The Masonic Home for Children in Oxford has a long history of providing for children who, for reasons beyond their control, need a place to live. And although things have evolved over the years, Administrator Kevin Otis said the MHCO mission remains the same, some 150 years after the orphanage was established.
Otis was on Thursday’s Town Talk with host John C. Rose and discussed a bit of the past, its relationship with nearby Central Children’s Home and what he hopes is in store for the future.
Both orphanages are recipients of a current donation drive, the idea of Alyssa Blair, an employee with the City of Oxford. Donations selected from a wish list may be dropped off at the City of Oxford offices, 300 Williamsboro St., Oxford through March 24, Otis said.
Household items like batteries and flashlights, dish towels and bath towels, as well as supplies for school or office would all be appreciated, he said. “If we get a box of pens donated, then we don’t have to buy a box of pens,” he said.
Any items that families seem to need to function properly would be useful. “We really go through that stuff” in the cottages, he said.
Currently, there are 37 children residing at MHCO. Stricter licensing regulations for staffing ratios make it more difficult to offer space to more children. The children live, family-style, not in dormitories as of old, but in cottages with two house parents.
For full audio click play…story continues below.
The campus, located at 600 College Street, has buildings that are occupied by other agencies that serve the community, and Otis is proud of the community partnerships that have developed over the years. For instance, Smart Start has a satellite office on campus, and there are Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops, too. He hopes a popular karate class can crank back up when COVID-19 restrictions loosen. And a plan is in the works to provide some additional services to those who live off campus, but said details have to be sorted out before any announcement is made.
Otis speculated that COVID-19 may play a role in the lower numbers of residents. “Families aren’t comfortable (with their children) being in congregate care. He said he hopes that a boost in marketing will reach families who need help. Older children could also be a part of the independent living program.
Further complicating the placement process is the requirement to quarantine for 14 days upon taking up residence at the orphanage, he said.
Admissions, or placements, is but a part of the job of MHCO administrator, Otis said. “It means you wear every hat,” he said. “You are the person communicating with the board, vetting ideas, getting their feedback of what are best practices and best business practices and then going ahead and making sure that we conform to those by policies and procedures,” he said. It involves fundraising, going out and doing presentations…and dealing with incidents that may arise,” he continued.
Being the administrator also involves, however “getting the pats on the back for the wonderful things that your staff has done,” Otis said. One initiative comes as a result of a grant from Triangle North Healthcare to train staff on the trauma-informed model of care through Cornell University. The practices included in this particular model of care “will help all of our staff, even maintenance and print shop people, understand better the traumatic situations that kids go through,” he said. It will provide a kind of comfort level for children who have been in traumatic situations, which helps them become more successful.
Otis said a strategic planning session is scheduled for March for the board, as well as some MHCO employees and other invitees. He hopes that this session will solidify a strong marketing plan for the next four years and beyond. The ultimate goal, he said, is to market the home, increase the number of children in residence and make sure the programs are delivered using best practices.
To learn more, please visit mhc-oxford.org, phone 919.693.5111 or send Otis an email at kotis@mhc-oxford.org
RCAPS is Dream Come True, in More Ways Than One
/by WIZS StaffThe Friday night “Freedom Runs” that leave the Vance County Animal Shelter ferry animals from the confines of a kennel to foster or adoptive homes. For Brandon Boyd, president of the Ruin Creek Animal Protection Society that sponsors the event, it’s a dream come true.
Boyd spoke with John C. Rose on Thursday during a new program called “The Local Skinny.” He started the RCAPS in 2011 and, a decade later, the rescue effort continues. “We’ve had a great start to the year,” he said, “rescue has just been fantastic.”
He is especially pleased to be working with the folks at the shelter in Granville County, and said his plan is to continue growing partnerships with other counties. “We’ve just got a lot of things going on for this new year that is very exciting,” Boyd said. The Granville shelter recently reported a record-low euthanasia rate of 6 percent, which Boyd called “fantastic news.” Incorporating the RCAPS model in Granville could push that percent rate even lower.
