Tag Archive for: #hendersonnews

Community Resource Festival

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By all accounts, Thursday’s Community Resource Festival at the Vance-Granville Civic Center was a success as hundreds of participants visited more than 60 vendors to learn about services they provide and more. For Michelle Walker, this event was the culmination of months of planning with community partners to help local residents learn about available programs and services that are right here for the asking.

Walker is the sales and account manager with Huff Consulting. She and other key planning partners invested time and energy into Thursday’s result, and she couldn’t be more pleased.

“As long as I have the opportunity, I’m going to do things like this to help people,” Walker told WIZS as she surveyed the activity around her. Walker and others no doubt have poured their heart and soul into making this festival a success, and Walker could barely hold back tears as she watched community agency representatives interact and connect with individuals from the community.

Huff Consulting is a recruiting firm that works with a wide range of employees – from day laborers to corporate executives, Walker said, adding that her company has recognized the struggles that face many in the community. “Everybody has a need,” Walker said on an earlier TownTalk broadcast to promote the event. And this resource festival is a way to bridge the gap between available resources and the folks who are looking for them.

Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce President Sandra Wilkerson said things got off to a good start in the morning and continued throughout the afternoon.

“We have absolutely packed the house,” Wilkerson told WIZS during the initial hour of the resource festival. During the planning process, she said, she and other organizers had a vision to bring under one roof community resources for the public to come and get information.

Sixty-plus organizations appeared from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. – there were representatives from fire and police departments, as well as churches, non-profits and businesses from Vance and Granville counties. The event was free to attend, and more than 150 people were in attendance around 11 a.m., visiting the various information tables located throughout the Civic Center.

The Vance and Granville Chambers of Commerce, along with VGCC and Huff Consulting, teamed up to put on the festival.

VGCC President Dr. Rachel Desmarais said she didn’t hesitate when she was approached with the idea for a community resource festival.

“We think of ourselves as a convener and a catalyst,” Desmarais said in an interview during the Thursday event. “The community is serving its constituents – this is how we all get better…and do better.”

This event was just one more way to empower people to care for themselves as they networked with community businesses, non-profits, churches and other resources in the area. “Whatever their goal may be, they’re welcome here. We want (the community) to remember that Vance Granville really does care.”

Granville Vance Public Health – As the name implies, the agency serves the two counties, and Tayshah Josey was on hand to discuss a variety of programs available to residents. From family planning and maternal care to STD and HIV testing, Josey said the health department is here for the community.

Josey said a new program designed to reduce infant mortality will be rolled out in the next few months. Participants who complete a infant safe sleep training will get rewarded with a new crib.

HIV test kits are available at the health department, too. These are home kits and individuals can request two free kits within a 90-day time frame. The STD clinic is available for walk-ins, but appointments also are available.

Family planning clinics use a sliding-scale for payment, Josey added. Visit https://www.gvph.org/ to learn about all the services GVPH provides.

Maria Parham Health – Donna Young, MPH marketing director, was on hand to network and provide information about the hospital, which enjoys high marks from Leapfrog, a national organization that measures patient safety. “We got an A for the Fall of 2022,” Young noted, which means that hospital staff puts patient safety first.

Whether getting care at the Duke-accredited cancer center, heart catheterization lab or any of the other departments, patients can be assured they’ll be taken care of.

Young said she fielded questions on a variety of topics at the resource festival, including inpatient rehab services. Whether you’re speaking to her in person or contact her via email at Donna.Young@lpnt.net, Young said you’ll get the answers you need.

“Every one of those inquiries goes straight to my inbox,” she explained, and she then routes each question to the right person to answer the question.

State Farm – In addition to medical care, a community needs other services as well, including insurance. State Farm Insurance Agency in Henderson provides the full range of insurance services in the area, and local agent Margier White had her sister, Davida Rascoe, with her at the vendor table Thursday.

State Farm is all about helping people when they’re in trouble, Rascoe said. “You need someone who cares,” she said, “who have your concerns at heart.” Her sister does a great job at making sure they cover whatever you need.”

Vance County Sheriff Curtis Brame was in attendance, among other area law enforcement agencies.

