The Henderson Optimist Club invites area businesses to fly an American flag to help fund club projects as they display their patriotism in the community.
Thurman Murphy was on “The Local Skinny!” Tuesday and told John C. Rose that the flag project is one of the ways the club funds its various community projects. New subscribers pay an initial fee of $60, with a $30 annual renewal fee.
“We keep the flags and put them out ourselves,” Murphy said. About 35 businesses, most of them in the downtown area, currently participate. This project has been in existence since the late 1960’s, he said, the brainchild of founding club member Ed White. The club replaces the flag or the pole when the need arises, he said.
Club members put up the flag eight times a year – Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents Day, Memorial Day, Flag Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, and Veterans Day, Murphy said, adding that they sometimes get requests from the Chamber of Commerce or other business associations for the flags to be posted at other special occasions.
The mission of the Henderson Optimist Club is to help the youth in the community, and the club does this through various projects and contests, Murphy noted.
The projects help fund two scholarships awarded to two Vance County students each year. The $1,000 scholarships are renewable for four years. Although the student doesn’t have to attend a school in Vance County, the student must be a resident of Vance County, he explained.
“The Local Skinny!” March 2 Podcast with Thurman Murphy
Other annual contests for high school students are the oratorical contest and the essay contest. Local winners advance to the zone level, and from there, district and then national levels, he said. Winners at the district and national levels are awarded scholarship prizes as well.
Murphy said the “Attend and Win,” contest at the eight county elementary schools gives a pizza party to the classroom at each school with the highest quarterly attendance. That contest has been put on hold because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but he said the project will pick back up as soon as it’s safe to be back in the school buildings.
The local Optimist Club also:
- sponsors two baseball leagues at the YMCA and the Henderson-Vance Recreation and Parks Department;
- hosts a Christmas party with gifts each year for children at the Masonic Home for Children in Oxford;
- financially supports the Optimist Cottage at the Boys and Girls Home of Lake Waccamaw;
- hosts the “Respect For Law” project each year and names an officer of the year from the Henderson police department, Vance County sheriff’s office, NC Highway Patrol, Henderson and Vance County fire departments and Kerr Lake park rangers.
To sign up your business to display the American flag, please call Thurman Murphy at 252.432.6847 or email thurmanmurphy@nc.rr.com.
Optimist Club members Dean Thornton and Tommy Farmer also serve on the Optimist Flag Committee.
Summer Completion for Vance County’s EJMS Project
/by Laura GabelConstruction projects often face challenges to completion, and chief among those challenges are weather and money. The site of the former Eaton Johnson Middle School has experienced both lately, but County Manager Jordan McMillen said Tuesday he anticipates that by early summer, the renovations to convert the former school should be complete.
The county commissioners approved a change order that adds almost $38,000 to the construction project to transform the Eaton Johnson campus to the new home for the Department of Social Services and the Senior Center, McMillen said in a written statement to WIZS.
Commissioners approved the addition of $37,019.39 to the project cost, he said, to cover costs to make sure the building and ceiling are supported properly to meet building code. These items were discovered during the demolition phase of the project, he added.
The prolonged wet weather and winter ice storms have slowed the project by three or four weeks, but McMillen said work should be able to get back on track for a June or July move-in date for the two agencies.
“This schedule will be refined as we work through the final stages of construction and as we work to move approximately 110 DSS employees, phone equipment, storage cabinets and other items to the new facility,” McMillen said.
The project will bring the Department of Social Services offices under one roof, he added. “Our $4.5 million investment in this facility not only puts a vacant school into reuse, but allows us to look towards the future,” McMillen said. The new senior center more than doubles the current square footage, – from 9,000 to 21,000 square feet – and “will lend itself to serving more seniors in the future and will address concerns we have heard in the past with limited parking downtown for the seniors,” he added.
Book Commemorates 275th Anniversary of Granville County
/by Laura GabelGranville County observes its 275th anniversary in 2021 and part of the celebration includes the publication of a coffee table commemorative book for sale to the public.
The county’s 275th anniversary planning committee contracted with local author Lewis Bowling to compile information to showcase the history and development of this area. Pre-sale orders are being taken through April 30, said county public information officer Lynn Allred. The price is $49.95, but all pre-sales get a $5 discount.
