TownTalk: Granville Gardeners’ Expo Coming April 23

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From Master Gardeners looking for a little something to add to their flower beds to newbies just hoping to cultivate a green thumb, the upcoming Granville Gardeners’  Expo will have something for just about everyone.

From workshops and demonstrations to plants and home décor, the Granville County Expo and Convention Center on Saturday, April 23 will be filled to overflowing with vendors and others to kickstart springtime gardening projects, according to Christi Henthorn, one of the event organizers.

The event will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and it will be a time “to learn, shop and have some fun,” Henthorn told John C. Rose and Bill Harris on Thursday’s Town Talk.

The Granville Gardeners is a nonprofit organization that is filled with all different types of gardeners, from the backyard enthusiast to commercial nursery men and women. “Our job as garden club members is to help folks (find ways to) garden that fits their needs,” Henthorn said. Likewise, local vendors who will be on hand can help you decide which plants best fit the space you have.

Visit https://www.thegranvillegardeners.org/  and click on the Expo link to find the list of plants available for pre-order to be picked up on the day of the event. The link to pre-order is scheduled to go live tomorrow (Friday, Mar. 18), Henthorn said.

Some of the workshops planned for the expo include learning how to compost and putting together attractive planters

“We have some very, very experienced gardeners that have lived here their whole lives and their gardens are just stellar,” Henthorn noted.

There still is room for more vendors, with 10 x 10 spaces priced at $40. Other sizes are available as well, she said. There also are sponsor opportunities as well. Below is a list of the sponsorship levels:

  • Seed – $100
  • Sprout – $300
  • Sapling -$500
  • Bouquet – $1,000+

to learn more or send an email to granvillegardeners@gmail.com. In addition, the club phone number is 919.892.9135.

 

 

 

Christi Henthorn details the upcoming Granville Gardners Expo.

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Grace Ministries

TownTalk: GRACE Ministries Plans A Day Of Worship And Fellowship

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Jamie Elliott is looking forward to being able to gather outside Saturday afternoon to share some fun activities with his congregation and the larger community.

Elliott told John C. Rose on Wednesday’s Town Talk that he plans to continue the “Day of Church And Community Fellowship every third Saturday of the month at the Grace Ministries Burr Street location.

“We’re trying to have local churches and the community come together,” Elliott said, to “be involved and see what’s going on” with church programs and out in the community.

The day will begin with breakfast and a women’s ministry, followed by a quick lunch and then a children’s ministry program from 2:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.

The day’s activities conclude with supper and a live music concert. Bring a lawn chair, Elliott said, to be able to sit back and enjoy the music.

Folks are wanting to get back outside and enjoy each other’s company, he said. The last two years of COVID-19 restrictions have eased recently, which makes events like this a bit safer to have.

All are welcome, Elliott said. He’s just hoping for a good turnout for an event that he said he invites the community to come out and be a part of the fellowship and worship opportunity.

 

TownTalk: The Importance Of Arts Alive For Children

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It’s still a few weeks away, but Andrew Markoch said this year’s Arts Alive 2022 is on track to provide some wonderful entertainment – all courtesy of more than 200 students of Vance County Schools.

Markoch is director of fine arts and physical education for VCS and he said the 6th annual event is set for Saturday, April 9 at McGregor Hall and the Center for Innovation. Markoch spoke with John C. Rose on Wednesday’s Town Talk about Arts Alive and the positive effects of arts education in other areas of study.

The last in-person Arts Alive performance was in 2019; the annual show was all set for auditions in 2020 when COVID-19 shut everything down. “We had to do the safe and smart thing at that time,” Markoch recalled.

This year, artists’ creations will be displayed at McGregor Hall, musical and stage performances will take place there as well, beginning at 7 p.m. The gallery opens at 4 p.m. and that’s when tickets also will be available for purchase. Tickets are $5.

