Tag Archive for: #towntalk

TownTalk: Geneaology Basics, Pt. 2

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There is so much information at our fingertips in the 21st century world of genealogy, but people who want to learn more about their ancestors still have to use those tried-and-true research to obtain the most accurate results.

Bill Harris and Mark Pace, North Carolina Room Specialist at Oxford’s Thornton Library discussed different types of records, from family Bibles to courthouse files in Thursday’s tri-weekly history segment of TownTalk.

Before the days of online subscriptions that help individuals fill in family tree information, genealogists had to go to the source; oftentimes, that was the local courthouse.

“The court was all powerful back in the day,” Pace said, adding that you can find “all sorts of crazy records,” from the usual wills and deeds, to the bounty that someone was paid for bringing in a wolf hide.

Court records are considered “primary sources,” Pace said, as are family Bibles, tombstones and church records.

“Secondary sources are a little trickier to document,” he continued. A secondary source may be something like a newspaper article or obituary and books on local history, all of which technically contain second-hand information.

Of course, there are many books that chronicle the history of a place or a family that are considered very reliable and upon which many genealogists rely for information.

Pace said in his 40-plus years of researching history of some sort or another, he said it’s always gratifying to find that bit of missing information that had previously eluded him.

“You’ll hear a ‘whoopee’ in a quiet library,” he said, and it’s a sure sign that another researcher has found an elusive tidbit as well. “They’ve found what they’re looking for,” he said. “It‘s very rewarding.”

 

 

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TownTalk: Economic Summit To Be Held In Littleton

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The Kerr-Tar Regional Council of Governments and the Kerr-Tar Workforce Development Board are teaming up to host a regional economic development summit later this month with the theme “Innovate 2023: Question. Design. Thrive.”

The half-day event will take place in Littleton at the Lakeland Cultural Arts Center on Thursday, Mar. 23 and will be packed with workshops, panel discussions, guest speakers and more, according to information from the KTCOG.

Participants from Region K, which includes the four-county area that WIZS serves will “explore the power of innovation, and its ability to ignite change within,” said Kenia Gomez-Jimenez, KTCOG’s communications & administrative coordinator.

Registration is required by Mar. 21. To register, visit https://www.kerrtarcog.org/innovate-2023/

The workshop will be from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. During that time, speakers will cover a range of issues including how failure and resilience can lead to innovation, challenging bias and creating room for innovation in hiring practices and workplace culture, self-determination, innovative education for a more purpose-driven workforce and more. Participants will hear from a variety of speakers on relevant issues and be challenged to think about solutions to problems in new and innovative ways.

The workshop kicks off with an activity called “Unlocking Your Innovative Spirit,” courtesy of Innovate Carolina. Author and entrepreneur Inez Ribustello will share her thoughts on becoming resilient through experiencing personal tragedy, and a panel discussion on innovative human resource practices and innovative approaches in education.

This event is for anyone who has a stake in the economic future of the workforce, and specifically human resources, hiring managers, educators, government  employees, small business owners, executive directors and CEOs.

Collaborative partners include: Franklin County Economic Development Commission, Granville County Economic Development Commission, Greater Franklin County Chamber of Commerce, Person County Economic  Development Commission, Piedmont Community College, Vance-Granville  Community College, Granville County Chamber of Commerce, Roxboro Area Chamber of Commerce, Person County Tourism Development Authority,  Henderson-Vance County Economic Development Commission, Henderson-Vance County Chamber of Commerce, and Warren County Economic Development Commission.

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Downtown Henderson

TownTalk: Shamrocks Coming To Downtown Henderson

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Make plans to visit downtown Henderson on St. Patrick’s Day for Shamrocks on Breckenridge. You may not find a pot of gold, but there will be plenty of other items to enjoy, from food trucks to live music.

Amanda Walker Ellis, vice chair of the Henderson-Vance Downtown Development Commission board invites the community to join in the fun on Friday, Mar. 17 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Ellis spoke with John C. Rose on Tuesday’s TownTalk about this event and other activities on the horizon.

There’s still time to be listed as a sponsor; there are several levels to choose from: Leprechaun for $250, Shamrock for $500 and Pot O’ Gold for $1,000.

Ellis said last year’s event got some good feedback, and plans are shaping up for another fun time this year.

People enjoyed being outside and downtown, she noted. In addition to the food trucks, music and dancing, a variety of community organizations will be on hand to share information about services and resources.

Events like Shamrocks on Breckenridge do more than just provide entertainment, Ellis said. They also serve to shine a positive light on the community.

The negative stuff always gets broadcast, she said, but positive news like Shamrocks helps residents feel “proud of where you are – trying to make it a better place all around,” Ellis said.

Other events being planned include a downtown Juneteenth celebration and the annual gala that has become known as Downtown Live on Young, which features live music and outdoor dining.

