Tag Archive for: #towntalk

TownTalk: Watkins VFD Plans BBQ Fundraiser

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Watkins Volunteer Fire Department’s upcoming barbecue and chicken fundraiser on Friday, May 5, is one way the firefighters have to help make sure the residents inside their fire district – and beyond – have everything they need when it comes to fire, EMS and other services.

Assistant Fire Chief Brandon Link said this is one of two fundraisers the fire department undertakes each year, with a filler fundraiser in between.

Plates of barbecue or grilled chicken, with potatoes, slaw, bread and dessert, are $12. Plates with both barbecue and chicken are $15 and a pound of barbecue is $10, Link said.

The sales begin at 11 a.m. and they’ll serve it up until it’s all gone. Patrons can eat in or take out.

Watkins Volunteer Fire Department is located at 1590 Horseshoe Bend Rd., Henderson.

Link said Monday on TownTalk that Watkins, like other volunteer departments in the county, receives county funding for operations and to help pay for paid staff, but it’s not enough. Watkins gets $100,000 from the county, which comes from the county’s fire tax.

He estimated that between 15 percent and 20 percent of the department’s funding comes from the community in the form of fundraisers. The firefighters are always looking for ways to be frugal, Link said, and “getting more bang for our buck.”

The firefighters respond to all types of calls, not just fire calls, he said. There’s also EMS calls, and then there are the collisions and wrecks that happen within the district, too.

Link said departments like his use volunteers in creative ways to try to make sure there’s someone in the firehouse at all times. Nights and weekends are problematic, but Link said it’s important to provide the best coverage possible. “It takes some creativity to fill those gaps,”he said.

Of course, the ultimate goal is to have the firehouse staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, all year long. In the meantime, they’re doing the best they can.

“We make sure we’re using everything that the county is providing us, and taxpayers are providing for us,” Link said. “Everyone pays the same tax rate and deserves the same level of service.”

The fire department uses some of the funds for trainings like an upcoming workshop scheduled at the Vance County Rescue Squad about electric vehicles.

Fred’s Towing is going to do the training, which will help firefighters get up to speed on differences between EVs and traditional gas-powered vehicles.

“EV fires are an entirely different monster,” he noted, adding that they require lots more water than the routine vehicle fire call.

“This specialized training comes at a cost,” Link said, but it’s essential to keep firefighters training updated.

“The end goal is to provide the best service that we can to the taxpayer, to the customer,” Link said. Sometimes that means accepting changes, like when service areas change. There are multiple areas across the county that used to be covered by one department and now it’s covered by another.

“We’re passionate about who we serve,” Link said. “As a department, (with) some things you gotta bite the bullet and let it go – and be the second responder.”

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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.

 

 

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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TownTalk: Seussical Jr. And Other Productions Coming To McGregor Hall

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Got a budding actor living under your roof who may be looking to hone some skills this summer? McGregor Hall Executive Director Mark Hopper said this season’s Henderson Rec Players productions may be just the place to start.

Young people ages 8-16 are invited to a May 9 meeting, at 7 p.m., to learn more about Seussical, Jr., the culmination of a two-week-long children’s theater camp set for June 12-25.

This year marks the third year for the children’s camp, which Hopper said had been a long time coming. “That was a dream for a long time,” he said on Monday’s TownTalk.

Whether it’s acting, singing or helping behind the scenes, youngsters will get an immersive experience in what goes on to bring a production to the stage.

And the price – $50 for the two weeks – is right, Hopper said, to allow more children to come and take part.

Learn more about Seussical, Jr. and the other shows that the Rec Players will perform during the 51st season at www.mcgregorhall.org.

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TownTalk: Clearview Church Plans BASS Legacy Night

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An upcoming event at Clearview Church has some interesting similarities to some New Testament accounts of Jesus and his disciples being fishers of men. Or should that be fishermen?

Dr. Abidan Shah invites the community to come to Clearview on April 29 at 6 p.m. for BASS Legacy Night to hear a group of professional anglers talk about fishing, as well as offer testimonies.

Curtis Vick, a lay leader at Clearview, also is a co-angler, which is a step shy of being a professional. Vick said on TownTalk Thursday that he hopes others will find ways to strengthen – or establish – their faith as a result of the program.

It begins at 5:30 p.m. with a meal, and the discussion with eight or so other big names in Major League Fishing circles is from 6 p.m. to about 8 p.m.

“We’re using fishing as a platform for the Gospel,” said Ryan Hill, another Clearview member.

In addition to a free meal, participants will have the chance to win prizes throughout the evening. Contact info@clearviewbc.org to learn more.

Registration is appreciated, but not required.

Organizers hope to see 250 people or more attend.

