TownTalk: Rob Montague and the NC Forest Service, Storm Ready

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N.C. Forest Service Gives Advice To Keep Trees Healthy, Withstand Storm’s Wind, Water

There are lots of good reasons to have trees in the landscape – they provide shade in the summer, homes and food for many animals as well as income for many landowners who manage larger tracts of woodland or tree farms.

And while it’s always important to keep an eye out for dead limbs or trees in a weakened state, weather forecasters and forestry experts are gearing up to ward off potential problems that Tropical Storm Elsa may create as it moves up the Atlantic Coast over the next day or so.

Rob Montague of the N.C. Forest Service was on Wednesday’s Town Talk to talk about the role of the forest service and precautions homeowners and landowners can take to avoid problems with trees when a storm blows in.

“Go ahead and get rid of hazard trees around your house before the storm comes through,” Montague advised. For those with larger tracts of woodlands or tree farms, it’s important to maintain a clear path to get in and out of the property.

He and his team serve Vance and Granville counties and they began planning early last week for the possible arrival of Elsa and the associated rain and wind that comes with a tropical storm or hurricane.

The forest service provides assistance to local emergency response teams as well as the N.C. Department of Agriculture during and after storms and help with tasks like clearing roads of fallen trees.

“We may be thrown into a lot of different roles if this storm proves bad,” Montague said. “The emergency response side of our job trains us” for such events as storms and wildfires.

The forest service work continues after a storm, he added, by helping landowners who may face a long-term recovery phase. The foresters help with technical assistance to get a forest management plan back on track, whether it’s a harvesting goal or getting a new forest growing.

The N.C. Forest Service can also help landowners with prescribed burns, a management strategy to keep pine stands healthy. These require careful planning, Montague said, from checking the weather forecast and knowing where the smoke will blow to having fire lines prepared ahead of the burn area. It shouldn’t be a matter of thinking at 9 a.m. one morning, ‘Hey, I’m going to light my trees on fire today,’ he added.

Prescribed burns are one strategy to cut down on the chance of wildfires, Montague said. May was a dry month and he said the forest service responded to quite a few wildfires with local fire departments. “Each of us shows up with different tools,” he explained. The fire departments have the bigger trucks and gear, and the forest service brings along smaller brush trucks and engines that allow them to get in tighter spaces. Bulldozers and airplanes that can drop water from above are also resources the forest service can call on.

Whether it’s wind and rain from a summer storm or a grass fire when conditions are extremely dry, the N.C. Forest Service provides training for its foresters and technical assistance for residents to be prepared.

“We’ve got a great group of folks ready, willing and dedicated to help out,” Montague said.

To learn more, visit www.ncforestservice.org,  call 919.693.3154  or email rob.montague@ncagr.gov.

For complete details and audio click play.

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Town Talk: Retired Colonel Helps Fellow Veterans, Stops In Henderson On 10,000-Mile Fundraiser Ride

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The numbers are staggering: Since it started in 2014, RIP Medical Debt has paid medical bills for more than 2.7 million families to the tune of $4.5 billion – that’s billion with a “B” – $90 million alone to veterans and families of veterans. And if Mikel Burroughs, a retired Army colonel, has his way, those numbers will continue to grow.

Burroughs recently completed the 3rd annual RIP Ride for Veterans motorcycle ride to raise awareness and funds for the non-profit RIP Medical Debt; he took a short detour to Henderson to meet Phyllis Maynard, a fellow veteran and local Disabled American Veterans service officer. Maynard served in the U.S. Navy as a petty officer on the USS Puget Sound. She met Burroughs through an online veterans’ support group about two years ago.

When Burroughs was in Fayetteville recently during his 32-state road trip, he decided he wanted to make the 2-hour trip to meet Maynard in person.

“It was wonderful coming in to Henderson and meeting with Phyllis,” Burroughs told John C. Rose on Town Talk, which aired Tuesday. Maynard wanted to make the visit more than just a pit stop along the 10,000-plus mile journey, so she had some other guests from the community to help her welcome Burroughs to Vance County.

