TownTalk: St. Paul’s Lutheran Plans Food Ministry

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St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Ridgeway is launching a food ministry to try to help residents in Vance and Warren counties who find themselves struggling with having enough food for themselves and their families.

The food ministry, modeled after the story in the Bible of feeding 5,000 with two fish and five loaves of bread, will have its first event on Saturday, Jan. 28 and will be held on the last Saturday of each month thereafter, said Corey Brooks, pastor at St. Paul’s.

The church fellowship hall will host the first several months, but as the weather warms, Brooks said the hope is to travel into different areas of the county to provide food.

Brooks spoke with John C. Rose on Wednesday’s TownTalk about how the idea for a food ministry got started.

“We still have a few minor details (to work out), but we’re excited to be kicking this off,” Brooks said. “It’s easy to say ‘let someone else take care of them,’” Brooks said, but added that we’re called to love all of God’s children.

Providing a hot meal through the food ministry is a way to show that love for one another.

There also will be a “blessing box” located near the Norlina post office that people can visit, whether it’s to take food or to donate non-perishable items.

The box will have food to nourish the body and plenty of Bibles to nourish the soul.

“Take what you need and leave what you can,” Brooks said.

The blessing box is a place where folks struggling with food insecurity can go in the time between the last Saturdays of the month, he said.

St. Paul’s belongs to the southeastern district of the Lutheran Church’s Missouri Synod, and pastors like Brooks receive mission insight reports that provide information about the area, from income levels to people’s beliefs about God. Through his service as a chaplain for first responders, he said he’s seen the need himself.

But food insecurity rose to the top as a concern in the area, so the church is trying to do something about it.

Brooks invites other churches to help out, too.

“It’s not just our church,” he said. “It’s a time for us all to come together as brothers and sisters in Christ to provide” for others in the community.

He acknowledged that transportation could be a challenge, so help in that area would be most helpful.

But most of all, Brooks said he wants to let folks know that regardless of their struggles, their walk in life that they are children of God. “We want to walk with you and help you carry your burden as best we can.”

 

 

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TownTalk: Does Anyone Want To Talk About The Jail?

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No matter where you stand on the issue, the Vance County Detention Center is not an ideal facility, neither for staff nor inmates. Sheriff Curtis Brame has been vocal about the physical condition of the jail, which has racked up numerous deficiencies in recent state inspections.

The Vance County commissioners asked a Raleigh firm to conduct a facilities needs assessment, which County Manager Jordan McMillen is still in the early stages. The county is paying Moseley Architects more than $48,000 to complete the needs assessment.

“It is a comprehensive study,” McMillen told WIZS News via email Tuesday. “I would anticipate some results as we get into the spring” of 2023, but said commissioners may hear an update at the regular meeting in January.

Brame acknowledged that a cell phone video – aired Monday on a Raleigh television station – showed an inmate on the floor, surrounded by several other inmates who were hitting him.

In a brief written response to WIZS News Tuesday, Brame said charges had been filed in connection with the assault, but he provided no further details about the incident.

It is the latest challenge for Brame and county leaders, who seem to be at odds at times over what exactly needs to be done at the jail.

“The county has invested a good bit into the jail the past few years as the sheriff has requested items,” McMillen stated.

In fact, over the past five years, capital expenditures for the jail have increased almost $1 million – from $3.47 in 2018 to $4.34 million.

The 2023 budget is $4.86 million, which includes an extra $400,000 that commissioners approved in October that is designated for providing health care for inmates.

Brame has said he would like to see a new jail facility built for Vance County. Running the jail is the sheriff’s responsibility, and he has called for increased salaries for detentions staff.

According to McMillen, the new part of the jail was built in 1990 and comprises 32,355 square feet of space. The older part of the jail is smaller – about 2,400 square feet – and was also renovated in 1990 when the new portion was constructed.

The entire facility was renovated in 2010.

In addition to the needs of the physical plant are needs to have sufficient staff at the jail. Detention staff was included in a salary study the county put into place in July 2022 that raises hiring rates from $33,432 to $36,433.

“We are in a facility that has long outgrown its needs,” Brame told WIZS News back in August 2022. “Our detention center is antiquated and outdated,” he said, and noted safety issues – for staff and detainees alike – as a result of the condition of the physical plant.

Commissioners received the 9-page report at its August meeting, which detailed everything from non-functioning locks on food passage doors to dirty showers, as well as deficiencies in staff trainings and supervision.