Markoch said he encourages anyone who wants to come out and enjoy visual arts or performing arts to join the VCS family on April 9. “You will not be able to not smile and enjoy yourself,” he said. “These are our kids that are doing this,” Markoch said. “They’ve put time into this artwork and the performers have worked hard for this moment on stage.”

Visit www.vcs.k12.nc.us and click on the Arts Alive link to learn more.

Markoch said to expect artwork in various media – from crayons and markers to digital media 3-D formats.

He predicted between 70 and 75 stage performers and another 80-90 different student artists’ work on display in the art gallery.

Markoch said he is happy to be able to use the Center for Innovation to host the various master classes that will be available during Arts Alive – a wide variety of providers are scheduled to be on hand to conduct classes that range from introduction to band and orchestra to dance, among others. Durham-based KidzNotes will be on hand with music sessions for the youngest learners, he said.

“Pretty much name it and we have a provider providing it on that day,” Markoch said.

Whether it’s music, art or theatre, the arts helps children to develop and strengthen in other academic areas.

“The arts affects everything,” he said. Vance County school officials, as well as the school board, continue to make the arts a priority, which he greatly appreciates.

“Even throughout the pandemic, the emphasis on arts education in our county wasn’t going to suffer – because it’s good for our kids,” Markoch said.

Arts educators teach other subjects through their curriculum, and support development of social emotional character as well. “In order to create art, there has to be a discipline that goes with it – a type of focus and energy, and almost single-mindedness,” Markoch said. Those traits transfer to other areas of academic life, he said.

 

 

 

TownTalk: Brent Montgomery Remembered With Walk And Run

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A year ago, the Henderson community and beyond was reeling from the news that NC Hwy. Patrol Trooper Brent Montgomery had died of COVID-19 at the age of 50. Today, on the one-year anniversary of his death,  family, friends and are law enforcement officials turned out to remember Montgomery and all he meant to the community.

A contingent of walkers and runners set out from Kerr Lake Country Club Tuesday morning to make the 4.40-mile trek to Skipper’s Forsyth’s Bar-B-Q Restaurant and WIZS’s own John C. Rose chatted with participants before, during and after the walk/run.

Heather Montgomery said the past year had been a trial, but added that her family’s support system has been strong since her husband’s death a year ago.

“It means a lot,” Montgomery said of today’s event. “I know he’s looking down and he’s loving this.”

The 4.40-mile route is a nod to Trooper Montgomery’s call number with the NCSHP – it was C440. A coincidence that it’s 4.4 miles from their home to one of his favorite restaurants? Heather Montgomery said she didn’t think so. “That number means a lot to us,” she said.

Brent’s father, Larry Montgomery, said he was glad to see the turnout for the event, adding that he really respects the people who showed up.

His son did so much to help his family and others – “he had a way about him that just stands out among people,” the elder Montgomery said.

Alan Ellis of Skipper’s Forsyth’s Bar-B-Q said he and Brent were good friends growing up. “It’s an honor and a privilege” to remember his pal. Half the restaurant was reserved for the participants to gather for a meal to culminate the event. “I miss him every day,” Ellis said.

It’s not unusual for law enforcement officials to gather together for a meal, and Henderson Police Chief Marcus Barrow said the law enforcement community is like “a great big family.” Remembering one of their own with an event such as this is very meaningful, Barrow said.

“Brent meant a lot to a lot of us – he means a lot to this community,” he added.

First Sgt. Jeff Rowan of the Highway Patrol spoke with WIZS at KLCC before the event kicked off. He said an event in memory of Montgomery is very fitting. “This run is in memory of a great guy,” Rowan said. “We’re prepared for it and excited to get it started.”

Randy Owen also referred to the strong bonds among the brotherhood of law enforcement personnel. Owen said community leaders like Ellis who step up to provide food for first responders or others who protect the community are very much appreciated.

Trooper Elliott Fuller spoke with WIZS shortly after completing the 4.4-mile route. He runs a lot to keep in shape, but “this run is different for what it means,” Fuller said. “The reason why we’re running is what makes it important.” Brent was a guy that everybody loved – he was just a good people person…an overall good guy.”

