TownTalk: Housing And Discrimination

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Finding a new place to live can create all kinds of feelings, from excitement to anxiety. But looking for a new place where you and your family call home should NOT make you feel like you’re being discriminated against.

Hope Williams, supervising attorney with N.C. Legal Aid’s Fair Housing Project, said anyone who feels like they have encountered discrimination during the search for a place to live has some recourse.

The Fair Housing Act became law in 1968, a time when discrimination may have been more blatant. “We are still fighting to stop discrimination in housing,” she said on Monday’s TownTalk, although today’s cases may be more subtle – and perhaps more difficult to prove.

She said her office has three attorneys that serve the whole state. They are able to represent some clients, but they simply don’t have the staff to take on all the cases.

“We talk to people who call us and we give them advice about their legal issues,” she said. They help clients file administrative complaints with the federal Housing and Urban Development agency and with the N.C. Human Relations Commission.

They also focus on community education and training to raise awareness about what discrimination is and what it looks like. For instance, many people wrongly assume that fair housing rules only apply to subsidized housing. Not true. It applies to all housing.

Administrative complaints must be filed within one year of the encounter; there is an option to file a complaint in the courts system, which has a two-year window.

One piece of advice Williams has for anyone who feels that they have been the subject of housing discrimination: document everything.

Looking at interactions and communications over time sometimes can help provide critical evidence. “We make timelines to look for patterns,” she said.

Many complaints come from individuals with disabilities. Landlords must comply with “reasonable accommodations” that allow disabled people access. In such cases, the tenant is responsible for the cost of the accommodation – think wheelchair ramp or other physical structure – and for returning the dwelling to its original state if and when they vacate the dwelling.

The bottom line is a landlord can’t just refuse to allow a reasonable accommodation.

Same thing with a service animal, Williams said. A person who uses a service animal would be responsible for any damage by an animal, but he or she can’t be required to pay an upfront pet fee.

Call the Fair Housing Project’s direct line at N.C. Legal Aid at 855.797.FAIR.

Visit www.fairhousingnc.org to learn more.

 

 

TownTalk: Around Old Granville Visits Watkins Township

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At just 10.5 square miles, the Watkins township is the smallest of the 38 townships located in the geographical area once known as Granville County. It was established in 1881 – the same year that Vance County was formed from the larger Granville County, but local historian Mark Pace said while it may lack in size, the Watkins township is rich in history.

Pace and WIZS co-host Bill Harris talked about the origins of the Watkins township, or Watkins “community,” as it often is referred to by locals on Thursday’s segment of TownTalk called Around Old Granville.

Perhaps the most famous person to come from Watkins township was Henry Plummer Cheatham, who was a Congressman during Reconstruction. He served from 1889-1893 and ran the Central Children’s Home in Oxford for 35 years.

“He kept that institution going during some dark times,” Pace said, “through the Depression and the Jim Crow era.”

Another individual who hailed from Watkins township was John Bullock Watkins, a nephew of the two men for whom the township is named.

Born in 1881, Watkins was a lumber contractor in the 1940’s during World War II. Pace said Watkins “disappeared” for a while, and rumor had it he was conducting secret government business.

Turns out, that business was in the state to our west. “He went to Oak Ridge, Tennessee and helped build the facilities where the atomic bomb was developed,” Pace said.

He died in 1949, but Pace said Watkins spent a lot of time writing down stories he’d heard from his grandmother. “A lot of what we know about history here” is because of Watkins’s writings. “He did a great service to history by writing down some of what he heard,” Pace said. Watkins died in 1949.

Today, there are about 500 folks who live in Watkins, which once had a post office, a store and a railroad depot. “The depot may still be standing as an outbuilding on a farm there, believe it or not,” Pace said.

There are two churches that have been around since the 1800’s – Hermon Methodist was built in 1853 and Rehoboth Baptist Church was built in 1883. There are homes still standing that are older than those churches – the Burroughs house, located near the fire department, was built in the 1840’s in the popular Greek Revival style of the period.

Hundreds of Union troops camped there after the Civil War ended in 1865 as they made their way back home as victors.

It was another war, however, that brought the Watkins township some notoriety, however briefly, Pace noted.

It was Dec. 1945 and World War II was raging in Europe. A U.S. plane flying out of the Washington, D.C. area, encountered trouble in the air and crashed in a tobacco field in Watkins, just across from the present-day neighborhood of Huntstone along Highway 158.