“We’ve got stuff coming up,” Ellis said. “It’s steadily coming in and we’re working on it.

Right now, Shamrocks on Breckenridge is the main focus,” she noted, adding that future events will fall into place.

The planning for all these events comes amid a renewed effort to collaborate with other local groups, including the local tourism authority. The DDC also has recently decided on a new logo and is currently undergoing a website makeover.

“We’re all trying to work together rather than independently,” Ellis said. It shouldn’t be long before the new website is up and running, and the address is the same: www.hendersonncdowntown.org.

To learn more, contact Ellis at

amanda@rogersandrogerslawyers.com or amandaleigh486@hotmail.com or call Dr. Alice Sallins at 252-767-4579.

 

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TownTalk: Rural Water Apprenticeships Are Available

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How many times a day do you use water?

Morning showers, preparing a pot of coffee or washing dishes after a meal are just a few of the many ways we use water throughout the day. We turn on the spigot and expect clean, safe water to come flowing out.

But it takes a lot of work to ensure our water is potable and safe to use, and Carolyn Bynum of the N.C. Rural Water Association has a startling statistic for all of us: Over the next five years, water systems will lose more than half of their current employees, mostly through retirement.

And so just who is stepping up to fill those jobs?

NCRWA’s apprenticeship program works year-round to identify prospective employees and place them in paid positions, creating a win-win situation for people who want to work in the field and for those water systems who need employees.

People who work in water system plants and wastewater plants are very essential front-line workers, she noted. “If we don’t have clean water, everything dies,” Bynum said. “It sounds drastic, but in reality, it’s true,” she added.

Bynum is the NCRWA’s workforce development coordinator and she explained the apprenticeship program to John C. Rose on Monday’s TownTalk.

The program functions much like traditional apprenticeships, with one big exception – the NCRWA apprentices are paid while they complete the extensive classroom instruction and on-the-job training.

Her agency has placed 20 apprentices in the three years or so since the apprenticeship program  was registered with N.C. Department of Labor. Three more apprentices just completed the two-year process and they’ll be placed soon, too.

And although apprentices will be learning the intricacies of the water industry, Bynum said NCRWA strives to provide participants with occupational training that can be applied across workplaces, not just the water industry.

“We want them to have a broad view of the industry,” she said. There’s a huge growth potential in the industry that often goes unnoticed by those entering the work force.

Applications can be submitted at any time; Bynum said the industry is always looking for qualified workers to make sure customers have clean water.

She said she gets calls all the time from water systems asking for help finding employees.

The apprenticeship program allows new employees to gain experience as they learn from seasoned workers. “You don’t want to wait until they retire,” she said.

After an application is submitted, the process continues sort of like a job interview. Candidates must be at least 18 years old and have a high school diploma or its equivalent.

Apprentices complete 288 hours of classroom instruction and 4,000 hours of on-the-job training during the two-year program.

At the end of each 1,000-hour period, apprentices are required to meet milestones to show progress. This successful completion every six months or so results in a wage increase.

It’s a plus if a candidate has good math skills, but Bynum said her agency provides supplemental services to shore up basic math skills when needed. “Math is such a huge part of the industry,” she said. There are always charts to read, measurements to take and gauges to monitor to ensure systems are functioning properly.

Water systems and water treatment systems operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, Bynum said.

“It’s recession proof.”

Visit www.ncrwa.org to learn more or contact Bynum at 743.202.0971 or apprenticeship@ncrwa.org.

 

 

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TownTalk: Purr Partners Prepares For Kitten Season

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Having a pet can be a wonderful experience – who doesn’t love the idea of a cute little furr ball greeting you when you come home after a hard day’s work?

But with pet ownership comes responsibilities, in addition to general care and trips to the vet, and Lawanna Johnson sees the consequences first-hand when pet owners don’t live up to their end of the bargain.

Johnson is president and founder of Purr Partners, a feline rescue dedicated to saving cats and kittens and finding them forever homes.

The nonprofit was established in 2009 on a shoestring budget and today thrives as a leading rescue, foster and adoption facility for cats and kittens. Johnson spoke with WIZS’s Bill Harris Thursday on a recurring segment of TownTalk called Pets and People.

“There is really an epidemic right now going on of cats being dumped everywhere,” she said. Five years ago, Johnson and others in the rescue world could identify a “kitten season,” usually in the spring, with little or no kittens in February or March. But now, “kitten season is really becoming year-round here in North Carolina,” she said.

Whether it’s because of the economy or because of the COVID-19 pandemic disrupting the spay/neuter clinics, there are a lot of cats and kittens making their way into shelters and rescue organizations like Purr Partners.

And they’re not in great health. “It’s heartbreaking,” Johnson said. “They’re not thriving, they’re not surviving.” It costs thousands of dollars to get them healthy, she added. Dollars that come from the generosity of regular donors and from fundraisers, like the Purr Partners “Black Cat Bash” held in October each year.