What better way to remember their family member, friend and colleague than over a meal at a restaurant that was one of Brent’s favorites.

A community of people trying their best to honor someone gone way too soon.

 

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TownTalk: Purr Partners Helps Cats And Kittens Find Furever Homes

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Purr Partners is a local nonprofit rescue group that finds homes for cats. Co-founder Lawanna Johnson said she and her teams of volunteers work tirelessly to care for their wards, whether they come from shelters, from owner surrenders or from hoarding situations.

“Our mission has always been that we would be advocates for cats,” Johnson said. Right now, there are a little over a hundred cats that are in their care, with about 40 available for adoption at any given time.

Volunteers are caring for several feline mamas and their kittens right now, she told fellow cat lover Bill Harris on Monday’s Town Talk. And that is just the tip of the iceberg, Johnson noted, because the dreaded “kitten season” is fast approaching.

Reducing the pet overpopulation problem is also part of Purr Partner’s over-arching goal. Educating pet owners about having their animals spayed or neutered is a critical piece of the problem, she said. While there aren’t that many no-cost or low-cost programs that serve our area, there are several places that offer discounts for having animals – usually dogs and cats – spayed or neutered.

Traditionally, the county animal shelter is where unwanted animals – again, usually dogs and cats – are held until they can be adopted. But Johnson said cats are surrendered much more often and are euthanized at much greater rates than dogs.

Purr Partners uses annual data from the state Department of Agriculture to identify high-kill shelters and then work with those shelters to get cats into the rescue and try to get them adopted.

There simply are not enough homes and not enough places to house all the cats that need to find a safe place to live, she said. They don’t just get cats from shelters, Johnson said. Just one day ago, they took in six cats from the western part of the state that were removed from a hoarding situation. Since July, she said, they have gotten as many as 20 cats at once that were removed from a hoarding situation.

As a rescue organization, Purr Partners also finds itself having to say “no” to additional cats when they are tight on space. “We can’t always help,” she said. “We just don’t have enough space.”

Unaltered female felines can get pregnant every 8-10 weeks, Johnson said. With the average litter producing 4-5 kittens, it’s easy to see how important spaying and neutering becomes in the quest to reduce the unwanted pet population.

“We try to educate people on how to handle the problem,” she explained. All the cats that are adopted through Purr Partners are spayed or neutered.

Cats can make wonderful pets, Johnson said, and they surely have different personalities. Some cats are lovable, stay-in-your-lap kind of pets, while others are aloof and shun interaction with their humans. “I find them endlessly fascinating,” she said.

But Purr Partners works hard to match cat personalities with what prospective adopters are looking for to ensure that the cats find forever homes.

“We don’t adopt kittens under six months into single-cat households,” she said. “If you want a kitten, you need to get two.” Kittens need another cat to teach them manners and for socialization, she said. “There’s a reason kittens are born into litters.”

Visit https://www.purrpartners.org/ to learn more about the organization, email Johnson at purrpartners@yahoo.com and visit their Facebook page to see the cats currently available for adoption.

 

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TownTalk: The Gist Of The Grist Mill

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According to the 1850 U.S. Census, there were more than 140 mills in operation in Vance and surrounding counties that once were all part of Granville County.

Some were sawmills, and some were grist mills – some constructed for use by a single landowner, but many were built for commercial use.

Folks would come to the grist mills to get their corn ground, of course, but mills also were important in other ways, too.

Sadly, few mills remain today, their wooden construction giving way to time and weather. Some have undergone restoration and are reminders of the mills’ place in their heyday.

Mark Pace, North Carolina Room specialist at the Richard Thornton Library in Oxford, and Bill Harris talked about mills and their roles in the community on Thursday’s tri-weekly history TownTalk show.

Pace said his research showed that in 1850, there were 102 mills in present-day Warren County alone – twice as many as the following county on the list, he said.

The reason for that may have been because of Warren’s status among other counties in the state at the time.