But the overall physical condition of the jail, located at 516 Breckenridge St., looms larger for Brame. “Over 31 years ago the county decided to renovate the detention
center,” he said at the time, adding that the renovations do not meet current standards and needs and he maintains that the jail is unsafe for both staff and detainees.

 

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TownTalk: Stanley Takes On New Role At Kerr Lake

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In his previous role as Superintendent 1 at the Kerr Lake State Recreation Area, Bill Stanley said his main focus was on the rangers and their development and making sure the other staff also was properly trained to do the wide assortment of jobs that take place across the various campgrounds, public access points and shelters with the park.

In his new role as lead superintendent, Stanley chuckled when he said there’s a lot more paperwork involved.

But the ultimate mission remains the same: “making sure Kerr Lake is moving forward in a direction for the future,” Stanley told John C. Rose on Monday’s TownTalk.
He’s got his sights set on three broad areas: conservation, education and safe recreation.

Those umbrella categories cover a wide range of projects, from prescribed fires to making sure all visitors can have an enjoyable lake experience.

“Prescribed fires are a big thing in NC state parks,” Stanley said. “It’s a good thing for the environment and a really good things for visitors also.” Prescribed fires help reduce leaf litter and help clear out the understory of wooded areas, which helps campers have a better lake view and reduces the chance of a campfire getting out of control.

But there’s the little detail of when to conduct a prescribed fire. “When there’s tons and tons of campers here, you can’t smoke ‘em out,” Stanley said.

There are 13 rangers that serve the entire recreation area, he said. They are law enforcement officers in addition to all the other duties that go along with the job. Some will be joining other local law enforcement officers in the “Shop with a Cop” event happening this week, he said. And they also do programs at schools and at Perry Memorial Library.

In addition to the ranger staff, Stanley said there’s the 15-member maintenance team stays busy with various improvement projects throughout the recreation area. Add 60 or so seasonal employees to keep grass mowed and bathrooms cleaned during the peak season and suddenly the staff becomes a small army.

Maintenance recently completed a renovation of 13 campsites at Hibernia. By doing the job themselves, the team was able to make the money go further, he noted.

He said visitors who use the campsites love the fact that they’re so close to the water. “They say they love our campsites,” Stanley said, adding that many have been camping at Kerr Lake for many years.

Whether you just want to enjoy the natural beauty of the lake or whether you’d prefer to be in a bass boat on the water, Stanley said Kerr Lake is the perfect spot.

“Kerr Lake is a great fishing lake,” he said and 2023 is shaping up to be another good year for fishing competitions here.

 

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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 Christmas and New Year’s holiday.

Our pets may get anxious when guests arrive for a holiday gathering, Waters said in a recent TownTalk conversation. 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: Fundraiser Will Benefit J.F. Webb Athletics

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A pile of bricks has sat outside the J.F. Webb High School gym for the last couple of years, but they’ll soon serve their purpose, according to Webb Booster Club member Caroline Burnette.

That pile of bricks is becoming the foundation for a fundraiser that had been put on hold because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Burnette spoke recently on TownTalk to explain the project, which involves the purchase of engraved bricks.

The booster club is raising money for the school’s athletic teams and Burnette encourages Webb alumni, businesses and others in the community to be a part of the project.

Visit polarengraving.com/jfwebb to learn more or contact the booster club at jfwebbboosterclub@gmail.com.

Webb’s masonry students are going to install the donated red bricks outside the gymnasium. As the gray-colored bricks are purchased and engraved, a red brick will be taken up and replaced with the engraved brick, Burnette said.

“We can sell as many as we want,” she said, adding that once the first space is full, the plan is to move to areas near the football field and the baseball field on campus.

“This is a lasting opportunity – it’s going to be there for a really long time,” she said.

There are three price levels, depending on the size of brick purchased, she explained.

A 4 x 8 brick is $100, an 8 x 8 brick is $150 and the largest size brick is $225. In addition to having names engraved, there are hundreds of different images to choose from as well.

Burnette said some of the school’s sports teams are in dire need of new equipment and uniforms and this fundraiser will help to address some of those needs.

“It’s time to really support our kids,” Burnette said. “Please support our students at J.F. Webb.”

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TownTalk: Northeast Piedmont Chorale Comes To McGregor Hall

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The Northeast Piedmont Chorale will perform a free concert Saturday evening at McGregor Hall.