In the last month, the group has purchased two new vans to add to the “Freedom Run” fleet. They’re outfitted with kennels to transport the animals. “All of this is about saving lives and getting animals out” of the shelters and to adoption and rescue partners so the animals can find loving homes, Boyd said.
Of course, RCAPS relies on donations and volunteers to make the mission a reality. “There have been so many great things that have been done and so many great things that we are going to continue to do, thanks to the help and support of our wonderful donors,” Boyd said. “We’re only as strong as our network and the people that support this cause,” he said. There’s still a lot of great work to be done. And we plan to do it.”
Among the newer partnerships is Rescue Ranch, which operates in Statesville, NC. Consider volunteering to walk a dog at the animal shelter, he said, or check out RCAPS on FaceBook for a livestream of the Friday evening Freedom Runs.
“We’re doing everything we can to get these dogs out of here and placed in their forever home,” he said. “The work is amazing, the results are just astonishing,” Boyd said. “In my wildest dreams, I never would have believed that (RCAPS) could become what it has become and it makes me so happy and so proud to know that we’re making a difference and we’re saving lives.”
Visit rcaps.org to learn more.
RCE Theaters-Marketplace Is Open
/by WIZS StaffRCE Theaters-Marketplace is open for business, and owners Blaine and Janelle Given hope families in the area will fall in love with the movie-going experience all over again. They bought the former Henderson Marketplace last year and, since then, have worked to make sure patrons can enjoy a movie in a place where cleanliness is key.
Opening a movie theater in the middle of a pandemic may not have been ideal timing, but Blaine Given told Trey Snide during Wednesday’s show on WIZS “The Local Skinny” that interior updates, lower ticket prices and a strict attention to wiping down surfaces between seatings all contribute to an enjoyable, safe place to visit.
Blaine and Janelle Given breathed new life into the area’s only multi-screen movie complex, which opened in 1991. RCE Marketplace joins their other two theaters in Roanoke Rapids and Elizabeth City, which faced closure before they took ownership.
They bought the Roanoke Rapids theater in 2013, the Elizabeth City theater two years later, then learned that the Marketplace was for sale last year – just as the nation began to reel from the COVID-19 pandemic. They met with then-owner Dr. Mike Smith and his wife and everybody agreed to make it a win-win for buyers and sellers, as well as for the community. “Our big focus was the people of Henderson and the surrounding area. How we could make sure we kept that facility open and available for families to have a place to come and make memories and spend time together,” Blaine Given said.
Among the upgrades, he noted, is a renovation of, including new seating, in one of the auditoriums. If his prediction holds true, all auditoriums could be equally renovated by the end of 2021.
Just like other businesses when they re-opened during the pandemic, the theater had to build in extra cleaning steps to comply with COVID-19 restrictions. That, Blaine Given said, is one thing they can do to contribute to the effort to combat the virus.
“We have the opportunity in the movie theater to do it on a bigger level,” he said. All high-touch surfaces, including seats, get wiped down between every show. In addition, the seats get an extra solution sprayed on them at the end of each evening. The air systems are monitored to make sure everything’s running properly and Given said they installed hand-sanitizing stations “all over the theater” for patrons’ use. “We are just trying to make sure that people are not concerned about the cleanliness (of the theater) or the risk of coming to the movie theater is any greater than it would be anywhere else, he added.
He and wife Janelle, president of RCE Theaters, want other families to have the same love of going to the movies as they have, “where families come to make memories,” Blaine said. So, they have lowered ticket prices to make the experience more affordable. “We want families to walk through the door and be entertained together,” he said.
Local Vance 2nd Dose Vaccine Clinic Postponed To Feb 21 Due To Weather
/by John C. RosePLEASE SEE IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT BELOW! Local Vance 2nd Dose Vaccine Clinic Postponed To Feb 21 Due To Weather
This is a 2nd dose vaccination event only. No first doses will be given. This event is by appointment only. If you do not have an appointment, then you will not be accommodated.
The event on Feb. 21st will happen no matter what. Also, keep in mind, if you had your first dose on January 24, then you already have an appointment for the second dose. You do not have to call and get an appointment.
