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TownTalk: Vance Co. Students Remembered After Fatal Car Crash

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Brother and Sister Killed in Car Wreck Friday Morning on the Way to Vance County High School

The North Carolina State Highway Patrol said it was a head on collision which is still under investigation. Two juveniles were killed on the way to VCHS. The three occupants of the other vehicle, including a mother and two children, were also on the way to school. The mother and two children were all transported to Duke. The accident happened on Rock Mill Road, just south of the intersection with Vicksboro Road. Speed was not a factor in the crash, an NC SHP spokesperson said Sunday evening by phone.

Vance County Schools issued a statement. “At this time, we can confirm we lost two students from Vance County High School on Friday, October 29. We are deeply saddened by the tragedy that has impacted the family and our school community. We are committed to serving the needs of the students and employees in the days and weeks to come. Additional counselors and support staff were on campus to work with students and employees (Friday) and will continue to be made available as long as they are needed. Today, we are all Viper Strong.”

Assistant Principal and Athletic Director Joe Sharrow said, speaking of the young woman who died, “She was on our softball team. (The young man) was a freshman and I hadn’t had a chance to get to know him yet. She was an amazing student and really good kid, good softball player. It’s definitely a tough one. One of the best academic performers we had in the school. She was a junior.”

Community member and family friend Hope Hoyle Howard said, “I knew them well. Two very smart kids who were a pleasure to be around. Asia loved to cut up and KT was shy. Both very athletic and bright. I’m very thankful the family has a strong Christian faith and large support system. I taught them at Aycock and my daughters have played ball with Asia for several years. My kids are same age as them. Terrible tragedy.”

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TownTalk: Michael LaChiana Investigates Things That Go Bump In The Night

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Michael LaChiana knows that old homes can create strange noises – some can be attributed to creaky floors, faulty plumbing pipes or other quirky construction features. And he can tell the difference between a plumbing problem…and the paranormal.

LaChiana has been a licensed plumber for 36 years, but he’s been fascinated with ghosts and paranormal activity for more than 40 years. As the managing director of the Heritage Hunters Society, he is producing a television program called Heritage Hunters: Journey Through The Past.

He is a ghost hunter and he captures sounds during investigations of the paranormal with high-tech equipment.

But he started out as a 14-year-old with a reel-to-reel recorder. He set up the equipment to record, and he said that he was able to capture the voice of a man screaming for mercy. There was no chance the recording picked up any outside interference, LaChiana said. After that, he was hooked.

“From there, I started researching, reading every book I could,” he told Bill Harris on Thursday’s Town Talk. He upgraded long ago to digital recorders and said he has captured much evidence of paranormal activity across North Carolina and in other countries. “I’ve traveled the world…there are so many haunted locations and I’ve captured so many things,” he said.

He’s visited sites in North Carolina like the Devil’s Tramping Grounds, the USS North Carolina battleship in Wilmington and the Country Squire Inn in Duplin County.

LaChiana is a one-man production crew – he is responsible for everything from the investigating and interviewing of local experts to the editing and final production. View the show on Amazon Prime Video. Available now is the episode on the Country Squire Inn. The next episode may be out by Christmas and will feature the Wilkesboro Jail and the true story of Tom Dooley.

He particularly enjoyed working in London, which he said is “very haunted.” Edinburgh, Scotland, is “one of the most haunted cities,” he said, which places it squarely on his bucket list of places to visit in the future.

He doesn’t do much in the way of residential investigations any more – he’s just too busy with the production company, his business and his family – but he said he has helped so many people understand the strange, unexplained activities they experience.

He goes in for a few hours alone to set up recording equipment and then just wait. “If there’s something there, there’s a very good chance we can capture it,” he added. Not literally, but digitally record it.

“I do believe that every old house has some form of former resident,” LaChiana said. He is friendly and respectful during his investigations, and he said that pays off.

“Everything isn’t dark and creepy.”

