TownTalk: Caring For Historic Cemeteries And Tombstones

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Imagine this scenario: You’re a property owner in rural North Carolina – say, Vance County – and you come across what you think may be an old cemetery, unmarked and long-neglected. What’s a landowner to do?

Your first call could be to the N.C. Office of State Archaeology. A chat with staff archaeologist and historic cemetery specialist Melissa Timo may help.

Timo has been with the OSA since 2019, and she told Bill Harris and Mark Pace on the tri-weekly history segment of Town Talk that the state office has a couple of major goals: one is to create as complete a record as possible of cemeteries in the state; the second is to answer people’s questions about cemeteries, such as the proper process for gaining access to family cemeteries that may be on someone else’s property.

As genealogy has become more and more popular, individuals are seeking out family histories to help provide information to fill in gaps like births – and deaths – of ancestors.

Sometimes, the information is readily available. And sometimes, it takes a little more investigating, she said.

Back in the 1930’s, the Works Progress Administration (WPA) conducted a survey of cemeteries and that is a good place to start, Timo said, to see if a newly discovered cemetery had been previously recorded.

Although its purpose may have been to create a comprehensive list of cemeteries, it’s known that many were left off the WPA survey, Timo said. “We want to make sure we know where they are in the landscape,” she said, so they can be protected from development.

Landowners are not required by law to care for a cemetery, but keeping the grass trimmed or otherwise maintaining the property shows a respect for those buried there. They may not be your ancestors, but they are someone’s family, and descendants DO have the right to reasonably access a cemetery.

It’s a good idea to create a plan for visits to the cemetery, she said, including how family will gain access and specifying convenient times to do so.

And while landowners are required to maintain the cemetery, they are not allowed to dump yard waste or pull up stones, she said. Cemeteries are protected on both public and private land.

Sometimes cemeteries have marked graves and sometimes they do not. Gravesites used to be marked with fieldstone or with wooden markers, and often those either were unknowingly moved or gave way to the elements.

And even stone markers deteriorate over time, Timo said. The best way to try to read the words or names on an old tombstone is to use water and a soft-bristled brush to clean away the lichen, dirt and moss that may be obscuring what’s etched on the stone. Other tricks of the trade include wooden skewers and toothbrushes, but nothing metal. And definitely no power washers.

She said chemicals in cleaners are harmful to the old stone and should not be used. “Bleach is awful…it etches the stone really badly.” Any type of residue on the stone only invites microbial growth that causes further degrading.

“Sometimes, it’s just too late,” Timo said, to decipher what had been written on the stone. The combination of time, weathering and over-zealous cleaning efforts are a triple whammy.

The National Parks Service offers tips for preserving grave markers at https://www.nps.gov/tps/how-to-preserve/briefs/48-preserving-grave-markers.htm

Timo said the N.C. Site File is a registry that collects information about archaeology sites, structures and cemeteries. While not an exhaustive list, it does contain information that has been reported. The reporting form asks basic information like who is buried in the cemetery, or who you think is buried there.

“The one thing we’re firm on is getting a good location,” Timo said, so her office can pinpoint precisely where the gravesites are so they can be protected from being disturbed.

Timo said such precise information has helped in cases involving development of property.

“We’re able to warn people off, saying, ‘hey, there’s a cemetery here,’” she explained. “We can’t do that if we don’t have a pretty good location of where it is.”

Timo cited one case in Warren County that involved a family cemetery on a former plantation and a solar panel installation. The descendants estimated between 60 and 75 enslaved people were buried on the site. When the company hired experts to come in to determine exactly the size of the burial area, close to 300 gravesites were discovered.

The installation was able to continue, but the gravesites were not disturbed, she added.

Once an individual contacts OSA about a cemetery, Timo said the cemetery is assigned a file number and a pushpin on a map. She also shares the file number with the local contact so additional information can be provided in the future simply by referring to the file number.

“I will slip that right in,” Timo said, “so that there’s a permanent record…the state doesn’t throw anything away.”

