TownTalk: Oxendine Is A New Face On School Board

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The Vance County Board of Education will feature two new faces following last week’s midterm elections – Omega T. Perry and Randy Oxendine.

Perry is the pastor at Cook’s Chapel AME Zion Church and has a Sunday morning program on WIZS.

Perry ran unopposed for the school board seat, and Oxendine won the District 2 seat over his opponent Charlie Baskerville, Jr.  When Oxendine’s wife, Darlynn, decided not to seek another term on the school board, her husband decided to take a crack at it.

When he spoke with WIZS News during last Tuesday evening’s election coverage, Oxendine, himself a longtime educator with Vance County Schools, said he felt like he already has established a relationship with existing board members and looks forward to his new role as board member.

“I believe I’m just stepping in and rolling with it,” he told John C. Rose about his election victory.

Of particular concern to him is the diminishing enrollment in three elementary schools in District 2 – New Hope, E.O. Young and Carver. Lower enrollments mean that teachers like the physical education teachers, for example, must travel among the three schools for their instruction.

“I would love to see more students (at these schools so) we could get more money to provide full time people at those schools,” Oxendine said.

Over their years in education, Oxendine said he and his wife have seen many high school students head off to college, where some play sports and get recognized for their efforts. One former student invited the couple recently to attend her induction into the N.C. A&T State Hall of Fame.

He said he would like to institute some type of hall of fame for Vance County, where students and athletes could be recognized for their outstanding talent and effort, “so younger people would have someone to look up to.”

 

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TownTalk: Gill Clopton Remembered

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Gill Clopton had a variety of interests – he loved to write and take photographs – but he also was a self-proclaimed archivist who had taken it upon himself to try to preserve local history, one photograph at the time. In doing so, Clopton developed a following of almost 10,000 followers on social media.

Oh, and cats. He loved cats.

News of Clopton’s death was reported today.

Clopton, a 1979 graduate of Vance Senior High School, was not trained as a journalist, but he loved to write. About a year ago, he started an e-paper called “Piedmont Online” to promote positive news, sports and feature stories from Vance County and the surrounding area.

John C. Rose remembered Clopton during Tuesday’s TownTalk as someone whose efforts will be remembered.

“Even if it only exists on a Facebook thread, it’s been preserved,” Rose said, referring to the “Remember when…(reminiscing about Henderson, NC) posts that Clopton used to show long-forgotten photos that he had dug up, many from the former office space of The Daily Dispatch.

“It really underscores what he has done for the community,” Rose said in his discussion with Dr. Bill Dennis, known familiarly as “Little Bill,” whose grandfather started the local paper in the World War I era.

Dennis said, thanks in large part to his father’s and his grandfather’s “pack rat” tendencies, there was a lot of stuff for Clopton to go through.

After the paper was sold and the Chestnut Street building was being emptied, Clopton and several others carted out stacks and stacks of archived newspapers, clippings, photographs and more.

“He went down to the newspaper and talked to the people who were running the place,” Dennis said, and he was able to take possession of all that, well, history.

Clopton “single-handedly” saved so much that would otherwise been discarded

“Gill was tireless,” Dennis said, of his work on digitizing photos from The Dispatch.

As a college student, Dennis spent a couple of summers trying to help get things organized a bit at the paper. Whether Clopton saw the result of that effort is unclear.

And although Clopton never worked at the paper himself, he befriended “Big Bill” Dennis and spent many a happy time talking at the old Eckerd’s lunch counter – a fact that “Little Bill” hadn’t known at the time.

“He was an aspiring newspaper person for a long time,” Dennis said of Clopton. “It was always fascinating to talk to him,” He took photographs and wrote a column for the Henderson Dispatch for a time.

“Some of his columns were great,” Dennis said.

The online publication was a real labor of love, he added. “You just can’t ever do enough when you’re doing something like that.” Dennis said he read each weekly installment. “I thought he did a really good job with it…especially women’s sports because they didn’t get as much publicity as the boys’ (sports).”

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WIZS Election Coverage

TownTalk: Election Review

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The dust of last week’s midterm elections have settled locally, although several key races across the nation have yet to be called. Here in Vance County, however, races have been decided, with Democrats and Republicans each taking its share of wins.

