Cooperative Extension with Wayne Rowland: Spiders
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Tag Archive for: #hendersonnews
WIZS Radio Henderson Local News 07-08-24 Noon
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TownTalk: Around Old Granville: Area Architects, Part 2
Historical architecture enthusiasts may be able to take a look at a structure and determine quickly who designed or built it. Take Jacob Holt, for example. The homes he built in and around Warren County in the 1840’s echoed Holt’s interest in Greek Revival and Italianate architecture.
Back then, it was common for one person to design, construct and finish interiors of homes, with help from area craftsmen and artisans, said local historian Mark Pace. Pace and WIZS co-host Bill Harris continued a discussion Wednesday about area architects from the pre-Civil War era to the 20th century.
Albert Gamaliel Jones, a contemporary of Holt, was known as a house carpenter, and, like Holt, drew from the classic Greek Revival and Italianate to create the buildings’ style.
He built homes like the Fuller Home in Louisburg, Ivy Hill near Hollister and Lake O’ The Woods in Warren County.
But, Pace said, he was also noted for numerous public buildings, including the 8-columned main building at Chowan College, the main building at Louisburg College and Wesleyan Female College.
“Sometimes it’s a little tricky to see where Holt stops and Jones starts,” Pace noted. Their styles are similar enough that one could be mistaken for the other.
Fast forward to the 20th century and Pace said a Virginia man – trained as a draftsman – became a registered engineer and set up a business in Henderson. The man was Eric G. Flannagan and his business – Eric G. Flannagan and Sons remained in operation until 2001, Pace said.
You don’t have to go far in Henderson to find a Flannagan building.
Pace has referred to the elder Flannagan as “the Jacob Holt of the 20th century.”
Flannagan’s style was a beaux arts style, sort of a post- Art Deco, Pace explained. Take Henderson High School.
What makes it beaux arts are the focus on symmetry and the details – gargoyles on the façade and embossed books under each window – that create that unique style that Pace said is a Flannagan hallmark.
Other area structures include the Methodist Church in downtown Henderson, the original Henderson fire station and the former municipal building beside it, the Orange Street School in Oxford and the main entrance to the Masonic Home for Children in Oxford.
Between Flannagan and his sons Eric Jr. and Stephen, the business has more than 600 homes and other structures to their credit.
When the business closed in 2001, the treasure trove of plans and blueprints were donated to N.C. State University and East Carolina University. And the North Carolina Room at the Richard Thornton Library in Oxford is the recipient of half a dozen boxes from the firm’s archives.
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Vance County Regional Farmers Market
Calvin Adcock has been a vendor at the Vance County Regional Farmers Market for 27 years. He’s set up shop on William Street, the YMCA, the old Lowe’s building and now at the market on Southpark Drive.
Manager Pat Ayscue calls Adcock a “one-man band” because he’s got “a little bit of everything that everybody wants.”
He fills his corner spot with canned tomatoes, chow-chow relish and more. Everybody comes in to see what he’s got for sale, Ayscue said during a special segment of the WIZS Home & Garden show Wednesday.
Adcock was certified to can tomatoes back in 2004, he said during the show, which was recorded at the market.
“Few tomatoes taste better than his,” Ayscue said.
Whether it’s canned tomatoes, canned green beans or freshly picked produce from other gardens from across the county, customers have their pick of anything from watermelons to eggplant now as the vendors bring a wide selection to the market on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
G & G Farms is a recent addition to the market, and Gian Jefferson said she and husband Gregory are enjoying being market vendors. They have different chicken breeds that lay all colors of eggs, Jefferson said.
Vance County Ag Agent Michael Ellington said helping new farmers get established and find their markets like the Jeffersons have is a highlight of his job.
Bob Parks of Parks’ Blackberries out on Bearpond Road brings his Natchez blackberries to the farmers market this time of year. The newer variety of blackberry ripens a little bit later, Parks said, helping to extend the season. Snack on fresh berries or bake them in a cobbler or dumpling for a super sweet treat.
Adcock, who will celebrate his 86th birthday later this month, said he thinks this farmers market is wonderful. “I appreciate it and like it – it’s really helped the community,” he said.
“Most people have got most anything here you want,” he said.
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WIZS Radio Henderson Local News 07-03-24 Noon
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The Local Skinny! Events At Perry Memorial Library
If you grew up in Henderson and you’re of a certain age, you may have fond memories of spending summer afternoons in the children’s section of the H. Leslie Perry Memorial Library. The children’s section was in the basement, and you could either go in at ground level or climb those impressive front steps and then head down the metal stairs just beyond the main Circulation Desk.
Either way, you ended up in a cool, quiet spot and peruse books to your heart’s content.
“Cool” is about the only similarity between the old library and the new Perry Memorial Library, however.
There are still plenty of books to choose from, and the AC is a welcome relief from the recent early-summer heat, to be sure.
But chances are good that there was NEVER an obstacle course set up for children to enjoy at the old library. It’s just one of the activities that Youth Services Director Melody Peters and team have planned, all in the name of summer fun.
The obstacle course, “Adventures in Imagination,” kicked off at 4 p.m. today, and Peters said she wanted to tap into children’s different learning styles. Some kids are tactile learners and like to touch and feel things to help them learn. Kinesthetic learners are active, so there’s a place for them to crawl and jump around as they progress along the obstacle course, picking their way across a river filled with crocodiles. This is where Peters stresses the word ‘imagination’ – the crocodiles, rocks and river are made of paper, she said.