 

 

Melissa Elliott Gang Free

TownTalk: Melissa Elliott Helps Those Recently Released from Prison

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It’s hard enough to find a job that offers a liveable wage – Melissa Elliott defines that job as one that pays at least $20 an hour. But that search becomes exponentially more difficult for those men and women who have been incarcerated and are looking to get back on their feet.

Gainful employment and affordable housing are two of the biggest challenges that Elliott identifies for the “justice-involved population” that she works with as Vance County’s case manager for the Family Resource Center for South Atlantic, a Raleigh-based agency that supports people as they transition from jail or prison back into society.

The goal of the agency is to help individuals become self-sufficient and to reduce rescividism, which she said is about 40 percent. That means that 40 percent of those who were convicted of a crime will re-offend and return to jail.

“Job placement assistance…is one of the biggest things we do,” Elliott told John C. Rose on Wednesday’s Town Talk.

Elliott invited anyone interested to attend a re-entry resource fair and expungement clinic on Tuesday, April 12 at D.N. Hix Gym in Oxford. There will be employers on site who are looking for workers – some will be prepared to interview prospective employees on the spot, she said.

Last year, Henderson Mayor Eddie Ellington proclaimed that the city of Henderson would join the observance of April as National Re-Entry Month.

When individuals return to their families after serving sentences in jail or prison, it’s important that they receive support from the community so they can become productive members of society again. Elliott said everyone deserves a second chance, and part of her job as case manager is to “make sure that second chance is there for those who need it most…and to help the justice-involved population be as successful as they can be.”

Elliott said there are more resources for re-entry now than there have been in the past. If you have a family member or loved one scheduled for release from jail or prison in the next four months, now is the time to contact South Atlantic’s Family Resource Center to find out how they can help.

The phone number is 919.740.7950.

As for the April 12 event, Elliott said it will be a full-service resource fair, with everything from a presentation by Legal Aid of North Carolina about record expungement to financial literacy classes. There will be a food distribution, outreach services and much more.

“We want to make sure that everyone understands they can get a second chance,” Elliott said. While not condoning the offenses that may have occurred in a person’s past, Elliott said there are resources to assist those who want to start fresh and be successful.

 

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Mark Pace

TownTalk: Mark Pace Named Granville Citizen Of The Year

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Mark Pace said he is scheduled for ten appearances in which he portrays the historical figure John Penn – a signer of the Declaration of Independence with ties to Granville County. No doubt Pace has done his fair share of research into Penn’s life, which was lived in relative obscurity after he signed that historic document. There were no awards given to those original signers – no acceptance speeches or thank you’s to be found.

Too bad, because Pace could have drawn upon Penn’s reactions when he himself was called to the dais to receive the John Penn Citizen of the Year award at Monday’s Granville County Chamber of Commerce banquet.

Annette Myers presented Pace with the award, and in comments leading up to announcing his name, she talked about the many hats that individuals wear in the community. Just before the announced his name, Myers put on the hat that Pace wears as part of the Penn costume.

Lauren Roberson, executive director of the Granville Chamber, told John C. Rose on Tuesday’s Town Talk that the John Penn winner is one of the highlights of the annual banquet.

Pace is well-known as a local historian and North Carolina Room specialist at the Richard Thornton library in Oxford. Roberson said he spreads his knowledge across the county – and beyond, and his genuine enthusiasm for history shines through

“He never turns down a request from the community” to provide assistance or research information, she said.

The annual banquet is usually held in January, but this year’s event was rescheduled because of COVID-19 safety protocols. Roberson said the evening went off without a hitch, which she said is a result of wonderful collaboration.

Outgoing president Cecilia Wheeler presided over the evening’s events. “She is such a trouper and an amazing woman,” Roberson said. Dan DeCarlo, general manager of Creedmoor Forest Products, is incoming president. “The board is excited for his leadership and vision,” she added.

UNC basketball legend Phil Ford was the evening’s keynote speaker.

“He gave an amazing keynote speech,” Roberson said. He talked about everything from his childhood to playing ball at Carolina and then in the NBA, with a focus on faith and where he is now, she said, which was both inspirational and motivational.