Sheriff Curtis Brame defeated Republican challenger Patrick Bailey to gain a second term in office, but Republican Frank Sossamon grabbed the N.C. House District 32 seat from incumbent Terry Garrison.

In an interview Tuesday after it was clear that Brame would win a second term, he spoke with WIZS News and said he would continue to work hard for the residents of Vance County. The last few years have been challenging for law enforcement officers everywhere, Brame said, not the least of which has been dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic.

He can’t wave a magic wand over the county to make it happen, but if he could, Brame said he would wish for two things: “funding…to retain good, qualified law enforcement officers and a new detention facility.”

Brame implored the citizens of Vance County to “take ownership” of their community – to attend city and county meetings, be a part of the community and work collaboratively together with law enforcement.

Sossamon also spoke with WIZS after his win and he echoed Brame’s sentiments – about crime, anyway.

He said the goal is for District 32, comprised of Vance and Granville counties, to be “crime free,” Sossamon said, adding that he would do whatever it takes. “It’s time to clean up our neighborhoods,” he said, “and make us proud of living in District 32 – make us proud citizens, safe and wholesome citizens.”

There are many state and federal funding sources that he wants to tap into to ensure that his district benefits as much as possible – everything from rehabbing homes and promoting home ownership to supporting law enforcement and first responders.

“We’ve got to get it in motion and have the will to do it,” Sossamon said.

 

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TownTalk: Aycock School Presents Festival Of Lights

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The staff at Aycock Elementary is gearing up for the 3rd annual Festival of Lights, when the campus will be transformed into a glittery, shiny bright holiday drive-through wonderland.

Aycock Principal Kristen H. Boyd said teachers and staff are already planning for the two-night event, which will be held  from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec 7. and Thursday, Dec. 8.

“We’re getting really excited about it,” said Kristen H. Boyd, Aycock principal. “It’s a lot of work but it’s a really fun time,” Boyd said on Thursday’s TownTalk with John C. Rose. She and Aarika Sandlin discussed the upcoming event, which is free to the public. Donations will be gratefully accepted, however, and Boyd said all proceeds go into the festival of light fund, as well as to help support various clubs for the students.

Boyd said some of the school’s club include a garden club, an Imagineering club, as well as clubs for art and engineering.

“The money goes back to the children,” she explained.

Some display favorites are back – like Who-ville and Polar Express, but a new display called Santa’s Workshop will make its debut in this year’s event.

Vehicles will enter via the Aycock Rec Center, Sandlin noted, adding that there’s a specific traffic pattern to follow that will weave onlookers through the various light displays.

Boyd said turnout was great the past two years, and she hopes this year’s festival of lights will be bigger and better attended than ever.

The festival of lights is a way to give back to families in the community, and it’s also a time to give folks a chance to experience the result of teachers’ collaboration.

“It’s a lot of work,” Boyd reiterated. “We all just pull together and make it happen.”

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TownTalk: Keeping Pets Safe Over The Holidays

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The advice could be coming from your family doctor about how to manage the upcoming holiday season: Limit treats, avoid fatty foods, get regular exercise and stay calm when there’s a houseful of company.

Humans would do well to follow these suggestions, but this advice actually comes from Bridget Waters, DVM. She’s talking about caring for our dogs and cats as we prepare for the upcoming Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.

Our pets may get anxious when guests arrive for a holiday gathering, Waters said in a TownTalk conversation Thursday with John C. Rose. Waters operates Dabney Drive Animal Hospital in Henderson.

There are some chews that have natural calming agents – like the tryptophan in turkeys that makes us all want to nap after our Thanksgiving meal, she said. Some pets, however, get so anxious they may need a prescription medication.

And although humans may feel compelled to feed pets foods from the table, Waters said it’s not always a good idea.

“Don’t feed them the foods we eat over the holidays,” she said, because some of them may be too rich or too high in fat content. It’s not a great idea for humans to over-indulge, and that holds true for our pets as well.