Maynard said she appreciated Burroughs including a stop in Henderson on his itinerary and she “wanted it to end up being special for him – I really wanted to share it with the community,” she said. He seemed to be the “glue” of the support group, Maynard said of Burroughs. “Everybody loved the colonel,” she said, adding that the group learns from each other, from the low-stress comfort of their own homes.

The RIP Ride 4 Vets 2021 fundraising goal was $50,000. RIP Medical Debt buys debt from hospitals or from a secondary market and follows a process to determine which accounts fit the criteria to be marked as “paid in full.” Burroughs said every $1 the group spends buys $100 in medical debt.

“A lot of our veterans are struggling under the burden of health care debt across the country,” Burroughs said. Add financial burdens to those invisible illnesses like PTS (post-traumatic stress) and TBI (traumatic brain injury) and the negative effects definitely mount up.

He said two-thirds of all bankruptcies in the U.S. are the result of health-care debt.

“I’ve talked to a lot of veterans on the Warriors for Life program that are struggling financially,” Burroughs said. “I hear it first-hand – I hear it in their voice and they share and they get that off their mind…it has a profound effect on our veterans and it shouldn’t,” he said of overwhelming medical debt.

Mackenzie Scott, former wife of Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, recently gave $50 million to RIP Medical Debt. “That’s going to abolish a lot of debt” over the next three years – for civilians and veterans alike.

Relieving the stress of medical debt for veterans is just one way Burroughs contributes to the veteran community. He facilitates the Saturday Warriors for Life group – other volunteers cover the other five groups each week. And a Life Readiness Center is being planned to open on 165 acres in Costa Rica which will provide different therapies and treatments to help veterans with PTSD and TBI. The goal is to partner with Victory for Vets Inc. to have readiness centers in 32 U.S. cities. The centers use brain mapping, hyperbaric oxygen treatment and neurofeedback to address veterans’ needs.

“We’re very excited about what the future holds and what we’re going to be able to do for veterans holistically,” Burroughs said.

 

The Warriors for Life group will be a perfect place for veterans who participate in the Life Readiness Centers. “We want veterans to be able to reach out to Warriors for Life and let down the warrior barrier,” Burroughs said.  “Be vulnerable… you don’t have to prove to anyone on the call that you’re a warrior –  we already know that you’re a warrior. And you’ll always be a warrior,” he said.

“We want you to let that vulnerability down and be able to share it and get it off of your mind. Honestly, being able to share with others who have gone through similar experiences, I think it helps the healing process.”

Learn more at www.ripmedicaldebt.org.

For complete details and audio click play.

 

TownTalk: White Coat Ceremony Officially Welcomes Two Residents To MPH-Duke Partnership

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According to Maria Parham Health CEO Bert Beard, it took almost four years to come to fruition, but two new physicians donned their white coats during a ceremony Wednesday to celebrate the beginning of a residency program that focuses on providing care in rural areas.

“This is a tremendous day for Maria Parham,” Beard told the gathering of local government officials and community leaders during the white coat ceremony Wednesday afternoon, hosted by MPH.

“What would it be for Duke and Maria Parham to partner on a rural track family medicine program that could facilitate health care in rural areas of North Carolina for the future,” he recalled during opening remarks.

“This is a small start, but it’s a big step,” Beard said, adding that providing appropriate medical care in rural areas is not just a concern locally, but an issue that is getting more and more attention nationally.

The first year, residents will spend a good deal of their time learning and working at Duke University Hospital and Duke Regional in Durham. In years two and three, their time will shift to Maria Parham and the Oxford office of Duke Primary Care, according to information released earlier about the program.

Dr. Tom Koinis, a physician in the Oxford office, serves as program director. Dr. Alexa Namba, once a resident Koinis worked with in 2015 on a weekly basis at the Oxford office, also will play a role in the new partnership.