In a phone interview with WIZS News Tuesday afternoon, Ford said it was an honor to be at the banquet. There were “a lot of nice people, very welcoming. I was amazed at the camaraderie among the people there –  everybody seemed like one big family, everybody seemed to know each other…everybody seemed to be pulling for each other,” he said.

“It was an amazing evening and I was happy to be a small part of it.”

There was a good amount of Carolina blue among the attendees, too, and Ford graciously spoke to fans before and after the event, signing programs and taking pictures.

 

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TownTalk: Fore! VGCC 38th Annual Golf Tournament Ready To Tee Off

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In her new role as executive director of the Vance Granville Community College Foundation, Tanya Weary is preparing for the annual golf tournament, which has raised more than $1.3 million for the college over 37 years.

This year marks the 38th annual event, and Weary told John C. Rose on Monday’s Town Talk that registration is open now until April 15. Visit www.vgcc@edu/golf to sign up to play or to become an event sponsor. The tournament takes place on the afternoons of May 9 and May 10 at Henderson Country Club.

Weary, previously VGCC’s dean of business and industry solutions, said the biggest adjustment for her in her new role is that she no longer is overseeing programs and developing new programs for VGCC.

Now, as the Foundation’s executive director, her role involves making sure that VGCC has the money to continue offering programs to students and in the larger community.

When the college recently transitioned its endowment program to a nonprofit foundation, it opened up doors that allow VGCC to apply for grants, she said.

Providing scholarships for students is just one way that fundraisers like the golf tournament contribute to the success of the college.

“Our sponsors say they want to be supportive and see our students do well,” Weary said, adding that sponsors help “make college a reality for some of our students who may not be able to afford it without the support of the foundation. Sponsors make that happen.”

Sometimes, the financial needs go beyond the traditional tuition and books, she said. VGCC has funds that can help students in emergency situations, too. “It’s only because of sponsors that we can do that,” she said.

It’s not too late to sign up for sponsorship opportunities, Weary noted. Gupton’s Services is the presenting sponsor again this year, Weary said.

Other sponsors include:

 

  • Charles Boyd Chevrolet
  • Food Lion
  • Glen Raven Mills
  • Golden Skillet
  • Kilian Engineering
  • Mast Drug
  • R. Williams
  • Oxford Prepatory School
  • Select Products

Phone 252.738.3264 or email foundation@vgcc.edu to learn more.

 

 

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TownTalk: Career Day At LB Yancey School

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Students at L.B. Yancey Elementary in Henderson got a chance to interact – virtually – with a range of professionals during last week’s Career Day at the school. They also got the chance to share their career aspirations by dressing as doctors, nurses, civil servants and there was even one funeral director.

The theme for the day was “I Have a Voice – My Career, My Choice,” according to Alicia Eccleston-Clarke, event organizer. She said Career Day offered students the chance to see just how many career options await them. “Exposing them to the career opportunities available to them will hopefully serve as a way to motivate students to work hard and to do their best in school,” she said.

The staff and students were joined by a team of top-notch professionals who sparked much interest and excitement as they joined via Zoom to share details about their respective careers. The student were able to pose questions to their virtual guests. The day’s activities culminated with a student parade through the school hallways to show off their career day attire.

Fourth-grader Nathan Durham summed up Career Day this way: “It was so amazing! I wanted to be a soldier or cop or firefighter or anything! I couldn’t choose so I dressed as a funeral director.”

Guidance counselor Connie Jones and Cherie Dixon-Rose, multi-grade classroom leader at the school, were part of the organizing committee. Principal Dr. Shannon Bullock and the whole school staff worked together to make the Career Day a meaningful day for the students.

From the decorated bulletin board displays to the banner and décor, kids were excited from the moment they walked into the building. “I was overjoyed to see the level of participation from all stakeholders. Students being able to directly communicate with professionals in their desired careers will inspire them to continue working hard to achieve their goals,” Bullock said. Her comments were from a press release by VCS Director of Communication And Marketing Aarika Sandlin.

