Henderson Vance Recreation & Parks

TownTalk: Rec. Dept. Sponsoring Trivia Competition, Spring Break Bash For Tweens, Teens

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Amid the sports leagues, yoga classes, chess clubs and bingo that the Henderson-Vance Recreation and Parks Department offers throughout the year, there are a couple of events aimed directly at youth in middle and high school that are coming up, and Youth Services Outreach Specialist Lauren Jones said they’re both going to be a lot of fun.

There’s always something going on that is offered through the rec and parks department, Jones said, but teams are forming now for a Teen Trivia competition, scheduled for 12 noon on Saturday, Feb. 17.

Five-member teams will square off to answer questions about R&B and hiphop music from 2023, she told WIZS co-host Bill Harris on Wednesday’s TownTalk.

Middle school teams will compete against each other and high school teams will do the same.

“We hope to have at least six teams – three per age group,” Jones said, “but we’ll make it work with however many we get.” The trivia competition will take place at the Youth Services Building, which is housed in the former Eaton Johnson gym.

Winners will get to choose gift cards as prizes, she said.

The rec and parks department has hosted a similar trivia event before, but there’s a new event planned for April 6 that Jones said she hopes will fill a void in the social lives of middle- and high school-aged students.

It’s called the Spring Break Bash and the theme is a Hawaiian luau. The middle school luau will be from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. and the luau for high schoolers is from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m.

To be admitted, each student must present his or her third quarter report card.

“We’re not worried about the grades,” Jones said, adding that the report card simply verifies that the person is enrolled in school. And it’s not just for Vance County students, she added. Anyone can attend, so long as they present their report card.

Rec and parks program planners had noticed a lack of school-sponsored parties and social gatherings (prom and athletic events notwithstanding), and Jones said this is one outlet for young people to come together in a safe environment to socialize.

Visit https://henderson.nc.gov/departments/recreation_and_parks/index.php for details on all the programs and events the HVRPD offers.

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TownTalk: Business Spotlight with Midnight Blue Martial Arts

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Midnight Blue Martial Arts takes center stage in the Business Spotlight on Tuesday’s TownTalk and owner Kimberly Harris invites the community to join her at the karate studio on Saturday afternoon for a Valentine’s Sip and Shop event.

This is the second year for the event, Harris said, which will be held from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the studio, located at 101 N. Garnett St.

Midnight Blue, celebrating 25 years of providing classes in the area, has been in its downtown location since 2008, she said.

The karate studio will be filled with more than 25 vendors from across the area, featuring handcrafted items from jewelry to personalized Valentine’s Day cards for that special someone in your life.

During the pandemic, Harris said she turned to sewing to help keep her busy since she couldn’t get back into the studio to teach.

That pastime turned into something bigger and she took her new business on the road to some vendor fairs. She decided to host her own last year, and this year’s event features some return vendors, as well as new vendors who wanted to get in on the fun.

Bun on the Run will be parked out front and Sadie’s is bringing delicious hot chocolate.

Folks familiar with the karate studio will know that there’s a Black Belt Wall featuring each student who has achieved that level of proficiency.

“We take a picture (of them) in front of the American flag,” Harris said, which serves to motivate students to keep working hard toward their goal.

The students range in age from 2 to 68, but everyone learns a key element through the classes they take: being respectful.

Call 252.767.8398 to learn more about Midnight Blue Martial Arts Academy, LLC or visit https://hendersonkarate.com/

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TownTalk: Helping Shelter Cats with The Kitten Lady

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Hannah Shaw loves kittens.

She’s written numerous books – about kittens – and fosters the fuzzy little furballs whenever she can.

So it’s not surprising that the online influencer calls herself “The Kitten Lady,” and helps to educate the kitten-loving public at https://www.kittenlady.org/

Shaw spoke by telephone from her home in California Tuesday with WIZS co-host Bill Harris in observance of February as National Cat Health Month.

