TownTalk: Scout Hughes – Vance County vs. Warren County Preview
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TownTalk Around Old Granville: Forgotten Historical Figures, Pt. 2
Remember Soupy Sales? What about Charlie Briggs?
Both were television stars, before streaming became a preferred way of watching shows certainly before binge watching was a “thing.”
But both men share something else in common: They are both from the area known as “Old Granville County” and were the topic of Thursday’s TownTalk segment of the same name.
Sales, a comedian and variety show performer, hailed from Franklinton and Briggs was from right here in Henderson. His may not be a household name, but viewers of the old TV shows like Bonanza, Maverick and The Sons of Will Sonnet will no doubt recognize his face, said Mark Pace, local historian and North Carolina Room Specialist at the Thornton Library in Oxford.
The local area has produced its share of entertainers over the years – Gerald Alston of the Manhattans, country music songwriter Danny Flowers and Ben E. King, just to name a few.
But there are plenty of noteworthy individuals who achieved stardom of a sort in other endeavors as well, leaving their marks in the area of religion, the military and other segments of society.
Take Henry Haywood Bell, for example. Bell was from Franklin County, and was an admiral in the Union Navy during the Civil War. He was from the South, but when it came time to choose sides, he said he had made an oath to serve the United States, so his allegiance was with the North.
Then there’s Charity Adams Early, who was born in Kittrell. Early was the first African American female Army officer, who rose to the rank of lieutenant colonel in the Women’s Army Corps during World War II. Early died in 2002.
Kirkland H. Donald, from Norlina, still serves as a consultant to the U.S. Navy, Pace said. Donald, a Navy admiral, became commander of all the nuclear submarines in the Navy.
Col. Redding F. Perry from Henderson was career military, and served as chief of staff for Gen. George Patton’s 3rd Army, Pace said. Perry, who was the uncle of longtime local attorney Bennett Perry, also established the National Guard in the state.
The Wyche family produced numerous members who made significant contributions as well.
Brigadier General Ira Wyche commanded the 79th infantry division during the Normandy invasion of World War II
Mary Lewis Wyche is credited with bringing the first nursing school to the state. Known as the “Florence Nightingale” of North Carolina, Wyche also was the first trained nurse in North Carolina. She has a historical marker at Highway 39 and Glebe Road in Vance County, near the home where she grew up.
Alice Morgan Person, from Kittrell, contributed to people’s health in a slightly different way, Pace said.
“She was famous for her ‘remedy,’” he said. He’s not sure of all its ingredients, but he knows of one: “I know it contained alcohol.”
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TownTalk: Catfish Drop for New Year’s by Vance County Tourism
New York City’s Times Square has that iconic glittery orb. Raleigh has a giant acorn. Shoot, Mt. Olive has a giant pickle covered in lights. But this New Year’s Eve, families can head out to Satterwhite Point to witness a first: a giant blue catfish drop to usher in 2025.
It’s all part of a plan by Vance County Tourism and other partners, most recently the Vance County Board of Commissioners, who signed off on the event at their regular meeting held Aug. 5 meeting.
The idea has been in the works for a few years, said Pam Hester, Vance County tourism director. Hester and fellow tourism staffer Norman Dickerson were guests on TownTalk Wednesday to talk about the impact tourism and visitors had on the local economy in 2023, and to discuss how the county’s attractions affect the bottom line.
Adding another signature event like the New Year’s Eve catfish drop to the county’s calendar, she said, will only increase that economic impact. When families come out to the lake on Dec. 31, they can expect vendors, entertainment, fireworks and more before that big ol’ catfish is lowered from the sky to welcome the New Year.
Why a catfish? Back in 2011, a fisherman snagged a recod-breaking whopper from the lake – a 143-pound blue cat. Now, a local artist is creating another whopper, Hester said.
This one will most likely be hooked – by a crane – and dropped – not reeled in- on New Year’s Eve could be the next “big” thing to bring visitors – and their dollars – to the county.
Last year’s tourism numbers are impressive, and Hester said Vance County garnered $70.2 million in visitor spending. That’s an 8.1 percent increase in 2023 from the previous year, which surpasses both Granville and Franklin counties, but is not quite as much as Warren County, which saw a 10.8 percent jump in 2023 for a whopping $73 million in tourism dollars. Vance County is ranked 15th among the state’s 100 counties in terms of growth rate with that 8.1 percent; Warren (10.8 percent) and Franklin (10.6 percent) are ranked fourth and fifth, respectively.