“I have been gathering new material and have had a good response from folks willing to share their photos and their stories with me,” Bowling said. “I appreciate the community’s help and support.”
Bowling’s book, scheduled for publication by July, will follow Granville County’s journey from its founding until present day, and includes a narrative and photos not yet seen by the public.
Lewis Bowling
Established by an act of the General Assembly of the Colony of North Carolina in 1746, Granville was formed from a portion of Edgecombe County in the northernmost part of the province. Since there was no western border, the County of Granville extended all the way to the Mississippi River. The first settlers here were attracted to the area by the availability of land at a fair price. An early trading path helped make Granville one of the gateways across the Virginia border, according to the press release from the county.
“In all of our 275 years, there has not been a comprehensive book written about Granville County that could serve as a stand-alone work like this,” said the Thornton Library’s North Carolina Room Specialist Mark Pace.
Bowling has already published several books that feature the history of the area, including commemorative works for the City of Oxford’s bicentennial celebration in 2016 and for Camp Butner’s 75th anniversary in 2017.
Order forms are available online at www.granvillecounty.org/275th or through the Granville County Government Administration Office at 141 Williamsboro Street in Oxford. Contact Patrice Wilkerson at 919-603-1308 or at patrice.wilkerson@granvillecounty.org for more details.
Cooperative Extension with Paul McKenzie 03-02-21 – What Works in the Lawn and Garden
/by CharleneListen live at 100.1 FM / 1450 AM / or on the live stream at WIZS.com at 2 PM Monday – Thursday.
GCPS PK-Grade 5 Students to Move to 4-Day In-Person School Mar. 29
/by Laura GabelElementary school students in Granville County will shift to four days of in-person learning at the end of March, but middle and high school students will remain under Plan B or Plan C of remote instruction.
The Granville County Board of Education met on Monday, Mar. 1 and voted 7-0 to allow students in grades PK – 5 to move to the four-day in-person learning, according to Dr. Stan Winborne, assistant superintendent of operations & human resources and public information officer.
Currently, elementary students in prekindergarten through Grade 5 attend school two days a week – either a Monday/Tuesday attendance or a Thursday/Friday attendance, according to Winborne. The two groups attend classes virtually the other three days of the week.
Beginning on Monday, Mar. 29, the two groups will merge into a single group and all in-person students will attend school each weekday except Wednesday. Wednesday remains a remote learning day for all students. Currently, the state only allows students in grades PK-5 to shift to Plan A, according to Winborne; students in grades 6-12 are only allowed to attend school under plan B or C. Plan B calls for two days of in-person learning; Plan C is all virtual learning.
All families who previously chose to have their students remain in Plan C – all virtual learning – will do so for the remainder of the school year.
Granville County had a mass-vaccination clinic on Feb. 24, when more than 430 educators got their first dose of the Moderna vaccine. The second dose is scheduled for Friday, Mar. 26, which Winborne said will mean the day of remote learning will switch from Wednesday to Friday for that week.
Parents will receive details about this change soon, he added.
The board also approved a 10 percent increase in the daily substitute pay in hopes of attracting more qualified candidates to the pool of substitute teachers. Starting pay is now $90 a day for subs with minimum experience, and can go as high as $116 a day for experienced or licensed teachers.
“If you love children, are 18 years or older, have a GED or high school diploma and can pass a full background check, then please consider becoming a substitute teacher,” Winborne said. “We need you and will train you prior to entering the classroom.”
Although all schools currently need additional substitutes, elementary schools typically experience a higher demand for substitutes, Winborne said.
Interested candidates must complete an application which can be found on our district website. Questions can be directed to Kathy Bradley, HR specialist at bradleyk@gcs.k12.nc.us.
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“The Local Skinny!” Mar 2; Optimist Club Flag Project Supports Community
/by Laura GabelThe Henderson Optimist Club invites area businesses to fly an American flag to help fund club projects as they display their patriotism in the community.
Thurman Murphy was on “The Local Skinny!” Tuesday and told John C. Rose that the flag project is one of the ways the club funds its various community projects. New subscribers pay an initial fee of $60, with a $30 annual renewal fee.
“We keep the flags and put them out ourselves,” Murphy said. About 35 businesses, most of them in the downtown area, currently participate. This project has been in existence since the late 1960’s, he said, the brainchild of founding club member Ed White. The club replaces the flag or the pole when the need arises, he said.
