

Here’s a rundown of specific performances already scheduled:

  • 9:50 a.m. – Evelyn C. Couch at City Hall, 134 Rose Ave
  • 10:10 a.m. – Opening Ceremony: Heart and Soul at McGregor Hall, 200 Breckenridge Street
  • 10 a.m. – 11 a.m. Mario Davis (instructor) Bucket Drumming classes at Henderson Family YMCA
  • 10:30 a.m. – David Cole at First Baptist Church, Downtown Henderson (park and listen to the pipe organ)
  • 11 a.m. – David Westbrook at McGregor Hall
  • 11 a.m. – Keshawn Yancey at Hair in Motion, 1302 N. Garnett St. (percussionists)
  • 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. Live Karaoke at the Vance Senior Center, 500 Beckford Dr.
  • 11 a.m. – 12 noon – Boomwhackers with the Whacking Band at Adcock Recreation Center
  • 12 noon – 1 p.m. Tristan Beradi – Perry Memorial Library (lunch hour performance)
  • Lunchtime Ben Parker and Mikayla Williams at Versatrim, 101 Eastern Mineral Rd.
  • 1 p.m. James Williams on Facebook Live for a tribute to Frazier Park
  • 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. – Jimmy & The Sound Barriers at Satterwhite Point State Park. First set 3 p.m. – 4:15 p.m.: Dancing to the Oldies; Second set 4:30 p.m. – 6 p.m. Bluegrass on the Grass (They will have the grill hot if you want to throw some hot dogs and hamburgers on it)
  • 6 p.m. Hendfact Henderson Fuerza Activa Drumming and Dance at 715 Garnett Street
  • 7:30 p.m. Just Friends Band and other groups at McGregor Hall for closing activities

However or wherever you choose to create or listen, there’s something for everyone on Friday, June 21.

In addition to the Vance County Arts Council, the event is sponsored by Vance County Tourism, the N.C. Arts Council and the N.C. Dept. of Natural & Cultural Resources.

To learn more about Vance County Make Music Day, visit: https://www.makemusicday.org/vancecounty