“Any time anything seems a little bit off with our pets, going to the vet is a great idea,” she said, noting that cats’ generally stoic nature may serve to mask a medical issue.

Plus, any cat owner will tell you they’re notorious for hiding when they don’t feel their best.

About 15 years ago, Shaw lived in the Triangle area and first became involved in animal rescue.

The author of the book “Tiny But Mighty” said she started helping shelters in the area with the kittens.

“Things have improved since that time,” she said, but she added that there’s still much work to be done to reduce the unwanted kitten population.

The most obvious way to reduce the unwanted pet population is for owners to spay or neuter their pets.

But, Shaw said, more than three-quarters of all kittens born are born on the streets – that is, nobody owns them.

A whopping 3 million cats find their way to shelters each year, which can put a strain on resources to provide. Many will be euthanized; others will be adopted or go to foster homes.

But during their time in the shelter, they need food, medical care and kitty litter.

Lots of kitty litter.

One litter manufacturer, Cat’s Pride, has a program called “Litter for Good” that donates cat litter to shelters. According to its website, https://catspride.com/litterforgood/, they’ve donated more than 37 million pounds of litter on their way to a goal of 50 million.

Shaw said she’s witnessed pallets of litter being delivered to shelters. “It frees up so much of the budget” for other needs,” she said.

Learn more about Shaw at her website

https://www.kittenlady.org/about.

 

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TownTalk: Blessed Hope Celebrates 40 Years

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Forty years ago, the space shuttle Discovery had its first launch, Apple had introduced a new-fangled computer called the Macintosh, and the Rev. Donald A. Perkinson held the first official meeting of Blessed Hope Baptist Church.

Fast-forward 40 years and now private companies are blasting tourists into space and a cell phone that fits conveniently in a pocket is vastly more powerful than that clunky desktop computer. My, how some things change.

That initial gathering of 10 people in the living room of Perkinson’s cousin’s living room has blossomed into a vibrant congregation located on Dabney Road.

They celebrated Founder’s Day on Sunday at Blessed Hope, and in his message to the congregation and friends gathered, Perkinson said he continues to do all to the glory of God. “I give him all the glory and honor,” he said.

Those references to current events of 1984 were made by Clem Seifert, who also happens to be Perkinson’s son-in-law. Seifert spoke during the Sunday service and said some things in our lives are meant to change, but some things remain the same.

The people in the pews may change over the years, but “the Word of God never changes,” he said, adding that Perkinson and the people of Blessed Hope continue to do the work just as Paul instructed in his letter to Timothy.

Perkinson said he accompanied his father to a rest home to minister to its residents, and he believes it was then that he got that first nudge from God. Later, when he was teaching a Sunday School class for young married couples that he learned about expository preaching.

He moved his young family to Texas while he studied to be a preacher and came back home to Henderson in 1983, but he just couldn’t find the right church fit.

That’s when he felt he heard God say to him, “Why don’t you do what I’ve called you to do?” Perkinson recalled.

That was Feb. 5, 1984 – the day that would become Founder’s Day for Blessed Hope. That very morning, Perkinson held the first service in his cousin’s living room. Forty years later, some things have changed, but the message remains the same.

Listen to more of Perkinson’s and Seifert’s remarks at www.wizs.com and tune in to WIZS on Sundays at 5 p.m. 

 

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TownTalk: Feb. 8 Is ‘Healthy Heart Day’ At Maria Parham Health

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As part of National Heart Month, Maria Parham Health is offering several different opportunities during February for folks to check their heart health and learn ways to prevent or reduce their risk of heart disease.

Vance County incidence of cardiovascular disease exceeds both the state and national averages, and it’s important to be informed about risk factors to heart health. Cardiovascular disease includes heart disease and stroke.

Want to know your risk for heart disease? With a few clicks on the hospital’s webpage, you’ll find a short assessment that rates your risk. Visit www.mariaparham.com, click the Services tab and then on Cardiology and you’ll find the link.

