The gift is about a commitment made a long time ago to make the world a better place, and it’s that same commitment that Girl Scouts instilled in Margaret Pickard Sirvis, according to her daughter Barb Sirvis.
Girl Scouts – North Carolina Coastal Pines (GS-NCCP) recently notified WIZS News that a $300,000 gift from the Margaret Pickard Sirvis Fund will go towards revitalizing Camp Graham, just north of Henderson. Be sure to click here for Camp Graham details.
A lifelong Girl Scout and advocate for women, Margaret Pickard Sirvis, or “Peggy” as she was known by her Girl Scout friends, passed away on April 8, 2017 at 93 years old. Peggy’s daughter Barb worked with GS–NCCP staff to create a legacy gift to support improvements to Peggy’s beloved Camp Graham.
Information provided by GS–NCCP indicates the $300,000 gift will go towards much needed facilities renovations that will enable Camp Graham to continue providing valuable outdoor leadership opportunities to girls across North Carolina, just as it had for Peggy 80+ years earlier. Renovations will include things like a new HVAC, a full-enclosed bathhouse, updates to cabin units, and much more.
Barb Sirvis told WIZS News in a phone interview that her mother Peggy was very clear she wanted to make sure the Girl Scouts received a generous gift at her death, so the $300,000 came from Peggy’s estate. Barb said Girl Scouts had always been very important to her mother Peggy, as she was in scouting some 75 years.
“She loved camp,” Bard said. “She wanted to make sure her gift would continue to provide camp opportunities for Girl Scouts today and into the future.”
When asked how Camp Graham was chosen, Barb said, “My mother was born and raised in Chapel Hill, and she went to camp as a girl at a camp that no longer exists, but she did go to Girl Scout camp as a girl, and she also watched the power of Girl Scouting to shape my life and the camp experience and the life-long friendships that I made at camp. Then, when she moved back to North Carolina in 2006, a local Girl Scout friend took us to an event with Girl Scouts of North Carolina Coastal Pines, and there (Peggy) had a chance to talk to some of the staff about her interests, and they were doing a new project at Camp Graham building tree houses. She said she wanted to see them, and she went to camp, and she fell in love with Camp Graham.”
Peggy told her daughter Barb she wanted to spend some money on this council, that she wanted to leave money to make sure the camp stays here for girls in the future.
It turns out that Peggy was very quiet about her ability to leave a gift like this for Girl Scouts, so by all accounts it had a wow effect, just by the amount alone of $300,000 if nothing else.
It’s the personal side that tells the rest of the story.
Barb Sirvis said, “She and my dad met in 1944 and were married in 1945. They each had a dream. His dream was to be an entrepreneur, and her dream was to make the world a better place. They brought those two dreams together. He eventually started his own business, and she was the home and corporate treasurer. They managed wisely and lived modestly their whole life.”
As far as how the money will be used, GS–NCCP went to Barb with a proposal with several options in it. Barb said the renovations and improvements mentioned “were the ones that spoke to me.” She said these priorities were on the top of their list, and “I thought they would be on the top of my mom’s list.”
New Start to Help in Vance Co. with Those Coming Out of Incarceration
/by WIZS StaffThursday morning at 11:30, WIZS TownTalk will conduct a live interview with Cedrick Swinson of New Start. He is the Peer Support Leader. He works with formerly incarcerated people and their families to execute plans for school, housing and the gathering of other resources to successfully re-enter society from prison. He told WIZS News that the biggest barriers are employment and a place to live.
— information below provided by the South Atlantic Family Resource Center New Start Program
The focus of this initiative is to assist high crime, high poverty communities to address the full range of challenges involved in helping formerly incarcerated adults who have been involved in the adult justice system make successful transitions back to the community. The intent of this initiative is to protect community safety by ensuring that these individuals:
Eligibility Requirements
An adult is eligible to participate in a program funded through New Start program if that individual, on the date of enrollment:
Discretion is granted to enroll individuals convicted of violent offenses or assessed as high risk.
Priority of service to veterans and spouses of certain veterans for the receipt of employment, training, and placement services in any job training program funded in whole or part by DOL.
Town Talk 12/13/17
/by CharleneCooperative Extension with Paul McKenzie 12/13/17
/by CharleneClearview Church “Stories in the Stars”
/by WIZS Staff— from Clearview Church
On December 16, Clearview Church will present “Stories in the Stars,” a community Christmas concert at McGregor Hall in Henderson. Doors open at 6:00 PM, and the show starts at 7:00 PM. The show will feature footage shot by Pastor Abidan Shah on location in Greece. Come learn about the false gods of myth who came to Earth to serve themselves and how Jesus Christ, the one true God, came down to Earth not to be served but to serve mankind and to give His life for us. With powerful multimedia presentations and live Christmas music performed by Clearview’s praise team, this is a Christmas concert unlike any you’ve experienced before! Tickets are free and are available at Clearview Church; reserve yours by contacting the church office at 252-438-8433. Don’t miss “Stories in the Stars,” December 16 at McGregor Hall in Henderson.
Davis Chapel Missionary Baptist Church Helping For Christmas
/by WIZS StaffDavis Chapel Missionary Baptist Church reminds you of their soup kitchen every Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 11 a.m. until noon. Davis Chapel is also doing a special Christmas meal where there’ll be free cloths and toys for youngsters. This takes place Thursday, Dec. 21 at the church from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. First come first serve. Davis Chapel Missionary Baptist Church is located at 742 North Chestnut Street here in Henderson. Pastor Charles Turrentine, Sr and Evangelist Shirley Turrentine invite you.
News 12/13/17
/by Larry$300,000 Gift Will Help Girl Scouts; Camp Graham
/by John C. RoseThe gift is about a commitment made a long time ago to make the world a better place, and it’s that same commitment that Girl Scouts instilled in Margaret Pickard Sirvis, according to her daughter Barb Sirvis.