Purr Partners relies on donations and fundraisers to continue their work, which includes taking adoptable cats to three Petsmart locations in the Wake Forest/Raleigh area.

Volunteers are on hand from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. each weekend at the PetSmarts in Wake Forest, and the stores at Capital Blvd. and Millbrook Road and Six Forks and Strickland.

Adoptions begin with an application, which provides Purr Partners staff with information to help find the perfect match.

“You’re making hopefully a lifetime commitment,” Johnson said. “You want it to be happy and you want to be happy with it,” she said of the cat or kitten that you choose.

But realistically speaking, thing don’t always work out. And that’s ok. Purr Partners has a two-week trial period, so it it doesn’t work out, you can bring the cat back and either try again or get your adoption fee refunded.

Visit https://www.purrpartners.org/ to see the cats available for adoption or to sign up to volunteer.

 

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TownTalk: Osteopathic Medicine Helps with Those Aches And Pains

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There are lots of reasons why people develop arthritis – either we’re genetically predisposed to achy joints, we’ve suffered an injury that later brings on pain or it could be just simple wear-and-tear on our bodies that produces the aches and pains we associate with getting older.

But Mark Messmer, a doctor of osteopathic medicine, says treatment of arthritis is not a one-size-fits-all approach. And people who suffer with some forms of arthritis may have more options today than they would have had, say, 20 or more years ago.

Messmer has been practicing osteopathic medicine at Maria Parham Health since he left the Navy back in the summer of 2022. He spoke with John C. Rose Wednesday on TownTalk about his experiences in the Navy and how the journey that led him to Henderson.

During his service with the Navy, he said he got to treat military personnel coming back from war. “That really pushed me into orthopedics,” he said, adding that is the area where he felt he could make the biggest contribution.

He said it is gratifying to be able to offer someone a potentially life-changing surgery.

When he left military service, he said he was looking to work in a small community with a community hospital. He and his wife both are from Michigan, and after experiencing one relatively mild North Carolina winter while Messmer was at Camp Lejeune, they both decided it was way better than freezing in Michigan.

With close to 10 years of practice now under his belt, Messmer said he’s seen advances in the way the medical community can help arthritis sufferers.

And he offers some practical advice for anyone who is dealing with what he calls “little nagging injuries:” Don’t ignore them.

“It’s always good to get it checked out,” Messmer said, instead of brushing it off or ignoring it. Often, those conditions simply progress, which cause bigger problems sooner rather than later, he said. And once that happens, he said treatment options narrow.

If you think of the cartilage in your joints like the treads on a tire, you can understand that the cartilage, like the treads, wear over time. And although tires can be replaced, it’s not quite that simple with cartilage.

In some cases, the whole joint can be replaced – think knees and hips.

But there are things that can slow the progression of cartilage loss – from exercises that decrease stress on joints to reducing inflammation that causes the cartilage to break down in the first place.

Surgery isn’t always the first – or best – treatment option, Messmer said.

There are many options to consider before surgery, including the use of braces and injections.

In the months that he’s been working in Henderson, he said he’s seen patients with arthritis in their hips, knees and shoulders, as well as rotator cuff problems and lower back pain.

In some cases, less invasive treatments can do the trick, and Messmer said lots of patients find relief from braces, or steroid injections, or regular visits to the chiropractor.

“The last thing people want to hear about is surgery,” Messmer said. “If you’re seeing a chiropractor and you’re getting results, by all means keep doing it.” As long as symptoms aren’t worsening, he said, keep using the less invasive options.

Joint replacements are lasting longer now, and Messmer said it’s possible that we’ll see  robotics-style devices being used in the future. “It’s not for every patient,” Messmer said, “but certain patients with complex joints could benefit” from robotics devices.

There were fewer options for patients with arthritis 30 years ago, but fast-forward to today and there are all different types of treatment, including using different lubrications in joints that mimic cartilage.

Providing pain relief for mild to moderate arthritis, in some cases, keeps surgery at bay for years, he added.

Make an appointment with Messmer or his colleagues at Maria Parham Health’s orthopedics office to learn what options may be best suited for you. Call 252.436.1314 or visit https://www.mariaparham.com to schedule a visit.

 

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Kerr Tar Workforce and NCWorks

TownTalk: CyberHIRE 2023 Makes It Easy To Find A New Job

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Job seekers and employers will get a unique opportunity to “meet” later this week during a Cyber Hire event sponsored by the Kerr-Tar COG.

Employers from across the five-county region – Vance, Granville, Warren, Franklin and Person – will make presentations that will be livestreamed to a site in each of the counties, where prospective employees will be gathered, explained Desiree Brooks, business services manager of KTCOG’s workforce development board.