National Wear Red Day is Friday, Feb. 2, – that’s tomorrow! – and hospital employees are going to be “turning it red” to promote heart health awareness, especially among women, said Lisa McGhee, a registered nurse who also is director of cardiovascular services at Maria Parham.

Then, on Thursday, Feb. 8, the community is invited to take part in Healthy Heart Day from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. in the hospital lobby.

McGhee said there will be blood pressure and pulse ox screenings offered as part of the Feb. 8 event; exercise physiologists and dietitians will be available to discuss healthy lifestyle choices and EMS professionals who will demonstrate hands-only CPR techniques.

“We’ve had a good turnout over the past years,” McGhee said. “We’ve had people who returned and said they had some sort of health issue, and they knew what to do and knew what the next steps should be because they’d been to one of these events.”

This community event is a good time to come out and ask questions, McGhee said. “That’s always our goal – to help guide (people) in the right direction to services,” she added. “It’s easier to do before it becomes an emergency.”

Some of the symptoms to look for include physical pain – chest pain or pain that radiates to the arm, jaw, back. Other symptoms, however, include extreme fatigue, dizziness, nausea or vomiting.

Sometimes, McGhee said, women may experience more subtle symptoms that are vague and harder to define, including fatigue, lack of energy and pain not necessarily associated with chest pain.

High blood pressure can have an adverse effect on heart health, too, McGhee said.

“High blood pressure that’s not controlled is a risk factor…blood pressure is one of those silent killers – sometimes there’s no other indications there’s a problem until it’s too late,” she said.

Sometimes, medication will do the trick, but if patients need more involved treatment, Maria Parham has a state-of-the-art heart catherization lab that opened in 2020.

Cardiologists complete a variety of procedures, including catheterizations to angioplasty and stent placement.

McGhee said the hospital’s chest pain program is an accredited program that helps health care professionals provide a variety of diagnostic tests like echocardiograms, wearable heart monitors and 24-hour blood pressure monitoring to help patients experiencing possible cardiac problems.

Visit www.mariaparham.com to find a complete list of programs and services.

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TownTalk: RAM Clinic Returning To Henderson In February

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The Duke RAM clinic is returning to Henderson later this month to provide free health, vision and dental care for patients in the community.

RAM stands for Remote Area Medical, and this year marks the third year in a row that the clinic has come to town. Clinic volunteers will set up shop once again at Vance Charter School on Ross Mill Road on Saturday, Feb. 17 and Sunday, Feb. 18. The clinic doors open at 6 a.m. each day to provide care, from routine exams to dental cleanings and extractions, as well as eye exams and eyeglasses. The clinic runs to 4 p.m. on Saturday and until 12 noon or 1 p.m. on Sunday

“We hope to be bigger and better than the last two years,” said Duke junior Anvi Sharvu, one of the event organizers.

Sharvu, a biology and sociology major, has been involved with RAM ever since she arrived at Duke and said she’s excited to see how many patients will get much-needed medical, dental and vision care during the two-day clinic.

She and Duke senior Sajan Patel were guests on Wednesday’s TownTalk to share details about the upcoming event.

Patients can start lining up at 12 midnight on Friday before the clinic opens on Saturday, and Patel said the clinic has “the capacity to see a lot of patients this year, especially on the dental side,” thanks to a team of dentists and student dentists from the
ECU Dental School.

“I’m a graduating senior,” Patel said, adding that he’s been involved with RAM since he’s been a student at Duke. He will graduate in the spring with degrees in biology and global health.

“I’m really excited and proud of our entire team,” he said.

Volunteers from other agencies including the local Granville Vance Public Health and other health care professionals, the duo said the clinic should be able to see even more patients than last year.

Sharvu said the need for essential health care remains high, especially in rural or underserved areas. “We just want to make sure more people can get care,” she said. Last year’s clinic provided dozens of dental cleanings, hundreds of tooth extractions and distributed 140 pairs of glasses.

The clinic requires no insurance or ID; there’s a questionnaire to fill out when you arrive, but even that’s optional, they say.