Girl Scouts – North Carolina Coastal Pines (GS-NCCP) recently notified WIZS News that a $300,000 gift from the Margaret Pickard Sirvis Fund will go towards revitalizing Camp Graham, just north of Henderson. Be sure to click here for Camp Graham details.
A lifelong Girl Scout and advocate for women, Margaret Pickard Sirvis, or “Peggy” as she was known by her Girl Scout friends, passed away on April 8, 2017 at 93 years old. Peggy’s daughter Barb worked with GS–NCCP staff to create a legacy gift to support improvements to Peggy’s beloved Camp Graham.
Information provided by GS–NCCP indicates the $300,000 gift will go towards much needed facilities renovations that will enable Camp Graham to continue providing valuable outdoor leadership opportunities to girls across North Carolina, just as it had for Peggy 80+ years earlier. Renovations will include things like a new HVAC, a full-enclosed bathhouse, updates to cabin units, and much more.
Barb Sirvis told WIZS News in a phone interview that her mother Peggy was very clear she wanted to make sure the Girl Scouts received a generous gift at her death, so the $300,000 came from Peggy’s estate. Barb said Girl Scouts had always been very important to her mother Peggy, as she was in scouting some 75 years.
“She loved camp,” Bard said. “She wanted to make sure her gift would continue to provide camp opportunities for Girl Scouts today and into the future.”
When asked how Camp Graham was chosen, Barb said, “My mother was born and raised in Chapel Hill, and she went to camp as a girl at a camp that no longer exists, but she did go to Girl Scout camp as a girl, and she also watched the power of Girl Scouting to shape my life and the camp experience and the life-long friendships that I made at camp. Then, when she moved back to North Carolina in 2006, a local Girl Scout friend took us to an event with Girl Scouts of North Carolina Coastal Pines, and there (Peggy) had a chance to talk to some of the staff about her interests, and they were doing a new project at Camp Graham building tree houses. She said she wanted to see them, and she went to camp, and she fell in love with Camp Graham.”
Peggy told her daughter Barb she wanted to spend some money on this council, that she wanted to leave money to make sure the camp stays here for girls in the future.
It turns out that Peggy was very quiet about her ability to leave a gift like this for Girl Scouts, so by all accounts it had a wow effect, just by the amount alone of $300,000 if nothing else.
It’s the personal side that tells the rest of the story.
Barb Sirvis said, “She and my dad met in 1944 and were married in 1945. They each had a dream. His dream was to be an entrepreneur, and her dream was to make the world a better place. They brought those two dreams together. He eventually started his own business, and she was the home and corporate treasurer. They managed wisely and lived modestly their whole life.”
As far as how the money will be used, GS–NCCP went to Barb with a proposal with several options in it. Barb said the renovations and improvements mentioned “were the ones that spoke to me.” She said these priorities were on the top of their list, and “I thought they would be on the top of my mom’s list.”
Chick-fil-A Cops on Top Raises Over $3,500 for Special Olympics NC
/by WIZS StaffOn a cold, windy, December, Tuesday afternoon, Chick-fil-A of Henderson, the Henderson Police Department, the Oxford Police Department and the Vance County Sheriff’s office banded together and raised a grand total of $3,522.70 for Special Olympics of North Carolina.
Cops on Top was a 12-hour event held at Chic-fil-A on Dabney Drive from 6 a.m. until 6 p.m. Tuesday. It was the 11th annual event.
Local Chick-fil-A Marketing Director Susan Rogers said the goal was $3,500 and that not only was the goal met but the event surpassed last year as well. One behalf of all of the organizers, Rogers gave thanks saying, “Thank you to the citizens of Vance County for supporting Special Olympics of North Carolina.”
T-shirts and hats were available for a monetary donation, and the event included K-9 demonstrations, free face painting, visits from Smokey the Bear, Sparky the Firehouse Dog, the Chick-fil-A Cows and a bounce house courtesy of Character Antics.
Oxford Prep Helps ACIM
/by WIZS Staff— Information from Oxford Preparatory School, oxfordprep.org
Oxford Preparatory School received $500 from the United Health Care Sidelines Hunger Event, awarded at the State 2AA Football Championship on Saturday, December 9. Receiving the award were Oxford Prep Athletic Director Rick Kenner and Senior Student-Athletes Trey Reese and Christian Furr.
The OPS Athletics Department will share half of the proceeds with the Area Congregations In Ministry Oxford food bank. A check will be presented to the ACIM Oxford representative at the December 20th varsity basketball games against Granville Central High School. Additionally, that evening we will be collecting for the ACIM and encourage fans to bring in non-perishable food items. Admission will be half price with a food donation.
(Photo by Kelli Kenner)
Nowell Brooks Named Director of Alternative Programs for Franklin County Schools
/by WIZS Staff— courtesy Franklin County Schools
Louisburg, North Carolina – December 12, 2017 — The Franklin County Board of Education approved Nowell Brooks as Franklin County’s Director of Alternative Programs at Vine Academy. The approval came during Monday night’s board meeting.
Nowell Brooks (Franklin County Schools Photo)
Mr. Brooks comes to Franklin County from the Vance County Public School system where he worked as an assistant principal for the last three years at the elementary, middle and high school levels.
Prior to that, he was employed with Vance Granville Community College as an Early College Liaison, Campus Coordinator and Instructor. Mr. Brooks has extensive experience in managing school operations, safety, student discipline and academic performance.
Nowell Brooks received his Master of Science in Educational Leadership from Arkansas State University. His bachelor’s degree in Public Administration was earned at North Carolina Central University.
Mr. Brooks’ first day will be determined at a later date.