The following individuals participated in Career Day:

  • Estena Bradley – nurse Ppactitioner in the areas of Gynecology and Obstetrics from the Center for Women’s Health, Oxford;
  • Vernon Turner – on-air meteorologist for Spectrum News 1, Raleigh;
  • The Hon. Caroline S. Burnette – district court judge with the State of North Carolina;
  • Charles Gunby – chief executive officer of CG Project Management, Electrical, and Construction, LLC;
  • Michael Rice, P.E. teacher/track & basketball coach,Vance County Middle School,
  • Carlos Gunby – firefighter and paramedic EMT;
  • Camisha Gavin, realtor with CC & Co. Real Estate;
  • Jason Brown, former NFL player, author and current full-time farmer with First Fruits Farm.

 

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TownTalk: Chris Wright Talks New EMS And Fire Dept. Building

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Any time a call comes in about a motor vehicle crash, first responders spring into action. Whether it’s local law enforcement or a state trooper who dashes to the scene, there also will be a fire truck or rescue squad that responds as well.

Such was the case Wednesday when more than 20 emergency type vehicles were on the scene of an accident on Spring Valley Road.

Vance County Fire Chief Chris Wright was on his way from his home to the gym for his regular workout when the call came in, so he arrived in his personal vehicle.

Wright told WIZS News that there was a large presence and response to the scene, including rescue squad vehicles to the fire department, sheriff’s office and the State Highway Patrol.

By the time Wright arrived, the Extrication Team had begun the process of removing the victim from what was left of the car.

Some of those vehicles have specialized equipment needed for such things as extrication, Wright said. And it means that emergency vehicles, over the years, have gotten bigger as a result.

It’s important to have the most up-to-date equipment possible for first responders to be able to do their jobs, and Wright said it’s also important to have a place that can house those vehicles when they’re not in action.

He said he’s pleased that County Manager Jordan McMillen, Finance Director Katherine Bigelow and the Vance County Board of Commissioners are at least beginning to plan for construction of a new fire department. The commissioners, at their regular meeting earlier this month, approved reallocating $4.5 million to the capital improvement fund to address several projects, one of which is a new fire department. The commissioners identified a new public safety center as one of its five priorities at their recent planning retreat.

“There’s definitely been a need over the last years,” Wright told John C. Rose in a phone interview that was recorded for Thursday’s Town Talk. With the increase in staff, as well as housing fire and EMS in one space, and the number of vehicles for each group, there simply isn’t adequate space for all.

The building was completed in 1960 and added on to in the early 1990’s to provide two additional vehicle bays.

According to Wright, the doorways to the vehicle bays aren’t tall enough to accommodate newer-model vehicles. The way vehicles being built now , “we almost have to have them specially built,” he noted. That’s just one issue facing him and his department – having to spec out vehicles that will fit – literally – in the facility.

In this time of preliminary planning, there are many factors to consider, Wright said, including whether to continue to house EMS and the fire department together or have them in separate spaces.

He said county officials are now beginning to look at land and different models of buildings as they discern the planning process.

It could take a couple of years, or as many as three years, he said, but he hopes that by the time it’s completed, Vance County will have a facility it can be proud of and one that can be a resource to the community it serves.

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TownTalk: Pink With A Passion Hosting Walk For Cancer Awareness, Survivors

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Join Pink With A Passion on Saturday, April 9 at the Warren County Recreation Complex for a walk to celebrate cancer survivors and to honor the memories of loved ones whose lives cancer has claimed.

Amena Wilson, president of Pink With A Passion, and Elaine White, vice-president, invite the public to come out to show support for all those who are battling the disease.

“We’ve been trying since 2020 to have it,” Wilson told John C. Rose on Wednesday’s Town Talk. “We are so excited to be able to bring forth this walk,” Wilson said.

The event is from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. and there will be food trucks, a deejay and the local high school band present to provide entertainment. “There are so many fun activities planned,” Wilson said. Bring a lawn chair and stay for a fun-filled day, she added.

