TownTalk: Wayne Goodwin Talks About NC DMV

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Granville County has been without a license plate agency for a few months now, but DMV Commissioner Wayne Goodwin says the process is underway to have an office open again soon.

Goodwin spoke with John C. Rose Wednesday morning on TownTalk and provided an update on this and other topics, from the Real ID program and DMV kiosks to the increased use of electric vehicles in the state.

The DMV office where folks get their driver’s licenses are state agencies, staffed with state employees, Goodwin explained. But the license plate agencies – LPAs – are operated by private contractors with state oversight.

“Occasionally, we’ll have a license plate agency close,” he said, usually because the contract is up and isn’t renewed for one reason or another.

Goodwin said the state has received applications and in currently in the process of choosing a new contractor.

Conducting business online is a popular way to avoid the wait times and sometimes long lines for anyone who needs to transact their business in person. Visit www.myncdmv.gov to renew driver licenses, renew plates and more.

But Goodwin said North Carolina is exploring placing service kiosks that can be accessed any time of the day for those who don’t want to use the online services.

“We’ve decided to do what a few other states are doing,” Goodwin said, in exploring the use of kiosks – standup machines that can provide certain DMV services to the public.

“Be on the lookout for that,” he said, adding that about 20 will be rolled out in grocery stores and other public locations in the near future to test the public’s interest in using them.

Smartphones are figuring into the world of DMV, too.

Some states are implementing mobile driver licenses as a way to cut down on identity theft. North Carolina is exploring that idea, too, he said.

As for the Real ID, Goodwin said “folks on the federal level decided it’d be best that the deadline be pushed back two years…which gives folks more time to become compliant.”

It’s an idea that came about as a result of the 911 attacks, but it is not a requirement.

A gold star in the upper right corner of the driver license certifies that the person has provided the necessary documents that verify identification.

Summit ways to better prepare ourselves for the future.

As for the increased use of electric vehicles in the state, Goodwin said it really boils down to two things: customer demand and what the automobile industry decides to provide consumers.

More EVs means more charging stations as well, and Goodwin said he would anticipate more charging stations popping up.

 

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TownTalk: Upcoming Events At VGCC

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All campuses of Vance-Granville Community College will stay open late on Tuesday, Feb. 7 to accommodate students – current and prospective – who may need help or guidance from staff about planning their next steps with coursework.

Sherri Alston, director of admissions and enrollment services, told John C. Rose on Tuesday’s TownTalk that the day is designed to help students get help learning what their next steps are – whether it’s speaking with an advisor, beginning the registration process or participating in a new student orientation.

VGCC Public Information Officer Courtney Cissell said the new orientation classes will be offered that day on the Main Campus at 10 a.m. and again at 5:30 p.m.

Students would participate in orientation sessions after completing the registration process, Alston reminded, which means students should have a letter of acceptance in hand before attending the orientation.

Students these days have the chance to sign up for course offerings that are completed in just 8 weeks. The second 8-week course begins on Mar. 13, Alston said.

“Students are having a good time doing the classes in a quicker time span,” Alston noted, adding that students often have to juggle work, home, families and children’s activities on top of attending classes. The shorter 8-week time frame is a faster pace, but it also means a student may be able to complete a program more quickly.

No matter the type of program students are interested in pursuing, a good first step is consulting with VGCC staff.

“Call us, let’s talk about your goals…what’s driving you,” Alston said. “We want to steer you in the right direction.”

Visit www.vgcc.edu to learn more. Call the office of admissions and enrollment services at 252.738.3327.

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TownTalk: Nobles And Wood Recognized

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It’s always nice when your colleagues recognize you for your efforts in the workplace. Frankie Nobles, chief of animal services for Vance County, thinks it’s so important that he belongs to the county’s Employment Engagement Team, a group that thinks of ways to show appreciation to the county’s employees.

One of the ways the county shows its appreciation is by identifying an “employee of the month” and recognizing the award winners at county commissioners’ meetings.

Shelly Wood was recognized as December’s employee of the month. Wood works with the Board of Elections.

January’s employee of the month was a surprise to Nobles, who chairs the employment engagement team.

It was him!

“They pulled one over on me,” Nobles told John C. Rose on Monday’s TownTalk, who said he was honored to accept the award. And he didn’t know ahead of time, he said,  that he would be January’s recipient.

Nobles and the others on the employee engagement team are always looking for ways to make employees feel appreciated and valued.

