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.

For complete details and audio click play.

Maria Parham Hosts White Coat Ceremony For Residents In New Program

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Their journeys to medicine couldn’t have started more differently, but when two physicians put on their white coats during a ceremony next week their paths for the next few years will be remarkably similar.

Rashmi Saincher knew she wanted to pursue a job in the health or science field. She went straight to medical school after graduating from college; it took Jessica Y. Sanders several years – and several jobs – to put her on the path to becoming a doctor.

Sanders and Saincher will become the two newest residents in the Rural Training Track at Duke’s School of Medicine. Maria Parham Health and Duke Primary Care in Oxford are collaborators with the program, which is part of the family medicine residency in the department of family medicine and community health. The Rural Training Track was recently accredited by ACGME and Sanders and Saincher are the first to “match” with Maria Parham through the National Resident Matching Program Main Residency Match.

The June 30 white coat ceremony, hosted by Maria Parham Health, marks for the two physicians the beginning of a three-year commitment with the rural training track, which focuses on meeting primary care shortage needs in rural North Carolina. Both women said they are excited to begin the program. “We did all this work and it’s finally here and we’re starting the next leg of our journey,” Sanders told John C. Rose on Tuesday’s Town Talk. Saincher, who attended St. George’s Medical School in London, identified a mixture of excitement and nervousness in advance of the white coat ceremony. “It’s going to be a proper white coat,” she said. “It will be a very different feeling to be addressed as ‘doctor’ instead of ‘medical student,’” Saincher added.

During the first year of the program, the residents will spend a majority of their time at Duke University Hospital and Duke Regional, as well as Maria Parham Hospital and Duke Primary Care in Oxford. Over the next two years, their time will be spent mainly in Henderson and Oxford.

Maria Parham CEO Bert Beard said Tuesday that having the residents working at the hospital sends a positive message to the community. “It’s a big deal to have a residency program,” Beard told WIZS Tuesday. “And it’s a huge deal to have one associated with Duke University.”

Being a part of the rural training track sends “a signal to the region we serve that our partnership with Duke is strong and is growing,” and that Maria Parham is committed to the long-term health and well-being of patients in the community.

Those patients will benefit as well, Beard said. The physicians who are participating in the residency program are licensed, with some limitations, to write orders and care for patients. The plan is to have 12 residents within five years participating in the program – four in Year 3, four in Year 2, and four in Year 1.

The program will give them a lot more training and hands-on experience, Sanders said, mainly because they will be working more closely with patients in the rural setting. Beard said it’s a way to “cultivate the importance and the joy of serving as a primary care provider in a rural community.”

“I feel that the best cases and the best experiences in connecting with the community actually lie in the rural area,” Saincher said. “One thing that this pandemic has shown us is that every corner of society deserves the best care and I’m really excited to be able to help deliver that care and also to be able to improve my own skills in the process.”

Both physicians will go through a variety of different rotations in different areas of medical care; Saincher said she especially looks forward to working at the VA Hospital in Durham and in the areas of geriatrics and palliative care.

Sanders also looks forward to working at the VA. “Obviously, they are a very under-served population,” she noted. She also is interested in women’s health so she looks forward to the OB-GYN rotation.

Sanders said her “real-world” experiences between undergraduate school and medical school helped shape her approach to medicine. “I know Duke has wonderful mentors and providers,” she said, noting the importance of having that type of resource for support.

Saincher said her approach is to take every moment as a learning opportunity, “realizing that this is such a unique and great experience to grow. We’re all helping each other out the best way we can,” she said.

(This article and audio are not a paid ad.)

TownTalk: Vance and Granville Co. Animal Shelters Are Full

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The animal shelters in Vance and Granville Counties are full and need help!

If you enjoying volunteering and helping animals, then this announcement is for you.

For complete details and audio click play.

Matt Katz, the Granville County Animal Management Director, says the new Granville County Shelter needs to pick up a few volunteers, especially right now for summer. Katz said he and his staff are “looking for some dog walkers and cat snugglers.”

Because of some of the normal strains of summer, like people taking vacations or moving their family to a new location now that school is out, the new Granville County Animal Shelter is getting full. The new shelter houses, for example, almost 20 more dog kennels than the old shelter but is filling up.

Turns out in texting with Brandon Boyd, president of Ruin Creek Animal Protection Society, the Vance County Animal Shelter is full too –  Code Red!  In May of 2020, the Vance County Shelter was empty.  Boyd texted, “SUMMER TIME!!!  Every June and July this happens and rescues and adoptions slow down.  It’s two tough months always.”

The chief of Vance County Animal Services, Frankie Nobles, texted as well, “A lot of surrenders ands strays.  Adoptions are maintaining about the same.  Still have our regular volunteers coming.”

Katz said by phone some of the main volunteers at the Granville County Animal Shelter are out for a while volunteering on another project, and he said, “We really need to get the dogs out and walk them.” It’s better for the animals both large and small.

Unlike last year when covid was the main topic, this year summer plans, things opening up and travel are cutting down volunteers while more animals are being surrendered, or in come cases, even just left behind as people move to new towns for new jobs.

Last year when families and children were trapped inside more, fostering and rescues were in high demand, as not only was it good to do but it also provided some relief. That tide has turned and more work needs to be done now with fewer folks.

If you’d like to help and volunteer in Granville County, please call 919 693 6749. Or email, animal.shelter@granvillecounty.org.  See more @granvillecountyanimalshelterfriends on Facebook.

Call the Vance County Animal Shelter at (252) 492-3136.  See more @RCAPS.Henderson on Facebook.

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TownTalk: Gerald Alston’s Sound System Helped To Launch His Musical Career

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The way Gerald Alston sees it, the difference in today’s popular R&B music and that of just a few decades ago is clear: the older music tells a story and leaves room for the listener’s imagination. Not so much with today’s R&B.