The topic moves from imagination to science for the next couple of weeks, when participants will get to do some STEM activities with N.C. Cooperative Extension staff on Tuesday, July 9 and then on July 16 a geologist from the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences is going to come talk about rocks. There will be some geodes to crack, so if your kids have never done that before, bring them to the library that day.
Family Story Time takes place on Sunday, July 28 and Peters has planned a special version of the Olympic Games for that afternoon event, complete with edible medals – think Oreos and Twizzler ropes.
Visit https://www.perrylibrary.org/ to learn about all the programs and services available at your local library.
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WIZS Radio Henderson Local News 07-02-24 Noon
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Cooperative Extension with Michael Ellington: Drought
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The Local Skinny! Involving Churches In Mental Health Education
A bill introduced by Rep. Frank Sossamon that would get the faith community invested and involved in tackling mental health issues has passed the House in an almost unanimous vote, leaving passage by the Senate and then the governor’s signature before it can become law.
Sossamon said a pilot program is all set to be rolled out in Vance and Granville counties, which he represents – he’s just waiting for the bill to clear the last two hurdles. If all goes well, the plan is to have a program kickoff in September.
“We’ve got our notebook ready with all the material,” Sossamon said on Monday’s segment of The Local Skinny! “But we can’t do anything until it’s signed into law.”
The bill creates three levels of certification that churches can participate in to help their congregations and the larger community with education about mental health topics and resources available in the area.
More than 30 churches and other faith-based organizations are already signed up, according to information in Sossamon’s monthly newsletter to constituents.
The first level includes an orientation for church leadership to become familiar with resources in the area, Sossamon said, as well as inviting a pastor to preach about a different topic each month. Hearing about, say, depression from the pulpit or in Sunday School classes may help to remove the stigma of mental illness, he said. “It demystifies mental illness…and is also liberating” for someone who may be suffering in silence. It lets them know they can have a conversation with their pastor, or others in the church. “That in itself brings healing,” Sossamon added.
The next level of certification involves a quarterly training on mental health and level 3 involves specialized mental health first aid training and training to recognize someone who may be in crisis or expressing suicidal thoughts.
“We are still in the midst of a mental health crisis in North Carolina,” said Representative Frank Sossamon. “This program provides a unique opportunity to tap into the compassion and dedication of our faith communities to support their fellow citizens. By leveraging the trust and connections that churches have within their communities, we can make a meaningful impact on mental health care and support.”
Pastors in Vance and Granville counties can sign up HERE to get on the official list and receive kickoff information and program updates. If you are outside of Granville County or Vance County and interested in participating in the program, keep on eye on Sossamon’s monthly newsletter to know when the program will expand to other counties.
Sossamon and bill sponsors urge all North Carolinians to contact their state senators and express their support for HB 982. By advocating for this bill, you can help ensure that it becomes law and that our faith communities are empowered to play a vital role in addressing the mental health crisis.
View the bill text here and see its progress here.
To learn more about the faith-based program or to sign up for Sossamon’s monthly newsletter, visit https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sl/zdADBdY.
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TownTalk: Introducing Cooperative Extension Agriculture Agent Michael Ellington
When Michael Ellington was getting his plant nursery up and running a few years ago in neighboring Granville County, he turned to a trusted source – his local cooperative extension agent – for guidance as he built his business literally from the ground up.
That agent was Johnny Coley, and Ellington said he provided so much more than technical support. “It opened my eyes to what extension could do for me” beyond those technical aspects.
And now, as the agricultural agent for Vance County, Ellington said he’s using a three-pronged approach to his new role: Support, Strengthen and Sustain.
Ellington and Vance County Cooperative Extension Director Dr. Wykia Macon shared their vision about how the various extension agents can help residents in a variety of ways.
“There’s a lot more to agriculture and I think people are finally starting to wake up to that,” Ellington, a Henderson native, said on Monday’s TownTalk. After he left Vance County, he got a master’s degree at Virginia Tech and then spent some time in Charlottesville before coming back to the area and starting Notta Farm and Nursery, LLC.
He got reacquainted with Vance County when he became a vendor at the regional farmers market; “I really enjoyed reaching out to customers” and engaging with them.
From there, it wasn’t a big stretch to decide that he could engage with others in the community as an extension agent.
He and Macon met at a vendor meeting, and that’s when the seed was, um, planted – pun intended.
Ellington said it’s important the folks know that extension is supportive of their efforts and “is still a great resource for them,” but he wants to strengthen agriculture’s roots and create new producers as they create greater sustainability in the county.
“We want people to know that extension is going to be there for them and will be for the long haul,” he said.
Macon said she and staff have plans to make the regional farmers market a place where people want to be, not just for a few minutes to pick up some fresh produce, but a place that provides other opportunities for young and senior residents alike.
As a vendor for several years at the farmers market, Ellington said he noticed that customers were either seniors or very young. And he wants to change that, “get people cooking again,” he said.
Whether with food trucks or by offering samples of local produce used for meal-making or just for snacks, extension has some plans to get more people to visit the market.
“There are exciting things coming,” Macon said.
In his first four weeks on the job, Ellington said he’s been out in the community he grew up in, shaking hands and getting to know people. He hopes to cultivate associations with other agencies and groups to promote awareness.
“It’s important for us to get out in front of people,” Macon added. Whether it’s a church group, a community center or an apartment, Macon said she and her staff want the community to know that the farmers market accepts senior vouchers and EBT, for example, and that 4-H isn’t just for kids who want to learn about farming – they can learn about STEM, robotics and more.
Visit https://vance.ces.ncsu.edu/ to learn more.
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