She suggested that pet owners have pet-friendly treats on hand for those who can’t resist slipping that furry friend an extra morsel. In addition to grapes and raisins – both no-no’s for dogs, Waters listed as “not dog-friendly” onions, garlic, currants and chocolate,

As cold weather sets in, it’s important to remember to keep things like anti-freeze and ice melt granules out of the way, too. While sprinkling ice melt on driveways and sidewalks can help human navigation, when a dog or cat walks on it, it may stay on their paws and cause a problem.

It’s a good idea to wipe the animal’s paws when they come back inside. “Clear the paw pads of anything they might pick up outside,” she said.

Don’t let your pets be couch – or carpet – potatoes in the wintertime, which could bring on weight gain.

“Get them out for a little 5- or 10-minute walk instead of letting them lie around,” she said.

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TownTalk: Election Recap

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A look back at yesterday’s election results.

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TownTalk: Kettle Drive Underway For Salvation Army

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It’s sort of like being asked to throw out the first pitch at a baseball game or to join the teams at midfield for the traditional coin toss. Dollar bills don’t make much noise as they land softly in the Big Red Kettle, but when they heard the familiar tinkling sound, the crowd assembled in front of Belk department store broke out in applause.

It’s the kickoff of the Salvation Army’s annual Kettle Campaign, y’all.

And Henderson Mayor Eddie Ellington had the honor of depositing the first contribution, adding with a chuckle, that “it’s the first of many.”

The husband-and-wife team that leads the local Salvation Army, Capt. Josh and Capt. Amanda Keaton, were on hand to officially start the holiday season of giving to the Salvation Army.

This year’s goal is $75,000, Capt. Josh Keaton told the group of local officials and others assembled Wednesday morning.

“Families are facing hard choices,” he added. Ringing the bell and standing by the kettle is a way for volunteers to pitch in as a community so that others don’t have to make the choice to either pay the light bill or buy food to put on the table.

Those cheery bell ringers give of their time, he said, “while giving a little bit of hope and cheer to others.”

Belk store manager Chris Tilley said he was happy to be able to partner with the Salvation Army. In addition to having the bell ringers outside the store, patrons inside will have the opportunity at check-out to make an additional donation to the Salvation Army.

The store also will sponsor a toy drive that will begin in early December.

“This is just another great way to partner with a great organization to help children,” Tilley said.

John Metzger chairs the Salvation Army advisory committee and he said that all the money collected in the local kettles is given to the local Salvation Army and it is all used to help local residents in need.

Three local Walmarts – Henderson, Oxford and Louisburg – will have Angel Trees set up for shoppers to choose tags from and purchase toys for children.

This year’s theme is “Love Beyond,” Keaton said.

“We’re going to do our part in the community to make sure somebody else in the community has a Christmas.”

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TownTalk: “Hidden Helpers” Program Assists Veterans’ Families

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Men and women who serve in the military have equipment to support the work they are called to do, whether they are participating in training exercises or whether they are deployed to battle.

But their families – especially children – sometimes need some special support when their parent returns home and family members find themselves in a caregiver role.

Melissa Comeau knows firsthand the importance of linking these “hidden helpers” with resources to help them as they provide care for their loved ones.

Comeau is the director of the Military Veteran Caregiver Network of the American Red Cross. This network offers peer-based support and services to those who are caring for injured, wounded or aging service members or veterans.

She and Phyllis Maynard talked about how the support network got started and how to access help Tuesday on TownTalk’s recurring segment “Former Active Duty, Still Boots on the Ground.”

The term “resiliency” has been batted around a lot lately, especially in light of the lingering COVID-19 pandemic.

Children are resilient.

And first responders are resilient, too.

Someone is resilient when he or she lives through a challenging time and comes out the other end, as good or better than before.

The Hidden Helpers project is a collaboration of several prominent organizations – the Wounded Warrior Project, The Elizabeth Dole Foundation among them – that provides a way for those caregivers “to come together and learn that they’re not alone,” Comeau said. Through Hidden Helpers, participants build relationships and find resources, she added.

Those relationships and resources were not so easy to identify when she was searching for help, however.

“I didn’t know I was a caregiver,” she acknowledged. A nurse who was caring for Comeau’s husband, himself a wounded Marine, who gave her that label.
“It opened up a new identity,” Comeau said, “but also a new idea of the support that I needed.”

She started looking around, “in all the usual places,” but wasn’t finding what the support she needed for someone who was the spouse – and caregiver – of someone with a traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress.