As the residents who donned their white coats on Wednesday – Dr. Rashmi Saincher and Dr. Jessica Sanders – begin their work in the program, Koinis gave them a heads-up: “as you move into the physician’s world, you’ll be a major part of that community in many different ways.”

Pastor Frank Sossamon offered a blessing of hands during the ceremony. “We don’t realize sometimes how important our hands are,” Sossamon said. Hands speak, they affirm, they comfort. And they heal, he said. His blessing called for the physicians’ hands to do all those things for the patients they see in this community.

Saincher comes from a small town outside Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. She studied medicine at St. George’s University in London and then completed clinicals in Philadelphia. Koinis said she is happy to leave all the cement of big cities for a return to small-town life.

Sanders is a native of Houston, Texas. She graduated from the University of Texas-Austin and worked for several years in New York City before realizing through volunteer work that her passion lay in helping people. She returned to her hometown and was admitted to the McGovern Medical School, part of UT-Houston.

Koinis said the local team submitted a 200-page application to be considered for the program, and the application was approved on Jan. 29, 2021. The national “resident match day” occurred on Jan. 30, so “we got in just in the nick of time,” Koinis said. Of the 20 “excellent applicants” that were interviewed, Saincher and Sanders were selected.

“I’m deeply honored and humbled to be able to lead this residency as it starts off,” he added, noting that it took a team effort to get the program off the ground. “And support from ‘big’ Duke has been really, positive, really strong.”

The residency program should be proof positive to this community and region, Beard noted earlier in the ceremony, that “our partnership with Duke is very strong and we’re going to advance it.”

TownTalk Broadcast including the Entire Ceremony

 

Town Talk: Rebuilding Hope’s SOS Project Works On Home Repairs While Spreading Gospel

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Rebuilding Hope Ministry continues to fulfill its mission of helping people in the community with construction projects like roof replacement and building wheelchair ramps. The Servants on Site program sends out church groups to make repairs, also to spread the Gospel and to live their faith through works.

Robbie Parham, promotion director for Servants on Site project, and Dr. Randy Mann, lead pastor of Central Baptist Church in Henderson, were guests on Wednesday’s Town Talk and gave John C. Rose an update on how the SOS project has re-tooled itself to keep working in the community while honoring COVID-19 safety protocols.

In years past, the SOS program was a one-week blitz that sent hundreds of volunteers from local churches and those from as far away as Alabama into the community to perform home repair tasks for residents. This year’s 10th edition of SOS is a little different, however, Parham said. Instead of one week, the program is stretched over a 10-week period, which allows for church groups to do the work needed but without the customary corporate worship and dormitory-style sleeping arrangements.

“We’ve partnered with Rebuilding Hope from the very beginning of that ministry,” Mann said.

Rebuilding Hope’s mission to work alongside local churches to make a positive difference in the community is what makes it “beyond easy” to be a partner.

He has traveled the world on mission trips, but Mann said it has been rewarding to provide mission work close to home with the SOS project. He used a favorite quote to illustrate his point: “The light that shines farthest shines brightest at home.”

Mann said it was gratifying for him to see members of his congregation, from young children to senior adults, participating in the SOS project. The youngest were able to help clean up the lunch site and the 80-somethings pitched in, too, he said.

TownTalk 6-30-21 Audio; More Below

This is Mann’s first year to actually participate on-site. “I worked every day on a roof,” he explained. One thing he could see from that vantage point was the intergenerational communication that went on. “I recognized the breadth of participation from our church,” he said. As they worked side by side serving others, he said, there was a lot of spiritual development taking place as well.

The Central Baptist team just completed two roofing projects and will go out again in a couple of weeks. One resident reported to Mann that she could “literally lay on my bed at night and see the stars.” Thanks to the Central Baptist team, the roof was torn off, rotten wooden sub-roof replaced and new shingles put back on.

Through the SOS project, Mann said his church members “go and meet the practical needs in our community. But our greatest need is to share the Gospel while we do it.”

