TownTalk: Coming Together To Improve The Community

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The Henderson Police Department’s Tony Mills wears a couple of hats – he’s a detective but he also serves as a liaison with state and federal law enforcement agencies to make sure those strong partnerships are in place among the different entities.

But Mills also is from Henderson, and he calls Henderson home, which just strengthens his resolve to make the city he serves even better.

Mills was one of the speakers at last week’s gathering of business and community leaders sponsored by the Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce, and he spoke Tuesday with John C. Rose on Town Talk.

In reflecting on his remarks during the Aug. 26 meeting held at Clearview Church, Mills was optimistic.

“I’m as excited as I’ve ever been, being a resident of Henderson, and calling Henderson home, and being an employee for the city of Henderson and working for the Henderson Police Department…seeing this group wanting to come together with the city and work with the city council,” Mills said he has plenty of hope for the Henderson’s future.

Having business leaders come together to voice concerns as well as offer support and suggestions may be just what the community needs to stay on the path toward progress. Having the business and private sectors working in concert with law enforcement is a positive step.

“The Henderson Police Department is a small department,” Mills readily acknowledged. But that doesn’t cloud his opinion of its capabilities. “I will put the Henderson Police Department and its men and women that serve the citizens of Henderson against any police department in the continental United States. That’s their work ethic, that’s their drive to make their community a better place,” he said.

As a liaison with agencies at the state and federal levels, Mills has the opportunity to work with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the local district attorney’s office and Drug Enforcement Agency, among others.

“It takes all of us to work together,” he said, to reach those desirable outcomes of getting the bad guys off the streets and making communities safer.

But once an arrest is made, the wheels of justice sometimes turn slowly. State courts and federal courts may view similar crimes in different ways, he said. “You may get more time in state court for just selling heroin,” he noted. “But throw a gun into the mix, and you’re going to get more time in the federal system.”

Routinely, these external partners meet with local law enforcement to discuss the best way to proceed with prosecution. “We come up with a solution and send it up the avenue that’s going to make the community a better place,” he said.

Being a team player with these other law enforcement partners pays dividends for local departments like Henderson’s, Mills said, because they often have resources that just aren’t available or realistic for smaller forces.

Through collaboration, however, smaller departments often can have a bigger impact when it comes to getting bad guys off the streets – which is one thing that is important to business leaders and private citizens. And business leaders and private citizens are a part of the collaboration effort, he said.

“I wish I didn’t have to tell them that we need their help,” Mills said. “I wish we could get it done by ourselves, but we can’t…everybody needs to do their part.”

If you observe something that just doesn’t look right, or makes the hair stand up on the back of your neck, he said, you need to report it. Even those seemingly insignificant things could be a missing piece of the puzzle that law enforcement officers have been investigating for a while.

 

 

TownTalk: Blackmon And Ellington Attend Chamber Business Meeting

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It’s a well-used analogy, but one appropriate for the situation that Henderson and the surrounding community finds itself in, according to City Manager Terrell Blackmon: The seeds for growth and improvement have been planted, and now the area is beginning to see those seeds sprout. But some onlookers may not be convinced until the flowers bloom.

Blackmon was a guest on Monday’s Town Talk with John C. Rose and he said he was among a group of local city and business leaders to come together to late last week to discuss ways to cultivate and nurture those tender sprouts as they continue to grow.

“They’ve been in progress,” he said. “It just doesn’t happen immediately…you have to plant seeds and allow them to grow.”

Blackmon used the analogy to describe the various projects that the city is a part of, as well as the 4-point strategic plan endorsed by the City Council at its 2022 planning retreat.

The meeting was one way for business leaders to hear about progress being made to make Henderson and the surrounding area more inviting – from its physical appearance to attract new residents, to the regional water expansion necessary to provide the infrastructure needed to attract new industry.

They gathered at Clearview Church in Henderson and speakers included Mayor Eddie Ellington, Ronald Bennett, president of the local Chamber of Commerce, Greg Etheridge, president of the local Rotary Club, Tony Mills with Henderson Police Department and Brian Boyd, who acted as facilitator for the meeting, which lasted about an hour.

“I was sitting in a room with a group of people that have a vested interest in this community,” Blackmon said of the gathering, a follow-up action from the recent letter presented to the City Council from concerned business about the negative image of the city.

That letter, Blackmon said, underscored some concerns that the city already was in process of addressing, but it also served to heighten expectations and showed that the business community was interested in improvements that were being done around the city.

