Back in the mid 1970’s, when José Peralta was in middle school at what was then Vance Academy, soccer hadn’t yet gotten a toehold in the area. But by the time Peralta and some of his Spartan teammates made their mark on the soccer field as Vance Senior High School Vikings, all that was changing.
It was early days for soccer when Peralta was in high school, but he told WIZS co-hosts Bill Harris and George Hoyle Thursday that the team began to make a name for itself. “We beat one of the Raleigh teams – Sanderson,” he recalled, a soccer powerhouse at the time.
And that’s when the letters starting hitting his family’s Ruin Creek Road mailbox, he said. College coaches, asking him to consider playing goalkeeper for them.
But Peralta’s focus was on academics, and ultimately he chose Wake Forest University. Earlier this month, his alma mater chose Peralta to join the Wake Forest Sports Hall of Fame.
You see, it’s Peralta who still holds the NCAA Division I record for career saves at a whopping 620 – that’s 342 more saves than anyone else in program history.
Peralta is one of only two goalkeepers in NCAA Division I history who can claim more than 600 saves.
As a freshman, he had 164 saves – the most by any freshman in program history.
He holds the four highest single-season number of saves in program history: 218 in 1983; 164 in 1980; 126 in 1982; and 112 in 1981.
Peralta’s statistics at WFU have stood the test of time – he was a member of the very first men’s soccer team at the school.
“Wake Forest didn’t even have a soccer team when I went there,” he said. What’s more, he didn’t know the school was thinking about forming one.
But, he said, God has a plan.
He remembers back to 1979, sitting in the quad with his parents – both beloved Spanish teachers in Vance County Schools – “all of a sudden I see these guys,” he said, who said soccer tryouts were going to start in 30 minutes, if he wanted to check it out.
Peralta said he kissed his parents goodbye and headed off to try out for the team.
They played as a club team that first year, with Peralta in the goal. He was the only walk-on to make the team.
Coach George Kennedy’s brother did goalkeeper camps and Peralta credits him with teaching him the goalkeep position from not only a physical standpoint but a mental one as well.
Reflecting on his time in the goal as a Demon Deacon, Peralta said he and his teammates helped to lay a good foundation for the program, now more than 40 years later.
His children, one of the grandchildren, a dozen or more teammates from the old days and a bunch of fraternity brothers all attended the induction ceremony, held Feb. 9 in Winston-Salem.
“The ceremony was awesome,” Peralta said. And at the Wake-N.C. State basketball game held later afternoon, Peralta was called to midcourt at halftime to receive a plaque and be recognized for his achievements.
One of those accolades is that Peralta was an All-ACC academic every year he was at Wake.
“I dedicated myself to soccer, but the classroom was extremely important,” he said.
SGHS Senior Honored As Chamber’s February Student Spotlight Winner
/by WIZS StaffA South Granville High School senior has been recognized as the February Student Spotlight winner by the Granville County Chamber of Commerce.
Madison Lavrack was nominated by Leah Powell, a digital teacher & learning advisor with Granville County Public Schools, for her leadership and advocacy skills she exhibits in both school-based and districtwide roles.
Madison is part of the Student Technology Assistance & Response team – STAR – at her school, and she also supervises a four-member team that manages district and school websites and communications, Powell noted in her nomination.
“Recently, she has taken on the role of managing the STAR team’s new members on the Marketing Team, further displaying her commitment to providing opportunities and information to fellow students,” Powell said.
As a student ambassador for SGHS, she actively promotes a culture of positivity by collaborating closely with staff and students. She is an open-minded individual and willing to share ideas and receive feedback.
As Madison nears graduation, her top school choice is UNC-Wilmington. She plans to major in business while also having a strong passion for marketing and design as well as business management. Her experience with the GCPS Marketing & Promotional Support STAR Team has increased her interest in not only marketing but also in graphic design. Madison strives to continually learn new things and increase her knowledge in various subjects relating to business.
Madison has played a crucial role within their team, with Powell noting her growth over time and her willingness to take on new responsibilities. Described as a go-getter who approaches tasks with care and kindness, Powell expresses immense pride in Madison’s achievements. And indeed, we share in that pride!
Vance Commissioner Sean Alston Participates In UNC School Of Government Leadership Program
/by WIZS StaffVance County Commissioner Sean Alston has completed the Advanced Leadership Corps training offered each year to select local elected officials by the UNC-CH School of Government in Chapel Hill.
The ALC is described as an intensive leadership development program designed by the School’s Center for Public Leadership and Governance. The weeklong residential program is a dynamic experience that helps participants learn about their own leadership styles, inspire others to work toward a shared vision and gain insights into how to work together to build better relationships and achieve far-reaching results.
More than 200 local elected leaders from across North Carolina have completed this selective program since it began in 2013.
“I don’t try to compete with anyone and I never try to be better than anyone,” Alston said in a press statement. “I simply try to be better than I was yesterday. Look, listen and learn! Small steps make giant waves.”
Alston said he ran for office to make a difference in his district and in the county. “I wanted to be able to make the best decisions for our citizens because they matter the most. I am developing myself professionally so that I can give back to my community. I see true growth on the horizon and I am here for the long run. I believe Vance County is situated perfectly and ready for much needed change.”