“You want your staff to want to come to work and be proud to work for Vance County,” Nobles said. Employee retention is a challenge that many employers face these days, he added. He and the other members of the engagement team meet monthly to brainstorm how to improve and, in turn, attract prospective employees to find careers in Vance County.

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TownTalk: Basic Genealogy

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Today’s genealogy enthusiasts have a multitude of online resources, from databases that help create family trees to digitized newspapers from bygone eras.

Whether you’ve been at it a long time, like Mark Pace and WIZS’s Bill Harris have, or whether you’re just getting started, there are a few rules of thumb to keep in mind as you ferret our tidbits of information.

In their tri-weekly history segment on Thursday’s TownTalk, the two history buffs discussed the basic nuts and bolts of genealogy – call it Genealogy 101.

Pace, North Carolina Room specialist at Oxford’s Thornton Library, has been doing research on his family for half a century. Harris, for about the past 25 years.

Harris reminds others to talk in person with the oldest family member you can to find out information. “But there’s so much more,” he said, from family Bibles to web-based resources.

Pace said a family’s oldest living relative is a “wonderful resource” to start with, whose basic knowledge can be verified – or disproven – by checking against other sources.

“If you start with what you know,” Harris said, such as talking with a grandparent or other older relative, to gain information, “you can plug it in and then…slowly start working backwards” to fill in the gaps.

It’s important to determine what information is relevant to your search to avoid getting distracted. “Don’t let it overwhelm you,” Harris continued.

Libraries and courthouses are familiar places to many seasoned genealogists. But there is so much information available at your fingertips – online databases and archived documents make it easier for genealogists to find information in far-flung places.

Most places have a local history library, Pace said, and he constantly receives calls from people who are doing just that – checking sources.

“North Carolina was one of the very last states to mandate by law that you have a birth certificate or death certificate,” he said. That law took effect in 1913.

Before then, births may have been recorded in family Bibles and deaths verified in wills or estate records.

Wills and estates, however, were used by those who owned property. The lives and deaths of individuals who didn’t own property could easily have fallen through the cracks and lost forever, Pace noted.

Case in point, a branch of Pace’s own family. “All they did was grow tobacco and go to church,” Pace quipped, adding that there is scant information available about that part of his own kin.

Not surprisingly, when recorded information was done by hand and not by keystrokes on a computer, errors were much more common.

That’s just one reason why genealogists should always have multiple sources for their information

“Question everything,” Pace advised, adding that genealogists often have to be part sleuth to uncover information that may be difficult to prove.

For years, telephone books served the vital purpose of listing numbers of individuals and businesses. Those thick paperback behemoths are obsolete today, but the old ones that are still around can help genealogists confirm information, Pace said.

Documents as mundane as phone books help to place a person in a certain time period at a certain place. They are “fabulous” resources, Pace said.

He fielded a query once from someone who wanted to know the phone number for a family member who lived in Oxford at the beginning of the 20th century, when the town had its own self-contained telephone system. Pace located a 1903 phone book and found the phone number.

What was that phone number, you ask? 1.

 

 

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TownTalk: BGC Granville Club Kicks Off Phase 1 Of Major Facility Facelift

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Community leaders and other interested individuals gathered at the Granville Boys & Girls Club in Oxford Monday to witness the Construction Kickoff that will transform the Granville County club from a cavernous warehouse to a state-of-the-art facility.

Five club members, each sporting blue t-shirts with the familiar Boys & Girls Club logo, gave up their day off from school for the MLK holiday to take part in the celebration. They posed for photos with officials as they stood behind a paper banner decorated for the event. Then they got a running start and broke through the banner to officially kick off the project, to applause from the grownups assembled.

CEO Donyell “DJ” Jones told those gathered that if all goes well, the project will begin in early February and should be completed by the end of May. H.G. Reynolds is in charge of the project.

The Granville club is located in a building formerly occupied by Santa Fe Natural Tobacco. The administrative offices for the BGC North Central North Carolina also is located at the West Street facility, having moved from Vance County when the building was donated a few years back.

The construction project will create a dedicated art space, computer lab and more. Renderings by Intrepid Architects of Greenville, N.C. flanked the seats at the construction kickoff event to showcase the proposed design.

“As we look at this space,” Jones said, he described as “priceless” the time and resources that have been committed to bring the project to fruition. “This investment will have a positive impact on the community,” he said.