“This is an awesome opportunity for citizens,” Brame said Thursday morning. Many agencies –  the sheriff’s office among them – also has applications available at the community resource festival.

Granville Health System – Granville Primary Care offers a complete range of services, from pediatrics to geriatrics, and Renita Timberlake said the Butner office offers primary care as well as express care services. A team of 10 providers in the Oxford office also works with businesses to provide services like drug screens for employees and workers’ comp claims.

Gail Barnes-Hall is the director of the Harold Sherman Adult Day Center, which provides respite care for those who care for loved ones with physical or cognitive issues. The center is open Monday through Friday from 7:15 a.m. to 5:15 p.m., Barnes-Hall said. Participants get three meals a day and participate in engaging activities, all while giving their caregivers a break from their care-giving duties.

Visit https://ghshospital.org/ to learn more.

HubZone Technology Initiative – Bryan Davis and Mark Williams work with HubZone, whose mission is twofold – refurbishing donated laptops and distributing them to those who need them, which keeps them in use and out of landfills.

“We help bridge the digital divide,” Williams said Thursday morning. The donated laptops have their data wiped before they’re converted to Chromebooks and donated to local nonprofits.

“We serve them so they can help the broader community,” Williams said.

Davis started out with HubZone as a photographer – until they found out he had experience with refurbishing computers himself.

Learn more about HubZone, located at 208 N. Garnett St., at https://www.hubzonetech.org/

Henderson Family YMCA – Tesa Alexander is membership director for the Henderson Family YMCA. The Y, located at 380 Ruin Creek Road, is the only Y in the four-county area, and Alexander said joining fees were waived for anyone who signed up at the resource festival.

“We try to partner with the community and make it a better place,” Alexander said. “We build our community by working with one another.” The Y will sponsor “Healthy Kids Day” Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Vendors, food trucks and more will be on hand at the Y to celebrate the nationwide observance.

Guardian Ad Litem, 9th Judicial District – Samantha Branch is supervisor of the guardian ad litem program for the 9th Judicial District, which includes Vance and Granville counties. April is Child Advocate Month and Branch said her agency is always looking for volunteers to be a voice in the court system for abused and neglected children. “The goal is to get children back with their family unit,” Branch told WIZS. “We gather information and report back to the court (about) what is going to be in the best interest of the child.”

Visit www.volunteerforgal.org to learn more.

 

Vance County High School

SportsTalk: Viper Football Starts Spring Workouts

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Football may be months away but the Vance County Vipers are busy with preparations as they start Spring workouts. Coach Aaron Elliott is back for his second season and is the only coach in the school’s history to return after their initial year. “We have been wide open for Spring workouts with great numbers. We had 45 kids on Monday. A lot more than we expected,” Elliott said, on Thursday’s SportsTalk.

The team is returning a number of star players from last year’s playoff team including all of last year’s starting linebackers. One of those returning players is Tashon Alston. Alston is also getting looks from division one schools. South Carolina has made an offer to Alston. “It felt good. It felt awesome to hear about the offer,” Alston said while joining his coach on the show.

Elliott is also pleased that his entire coaching staff from last season has remained intact and, while pleased with all of the players and coaches that are returning, he is also excited about new faces to the program. For the first time the Vipers now have a weight training instructor. “That was the missing piece to the puzzle,” Elliott said.

The Vipers will practice through the end of next week and then take a break for exams and graduation before ramping back up in June.

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Cooperative Extension With Jamon Glover Balancing Family And Work, Pt. 4

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Listen 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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The Local Skinny! COVID Has Not Gone Away

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There aren’t as many people still following the CDC guidelines that call for mask-wearing in public, but there remain some for whom “COVID fatigue” has not affected.

Schools, hospitals, doctors’ offices and other places that once required temperature checks and masks before entering have loosened those protocols.

Dr. Tracei Ball, a spokesperson for NC Department of Health and Human Services, encourages everyone to stay current on COVID vaccinations to reduce the risk of contracting the disease.

As long as it’s around, people are susceptible, so it’s imperative to stay protected, Ball said.