Her husband was able to get a medical retirement, through her efforts.

“This journey is so personal to me,” Comeau said. Not only does it offer another support stream for veterans, but also for the children growing up in these households as well.

Her son, just a toddler when she began this journey, is 11 now.

Children, though resilient, can suffer adversely when one parent is a caregiver to the other parent.

Whether it’s missing out on opportunities to interact with their peers, or experiencing anxiety or depression, the children sometimes suffer silently.

Through peer support and sharing, Hidden Helpers provides a platform for young people to express their feelings and share their own experiences with others who face similar circumstances.

The Hidden Helpers resiliency workshop is “aimed directly at children in caregiver homes,” Comeau said. “We took our best practices and lessons learned and built a resiliency workshop, all led by professionals licensed with mental health credentials.

The workshops are capped at 12 participants, who are grouped by age, she said. And all participants receive follow-up care, a critical ingredient in the process.

Whether in deployment, transition back to civilian life or needing a caregiver, Red Cross partners with other agencies to provide resources that aid service men and women and their families.

Hearing the stories and experiences of others plays a vital role in helping others find their voice and understand their own journeys.

The Hidden Helpers framework takes a holistic approach to “build supports that will help everyone, without them burning out,” she said.

“That creates a better outcome for everyone involved.”

The Hidden Helpers has an online community presence that is available 24/7, Comeau said.

To learn more, visit www.redcross.org/caregivers.

 

Additional links:

https://newsroom.woundedwarriorproject.org/2022-07-11-Wounded-Warrior-Project-Announces-Latest-Grants-to-Support-Veterans-Service-Organization-Partners

 

 

https://www.whitehouse.gov/joiningforces/blog/2021/11/10/joining-forces-and-hidden-helpers-coalition-pledge-support-to-military-and-veteran-children-in-caregiving-families/

 

https://hiddenheroes.org/news/hiddenhelperslaunch/

 

https://www.mathematica.org/publications/hidden-helpers-at-the-frontlines-of-caregiving-supporting-the-healthy-development-of-children

 

https://sesamestreetincommunities.org/topics/family-caregiving/

 

 

 

TownTalk: ‘Clearview Today’ Show Airs On WIZS M-F At 10 A.M.

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One of the team members at Clearview Church describes pastor Dr. Abidan Shah as a scholar with a pastor’s heart. That’s a winning combination, to be sure. And the Henderson church has launched a new show called Clearview Today to share his insights and message to others.

John Galantis and Ryan Hill are two members of the Clearview team who help produce the programs that emanate from Clearview, and they spoke with John C. Rose on Thursday’s TownTalk to shed a little light on the origins of the new show, which can be found Monday through Friday at 10 a.m. right here on WIZS.

Both said they were excited about the new platform, which also gives listeners a chance to interact with Shah each week.

There’s a dedicated phone line – 252.582.5028 – for listeners to make comments or to ask questions. The Friday show answers those questions from listeners, Hill said. “We (will) read and respond as best we can,” he added.

One of the biggest things that drives the Gospel, Galantis said, is God’s call to his people to take the Gospel into the world. “It’s very important that the conversation doesn’t die,” he said.

Hill said the show is another way to take the Gospel into the world. “We build a partnership with the people who are listening,” he said.

Shah and the half dozen or so team members at the church regularly sit down over lunch to discuss important topics, but the team routinely left with valuable life lessons. The podcasts arose from such meetings, and then, Galantis explained, they took it a step further:

What would happen if, instead of five or six people benefitting from Shah’s talks, “it were radically elevated to hundreds of people?”

From there the group created a daily show, related to the Bible, but also relevant to current situations and today’s issues.

The Clearview Today show’s signature line is “engages the mind and heart for the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”

There are deep truths to be found in the Bible, and Galantis said Shah’s insights are powerful.

“But you don’t need a PhD. to grasp some of these truths,” he said. Shah translates those deep truths that a layperson can understand, all the while enjoying the learning that is taking place.

Both men attribute having a strong collaborative team that engages and strategizes to achieve the common goal of bringing the Word to others.

“We trace God’s hand through all of that,” Hill said.