Blackmon provided an update on progress being made in the council’s four priorities of its strategic plan – improving the image of the city, recruitment and retention of employees, safe, affordable housing and revitalization and redevelopment.

“They see that the city is growing and they want to make sure we’re doing it in a way that improves the overall appearance of the community,” Blackmon said of those who attended the meeting.

Projects like the regional water expansion and housing codes are just a couple of current projects. “Those things don’t sound real sexy, but the provide the infrastructure for the growth that we’re about to see happen in the community,” Blackmon said.

In his remarks to the group, Mayor Ellington said he is most interested in his hometown being the best it can be.

“I’m happy to see this traction and momentum,” Ellington said in a follow-up interview with WIZS News on Monday. “The only way to get better is to address them,” he said of concerns from the community, “admit it, and hit them head-on.”

Ellington said one concern he has is code enforcement in housing. The city council’s recent adoption of revised minimum housing code will surely help in a couple of areas of the city’s strategic plan priorities.

Ellington said staff shortages across city departments – from police officers to street maintenance crews – makes a tough situation even more difficult.

Code enforcement is not an easy job, but Ellington said it’s a key component in making progress. “That’s what’s so desperately needed,” he said, adding that he advocates beefing up the code enforcement staff to be able to adequately address violations across the city.

Blackmon said he is pleased to see that business leaders seem to be more interested in what’s happening in the city and are attending council meetings. “I’m very appreciative of seeing involvement” at council meetings.

“It shows me that they care about this community,” Blackmon added.

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TownTalk: NC Hospitals During The Civil War

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In the time leading up to the Civil War, the United States didn’t have the same kind of hospital system that exists today.

And many doctors, whether trained in medical colleges or who had learned the tools and treatments of the trade by apprenticing with experienced doctors, brought their tinctures and salves to the homes of patients and treated them there.

But once the Civil War cranked up, it became necessary to have places where wounded soldiers could be tended to. U.S. Army Col. Wade Sokolosky (Ret.) has been researching hospitals in North Carolina during the Civil War and has compiled that research into a two-volume set, the first of which has been published. The first volume is “North Carolina’s Confederate Hospitals 1861-1863.”

The second volume, the research for which was sidelined a bit due to the COVID-19 pandemic, should hit book stores by 2024, Sokolosky told Bill Harris and Mark Pace during the tri-weekly history program.

The Beaufort, NC native returned to Town Talk Thursday for part two of his discussion about the state’s Civil War hospitals. “I’m really excited and super stoked,” Sokolosky said, referring to his book sales and the upcoming publication of the second volume.

 

Early on in the war, surgeons were sort of tapped into service, Sokolosky said, but once it became evident that the war would not end quickly, the Confederacy developed an examination board for surgeons to demonstrate their medical capabilities.

“One of the surgeons at Fort Macon didn’t pass,” Sokolosky said, and the surgeon general at the time sent him home. “The vast majority did demonstrate competence…they tightened (standards) up pretty good,” he continued, and as the war raged on, so did the quality of medical care.

Sokolosky’s research didn’t delve too deeply into the medical side of things, but he did run across interesting tidbits during his work. For example, the records kept by Chief Surgeon Isaac Tanner who attended soldiers at the Battle of Bentonville have been preserved, he said. In March of 1865, as the Battle raged, there were more than 500 gunshot wounds that were treated. Of that number, only 14 required limb amputation, a testimony to the advances that had been made for medical treatment on or near the battlefield.

There was a trend for each Confederate state to have its own hospital in other states to care for their own soldiers. There was a North Carolina hospital in Richmond, for example, and Otis F. Manson – a Granville County physician – was placed in charge.

There were other hospitals in Virginia that were designated for North Carolina troops, including a couple in Petersburg. If all the soldiers in the hospital were from the same area, it made it easier for visitors – often women from benevolence societies – to come with food and good wishes for a speedy recovery.

Vestiges of this concept of caring for military personnel remain today, Sokolosky said – if you travel through airports, chances are you’ve seen USO spaces that provide respite – and a little special treatment – for members of the armed forces.

The North Carolina Soldier’s Home was established in Richmond for soldiers to take a break from the war.

“If a soldier got a 72-hour pass, it wasn’t enough time to go home,” Sokolosky said, but he could go to the soldier’s home and take a break – get a warm meal and have a hot bath.

Private organizations, often run by women, created wayside hospitals along transportation routes so wounded soldiers could rest as they traveled back to their home states. The soldiers could have their wounds attended to, get their bandages changed at these locations, the idea of which began in South Carolina.