This hybrid hiring event is just another way that KTCOG connects employers who are looking for workers and individuals who are looking for employment, Brooks told John C. Rose on Tuesday’s TownTalk.

She and co-worker Adam Perkins said the CyberHire 2023 event creates a convenient way for employers to participate without having to leave their offices. Participants will be checked in and all settled in their spots beginning at 9:30 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 24. The presentations will begin promptly at 10 a.m. and will conclude about 12 noon.

Each county has its own site where the CyberHire 2023 can be viewed:

  • Vance County – NC Works Career Center, 826 S. Garnett St., Henderson
  • Granville County – VGCC South Campus in Creedmoor
  • Warren County – Warren Memorial Library
  • Franklin County – VGCC Franklin Campus, Louisburg on Hwy. 56
  • Person County – Business Development Entrepreneurship Center, 105 N. Main St., uptown Roxboro

Brooks said they wanted to bring back the in-person events after things got shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic. The KTCOG has held outdoor events in the area, and she said the hybrid event will be convenient for everyone involved and has been strategically planned for effectiveness.

“They all need employees,” she said of the companies and manufacturers that will be represented Friday. “This is an opportunity for these employers to be in the comfort of their offices” while making a pitch to prospective workers.

The presentations will be viewed live, but in “listen-only” mode. Brooks said she expects follow-up interviews to be scheduled quickly so hires can be made.

Among the employers taking part in Friday’s session are: Versatrim, Maria Parham Health, International Paper, CertainTeed, Altec and Warren Correctional Institute. The positions range from machine operators and manufacturers to administrative positions, Perkins said.

“We have an array of employers from all of our counties,” he added.

Brooks agreed, adding that “every single employer will be promoting positions that pay a minimum of $16 an hour. They’re going to be learning about some great opportunities,” she said.

To learn more about this and other KTCOG programs, call 252.598.5200 or visit

www.kerrtarworks.com

 

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TownTalk: American Legion Post 60 Celebrates 100 Years

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Henderson’s American Legion Post 60 is celebrating 100 years of service to the area with a special program Saturday evening to mark the occasion.

Post 60 Commander Ted Grissom reminds members of the program that is scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 25, beginning at 6 p.m.

Post 60 Vice-Commander Hartwell Wright spoke with John C. Rose on Tuesday’s TownTalk and he said the local post provides support to military veterans in the area.

One goal on the horizon for Post 60 is establishing a veterans memorial in downtown Henderson. Although the idea is in the early stages, Wright said he hopes to have details soon about a tangible way to honor the military veterans of Vance County.

Wright recalled the early days of the American Legion in the U.S., when Congress decided that the newly established group would be the voice for veterans. The American Legion was instrumental in the formation of the Veterans Administration, he noted.

One of the group’s goals, Wright said, is “to keep the membership strong so we can be relevant in the future.” One way the local post supports veterans is with financial help. “When there is a significant need brought to our attention, we do our best to help that veteran,” Wright explained.

Membership is strong at this time, he said, adding that more veterans from the Vietnam and Iraq conflicts are choosing to participate in legion activities.

“It’s imperative on us to continue to recruit…so the future will be bright for the American Legion and the veterans we serve,” Wright said.

Among the activities planned for the program Saturday is a presentation of the post’s history by Ret. Col. Ed Blue.

“It will be the highlight of the event,” Wright said.

The event will be held at the Post 60 building, located at the corner of Garnett and Spring streets and will include a covered dish supper.

In addition to local post leaders, American Legion division commanders, vice-commanders and other district, state and local dignitaries are expected to be present. And although this particular event is by invitation only, American Legion leaders want to make sure that all local veterans know about ongoing activities that Post 60 participates and to raise awareness about services and membership in the organization.

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Teen Charged With Possession Of Stolen Gun

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A Guilford County teenager was arrested during a traffic stop earlier this month in Vance County and ultimately charged with possession of a stolen firearm.

Sekius Rainey, 18, was charged in connection with the Feb. 10 traffic stop, which occurred on Newton Dairy Road, according to a press statement from Vance County Sheriff Curtis Brame.

The firearm had been reported stolen from Granville County.

Officers turned Rainey over to Granville County officers for questioning and processing. He was given a $20,000 secured bond by a magistrate.

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Henderson Man Jailed On Drug, Federal Detention Order

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A Henderson man is in jail on a couple of charges, one of which is possession of cocaine, according to Vance County Sheriff Curtis Brame.

Members of the sheriff’s office narcotics unit assisted U.S. marshals locate Terrance Hargrove on Friday, Feb. 17, Brame stated in a press release Monday.

Hargrove, 45, was found in the area of North Henderson and placed into custody on a federal detention order.

He also was charged with possession of 8.6 grams of cocaine, for which he received a $60,000 secure bond.

Hargrove is being held without privilege of bond on the federal detention, awaiting a court date of Mar. 17, 2023.

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