There will be other agencies on hand to provide resources for patients, including N.C. Legal Aid representatives who can help answer questions about Medicaid and Medicare. N.C. Harm Reduction also will be on site with free Narcan and instructions about how to use it in case of an overdose emergency.

And the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina will be giving away fresh produce.

 

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TownTalk: Events In Granville County

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Most coffee and tea drinkers have a favorite cup they reach for each day, but there’s a good chance they’re always looking for that “next” perfect vessel for a morning brew or afternoon cuppa. Cedar Creek Gallery in Creedmoor has an exhibit called “CUPful – Celebrating the Daily Ritual” that will run through Feb. 25 to showcase handcrafted pottery from near and far.

Granville Tourism Director Angela Allen shared a laundry list of upcoming events in the area, from Creedmoor and Stem to Oxford.

Visit https://cedarcreekgallery.com/ to learn more.

On Friday, Feb. 9, the Orpheum in Oxford will transform to host a local version of Mardi Gras, a fundraiser for the Granville County unit of the Boys & Girls Club.

“It is a party with a purpose,” Allen said. Things crank up at 6:30 p.m. to welcome partygoers for an evening of fun, complete with heavy hors d’oeuvres, music and a silent auction.

Tickets are $75.

Wear your favorite cocktail attire, a Mardi Gras mask, she said, “and you know there’s gonna be some beads there,” she said.

The next evening, Saturday, Feb. 10, Thorndale Oaks is hosting a murder-mystery dinner beginning at 6:30 p.m. The evening’s theme is “A Country Fried Caper,” Allen said, and the evening will include a cast of characters that could best be described as a group of “ off-the-wall country music stars,” one of whom will not make it through the evening.

Tickets are $65 and includes a full dinner. Allen said the evening’s events unfold throughout the different dinner courses.

Call Thorndale Oaks at 919.603.3701 to reserve your seat at the table.

If whodunits aren’t your style, perhaps a quarter auction to support the local Dogs Deserve Better organization is more to your liking. The “Puppy Love” fundraiser will be held at The Barn at Vino on Feb. 24 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

This event has proved to be quite popular, Allen said, and she recommends getting your tickets soon. Find a link to purchase tickets at https://visitgranvillenc.com/

“It’s a wonderful organization and every year, they show these fur babies some love,” she said. In addition to a couple of food trucks on site to satisfy everyone’s appetites, there will be 65 different raffle baskets available, a 50/50 raffle and additional vendors who will be selling different items through the evening.

Some upcoming events in March include:

  • Saturday, Mar. 2 – Spring Granville Wedding and Event Expo – Creedmoor Community Center. Donations for ACIM food bank will be accepted during this event, so bring a can of food or other shelf-stable food to contribute to this worthy cause.
  • Saturday, Mar. 16 – Granville Ambulance Chase and Food Truck Rodeo – After a hiatus due to COVID-19, Granville Health System is bringing this fun event back to Oxford. Walk or run and then kick back for food and live music. Visit ghsambulancechase.org for all the details.
  • Saturday, Mar. 16 – Head over to Thorndale Oaks to catch comedian Dan Grueter. Visit the Thorndale Oaks Facebook page to get tickets. There will be appetizers available and a cash bar.
  • Saturday and Sunday, Mar. 23, 24 – the third annual Viking Experience, which will take place at The Barn at Vino from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. both days. Participants can immerse themselves in all things Viking. People have come from all across the country to attend this two-day event, Allen said. Visit https://www.thevikingexperiencenc.com/
  •  for details about ticket prices, schedules and more.

The county’s tourism website, www.visitgranvillenc.com has a complete listing of all the events happening in and around Granville County.

 

 

TownTalk: Tri-City Seahawks Play In Holiday Bowl

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The holiday season and all its festivities may seem like distant memories for many of us, but for a group of young local athletes, the memories made on a football field on New Year’s Eve are likely to last a lifetime.