“There’s no room for imagination,” Alston said of the newer music. “Artists come out and say exactly what they’re doing.”

Alston spoke by phone to WIZS’s Bill Harris on Monday’s Town Talk. And just like the music that he and The Manhattans perform, the Henderson native shared stories about getting his start in music and reminisced about working with many big-time R&B groups.

A lot of today’s hiphop music is based on the foundation laid by R&B greats, he said. The music The Manhattans and so many others are known for “told stories about life that people could identify with,” he said.

Alston has played concerts across the globe – from South Africa and South America to Great Britain and McGregor Hall, right here in Henderson. The group has played for more than two hours to 15,000 concertgoers in South Africa, he said. “They know our music to a T. Those fans sang every song we performed for two and a half hours,” Alston said. “Our music has been passed down to their children and they still honor that – they realize the importance and quality of it.”

The group has evolved over the years, but The Manhattans are still performing and recording. These days, it’s Alston, Troy May and Dave Tyson who comprise the group.

Their newest album of music, The Manhattans featuring Gerald Alston: The Legacy Continues, is available on their website, www.letsjustkissandsaygoodbye.com.

The website name is a nod to the group’s most successful song, but Alston’s association with The Manhattans began a few years before that song was released in 1976. Alston was attending Kittrell College and agreed to let The Manhattans borrow his sound system for a concert there. “I had no idea they were coming,” he said. Well, as he was testing the system out – by singing, of course – in walked the group that he would later be asked to join. He opened the show for them at Kittrell College and a short time later, the manager caught up with him. He had been booked on a flight to Dallas to join the group. The manager had already been in touch with Alston’s parents, who’d signed the contract since Alston was under age.

“I came back to New York and rehearsed for a few weeks and then I started singing with The Manhattans,” he explained.

The Manhattans weren’t the first group that Alston was a part of; he and his cousin, Dwight Fields (son of Johnny Fields, of Blind Boys of Alabama fame) put a group together that lasted through high school.

Alston, 69, remembers those early days well, from the days when he opened for B.B. King and the man got a standing ovation BEFORE he started playing, to meeting the family of the late Sam Cooke after Alston produced a record of Cooke’s songs.

“I had been wanting to do that for a long time,” Alston recalled. Although his idea had been to do one gospel side and one R&B side, it became two separate albums. Cooke’s brother, L.C. Cooke, did the liner notes for the album. “He said, ‘your album is a true tribute album –  you are singing all of his songs the way you feel them, the way you interpret them,” Alston said.

People who listen to music solely through streaming services and not by actually playing a record album or a CD don’t get the same experience, Alston said. Music lovers who still spin vinyl, however, are still out there enjoying the full experience.

“You can go to Great Britain, South Africa, Japan, South America,” he said. “Those fans can tell you literally the year you recorded, the studio, the musicians, the words –  the year you were at Columbia Records, the  engineers –  it’s incredible. There’s so much history on the physical vinyl, it’s good to have.”

TownTalk Interview with Gerald Alston

TownTalk: Town Of Kittrell Has An Interesting Story To Tell

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Kittrell Drew Visitors From All Over With Mineral Springs, Hotels…

Is it possible that the passage of the Pure Food and Drug Act in 1901 could have played even a small role in the fate of the Vance County town of Kittrell?

Maybe.

Driving on US 1 through Kittrell today, you’d never know that Kittrell had been home to hotels and resorts that drew visitors from all over. People convalescing from tuberculosis came for the mineral springs and Northerners came to hunt and escape cold winters, according to Mark Pace, local historian. Pace and Bill Harris shared stories about the tiny town of Kittrell on Thursday’s Town Talk as part of an ongoing conversation about local history.

“Kittrell really takes off when the railroad came through,” said Mark Pace, during Thursday’s Town Talk with co-host Bill Harris. In the late 1800’s it was called Kittrell’s Depot – plural because there were two depots, one for passengers and one for commercial use. About the time that the railroad came through, they found a mineral spring, which launched a host of hotels and lodges that brought people from all over to the small Vance County town.

Back at the turn of the 20th century, Census records showed that Kittrell had 168 residents – just about what it has today. But that number back in 1900 is half of what the population had been just 10 years earlier.

Why the drop? “The hotels had closed up by that point,” Pace said.

“Kittrell had its day,” he said. It had its own downtown district, hotels – it was famous throughout the South, complete with fine old homes and historic buildings.

Several families, including the Kittrells, gave land for the railroad to come through. “Kittrell really takes off when the railroad comes through,” Pace said. In the mid-1850’s, the town was called Kittrells – because there were two train depots, one for passengers headed to the hotels and resorts and a second for freight. Along about the time the railroad began chugging through, there was a discovery of a mineral springs. And from the late 1850’s until World War 1, Kittrell was in its heyday.

Over a period of about 30 years, there were four hotels in Kittrell: Located where the Dollar General now stands was Kittrell Springs. It could accommodate 600 guests; and the Davis Hotel, or Glass House, had space for 800 people.

The Glass House, so named because glass porches on either side of the hotel was where people with tuberculosis could be cared for indoors by staff nurses while enjoying the sunlight. The destination was so popular, folks even rented out rooms in private homes. In 1867, Pace said that all the hotels 500 people were turned away. There was no more room.

But after the Golden Era of the resort – after the end of the Civil War and just prior to World War I – interest in Kittrell fell off.

The healing and restorative powers of the mineral springs were largely debunked by the Pure Food and Drug Act. And the bottled water, promising help to those suffering from dyspepsia to female ailments, lost traction in the national market.

The hotels and opera houses, billiard rooms and downtown district are long gone. But the stories remain.

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