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Granville County Tourism

TownTalk: Granville Tourism Heats Up With Fall Events

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Anyone who lives in or near Granville County has plenty of opportunities to celebrate Halloween this year, and Tourism Director Angela Allen couldn’t be happier to run down the list of activities – from trick-or-treat events to art galleries and costume contests, folks can stay busy all weekend long.

“What a difference a year makes,” Allen said. Last year at this time, COVID-19 restrictions had things running at a bare minimum or non-existent, she recalled during Wednesday’s Town Talk with John C. Rose and Bill Harris.

And although the weather seems to be cooling off, “things are really heating up in Granville County, as far as events go,” she said. Everybody seems ready to celebrate a holiday again, and Granville is offering numerous and varied activities for the whole family.

For starters, tonight (Thursday) is pizza night at Thorndale Oaks. There’s a whole buffet, she said. Call 919.603.3701 for more information. There are pasta and dessert stations, and lots of yummy pizza options cooked in a wood-fired pizza oven. The price is $18.95 per adult; and $9.95 per child.

Here’s a list of some of the events taking place:

  • Friday, Oct 29 – Spooktacular Candy Stroll in downtown Oxford from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. and from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in downtown Creedmoor – come in costumes and collect candy from area merchants.
  • Saturday, Oct. 30 – The Orpheum in downtown Oxford will host a Halloween costume dance and contest. From 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., the event will be geared to families; from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m., it’s adults only. Judges will select winners of the costume contest for cash prizes, Allen said. Tickets are $5 per person and $15 per family.
  • Friday-Sunday – Oct. 29-31 – Granville Haunt Farm on Hwy. 15 South opens at sunset. This drive-through event recreates scenes from some of the great scary movies and horror films. It’s set up like a giant drive-in movie, Allen said to think of the haunt farm as appropriate for anyone who would watch a PG-13 film. Check Granville Haunt Farm’s Facebook page and Instagram for details about ticket prices and times and “to get an idea of what you’ll feel and experience,” she added. taste of what awaits.
  • Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 30-31 – last chance to pick a pumpkin at William Lyon’s farm outside Creedmoor. The pumpkin patch is open each day from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. There’s also a corn maze and hay rides to participate in, making it a really good daytime outing for families.
  • Saturday, Oct. 30 – the local farmers’ market is open from 7 a.m. to noon near downtown Oxford and has seasonal produce and other handicrafts for sale.
  • Daily through Nov. 7 – Cedar Creek Gallery near Creedmoor has its own pumpkin patch, but this patch is full of the glass variety by local and regional artists.

 

Following on the heels of Halloween is Veterans’ Day and Allen said the Oxford Veterans’ Parad is scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 3 at 3 p.m. This is a time to celebrate and honor area veterans, and to thank them for their service, Allen said.

Any veteran who wishes to participate in the parade can contact Rebekah Olivares, city event coordinator at 603.1101.

The Town of Butner also will honor veterans at Soldiers Memorial Sports Arena at 11 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 11.

For a complete listing of other events in November across Granville County, search visitgranvillenc.com, find visitgranvillecounty on Facebook or Instagram.

(Granville Tourism is an advertising client of WIZS. This is not a paid ad.)

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TownTalk: Pink With A Passion Helps Victims Of Breast Cancer

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What started out as a simple act of neighbor helping neighbor has had a ripple effect to spread kindness – and donations of money and care boxes – to cancer patients.

Pink With A Passion is the grassroots brainchild of Amena Wilson, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2018. When she reached out to her neighbor Carlotta Woodard to help with an event, Woodard went from kindly neighbor to hard-working volunteer for Pink With A Passion.

Woodard officially becomes a cancer survivor on Sunday, when she celebrates her 10-year anniversary of being cancer-free.

The group serves the four-county area and recently donated $2,000 to Maria Parham Health’s  Cancer Center in observance of breast cancer awareness month. The money is available for any particular needs a patient may have, whether it’s transportation, helping make a copay or other medical costs. The women spoke with John C. Rose on Tuesday’s Town Talk.