Parham said SOS has the manpower lined up to continue replacing the 11 roofs that have been identified in the area, as well as more wheelchair ramps. Although many of the church groups come from the local five-county area – Vance, Granville, Franklin, Warren and Person – he said a group from the western NC town of Franklin and another group from Georgia will lend a hand for SOS, too.

One dream that Parham hopes becomes a reality for Rebuilding Hope is completion of a bunkhouse in the upstairs of the building. The ministry occupies the former Coca-Cola Bottling Co. on Raleigh Road. Once that happens, groups can spend the night and worship on site. That way, Rebuilding Hope could sustain projects like SOS over the entire year, hosting groups for weekend or half-week mission work.

Henderson Police Department

Town Talk: Police Chief Barrow Discusses Trends In Gun-Related Violence

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The headlines in newspapers and online news sources across the nation seem to proclaim daily the latest incidents of a shooting or other gun-related crime; and the city of Henderson, unfortunately, is not bucking that trend.

Guns and gun violence are hot topics of conversation these days, from the locals at the barbershop to politicians in Washington, DC. Henderson Police Chief Marcus Barrow said Tuesday that he and his officers continue to work hard to keep the city safe through use of quality training and programs like a new federal grant that will help expedite processing evidence.

Barrow was on Town Talk and told John C. Rose about a grant from Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms that will help the local police force in its evidence collection. Information about shell casings and other evidence will be sent to a nationwide database for analysis and any possible matches with crimes in other areas, he explained.

“We have a great working relationship with ATF,” Barrow said. “We’ve processed 250, 275 people since I was hired as police chief through ATF.” He added that of those, 95 of those cases involved guns and drugs, which is how those cases are assigned to federal court.

Barrow said he supports a person’s Second Amendment rights to bear arms, but so often, those are the responsible gun owners – the ones who follow procedure to purchase or carry a weapon.

“I’m less worried about the guns I can see than I am the guns I can’t see,” Barrow said. He added that the recent nationwide increase in gun purchases has fueled a manufacturing frenzy. “I think we’d be astonished to know how many firearms are being manufactured on a daily basis and sold.”

But his assessment is that there is a preponderance of irresponsible gun owners, which creates a back channel for criminals and criminal activities.

For instance, he said, when you want to buy narcotics, but you don’t have cash, then you find something of value to trade for – like a gun.

Drug deals and drive-by shootings are just two activities that people in the community have become more aware of in recent times; Barrow called the incidence of drive-by shootings in North Carolina “alarming.”

“I don’t want to reach a point where it’s not alarming, where it’s the norm. I don’t want it to be the norm here,” he added. Barrow said his office gets ‘shots fired’ calls daily. Sometimes it turns out to be actual gunfire, he said, and sometimes it’s something as innocent as roofers using a nailgun at a nearby home.

Barrow said a police officer’s presence in the community is important to respond to all calls for help, but just as important is to have the right person in uniform representing the police department. “We want to make sure we put the right officer,” Barrow emphasized, adding that his officers have sometimes had to “work short.” “I refuse to put the wrong officer on the street. Making sure the right person is here and answering calls is important to me and to the agency,” he said.

For complete details and audio click play. 

 

TownTalk: July 4th Safety Tips

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From grilling to swimming, these tips will help keep you safe for the 4th of July weekend.

Please keep this information in mind.

Disclaimer – This is not advice.

Click play or read below.

– Press Release Courtesy of the State of North Carolina –

As the summer swimming season kicks into full gear, Insurance Commissioner and Safe Kids North Carolina Chair Mike Causey reminds parents and caregivers about important safety tips to reduce child drownings.

“On these warm summer days in North Carolina, many families will be drawn to activities near water,” said Commissioner Causey. “Drownings can happen so fast – before you even realize what’s happening. So, we want parents and caregivers to be particularly cautious and take steps to avoid any potential tragedies in the water.”

FOR A VIDEO MESSAGE FROM COMMISSIONER CAUSEY, CLICK HERE.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, drowning is the second leading cause of death in children ages 1-14. It is the leading cause of unintentional death in children under the age of 5.