Vick, who was born and raised in Henderson, said he began attending Clearview a few years ago and learned that men should be the spiritual leaders of the household. Since then, he’s taken on that leadership role – with his family and his co-workers.

“I try to lead by example,” he said, admitting that he falls short from time to time, as we all do.

He lives in Boydton, VA, but works in Henderson now, adding that he tries to be a role model for the young people who work with him.

Planning for this event has pushed him outside his comfort zone, but he is reassured by the support he’s gotten from the church staff, its congregation and from the fishing community.

Shah said he is excited about the upcoming event. “It’s going to be phenomenal,” he said. “It’s going back to the roots of the gospel – this is how it all began,” he said.

“We are catching people with the gospel of Jesus Christ.”

 

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TownTalk: Boyd Dealership Victim Of Vehicle Theft

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Henderson Police are investigating the theft of three new luxury vehicles from a local car dealership that possibly is related to a spate of similar thefts across the state.

In an interview Wednesday, Police Chief Marcus Barrow told WIZS that the vehicles – a 2023 Cadillac Escalade, a 2023 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 and a 2023 Audi Q5 were driven off the lot of Charles Boyd Chevrolet just before 2 a.m. on Sunday, April 16. The vehicles have an estimated value of $235,000.

Three suspects, which video footage from the dealership shows were all wearing dark clothing, hoods, masks and gloves, broke a window to gain entry inside the building, located at 250 Ruin Creek Road. The whole thing occurred in just over 10 minutes.

This seems to match up with several other incidents across the state, Barrow said. “Multiple locations across North Carolina have been hit this year,” he explained. And it appears the Charlotte-Mecklenburg County area is a “homebase.”

The Escalade’s OnStar GPS system was used to locate the vehicle later on Sunday morning in Matthews, Barrow said, which is a Charlotte suburb.

“I think it’s a fairly large criminal organization doing it,” Barrow said of the break-in and larceny. His department is working with authorities in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg area, the SBI as well as Homeland Security as the investigation continues.

Many car dealerships have similar setups, with keys in the same area, Barrow noted. It could be that people were watching how people and vehicles enter and exit the building over time, or they could have located particular vehicles at particular dealerships before deciding where to strike.

Barrow said the Boyd family was helpful in contacting other dealerships to figure out where thieves had struck, giving local police information to make calls to law enforcement agencies where previous thefts had occurred.

The break-in occurred at 1:43 a.m. and the vehicles were seen driving off the lot west on US 158 Bypass toward Oxford just 11 minutes later, at 1:54 a.m.

This is an active investigation and Barrow asks anyone with information to contact the Henderson Police Department at 252.438.4141, Crime Stoppers at 252.492.1925 or use the P3 app.

Financial compensation is offered for information leading to the arrest of the
responsible individuals.

 

 

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TownTalk: The Help Center Helps Those In Need

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Since Twanna Jones founded The Help Center in 2017, she has found that there are many opportunities to provide something to someone. But what she said her organization strives to do is to provide hope as well as help.

“It’s beautiful and sustainable when you give them both,” Jones said on TownTalk Tuesday.

Jones, the Help Center staff and its volunteers need only look across the street if they need reminding about the hope part: Rebuilding Hope is located just across Raleigh Road from the Help Center building.

Whether it’s the quarterly baby shower designed to provide single moms- and dads-to-be with some of the basics that they’ll need when a newborn is added to the household to the gleaning program that puts young people in farmers’ fields to help with the harvest, The Help Center North Carolina finds a place where help is needed and then goes about the task of filling that need.

Jones and her team serve Vance, Granville, Warren, Franklin and Wake counties, and they offer different programs and services in each spot.

In Vance County, the emphasis is on food insecurity and keeping a diaper bank stocked.

There’s a home delivery program that just got started – a partnership with Door Dash. It’s designed for people with chronic health issues to have weekly food deliveries since they may not be able to get out to get groceries.

All of these programs require volunteers, and Jones said she’s always in the market to have more volunteers to come and help out.

The monthly food distribution is a big one in Vance County. More than 200 families are signed up to pick up food on the 4th Monday of each month.

Then, twice a month, the Help Center opens its doors for clients to choose their own foods instead of getting the pre-made bags. Volunteers are needed for this program, too.

Food distribution Wednesday.

“It takes all of us to work together,” Jones said, giving a nod to the existing agencies in the area that also provide support to the community. “Joining together…makes our community stronger, better and healthier.”

One gap the Help Center is working to fill is getting out into the rural community. The “mobile pantry” program brings food to folks who need it, but that food delivery is just part of the contact. Volunteers deliver food, but that is coupled with making safety checks on older adults, she said. “We wanted to get out into the community and connect with people.” To do that, “you start with food.”