Booked hotel rooms generate an occupancy tax that goes to county coffers. That money, along with sales tax that comes from restaurants and other retailers, creates revenue for the county – in 2023, that figure is the equivalent of $119.76 per resident in tax savings.
“We’re lucky to have McGregor Hall and we’re lucky to have Kerr Lake,” Hester said. “They are our main attractions,” Hester said. In addition to the New Year’s Eve event, there are plans to further capitalize on Kerr Lake by creating an event to celebrate Hispanic Heritage.
Visit https://partners.visitnc.com/economic-impact-studies to find a complete county-by-county breakdown of visitor spending in the state.
Here is a snapshot of the four-county area:
Vance County
Total visitor spending – $70.02 million
Lodging: $15.44 million
Food & Beverage: $23.13 million
Recreation: $9.5 million
Retail: $5.93 million
Transport: $16.02 million
Granville County
Total visitor spending – $60.98 million
Lodging: $13.31 million
Food & Beverage: $20.04 million
Recreation: $9.18 million
Retail: $4.49 million
Transport: $13.96 million
Warren County
Total visitor spending – $73.02 million
Lodging: $18.54 million
Food & Beverage: $21.28 million
Recreation: $10.41 million
Retail: $5.96 million
Transport: $ 16.83 million
Franklin County
Total visitor spending – $42.15 million
Lodging: $8.46 million
Food & Beverage: $14.55 million
Recreation: $5.81 million
Retail: $3.05 million
Transport: $ 10.28 million
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TownTalk: Janie Martin Is Vance County’s August Employee Of The Month
The Vance County Board of Commissioners honored Vance County Sheriff’s Office Senior Administrative Assistant Janie Martin at its Aug. 5 board meeting as the county’s employee of the month.
In her presentation, colleague Debbie Scott said Martin is a champion at teamwork – someone who “never hesitates to get involved and be of assistance.”
Her initiative to handle whatever comes up within the sheriff’s office makes her “highly valuable…and an asset,” Scott continued.
Above all, her optimism, professionalism and dedication to her job show throughout the workday – and beyond. She is always just a phone call away, and often spends extra hours to make sure the office is running efficiently and effectively.
Sheriff Curtis Brame said Martin began her career at the sheriff’s office in 2013 as an employee at the detention center. In 2016, she became administrative assistant to then-sheriff Peter White.
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TownTalk: The Salvation Army’s Maj. Beth Mallard
The Henderson Salvation Army’s new leader, Maj. Beth Mallard, is taking stock of the current programs offered to local residents and to those who live in all five of the counties served by the Ross Mill Road facility.
Mallard likes what she sees, and yet she sees more in her vision. It’s all about stewardship – taking care of what’s already here and putting plans in place to make the best use of available facilities.
Mallard comes to Henderson from Winston-Salem, and she said both locations have similarities that have proven helpful to her: Winston’s Salvation Army also serves five counties, so operating within a large geographical footprint is not a daunting task; it also has a large food distribution program. Mallard said the Henderson Salvation Army has already tripled its food volume since last year. There also was a vibrant senior adult program, which she also sees in the local Ageless Wonders program on Tuesdays for senior adults as well as for mentally challenged individuals.
Things are growing at the Salvation Army, she said, so she’s taken a bit of time to see what’s needed and planning for ways to adapt to the needs of the community.
When the Ross Mill Road facility was being designed, there was a vision to use the property for recreation, and Mallard said those plans are taking shape.
“One of the visions was to have these beautiful fields (become) soccer fields in the back of the building,” she said on Tuesday’s segment of TownTalk.
The money’s not there yet, but until it is, the fields have been mowed and some goals have been moved in, so the hope is that the Boys & Girls Club members can use them this fall.
Proper construction and field preparation can come later, but in the meantime, the field can be used.
Stewardship.
A Biblical definition of stewardship involves managing all resources that God provides for the betterment of His creation. Food is one of those resources, and Mallard said the food distribution program is one way to help those in the community provide for themselves and for their families.