The partners involved, including Maria Parham Health, Granville Vance Public Health, Vance County Schools, H-V Emergency Management and local law enforcement with the Vance County Sheriff’s Office and Henderson Police, tell WIZS News there was a lot of concern for having the second dose clinic this weekend. WIZS has been informed that in the coming week, additional plans are already underway to assure the February 21st second dose clinic happens.
SportsTalk Coach’s Corner 02-12-21 Hunter Jenks And Player Of The Week
/by Bill HarrisTrey Snide and Ron Noel spoke with Vance Co. High School head football coach Hunter Jenks on SportsTalk about the upcoming football season which starts February 26th. With Covid 19 having delayed the start of football from late August to February and still an ongoing concern, Coach Jenks said the school and the team is adhering to strict Covid protocols. While the Vipers are having to share players with other sports, Jenks said “The players are eager to learn. I’m very happy.” Once basketball ends Jenks will be able to add another 18 players to his team. Jenks is pleased with his coaching staff and said that many nights the coaches work until 10:30 at night as they prepare for the season and an upcoming scrimmage against Goldsboro. When asked about the new conference that will feature more local teams next season Jenks said “Local rivalries are what makes high school sports.” WIZS will have live play by play of Vance Co. Football when the season starts on the 26th of February. Also during SportsTalk two young athletes were named as players of the week: A.K. Holden of Henderson Collegiate for the men’s award and Caroline Wiard of Crossroads Christian for the women’s award.
WIZS Local News 02-12-21 Noon
/by Bill HarrisWIZS Your Community Voice — 100.1 FM / 1450 AM
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Granville County Animal Shelter Has Historic Low 6 Percent Euthanasia Rate in 2020
/by WIZS StaffIt takes a good amount of human collaboration to successfully reduce an animal shelter’s euthanasia rate – just ask Granville Animal Services Manager Matt Katz. But that hard work paid off in 2020, and resulted in 1,927 animals’ lives being saved.
Last year, 2,050 animals came through the animal shelter, Katz said in his January update to the Granville County Board of Commissioners. The 1,927 animals saved translates to a low 6 percent euthanasia rate, which Katz described as “historic.”
“We are thankful and ecstatic for all the support we received in 2020, and are proud to have achieved such a major accomplishment,” he told commissioners.
From shelter staff and volunteers, rescue groups, veterinarians who donate medical care and partnerships with spay/neuter programs, Katz said the team effort paid off in the constant battle to find homes for animals who come to the shelter.
For instance, shelter staff partner with foster families to help kittens become socialized and acclimated to living in a home. This program alone, Katz said, saved the lives of 243 kittens. Shelter volunteers who do everything from walking dogs to socializing kittens provide an invaluable service to support the work of the staff, he added. The growing network of animal rescue groups forming partnerships with the local shelter means that animals may have a better chance at adoption. Of all the animals that came through the shelter last year, Katz said 1,170 – 57 percent – left through animal rescue groups.
“We are so proud our staff and volunteers for their hard work in making this happen,” said Granville County Board of Commissioners Chair Sue Hinman, who also serves as liaison for the Animal Advisory Committee. “We thank them for their compassion for all the animals cared for at the shelter, and appreciate the support of the community in helping them reach this goal,” she said.
The animal shelter moved to its new location in 2020, and Katz said the extra kennel space and healthier environment are definite positives. Public support for animal control policies, increases in funding from the county and public support all contribute to the success the shelter has had in reducing the euthanasia rate. Healthier, more socialized animals translates into more adoptable animals.
When donations come in from the community, the shelter can free more funds to spay or neuter animals, which addresses the problem of overpopulation.
Cooperative Extension with Jamon Glover 02-11-21 – Parenting Styles Overview
/by CharleneListen live at 100.1 FM / 1450 AM / or on the live stream at WIZS.com at 2 PM Monday – Thursday.
Warren County Memorial Library Celebrates Black History Month
/by WIZS Staff— press release
Warren County Memorial Library (WCML) will host a variety of programs, feature informative displays, and connect patrons with illuminating information as they celebrate Black History Month. The national theme for Black History Month 2021 is The Black Family: Representation, Identity, Diversity.