The 72-member choir will perform selections that reflect the concert theme, “Rejoice,” and Director Cindy Edwards said it’s a joy to be able to bring the story of Christmas through music.

Chorale President Judy Miller told John C. Rose on Tuesday’s TownTalk that she hopes concert-goers leave “feeling a special energy, rejoicing with us and enjoy the holiday season.”

Edwards and chorale baritone Tom Burleson joined Miller to talk about the upcoming performance, which begins at 7:30 p.m.

The spring concert almost filled the 1,000-seat performing arts center, which Miller said was among the largest audiences in the history of the chorale.

“It was just wonderful,” she said.

Many of the chorale members participate in their church choirs, but the pandemic really quashed singing – especially in congregational settings. Singing in a group setting was shut down to prevent spread of COVID-19, so the chorale is especially grateful to be able to perform on stage once again.

“Not only do musicians want to sing,” said Edwards, “but audiences want to hear” the music.

Among the selections that will be performed include a “very percussive” piece sung in Latin a cappella with handbell accompanists, an arrangement from “Ceremony of Carols,” as well as “Can You See The Star,” an original composition by chorale member and internationally acclaimed choral instructor Sally Albrecht.

Albrecht will be directing that selection, Miller said. “It will be so much fun to sing with the person who wrote the song,” she said.

Other selections include a Swahili adaptation of the Lord’s Prayer, with a guest soloist, as well as arrangements of traditional carols including “Little Drummer Boy,” “Deck the Halls” and “Hark, the Herald Angels Sing.”

Edwards said the chorale will be accompanied by a 16-piece orchestra and a guest harpist that “put the icing on the cake. Strings, brass, percussion, harp and woodwinds makes it just beautiful,” she added.

To learn more, visit www.npchorale.org.

 

 

 

 

 

TownTalk: Celebrating The Career Of Lt. Ray Shearin

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Lt. Ray Shearin spent almost half his career with the Vance County Sheriff’s Office with two of the best partners he could have hoped for. They never took turns driving and never once paid for his lunch, but he’d have done anything for them, and probably the feeling was mutual.

His patrol buddies were part of the K-9 unit and Juneau and Rex were among the first canines to join the sheriff’s office.

Shearin reflected on his 28-year career with the local sheriff’s office during Monday’s TownTalk with John C. Rose. He will retire at the end of the month with 30 years of service, once you add in sick days, he said.

The Shearin family has a long relationship with the sheriff’s office – and with Sheriff Curtis Brame. Shearin’s father Henry retired in 1992 from the sheriff’s office just before his son left military service.

“My dad trained Sheriff Brame and Sheriff Brame trained me,” he explained. And all three have had the same VCSO number – S-4. “The sheriff was gracious enough to give me my dad’s number,” Shearin said, adding that it meant so much to him to be able to have the same number that his father had used.

Shearin said his father imparted many important life lessons that have stood the test of time:

“Dad’s work ethic. When you go to work, do your job,” Shearin said, adding that his father had been raised on a farm, “so he knew work. You go in and you give 110 percent and make sure everyone goes home safe, just like you.”

Shearin currently serves as the VCSO’s operations lieutenant, but he’s worked his way up like so many others from serving papers to working patrol shifts, up through the ranks of sergeant and now lieutenant.

There are about 60 employees in the sheriff’s office, he said, and estimated that between 20-30 are working at any given time of the day to keep the residents of Vance County safe and sound.

As he thinks back on his career and looks forward to his retirement, he said it is the camaraderie that he has enjoyed the most. “It’s a brotherhood and sisterhood,” he said of his fellow sheriff’s office employees.

“We’re a family,” he said. “We try to take care of each other.”

“The people in Vance County have been great to me.”

Which leads to another life lesson he learned from his father and utilizes every day he represents the Vance County Sheriff’s Office: “the goal is to treat people like you want to be treated,” Shearin said. “He’s the one who told me how to treat people and how to do your job and do it well.”

He said the use of computers has greatly enhanced the ability to be prepared in law enforcement, from typing reports instead of writing them in long-hand using carbon paper to make copies to having information readily available to ensure the safety of officers on patrol.

Deputies never know what a patrol shift may bring, so they have to be prepared for most any situation at all times.

Shearin said he will never forget when he and Juneau were called out to help locate a young child who’d followed her dog off into the woods and hadn’t returned home. It was just getting dark, he said, and he sent Juneau, a tracking dog, ahead. That dog “tracked her for over a mile,” located her by a pond, barking each time Shearin called the dog’s name – just like it had been trained to do.

