If you’ve ever wondered about those two small rock buildings that you see when you’re driving out Warrenton Road on the way to Brookston, North Carolina Room Specialist Mark Pace may have some information that will help.
In the late 1800’s when John Wesley Pegram was going gangbusters as a stone mason, the area where those two one-room structures currently sit were situated on the main North-South route – predating even U.S. Hwy 1.
And Pegram constructed those two buildings as advertising for his considerable abilities, Pace said on Thursday’s TownTalk segment of Around Old Granville.
Anyone who wants to see the “crowning achievement” need look no further than the Methodist Church in downtown Henderson.
Pegram lived in the Brookston community and plied his trade in the late 1800’s. In fact, Pace said, he had his own private quarry nearby. But his quarry wasn’t the only one in the area of Brookston, Chalk Level and Greystone.
There’s been a quarry in operation at Greystone for close to 200 years, and although it’s changed ownership over the years, Greystone may be one of the oldest businesses in the area.
It makes sense that the Greystone quarry has been around since the 1830’s, Pace noted, because that’s about the same time that the Raleigh & Gaston Railroad was being constructed. And just think of all the gravel that goes into making up a rail bed.
There’s a string of quarries along the “Ridge Way,” the flat area that wends its way along the general route of U.S. 1 where railroad planners laid tracks. There’s a quarry in Wake Forest, another in Kittrell, then there’s Greystone and also one at Wise, Pace noted.
Folks in the Greystone, Brookston and Chalk Level communities had high hopes that their sleepy little area would prosper once the railroad came through.
And it almost happened.
Until a wealthy landowner named Lewis Reavis, who owned property near where the old courthouse and former library sit downtown, lured the railroad to Henderson in the mid-1830’s by offering rights-of-way and property on which to build a depot.
It made all the difference. Henderson became incorporated just a few years later, in 1841, and Chalk Level died off.
But the Chalk Level area of what is now Vance County has one of the highest elevations in the area – some 500 feet above sea level – and that’s why a fire tower is located there, as well as a signal tower for the former WHNC radio station.
Just down the road from Chalk Level is Brookston Baptist Church, which Pace said is the oldest African American church around. Founded by the Hayes, Hawkins and Bing families, it could have been established as early as 1858, he said. “But I know it was there by the 1870’s.”
Also nearby is Carver Elementary School, was built in 1954 – the same year as the U.S. Supreme Court ended racial segregation with its ruling in Brown v. Board of Education.
The main speaker at the dedication of the school was Shiloh Church’s pastor, the Rev. John R. Dungee, who is an ancestor of Tony Dungee, the former pro football coach-turned analyst.
First Lady Barbara Bush visited Carver in 1990, when the school hosted a program that offered teen mothers a chance to earn their high school equivalency diplomas while their children attended school.
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Grilling Safety Tips To Remember As Cookout Season Kicks Off
/by WIZS Staff– information courtesy of the National Fire Protection Association
OK, the long holiday weekend is upon us and chances are, your mind has wandered a time or two about weekend activities – how to make the best use of that extra day off from work?
If cookouts and backyard grilling have popped into your head, the National Fire Protection Association has a few reminders to make sure your weekend activities around the grill are safe ones.
“Because outdoor grilling involves the use of a fuel source to generate an open flame, it inherently presents potential fire risks that needs to be taken seriously,” said Lorraine Carli, vice president of Outreach and Advocacy at NFPA.
Between 2017 and 2021, fire departments across the country responded to almost 11,500 fire calls each year that involved grills, barbecues or hibachis.
Of that number, more than 5,700 were structure fires and another 5,600 were simply outside or unclassified fires.
The NFPA has broken down the statistics further to note that May accounts for 12 percent of the grill fires that were reported, and the percentages inch up as the summer progresses. July was the leading month for grilling fires, with 16 percent.
They cause $172 million in direct property damage, killed an average of 2 people each year and injured 176 more.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reports that, for the same fire-year period, an annual average of 22,155 patients went to emergency rooms because of injuries involving grills.