For more information, contact Sokolosky at Sokolosky1@aol.com.

 

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TownTalk: Brick Power Team Event Benefits Local Church

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Think you’ve got what it takes to compete at The Brick?

If you have to ask what The Brick is, you may want to be a spectator rather than a competitor – The Brick is where The Brick Power Team gets its name and it is the site of an upcoming bench press contest.

Harry Orr, a member of the weightlifting team, said the Oct. 15 event will benefit Freedom Life Church of God, located right next door to The Brick on Martin Creek Road in Henderson.

It’s a tangible way to say thank you for the support the church has provided The Brick Power Team, Orr told John C. Rose on Wednesday’s Town Talk.  (Click to Play Audio – TownTalk: Brick Power Team Event Benefits Local Church)

“We’re trying to give a little bit back to our church for helping us and supporting us through these events,” he said. “We’re like a ministry outreach from the church – we’ll find somebody with some kind of need” and then host a fundraiser bench press event.

“Every little bit helps,” he said. “Sometimes, it’s a lot we can give…we enjoy doing it – and use weightlifting to make it happen.”

A recent recipient was the local American Legion, he said. Adult competitors pay $40 to register and teens pay $30, but Orr said they’re not sticklers on strict rules and regulations – Orr said he’s grateful to sponsors for their help in defraying the cost of things like food and trophies for the first- and second-place finishers in the various categories.

Competitors can weigh in between 8:30 and 11 on the morning of the competition, which should begin around noon. Previous events have pulled competitors from Wake Forest, Raleigh, Greensboro, Greenville and Roxboro, and Orr said he hopes that folks will turn out in October to participate or to cheer the competitors on.

“We go by weight classes and age,” Orr said, in determining the different categories for the competition. There are classes for teens, and men’s and women’s master classes, as well as open classes determined by weight.

There’s been a 75-year-old winner and a 10-year-old winner, he said. The youngster weighed about 100 pounds and he benched more than 100 pounds.  “We’ve got some real tough competitors in this sport,” he added.

For Orr, it’s a time to do what he enjoys doing – he’s been lifting for more than 30 years, he said. “It’s a great event to put on – we have a good time doing it.”

And the competitors probably get a little charge out of flexing their muscle in front of  others. “Everybody likes to show off a little bit,” Orr said.

Orr may fit that description as well, when he’s in a competition. But he was a bit more subdued as he shared an accolade that will be bestowed on him and some others from Vance County in just a couple of weeks at Aycock Rec Center: Orr will be inducted into the N.C. Power Lift Hall of Fame on Saturday, Sept. 10.

In 2011, Orr was ranked #1 in the 55-59 class of the American Challenge. It’s a lot of hard work on his part to train and practice, but he gives the credit to God.

“God’s been good to us, giving us the ability to do it,” he said.

Call Orr at 252.432.4196 or email him at horr2553@yahoo.com

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TownTalk: SaM Child Advocacy

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Important work goes on at Strength And Mending Child Advocacy Center on South Garnett Street, and not all of it falls within business hours, according to founder Cara Boyd Gill.

Gill founded SaM in 2016 to be a resource for young people who have experienced or witnessed sexual or physical abuse or have been victims of other violent crimes.

The nonprofit works closely with local law enforcement, Department of Social Services, the district attorney’s office, as well as mental health and medical personnel, Gill told John C. Rose on Tuesday’s Town Talk.  (Click to hear the full audio story · TownTalk: SaM Child Advocacy)

And although the majority of the referrals are from the four-county area, they have helped children and families from all over North Carolina. Recently, detectives from New York were in town because a case that occurred in their jurisdiction involved a young person who now resides in a county close to Vance County, she said.

“The children are located in our surrounding counties,” she said, “but the crimes may have happened somewhere else.”

“We have never turned down a family due to their location,” she said. Neither does SaM charge for their services. They rely 100 percent on grants and donations.

“Every service is offered at no cost to clients – they have already been through enough trauma or hardship.”

Networking within the community is another way to share resources with other groups that work with children. Gill said there’s an upcoming meeting with Vance County Schools’ nurses as they prepare to begin another school year.

Teachers, nurses, therapists and daycare providers are just some of the workers who can provide a listening ear and a safety net for children who have witnessed or been victim to violent crime or abuse.

So far, SaM has seen 93 children and their families in 2022 – with one quarter of the year to go.

