The Oxford Board of Commissioners will hold their next regular monthly meeting on Tuesday, May 8, 2018, at 7 p.m. inside the Commissioners Board Room at City Hall – 300 Williamsboro Street, Oxford.
At this meeting, there will be a public hearing to receive citizen input as to the needs of low and moderate income residents and neighborhoods within the City of Oxford.
-VGCC Press Release
Angela M. Thomas, dean of health sciences at Vance-Granville Community College, was recently honored with the President’s Leadership Award from Dr. Stelfanie Williams, the president of the college.
The honor is one of three Glen Raven Excellence in Teaching and Leadership Awards presented to VGCC employees during each academic year. The others, the Faculty Member of the Year and Staff Member of the Year awards, are presented in the fall semester. Glen Raven, Inc., the manufacturer with a site in Norlina, is a longtime VGCC partner. The company’s support includes sponsoring the annual stipends to recognize outstanding VGCC instructors and staff members and endowing many scholarships for students.
President Williams praised Thomas for her dedication and commitment. “Under the leadership of Dean Thomas, our Health Sciences division has continued to demonstrate excellence in preparing students for successful careers, while also growing with the addition of three new credential offerings, including the associate degree in Histotechnology, as well as new partnerships with four-year universities,” she said. The president added that Thomas had directly led two departments during the past year, along with her duties as dean. In one case, she obtained a certification outside of her discipline (Radiography) in order to take on such a responsibility.
In accepting the award, Thomas gave credit to her Health Sciences team and thanked them for their support of her efforts to provide leadership and to assist them with their growth. 
A resident of Hillsborough, Thomas graduated with an Associate in Applied Science degree in Radiologic Technology from Pitt Community College and a bachelor of arts in Forensic Science from Guilford College, before completing a master’s degree in Health Care Management from Ashworth College. Thomas continues to work as a radiologic technologist at UNC Hospitals.
She started her association with VGCC in 1997 as a part-time Radiography instructor, later becoming the program’s full-time clinical coordinator and then head of the program. Thomas was named VGCC’s Faculty Member of the Year in 2011. As dean of health sciences since 2013, she leads a division that includes the Histotechnology, Nursing, Human Services Technology, Medical Assisting, Pharmacy Technology and Radiography programs. Thomas is a graduate of the North Carolina Community College Leadership Program and completed the Executive Leadership Program through the College of Education at N.C. State University.
Angela Thomas holds her plaque for the leadership award. (VGCC photo)
-Information courtesy of Cynthia Bowen, City Clerk, City of Oxford
The public is invited to attend the second annual Multicultural Festival on Saturday, May 12, 2018, at the Central Children’s Home and Gym located at 211 West Antioch Drive in Oxford.
The event is sponsored by the John Chavis Historical Society and festivities will go from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Vendors and food trucks will be on site and door prizes will be given to lucky winners.
The festival will feature the Chuck Davis African American Dance Ensemble, the Haliwa-Saponi Native American Dancers and Latin American Vocalist and Guitarist Juan Gomez.
Come enjoy a fun-filled, cultural and inspiring day!
The highlight of the festival will be the Instoolment of Dr. Helen Chavis Othow as Queen Mother with Chief Omotolokun Omokunde presiding.
Tickets: Adults – $10.00; Family Group of 5 – $35; Students and Seniors – $5; Ages 7 and under – FREE.
Tickets can be purchased by calling (919) 693-9133 or emailing hdothow@embarqmail.com. Please send a cashier’s check or money order payable to The John Chavis Historical Society. Contributions to the John Chavis Historical Society may be mailed to P.O. Box 1737, Oxford, NC 27565. Your donation is tax-deductible.
(This is not a paid advertisement)
Join us for the 4th Annual Hawg in the Holler Music Festival on Saturday, April 28, 2018, from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. at Vino Oasi in Stem! Enjoy a great day of music, food, Kids Zone and much more. Bring the whole family! There will be great vendors and food trucks. This year’s beneficiary is Families Living Violence Free.
About the charity:
We honor families as the life of our community – where dreams are born, children are nurtured and adults find purpose. Because many members of our community who are victims of domestic violence and sexual assault are denied these rights to quality of life and to basic human dignity, Families Living Violence Free is dedicated to empowering Granville County families to live safe, non-violent lives.
Featured bands for the day include (in this order):
Mike Brooks from 98.3 is back as emcee; food vendors and some special family-friendly “surprises” throughout the day!
All parking will take place at the venue, Vino Oasi located at 3200 Bliss Trail, Stem, NC 27581.
Ticket price includes entry to festival and parking. No outside beverages or food allowed. Service animals only. All children must be supervised at all times.
Plan on bringing a lawn chair with you.
Visit our Facebook page to learn more and stay up-to-date on the festival!
(This is not a paid advertisement)
-Submitted by Cynthia Bowen, City Clerk, City of Oxford
The Finance Committee for the Oxford Board of Commissioners will meet on Friday, April 27, 2018, at 10 a.m. The meeting will be held in the 1st Floor Training Room of City Hall at 300 Williamsboro Street in Oxford. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss the FY 2018-2019 budget.
All those interested are invited to attend.
-Information provided by Debra Weary, Clerk to the Board/Assistant to the County Manager – Granville County
Reminder for Granville County Businesses and Residents:
If you haven’t yet taken the Granville County Residential or Business Survey about internet access, please make sure you do that before the end of the month. If you’re willing and able, we would greatly appreciate you spreading the word to your networks. Thanks for helping Granville County think strategically about the future of broadband in our county!
Remember–
Surveys can be found by clicking the links:
There will be a Kids in Parks Track Trail ribbon cutting at Granville Athletic Park Friday, April 20 at 3:30 p.m.