The leadership program, through support by the N.C. Association of County Commissioners and Empower Retirement, allows elected officials from across the state to attend with only a modest cost to the local unit of government.
For more information about the Advanced Leadership Corps and other programming for elected officials offered by the Center for Public Leadership and Governance at the UNC School of Government, contact Patrice Roesler at 919.843.4167 or proesler@sog.unc.edu.
WIZS Radio Local News Audio 03-01-24 Noon
/by Bill HarrisClick Play to Listen. On Air at 8am, 12pm, 5pm M-F
WIZS Radio ~ 100.1FM/1450AM
N.C. Forest Service: Safety First To Prevent Wildfires
/by WIZS StaffThe N.C. Forest Service reminds everyone to use extreme caution with all outdoor fires, especially yard debris burns, as thoughts turn to spring and tidying up landscapes. And don’t forget: You need a valid burn permit before you start a fire.
In 2023, the Forest Service responded to more than 5,300 wildfires across the state. The main culprit: Escaped burn debris, according to information from fire service officials.
“Last year, 99 percent of wildfires in our state were directly related to human activity,” said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. “This means that most of our wildfires could have been prevented. Before choosing to burn yard debris, make sure you have a valid burn permit, check the weather and avoid burning on dry, windy days. You are the first line of defense when it comes to preventing wildfires.”
Spring weather tends to draw people outdoors to work in their yards and many choose burning as a method to dispose of leaves, limbs and other yard debris.
“During the spring season, fires can spread quickly,” said State Forester David Lane. “Your N.C. Forest Service county ranger is a resource and can provide guidance about when, where and how to burn safely outdoors. Contact your local NCFS county ranger’s office before starting an outdoor fire.”
Rob Montague is the ranger for Vance and Granville counties. His email is Vance.ncfs@ncagr.gov and his phone is 919.693.3154.
Brian Champion is the ranger for Franklin County. His email is Franklin.ncfs@ncagr.gov and his phone is 919.496.3665.
Jim Short serves Warren County; reach him via Franklin.ncfs@ncar.gov or 252.257.5960.
The N.C. Forest Service also offers the following tips:
To learn more about fire safety and preventing wildfires and loss of property, refer to Fire Safety Outdoors. For information about creating defensible space and a fire-resistant landscape around your home and property, visit www.resistwildfirenc.org.
Kerr-Tar COG Schedules Info Sessions On Local Food Systems
/by WIZS StaffWhat do you think about when you hear or read the phrase “food chain?”
Some folks may think back to elementary school Science lessons that talked about little fish getting gobbled up by bigger and bigger fish. But the Kerr-Tar region Council of Government is scheduling a series of meetings – one in each of the five counties it represents – for regional policymakers to hear from folks in the community about what’s working and what’s needed when it comes to our local “food chain.”
One of the outcomes of the meetings is the development of a food policy council, according to information publicizing the events.
If you think about it, we’re all part of the “food chain” whether we grow and market vegetables locally or simply prepare meals for ourselves and our families.
Everyone is welcome to share experiences, successes and challenges – from the consumer to producer, as well as food pantry partners and other agencies in the community.
The meetings begin next week in Roxboro and continue through March. Each session will be from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. To register for one of the meetings, email crobinette@kerrtarcog.org or phone 980.389.3446.
Here’s the list of meetings:
TownTalk: Around Old Granville – Drug Stores
/by Laura GabelToday’s pharmacies just don’t have the same feel as those “drug stores” from days gone by. Nowadays, it’s all business, filling prescriptions and answering questions at a special window marked “consultation.”
That’s not all bad, by the way. We can thank a fellow originally from New Bern who moved to Oxford back in 1884 for standardizing the drug industry.
Local historian Mark Pace called Franklin Wills Hancock “the father of pharmacies in North Carolina.”
Hancock started at drug store in Oxford and enjoyed a 68-year career. When he died at age 92, he was the oldest licensed pharmacist in the country. His almost seven decades was the longest tenure as a druggist.
In fact, he was the first licensed druggist, Pace said.
Before licensing was required, there was little standardization among drug stores, apothecaries and other establishments.
Henderson is home to two independent pharmacies – Mast Drug and Medical Arts Pharmacy, and both have been around for decades. Bill Mast started Mast Drug in 1962 and Chocky White started Medical Arts in 1971. Their presence in the community has not faded, despite the existence of larger chain stores.
If you’ve lived in the area long enough, you remember Parker’s, Page’s and Woolard’s. Even the Florida-based chain store Eckerd’s had a front-row seat at the Henderson Mall, complete with a lunch counter and grill in its heyday.
In Granville County, there was Puckett’s up in Stovall that was in business from 1934-1984 and Jones Drug in downtown Oxford. Charlie Jones returned to his hometown and ran his drug store from 1955 to 2009. He continued working part-time well into his 90s at one of the chain stores in Oxford.
The best information Pace can find notes that John G. Hall opened the first drug store in Oxford in 1879. When it closed in 2000, it could claim being in operation over three centuries – the 19th, 20th and 21st, Pace said.