Among the special guests on hand Monday were Richard Moore and Julia Blaine, and Jones recognized them both for their significant contributions. Moore’s foundation provided a “transformational” investment to get the project off the ground and Blaine, along with husband Thomas and their Strong Arm Baking Co., issued a challenge in late 2021 to raise money for the project. This challenge raised awareness and added more than 200 new donors to BGC.

Jacqueline Robinson is the chief development officer for the regional organization, which has clubs across the four-county area. In her remarks Monday, Robinson talked about the history of the Boys & Girls Club, which officially celebrated 100 years in 2006.

Today, the staff of Boys & Girls Clubs work with club members, focusing on three priority areas: academics, good character and citizenship and healthy lifestyles.

This project will provide club members increased access to technology as well as a stable internet connection, in addition to more space for tutoring sessions and many different types of programs.

“This is the place where you come so you can grow into a professional,” Robinson said. She said that the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions curtailed BGC activities, and the new renovated space will be a real plus as club members continue to return to the Oxford unit.

Michael Currin, chairman of the BGC corporate board, said the transformed space will be a kid-friendly space and will provide a “first-class environment that will meet the needs of our kids.”

Follow the progress at https://www.facebook.com/BGCNCNC/

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TownTalk: Classes Help Seniors Navigate Technology And The Internet

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By all accounts, Edy Thompson says, the class designed for senior adults who want to learn more about how to use technology is a success.

From reading the evaluations from those who attended the first class, everyone thinks it’s an “excellent idea,” Thompson told John C. Rose. “And they’re coming back.”

Completing an evaluation is a small price to pay – the only price, actually. The class is free for senior adults and is the result of a partnership with AARP and Rebuild Communities. Thompson is the executive director of Rebuild Communities.

“I just think it’s an excellent, excellent program,” Thompson said. The facilitators had to get trained to teach the class, which will continue on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 12:30. Up to 10 participants come to learn more about how to use the technology that is all around us, from smartphones, laptops and iPads to Zoom calls and online troubleshooting chat sessions.

Thompson said older adults have to work at not becoming obsolete. “We know it but we don’t want to address it,” she said.

People are reluctant to show that they don’t know something, but this class provides information in a non-threatening way that folks enjoy.

“It’s wonderful to see seniors getting together and having fun and learning something useful,” she said.

Want to join in the fun? 252.915.1663 or send an email to info@rebuildcommunitiesnc.org.

 

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TownTalk: Reflections On Dr. Martin Luther King

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Monday’s TownTalk segment includes reflections from area pastors in observance of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday. Please listen back to hear these reflections in their entirety.

 

The Rev. Joseph Ratliff, pastor of Shiloh Baptist Church, said he views the MLK holiday “not simply about a single man, but…the struggle of Black people for generations. Today, Ratliff said, Black Americans can vote, get elected and sit anywhere they choose on public transportation – “things our grandparents and great-grandparents only dreamt of.”

Because of the continued support from so many, Ratliff said, “we now have a brighter day – there are all kinds of opportunities in front of us.”

He called King the dreamer of the dream that Blacks would no longer be considered second-class citizens, a vision that provided hope to an entire nation.

“Our action – or inaction – determines our future,” Ratliff said. “Dream with me – we can make a difference. Be the somebody that Christ has made you.”

The pastor of Clearview Church, Dr. Abidan Shah, arrived in the U.S. as a teenager and quickly realized that “every citizen had the opportunity to achieve, through hard work, determination and initiative.”

He called King one of the most influential Christians in history, and laid down the challenge to revisit King’s vision of equality for all – that vision that says people should not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the strength of their character.

 

Dr. Ron Cava, senior minister at First Baptist Church, said he is a little too young to have first-hand knowledge about King and his ministry, but said what he has learned about King confirms the idea that he was not only a prophet but a great preacher.

King’s ministry, like the Gospels in the Bible, charge believers to love our neighbors as ourselves, Cava explained, “regardless of race or gender or a multitude of factors that divide us.”

The time is now “to let freedom ring and… justice roll down like a mighty torrent,” Cava said.

 

Elder Gloria Ragland delivers the “Walking in the Word” program on WIZS on Sunday mornings said if King were alive today, she believes he’d look approvingly on accomplishments, “but we still haven’t gone far enough yet – my dream is bigger than this (because) we still have racism, hate and discrimination.”

“I believe he would also say ‘God is love,’” she added.