Watch for rip currents

Rip currents are a strong channel of water extending from the shore out into the water. If you see a current of choppy, off-colored water extending from the shore, steer clear. If you do get pulled out, stay calm, let the current carry you for a while and keep breathing. Don’t try to swim against the current! Gain your composure and start swimming horizontal to the shore until you’re out of the current. Once out, swim diagonally towards the shore. If you can’t make it to the shore, wave your arms and make noise so someone can see or hear you and get help.

How do rip currents form?

When waves break more strongly than others onto the shore, they can cause a circulation in the water that produces a rip current. Rip currents tend to form near a shallow point in the water, such as a sandbar, or close to jetties and piers and can happen at any beach with breaking waves. Their force is strong enough to pull the strongest swimmer out to sea.

Heed the Warning Flags

  • Red flags indicate strong surf and currents.
  • Yellow flags indicate moderate surf and currents — the water is likely to be rough but not exceedingly dangerous. Exercise caution and stay near the lifeguards.
  • Green flags indicate the ocean is calm or clear.
  • Blue or purple flags often indicate that potentially dangerous marine life (think sharks or jellyfish) are in the area or have been spotted nearby.

 Know how to swim

  • Ocean swimming is different from swimming in a pool or lake — be prepared to deal with strong surf before running in.
  • If you’re at the beach with a child or adult who can’t swim, make sure everyone has a well-fitting lifejacket.
  • The ocean floor is not flat and beaches can change drastically from year to year. When heading into the water, be aware that the ocean floor can drop off unexpectedly, so be prepared to swim in water over your head.
  • Obey the buddy system while swimming. Keep a friend nearby in case either of you ends up needing help.
  • Pick a swimming spot close to a lifeguard. Lifeguards are there for a reason — they know and can see things about the beach that most beachgoers don’t.

Pool Safety

Safe Kids North Carolina reminds parents and caregivers to take the following precautions around pools and open water:

  • Always watch children and never leave them unattended.
  • Keep children away from pool drains, pipes and other openings.
  • Always keep a charged phone nearby.
  • Know how to perform CPR on children and adults.
  • Understand the basics of lifesaving so you can assist in an emergency.
  • Install a fence at least 4 feet high around the perimeter of the pool or spa.
  • Use self-closing and self-latching gates.
  • Ensure all pools and spas have compliant drain covers. Install an alarm on the door leading from the house to the pool.

Know the signs of drowning

Most people believe a drowning person involves flailing arms or frantic calls for help, but that scene is often incorrect. Drowning can happen quietly when a helpless person is unable to take in a breath or call for help. The CDC estimates 10% of parents watch their children drown because they don’t know what’s happening. Rescuers may have as few as 20 seconds to save a person from drowning.

For more detailed information about the water safety, go to https://www.ncosfm.gov/injury-prevention/safe-kids/water-safety

– Press Release Courtesy of the State of North Carolina –

Do your part to keep the Fourth of July safe by never driving if you are impaired.

That was the key message at Thursday’s kickoff of the annual North Carolina Governor’s Highway Safety Program’s Fourth of July Booze It & Lose it campaign, dubbed ‘Operation Firecracker.’ The event was held in Greenville.

Operation Firecracker aims to prevent alcohol-related crashes by targeting impaired drivers during the July 4th holiday season. This year’s campaign runs June 28-July 4 with law enforcement agencies running sobriety checkpoints in all 100 counties to help catch drunk drivers and reduce fatalities.

“With the summer, upcoming holidays and people emerging after quarantine — emergency departments across the state, and the first responders you see here today, will unfortunately see increases in people (especially teenagers and young people) injured or killed after making the unforgivable decision to drink and drive – a tragedy that is completely avoidable,” said Dr. Jason Hack, emergency medicine physician for East Carolina University and Vidant Medical Center in Greenville.

Thursday’s event celebrated the hard work and sacrifices made by health care workers, emergency medical services, law enforcement, military personnel, and other first responders during the pandemic. Speakers urged North Carolina drivers to help emergency responders by not drinking and driving.