Close to half were for burns, both from fire and from contact with hot objects. Children under 5 account for almost half of the close to 3,000 contact-fire burns for that 5-year period.
Adults should supervise closely all children who are close to a grill when it’s in use to avoid them touching, falling or bumping into the hot surface and coals.
“These numbers reinforce that grilling fires can and do happen. However, there’s no need to avoid grilling during Memorial Day or in the months ahead,” said Carli. “Instead, by following simple safety precautions, people can greatly reduce the risk of experiencing a grilling fire.”
See a comprehensive list from NFPA at tips, recommendations, and resources for grilling safely, including these key messages:
TownTalk: Around Old Granville: History Of Brookston, Greystone And Chalk Level
/by Laura GabelIf you’ve ever wondered about those two small rock buildings that you see when you’re driving out Warrenton Road on the way to Brookston, North Carolina Room Specialist Mark Pace may have some information that will help.
In the late 1800’s when John Wesley Pegram was going gangbusters as a stone mason, the area where those two one-room structures currently sit were situated on the main North-South route – predating even U.S. Hwy 1.
And Pegram constructed those two buildings as advertising for his considerable abilities, Pace said on Thursday’s TownTalk segment of Around Old Granville.
Anyone who wants to see the “crowning achievement” need look no further than the Methodist Church in downtown Henderson.
Pegram lived in the Brookston community and plied his trade in the late 1800’s. In fact, Pace said, he had his own private quarry nearby. But his quarry wasn’t the only one in the area of Brookston, Chalk Level and Greystone.
There’s been a quarry in operation at Greystone for close to 200 years, and although it’s changed ownership over the years, Greystone may be one of the oldest businesses in the area.
It makes sense that the Greystone quarry has been around since the 1830’s, Pace noted, because that’s about the same time that the Raleigh & Gaston Railroad was being constructed. And just think of all the gravel that goes into making up a rail bed.
There’s a string of quarries along the “Ridge Way,” the flat area that wends its way along the general route of U.S. 1 where railroad planners laid tracks. There’s a quarry in Wake Forest, another in Kittrell, then there’s Greystone and also one at Wise, Pace noted.
Folks in the Greystone, Brookston and Chalk Level communities had high hopes that their sleepy little area would prosper once the railroad came through.
And it almost happened.
Until a wealthy landowner named Lewis Reavis, who owned property near where the old courthouse and former library sit downtown, lured the railroad to Henderson in the mid-1830’s by offering rights-of-way and property on which to build a depot.
It made all the difference. Henderson became incorporated just a few years later, in 1841, and Chalk Level died off.
But the Chalk Level area of what is now Vance County has one of the highest elevations in the area – some 500 feet above sea level – and that’s why a fire tower is located there, as well as a signal tower for the former WHNC radio station.
Just down the road from Chalk Level is Brookston Baptist Church, which Pace said is the oldest African American church around. Founded by the Hayes, Hawkins and Bing families, it could have been established as early as 1858, he said. “But I know it was there by the 1870’s.”
Also nearby is Carver Elementary School, was built in 1954 – the same year as the U.S. Supreme Court ended racial segregation with its ruling in Brown v. Board of Education.
The main speaker at the dedication of the school was Shiloh Church’s pastor, the Rev. John R. Dungee, who is an ancestor of Tony Dungee, the former pro football coach-turned analyst.
First Lady Barbara Bush visited Carver in 1990, when the school hosted a program that offered teen mothers a chance to earn their high school equivalency diplomas while their children attended school.
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The Local Skinny! American Legion To Host Memorial Day Service
/by WIZS StaffIt’s a sobering sight to see those white crosses that dot the grassy area outside American Legion Post 60 in Henderson. Whether you just drive by over the Memorial Day weekend holiday or attend the annual service at Post 60 on Monday at 10 a.m.
Post Commander Ted Grissom wants people to remember why those crosses – numbering more than 150 – matter.
Each cross represents someone from Vance County who has died while serving in the Armed Forces, from World War I to the present, Grissom told WIZS’s Bill Harris on Thursday’s segment of The Local Skinny!