WCML is excited to have the opportunity to virtually host historian Howard Burchette for “The Story of North Carolina’s Buffalo Soldiers” on Friday, February 26th, at 1:00pm. The Buffalo Soldiers were six regiments of African-American soldiers authorized in 1866 to help keep the peace in the Great Plains as the railroad was expanding across the US. This program will highlight the men from North Carolina who served in these regiments. Mr. Burchette is a retired IBM data processing professional and historian with local ties. He has over 23 years of broadcast experience on public radio, hosting many shows, including his work as the current host of The Funk Show on WNCU 90.7 FM. This live event will take place via Zoom. It can be easily accessed by going to www.tinyurl.com/WCMLBurchette2021 or calling 646-558-8656. The meeting ID is 865 4352 5393 and the password is 479626.
The library is also hosting the “Seeking Justice Artistic Display” provided by the Warren County NAACP and its SPARK committee during the entire month of February. This display chronicles the history of the lynching of two men that happened in Warrenton in January of 1921. Interested parties can view the display at any time during the library’s regular business hours – Monday through Friday, 8:00am to 3:00pm.
In addition to the programs listed above, the library’s February event calendar is full of links, such as NC Learn’s “African-American Music Trail” and TheHistoryMakers’ “African-Americans in Science”, as well as additional events. There’s something for everyone. Pick one up at the library or visit the library’s website (www.wcmlibrary.org) for more information. All library programs are free to the public. Call WCML for more information at 252-257-4990. The library is located at 119 S. Front Street, Warrenton NC 27589.
VGCC celebrates Entrepreneurship Week
/by WIZS Staff— courtesy of Vance Granville Community College
Vance-Granville Community College is celebrating National Entrepreneurship Week (Feb. 13-20, 2021) with a variety of virtual events for the community.
National Entrepreneurship Week (NEW), established by the United States Congress in 2006, is a celebration of small businesses, innovators, and creators who launch startups that bring ideas to life and drive economic vitality. “NEW is a time to celebrate, to be inspired and to get motivated to do what you love,” said VGCC Dean of Business & Industry Solutions Tanya Weary, who is coordinating the observance along with VGCC Small Business Center Director Sheri Jones.
VGCC’s online events kick off on Saturday, Feb. 13, at 9 a.m. with a video posted to the VGCC Facebook page (www.facebook.com/vancegranville), entitled “What is Entrepreneurship?” followed on Sunday, Feb. 14, at 9 a.m. with another video posted on the Facebook page, called “Do What You Love!”
On Monday, Feb. 15 at noon, VGCC will present a lively, one-hour seminar, entitled “Give It to the People: Your Brand, Your Voice, Your Business,” with instructor Chisa D. Pennix-Brown, the CEO of Lady Bizness. Attendees will learn how to empower their brand, enhance their voice and increase their business. There will be opportunities to ask questions of the presenter. Registration in advance is required through www.vgcc.edu/entre/.
The next day, Tuesday, Feb. 16, at noon, the community is invited to “Lunch with an Entrepreneur – Learn the Failures and Successes of Starting a Business,” with Jason Shearin, a seasoned entrepreneur and owner of Lake Gaston Coffee in Littleton. Shearin will lead a discussion on what it takes to own your own business and will take questions from participants. Registration in advance is required through www.vgcc.edu/entre/.
Dean Tanya Weary will lead a webinar, “Business Plan 101,” on Wednesday, Feb. 17, at noon. She will explain how one of the most important tasks in starting a new business or growing an existing business is the business plan. Registration in advance is required through www.vgcc.edu/entre/.
On Thursday, Feb. 18, at 9 a.m., the college will showcase one of its recent alumni, Greg Kelly, who graduated from the VGCC Truck Driver Training (CDL) program, on VGCC’s Facebook page.