“We have come a mighty long way,” Ragland said. “It’s time for us to love one another, show respect for one another,” she said.

We are all part of God’s creation, Ragland said. “We should be able to get along, to work together…it shouldn’t be about differences, but we are one with God.”

She said she believes that God wants all of his children to get along and to prosper.
“You can’t make it to heaven with hate” in your heart, she said.

 

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TownTalk: Joe Bonsall Of The Oak Ridge Boys

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The legendary quartet known as the Oak Ridge Boys will take the stage at McGregor Hall later this month for a concert filled with some of their most popular songs, from old-time Gospel favorites to the iconic “oom-pah-pah-mao-mao” hit “Elvira.”

Tickets for the Saturday, Jan. 28 show are available now at www.mcgregorhall.org. The show begins at 7 p.m.

Bill Harris spoke by phone Thursday with Joe Bonsall, who has been with the group close to 50 years. At 74, he’s the “baby” of the group; Duane Allen and Richard Sterban are both 79 and William Lee Golden – “the guy with the beard,” Bonsall said, is 84 years young.

First known as the “Georgia Clodhoppers,” the group was originally formed in 1943 – during World War II, to put it into historical context.

Over the years, the quartet has seen dozens of members come and go, but these four have been together for a good while, enjoying about half a century of producing music and touring as The Oak Ridge Boys.

“We we bring more history to the stage than any other act in the business,” Bonsall told WIZS’s Bill Harris during Thursday’s TownTalk. “We love finding new songs and we love singing the old stuff,” he said. And as long as the four vocalists are able to sing together and create a good sound, he said he hopes they keep right on touring. They may dial back their normal 150-shows-a-year rate back to 120 or so this year, but that’s no big deal.

“Right now, we’re excited about this year,” Bonsall said.

Whether they’re performing at fairs, festivals or smaller venues like the 1,000-seat McGregor Hall, Bonsall said the group just enjoys performing together.

“We love what we do – we love each other,” he explained. “I enjoy putting on a show…I don’t care where it is,” he added. Their attitude is “let’s go sing.”

And sing they will for the audience at McGregor Hall. The set list may change a bit from show to show, but expect some of their standards like “Elvira” and “The Y’all Come Back Saloon.” And for sure they’ll be celebrating the 40th anniversary of the release of “American Made,” he said. They won’t turn their backs on their Gospel roots either and listeners surely will enjoy some cuts from the “Front Porch Singing” album, released in 2021.

 

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TownTalk: Carolina United For Change Works With Communities

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Observances and celebrations to remember the life and legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. will abound across the country this weekend and on Monday, the official national holiday which honors the slain civil rights leader.

Joseph Brodie, co-founder and leader of Carolina United for Change, Inc. wants to take it a step further this year with a service project to collect donations for area homeless shelters.

Brodie spoke Wednesday with John C. Rose on TownTalk to share information about his fledgling organization and its role in the community.

The nonprofit’s goals fall right in line with King’s philosophy – to be a unifying force in the community, end racial discrimination, feed the hungry, reduce poverty and improve education for all.

Brodie encouraged individuals to help Carolina United for Change by donating items that can be used at the various homeless shelters. Volunteers will be collecting items near the traffic circle between Perry Memorial Library and the police department between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Monday, Brodie said.

Some needed items include Clorox, disinfectant spray and other cleaning supplies for use at the shelters, as well as toiletry items for those who are spending nights in the shelters.

“We appreciate any help from anybody,” Brodie said.

The Vance County shelters that will receive donations from the service project include Lifeline Ministries, which currently has 30 women and a dozen children, as well as the ARC men’s shelter and the Community Partners for Hope men’s shelter. A shelter in Granville County is on the list to receive donations.

The organization was only incorporated in June 2022, but already has established a scholarship at Vance-Granville Community College, and Brodie said he hopes to gain a bigger foothold in the community.

“Right now, we’re just trying to get the people to be aware that they do have an organization in the area – we’re out there doing the footwork,” he said.

He said plans are being made to have an awards ceremony in the future to shine the spotlight on individuals who have gone “above and beyond” to make a difference in the community.

This is not a one-man show, and Brodie credits his executive board and others for coalescing and spreading the word about Carolina United for Change.

“It’s all about awareness,” Brodie said, adding that he wants people to “realize we are here and we are here to stay.”

Contact Brodie at 252.762.3364 to learn more or to volunteer to help with Monday’s service project.

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