In addition to the cash donations, they take care boxes to be distributed to patients, either at the hospital’s cancer center or to other individuals they may know about who are dealing with cancer.

The COVID-19 pandemic has hindered somewhat their ability to get out in the community to raise awareness and money. Not to be deterred, a raffle fundraiser that ran from March 1 to May 1 netted close to $13,000.

Raising money and redistributing it to people in need is what Pink With A Passion is all about.

The pink, of course, is the color associated worldwide with breast cancer, Wilson said. The “passion” part of their name is a nod to what fuels the group’s desire to help.

“We find people we know who are dealing with cancer,” Wilson said. “We reach out and give to them – whatever we can do to help. We give to others.”

Wilson said the idea for the group was born from her own efforts to help defray the expenses associated with her own diagnosis. She organized a fish plate fundraiser and said it was so successful she decided to keep it going.

“I was so overwhelmed,” she said of the support she got from the community. “There was so much love, passion and support show, I decided to do it for other people.”

And the simple act of asking a neighbor to join her effort has paid dividends. Woodard said she was eager to be a part of a support system for others through Pink With A Passion, mainly because of its vision for helping others.

Woodard knew all too well the importance of having a support system; she said she was blessed to have a strong support system as she faced her diagnosis head on. An annual mammogram detected her Stage 1 cancer and because it was caught early, a mastectomy and a chemo pill therapy was her treatment.

“I didn’t have a lump,” Woodard said, who added she has a family history of breast cancer. “If it weren’t for a mammogram, I wouldn’t even know I had cancer.”

She said she is sporting pink hair for the month of October, in said she is so excited to celebrate her 10-year anniversary of being cancer-free.

Wilson said she thanks God for allowing her to find a lump in her breast – it was detected at an early stage as well. Early detection is THE key for beating breast cancer, both women said. But going through treatments with a positive mindset, as little stress as possible, exercise and a healthy diet all contribute to a patient’s restored health.

In addition to caring for your physical well-being while undergoing treatment, Wilson said it is critical to have someone accompany you to doctor’s appointments. Taking notes and having a second set of ears to hear what a physician is discussing about your case is so important. “Knowledge is so important when you’re going through cancer,” Wilson said.

To learn more, find the group on Facebook, contact the organization via email at Pinkwithapassion_7@yahoo.com or Wilson at 252. 213. 5735.

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TownTalk: Peripheral Artery Disease

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People who suffer from peripheral artery disease can experience a range of symptoms, but a physician who specializes in treating patients with PAD said advances in care can shorten recovery time and improve quality of life.

Mohammad Akhter, MD, is an interventional cardiologist and vascular specialist affiliated with Duke Hospital. He has been with Maria Parham Health since the summer and talked with John C. Rose on Tuesday’s Town Talk about some of the causes and symptoms of PAD, as well as some of the things that specialists in his field can do to help patients feel better.

PAD is a condition that happens when plaque builds up in your arteries which restricts blood flow to extremities. In the early stages of PAD, a person may not experience any symptoms, but that changes as the disease progresses unchecked.

It primarily affects the lower legs, Akhter explained. “As the disease progresses, (patients experience) painful cramping in one or both hips or calves, leg numbness or weakness, or coldness in the lower leg or foot.”

People with severe PAD may have open sores or ulcers on their legs or feet that won’t heal because of the restricted circulation.

Until relatively recently, treatment of PAD almost certainly involved surgery. Advances in care such as the care that Akhter provides can include catheterization and placement of balloons and stents to open the arteries.

Patients hear that they have a blockage in their extremities and they think that surgery is the only treatment option. Those with mild or moderate disease, he noted, can get relief through less-invasive catheter techniques, which is Akhter’s specialty. Often, patients can go home that day or the next morning, he said, and face a much shorter recuperation period.