“There’s been an uptick in people needing food,” Mallard said. So the Salvation Army stepped up its food distribution program, but it’s something to continue to work on and improve in the coming years.
Right now, Social Services Director Gina Eaves is the sole box packer, and Mallard said she’d welcome additional volunteers to come help fill boxes with canned foods, shelf-stable items and frozen meats.
If you need food, please stop by the Salvation Army location on Mondays, Wednesdays or Thursdays between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. If you have ID, that’s fine, but if you don’t, you won’t be turned away.
Stewardship.
Mallard and her team also are managing the Salvation Army’s resources in what is sure to have a win-win outcome. This Saturday, Aug. 17, there will be a big sale at the site of the former family store located at 222 W. Montgomery St. “There’s a lot of good pieces down there,” she said.
From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., they’ll be making cash and carry deals to empty the former store of amazing finds, old and new.
“No offer will be refused to help clear the building out,” Mallard said. “I have plans.” Not only will it be used for warehouse space, but she wants to use it as a distribution site at Christmas.
Visit https://southernusa.salvationarmy.org/henderson-nc/ to learn more about the programs and services of Henderson’s Salvation Army, located at 2292 Ross Mill Rd.
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TownTalk: Phil Lakernick On Ballet Arts
Ballet Arts has provided dance classes in Henderson for more than three decades, but don’t let the name fool you – students have a wide assortment of dance genres to choose from, from classics like ballet and tap to hiphop and even acrobatics.
“Ballet is the foundation of all dancing,” said Phil Lakernick, whose daughter Alecia had the vision for a dance studio way back in 1991.
Dance in general, and ballet in particular, helps students learn discipline as they learn the finer points of the art. For many students, dance is a pastime, a way to stay active and have fun. But that self-discipline? That’s a valuable asset that serves young dancers long after they’ve left the studios at Ballet Arts.
Lakernick said more than 7,000 students have come to learn about and practice various forms of dance in the studio’s downtown Henderson location.
There are four studios located in the historic three-story building, which probably sees 1,000 or so students over the course of a week. Ballet Arts offers more than 100 classes each week, so parents and their children have choices that best accommodate their schedules.
Most classes meet once a week, which is manageable for busy families who face logistical challenges with work, sports, school and more.
The kids who come in for weekly classes are considered “recreational” students, he explained. The students who make “company” are the ones that may have more rehearsals during the week.
Last year’s company won a spot at an international dance competition in New York City, where they placed seventh in the category of production performances. Seventh. In the world.
After performing a production number at a Durham competition earlier in 2023, the dance group earned a “golden ticket” from among close to 300 acts to gain admission to the international competition in July 2023.
The dance groups also compete at several of the events hosted at McGregor Hall throughout the year, Lakernick said. Having such top-notch venue so close by is a huge plus, he added.
“McGregor Hall is fantastic,” he said, adding that he was on the original design committee when the performing arts venue was just an idea on paper.
“Having McGregor Hall here is phenomenal,” he continued, because it gives young people a wonderful opportunity to perform in environs that professionals enjoy.
These days, Lakernick is the studio’s general manager, which includes everything from promoter to janitor and security guard.
But one of his favorite tasks has to be walking down the hallway lined with pictures of former students over the years. There’s not room for 7,000, but every now and then, LaKernick has occasion to recall some of those young people.
Ten or 15 years ago, he said, one student had said it was her goal to become a doctor. She was a hard worker in dance class, he recalled, and a few years ago, she came back to Ballet Arts to say thank you.
She’s an OB-GYN now, he said. But his daughter Alecia was puzzled about the reason for the thank you, so many years later.
“I want to give you some credit,” Lakernick said she told his daughter. It was the discipline she had learned through dance that kept her in the library instead of going out with friends, and the hours spent practicing her art that helped her achieve her goal.
Register for fall classes at Ballet Arts by visiting https://www.balletartsnc.com/ or phone 252.432.9308.
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TownTalk: Duke Energy Progress
As the wind and rain from Tropical Storm Debby continued to pelt the entire WIZS listening area Thursday morning, Duke Energy officials said power outages were limited at that time around Henderson and Vance County.