“It crashed in Huntstone and bounced over 158 and landed over in the field,” Pace said.

Everyone on board parachuted to safety, and one crew member who went knocking on a door for help “and he was met by a man with a shotgun asking whether he was a German paratrooper,” Pace said.

The incident was kept kind of hush-hush to maintain wartime security, and the military sent in a crew to clean up the debris from the crash. According to Pace, the farmer who tended the field said he “hit a scrap of metal” every once in a while.

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TownTalk: Rivera Douthit, Candidate For N.C. Lieutenant Governor

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The following is part of WIZS’s ongoing election coverage. The Mar. 5 primary is the lead-in to the November elections and WIZS strives to provide its listeners and readers with comprehensive coverage of local and state races.

Rivera Douthit is one of 10 Republican candidates who wants to be North Carolina’s next lieutenant governor.

Douthit was a guest on WIZS “TownTalk” Wednesday and talked via telephone about the election and what makes her the best candidate for the job.

She describes herself as a conservative Christian and, as such, a candidate who is passionate about issues like abortion, gun ownership and prayer in schools.

But she talked about veterans’ affairs, sex trafficking and the economy and said as lieutenant governor, she would work hard to make North Carolina a model for other states to emulate.

“I’m passionate, as a mom, about the children,” Douthit said. “I’d love to see the Bible and prayer back in schools,” she added. “That’s something I’d love to see happen.”

She said she would work to put safeguards in place to protect schoolchildren’s safety, but also wants children “learning accurate history.” She also said she wants to make sure there’s no pornography in school libraries.

She said she stands strong against abortion, adding that she would work to continue some of the forward momentum that the state has seen recently on that issue.

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Douthit grew up in Mooresville and lives there today, where she and her husband own a plumbing business. Her experience as a small business owner puts her in a good position to support small business needs.

“The economy is on everyone’s radar,” she said, calling herself “a capitalism type of woman.”

Before becoming a small business owner, Douthit said she was a critical care nurse. She stayed at home to raise children and then was called into the ministry. She said she looks at everything through a biblical lens.

“God called me to run” for office, Douthit stated. “I try to be obedient to what he asks me to do.” As she discerned running for office, Douthit said what she does not want to be is a politician; rather, she wants to “be someone who can influence people on his behalf.”

“Everything I do comes thru that lens of being intimately acquainted with the Lord.”

As lieutenant governor, Douthit said her role will be that of a bridge builder – one who presents her thoughts and ideas to both parties “and see if I can get us to meet somewhere in the middle.”

To learn more, visit rivera4nc.com.

TownTalk: Special “Night to Shine” Prom Slated For North Henderson Baptist Church Feb. 9

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North Henderson Baptist Church is looking forward to being a part of what arguably may be considered the biggest prom night in the world. The church is one of more than 700 locations across the globe that will be hosting “A Night to Shine” on Friday, Feb. 9 and the Rev. Eddie Nutt said prom attendees should expect to get “the absolute royal treatment.”

Sponsored by the Tim Tebow Foundation, “A Night to Shine” is in its 10th year of providing a prom experience for individuals with special needs, Nutt said on Tuesday’s TownTalk – a segment of society often overlooked when it comes to fun stuff like proms and such.

The prom is for individuals 14 and older with special needs, Nutt explained. They’ll walk the red carpet, get a limo ride around the block and enjoy an evening filled with food, music and dancing – with photographers and videographers on hand to capture those special moments. The prom will begin at 6 p.m. and will end about 9 p.m.

And all this is “to show them the love of Christ,” Nutt said, “that they are loved and they do have value.”

The goal is to have 75 folks attend the prom, and Nutt said there will be a respite room for parents or other caregivers who may want to stay close while their loved ones enjoy a few hours of music and dancing.

Please register by Friday, Feb. 2 so organizers can plan to have enough food and nametags – not to mention crowns and tiaras.

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That’s part of the “royal treatment” Nutt referred to – each prom goer will get a crown or tiara to proclaim them kings and queens of the prom.

“They will get the absolute royal treatment – it’ll be an event that they’ll remember for the rest of their lives,” Nutt said.

Register on the church website www.nhbcnc.org or phone 252.438.8012. Find the registration here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdl_ZNpdQs-TSeAmAuu49azr-n5WhnejlHKKhrZRHBJhhNXTA/viewform

North Henderson Baptist Church is located at 1211 N. Garnett St. in Henderson.