It opened just more than a decade after the Civil War ended, when folks used home remedies concocted from roots and bark and other materials found in nature.
“In the early days of drug stores and pharmacies, basically they were winging it,” Pace said. “They had their own cures, their own method of doing things.”
And many of those early pharmacists touted patented medicines, including Owen Davis, a Henderson pharmacist who formulated “Atlas Celery Phosphate Vitalizer” at Atlas Medicine Company in town.
At 50 cents a bottle, it claimed to cure everything from “general debility” to virility problems.
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The Local Skinny! Mar. 5 Primary Elections
/by WIZS StaffThe March 5 primary elections are upon us, and local elections officials are gearing up to make sure all goes smoothly.
There are a couple of updates from state elections officials that could have an impact on how local officials process the early voting and absentee votes next week.
With only two contested races in the upcoming primary, local officials should be able to manage without too much trouble, but instead of tabulating the early votes in advance of the 7:30 p.m. poll closing, they have to wait until after the polls close to make those tabulations.
WIZS News will be at the Vance County Board of Elections office Tuesday evening to report all the election results as they become available.
Since this is the first time the new rules will be in effect, it’s unclear just how long the early voting results may take, but it could be an hour or more before unofficial results can be posted.
One other change involves absentee ballots. Those ballots must be received no later than 7:30 p.m. on Election Day; this rule replaces the previous rule that allowed for a three-day grace period to receive absentee ballots.
Unlike early voting results, absentee-by-mail results can be tabulated before the polThose absentee results will likely be the first to appear publicly for any given county when the polls close. They will include all absentee ballots returned to the county boards of elections before Election Day. Under state law, ballots returned on Election Day are approved and added to the vote totals during the 10-day period after Election Day known as the “canvass.”
Canvass is the process of ensuring votes have been counted correctly and required audits have been completed, culminating in the certification of results during meetings of every county board of elections.
By law, these canvass meetings will be held by each county board of elections at 11 a.m. on Friday, Mar. 15. The state board will meet at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, Mar. 26 to finalize primary results.
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WIZS Radio Local News Audio 02-29-24 Noon
/by Bill HarrisClick Play to Listen. On Air at 8am, 12pm, 5pm M-F
WIZS Radio ~ 100.1FM/1450AM
Goalkeeper Peralta Among 2024 WFU Sports Hall Of Fame Inductees
/by Laura GabelBack in the mid 1970’s, when José Peralta was in middle school at what was then Vance Academy, soccer hadn’t yet gotten a toehold in the area. But by the time Peralta and some of his Spartan teammates made their mark on the soccer field as Vance Senior High School Vikings, all that was changing.
It was early days for soccer when Peralta was in high school, but he told WIZS co-hosts Bill Harris and George Hoyle Thursday that the team began to make a name for itself. “We beat one of the Raleigh teams – Sanderson,” he recalled, a soccer powerhouse at the time.
And that’s when the letters starting hitting his family’s Ruin Creek Road mailbox, he said. College coaches, asking him to consider playing goalkeeper for them.
But Peralta’s focus was on academics, and ultimately he chose Wake Forest University. Earlier this month, his alma mater chose Peralta to join the Wake Forest Sports Hall of Fame.
You see, it’s Peralta who still holds the NCAA Division I record for career saves at a whopping 620 – that’s 342 more saves than anyone else in program history.
Peralta is one of only two goalkeepers in NCAA Division I history who can claim more than 600 saves.
As a freshman, he had 164 saves – the most by any freshman in program history.
He holds the four highest single-season number of saves in program history: 218 in 1983; 164 in 1980; 126 in 1982; and 112 in 1981.
Peralta’s statistics at WFU have stood the test of time – he was a member of the very first men’s soccer team at the school.
“Wake Forest didn’t even have a soccer team when I went there,” he said. What’s more, he didn’t know the school was thinking about forming one.
But, he said, God has a plan.
He remembers back to 1979, sitting in the quad with his parents – both beloved Spanish teachers in Vance County Schools – “all of a sudden I see these guys,” he said, who said soccer tryouts were going to start in 30 minutes, if he wanted to check it out.
Peralta said he kissed his parents goodbye and headed off to try out for the team.
They played as a club team that first year, with Peralta in the goal. He was the only walk-on to make the team.
Coach George Kennedy’s brother did goalkeeper camps and Peralta credits him with teaching him the goalkeep position from not only a physical standpoint but a mental one as well.
Reflecting on his time in the goal as a Demon Deacon, Peralta said he and his teammates helped to lay a good foundation for the program, now more than 40 years later.
His children, one of the grandchildren, a dozen or more teammates from the old days and a bunch of fraternity brothers all attended the induction ceremony, held Feb. 9 in Winston-Salem.
“The ceremony was awesome,” Peralta said. And at the Wake-N.C. State basketball game held later afternoon, Peralta was called to midcourt at halftime to receive a plaque and be recognized for his achievements.
One of those accolades is that Peralta was an All-ACC academic every year he was at Wake.
“I dedicated myself to soccer, but the classroom was extremely important,” he said.
Coop Extension With Paul McKenzie: What Works in the Garden
/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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