“Seek treatment sooner rather than later,” he advised.

Screening for PAD can be as simple as having a primary care provider take a detailed history, conduct a physical exam and check for pulses in arms and legs. And the use of a Doppler probe can help find pulses that aren’t easily detected, he added.

Medical treatment is part of the care plan, but simply increasing your level of activity through rehabilitation or exercise can also help. The body, Akhter said, will try to adapt to how much you ask of it. “Patients can actually lessen symptoms in weeks or months (after) introducing activity into their lives,” he said. Exercise for 20 to 30 minutes two or three times a week is an “excellent way to treat symptoms of PAD,” Akhter added.

Risk factors like smoking, diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure all contribute to a person’s overall health, so bringing blood sugars and cholesterol down will help as well. “Behavioral changes significantly reduce the progression of the disease.”

Once the disease is advanced, preventative care is less effective, so patients could wind up needing more invasive treatment, including surgery, to address the disease and its effects on the body. Maria Parham offers a full spectrum of diagnostics and therapeutics including arterial ultrasound and a dedicated wound care center.

Akhter moved to Durham in 2018 after beginning his specialized work at Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York and then practicing as a board-certified interventional cardiologist and vascular specialist for about 10 years at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in Boston.

He completed medical school in his native Pakistan and completed his residency and a fellowship at University of Southern California.

He made his way to Durham to complete a master’s degree in global health, but COVID-19 derailed his plans, for the time being.
“It has been gratifying practicing my skill set here in North Carolina,” he said, adding that although he has been amazed to see disadvantaged populations debilitated by PAD, he also remains hopeful because he can utilize his specialized treatments to improve medical conditions.

He praised his cath lab coworkers at Maria Parham Health for being advocates for patient care and for making his work easier.

“I don’t know what this community would do,” Akhter said, without a hospital that he called a “lifeline” for the area.

Although there’s no cure for PAD, there are treatments and care plans that can help.

Call 800.424.DOCS to find a specialist and schedule an appointment.

(Maria Parham Health is an advertising client of WIZS. This is not a paid ad.)

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TownTalk: Ruin Creek Animal Protection Society Pays Tribute To Ricky Overby

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Most Friday evenings for almost a decade, Ricky Overby would climb into the Ruin Creek Animal Protection Society van, put it in Drive and head out of town on a freedom ride. The thousands of dogs and cats that left Vance County for rescue and adoption groups up and down the East Coast owe their lives – literally – to Captain Ricky.

Overby died Tuesday after a short battle with cancer. But Brandon Boyd, RCAPS President, holds Overby up as an example as someone who selflessly gave of his time to further the RCAPS mission of saving animals.

Overby started out as a driver, Boyd told John C. Rose on Thursday’s Town Talk, but as the single van grew to a fleet of vans, Captain Ricky took on more responsibilities with RCAPS.

Boyd remembered his employee – and friend – as loyal and dependable. “He took pride in his work, in his job,” he said. “And he loved saving animals.”

He’d take off usually by 9 p.m. on Fridays, with dozens and dozens of dogs and cats loaded in the van. He’d make numerous stops along his way up the East Coast, his destination sometimes as far North as Albany, New York.

Sometimes, Boyd said, when he found himself awake in the wee hours of a Saturday morning, “I’d call the Captain.” The calls sometimes lasted five minutes; others lasted upwards of an hour, Boyd recalled.

His reputation for a loving, caring person grew as his transports continued – Boyd said it’s difficult to grasp just how widespread that reputation reached.

James Jackson, another local volunteer, stepped in when Capt. Ricky got sick. And Friday night, when Jackson settles in behind the wheel of the van loaded with 50 or 60 dogs and cats headed for New York, he and the other RCAPS volunteers will continue Capt. Ricky’s mission of doing God’s work of caring for animals.