Nutt has been pastor at North Henderson Baptist Church for about three years, but he’s been thinking about how to minister and reach out to individuals with special needs for more than 10 years.

Each time he’d pray about it, read up on it or talk to others at the Baptist State Convention, he said God would speak to him and say “not now.”

But over the past few months, “God has flipped the green light, indicating the time is now,” Nutt explained.

He got a nudge from a woman back in the summer who asked if her special-needs granddaughter could attend the church’s Vacation Bible School.

Her question, specifically, was: Would her granddaughter be welcomed?

That set the wheels in motion for not only the Night to Shine prom, but also a new ministry called Jesus’ Buddies. The half-hour service is at 9 a.m. on Sundays and is specifically designed for special needs youth and their families.

The program uses puppets and lots of visuals to help youngsters with learning challenges “grasp the message and understand the love of Christ,” Nutt said. How many pastors use a flannel board and moveable biblical figures to reinforce their message? Nutt does.

During Tuesday’s program, a caller had nothing but high praise for the Jesus’ Buddies service and said her grandchild is looking forward to attending the Night to Shine prom next month.

“What a blessing North Henderson Baptist and the congregation have been to me and my special needs granddaughter. Rev. Nutt and his wife and the congregation are so friendly…they are such a blessing.”

TownTalk: Martin Luther King Day Events

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As the community reflects on and commemorates the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., WIZS Radio would like to take the opportunity to offer some glimpses into the day’s activities across Henderson and how these actions support the values that Dr. King stood for.

 “All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence.”  – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Joseph Brodie, founder of Carolina United for Change, was set up outside Perry Memorial Library on MLK Day to collect much-needed items for area homeless shelters. It’s the third year his organization has undertaken this commitment to provide personal hygiene items, toiletries and cleaning supplies for use at the shelters, and he told WIZS News Monday morning that the community is responding.

“It’s not a flood of people, but they’re trickling in,” Brodie said.

Part of the MLK observance for Brodie is getting out in the community and “doing some footwork” to keep the legacy alive, he said.

One of those foot soldiers was Shelton Lynch, pastor at Guiding Star United Holy Church of America in Manson.

“It’s very important that all of us do something to help others who are less fortunate than we are,” Lynch told WIZS News in a telephone interview from the donation site.

“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is ‘What are you doing for others’”?

More than 200 volunteers participated in Monday’s pack-a-thon for Rise Against Hunger and after one hour, the report from the Vance-Granville Community College Civic Center was positive: volunteers had packed 15,000 meals, putting them on track to achieve the goal of 60,000 meals by 2:30 p.m. Monday.

Sandra Wiggins, one of the event facilitators, said the goal of raising $25,000 to fund the program also had been met. School groups and church groups from across Vance and Granville counties joined forces at the pack-a-thon to feed hungry people across the globe.

“The time is always right to do what is right.”

Spring Street Missionary Baptist Church on Orange Street in Henderson hosted a breakfast program Monday morning titled “Living the Dream, It Starts with Me –

Spreading Hope, Courage and Unity.”

Those in attendance to commemorate and remember King’s legacy, like Vance County Sheriff Curtis Brame, no doubt were inspired by the essays, poems, music and remarks from various speakers including former State Senator Erika Smith and Henderson’s own Jayden Watkins.

“That young man’s going to be a leader…he has the mental attitude to move forward,” Brame said of Watkins, the 15-year-old minister and CEO of Higher Is Waiting, a nonprofit organization. Watkins spoke on King’s impact on society and he told WIZS News Monday that he delivered a message of a need for change.

“I wanted the audience to feel empowered,” Watkins said, “and to make sure we use our voices…for equity, equality and justice for all.”

In looking out at the audience, Watkins said he saw numerous community leaders and elected officials, including Henderson Mayor Melissa Elliott, N.C. Rep. Frank Sossamon, Sheriff Brame and City Manager Terrell Blackmon.

He said he is pleased to see more diverse leadership on the Henderson City Council and said that he feels positive about the community and its forward movement.

“I don’t feel like we’re at a pause,” he said.

“Make a career of humanity. Commit yourself to the noble struggle for equal rights. You will make a better person of yourself, a greater nation of your country, and a finer world to live in.”

Watkins said he was honored to be among the speakers at Monday’s event and added that he was grateful for Spring Street Missionary Baptist Church for hosting the celebration, calling it “a beacon of hope and a beacon of light in our community.”