“They have been keeping us and our families, friends and neighbors safe during the COVID-19 pandemic in North Carolina,” said Mark Ezzell, director of the N.C. Governor’s Highway Safety Program. “And they will be working again to keep us safe this Fourth of July, when many of us are vacationing and enjoying time with friends and family.​​

“We are grateful for their hard work. But I hope they will not have to handle any impaired driving cases this July 4th holiday.”

So far in 2021, 145 people have died in alcohol and drug-related crashes in North Carolina. While that is a decrease from this time last year, it’s not enough.

“Law enforcement will be proactively assuring our roads are safe from those that persist in drinking and driving,” said Pitt County Sheriff Paula S. Dance. “We want everyone to survive by calling a taxi, Uber, Lift or a friend.

“This one decision – drive or don’t drive – will affect everyone on the road. Make it a good decision. Save a life. It could be your own.”

The ‘Booze It & Lose It’ campaign is one of the many traffic safety campaigns led by NCGHSP, which also funds Click It or Ticket, BikeSafe NC, Watch For Me NC, and North Carolina’s Vision Zero initiative​.

Please support this cause by taking pictures and use the hashtags #BoozeIt&LoseIt #DriveSoberGetPulledOver and #NCGHSP this Fourth of July holiday.

Many folks associate summer with cookouts – and cookouts usually involve grills. Whether it’s fueled by gas or charcoal, there are a few safety precautions to remember as grillmasters work their magic to create that perfect meal.

Local SERVPRO disaster remediation specialist William Paul shared some pre-grilling safety tips from the National Fire Protection Association and the Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association:

  • READY: Clean grill racks and grease trays. For gas grills, check the gas tank hose for leaks at the beginning of the season.
  • SET: Choose a safe, firm, level spot for the grill away from coolers, people and pets. Grill outside, never in a garage or under the awning on a deck, the eaves of your home, or low-hanging branches.
  • GO: Prepare the grill for cooking carefully. For charcoal grills, use a charcoal chimney with newspaper, a charcoal starter fluid, or an electric charcoal starter plugged into an outdoor-rated extension cord. For gas grills, open the lid before turning the grill on. If you smell gas after the grill is lit, do not try to move the grill. Get away from the grill and call the fire department.

While grilling:

  • SAFE ZONE: Keep children and pets at least three feet away from the hot grill, both while you are cooking and after you serve the food. Grill surfaces can remain hot for an hour or more.
  • SAFE TOOLS: Use long-handled grill utensils in good condition; avoid loose, flowing clothing; and wear flame-retardant mitts to adjust vents to help prevent burns.
  • SAFE COOKING: Keep the fire under control. Manage flareups by adjusting grill height, using grill controls, or spreading out the coal bed. Keep baking soda within reach to control grease fires. Watch for blowing embers and have a fire extinguisher, a garden hose or a bucket of sand handy to extinguish spark-triggered fires. Never attempt to move a hot grill.

“Charcoal and gas grills, barbeques and the like are involved in an average of more than 5,000 structure fires each year and almost 5,000 additional outdoor fires,” Paul stated. Grilling accidents result in 19,700 trips to the hospital annually, almost half of which are burns. Children under the age of 5 account or 39 percent of those burns, he said, citing National Fire Protection Association statistics.

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SportsTalk: Duke athletics has a long and distinguished history

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Granville County author and historian Lewis Bowling knows a thing or two about Duke University’s rich athletic history. Not only has he been a fan of the Blue Devils all of his life, he has also written two books, Wallace Wade: Championship Years at Alabama and Duke in 2012 and Duke Basketball: A Pictorial History in 2014. Bowling has also taught sports history and is a staff writer for Go Duke The Magazine. 