However the referral is made – through law enforcement, DSS or someone who calls in asking for help – the children are brought to the center for what Gill called a child forensic interview.

They come to the child-friendly environment, she said, to reduce the child feeling further intimidated or traumatized. The interviews are recorded, which “reduces duplication of these kids having to be interviewed over and over again,” perpetuating the trauma.

A medical evaluation is completed if necessary, and SaM provides advocacy services to accompany families through the court system if they need it.

“Usually, when they come to us, a report has been made to police or to DSS,” Gill said, or from a therapist who is bound by law to report certain types of information.

Sometimes, the abuse has just happened and sometimes the abuse has happened in the past, she said. One thing is certain, Gill said: Abuse does not discriminate. “Honestly, they come from all different backgrounds,” she said, of the children and families that are referred to S.A.M.

The treatment they receive is vital to restoring their mental health and to help them tap in to their resilience – it’s important that the children get their narratives heard and get them on the path to healing.

“We have definitely seen an uptick since COVID,” Gill noted, adding that S.A.M. also has received more requests for help from other counties since the beginning of the pandemic.

She said proudly that, throughout the pandemic, SaM remained a 24-hour service for children and families.

People often need help outside the general 9-5 timeframe, and Gill said her phone is by her side all the time – sometimes to the chagrin of her family. “My phone stays on 24/7 and it’s wherever I am,” she said.

Self-care is an important component for people in Gill’s line of work. She enjoys working on one of the family’s farms and being with animals – especially horses.

A new website is under construction at this time, but there are several ways to contact Gill to learn more about SaM.

Find them on Facebook at SaM Child Advocacy Center, stop by the 704 S. Garnett St. office, email Gill at cara@samcac.com  or phone 252.572.4112.

Reach out to learn how to get resources for your organization or to find out how to have conversations with children about uncomfortable topics like sexual abuse.

“We grow each year,” Gill said. “It’s unfortunate, but we’re seeing more and more kids each year.” And about those conversations that you don’t want to have with your children?

“Have them with your kids.”

Having an open, honest conversation with your children about abuse could be the thing that prevents them from becoming a victim.

 

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Henderson Family YMCA $1M Gift from Dr. Khanh Vu and His Wife Elmira Choopani

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The Henderson YMCA has received a $1 million gift to create a youth development services program in the building recently vacated by Vance County Department of Social Services.

Executive Director/CEO Paul Ross said the gift from Dr. Khanh Vu and his wife, Elmira Choopani, would hopefully be used to purchase the building – adjacent to the current Y campus – and to transform it into a space for summer day camps, after-school camps and perhaps even a licensed day care.

Ross spoke with John C. Rose about the Y’s vision to serve the community. “We are exceedingly grateful and we can’t thank them enough,” Ross said on Monday’s Town Talk about the gift from the Vus.

Listen to the full story here – TownTalk 08-22-22 $1M Gift to Henderson Family YMCA

“We are in process of trying to acquire the DSS property that adjoins the Y,” Ross said. Because the county has deemed it a surplus property and because the Y is a non-profit which plans to use it to benefit the community, the sale does not have to go out to public bid, Ross said.

Among the numerous offers the county received, theirs was selected “because of the work we’re going to do,” Ross noted.

The board of directors has been honing the vision for quite a while, he said, even before the COVID-19 pandemic.

But the emotional and physical strains brought about by pandemic restrictions has shone a spotlight on the need for specialized services and programs for young people who may be facing challenges.

The youth development services facility is part of the larger vision that the board has to try to offset or prevent negative health outcomes for children. Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have been proven to have lasting effects on adults, he said. Promoting good mental health among children is the “whole underlying target” for the overarching vision the Y has to serve the community.

“This community needs this kind of work in a desperate way,” he said.

There are strategies that can be implemented that counteract those ACEs, he said, and the Y is pursuing partnerships with Triangle North and Henderson Vance Health Care, among others, to make such programming possible. Providing young people, especially those ages 5-12, with coping mechanisms and strategies to prevent future problems is critical to maintaining good mental health.

“We’re trying to address it on the front end and prevent it from getting worse,” Ross said. “It’s a monumental task but it has to be addressed.”

Ross said the track behind the Y needs some attention, and he said renovating it and adding more amenities for the whole community to enjoy has been well-received by its geographical neighbors Boyd Chevrolet and Maria Parham Health.

By reorienting the track and pumping up the amenities there, the Y would create a larger campus for the whole community to enjoy, not just Y members.