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that.”

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TownTalk: Contacting NC DOT To Resolve Roadway Issues

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If the heavy rains and high winds earlier this week have created problems along state-maintained roadways, it’s important to let the N.C. Dept. of Transportation folks know about them so proper repairs can be made.

In days gone by, a quick look in the phone book could have produced a local number to call, but it’s not that simple any more.

Or is it?

These days, a quick online search can yield good information about how to report problems. WIZS is making that search one click closer for you: click on https://www.ncdot.gov/contact/Pages/default.aspx to go straight to the NC DOT “Contact Us” page and find out everything you need to know about reporting a problem.

Whether it’s a dead tree hanging ominously over a road, a clogged culvert, pothole or an animal carcass in the roadway, this page can help get the problem to the right folks at DOT to handle the situation.

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TownTalk: Carolina United For Change Prepares Packages For Homeless Shelters

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Come Monday, Jan. 15, communities all across the nation will host events and sponsor service projects to pay tribute to slain Civil Rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

And for the third year, Carolina United for Change, located right here in Vance County, is calling on fellow residents to drop off care packages that will be delivered to local homeless shelters.

Joseph Brodie and other volunteers will be outside Perry Memorial Library from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day to accept monetary donations as well as much-needed items such as cleaning supplies, hygiene items and toiletries.

“We’re trying to keep our focus on the homeless shelters,” Brodie said on Thursday’s TownTalk, “to provide them with the articles they need.”

In addition to Hope House, ARC House for Men and Lifeline Ministries, Brodie said Gang Free had recently opened up additional spaces for folks experiencing homelessness in the community.

As with any household, Brodie said the shelters can use dish soap, disinfectants and other cleaning products. And they always need toilet paper, he added.

“Last year was a huge success,” Brodie said. Numerous churches helped by pulling in with donations during the drop-off event.

The Carolina United for Change mission statement is inspired by King’s philosophy to lend a supporting hand to help the poor and needy and to protect the rights of all people.

“It all starts in the communities,” Brodie said, “to have a better place for young people to grow up in.”

Contact Brodie at 252.762.3364 to learn more.

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TownTalk: Coker Takes Over As Chief Of Animal Services

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The vast majority of pet owners do the right thing and provide everything their animals need to live healthy, happy lives as furry members of the family.

And while Vance County’s new Animal Services Chief William Coker acknowledges this to be the case, he said that for those pet owners who don’t, there are county ordinances in place to protect animals.

“I think the biggest thing is educating the community on proper animal welfare and the county ordinances” in place to protect animals from maltreatment.

Once a dog is placed in a pen or put on a chain in the yard, it instantly becomes totally dependent on people for food, water and shelter. And it’s up to Coker and his officers to make sure all the animals in the county are afforded the minimum standards.

He said he chooses to de-escalate situations that may involve improper pet treatment, but he’s not afraid to fall back on county ordinances. Dogs must have a dog house, for example, and access to fresh water and they must be fed once a day – those are the minimum standards in place for the county’s canines.

After animal services officers give pet owners a couple of warnings and still fail to comply, the officers can issue citations.

Educating the community can come in many forms, Coker said on Wednesday’s TownTalk: he said he’d like to get into the schools and talk to young people about proper animal care. He also said he wants to emphasize getting dogs and cats spayed and neutered to reduce the unwanted pet population.

When his officers go out on a call, he asks that they promote the spay/neuter program, which often can be at a reduced cost for those that qualify.

Coker said he’s always had a passion for animals, and when he learned of an opening at animal services, he applied and was hired on in 2013. He worked with former chief Frankie Nobles for five years, and he said he learned a lot from his time working alongside Nobles.

He and Nobles stay in close contact and Coker said it’s reassuring to know that Nobles, now the county’s Special Projects Coordinator, is just a phone call away.

“I don’t like seeing animals mistreated,” Coker said. Just the other day, he came to work and found a dog tied outside the office door. As much as he hates for that to happen, he said the alternative – just turning the dog loose – wasn’t a good option either.

“As long as I’m chief of animal services, I’ll never turn away a surrender.”

Learn more about Vance County Animal Services at https://www.vancecounty.org/departments/animal-control/

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Granville Vance Public Health Logo

TownTalk: Healthy Moms And Healthy Babies

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Have you heard of something called “centering pregnancy?” It’s a practice that’s been around since the 1990’s, and it is a way for expectant mothers to have support from health care professionals and other pregnant moms as they prepare for the moment that they deliver their newborn.