Eleven members of the Tri-City Seahawks had the opportunity to play in the Holiday Bowl in Knightdale.

If you’re a Seahawk around here, you’re part of the Henderson-Vance Recreation and Parks Department league that gives young people the opportunity to play organized sports before they get to middle and high school, said HVRPD Director Kendrick Vann.

The Seahawks play in the East Wake Football League and Vann said it was a good experience for the young men all the way around to get to showcase their talent at the league’s post-season bowl game.

“Collectively, they had the best season they’ve had in the five seasons we’ve played,” said HVRPD Programmer Darius Pitt. Kids as young as 4 can come out for the teams, which include flag football for the 4-6 age group and then the 8U, 10U, 12U and 14U.

There were “a lot of eyes on some of our players,” Pitt told WIZS News, and as the season progressed, bowl coaches were assembling their teams from teams across the association.

Pitt and Chris Hardy are directors of the Tri-City Seahawks, which includes a total of more than 100 players on the different squads.

Hardy, who  also coaches the Vance County Vipers, said the young men who play with the Seahawks are learning about the X’s and O’s before they get to high school, which has proven to be a good thing.

The young people who wear the Seahawks jerseys are going to come to the middle and high school teams better prepared – in many ways, not the least of which comes through during a game.

“We preach to our kids that (in) student-athlete – student comes before athlete,” Hardy said, adding that Vipers need to conduct themselves correctly at school, not just on Game Day. “You’ve got to have the grades to play football,” he said. “We’re trying to groom young men – you’ve got to be on your A Game and show what you know.”

Tahjaye Fields was one of the Seahawks who played in the Holiday Bowl. “It was a great experience,” Fields said. “I like to be out there doing my thing.”

That “thing” for the STEM Early High School student who plays offense and defense, is getting tackles.

Teammate and fellow STEM Early High student Talik Perry said he had fun, too.

“I felt excited and I was just ready to play,” Perry said. A highlight: “I tackled a dude that was, like, two times my size.”

Being on a team like the Seahawks does more than just expose youth to coaches and playing as a cohesive group. Being a Seahawk also builds confidence – just ask Cameron Giddings.

At 13, he’s one of the older players of the group, but he’s been playing rec league ball since he was 6.

Giddings said he sees his role as helping the younger players build that confidence. “We put in the work and try to win,” he said.

Players who put in the work at practice and through playing other sports – in Giddings’s case, track, also helped his conditioning and improved his stamina.

The payoff? Being chosen to play in the Holiday Bowl.

“It was good – really surprising,” Giddings said of his selection to play in the bowl game. “I didn’t think anybody was watching me.”

Often, watching someone in a game inspires others. For Malachie Hayes, it’s Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry.

Hayes said “it felt good” to be out on that field in the Holiday Bowl, doing what he loves doing, “truckin’ and running through the defenders.”

And yeah, he’d love to do it again.

Ahmad Jeffers, playing for the 8U team last season, said he most enjoyed just running with the ball. Jeffers is a Clarke Elementary student and said he made a 10-yard run. He wants to be a receiver.

Hayes, 11, said he got pumped when he played his first play on defense. “I got a pick 6 and took it to the crib – that’s all,” he said.

Like the ad says, “It’s not bragging if it’s true.”

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TownTalk: Human Trafficking and Putting a Stop to It

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North Carolinians can take pride in knowing that this state we call home is a destination for many tourists each year. The interstate highway network helps folks travel easily from Manteo to Murphy, Henderson to Charlotte and just from about anywhere to Raleigh with minimal effort.

Those very things that make the Old North State an attractive spot for visitors, however, also get the attention of some other individuals: human traffickers, whom U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina  Michael F. Easley, Jr. called one of the biggest threats and most insidious to our society.

January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month and Easley spoke with WIZS on Thursday’s TownTalk to discuss just what the state is doing to fight the problem.

Easley created a task force to combat human trafficking in the Raleigh/Cary area, and earlier this week announced that a second task force has been formed to work with counties to the East near the coast.