Galantis agreed. “Sometimes it’s difficult to see God’s hand when it’s happening,” he said. Most of life is looking back and coming to God. When he looks back at where the church was one year, five years, 10 years ago – “that’s how I’ve seen how God has worked.”

Visit www.clearviewtodayshow.com

TownTalk: Preparing For Open Enrollment For Medicare

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The Open Enrollment for Medicare is now underway, and it is the time for those enrolled in Medicare to do a little research and decide if they need to make any changes in their current plans. The open enrollment period for Medicare ends Dec. 7.

Lisa Barker is the Northeast regional manager for SHIIP – Seniors Health Insurance Information Program – a consumer information division of the N.C. Department of Insurance. Barker told WIZS recently that there are SHIIP coordinators in each of the state’s 100 counties. Theirs is an assist-only mode, however.

“We are not insurance agents and we don’t sell insurance,” Barker said, but they can help people compare plans and help to navigate through an insurance system that can seem complicated at times.

Rather, SHIIP counselors assist people who do receive Medicare with questions they may have, whether it’s Medicare, Medicare Part B, supplements or understanding long-term care insurance.

With 2.3 million Medicare beneficiaries in the state, Barker said it’s important to understand that it’s important to review plans and coverage each year. Here is a list of phone numbers for coordinating sites in the four-county area:

  • Vance County – 252.430.0257
  • Granville County – 919.693.1930
  • Warren County – 252.257-3111
  • Franklin County – 919.496.1131

By sitting down with a SHIIP counselor, Barker said individuals can review their current medications and physicians to make sure they don’t need to switch to a different plan.

“Medicare beneficiaries can compare all the plans and determine if they want to switch for the new year,” she explained.

“We can assist enrolling them in a new plan,” Barker continued. “Even if they’re happy with their current plan, it’s just a good idea to come in and talk – just so you know your money is being spent in the best way possible.”

Changes must be made by Dec. 7 to guarantee coverage continues without interruption on Jan. 1, 2023.

“Medicare plans and prices change, N.C. Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey said. “It is important for Medicare beneficiaries to take advantage of the Open Enrollment period by contacting local SHIIP counselors to save money, improve your coverage or both.”

Make sure you contact your local SHIIP counselor before deciding about coverage because you may be able to receive more affordable and better Medicare health and/or drug plan options in your area. For example, even if you are satisfied with your current Medicare Advantage or Part D plan, there may be another plan in your area that covers your health care and/or drugs at a better price.

Barker said she’s been involved in SHIIP in one way or another since 1998. She recalled an older couple who came to her a few years ago to review their plans. Plans had changed since they were initially enrolled in Medicaid, and their monthly premiums were going from $17 to $60.

Upon review of medications and copays, Barker said, the couple could continue with their current plan, but it would be much more expensive. Barker helped them find a new plan, which saved them more than $6,000 a year – and had lower copays.

“I tell this story often because, for them, it comes down to the cost of insurance versus food and electricity…the hugs from them and the relief on their face was priceless,” she added.

Making an appointment with a SHIIP counselor is one way to stay updated and educated on the changes in Medicare and the all the other pieces of the insurance puzzle.

But Barker cautioned individuals about sharing their personal information with others who claim to be working on your behalf, but who may really be trying to gain that personal information to be used in fraudulent ways.

“You want to make sure you’re protecting yourself,” she said. “If they’re asking you for too much personal identifying information,” be wary.

“The North Carolina Department of Insurance or SHIIP is never going to go door-to-door asking for information,” she said. Make sure you’re not giving out that information to someone who contacts you – whether by phone, personal visit, email, text or other written correspondence.

“If you have questions about something you received that is questionable, that’s a really good time to reach out to SHIIP, 855.408.1212.

Roughly $68 billion is lost each year to Medicare fraud.

Individuals also should regularly review their Medicare Summary Notices to verify that all charged listed are actually for the services that were provided by your healthcare professionals.  Ask questions if you think something looks suspicious.  It doesn’t hurt to question a charge.  Also, simple mistakes can happen.  When typing the number 10 someone could accidently hit the zero a second time and make the charge 100.  SHIIP can help individuals file a Medicare fraud claim.

Visit www.ncshiip.com to learn more.