In addition to the three-mile walk, there also will be a ceremony to honor cancer survivors, who also are invited to take part in a survivors’ lap and be recognized by the crowd.

The event is not a fundraiser; rather, an opportunity to give back to the community, Wilson said, and to bring awareness to cancer patients. There will be PWAP t-shirts on sale, however.

White said she and Wilson decided to continue the fundraising efforts to help those battling cancer after they had some leftover money from when Wilson went through treatment of breast cancer after a 2018 diagnosis.

They helped White’s sister when she underwent treatment and just decided to keep it going after that.

“It makes me feel awesome – great – for doing this,” White said. Sometimes, when people’s spirits are low, it’s important to get everyone together and just make them feel good, she said.

This walk and other planned activities is a way to do just that, she said. “It’s something to encourage everybody,” she said.

Future events that Pink With A Passion plans include a Rainbow Luncheon in June. This is another “give back,” Wilson said. There will be limited seating for the free luncheon, she said, which is designed to show a little love to cancer patients and a guest of their choice. “We’ll have sit-down luncheon, encourage them and lift their spirits,” White explained.

A wellness clinic scheduled for October in conjunction with another awareness dinner, will be another fundraiser event for Pink With A Passion.

Visit www.pinkwithapassion.org, call Wilson at 252.213.5735 or White at 243.983.7476 for more information.

 

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TownTalk: GEF Hosts “Arts In Bloom Gala” April 28

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There’s a certain satisfaction artists have when they create something that others also admire and appreciate – “budding” artists (pun intended) in Granville County will have the chance to experience that feeling of satisfaction next month at the Granville Education Foundation’s Arts in Bloom Gala and Silent Auction.

GEF Executive Director Jennifer Cufalo Carpenter invites the community to come out to The Granville Museum, 1 Museum Lane in Oxford, beginning Thursday, April 28 to see local students’ artwork. Carpenter spoke with John C. Rose on Wednesday’s Town Talk about the event, which is the first of its kind offered by GEF.

She and Amy Rice, GCPS’s STEAM coordinator (STEAM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) both said they are excited about the event, which will culminate on May 3 at 4 p.m. when the winners of the silent auction will claim their art.

Carpenter said GEF came up with the idea “to showcase (student) talent, promote the visual arts and to give back to the community.”

She said that all schools located in Granville County have been asked to submit at least three items to be included in the art exhibit and silent auction, which will include students in grades K-12.  It will be a distinct opportunity for students to be able to see others appreciate, enjoy – and bid on – their artwork, she said.

Rice, whose career in education began as a Science teacher at J.F. Webb High School, said that, for her, “the most exciting part is to showcase the talent of our students.”

Teachers bring the completed artwork to Rice at GCPS Central Services. “I love seeing the artwork as it comes in,” she said.

A teacher recently brought in some entries and commented to Rice that this event allows students to feel successful. Not all students make the A honor roll, Rice said, and the art gala is an important way for students to demonstrate talent in areas other than academics.

Arts in Bloom kicks off with a light reception from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursday, Apr. 28. The event continues on Sunday, May 1 and concludes at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, May 3.

Musical entertainment will be provided on Apr. 28 by students of Granville Central High School musical director Joshua Carter, himself a recipient of three GEF mini-grants in 2021-22 totaling more than $7,000.

The GEF awards grants to Granville County educators who submit applications for projects to enrich and enhance their students’ educational experience. GEF also funds cultural arts programs that bring in the arts to schools in the county.  Carpenter said the COVID-19 pandemic put a pause on the cultural arts arm of GEF programming, but she is happy to report that it will resume this spring.

The art submissions are not limited to paintings or drawings, Carpenter said, adding that students may choose to create in any medium – “we wanted to allow the kids to be creative,” she said, adding that entries could be as varied as crochet, quilting or beadwork.

Proceeds provide resources and enrichment programs for students in all Granville County schools.

There are sponsorship opportunities available for Arts in Bloom, too – $500 Rose event sponsor, $250 Daisy supporting sponsor and $100 Tulip featured sponsor. The deadline to submit sponsorships to GEF is April 7. Details about sponsorship and more can be found at www.GranvilleEdFoundation.org.