On Friday, Feb. 19, at 9 a.m., the community can attend a virtual “StartUp Crawl” in order to learn about, and take a virtual tour of, a pair of local business incubators: Frontier Warren and the Creedmoor Business Center. This will be accessed on the VGCC Facebook page.
The series concludes on Saturday, Feb. 20, at 9 a.m., with a session called “Taking the Initiative.” This video, posted to the VGCC Facebook page, is designed for people who have ideas for small businesses and are ready to take the next steps. Sheri Jones, director of VGCC’s Small Business Center, will discuss what these aspiring entrepreneurs need to do.
The Small Business Center has a variety of resources to support entrepreneurs through education and training. For more information on the Small Business Center, contact Sheri Jones at joness@vgcc.edu or (252) 738-3240.
For more information about National Entrepreneurship Week, contact Tanya Weary at wearyt@vgcc.edu, visit www.vgcc.edu/entre/ and follow the VGCC Facebook page (www.facebook.com/vancegranville).
–VGCC–
TownTalk 2-11-21 Kevin Otis, Masonic Home For Children
/by WIZS StaffThe Masonic Home for Children in Oxford has a long history of providing for children who, for reasons beyond their control, need a place to live. And although things have evolved over the years, Administrator Kevin Otis said the MHCO mission remains the same, some 150 years after the orphanage was established.
Otis was on Thursday’s Town Talk with host John C. Rose and discussed a bit of the past, its relationship with nearby Central Children’s Home and what he hopes is in store for the future.
Both orphanages are recipients of a current donation drive, the idea of Alyssa Blair, an employee with the City of Oxford. Donations selected from a wish list may be dropped off at the City of Oxford offices, 300 Williamsboro St., Oxford through March 24, Otis said.
Household items like batteries and flashlights, dish towels and bath towels, as well as supplies for school or office would all be appreciated, he said. “If we get a box of pens donated, then we don’t have to buy a box of pens,” he said.
Any items that families seem to need to function properly would be useful. “We really go through that stuff” in the cottages, he said.
Currently, there are 37 children residing at MHCO. Stricter licensing regulations for staffing ratios make it more difficult to offer space to more children. The children live, family-style, not in dormitories as of old, but in cottages with two house parents.
For full audio click play…story continues below.
The campus, located at 600 College Street, has buildings that are occupied by other agencies that serve the community, and Otis is proud of the community partnerships that have developed over the years. For instance, Smart Start has a satellite office on campus, and there are Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops, too. He hopes a popular karate class can crank back up when COVID-19 restrictions loosen. And a plan is in the works to provide some additional services to those who live off campus, but said details have to be sorted out before any announcement is made.
Otis speculated that COVID-19 may play a role in the lower numbers of residents. “Families aren’t comfortable (with their children) being in congregate care. He said he hopes that a boost in marketing will reach families who need help. Older children could also be a part of the independent living program.
Further complicating the placement process is the requirement to quarantine for 14 days upon taking up residence at the orphanage, he said.
Admissions, or placements, is but a part of the job of MHCO administrator, Otis said. “It means you wear every hat,” he said. “You are the person communicating with the board, vetting ideas, getting their feedback of what are best practices and best business practices and then going ahead and making sure that we conform to those by policies and procedures,” he said. It involves fundraising, going out and doing presentations…and dealing with incidents that may arise,” he continued.
Being the administrator also involves, however “getting the pats on the back for the wonderful things that your staff has done,” Otis said. One initiative comes as a result of a grant from Triangle North Healthcare to train staff on the trauma-informed model of care through Cornell University. The practices included in this particular model of care “will help all of our staff, even maintenance and print shop people, understand better the traumatic situations that kids go through,” he said. It will provide a kind of comfort level for children who have been in traumatic situations, which helps them become more successful.
Otis said a strategic planning session is scheduled for March for the board, as well as some MHCO employees and other invitees. He hopes that this session will solidify a strong marketing plan for the next four years and beyond. The ultimate goal, he said, is to market the home, increase the number of children in residence and make sure the programs are delivered using best practices.
To learn more, please visit mhc-oxford.org, phone 919.693.5111 or send Otis an email at kotis@mhc-oxford.org