He remembers being able to walk up to the box office at Cameron Indoor Stadium 15 minutes before tip off and to purchase a ticket, something you could not do today. Bowling says, “I like to remind people that Duke basketball has a rich history before Coach K.” He cited contributions from many earlier Duke basketball coaches for establishing that history beginning with Wilbur “Cap” Card who was the first coach in 1905 when Duke was still known as Trinity College. That first team also featured Thad Stem Sr., father of the well known author Thad Stem Jr., as the team’s very first captain. Stem Sr. would go on to become a prominent lawyer and mayor of Oxford.

In the 1920’s Eddie Cameron took over the Blue Devils, and he coached until the 1940’s. Cameron Indoor Stadium is named for Cameron, who also coached football at the school in the early to mid 40’s. “He didn’t get the recognition he deserved,” Bowling says. This is in spite of the fact his name is on Duke’s basketball arena. “Cameron isn’t remembered for the various contributions over the years,” Bowling continued.

Bowling credits Bill Foster for bringing Duke basketball back to prominence in the late 1970’s and feels the team will be in good hands when Mike Krzyzewski steps down after the upcoming season. Assistant coach Jon Shyer will take over, and Bowling says he will add to the Duke basketball tradition.

Bowling says Duke football is equally deep in tradition. Wallace Wade had won three national championships at Alabama when he was offered the job at Duke for the 1931 season. “He shocked the nation by taking the job,” Bowling said. Duke was not known as a football school at the time. Wade led the team to two Rose Bowls. The first, in 1939, saw a Duke team that had not been scored on the entire year and was undefeated lose to Southern California 7 – 3. Duke would return to the Rose Bowl in 1942 and would also come up short as the undefeated Blue Devils lost 20 -16 to Oregon State. The game was moved to Durham that year due to World War II.  Wade would join the military in 1942 and turn the program over to Eddie Cameron who coached the team until Wade returned from military duty in 1945. Wade would remain until 1950. Duke’s football stadium is named for Wade.

Wade’s successor was Bill Murray, who was hand picked by Wade. Murray led the team to a Cotton Bowl victory in 1961 and would coach the team through the 1965 season. Bowling said that between 1931 and 1965 Duke’s won-lost record was as good as any team in the country.

Bowling said the Duke football program began to slip after 1965 and would struggle for over 20 years to return to prominence. In 1987 Steve Spurrier took over as head coach and turned the program around. Bowling says the football program is currently in great hands with David Cutcliffe and despite only winning three games last year should be a much stronger team this year. Bowling says Cutcliffe keeps a bust of Wallace Wade in his office and late at night Cutcliffe can almost hear Wade talking to him.

Bowling’s two books on the history of Duke athletics can be purchased at Amazon.

For complete details and audio click play.

 

TownTalk: Buzz Into The Bee Jubilee June 26 at Granville Expo Center

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Get up close and personal with bees – without getting stung – at the 5th annual Bee Jubilee Saturday in Oxford.

Christi Henthorn, president of the Granville County Beekeepers Association, and event organizer said there will be something for everyone at the event, which will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Granville County Expo Center, 4185 Hwy 15 South in Oxford.

Henthorn told John C. Rose on Thursday’s Town Talk that, in addition to supporting local vendors and bee enthusiasts, the Bee Jubilee is an opportunity to learn about these mighty pollinators.

“The vast majority of our food is either directly or indirectly related to pollinated plants,” Henthorn said. That funny-looking cucumber in your summer garden or the ill-shaped zucchini is more than likely the result of inadequate pollination, she said.

Bees are not the only pollinators, she noted, adding that bats and birds, butterflies and even annoying wasps are pollinators. And just because it buzzes does not make it a honeybee, she said. Bumblebees and carpenter bees may be pollinators, but they are not honeybees, she added.

The local vendors all have a focus of bee- an agriculture-related items, Henthorn said. There will be a silent auction and a live auction that starts at noon. See photos of the items that will be auctioned on the beekeepers’ Facebook page.

The Oxford Farmers Market will set up at the Expo Center on Saturday as well, she said. So If you go to their normal market spot downtown, they won’t be there. There will be inflatables for the kids to play on and half a dozen or more food vendors, from gourmet coffee to frozen treats.