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TownTalk: Randy Owen Looks To The Future After Retirement

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When Randy Owen says he’s not one to sit around and do nothing, he really means it. Although he is enjoying a short time off at the moment, Owen said he will be officially retired from Vance -Granville Community College on November 1. That also happens to be his first day at his new job as a paramedic at Rex Health Care’s catheterization lab.

Owen spoke with John C. Rose on Town Talk Wednesday, and he said the afternoon’s activities involved playing a little golf. When November rolls around in a couple of weeks, however, he will be working 12-hour shifts several days each week, which he said he looks forward to.

His first career began when he joined the Henderson Fire Department back in 1990. What began as a job as a firefighter and EMT morphed into becoming first a part-time instructor at VGCC and then a full-time instructor and coordinator of fire and rescue training.
“I fell in love with the instruction part of it,” Owen said. He got a certificate to teach CPR and then got his EMS certification. He credits Ranger Wilkerson, Danny Wilkerson and Curtis Tyndall with getting his career off on solid footing.

His second career will be challenging, but it’s a challenge he said he looks forward to. “I love a challenge,” he exclaimed. “I’m really, really looking forward to doing some patient care.”

Whether it’s caring for patients, co-workers, family or his community, Owen does so with a smile and great enthusiasm.

He said he is grateful for the support that he and his family have received in the past few years since his daughter Reagan’s diagnosis with acute myeloid leukemia. There have been fundraisers and many other expressions of support as medical bills continued to mount.
“It was very, very stressful,” he recalled, when Rae Rae spent eight long months at Duke for treatment. Community support “touched us in such a special way,” he said. Right now, she’s doing well, although she faces a pulmonic valve replacement in the future. “She should be put in line pretty soon,” he said.

In his new job, he’ll work fewer days, but longer shifts, and the schedule is more flexible. This is another aspect of the job that appeals to Owen because that means he can donate his time to help with other organizations.

Amanda Riggan, founder of Hungry Heroes, called him recently and asked whether he could help with an upcoming event in the area. “I just jumped on board and said, ‘most definitely!’”

“It’s amazing what she does for our public safety people,” he said of Riggan and the organization that provides meals and stocks kitchens for first responders like firefighters and rescue personnel.

Offering food to those who serve in their community is a little “give back,” he said. “One little thing we can do is feed them.”

In his role as coordinator for the fire and rescue training program at VGCC, Owen saw to it that the 50-plus agencies in the four counties that VGCC serves had the appropriate training classes.

One program that he remembers well involved helping first responders deal with stress.

The idea was to debrief after a traumatic event like a fire or a car accident, let folks explain their role and “get it off their chest and grieve about it.”

It’s important for supervisors and chiefs to monitor their team for signs of stress and get on top of it quickly, he said. “Stress is a big part of this job – It takes a special person to do it.”

Owen should know.

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TownTalk: Harry Coombs Talks Military History

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The 6th annual military history show will take place on Saturday, Oct. 23 at the Henderson-Oxford Airport in Granville County. And coordinator Harry Coombs says it’s on track to be even bigger and better than last year, when the event netted $1,700 to benefit the local veteran’s affairs committee.

“I expect the crowds to be pretty large,” Coombs told John C. Rose on Tuesday’s Town Talk segment. The free outside event may have ebbs and flows between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., but there will be plenty for folks to see and do all day long, Coombs said.

The helicopter rides were a big hit last year, and plans are to have two choppers on hand to accommodate the crowd and keep lines short. Tickets for the helicopter ride are $40 a person, up a bit from last year’s price to offset rising fuel prices.

There are more than 70 items that are part of a silent auction, and Coombs said there is a Facebook page that has some images of the items, which range from home and garden items to a military uniform and other patriotic items. Local veteran Mike Scott has donated some handcrafted wood burnings that will be among the auction items.

The silent auction will close bids at 2 p.m. and then winners will be announced, he added.