The ceremony will be brief, he said, but the main reason to gather will be “to honor our heroes remember their achievements and service, and to thank them” for their ultimate sacrifice to their country.
“Many didn’t volunteer,” he said, but were called to be part of something bigger than themselves – they were ordinary people who responded in extraordinary ways” to protect and defend this country, our freedom and way of life.
“Our gathering in Henderson is just one small spark in the flame of pride that burns across the nation on Memorial day and every day,” Grissom said.
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WIZS Radio Local News Audio 05-25-23 Noon
/by Bill HarrisClick Play to Listen. On Air at 8am, 12pm, 5pm M-F
WIZS Radio ~ 100.1FM/1450AM
Cooperative Extension with Jamon Glove: Perspective
/by Bill HarrisListen live at 100.1 FM / 1450 AM / or on the live stream at WIZS.com at 11:50 a.m. Mon, Tues & Thurs.
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Maria Parham Volunteer Services Masquerade Jewelry and Accessories Sale
/by John C. RoseFOR OUR SPONSOR
VGCC Graduates 45 From Nursing Program
/by WIZS Staff-information courtesy of VGCC Public Information Officer Courtney Cissel
Vance-Granville Community College presented pins to 45 graduates who earned their associate degree in nursing recently.
The May 10 event was held in the Civic Center on the Main Campus, with friends and family of the graduates in attendance.
The pinning ceremony was opened by ADN Program Head Dr. Anna R. Seaman, followed by welcoming reflections from Dr. Kim Sepich, vice president of Learning, Student Engagement, & Success, CAO. Cortney Ragan, 2021 ADN graduate and former class president, offered remarks from the perspective of a recent graduate of the program.
Nursing instructor Jamie Davis presented cords to students who participated in the VGCC Student Nurses Association. Davis also recognized students graduating with honors (a GPA of 3.5 or higher): Ashley Allen, Mariama Boye, Eunice Mwicigi, and Henry Nkenchor. Sierra Lewter was recognized as the graduate with the highest program-specific GPA.
Nursing instructor Kassie Felts shared the story of the VGCC nursing pin to the graduates and guests. Following the story, Davis announced each graduate, including their future plans related to job acceptance as a Registered Nurse and career/educational goals. As each name was announced, Seaman presented each recipient with his or her pin. After Brande McIlroy read the story of the nursing lamp origins, the graduates joined her to recite the Nursing Pledge (written by Beverly Hansen O’Malley, RN) by candlelight. Finally, Seaman presented the class as official graduates of VGCC’s ADN Class of 2023.
Most often associated with the nursing profession, pinning ceremonies serve to welcome Health Sciences students into their new professional community. The tradition of getting a token like a pin when starting a medical career can be traced back to the Middle Ages; the modern ceremony is modeled after one honoring Florence Nightingale in the 1860s.
Red Cross and Local Y Team Up To Offer Babysitting Training Session
/by WIZS StaffOlder siblings often have to look after their younger brothers or sisters when Mom or Dad has an errand to run. Kids looking forward to summer vacation may also be looking for ways to earn a little spending money while they’re out of school.
Whether you’re watching the neighbors’ kids or members of your own family, it’s important to know what to do if an emergency arises and you’re the caregiver.
The American Red Cross and Henderson Family Y are teaming up to offer a babysitting training session on Monday, May 29 at the Y, 380 Ruin Creek Rd.
Topics include infant and child care, safety standards, emergency care, age appropriate activities, behavioral recognition and babysitting business basics.
This training session costs $50 and is designed for youth between the ages of 11 and 15. It will be held from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Registration ends May 28. Participants should bring a bag lunch.
Register at https://www.hendersonymca.org/events/american-red-cross-baby-sitting-course or call 252.438.2144 to learn more.
WIZS Radio Local News Audio 05-24-23 Noon
/by Bill HarrisClick Play to Listen. On Air at 8am, 12pm, 5pm M-F
WIZS Radio ~ 100.1FM/1450AM
Home And Garden Show
/by Bill HarrisOn the Home and Garden Show with Vance Co. Cooperative Ext.
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