Bee documentaries will be shown indoors, and vendors will be  outdoors under the covered arena space. The Granville Gardeners will be selling plants as well.

“Make sure when you come you mill around the whole facility,” Henthorn said.

Most counties in North Carolina have a beekeepers organization, she said, and it’s important to call a beekeeper if you find a swarm of bees on your property.

“Granville County beekeepers has a ‘swarm patrol,’ a group of beekeepers who are trained to capture swarms and remove them from wherever they are – in a tree or in a house. These people are comfortable around bees and they are willing to remove them safely. The hotline is 919.892.3670.

For complete details and audio click play.

 

TownTalk: Drive In To Job Fair Friday At Raleigh Road Outdoor Theatre

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The Raleigh Road Outdoor Theatre’s main feature on Friday is not the latest Hollywood movie – it’s a 5-county job fair sponsored by the Kerr-Tar Regional Council of Governments. Forty employers will be on site to talk to prospective job seekers about their employment opportunities.

Desiree Brooks spoke with John C. Rose on Thursday’s Town Talk and said the job fair is definitely a team effort, thanks to valuable partnerships with Vance-Granville Community College, NCWorks, Chambers of Commerce and other governmental entities. The job fair will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

“When we started promoting this, we were thinking we should be able to get 20 to 25 employers,” Brooks said. But thanks to efforts by the local chambers, economic development directors and others, the job fair exceeded that expectation.

In addition to employers from Vance, Granville, Franklin, Warren and Person counties, there will be other resources at the job fair, including KARTS, Granville-Vance Public Health, Granville County Department of Social Services and VGCC.

Having so many employers all in one central location is a good chance for job seekers to meet face-to-face those who are looking to hire employees. “They are looking forward to meeting people in the five-county area – it’s a great opportunity to meet them in person,” she said.

For complete details and audio click play.

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Simmons: Casket, Monument Business A Continuation Of His Mother’s Idea

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Allen Simmons is building upon an idea his mother had some years ago to help families during a time when they may feel most vulnerable – when they are making decisions about funeral expenses.

Simmons has started a business in Henderson called Alight Caskets and Monuments and he said he wants to give families affordable options when it comes to choosing caskets and monuments. His mother, the late Fearldine Allen Simmons, had an idea to provide affordable caskets some years ago when her niece died. She wanted to help the family provide an appropriate funeral while keeping an eye on the expenses.

Simmons told John C. Rose Wednesday on Town Talk that he is not trying to compete with funeral homes and the services they provide, rather, he said, he simply wants to be a help to the people in the community. “I grew to love where I live,” Simmons said of Henderson. “It’s a joy (to) help people wherever I go.”

The business, located on Norlina Road near the I-85 ramp, includes services from consultation with families to creating specially designed caskets. One woman asked him to create a U.S. Army design for her military veteran husband’s casket, he said. It takes up to 48 hours to complete a design on a casket.

Casket prices can range from $995 to more than $5,000, depending on the type and material used, Simmons said. “We try to give a family something nice, regardless of what they purchase,” he said, “something in your budget but also can help you to bury your loved one in an elegant way.”

He is delivering caskets throughout North Carolina, and into South Carolina, Virginia and Tennessee and plans to soon be delivering across the country.

Simmons said his business is the only one in Henderson that makes monuments since Hight’s Monuments closed. “Monuments are a really big thing for us right now…you can buy a very nice monument for $250,” he said, and prices can go up into the thousands. His team also can assess an existing monument and determine whether it can be repaired, removed or replaced.

The goal of Alight Casket and Monument is to help people, Simmons said.

“We want to educate people on the funeral process – they don’t know what to do, how to handle this process,” he explained. “We educate them on how to handle the funeral of their loved one, learn as much as they possibly can, so when they do go into the funeral home, they’re well aware of the situation they’re facing.”

Most of all, he wants families to be able to bury their loved one in an “elegant way, an affordable way.”

To learn more, contact Simmons at 252.915.0675 or 252.204.5120.

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