“In 1840, Warren County was one of the most prosperous and prominent counties in the state,” Pace said.

In a six-mile stretch along the banks of Sandy Creek in Vance County, there were numerous mills, he said.

First, there’s Fox Pond, site of the long-popular recreation facilities. A little farther down, there was Rowland’s Pond and mill, followed by Club Pond, then Weldon’s Mill and then Southerland’s Mill. At that point the creek continues into Franklin County, where there was Laurel Mill, Pace said.

Laurel Mill has been restored and visitors can see how the mill operated. Although situated along the stream or creek, a mill usually needed a pond nearby to employ that water when the creek levels were low. A mill race worked like a canal or trough to carry water from the pond to the water wheel. Millers would use a millstone to pulverize the corn.

John Penn had a small grist mill on his farm that is situated on Michael’s Creek in present-day Granville County. That mill used a different system for grinding grain. It used a wooden wheel called a tub turbine that was situated horizontally underwater instead of the vertical waterwheel.

Because these tub turbines remained submerged and weren’t exposed to the elements or  bug infestations, they were quite durable. “They lasted for decades,” Pace said. Using water-resistant woods like cedar and bald cypress made the turbines even longer-lasting.

In the mid- to late-19th century, a millstone cost somewhere in the $50-$90 range. Pace said that would easily translate to $4,500 or so in today’s money.

“So the people who had the money were the ones that ran the mills,” he said.

But mills represented more than just a place to grind grains.

“Mills were kind of a cultural and social center of the community,” he said. In some instances, some mills served as polling places. Folks who lived on one side of the Sandy Creek would vote at one mill and folks who lived on the other side of the creek would vote at another mill, he said.

Mills in the area are associated with certain family surnames – there’s Amis, Gregory and Stark in Granville County, Weldon in Vance and Hamme in Warren, just to name a few. Hamme’s Mill just south of Warrenton is an example of just how picturesque the mills and their settings are, Pace and Harris agreed.

In Vance County, O.B. Weldon ran Weldon’s Mill along Sandy Creek, and his brother operated another mill as well, Pace said.

Granville County’s Rufus Amis Mill, currently undergoing a restoration, and the Gregory Mill near Stovall serve as the county’s two existing examples of mills. Dalton Mill near Grassy Creek had been one of the oldest and largest in the area, dating back to the early 1800’s. It was taken down in 1993.

The Perry family owned Cascine in Franklin County south of Louisburg and there’s a mill that survives on that property today. If you count the basement, that structure stands five stories tall.

Want to learn more about mills and their history in North Carolina? Visit the North Carolina Room of the Richard Thornton Library and check out a book titled Beginner’s Guide to Grist Mills in North Carolina.

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TownTalk: Tar River Land Conservancy Improving Access To Nature

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Derek Halberg has been working with Tar River Land Conservancy for 18 years – not quite since its inception 22 years ago, but as executive director, he has witnessed a lot of growth in the area of land conservancy.

“We’ve done a lot of great work, and it’s very rewarding,” Halberg said.

TRLC, a nonprofit land trust, is one of a couple of dozen across the state with a similar mission to preserve – conserve – land for farm use or for future recreational use.

The group takes its name from the body of water that begins in Person County and continues Granville, Vance, Franklin and points farther east. The TRLC works in those and other counties as far away as Edgecombe County to help landowners find ways to conserve their property.

Halberg spoke with Bill Harris on Wednesday’s Town Talk to discuss some upcoming projects, one of which involves 83 acres in southern Granville County called Horseshoe Road Nature Preserve.

“It’s one of our newest properties that we’re actively working on to open to the public,” Halberg said. He said he hopes that a ribbon-cutting to officially open the property will take place in June.

When completed, the Horseshoe Road property will feature a couple of miles of hiking trails, much of which is being created with the help of volunteers. It will join Roberts Chapel Conservation Area in Stem to provide a place for hikers to come and get a little exercise while observing nature up close and personal.