“We are available to everybody,” Ross, who joined the Y in 2014, said. “Ever since I started here, we have made every effort to try to make our services available to the community.

The last two words of the Y’s mission statement, he said, are “for all.”

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TownTalk: Upcoming Events At G.R.A.C.E. Ministries

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G.R.A.C.E. Ministries is a beehive of activity this week, and there’s still time for children ages 4-16 to show up for one more day of a summertime fine arts and enrichment camp at the 961 Burr St. location.

Jamie Elliott said he appreciates the help from Deborah Scott with the Vance County Sheriff’s Office for her help with the camp, which began Wednesday and continues through Friday. Elliott told John C. Rose that children are welcome to join in the activities – just come to the church by 10:45 a.m. or so and get checked in, he said.

“It’s been a blessing to see kids come in from the community,” Elliott said on Thursday’s Town Talk.

Then on Saturday, the whole family is invited to come back to G.R.A.C.E. Ministries for Family Day – there will be food, games and more, Elliott said. The event will be from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and will include a backpack giveaway while supplies last. Local churches donated school supplies for the backpack giveaway, he said.

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Children can enjoy playing basketball and soccer during the day, and there will be a slip-n-slide as well. “It’s not just for kids,” Elliott said, “it’s for all ages.” Even adults need to take some time every now and then to loosen up, he added.

In addition to the weekend activities at G.R.A.C.E. Ministries, Elliott said organizers are planning an Addiction and Support Rally to help show the community – especially those who may be in the grips of substance abuse – that “there’s a better way than drugs.”

The inaugural event will be held on Saturday, Sept. 10 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Burr Street location, and will include local agencies and representatives who can help provide resources and information about recovery and about the danger of drugs in the community.

There will be guest speakers who will share their testimonies and their path to recovery, Elliott said, to educate people about drug abuse and to help addicts “see that it’s not the way to go.”

When a person gives their testimonial and shares their story about overcoming addiction, Elliott said, it gives others “the strength to overcome it, too. If that person can do this, maybe I can, too,” he said. But more important than sharing their personal stories, Elliott said the rally is designed to show how Jesus Christ has changed their lives. “Our mission is to reach addicts, those in recovery and their families,” he said.

If your organization would like to participate or set up a booth, contact Elliott 252.204 3617 or Danny Satterwhite at 252.425.3620.

To learn more about the after-school program on Mondays and Tuesdays, contact Bobby West at 252.432.7124.

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TownTalk: Duck Derby

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This year’s Duck Derby to benefit Franklin/Granville/Vance Smart Start is shaping up to be another successful event and Gary Daeke, one of the fundraiser organizers, said he’s pleased to note that there will be a full-on street festival for families to enjoy.

The fun begins at 11 a.m. in downtown Henderson on Saturday, Sept. 17. There will be a couple of food trucks, lots of children’s activities and then the race will be at 2 p.m., Daeke told John C. Rose Thursday on Town Talk.

“The ducks have been selling really well,” Daeke noted. They usually sell about 2,500 of the rubber ducks, that will drift down a short-lived “river” created along Garnett Street – compliments of the Henderson Fire Department’s fire hoses. Daeke said Greystone Concrete Products graciously provides the equipment that mixes up the ducks and then dumps them across the starting line to begin the race.

There will be a bounce house and a slide, and Daeke said the kids always enjoy donning fire helmets and having a little fun with the fire hose.

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The prize for having the winning duck is $1,000. Chick Fil-A for a year is the prize for second place, and the third-place winner will receive a Sheetz gas card. The duck that comes in last gets a prize, too – $100. Tickets are available now from any FGV staffer or board member, but they also will be available until about 1:30 p.m. on the day of the derby.

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Although FGV had the Duck Derby last year, COVID-19 restrictions meant they couldn’t have the full-blown festival. This year, though, brings a return to previous years festivities. Daeke said there should be an area filled with non-profit organizations and agencies available to provide information about resources in the community.

When children and families visit these tables and booths, they’ll get signatures on a scavenger hunt card that will be redeemed for perhaps an ice cream or a sno-cone, he said.

Visit www.fgvsmartstart.org to purchase a duck and to learn more about services of FGV Smart Start. Or call the office at 252.433.9110 to find out more.

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TownTalk: African American Cultural Museum Looking to Move Within Henderson

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When families outgrow their homes, oftentimes they look for something in the same area with more bedrooms or bathrooms to make everyone more comfortable. That’s kind of what Edith Thompson is hoping to do with the African American Cultural Museum – their Oxford Road location actually used to be a home, but the museum quickly has outgrown its space.