Ball is chief medical officer for OnCall Mobile Medical and Wellness in the Charlotte Metro area, and she told Bill Harris on Wednesday’s segment of The Local Skinny! that even though COVID no longer steals the headlines and news broadcasts as it did over the past couple of years, it still poses a risk.

“We’re still seeing hospitalizations and deaths,” she said. “We need to stay abreast of what’s happening with COVID regardless of what’s happening in the headlines.”

The bivalent vaccine against COVID works, she said. “That’s going to give you the greatest protection against COVID right now,” Ball said.

And by the way, if the last vaccine you received was before September 2022, you’re due for a booster. And anyone 65 or older or who has a medical condition that puts you in a higher risk for infection is eligible for a booster if it’s been more than four months since your last one.

“If we all work together  and do our part, we protect not only ourselves, but our loved ones as well,” Ball said. “We may have to deal with COVID for some time.”

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The Local Skinny! Home And Garden Show 04-26-23

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On the Home and Garden Show with Vance Co. Cooperative Ext.

  • Protect transplants from cutworms by placing a cardboard collar made from a empty paper towel roll around the stem of the transplant . You can make 4 collars from 1 paper towel roll.
  • Tomato tip: Plant multiple varieties, including cherry and disease resistant hybrids.
  • When planting transplants try to plant them on non windy days.
  • Tomato tip: Provide consistent soil moisture through drip irrigation.
  • When planting seed in conventional rows and we get a hard rain within two days of your planting use a leaf rake to lightly loosen the soil surface to get rid of crusty soil so seedlings can emerge through the top edge of soil.
  • Tomato tip: Look for healthy transplants – stocky, deep green foliage, healthy roots.
  • Don’t over water plants check soil media first if it is moist wait another to water your plants

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TownTalk: VGCC Concert Band To Perform Monday Night

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Join the VGCC Community Band for its spring concert at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, May 1 at McGregor Hall. Director Brian “Doc” Miller says the 40-plus member band will perform in the style of a good, old-fashioned band concert. And if you look closely, you may see an unusual percussion instrument that Miller himself will play for one selection.

The audience will be invited to sing along with a “nice and brisk” rendition of “The Star Spangled Banner, the band will continue with the state song of North Carolina, “The Old North State.”

Other selections include an overture from a movie called “The Cowboys,” Miller said on TownTalk. The movie was a dud, but composer John Williams’s music has endured. “It’s a great piece of music,” Miller said.

More along the tradition of the high school band concerts of yore are “In A Chinese Temple Garden” and a waltz called “Song of Love” from the 1921 musical “Blossom Time.”

Miller also will lead the band in another of what he calls a classic American march – the National Emblem March by E.E. Bagley, who composed the music in 1906.

And stay tuned for the concert finale, a piece originally created for the organ and transcribed for the band by UNC’s band director back in the 1920’s and ‘30’s.

“It’s a real barn burner,” Miller said. “It’s a technical challenge but I think the audience will enjoy it.”

That seems like a lot of music to pack into one hour, but that’s the goal, Miller said, remembering advice given long ago to always leave the audience wanting more, not wishing it were already over.

Will there be Sousa?

As long as Miller has a say, that answer will always be a resounding and emphatic Yes!

“Nothing beats a good old-fashioned Sousa march,” he said.

But what about that unusual percussion instrument?

It’s a typewriter – an Underwood Model 5 typewriter, to be precise –  and it’s from Miller’s personal collection.

Miller will yield the baton to Sam Morgan to perform with the band in its performance of Leroy Anderson’s classic “The Typewriter,” which he composed in the 1920’s.

 

Want to join in the fun and play with the VGCC Community Band? It’s open to all. Call 252.738.3371 to learn more.

 

 

The Local Skinny! Maria Parham Unveils Oasis Room Art

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The staff at Maria Parham Health have enjoyed the amenities of their Oasis room for about a year – the massage chairs, a TV, soothing music, beverages and snacks are just a few of the perks that filled the space.

The blank wall was a perfect candidate for some artwork, and thanks to high school junior and budding artist Abi Short, that wall now is the permanent home for a painting Short calls “Peace.”