“That’s the gratifying part,” Shearin recalled, “when something like that happens” and families are safely reunited.

“Having a partner like that, you always have someone you can rely on,” Shearin said. “Even when backup is coming.”

Both dogs retired to Shearin’s farm and lived out their days there. Juneau died of cancer and Rex suffered hip dysplasia in his older years. But they were – and remain – cherished members of the Shearin family.

 

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TownTalk: Local Lore Rooted In History

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Once upon a time, the tiny town of Stovall in northern Granville County wasn’t so tiny. In fact, it once claimed the honor of having one of the largest private residences in the state, second only to the famed Biltmore Estate in Asheville.

“Waterloo,” as it was known, was built by James Daniel in 1840 and ultimately had a whopping 48 rooms.

After the Civil War was over, a Mr. Dickerson frequented the area, where he spent time hunting quail. “He liked the place so much, he bought it,” said Mark Pace, local historian and North Carolina Room specialist for the Richard Thornton Library in Oxford.

Pace said it is Dickerson who is credited with a couple of other “firsts” for the town – he was the first person to bring a car there, he had the first graded road constructed and he also had the first telephone, according to Mark Pace,

Pace and WIZS’s Bill Harris chatted about a few examples of such historical lore during Thursday’s tri-weekly TownTalk history segment.

Dickerson lived up North and turned the sprawling home into a hunting lodge. He would travel down on the train, which stopped in Stovall, unload his car, and stay for weeks at the time, Pace said.

“When he came, it was quite a big deal,” Pace said. His office in New York was across the street from the Federal Reserve.

“Not only did he have money, but he had brand-new money,” Pace explained. That new money also prompted rumors that circulated at the time that Dickerson was actually printing money at his Stovall digs.

He did infuse the local economy, however, running a store next to the railroad depot with its own bar and drugstore.

When he got older, Dickerson returned to New York, leaving area residents bummed. It seems that Dickerson paid all his neighbors’ property taxes – in exchange for hunting rights.

The Vance County connection is this: Henderson native Charlie Rose owned the property for a number of years, although the main house burned in 1962, leaving several outbuildings and an overseer’s house.

It’s sometimes difficult to ascertain fact from lore when dealing with stories like these, but that just adds to the interest.

One story from right here in Henderson when, in December 1932, a real estate agent and stock broker driving to Richmond on business vanished, never to be heard from again.

Or was he?

Rufus Sidney McCoin was a well-respected member of the community, Pace said. He served in the state legislature and on the state advisory budget commission, which Pace said afforded him access to some of the state’s influential leaders.

It was the height of the Depression, Pace said, and “there was no indication that anything was going on in his life” that would raise questions or concerns for his welfare.

He was last seen at a gas station just outside Richmond, and that’s where the tracks went cold.

“He bough gas using a Gulf courtesy card…used the phone and took off down the road,” Pace recounted. “And that was the last anybody heard of him.”

Fast-forward a couple of weeks and the chief justice of the state supreme court received a letter postmarked December 25 from Chicago, IL. The letter, of which Pace read a lengthy excerpt, detailed what had transpired two weeks prior outside Richmond.

“It was signed ‘a boy in distress,’” Pace said, adding that the letter still exists. He’s seen it and he’s read it, and he has his own theories as to what may have happened.

 

The contents of the letter accurately disclosed where to find McCoin’s car – in a garage in Ohio. Also recovered were his wallet, a bloody glove and his eyeglasses.

Although there were alleged sightings of McCoin in the years that followed, the mystery has never been solved.

Which is where educated guesses and speculation come into play, Pace said.

“I think whoever wrote this was an educated person trying to sound like an uneducated person,” he said, questioning why some common words like “hotel” and “gas”would be misspelled while other less common names of towns would be spelled correctly.

The letter itself has stains on it that appear to be blood, but how those stains got on the letter will probably never be known.

To hear more stories of interest, listen to the entire interview at wizs.com.

 

TownTalk: Rebuilding Hope Wraps Up Another Year

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There are at least 20 homes whose residents need wheelchair ramps, and Randolph Wilson of Rebuilding Hope Inc. said the lumber is in their warehouse and the tool trailers are stocked and ready to roll.