Granville Vance Public Health offers Centering Pregnancy through its clinics and GVPH Director Lisa Harrison said it’s something that’s been blazing trails across rural areas in the U.S. when it comes to maternal health.

“You have to be accredited as an agency to provide centering pregnancy,” Harrison said on Tuesday’s TownTalk. It’s designed for women with low- to moderate-risk pregnancies and it can help reduce the risk of health issues like high blood pressure and gestational diabetes, among other things.

“It’s exciting work,” she said, to provide an environment where women can learn and come together in a group setting. Women who participate in the program get one-on-one time with health care professionals, but they also join in small-group sessions where they can ask questions and learn from each other.

“It empowers women to be actively involved in their own health care decision-making,” she noted.

The Centering pregnancy program does not take the place of prenatal care that women receive elsewhere, and Harrison said it’s designed to complement the care that women receive from their own providers.

Given the health disparities that exist, especially among underserved populations, Harrison said this program offered by the health department is just one intervention to address maternal and infant mortality.

“It’s a way to set mom and baby up for the best outcomes,” she said.

In addition to the small group sessions during pregnancy, GVPH nurses also make home visits once mom and her newborn are home from the hospital. This service offers support to make sure mom and baby have the resources they need, and can connect them to additional resources to help them survive and thrive.

Harrison is no stranger to identifying best practices to support maternal and infant health. In fact, she and a colleague have recently written a chapter on this very topic for a book titled The Practical Playbook III. The first edition was published in 2019, and since then, it has become widely used among public health professionals.

When it comes to improving outcomes for maternal and infant health, it’s important for communities and providers to know what it takes – the policies and practices put in place – to support maternal health, she explained.

Community collaboration is “a critical piece of the safety net,” Harrison said.

To learn more, visit https://www.gvph.org/clinic/maternal-health-clinic/.

 

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TownTalk: Rise Against Hunger Pack-A-Thon Set For Monday, Jan. 15; Volunteers Needed

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Volunteers from area churches and other organizations are joining forces on the upcoming Martin Luther King, Jr. Day to pack food that will be used to feed hungry people across the world.

Sandra Wiggins is one of the event organizers and she said that over the course of four hours or so on Monday, Jan. 15, she expects to be able to pack 60,000 meals for Rise Against Hunger.

“We did 30,000 in about three or four hours last year,” Wiggins said on Monday’s TownTalk. “We know we can definitely hit this mark this year – we’re just really excited to do this…on Martin Luther King Day,” she said.

The Rise Against Hunger pack-a-thon will take place at the Vance-Granville Community College Civic Center from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Wiggins represents The First Baptist Church of Henderson, but she said numerous churches and school groups from Henderson and Oxford are signed up to participate as well.

So far, the following groups are participating: First Baptist Church, First United Methodist Church, Henderson, South Henderson Pentecostal Holiness Church, Oxford Preparatory School, Flat Rock United Methodist Church, Fuller Chapel, Davis Chapel, South Henderson Church of God, Clearview Church and Cornerstone Christian Community Church. Wiggins said Vance Charter School and Oxford United Methodist Church plans to send volunteers as well.

“This is really a community event,” Wiggins said. About 100 people have signed up so far, and there’s still time to register – they need several hundred volunteers to sign up to work a two-hour shift. The first shift is from 10 a.m. to 12 noon and the second shift is from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Participants should report to the civic center and sign in, and from there, they’ll head to a packing station where they will help measure out individual bags of rice, seasonings and vitamins.

Most of the food packs will be transported overseas, but Wiggins said some are kept here in the U.S. for use when disaster strikes.

Register or give online at events.riseagainsthunger.org/VGMLK24. There’s a $25,000 fundraising goal that goes along with the pack-a-thon. Wiggins said $45 provides 100 meals.

But the event is about more than packing nutritional food and sending it to impoverished areas across the world.

Wiggins said next week’s event also shines a light on two local organizations that work to fight hunger right here in Vance and Granville counties.

She invites all participants to the Rise Against Hunger event to bring canned goods or other non-perishable items to be delivered to ACTS and ACIM, the food bank in Oxford.

Wiggins shared one of her favorite quotes attributed to King, the slain Civil rights leader whose work is honored and remembered on Jan. 15.

“Love has to be put into action and that action is service,” Wiggins said, adding that “when we have the ability to do, we should.”