These task forces bring together local law enforcement agencies with state and federal agencies to create a strong one-two punch to catch and prosecute people who engage in human trafficking and prostitution.

“We have taken a victim-centric approach,” Easley said. “We’ll hit it with law enforcement,” Easley said of uncovering illegal operations, “but we’ll also have social workers, service providers and mental health professionals” on hand to assist those who have been victimized.

He praised the efforts of the FBI for their work in disrupting these trafficking networks and said the agency has “an incredible victim support system to help (victims) get their lives back on track and stabilized.”

He also praised the efforts of local law enforcement agencies, calling Henderson Police Chief Marcus Barrow and Vance County Sheriff Curtis Brame “reliable partners” who are both in his speed dial.

And he called District Attorney Mike Waters “one of the most forward-leaning prosecutors” he knows. “He’s an incredible partner and somebody I count on to help unravel these cases.”

Traffickers are masters of manipulation, he said, and they prey on the most vulnerable in society – often, these are young people.

They seize control, little by little, he explained, and bring their victims under their full control.

“They control their victims, but they’re not bound in chains,” Easley said. “The chains are invisible.”

Some signs to look for include individuals who are not in control of their own documents, like a passport or driver license. They aren’t allowed to speak for themselves, or they often wear the same clothes day after day and only carry cash.

These are all those “invisible chains that bind a victim to a trafficker,” Easley said.

Perhaps most chilling was Easley’s comment about protecting young people from becoming victims of human traffickers: “Any kid who has a smartphone is a target,” he said. “There are groomers online who are trying to cleave them away” from parents and their community.

It may start with the victim agreeing to send one nude photo to an online groomer, he said, before that trafficker has the leverage needed to target another victim.

“We will break down and eliminate this insidious crime,” he said. “We can’t do it alone; we’ve go to do it side by side with local police and law enforcement.”

If you or anyone you know needs help or has information to provide regarding a potential human trafficking situation, please contact law enforcement by calling 911 if the situation appears unsafe, or contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline:

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TownTalk: Rep. Sossamon Voices Concerns About ‘Gas Station Heroin’

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N.C. Rep. Frank Sossamon, recently appointed to serve on the House Select Committee on Substance Abuse, said he would like to see the state ban the sale of products that contain tianeptine, which is being referred to as “gas station heroin.”

Sossamon was a guest on Wednesday’s TownTalk and said eight other states have banned the drug and he said North Carolina should join them.

“North Carolina should follow suit,” he said. “The easiest and quickest thing to do is just ban it,” he said.

Tianeptine is not approved for medical use by the Food and Drug Administration, although it is an ingredient in a number of widely available products sold at gas stations and convenience stores as “cognitive enhancers,” according to information on the FDA website.

It is an opioid type drug linked to overdoses and death, Sossamon explained. He said he looks forward to the first meeting of the substance abuse committee, scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 13 at 10 a.m. in Raleigh.

He said the committee will hear from experts and others whose loved ones have died from taking the drug. “I don’t know what all we’ll recommend, but I hope it will be effective to protect the citizens of North Carolina.”

The drug is used in other countries to treat depression and anxiety, but in the U.S. it is a Schedule I controlled substance. This means it has a high potential for abuse, Sossamon said.

“When you begin to read some of the material, it’s a no-brainer that it should be banned.”

Whether it should be a permanent ban or just a pause is part of what the committee can determine during its research and investigation into the issue.

The FDA is sometimes slow in taking action to ban something, and that’s why states have taken steps to prevent the products from being sold.

“The drug, evidently, has some positive effects if it’s used properly,” Sossamon noted, but if it is not regulated there’s a greater likelihood for abuse. It can come in pill or powder form and Sossamon said it’s even in a product that looks like a lollipop.

“We’ve got to ban it until we know more about it,” he said. “I don’t want it on my watch that somebody dies when I had a voice and an opportunity to ban it.”