There’s one thing missing, however: volunteers. People who will pull those trailers to the job site and use that lumber to build the ramps that so many in the community need to make entering and exiting their homes easier.

Wilson spoke with John C. Rose on Wednesday’s TownTalk and said God has richly blessed the ministry during the six years or so that it’s been in operation at the former Coca-Cola Bottling Co. on Raleigh Road.

“God has given us all the things that we need,” Wilson said, adding that the ministry relies solely on financial support from churches, individuals and businesses – it operates without benefit of government grants.

“We’ve been blessed that we have never needed money – we just need volunteers.”

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Teams have gone out into the community to construct dozens and dozens of ramps so far this year, but there are still quite a number of households on the wait list.

If you’d like to help, contact Wilson at info@rebuildinghopeinc.org or phone 252.438.5132.

The mission and ministry of Rebuilding Hope is “rebuilding homes, lives and hearts.” It strives toward those goals in a variety of ways, including sending youth out into the community to tackle repairs and home rehabs.

Over the summer, young people from near and far to take part in a program called “Servants on Site.” Close to 100 young people participated in the 2022 event and put roofs on 10 houses in the area in just about 4 days’ time.

The youth bunked at Central Baptist Church, and a dozen area churches prepared food each day at the job sites as well as helped purchase materials for the roofing projects.

“We had a great week with all those kids in town,” Wilson said.

Details of the various activities and events that Rebuilding Hope undertakes are included in the ministry’s monthly newsletter, available electronically to anyone who would like to receive it.

Simply email info@rebuildinghopeinc.org to be added to the mailing list and to stay updated on ways you can help.

Rebuilding Hope is open Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Applications for assistance are received on Wednesdays, Wilson noted.

Can’t climb up on a roof or take the 6-8 hours that it takes to complete a standard wheelchair ramp? No problem. Volunteers also are needed for small repair jobs like deck and interior floor repair, Wilson said.

There are opportunities to help keep the warehouse in good order, as well as cleaning and restocking the various trailers that are available to the community.

There’s a food trailer for churches and other groups to borrow when they’re having events, and even a trailer outfitted with popcorn, cotton candy and sno-cone machines.

Add to that the game trailer – stocked with different games and you’ve got yourself a portable party.

“You can pull both of those trailers out and have a pretty good event,” Wilson said, adding that there is no fee to use the trailers.

Wilson said he would be happy to come out and speak to any church or other organization that wants to learn more about its mission and how to help Rebuilding Hope help others in the community.

But mostly, he said, it’s volunteers that are needed.

“Our volunteer base is getting older – we need some young people to come on board,” he said.

In the meantime, he said, his prayers are simple: that folks “will choose to come and help.”

Visit www.rebulidinghopeinc.org to learn more.

TownTalk: Disc Golf At Granville Athletic Park

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We see them everywhere: those flexible plastic discs that get flung through the air on beaches, college campuses and playgrounds.

Toy manufacturer Wham-O was the first to call them Frisbees in the late 1950’s and since then, the flying discs have been tossed about for fun – and competitively.

Local disc golf enthusiasts have a high-quality 18-hold course to practice their sport at Granville Athletic Park, and the board of commissioners recently recognized their efforts to bring such a course for the public to enjoy.

The course is called “The Incinerator,” the result of Granville County native David Nicholson and a group of dedicated volunteers who partnered with GAP parks and grounds crew to create. It began in 2018 with nine holes and the final nine was completed in 2022.

It was built with minimal labor and expenses by county staff and has already put Granville County on the map in the disc golf world, according to a press statement from Granville County Public Information Officer Terry Hobgood.

“These volunteers have succeeded in creating a destination for disc golf enthusiasts from across the state in a uniquely themed course that pays tribute to the rich history behind the park’s development,” the statement continued.

For more information about the Incinerator Disc Golf Course, please visit the Granville County website:  https://www.granvillecounty.org/residents/recreation/granville-athletic-park-gap-2/34051-2/

In addition to Nicholson, commissioners also recognized the following disc golf course volunteers: Kyrston Nicholson, Jeff Schons, Michael Fortlage, Ben Lewis Benjamin, Fermin Calderon, Russell Davis, Heyward Gignilliat, Andy Mathews, Joe Tartamella, Justin Crow, Dilon Lawson, Dionicio Salazar, Paul  Shelton Jr., Parker Schons, Samuel Sirianna, Adam Weisbrodt, Larry Smith, Davis Lever and Sam Taylor.

 

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