Short, 16, is the daughter of MPH Cardiologist Dr. Sydney Short. She joined her parents, hospital staff and community leaders as her painting was unveiled Monday.

The idea for the Oasis room came about as hospital employees and health professionals everywhere were strained because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The hospital came up with the idea for a spot where staff could take a step away from the stress of their jobs for just a few minutes – a quick cup of coffee while listening to some music or a few minutes in a massage chair can do wonders during the work day.

MPH CEO Bert Beard told those assembled at the unveiling that the space is a place to recharge and relax. “We want to continue to do things that are going to enhance our workplace,” Beard said, because we know “that enhances the care we give to our patients.”

Cancer Center Director Kimberly Smith is on the hospital’s Awards and Resilience Committee and she said having a spot like the Oasis room helps reduce staff burnout – it’s a place where people can “come in and take a break and a breather,” she said.

Donna Young, MPH marketing director, said the hospital invited employees’ families to enter an art contest to find the perfect painting for the accent wall inside the Oasis room.

“We knew we wanted something really special,” Young said. “We got some wonderful entries…put it to a vote and Abi’s won.”

The young artist described her work as a reflection of memories of family vacations to the mountains.

CLICK PLAY to Hear Unveiling!

 

TownTalk: Remote Area Medical Returns To Henderson

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For the second year, Duke Remote Area Medical is bringing a pop-up clinic to Henderson to provide free medical, dental and vision care.

RAM is partnering again with Vance Charter School, which is hosting the two-day clinic on Saturday, May 20 and Sunday, May 21. The school is located at 2090 Ross Mill Rd. The co-organizers for the clinic are Duke students Saajan Patel and  Anvi Charvu, both of whom aspire to be physicians one day.

But that’s years away, and the undergraduates have teamed up with RAM to be able to make a difference now.

Last year’s clinic provided assistance to about 150 individuals, and this year the organizers hope that number doubles because additional optometrists and dentists have joined the team to see patients. The clinic operates on a first come, first served basis, but the services are provided right on the spot.

Charvu said she remembers one woman who was seen in the dental clinic last year. “She was so grateful” for the care she received, Charvu said. And the price is right, too.

“RAM does a great job of having great providers who make you comfortable while you’re there,” she added.

The patient parking lot will open around midnight on Friday, May 19. Clinic doors open at 6 a.m.

Once in the parking lot, additional information about the clinic will be provided. Neither insurance nor ID is required.

Because there is a high demand for dental and vision care, Charvu said, patients will elect to go to either the dental clinic or the vision clinic on a given day. But a client could get dental care on Saturday and then return on Sunday for vision care, she noted.

Those who need glasses can be fitted for them and actually get their glasses on the same day from the on-site lab. If bifocals are prescribed, they’ll need a little extra time and clients will get them in the mail.

Clients will get information about local providers who are willing to provide follow-up care, at no cost or at a reduced fee.

 

Local businesses, civic groups and other community partners are teaming up to provide food for the medical professionals who work in the clinic over the course of the weekend. Patel and Charvu said they appreciate the support the community continues to offer to allow the clinic to take place.

“All of these community partners have been such a help this year,” Charvu said. Local Rotary clubs, the Salvation Army and the Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce all have contributed in one way or another to make sure the clinic is successful.

Services available at a RAM free clinic include dental cleanings, dental fillings, dental extractions, dental X-rays, eye exams, eye health screenings, eyeglass prescriptions, eyeglasses made on-site, women’s health exams and general medical exams.

In addition to the medical professionals who donate their time during the clinic, there are about 20 Duke students and 120 general support volunteers who work behind the scenes to make sure things run smoothly.

But other local volunteers are needed as well, Charva and Patel noted. If you’d like to help set up on Friday, May 19 and take down on Sunday, May 21, please call 865.579.1530 or visit www.ramusa.org. In addition, overnight parking staff to greet patients is also needed, and interpreters can volunteer to aid patients through the process, either in the parking lot or during clinic operations. Individuals do not need to work in the medical field to volunteer as general support.

 

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