The museum needs more space – inside and out, Thompson told John C. Rose on Wednesday’s Town.

“We’re excited about the future of the museum,” she said, noting that several groups have visited and held programs there recently. But parking is an issue, she said. And so is the underground oil tank, a relic of an obsolete heating system.

So for now, the museum is on pause for groups to come and visit. And Thompson and others are hopeful to find a spot in downtown Henderson to meet their needs.

“We need more space…we need to expand to incorporate an exhibit on the Henderson community,” Thompson said. A virtual tour will be posted on the museum’s website, www.rebuildcommunitiesnc.org, in the next 30 days or so, she said. A virtual tour will have to suffice, she said, until the museum’s docents once again can entertain face-to-face tours.

Leadership vance, biz exchange for minority businesses.

“We put a lot of money into renovating this space,” Thompson said, so she and other museum supporters are disappointed to have to be looking for another space so soon.

“We do what we must,” she said optimistically. “It’s a good sign that Henderson loves us and is really embracing us.” She said educating young people is a prime mission of the museum, but museum organizers also had a vision that the museum would attract more visitors to the Henderson area.

She said the plan is to be back open in time to celebrate Black History Month 2023. “Excuse us while we take a brief hiatus,” Thompson said. “We will be back.”

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S-Line Rail Corridor

Another Grant Means Another Step Toward ‘All Aboard’ for S-Line Rail

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Plans to bring rail service back to Henderson continue to chug along, and one city council member said he’s been pleasantly surprised at how the S-Line project is coming together.

Garry Daeke spoke with John C. Rose on Tuesday’s Town Talk about the recent announcement of a $3.4 million Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grant to complete a transit-oriented development study.

“It’s incredible that we’ve been able to get these grants so quickly,” Daeke said. The wheels of government and bureaucracy often move slowly, especially when working with multiple agencies across the local, state and federal levels, Daeke noted. But everything is running along smoothly, including a recent site visit that Daeke said proved quite positive.

“I’m real enthused about the work of DOT – how much time and energy they’ve put into this – they really want to see this fly,” Daeke said. In fact, state DOT officials held a press conference Tuesday morning in Sanford to announce the awarding of the RAISE grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation. Sanford is one of the stops along the proposed S-Line, which includes stops in Apex, Raleigh, Wake Forest, Henderson and Norlina to connect the Raleigh to Richmond corridor.

The City Council is “100 percent excited” about the project, which would include a train station and other possible retail and commercial projects nearby, with the prospect of providing a huge boost to the area’s economy.

The rail would serve passenger and freight traffic, both of which Henderson has experienced in the past.

For Daeke, it’s all about working together. “Collaboration is how things happen,” he said. During the recent site visit, city staff and local officials joined NC DOT staff and railroad representatives to survey existing infrastructure and to envision how the area could be transformed.

The city put up $190,000 for its part of the project, and although Daeke said it’s a lot of money, he said he believes the project will pay big dividends for the city and beyond.

The group took a look at the old First National Bank Building on Garnett Street as a possible station, and Daeke said the reviews were positive. The group took a walking tour and looked at the former bank building as they covered basically the whole block, discussing everything from loading docks and accessibility to parking lots and bike paths.

“This will be the jewel on the new line between Petersburg and Sanford,” Daeke recalled one visitor as saying.

Between the urban redevelopment plans underway and what’s going on downtown with the Downtown Development Commission, Daeke said the state and rail officials who visited were impressed with prospects for the rail hub.

“They said it would be a fantastic site for a train station,” he said, affirming what city leaders had wondered about. “It became very clear that it could work.”

What comes next?

A feasibility study, including a site assessment and preliminary engineering plans, for starters.

But the project includes much more than just situating a train station in town.

The whole notion of a “transportation hub” involves looking at how people are going to get to the station and could include projects from creating bike lanes to widening existing roads. Then there’s the very real possibility of having to build a couple of overpasses for the trains to keep road traffic moving. Where will folks park if they want to catch the train in Henderson and leave their car for a few days?

Daeke said it will be key to take a look at where people gain access to the train and make sure that the area is safe and easily accessible for the community.

“It’s definitely a bigger plan than just building a train station,” he said.

The S-Line is a developing rail corridor that will better connect rural and urban communities, improve and expand freight and passenger services, and significantly reduce rail travel times between Raleigh and Washington D.C. To learn more, visit this NCDOT webpage.

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