TLRC has received some financial support from several local governments to help create the trails, signage and such for the Granville projects. And although using volunteers may take a little longer to complete a project, Halberg said that involvement will pay dividends in the long-run.

A project the size of Horseshoe Road may take a professional team a few months of continuous work to complete, but Halberg said TLRC’s approach was aimed at community involvement.j

“It takes longer, but it creates better results,” he noted. Volunteers have contributed more than 1,000 hours of their time, using rakes and shovels to put the trail through the woods, he said.

“We transform a property from a raw wilderness property into something that people can visit and enjoy.”

The Tar River and its tributaries provide water to reservoirs like Lake Holt in Creedmoor and Falls Lake in Wake County. Ensuring safe drinking water is a primary objective of the TLRC, but the group also works to protect the flora and fauna of the area – some of which “are found nowhere else on earth,” Halberg said.

There are fish, fresh-water mussels and amphibian species that dwell in and around the waters of the Tar and its tributaries that create a rich biological diversity in this part of the state, he said.

Unlike the Roanoke River to the north, from which Kerr Lake and Lake Gaston were formed, The Tar is still a free-flowing river, a fact that Halberg said makes it “pretty great for the wildlife.”

The TLRC is always looking to work with new landowners, he said. “We’re always looking to start new conversations,” he said.

Call the office, located in Louisburg, at 919.496.5902 or visit www.tarriverlandconservancy.com to learn more, from volunteering to participate in upcoming projects to ways to conserve properties.

 

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TownTalk: Christopher St. John Counsels Military Vets

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Psychotherapist Chris St. John has the professional experience and educational credentials to provide his clients with valuable feedback as they receive therapy, but he can relate to those veterans and first responders on a different, more personal level: He is a veteran and he has been a first responder, both of which form a special, unspoken connection with patients who have a similar background.

St. John works in Denver, Colorado and he spoke by phone to John C. Rose and guest co-host Phyllis Maynard on Tuesday’s Town Talk about his practice and his special interest in the work of Carl Jung.

“Talk therapy isn’t for everybody,” St. John acknowledged. There are many different ways to get counseling, and talk therapy is just one of the ways that a therapist can offer help.

St. John is a Navy veteran who also has experience as a first responder, so he fits right in to the

Former Active Duty: Still Boots on the Ground category of the recurring Town Talk series.Ju

St. John discovered Jung’s work during his college years and subsequently became certified in Jungian theory. Jung was a Swiss psychiatrist and psychoanalyst who founded analytical psychology in the early part of the 20th century.

“I take pieces from others all the time,” he said. “I reference others and apply it into my work.”

He takes pride in tailoring his therapy to the individual, and stresses to patients the idea that they are not alone as they seek therapy.

“There is some form of therapeutic intervention for everybody,” he said. His experiences help offer to patients a unique perspective that can help them adapt and cope, he said. And it’s those experiences in the military that provide an extra connection for his military veteran clients.

“Words don’t have to be spoken (in) how you connect to another veteran,” St. John said. “I can speak the lingo and have the general understanding…(they) connect with me almost immediately.”

The two-way trust can be established quickly, he noted. “We’ve earned our stripes and we’re connected,” he said.

St. John said he knows first-hand about what he called “compassion fatigue.” First responders can experience compassion fatigue as they continue to focus on the health and well-being of others and have little energy to take care of their own needs.

“Self-care is not selfish,” he said. If you don’t take care of yourself, there’s no way you can continue to help others.

When do you know it’s time to seek professional help?

“It’s important that you don’t wait,” St. John said. “The best time to see therapy is when you don’t need it.”

Learn more at http://www.christopherstjohntherapist.com/

 

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TownTalk: Embrace Henderson Family Spectacular

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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 John C. Rose Monday 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.

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Vance County Logo

TownTalk: County Commissioners To Work On Issues During Retreat

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Updated 3/4/2022

The Vance County commissioners completed their planning retreat on Thursday, Mar. 3 and prioritized five goals for the coming year, which remain in draft form until they are formally approved at the April board meeting.