Duke Spokesman Garrett Poorman reminded customers to think Safety First. There are several ways to report a power outage in your area, but thanks to advances in grid technology, phone calls and text messages aren’t the only ways that the energy company is alerted to outages.
Report outages at www.duke-energy.com, text “OUT” to 57801 or download the Duke Energy app on a mobile device, he said on Thursday’s TownTalk. Of course, customers can dial 800-POWERON (800.769.3766) too, he said.
“The first priority is safety when it comes to storm damage,” Poorman said. That’s for crews and for customers.
Whenever winds are greater than 30 mph, crews are grounded from performing work in bucket trucks, he said.
And a couple of words of advice that bear repeating: if you see a downed power line, just stay away from it.
Even as forecasters were predicting the storm’s path, Duke was assembling 7,500 workers in strategic positions across the Carolinas, poised to fan out to areas affected by the storm’s damaging wind and rain.
Power restoration is a complex process, Poorman said, and Duke is continually upgrading the grid system to be able to automatically detect outages so crews can pinpoint the area that needs repair.
And then there are advances like a “self-healing network,” Poorman said, which works much like a GPS in your car. If there’s a traffic jam ahead, your GPS will likely reroute you to an alternate route. The self-healing network applies the same concept – it reroutes the energy to avoid the damaged lines.
“We’re able to reroute power around the outage,” Poorman said, “that will help us minimize the impact of a storm like this.”
Get updates at www.duke-energy.com.
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TownTalk: Proper Political Sign Placement
With the upcoming election just more than three months away, Vance County Republican Party Chairman Jimmy Barrier reminds local residents that although political signs may be placed on private property, campaigners are supposed to wait until 30 days before early voting begins to place signs in public right-of-way spaces. That day for the Nov. 5 election is Thursday, Sept. 5.
“I am pledging that we will continue to follow the rules concerning the placement of signs” Barrier said on Wednesday’s TownTalk. “I just want everyone to play by the rules…as laid out by the state Board of Elections.”
Barrier challenged members of the Democratic Party to do the same, but he said he’s already seen some signs out ahead of the Sept. 5 start date, which Barrier called “blatant violations of the law.”
And although Barrier pledged that members of his party will not remove the offending signs, he said any private citizen is free to do so because the too-early placement of the signs is considered littering, a class 1 misdemeanor.
“We will not damage campaign signs,” Barrier said. “We’re not going to go out there and pull ‘em up – it’s not our job and not what we’re going to do.”
What he and others will do is notify local law enforcement officials including the county Board of Elections, Henderson Police Department, Vance County Sheriff’s Office and district attorney’s office to report violations. Each violation could bring a $50 civil penalty.
“If the signs offend you, people have the right to take them up,” Barrier said, but only from public rights-of-way – NOT from private property where the signs are placed with permission of the property owner.
The city regulates placement of campaign signs and its policies state that they can’t be placed on power poles, in cemeteries or in the grassy triangle northwest of the downtown underpass.
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TownTalk: Way to GROW! Festival
Back for its second year as a way to build community with an emphasis on entrepreneurship and downtown development, the Way to Grow! festival is scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 24 along Garnett Street in Henderson.
Gateway CDC Founder and President Heather Joi Kenney said the non-profit may have provided the impetus for the weeklong activities that will culminate with the daylong festival, but she wants – and needs – the community to participate.
The theme is “Bloom Together, Cultivate Community” and it’s a metaphor for how Kenney sees growth for Henderson.
“The more we come together, the stronger we’ll be,” she said on Tuesday’s TownTalk. She said everyone must be conscious about how the community gathers and how to show support for others.
“I can’t water one part of the garden and not the other,” she said. If you consider Henderson like a garden, each segment of the community needs to feel that nurturing from other segments. “It helps show our diversity,” Kenney said. A festival like Way to Grow! is one way to show support, she said. It’s a way to say, “We see what you’re doing and we’re going to support you,” she said.
There’s still time to register to be a vendor. Go to the Gateway CDC website at https://thegatewaycdc.org/ for details about becoming a vendor. Schedules will be posted soon on social media and the website to include scheduled events leading up to the festival, which will occupy Garnett Street, from around Montgomery Street all the way to Sadie’s Coffee Corner and Vance Furniture, where the main stage will be.
Live music will be performed throughout the day, including Real Entertainment featuring Willie Hargrove and other groups as well, Kenney said.