Email Carpenter at GranvilleEdFoundation@outlook.com or phone 919.693.7047.

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TownTalk: Fentanyl Is Killing America’s Future – Young People

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Patricia Drews is on a mission – it’s a mission that won’t bring her daughter back, but she is determined to try to help other families learn more about what she calls drug-induced homicide that took the life of her only child.

Her daughter, Heaven, died in 2019 – one of approximately 200 young people dying each day back then in the U.S. from opioids. That figure has doubled to about 400 a day as the opioid epidemic rages. The NC DHHS reported Monday that an average of nine North Carolinians died each day in 2020 as a result of a drug overdose – a 40 percent increase from the previous year.

Drews has written and published a book titled Death of America’s Future: China’s Fentanyl that she said should be available for purchase by the end of the week. It is a compilation of more than 80 accounts – including the tragic story of her daughter Heaven – of families that have lost loved ones to fentanyl poisoning.

“I wanted a mother’s perspective,” she told John C. Rose on Tuesday’s Town Talk, “of losing a child.” The first 50 copies of the book, which she paid for herself, should be available this week on Amazon. It was expensive endeavor, Drews noted, but if the book sales do make a profit, she wants to donate the proceeds to several different organizations, including Lost Voices of Fentanyl, a national organization with more than 10,000 members.

The book contains a color photograph of every mother and child, which was important to Drews so she could show families as they had once been – “that they lived, they loved, they laughed,” she said.

Drews said 104,000 young people in the United States died from drugs, and the numbers just keep climbing, she said.

Drews draws a clear distinction between a drug overdose versus the lethal opioid poisoning responsible for the deaths of so many young people. “Yes, they made a choice to experiment,” she said, “but they did not choose to die. The drug dealer that sold them that fentanyl made that choice for them.”

Raising awareness is critical to keeping young people safe – “we need to educate ourselves and we need to educate our children,” Drews said.

In December 2019, North Carolina enacted a law that allows prosecutors to charge drug dealers who illegally sell a controlled substance that causes someone’s death. The “death by distribution” act carries a penalty of up to 40 years in prison.

Her daughter’s case remains active, she said. “I refuse to let it go – they need to be held accountable.”  Her daughter died in January 2019, just months before the new law went into effect that December.

“But there’s no statute of limitations on homicide,” she said.

To learn more about how to purchase a copy of the book, visit the local Forgotten Victims page on Facebook or contact Drews directly at 252. 204.9611.

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TownTalk: Embrace Henderson Event Is Only A Few Weeks Away

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After a COVID-19 delay, Embrace Henderson’s Family Spectacular is returning to Saddlerock Farm on Saturday, April 9 for a fun-filled event for children and adults.

Embrace Henderson’s Kevin Kilgore told WIZS that the group is glad to get back to its mission of coming together to host events, revivals – and the Family Spectacular – after a two-year COVID-19 break.

The Spectacular will be held at Saddlerock Farm, 1786 Weldon’s Mill Road, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

“It’s the only event that we’ve scheduled this year…because it’s outside, it felt like it was a good place to start back,” Kilgore said.

The 2022 event marks the 10th anniversary of the Spectacular. Kilgore said previous events have had right around 1,000 in attendance. “I’d love to have twice that many, but we’re comfortable with the number of adults and kids that do come,” he said.

There will be horse rides, hayrides, bouncy houses, children’s games, an illusion show, just to name a few. There also will be sno cones, popcorn and drinks to enjoy.

The event is absolutely free, Kilgore said.

Embrace Henderson was formed in 2010 when a group of individuals and various churches joined forces to be able to bring events, revivals and events like the Family Spectacular, all while spreading God’s Word.

The local group is partnering with Bob Fowler’s Child Evangelism Fellowship and Scott and Karen Lamm with LammEvents.com to bring all the activities to Vance County next month.

“There’s no way we could do this without either of them,” Kilgore noted.