According to an email from Charla Duncan, management analyst and JCPC coordinator with Granville County, “We’re gearing up for Earth Day weekend! This is one more reminder before our grand opening of our Kids in Parks TRACK Trail program at the Granville Athletic Park! The kiosk will be installed at the first trail entrance of the park (enter through the main entrance of the GAP off of Belltown Road). We encourage you to bring your family! The activities for this trail are geared toward 6-12 year-olds. Consider registering your child prior to the event.”
The web page www.kidsinparks.com says, “Kids in Parks is an expanding network of family-friendly outdoor adventures called TRACK Trails. Each TRACK Trail features self-guided brochures and signs that turn your visit into a fun and exciting outdoors experience.”
The idea is to get kids unplugged from electronic devices and to get them outside doing physical activity.
By: Kelly Bondurant, Freelance Writer/Editor for Hire
Shepherd Youth Ranch, located in Creedmoor, NC, pairs rescue horses that have experienced abuse and neglect with children who have also experienced trauma.
Founded by Ashely Boswell in 2004, the program relocated from just outside of Charlotte, NC to Creedmoor seven years ago to provide local youth with equine-assisted learning and psychotherapy. The ranch currently serves a 12 county area with Vance, Granville, Franklin and Wake being their most heavily served population.
Trained horse counselors work with children and their families; however, Boswell believes it is the horses themselves who do the counseling. “Our horses have a great impact on these children’s lives,” said Boswell. “They are prey animals and can really read the nonverbal cues of people and know what’s going on.”
Since the therapy involves animals, Boswell believes this helps create a non-threatening environment that allows the children to open up and express their thoughts and frustrations.
Boswell has found that most of the participants two biggest fears are the fear of abandonment and the fear of rejection. “Many of the children have been abandoned by one or both parents,” Boswell said. “Also, many of the children have a fear of bullying and being rejected.”
At first, some of the children are intimidated by the sheer size of the horses. Boswell believes that overcoming this initial fear helps build life skills, “When a child can accomplish something in spite of that fear [of horses] they can then take the skills they learned with the horse out into the world and overcome other fears.”
Participants begin with Trail 2 Success, the foundation program of the ranch. This is a 24-week intensive equine-assisted learning program. Children attend weekly sessions while their parents attend monthly multi-family sessions.
After completing the Trail 2 Success program, children can enter the Shepherd Academy program to continue their work with the horses. “Children can participate in the Shepherd Academy program for as long as they want,” said Boswell. “The goal is that they will become interns and volunteer and serve other programs as mentors for other children.”
Both the Trail 2 Success and the Shepherd Academy programs are available for children ages 7-17. The ranch also provides a therapeutic riding program for children ages 4-17 with autism.
Many of the ranch’s horses have been with the program since it was first founded. According to Boswell, the majority of the horses are from abusive situations and were purchased directly by the ranch or were rescued by more official means.
Boswell explained that while the program began with mostly court-ordered participants, the word has spread about the ranch’s services and many children are now there of their own accord.
These children are often referred by school counselors, mental health professionals, youth organizations, court counselors, teachers and parents.
One of the most satisfying outcomes of the program, according to Boswell, is the positive effect the equine therapy has on the participants’ self-esteem and suspension rates, “During and after graduating from our program, there is a 95 percent decrease in both in and out of school suspension rates and a 99 percent decrease in recidivism.”
Boswell reports that only one child has gone back into the court system after completing the program in the 14 years it has been in operation.
In summing up the overall mission of the ranch Boswell stated that “we believe through God’s creation itself, the horse, that we can reach the unreachable.”
For more information on Shepherd Youth Ranch including their mission and volunteer opportunities, please call (919) 480-1535 or visit their website at www.shepherdyouthranch.org.
— press release
Granville County Conducts Internet Access Survey
Oxford, NC, March 20, 2018- Granville County is working hard to develop solutions to the Internet connectivity issues many of our residents and businesses face. Granville County has teamed up with Vance and Franklin Counties to work with the Kerr-Tar Regional Council of Governments and the firm Mighty River, out of Wake Forest. Mighty River, LLC is working to advise and assist all three counties in developing a broadband strategy tailored to the needs of each region.
Before Granville County can determine solutions, the Granville County Broadband Action Committee members need more information about the current state of affairs involving Internet/broadband connectivity throughout Granville County. Even if residents and businesses are satisfied with their Internet, the Granville County Broadband Action Committee is interested in hearing from those individuals and entities.
In order to help Granville County obtain more information, please take the brief residential and/or business surveys about your current Internet/broadband service (or lack of service) in Granville County. Share the surveys with your friends, family, and work associates (but please only take it once). Home-based businesses are asked to fill out both surveys. Information collected through the surveys will only be used in the Internet/broadband strategic planning process.
Surveys are available at:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/GranvilleCountyResidential
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/GranvilleBusinessSurvey
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Congratulations to Oxford Preparatory School sophomores Danny Gillis and Ian Simmons for their selection to represent the Griffins at the 2018 HOBY Leadership Seminar. Danny is the son of Kay and Peter Gillis from Wake Forest, NC. Ian, son of Candace and Demmarcus Simmons, is from Henderson, NC. The two young leaders were selected by the teaching staff of OPS based upon their critical thinking skills, creative approach to problem solving, sensitivity to the needs of others, courage to speak out, willingness to respectfully challenge the status quo and an interest in serving the community.
Since 1958, the Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership organization has provided transformative leadership development training that positively impacts the lives of students across the United States. In North Carolina, sophomores from across the state will spend 4 days on the campus of NC State University where they will be engaged in a fun, life-changing experience while they cultivate leadership skills that will serve them long into the future.