Coombs said he has been involved in similar events before, and decided to start one himself when trying to come up with an idea that would benefit the veterans in the area. “I just wanted to do something to give back to the community in some way,” he said, adding that the airport venue was available for the first event, so he decided to stage it there.

There’s a chance that a military-colored Stearman biplane once used for military training may make an appearance, he said.

All types of military equipment will be on display, from World War I and II, and military re-enactors from the Carolinas and Virginia will be on hand representing military service from as far back as the Revolutionary War and the Civil War, he said.

Some of the re-enactors are military veterans, Coombs said, and others became interested because they had family members who served and they like to research and find out information about the military.

Coombs said the re-enactors won’t just be representing the U.S. military, but said German, British and Russian soldiers will be included in this year’s event. Although most of the uniforms are reproductions, other items that will be on display have come from various places – from the Internet and estate sales to donations from veterans themselves who brought souvenirs home when the war was over.

The airport is located at 6514 Airport Road, Oxford, NC 27565.

To learn more or to volunteer for Saturday’s event, contact Coombs via phone call or text at 919.691.7697.

 

 

TownTalk: American Legion Works to Better the Community

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Ticket sales for Friday’s chicken plate fundraiser at the American Legion hut in Henderson have been brisk – so brisk, in fact, that Andy Roberson, commander of local post 60 said if you haven’t gotten a ticket yet, you’ll have to rely on luck to snag a plate. 

“We’ve actually sold 1,150 tickets,” Roberson told John C. Rose on Monday’s Town Talk. “That’s the most we’ve ever done.” They shoot for 1,200 plates each time, he said. The fundraiser begins at noon and ends at 2 p.m.

There are usually some no-shows, however, and the cooks always prepare 50 or so extra plates, so if you’re feeling lucky, there’s a chance you can get a plate closer to 1:30 or 2 p.m. without a ticket.

Roberson said the legion post tries to hold the fundraiser twice a year – April and October – and tries hard to avoid other community fundraiser dates. 

Next year, the local post will celebrate 100 years of service in the community, Roberson noted. But it wasn’t too long ago that the post was in danger of having its charter revoked for lack of membership and activity.

Roberson has been involved with Legion Post 60 for about five years. Numbers had dwindled as members aged, he said, and he credits Ed Blue for keeping the post afloat. Blue’s efforts, along with a policy change that removed active military service as a requirement for membership.

The ranks have swelled to 125 members today, Roberson said, adding that service members who served in Afghanistan and Iraq now join veterans who saw action in Vietnam and Korea.

Roberson said it’s just as important for the legion to support the community as it is for the community to support the legion’s efforts.

In addition to raising money to send students to participate in Boys’ State and the N.C. State Highway Patrol Student Academy, Roberson said annual countywide oratorical contests the Legion sponsors could lead to thousands of dollars in scholarship money for local winners who win competitions at higher levels.

In addition, he said a local Girl Scout troop meets at the Legion building.

But mostly, the legion is active to support veterans’ needs, he said. Whether it’s building a home ramp or better accessibility or arranging transportation to the VA hospital for appointments, the legion wants to be available for veterans.

They meet on the third Thursday of the month, gathering at 6 p.m., sharing a meal and then having a meeting about 7, he said, and extends the invitation to any service member to consider joining. 

“If you have a DD-214 with an honorable discharge,” you’re eligible to join. 

“We all have something in common in that building,” Roberson said. 

“If you’re a veteran and you need some help, you call and we’re going to do everything we can to help you,” he said, from help with military service records or getting paperwork squared away to get VA services. “Whatever it takes, we will try our best to get it done.”

Roberson hopes to join Mako Medical and Chick-fil-A again this year to provide meals for veterans. The tentative date is Nov. 5 when veterans can “drive by and get a bag with some food in it,” Roberson said. 

Having such good community partners makes for a good relationship, he added. Other projects in and around the legion have been completed by others in the community, Roberson said. There’s a firepit with five benches representing the five branches of the military that was a scout project, and Franklin Brothers Nursery installed mulch and other landscaping during a recent facelift. The family of Harold Ivey donated a new heating and air system in memory of their loved one as well, he said.