Visit the website at http://www.thehelpcenternc.com to learn about all the volunteer opportunities and how to make donations, or phone 919.391.7300. The office is open Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Some of the immediate needs, in addition to volunteers, include donations of:

  • Bottled water
  • Gatorade
  • Baby diapers
  • Adult diapers
  • Pop-lid canned items
  • Peanut butter
  • Juice packs
  • Oodles of noodles
  • Breakfast bars

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TownTalk: Carolina United For Change Plans Scholarship Event

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Carolina United for Change will host a scholarship event on May 20 at the Gateway CDC to highlight its scholarship opportunities at Vance-Granville Community College.

The organization isn’t even a year old yet, but co-founder Joseph Brodie and others have focused on its mission of supporting the poor and needy and protecting the rights of all people.

Brodie was on TownTalk Monday to talk about the two scholarships that have been established at VGCC.

Two $500 scholarships will be awarded, Brodie said. Applicants will be asked to submit a personal essay on the topic of gun violence. Carolina United for Change board members will review the essays and will select the winners. The scholarships were established in honor of Brodie’s son, who was shot and killed in 2017.

Brodie said VGCC Foundation Director Tanya Weary has been instrumental in helping get the scholarship going. She and other VGCC reps will be on hand at the May 20 event to share details about applying for the scholarship and for registering to become a VGCC student.

There also will be guest speakers, drawing for gifts and musical performances during the program, which is from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Gateway CDC is located at 314 S. Garnett St., Henderson.

Brodie said he appreciates the collaboration with Gateway CDC, which is providing space to hold the event as well as technical assistance to the nascent organization as it continues to gain traction in the community.

He said he hopes to be able to have a centrally located space for members of the community to come to ask questions and seek assistance.

 

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TownTalk: Around Old Granville: NC Author Writes About The Revolution

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Author James Becker discusses his recent book “Secrets of the American Revolution”.

 

TownTalk: Northeast Piedmont Chorale Coming To McGregor Hall

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The Northeast Piedmont Chorale will perform its spring concert at McGregor Hall in Henderson on Sunday afternoon, April 23. The concert is free and open to the public, and Director Cindy Edwards said the concert’s theme – “What A Wonderment” – describes perfectly the selections that will be performed.

The audience will see and hear “a trend in our musical selections,” Edwards said on TownTalk, “all about the wonder about the world that we live in.”

Chorale baritones Tom Burleson and Harvey Jackson joined Edwards to talk about the upcoming performance, as well as the state of the chorale. Which is quite, good, by the way.

Since Edwards became director in 2016, the chorale has doubled in size, from just shy of 40 to close to 80. Seventy-five performers are scheduled to take the stage for the spring concert, Edwards noted.

(The chorale will perform the spring concert at New Hope Baptist Church in Raleigh on Friday, April 21 at 7:30 p.m. The church is located at 4301 Louisburg Rd. in Raleigh.)

“For next season, we’ll have an even bigger choir,” she said. “I’m very, very pleased about the size of the group.

Although there are a handful of chorale members for whom music is a vocation, Jackson said the majority are just like him and Burleson – folks who’ve sung in church or school groups, but who aren’t music majors.

Jackson, who serves as vice president of the chorale board, said the upcoming concerts are the result of “many, many hours (of practice) put in by 70-plus people. This stuff doesn’t happen by accident.”

In addition to the two-hour weekly practices, Edwards offers “sectionals,” where smaller groups can come together to practice their particular parts. And individuals spend hours and hours outside the common practice time to listen and learn their parts.

Burleson said the process is important. “It’s painstaking and time consuming,” he said. “But if we didn’t want to do it, we wouldn’t be there. There’s a great reward.”

Edwards said the group has worked hard to create what she hopes will be a memorable performance. “The choir is ready – they need an audience…they sound beautiful.”

Kristen Allred accompanies at piano for some of the musical selections, but there will be a full orchestra to offer accompaniment as well.

The concert will begin with “A Shaker Celebration,” sure to delight the audience with its processional, and handbell and drum accompaniment. The program continues with “Te deum,” which translates to “We praise thee, O God” a 20-minute master work of composer Dan Forest.

The group will perform “Alleluia For Our Time” by Raleigh composer, Jay Althouse, whom Edwards described as someone who has become a close friend of the chorale.

After a short break, the theme of the concert focuses on the world around us – earth, stars, sky and water.

The chorale will perform “Earth Song,” followed by a couple of a cappella selections.

Local musicians Wayne Kinton and his son David Kinton provide electric guitar and double bass accompaniment to the Bluegrass-style “Touch the Sky” from the movie Brave.

The chorale’s final selection, complete with full orchestra, is “The Impossible Dream.”

Visit www.npchorale.org to learn more about the Northeast Piedmont Chorale.

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