Club members put up the flag eight times a year – Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents Day, Memorial Day, Flag Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, and Veterans Day, Murphy said, adding that they sometimes get requests from the Chamber of Commerce or other business associations for the flags to be posted at other special occasions.
The mission of the Henderson Optimist Club is to help the youth in the community, and the club does this through various projects and contests, Murphy noted.
The projects help fund two scholarships awarded to two Vance County students each year. The $1,000 scholarships are renewable for four years. Although the student doesn’t have to attend a school in Vance County, the student must be a resident of Vance County, he explained.
“The Local Skinny!” March 2 Podcast with Thurman Murphy
Other annual contests for high school students are the oratorical contest and the essay contest. Local winners advance to the zone level, and from there, district and then national levels, he said. Winners at the district and national levels are awarded scholarship prizes as well.
Murphy said the “Attend and Win,” contest at the eight county elementary schools gives a pizza party to the classroom at each school with the highest quarterly attendance. That contest has been put on hold because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but he said the project will pick back up as soon as it’s safe to be back in the school buildings.
The local Optimist Club also:
To sign up your business to display the American flag, please call Thurman Murphy at 252.432.6847 or email thurmanmurphy@nc.rr.com.
Optimist Club members Dean Thornton and Tommy Farmer also serve on the Optimist Flag Committee.
WIZS Local News 03-2-21 Noon
/by Bill HarrisWIZS Your Community Voice — 100.1 FM / 1450 AM
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TownTalk 03-2-21 Marijuana Legalization
/by Bill HarrisHost John C. Rose and Co-host Bill Harris discuss recent marijuana legalization bills that have been passed in New Jersey and Virginia and how it may impact drug laws in North Carolina.
For complete details and full audio click play.
West End Baptist Church Fish Fry Fundraiser for Local Ministries March 15 at 220
/by WIZS StaffThe Baptist Men of West End Baptist Church on Dabney Drive in Henderson will be sponsoring a Fish Fry Fundraiser to support Local Ministries.
The fish fry will take place at 220 Seafood Restaurant in Henderson on Monday, March 15th. It will start at 4 p.m. and end at 7 p.m.
Cost is $8.00 per plate, and that includes a trout dinner with slaw, French fries and hushpuppies. Take out only.
All proceeds will be used to support local ministries including ACTS, Lifeline Ministries, Rebuilding Hope, GRACE Ministries
and others.
For tickets in advance, call Jerry Parrish at 492-6353. Tickets will be available at the restaurant as well on March 15 during the fish fry.
(This information is posted as a public service, and it was submitted to WIZS by Jerry Parrish. If your church or civic group would like an announcement on the air and online, please visit www.wizs.com/psas and fill out the simple form or email johncharles@wizs.com.)
More Than 1 Million Pounds of Roadside Litter Collected This Year
/by WIZS Staff— press release courtesy of NCDOT
RALEIGH – As part of its litter removal efforts, N.C. Department of Transportation crews, contractors and volunteers have now collected more than 1 million pounds of litter from roadsides statewide this year.
“We are only just beginning this year’s efforts to clean up and prevent litter on our roadsides,” said state Transportation Secretary Eric Boyette. “But we need everyone’s help. We all are responsible for keeping North Carolina clean and beautiful.”
NCDOT reports that the agency and its partners have removed 1.18 million pounds of litter since Jan. 1.
NCDOT’s litter management programs are multifaceted. The department makes use of both state-owned forces and contract services statewide. NCDOT’s Sponsor-A-Highway Program allows businesses, organizations and individuals to sponsor litter removal along roadsides. NCDOT is also proud to partner with the more than 120,000 participants in the Adopt-A-Highway Program, where volunteers pledge to clean a section of our highways at least four times a year.
North Carolinians looking to help keep the state’s roadways clean can volunteer for the upcoming Spring Litter Sweep, which will run from April 10-24.
Litter is unsightly, costs millions of dollars to clean up and can hurt tourism, the environment and the state’s quality of life. The most effective way to aid litter removal efforts is to stop it at its source.
Everyone should do their part by:
***NCDOT***
Cooperative Extension with Wayne Rowland 03-01-21 – Vegetable Gardening
/by CharleneListen live at 100.1 FM / 1450 AM / or on the live stream at WIZS.com at 2 PM Monday – Thursday.