“It just shows what you can do in a community where people want to be tied in to veterans,” Roberson said. 

Contact Roberson at 252.432.2432 to learn more.

 

 

TownTalk: Sons Of American Revolution Hope Upcoming Events Will Draw Interest From Vance & Granville

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Bill Riggan likes to give credit where credit is due. And as a member of the Halifax Resolves Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution, that credit involves identifying and marking graves of long-deceased patriots and compatriots and honoring them with an official ceremony.

Riggan spoke with Bill Harris on Town Talk’s tri-weekly history program. He said there are ceremonies scheduled for the next two Saturdays in Franklin County to where a number of graves at several different cemeteries have been identified.

“Not only do you have to find the grave, but they must be marked…and we have to get permission from the family,” Riggan said.

The first ceremony will be Saturday, Oct. 16 at 10 a.m. in Youngsville at the Winston family cemetery on the grounds of Long Mill Elementary School. Anthony Winston and one of his sons, John Winston, will be honored for being patriots – defined as anyone who contributed service in one way or another to support the Revolution cause.

Whether they held public office, signed the Oath of Allegiance or served in the militia, patriots and their contributions are what SAR members want to commemorate. “Not only just people who were soldiers, but those who contributed to the cause, in our minds, are considered patriots,” Riggan noted.

These ceremonies are actually a pretty big deal, he said, adding that he expects representatives from such organizations as the NC Sons of the American Revolution, as well as their counterparts in Georgia and Virginia. The local Daughters of the American Revolution, local Boy Scout troop and members of the Winston family all will be represented.

Later on Oct. 16, at 2 p.m., the group will travel to Oakwood Cemetery in Louisburg. At this ceremony, Daniel Smithwick, a dentist and well-known historian in Franklin County in the 1930’s, will be remembered. Smithwick was instrumental in reviving the state SAR and in getting the Harrison Macon Chapter of the SAR started in Franklin County. The chapter was named for an ancestor of Smithwick’s wife, and Smithwick “purchased a stone from the government to mark the grave” of Macon, who was a military veteran. The search for that grave marker continues to this day.

It’s out there, Riggan said, adding that it, so far, has proven elusive.

Whenever they locate a grave of a Revolutionary War patriot, SAR representatives plan a ceremony to officially commemorate the spot with a footstone that has an SAR logo on it. The stone is installed in such a way that Riggan said future generations will not have to search for and wonder who is buried where.

On Saturday, Oct. 23, the team will be back in Youngsville to honor Francis Timberlake. The Timbelake Family Cemetery is located on property of Hill Ridge Farms, and the cemetery is located nearby on Timberlake Drive. Then, that afternoon, it’s back to Oakwood Cemetery in Louisburg for to honor five more patriots – that’s the maximum number allowed by the national SAR.

Riggan said he expects that there are gravesites in Granville and Vance counties that can be identified as well, and he welcomes participation from anyone in either county to consider joining the local SAR. The Halifax Resolves chapter encompasses eight counties and Riggan hopes to “spread the good word in Vance County” about SAR’s mission.

Becoming a member is not as involved a process as one may think, he said, although it may prove a little involved if genealogy isn’t your thing. Basically, if there is someone in your family who has served the Revolution in some way, you are a candidate for membership.

“It’s been something that’s been very rewarding for me,” Riggan said of his involvement with SAR. “Other than the Mayflower Society and the Jamestown Society, the SAR and the DAR are the gold standard for genealogical societies,” he said.

There’s a lot more to SAR than just attending monthly meetings, Riggan said. “It’s just a subtle way to show patriotism and be involved in things that are important to a lot of people,” he added.

To learn more, contact hrcregistrar@nc.rr.com

Bill Riggan of the Halifax Resolves Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution details upcoming events.