There will be a Youth Village, hosted by Henderson’s own Jayden Watkins, a teenage pastor, and author. It’s a way to show youngsters that their community values them and wants them to feel special.
There will be an opportunity to get creative, too, Kenney said. Stop by the lot between the Henry Dennis building and the Gateway building and spend a little time helping to paint a canvas that ultimately will be displayed at Gateway.
In addition to this project, local artists are invited to bring some of their finished works to brighten up spots along Garnett Street.
“We have a lot of things to offer in downtown,” Kenney said. She pointed out a couple of new restaurants that add to the fabric of Garnett Street.
It’s events like Way to Grow! that help bring attention to downtown, and Kenney is hopeful that growth will continue.
“I want more vibrancy, more life” for downtown, she said.
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TownTalk: William Coker, Vance County Animal Services Chief
For Vance County Animal Services Director William Coker, the name of the game is cultivating partnerships. Community partners raise awareness when it comes to reducing the pet population. Corporate partners provide space for adoption and vaccination events. And, individual partners fall in love with the cutest little pups or kittens and give them forever homes.
Partnerships are what keep Coker and his staff hopeful that animals find their way out of the shelter and are adopted into households where they’ll get the care they deserve.
There are several upcoming adoption events at area retailers for prospective pet owners, as well as a rabies vaccination clinic where dogs and cats can get their annual – and state-mandated – rabies vaccine for just $5.
The first adoption/vaccination clinic will take place Saturday, Aug. 10 at Tractor Supply from 10 a.m. to 12 noon.
“We have people who come every year to get their dog or cat updated on rabies,” Coker said on Monday’s TownTalk.
If you bring your pet for its rabies shot and want to take a look inside the adoption trailer, Coker said that’ll be just fine.
The next two clinics will take place on the same day – Saturday Aug. 24 – one at Cross Creek Outdoor Supply and another at Petco, located on U.S. 158 Bypass.
The Cross Creek clinic will run from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and the Petco clinic will operate from 9 a.m. to 12 noon, Coker noted.
In addition to providing a location for the community clinics, Coker said he’s grateful to local retailers who donate pet food to the shelter.
“They’re a big help to us,” he said. “They donate to the shelter and in return, (we) donate it out into the community.”
It’s difficult to see pet owners surrender family pets to the shelter because they can no longer provide for them. Coker and his staff try to help in any way they can to keep pets out of the shelter. Sometimes, a donation of pet food is all they need.
“We do have a lot of people who are up against it,” Coker said of the financial strain that faces some pet owners. “We take each surrender case by case,” he said, adding that he and his staff can offer a solution for a short period of time, they’ll do it.
But they can’t do it alone. “We’re bringing in a lot of animals,” he said. Intake usually goes up in the summer months, but this summer has been unusually high. One recent day saw 33 animals come into the shelter. In July, the shelter took in 70 kittens alone.
Over the past few months, Ruin Creek Animal Protection Society has been able to remove 90 kittens and cats from the shelter and transport them to points North, where they can be adopted through a number of rescue organizations.
“Ruin Creek is my best friend,” Coker said.
RCAPS helps by physically moving dogs and cats from the Vance County shelter to rescues and adoption groups up the East Coast. Over the past few months, RCAPS has taken 90 kittens and cats on their freedom ride to forever homes.
It’s not a problem unique to Vance County, Coker said. The wave of kittens and puppies is a direct result of curtailed spay and neuter programs forced during COVID-19.
“We push our spay and neuter programs hard,” he said. Residents who receive any type of government assistance can have their pet spayed or neutered at the shelter free of charge.
Even if you don’t receive any government assistance, the price to spay and neuter is still reasonable, he said. Call the shelter to set up an appointment.
“That’s all we have to combat this,” Coker said, referring to the no-cost/low-cost spay and neuter program. “The main thing, though, is to stop the problem. Adoption clinics and rescue groups in other parts of the country are solutions to the ongoing challenge of pet over-population.
The Vance County Animal Shelter is open to the public Tuesday-Thursday 10 a.m to 2 p.m. and half-days every other Friday and Saturday. You can also call the shelter at 252.492.3136 on Mondays between 12:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. to make a spay/neuter appointment.
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