County Manager Jordan McMillen told WIZS News that all indications are that the five priorities will be:

  1. To retain or assist in creation of 150 new jobs and $10 million in new investment for the County to include completion of design and construction of a shell building at the Henderson-Vance Industrial Park.
  2. Complete an Economic Development Strategic plan aimed at setting priorities and benchmarks for the future of economic development to include prioritizing regionalization.
  3. Implement a community paramedicine program that seeks to improve community health, reduce frequent fliers, and assist in lowering EMS call volume.
  4. Begin planning (land acquisition and design) necessary for a new public safety center to house the county EMS and fire departments.
  5. Begin construction of Phase 1B of the county water system and offer public information/signup meetings with a goal of increasing signups 20 percent above the current level.

Other takeaways that McMillen noted following the retreat include the positive financial position the county finds itself in, which will help the county be able to bring employee salaries more in line with the market.

“This speaks to our fund balance (unassigned fund balance of 44 percent of expenditures) and also the increases we have seen in sales tax revenue the past few years which we are hopeful will position us to implement our recent salary study with the new budget July 1,” McMillen said.

The board must approve the salary plan before it goes into effect. “As we work budget, we intend to be in position to approve the salary study at our June meeting to be effective with the new budget,” McMillen said.

He cited some details of the salary study, noting that 82 percent of salaries “are closer to the minimum and have not progressed to the midpoint or the maximum of the pay grade.” If and when the plan is approved, “employees’ salaries would be slotted where they belong along the pay range according to the market and our starting salaries will move up as well across the board,” he explained.

Neighboring counties have conducted similar studies in the past year or so, which impacts Vance County’s ability to effectively recruit and retain employees, McMillen added.

“Economic development remains the top goal and priority for our board,” he said. “A major part of this effort is continuing to develop our industrial park and looking toward a possible shell building in the future.” McMillen said more information about this topic will be announced at the commissioners’ meeting Monday, Mar. 7.

During the retreat, the group discussed the need to work together with neighboring counties to strengthen regionalism and support regional efforts.

The county’s effort over the past five years to return foreclosed and other properties to the tax rolls has been successful, McMillen said. In that period, 116 properties have been returned to the tax rolls, which is the equivalent of returning $830,000 in value to the tax rolls.

The county took in more than $300,000 in revenue for these properties, he said.

 

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Vance County commissioners and county staff have gathered today (Thursday) for its annual planning retreat to discuss upcoming priorities, review goals and talk about results of a recent salary and benefits study of county jobs.

It began at 9 a.m. today and was scheduled to conclude at 2 p.m., according to information from County Manager Jordan McMillen.

The retreat was rescheduled from an earlier date so the salary study could be completed. John C. Rose perused the 51-page agenda that McMillen had prepared for the retreat, and said the first topic of conversation was the salary and benefits study, which was presented to commissioners.

Also on the agenda was a recap of the county’s financial condition and fiscal outlook presented by Finance Director Katherine Bigelow.

There are numerous openings within county government and law enforcement that have yet to be filled, including 16 at the detention center and 8 within the sheriff’s office. There are 32 openings at the Department of Social Services and a dozen openings within the EMS system.

Whether qualified candidates simply aren’t looking in Vance County or not considering working here because the pay isn’t competitive with other areas, the fact remains that there are openings that need to be filled.

The salary study included information about employee outreach, current conditions, review of compensation and having an updated pay plan, according to information in the agenda.

 

Some of the goals that were scheduled to be discussed included the following:

 

  • Creation of 150 new jobs and bringing in $10 million in new investment
  • Completion of economic development plan
  • Construction of a shell building at industrial park
  • Creation of a paramedicine program to reduce EMS call volume
  • Initial planning of a new public safety center to house EMS and fire departments
  • Start Phase 1B of the county water system
  • Increase signups to the water system by 20 percent over current signups

 

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